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Easy router dadoes with DadoMax

Peter O — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:54:35 -0800

The DadoMax makes easy, accurate router dados. Setup is easy and it makes tight-fitting dados regardless of material thickness. The DadoMax is constructed of high-quality materials, and has a large enough surface that there is no worry of the router tipping. It comes in a metal case and includes replacements parts for items that might be easily lost. The DadoMax adjusts to a variety of straightedges, and you can buy the DadoMax without a straightedge if you already have one.

I only gave four stars because:

The DadoMax slid easily on some parts of the straightedge and tended to jam on other parts – probably a slight variation in the width of the straightedge. A little wax might take care of the problem.
The DadoMax didn’t come with any instructions. While not too difficult to figure out, an explination of setup and adjustment should be included.
You can get the same function with comparable accuracy with a simple shop-made jig. $139 seems like an expensive replacement for the shop jig.

————————————————————————————————————————————————
I was very surprised to find that there were no instructions for setup or use. I know a lot of guys don’t like to read instructions, but it seems like anything that needs setup or adjustment should come with instructions. Here’s a quick run-down for setting up and using the DadoMax:

First, adjust the DadoMax to the width of your straightedge. It should be tight enough that there is no “slop” but loose enough to slide easily. The two knobs on the left allow you to adjust the guide.

Next, adjust the spacer throat to match your router bit. Loosen the screw with the hex key that is provided, and make sure the throat is exactly the size of the diameter of your router bit when the DadoMax unit is fully closed.

Install the provided router bushing and make sure your baseplate is centered on your router.

Set the DadoMax to the thickness of the material using an actual piece of the material that will fit in the dado. The spacer throat is stepped so router bits of various sizes can be used. When using a ½” bit, the stock fits on the outer step as shown. For a 3/8” bit fit the stock on the middle step, and with a ¼” bit use the inner step. Set the DadoMax fairly tight using the adjustment screw, and lock it in place using the jam nut.

Mark the location of the dado on the workpiece. Place the DadoMax on the straightedge and align with the location marks. The DadoMax has three alignment marks, again depending on which router bit you are using. I’m using the longest alignment mark with the ½” bit.

Set the router on the DadoMax, and slide the router along the straightedge and back. The DadoMax will allow the router move slightly toward and away from the straightedge. On one pass press toward the straightedge and pull away from the straightedge on the return pass. The resulting dado will be a tight fit for your your material.

I didn’t have my straightedge clamped tight enough on my first dado, and it moved. The second attempt resulted in a tight dado. Be sure your clamp is tight so you don’t ruin actual parts!

Screw-Outs Don't Work

papadan — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:32:44 -0800

http://www.craftsman.com/shc/s/p_10155_12602_00952154000P?keyword=52154&sLevel=0 LOML saw Bob Vs commercial and bought me a set a couple years ago. Today, 1/2” wood screws holding cabinet door hinges that have stripped out phillips heads. Guess what, Bob V can kiss my A$$! These things are supposed to bite into the screw and back it out, all they do is spin in the stripped head. Even tried an impact driver and nothing! This system won’t let me give -5 stars or I would!

LJ's Arizona Picnic Tommorow!!!!! Nov 7th

scrappy — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:29:24 -0800

Tommorow is the big day! Looking frward to seeing everyone.

Just a reminder, it is at the north WoodWorkers Source store located on I17 frontage road. North of Bell road.

” http://www.woodworkerssource.com/": http://www.woodworkerssource.com/
18115 N. Black Canyon Hwy
Phoenix, AZ 85023
602-504-1931

I will be there early to get things set up. Probably by 9:30. Plan on being there to eat around 1:00PM
If enough people are there we will start cooking burgers and dogs around noon.

Bring a project or three to bag about. We would all like to see what you have been up to.

WoodWorkers Source put this in their E-Mail Newsletter today so we might have quite a crowd.

See you all there!

Scrappy
Dan Davis

Jet JP-13 Planer / Molder

HeavyG — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:16:38 -0800

Anyone have any experience with the Jet JP-13 Planer / Molder? I just picked one up at Woodcraft for about $550?

Unisaw 83-651... manuals & what to look for buying used?

Fallon — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:12:37 -0800

After all the responses on http://lumberjocks.com/topics/11343 I think I’m gonna drive up to Denver and check out the Unisaw. It’s a little over an hour, so not too bad.

I couldn’t find a manual or specs on Delta’s site (“Not available on-line, contact svc center.”)... Can anybody point me to a manual or at least specs for the beast?

