Jim Jakosh's Workshop

Jim, this is a nice shop that you have to work in. The osb walls are a good idea in that they make hanging cabinetry and shelving a breeze. And the paneled wall gives the basement shop a nice look as well. Also having windows in your barn shop is a plus since this allows natural light to enter the shop. Bummer about having to share the woodworking shop space with “non-essentials” like the boat but I guess it has to be stored somewhere. After all going fishing is important as well. :)

It looks like you have some nice tools to play with in there. I have always wanted to add a lathe to my tool collection but simply have not gotten around to getting one yet. Your basement shop looks to be well organized and putting the tools on wheels is almost a necessity for those of us with smaller shops.

Thanks for the pictures. I enjoyed touring your shop.

-- Challenges are what make life interesting; overcoming them is what makes life meaningful- Joshua Marine

Hey Jim,
Nice cosy shop with some great wood and metal working toys…well done.

Nice shop, Jim.

-- CJIII Future cabinetmaker

Nice shop Jim, I need to post my shop pictures too. I see that you are in Grand Rapids, you just got plastered with snow didn’t you? I am in Adrian about 2.5 hours from you not far from Toledo Ohio. I am a retired tool maker and miss working on the metal lathes and Milling machines. Oh Well…. Traded cutting lubricants for saw dust…. ;)

The SedcoKid

-- Chuck Emery, Michigan,

Hi Sedcokid, We did get about 6 ” of snow and today we are to get dumped on with that big storm coming from out west. They said 20-30” can be expected depending on where it turns North. I’ve never been to Adrian but I have been to Toledo several times.
I was a tool maker for 13 years before I got into Quality Control. When I left the toolroom, I started buying metal working machines because it gets in your blood. I’ll bet I use one of the metal lathes almost every other day.
I used the mill yesterday for a wood project. Sometimes you can stand on your head making all kinds of slick fixtures to get a router in to do a slot , groove or dovetail. If you can make a way to hold it secure, the mill is easier to get it done and much more exact.
I started woodworking on a big deck project around our pool. I bought a radial arm saw for that project and used it in liew of a table saw for many years. I still have it for dadoing.
We should get together some time next year for shop visits and coffee. My regular E mail is jcj7815@att.net

See you later….........Jim

-- Jim Jakosh.....Practical Wood Products...........Learn something new every day!!

I noticed the craftsman lathe, same one I used to own, It had issues with a inner transmission belt. It needed to be replaced a lot. Fortunately I had the protection ( in home maintenance agreement, best $70 I ever spent) Sears spent 3 grand fixing it and another 2 grand to replace it with the Jet 1642. I am very happy with it. Anyway, turns out the problem was the belt they used is a Gates Product made in China, A freind talked to his gates Rep and he gave me some Kevlar belts that he said would never break, anyway he gave them to me too late, a day before the Jet arrived. I gave them to a freind. Anyway if you are having problems like that try to find the better belts.

-- Even a broken clock is right twice a day, unless, it moves at half speed like ....-As the Saw Turns

For your info, I have gone and acquired a Kevlar inner tranny belt, for that lathe, send me an Address ( PM of course) and I will send it out, if that is the problem you are having. If you look at the picture on the left, thats me doing LATHE ANGELS in front of the Craftsman, and the mini RIKON I needed to get because the Craftsman was always broken.

-- Even a broken clock is right twice a day, unless, it moves at half speed like ....-As the Saw Turns

Hi Andrew. My lathe has a v belt drive and it had one problem with the sliding pulley not expaning on the driven shaft. It had corrosion on it. I took it apart once and polished the shaft and lubed it , but it did it again a year So, I took it apart, polished it and coated it with anti-sieze compound and it has been good for two years now. The other problem is the starting capacitor. It went out and I bought one from Sears for $27. That lasted about 6 months. So I went to the local motor rebuilder and bought one for $8 and it lasted a year and is now starting to fail also. I may wire it so the capacitor is located beneath the motor housing so I don’t have to take all the covers off to get at it.
Is that kevlar belt a V-belt?
If so, I would take it for the future. My address is 7815 Eastern S.E.; Grand Rapids, Mi 49508
If it not a v-belt, I could not use it.

Thanks, Jim Jakosh

-- Jim Jakosh.....Practical Wood Products...........Learn something new every day!!

Hi Andrew. I have been meaning to ask one of the LJ’s about your comments. How do you put a standard response at the bottom like “even a broken clock is right twice a day” to your comment?

Thanks again….........Jim

-- Jim Jakosh.....Practical Wood Products...........Learn something new every day!!

The belt I am talking about and had so many problems with is not the V belt, but the little belt inside the whole machine, infact in order to get to it you have to remove the sliding pulley and all of the cases that enclose the motor.
Anyway if you find you need one, I have secured one.
Reply to me in a private message, if you do.
Secondly, oh nevermind you figured out the tag line .
Have fun, and nice to know you.

-- Even a broken clock is right twice a day, unless, it moves at half speed like ....-As the Saw Turns

Very nice workshop. Enjoyed shop tour without you being present. I stole one of your machine, do you know? Your’d better check you machine & tool list what’s missing…ha ha ha!
Thanks Jim!

-- masrol, kuala lumpur, MY.

What would that be,woodworm?????

-- Jim Jakosh.....Practical Wood Products...........Learn something new every day!!

It would be G0604X if you really care to know…,coz I do not own one yet LOL.

-- masrol, kuala lumpur, MY.

Hello, Jim,
I envy you your great workshop. A question : Were you a Toolmaker ? I served my apprenticeship in Toolmaking and used two different sized `Southbend Lathes` amongst other machinery.
Re: Your question on Banksia Pods. To answer, I need to know the sources and what info you do have, and,
do you know which species it is, and what is it`s dimensional size. (it all makes a difference) A photo would be helpful.

Hi Martin. Yes I was a toolmaker apprentice right out of high school and worked in four shops for 13 years. Then I finished college and went into Quality Assurance and was a manager in that for 20+ years until retirement. The toolmaking gets in your blood so I bought some toolmaking machines before I retired. I now have 2 Southbend lathes and a Chinese vertical mill in my shop. then I got interested in woodworking and started with a cheap $99 table saw to finish my basement in Illinois. When I got to Michigan, I bought a Craftsman Radial Arm Saw to make my deck. I still have the RAS and use it strictly for dadoing with a wobble dado on it.I bought a lot better woodworking tools over the years and I think I’m done buying now. I started wood turning in 2005 when I go hooked ont at a Lyle Jamieson seminar. Now I have 2 wood lathes. They are not great lathes but they work for me and my budget. I make all my tooling so they do some real great work for me.

About the Banksia pod. My wife bought it for $10 at Woodcraft here in Grand Rapids. It is 3” dia and 8 1/2” long. I don’t know what kind of tree it is from, though. I’ll try to put a picture of it on here.
I guess I can’t do that. It is asking for a URL and I don’t know what that is. Tell you what. Send me a personal message at jcj7815@att.net and I’ll attach the image. I know how to do that. I was a toolmaker and not a computer geek!!!

-- Jim Jakosh.....Practical Wood Products...........Learn something new every day!!