Anything in particular I should look for when examining it? I finally ordered a magnetic dial indicator, but that won’t be here for a few days.

Any recommendations on where I could find a mobile base for it? Will current accessories mostly be compatible with the older saw?

Segmented Wine Bottle Stopper - #34 - 1/2 & 1/2 Twist Series

darryl — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:09:43 -0800

Visit my Etsy store to see the available wine bottle stoppers

Project Description
The warmth in the walnut color is a beautiful contrast as the color of the cherry evolves over time.

Stopper Stats:

Total pieces: 121
Woods: Cherry & Walnut
Cap: Sapele
Dimensions: 2-1/8” tall, 1” diameter
Finish: polyurethane

Other segmented wine bottle stoppers I have created and posted here at Lumberjocks

Speckled

serial # 2009-028
serial # 2009-027
serial # 2009-026
serial # 2009-025
serial # 2009-020
serial # 2009-016
serial # 2009-011
serial # 2009-003
serial # 2009-002

Parallel Twist

serial # 2009-031
serial # 2009-030
serial # 2009-029
serial # 2009-010
serial # 2009-009
serial # 2009-006
serial # 2009-005
serial # 2009-001

OctoTwist

serial # 2009-032
serial # 2009-019
serial # 2009-018
serial # 2009-008
serial # 2009-007

1/2 & 1/2 Twist

serial # 2009-033
serial # 2009-014

Patchwork

serial # 2009-023
serial # 2009-022
serial # 2009-021
serial # 2009-015
serial # 2009-012

Special Edition

serial # 2009-024
serial # 2009-017
serial # 2009-013

Jigsaw advice please

sikrap — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:43:04 -0800

I’m thinking of putting a jigsaw on my list to Santa. Santa won’t mind spending a little cash as long as she knows I’ll be happy with it. I currently have a POS Craftsman and another POS Skil. I have seen some good reviews on the Bosch unit, but are there any others that you would recommend? Thanks!!

the how I made my vessels or vases

peruturner — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:27:38 -0800

Well lumber jocks here is a inside of how I make my vessels and vases,this one 6×8” in peruvian tulipwood

1)Piece of jacadaranda wood 6×6x9”

2)choosing the bottom of the blank (where the least figure would be)this one came out rigth,lol

3)round off the block

4)making the shape and the rebate for the jaws of my nova jaws(130mm)

5)some more shaping and boring out the hole 1-1/2” 7inches deep,god it sure looks pretty this wood

6)this a short video clip of hollowing in my rig(made by alida my student)a very good one indeed)

7)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rz2f7uYAzyE

8)now we will wait some 2 weeks before finalizing the shape and get rid of any flaws,remember this wood is 75% wet,very heavy and dense,but it will come a real nice vessel in more or less a month,thanks hope you enjoy this post as wood lovers,sorry no fresh wood smells or shavings all over ,some day the tech will allow to smell and feel all that,thanks to all,any comments welcome

Walker-Turner 16'' bandsaw for sale

cc9fingers — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:39:27 -0800

16’’ Walker-Turner bandsaw for sale. Carter guides,5 horse Lesson motor, 16 1/2 inch throat, 10 inches under guides, very good condition, very heavy, very quiet and smooth cutting, almost no vibration…..Make ’’Resonable’’ offer…You handle shipping or pick up in western North Carolina.

SoDo Hall Bench

speedingtickets — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:38:31 -0800

A neighbor of mine salvaged a bunch of fir tongue and groove 4×6s from an old rail servicing station in Seattle’s SoDo neighborhood. This timber was originally used to frame in skylights as sodium lamps weren’t available back then. They were headed to the dump and took a fortuitous detour into my shop. Thanks Neighbor!

My family needed a place to put shoes on before heading out so the first step was to clean up the lumber. After testing for lead in the paint, and removing some rather large spikes used to hold them together, (see image with standard 3.5” framing nail next to a spike I pulled out) I used a hand chisel to remove the rest of the paint and tar. I selected out the best boards and with some help from my father-in-law we ran them through the thickness planer.

Naturally as the tongue and groove was already in place just some water and a carefully applied amount of Gorilla Glue was my choice to hold the top together. The one thing I learned from this step is that I need MORE CLAMPS!! I probably had the minimum amount to make this happen, but it’s still holding together after a lot of abuse.

The conundrum of bench legs was solved by serendipity really. I did not want 3 pieces to make up each leg because to me it would look a bit boring. I figured I would just stick two pieces of the same lumber together and recess them a bit, however that would have made the bench a bit unstable. I received this lumber in November of 2006 and did not complete this project until November 2007. The majority of time was spent trying to come up with a clever solution which was staring me in the face the entire time. I guess I was just to distracted to notice it.

For some reason I looked at the lumber rack and saw some left over pieces of ½” birch plywood I had used on a built-in shelving project. This was my “Ah HA!” moment. I thought shave off the tongues and glue the birch into the grooves already provided. This also made for a nice contrast of color between the aged fir and the light birch.

To attach the legs I simply made a huge mortise and tenon joint. I carved out a router guide in the shape of one of the legs and plunged into the underside of the bench top. Some more gorilla glue, clamps, and presto the bench legs were attached.

I used the router to round out the edges in an attempt to spare the toddlers in the house from any trips to the ER, and finished the project with several coats of a clear acrylic to preserve the rich tone Mother Nature had already created.

Now we have a very solid place to sit/stand/and jump from. It has been put to the test by my children time and again. Now I just need to figure out what to do with the other pieces, but rest assured they are not going to the dump.

Cottonwood bark carving

AuroraWoodworks — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:34:11 -0800

Relief carving of bear claws in a slab of cottonwood bark.

Going to Woodworking School #7: A little Diversion: Going to Carving School

John Fleming — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:31:33 -0800

Carving 187, Begining Carving

I am also taking the begining carving class a Palomar College. This short video shows the begining of carving our final project for the first semester. It is a Newport Shell Modified. It does not have as many rays as the traditional Newport Shell and has some other small improvements so we can learn other carving techniques.

Newport Shell (modified)

Coffee Table Box

Russel — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:25:00 -0800

I recently made a small coffee table with African Mahogany and Curly Maple. The combination of the two was really nice.

Well, I had some left over, so a box was in order. This box is 8×5 about about 3 inches deep. It is my first attempt at an Andy-esque design … and I like the look. The handle on the top was a bit of an experiment that will need a little refining, but serves the purpose. The finish is a sealer coat of shellac followed by a few coats of wipe-on poly. The plan, according to the Mrs. is to have it sit on the coffee table.

Unique Features (Issues?) of my Workshop #2: The Bee-Hive

PG_Zac — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:24:51 -0800

I am being tested. I KNOW it’s a test.

You see, I’m all for conservation and preserving the environment. I preach (and try to practice) a philosophy of live and let live, but some thing are just beyond acceptable, like mosquitoes, and bees IN the workshop. Not just any old honey bee, but the African (killer) honey bee. These guys are not friendly, and have been known to attack people using electrical tools because the EM field disturbs them.

Anyway, there is a wild hive in the hollow base of a large tree just 2 metres from my workshop’s back wall. That I can live with, but they outgrew the hollow, and decided to extend their home as any normal growing family would. They can’t hollow out any more of the tree, so they looked around for some adjacent real estate, and found the workshop roof. Actually it is the ceiling void above my tool-room – the only ceiling in all of the outbuildings, and it is conveniently within spitting distance.

Here is their original home with my workshop wall just at the corner in the left of the picture.

-
Initially, I let them stay, but as the hive extension grew, they started using the workshop as their access route in and out of the hive. Like any sane person, I tried to chase these undesirables out of the neighbourhood using gentle persuasion – I gassed them with smoking fumigation pills. I got stung for my antisocial actions. (I also was stung while sweeping off the roof -previous post)

3 days later, they returned to their new accommodations, and within another day their highway was through the workshop again. This time I had my son gas them. He can achieve a zen-like state of tranquillity that doesn’t disturb the bees. 2 days later I decided that they weren’t going to cooperate and had to find an alternative. I decided we had to provide them with better accommodation closer to their main home.

I lifted the roof panel during the day and left it open until nightfall.

.

I then set up a scrap roof panel as their new floor at the base of the wall, made a hive box from scraps, and placed it on their new floor.

.
After dark when they had mostly gone to sleep, my son & I moved the panel off the roof,

.
and placed it on the hive box.

The next morning, they were moved in as if nothing had ever happened.

So I was tested to see if I could live up to my own standards.

I think I passed the test.

Now to repair the gaping hole in the roof after I had already repaired it once before.

Next episode in a few hours.

Wall cabinet

AuroraWoodworks — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:23:40 -0800

I built this cabinet in a workshop taught by Gary Rogowski. It is cherry with ebony accents.

Chrstmas Tree.

toyguy — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:23:36 -0800

OK..so everyone know I have been bitten with the ornament bug. I now have so many I needed to build a display stand. Sitting on the work bench was a small discarded bowl from one of my first attempts at turning. It was a bowl, then a funnel….. now a Christmas tree… just added some 1/16” music wire and a plug in the centre..

The following pictures will show the ornaments and the stand, I have made so far this year. Most of the ornaments have already been posted, but there are some new ones. These things are like Lays potato chips, you just can’t eat one…......

Pictures rotated 120 degrees between each shot, to show all ornaments.

Any One Like Spalted Maple Burl?

OregonBurls — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:23:05 -0800

These are 4” Thick and Big x Big

!!http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/yy21/OregonBurls/BigSpaltedMapleBurl006.jpg!

16'' walker turner bandsaw

cc9fingers — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:17:14 -0800

I worked in a shop for a while and we used a walker-turner bandsaw. Resently my friend (the shop owner) upgraded to a bigger saw for cutting bowl blanks. He gave me the walker-turner and I am thinking about selling it because I have limited space in my shop. I was wondering what someone might offer for it? Its a 16inch with 10 inch under the guides. It has carter guides and a 5 horse lesson motor. It is a solid cast iron beast in good to very good shape. It runs smoother and quiter than any saw Ive ever used. If anyone is interested or if you could just recommend a fair price it would help.

simple gates

socalwood — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:54:40 -0800

Simple gates from the slash pile

Pic #2 and #3 show the gates being assembled on the frames.

Pic#4 is a picket developed from a pile of slash scrap. Cut to width ,kiss the back on the jointer , cross cut.

Pic#4 shows a good case for foaming glues as the glue comes out of the inside of the cracked picket .

Pic#5 is a half-lap joint I use in frame construction. Can be accomplished on a bandsaw. These joints are 6×6 on a 2 inch thick cedar board. All reclaimed materials. People love these funky little gates .

To Stain/Paint or not to...

Jim Ganley — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:35:06 -0800

Someone help me with this as it has been bugging me for the last year, I build Craft Show items for my Bride to sell, and I tend to not stain my items unless it is pine, on sweet woods I have been using a brushing lacquer to bring out the beauty in the wood. I have met several people who want unfinished so they can stain (eek!) the wood and I am trying to justify to stain/clear or paint. Not much profit in this work in fact I give my Bride the labor as she just loves to sit under the “ten X ten”.
Jim
Cushing, Wi

Tiger

qball — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:27:46 -0800

Tiger

Scraps Needed for Inlay

qball — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:27:35 -0800

I am looking for scraps that I can resaw and use for inlay work. My local woodworking store only sells large boards and I just don’t have the need or space for that. I currently only have maple, walnut, & cherry. All of my pieces are beginning to look like each other because those are the only woods I have. Anyone willing to part with those scraps they have been holding onto let me know.

Bow and Arrow

qball — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:26:34 -0800

Bow and Arrow

Mr Sawdust vs Howard Silken

hjt — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:09:20 -0800

When I got my BD 1350 RAS it came with the original manual and the B&D book by Howard Silken entitled How to get the most out of your Radial Arm Saw. Does anyone happen to have both, Howard’s book and Mr Sawdust’s book? If so does Sawdust offer any more info? Should I make the investment into his book or is it going to be a rehash of what I already have? Thanks

Workbench question?

Beginningwoodworker — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:30:02 -0800

I am going to be build me a new workbench! I am looking at doing a cabinet type workbench, but since I like to use hand tools, a hand tool bench would better serve my needs. I am also having trouble store all of portable power tools, because they are in cases.

Low Cost, High quality chisels

Tony — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:21:55 -0800

Narex Chisels

These wonderful chisels (Model # 8101 & 8105) are manufactured by NAREX, the company is located within the European Union in the Czech Republic, here is the link to Narex website. This link will take you to the correct pages in English.

The chisels are made from Mn-Cr (magnesium-chrome) steel and are hardened to 59Hrc and manufactured in accordance with the European standard DIN5139 (Firmer chisels with tang). These chisels were reported by Fine Woodworking magazine, Sep/Oct 2008 and were given the Best Value chisel against a large number of better known competitors.

After reading this article, I was pleased to find that my local store, Plektra Trading Helsinki had the same chisels available – so I purchased a set of 6 in a nice box (6, 10, 12, 16, 20, 26 mm), in order to evaluate them.

Out of the box, I found that the back of the chisels were quite flat, the bevel was ground to 25° and the blades were coated in a light protective coating. the bevels along the left and right edges of the chisel were ground very precisely and were at a very good angle for dovetail work. The handles are made from European beach (traditional wood for tools) with metal ferules at the end, my preferred version had the dark stained handles.

Sharpening and performance: The backs flattened quite quickly starting with 1000 grit water stone, the bevels were just tuned up with some 4000 grit and a small micro bevel was introduced (about 28°). Chopping into Hard maple does damage the edge quickly (as with 99% of all chisels), but using the tools correctly and paring and slicing, the cutting edge is maintained for a significant amount of time, only requiring re-honing now and again. I found the handles to be quite large compared to some other chisels, but they are really comfortable hold and control.

I have been using this set of 6 chisels for a good 6-8 months with absolutely no problems or regrets. Since this time I have increased my collection of sizes, I have now added the 8, 18, 32 & 40 mm to my collection.

Today I received 3 more of these chisels for evaluation 3, 4 & 5 mm (Approx 1/8”, 5/32” &, 3/16”) these will be used mainly inlay and very fine work.

I have also purchased 3 mortise chisels (model # 8112) from there site; 6, 8 & 10 mm. These chisels were built to the same high standard as the bevel chisels. The cutting edge is 6, 8 & 10 mm wide, but the top edge of the chisel is slightly bevelled (about 0.5mm), which helps to stop the blade being wedged in the mortise. The ground bevel was at 25°, but this time I reground the micro bevel to 32° , these chisels really keep a sharp edge even when chopping into hard maple or even Jatoba.

These chisels will become my main set of chisels for daily use and my old set of expensive chisels (not so good a quality) will be re-ground to make speciality chisels as needed or plane irons.

A definite 5/5 and highly recommended for beginners or professionals alike

Hollowing out 4x4 Post

t_brown — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:53:09 -0800

I am looking for any suggestions on hollowing out about 8” down from the top of a 4×4 post. I am interested in mimicking the deck railing post in this picture. The only idea that i can come up with is to use a large Forstner Bit, however this won’t leave me with a square hole. Any ideas are greatly appreciated. Thanks

Just A Few Pieces Of Wood!

OregonBurls — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:26:19 -0800

I just made a collage of a few pieces of my wood I call EYE CANDY! LOL!

Sawmill

Hugh123 — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 08:36:59 -0800

Hello and thanks for all the welcoming. I’m new to this site. I have not posted any thing but it won’t be long. Right now I am in the process of building a sawmill and I’m almost done. I live in a heavily wooded area and after hurricane Ike we had a lot of trees down. Also people around here are clearing their lots to build new homes so that is what prompted me to build a sawmill. I will be able to get lots of free wood. Well not all free but close enough. It has been a blast to build this thing. I was going to take pictures along the way of building the sawmill but I got so busy building it and forgot. So I will upload pictures when it is done.

Meet Jack... the stripper #2: Jacks first day....

RedWoodzard — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 08:13:44 -0800

Hers another pic, but it seems when I try to add more than 1 pic in the blog they dont appear in preview. Im not sure if this is a lumberjock limitation, or tech issue with the linking site. So it appears im only being allowed to post one pic per blog. Hopefully im doing something wrong, and I can get beyond this limitation soon.
The measurements are as follows 9 1/2 inches long. 2 inches wide, and 5 inches tall with the adjustable lever being the highest ref point. Its small, and has a very good weight to it, and feels very in the hand, but im a little guy 5’7 152lbs so if you have bigger hands then this size of a planer could be a problem to work with. I had been thinking of redoing the handles, but I kind of want to leave a lot of the age of it around so you know your looking at a pioneer. If anybody has ideas on whats the best way to try to accomplish both, please feel free to post.

Arts & Crafts Mantle Clock #3: Ordering

CaptainSkully — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 08:11:27 -0800

I’m about to pull the trigger on my order from Klockit.com. I had a few questions about what to order, so I pinged their tech support. They don’t mention what size winding key to get. I’m assuming that it’s an eight-day movement, so that if you wind it every week, it’ll keep running. I grew up with clocks (i.e. grandfather, cuckoo, etc.), so I didn’t want a set that chimed. I think the pendulum length and swing will fit nicely with the design I’ve selected. I substituted hands that are more in keeping with the style of clock I’m making. I also asked what the winding arbor meant. I believe it’s another hole, drilled into the face of the clock, for the winding key to line up with the movement, but I wanted to make sure. BTW, I’m only going to be making one of these. I’ll be making something else for our friends’ wedding present. I hope that’s not too selfish.

I’m pretty excited about this project (not that that’s any different from any other project I start). I think I’ll feel a lot better about a quality mechanical movement vs. a quartz piece of plastic. I’m hoping the pendulum will look a bit more authentic too.

I’ve been getting some questions from my better half about how the dining room set is coming along. The answer is that I’m still in the “design phase”, and I need smaller projects like this that I can finish to make me feel like I’m still making progress. My new job as a sailing instructor is really getting in the way of my woodworking. Plus, I’m emotionally exhausted after a day on the water, keeping the students from accidentally jibing the boat. As a result, I’m not getting out to the shop after dinner. I’m also trying to keep the power tool noise down after business hours for the sake of the neighbors’ sanity. OK, not much progress on this blog to report, but I thought I’d keep it updated.

UPDATE: I sent the e-mail to Klockit.com right before I started writing this blog entry. I just got a response from them, so I’m pretty darn happy with their customer service! They said the appropriate winding key comes with the kit, and I needed a way to oil the movement. They just happen to have that oiling kit on sale. Feature that…

What is the most irritating aspect of working in your shop?

stefang — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 02:32:49 -0800

Some questions like Jim’s recent one about the need for plans and the ensuing discussion gave a lot of insight into how different folks approach the subject. With every workshop being unique to it’s owner, I thought it might be interesting to discuss and maybe get a new perspective on the problems we encounter in the shop on a daily basis, and see if there is any commonality.

One thing I have found is, that while one person may be struggling with a certain problem in the shop, others might have a different approach which is better.

I know a lot of people think their shops are too small and they probably don’t like to clean them up and put everything in it’s proper place. These of course are legitimate complaints, but I wonder if there are other problems and if there are good solutions to them.

My own shop problems

I actually have more than enough space for the small projects I am now doing. One big problem I have is all the cut-offs that seem to multiply exponentially even when I’m doing something small. I have a big scrap box, but no matter how often I empty it, it always seems full. A lot of the scraps could be useful, but when I need them they are usually at the bottom of the pile and I can’t get at them. This may not seem like a big problem, but I find it extremely irritating and I haven’t yet found a good solution. No matter how I stack them the cut-off always wind up in a mess.

Unique Features (Issues?) of my Workshop #1: Leaking Roof

PG_Zac — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 23:59:36 -0800

I thought I’d share a few unique features of my “new” workshop while on the long road to getting it really workable.

I’m sure that some of you have one or more of these features, but I thought I’d share my Man-Cave with you anyway in a short blog series.

Firstly, This was a Fish-Farm barn with open topped ponds, so a leaking roof was no problem to the previous occupants. As we all know, this doesn’t work too well for a woodworking area. I’ve had to fight a lot of rust in the last few months, and my RAS table was destroyed. I’ll probably post the making the new table sometime in the next few weeks.

Here are a couple of pics of typical roof panels over my “new” workshop.

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Note the amount of crud that has collected on the roof over the years – so much so that there was a mini forest growing up there.

The next episode will follow in a few hours.
.

New toy for my shop

Termite — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:42:55 -0800

I just got my new Jet sander delivered a couple of days ago (Tuesday). It comes in three boxes, two are managable…the one containing the stand and the box containing the feed table/conveyor and feed motor. The third box contains the motor unit and drum…it weighs somewhere between 70,000 & 75,000 pounds (or so it felt like) when I had to unpack it and set it up by myself.
A friend said he would come help me set it up this weekend but I was way too impatient to watch the sander just sitting there in the box by it’s lonely self, and besides…I have a set of 4 panel doors and some panels I just built that have been waiting for the sander. Just then I saw my neighbor drive into his driveway…don’t have to wait until Saturday now!
The box with the conveyor table did not have the banding holding it together and the box was taped together. As I opened it I realized that the sandpaper that is supposed to come with was not in the box. The ad says it comes with 80 grit and 100 grit paper.
I tool the plastic off of the conveyor and first thing I noticed was a tear in the convetor belt about a inch and a half long. I called CPOjet where I ordered it and told them of these problems. Also asked them about the extensions for the conveyor. The salesperson I ordered it thru TOLD ME the PLUS model comes with the extensions. It does NOT. I told them I therefore wanted to buy the extensions and the customer service rep said he could not find the part # and price, so he would therefore call me back shortly when he knows the price. Well, two days later and I still have not heard back from him.

Another Screaming Bargain of a Saw Blade

knotscott — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:52:01 -0800

This review is as much a deal alert as it is a testimonial. This deal has been on Ebay for several weeks now from Cripe Distribution, and I’m amazed people haven’t scarfed these up like free champagne. If you’re not familiar with it, the Delta 35-7657 was originally the DeWalt DW7657 40T ATB general purpose blade….the same blade that Wood Mag rated favorably against the Forrest WWII a few years back when it was considered a good bargain at $50. It appears to be the same design, but is now made in the US, as opposed to the UK. It’s a fairly straight forward 40T ATB general purpose design that’s fairly similar to the venerable WWII’s design, with large C4 micrograin carbide, full kerf (0.118”), a hefty body made from high quality steel, and laser slots for $17 (plus $10 s/h).

My experience with the DW7657 was excellent, and my early trials with the 35-7657 are comparable so far. I’ll speculate that with a magnifying glass in hand, chalked edges, and numerous test cuts, the 35-7657 will probably fall just a tad shy of the WWII level (haven’t done that test with this one yet), but you’ll get glue ready cuts. It’s not necessarily the best choice for thick ripping with underpowered saws, but it’s hard to beat $27 to your door for a quality all purpose blade. It just so happens that this deal is very close in price and description to the Oshlun 40T I reviewed…while this deal is still available, I’d go with this one…I think it’s a little better blade, plus it’s made in the USA vs China….nuff said. 5 Stars anywhere near this price!

Well worth the money

Joe — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:39:55 -0800

I find this sander outstanding to use. I purchased this when I realized I would be sanding forever on all those little pieces that made up the two excavator I built. Very easy to use and changing belt to spindle is a snap. Just remember it has left handed threads. I have read on the internet that people had problems with the tracking on the belt. Sure, mine did not track straight right out of the box, but it took a total of 15 seconds for it to track dead straight. You set it once and that’s it. Of course of you change sand paper you may have to tweak it a bit.

It was a breeze to put together and it runs very quite. All the accessories have a place you store on the machine which is nice. I think Rigid did a bang up job on this one. I guess that’s why Fine Woodworking list it as a must have tool.

Yes, I would by this one again

What a long wait...

Joe — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:14:41 -0800

I tried to purchase this back in February time frame when WoodCraft had them on sale for 100 dollars off. Well they sold out quick and they put my name down and guaranteed me the 299.00 sale price. They said Steel City had not planned so many would sell at that price. They said that it should only be a few weeks before they got them in. Well two weeks turned into months and after eight months they called and asked if I still wanted it. I said are you still honoring the price of 299 dollars? They said yes sir we will. So I said ok I will be there to pick it up. Steel City is having major problems getting there product to market. That’s a shame too.
Could not ask for better customer service at Virginia Beach WoodCraft. Big thumbs up to all of you guys. They always treat me right…

Ok, back to the review. It seems to work well. I only use it on one machine at a time. It was very easy to assemble. Runs quite and the motor doesn’t get warm. I read a few posts that the motor gets hot. Send her back then because they are not supposed to.
Bags are also easy to change out. It sucks up everything I throw at it and it has really kept the dust down in the shop.

It had a few minor leaks in the seams in the metal. I just spread a little clear calk and it sealed them up. The lower bag leaked a tad between the creases of the bag. I used some thin window insulation strip, and that took care of that.

Would I purchase it again? For 299 dollars you bet, for $399 probably not. I would go with a Jet with the canister even though it a tad bit more.

Unique idea for workholding

kshipp — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:20:38 -0800

I saw a lot of press about these online as I’m sure that many of you have. I was at Rockler one day picking up some other things and I picked these up also just to check them out.

I used them for the first time yesterday and I was really impressed. I was working on a 40” x 8” board so I put a bench cookie in each of the corners. I was able to use a random orbit sander and a belt sander with no problems at all. I’ll admit that I was nervous when I first set the belt sander on it because I didn’t trust them but I do now. I didn’t try them with edge-routing like they show in all the ads but I imagine they would work for that also.

The performance didn’t seem to be diminished by having some sawdust on them either. I just wiped them off on my shirt a few times during use to be sure.

I gave them four stars because I still don’t really feel like I trust they are going to hold all the time. But they have so far so maybe its just me getting used to them instead of an actual fault with the product.

Rockler Link

Easy Mortises, Dowels, and More.

Thomas — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:11:28 -0800

So I’ve used the router/table saw combination of doing mortise and tenon joinery, but for a kitchen island/table build I was looking at 32 mortises to cut on the six legs of the piece, plus 222 dowel holes for the slotted shelving and cross braces. Given the design, everything had to be very precise, so my setups had to be highly repeatable.

I looked into mortise machines, and as much as I wanted that Powermatic, I had a hard time justifying the $400 (with accessories) price tag for 32 mortise cuts, and it still didn’t solve my dowel problem. If I used floating tenons, I could get more use of the Powermatic, but there was no way to get the long apron pieces on the tool to cut the mortise. I also test drove the Festool Domino Joining System, and that was really nice, but impossible to justify the cost.

Enter the JessEm Zip Slot Mortise Mill. This unique tool uses a ‘special’ 3/8” drill bit and steel guide bushing that is pressed into a large bearing. The guide and bearing is installed into a carriage assembly on the tool. The carriage slides back and forth on two shafts via the long lever. Using your own high speed drill, simply use the guide bushing to guide the drill bit while you oscillate the bit back-and-forth with the lever system. In many ways this is a semi manual version of the Domino. An added benefit was if you lock the carriage assembly down to one side, you now have a precision doweling jig.

Like all JessEm products, this thing is built to last with quality materials, precision engineering, and tight manufacturing. With various adjustable stops, adjustable scales, and a vacuum port, it seemed every detail was thought of. Almost.

After spending a month with Mortise Mill I have to say it does a really great job of cutting tight slots with little mess. The same for all my dowel holes. Setup takes minutes, and you can really get excellent, repeatable results. Where the tool fails the most is around clamping and supporting your work. You need two hands—one to guide the drill the other to oscillate the lever, so you need to rely on clamps to attach you work to the mill. Put simply, they just don’t provide enough clamping surfaces on the mill, especially for larger pieces that need more support. I had several instances (okay about eight out of over 200 cuts) where the work slipped slightly. All recoverable errors, but getting a piece aligned with all the clamps, blocks, etc., to ensure no movement was more time consuming than it needed to be. But that was really my only concern, and if I was to approach another large job on the mill, I’d probably take the time to hack out a quick stand to mount the mill to and provide support to the pieces I’m mortising.

A few other things to consider. You need a fast drill and I ended up using my corded Bosch. The shear size of the drill and the long bit made the operation a bit unwieldy, but mounting the mill on a lower table would have helped. Also, it is best to apply gentle pressure on the drill as you move back and fourth until you at least started the slot across the full range of motion. Otherwise you get a bit of surface ‘fuzziness’ around one end of the mortise. Lastly, the 3/8” bit and bearing sleeve is a bit ‘sticky’ when withdrawing from the cut, although this may be due to my purchase of the floor model at my local Woodcraft.

So for about $250 (minus 20% for taking the floor model), I got a precision tool that solved my multiple needs. As I advance more into furniture pieces I can see the mill getting a lot in future projects. I already purchased a spare 3/8” bit as well as a 1/4” bit and guide/bearing assembly for smaller work.

I know I probably didn’t do the mill justice in describing its operation, so I embedded a Youtube video below so you can see it in action. The video is accurate, in that my results were as described.

PREMIER FUSION FREUD

doyoulikegumwood — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:02:10 -0800

well here goes the story

i own 2 WWII’s i my spare was off being sharpened and i was doing some cross cutting on a TS (i have the sliding miter table on my uni saw) well i messed up when putting the the rail onto the table and was feeding a panel into the saw and ding ran my blade into the aluminum. long story short here i am with out a decent blade in the middle of project.

off to rockler i go

so i have Mindy get me out a brand spankin new WWII out of the case and i start griping about shelling our 130 bucks when i own 2 of this same blade long story short she talks me into buying a fusion blade.

I of course being a Minnesotan “Second most stubborn people on the planet” and Scottish”Most stubborn people on the planet” resisted this in every fashion possible but i am also frugal and it saved me 40 bucks or so.

well here’s the verdict the blade is awesome to say the least.

so ill compare

this blade dose a great job ripping up to say about 1 inch thick and isn’t recommended past 1 1/2 inches any way but it dose give a good clean cut. my biggest complaint is feed rate when ripping it seems to feed slower then the WWII. the quality here is is pretty much the same ether way “WWII vs Fusion”

cross cutting on the table saw is where i really liked this blade it gave me great clean cuts with almost zero tear out. out preformed the WWII as far as I’m concerned

i wasn’t as impressed when i loaded into my makita sliding compound saw though but the makita dose come with one heck of a blade in it from the factory. the fusion to me in the slider felt like i had to almost force it threw the work piece. i don’t know it could be just me but i never liked the feel of the WWII in the miter saw ether but never felt like i had to force the WWII when i have used it in the miter saw.

all and all the blade out preformed my expectations by leeps and bounds so much so that after reading reviews on the glue line I’m really thinking about picking one up.

hope this helps

Jason