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313K views 676 replies 100 participants last post by  retired_guru 
#1 ·
Aches, pains and pallet wood, oh my!

Following its recent successful creation, I opted to give Franken-Rack free rein to terrorize the domain. It was my hope that it would bring home the finest lumber in all the land. Instead, it brought me pallet and crate wood. Several times I have berated the misbegotten creation, but to no avail. It is obvious to me now that the creature enjoys domination over the rough, mistreated wood that will require hours of hacking and mutilation on my part to make use of its offerings. Franken-Rack will be the death of me. I'm sure of it. Mark my words…

~~~

I spend about 6 hours between yesterday and today breaking up pallets and crate wood, prying nails from both the good and bad pieces. I'm certain I have developed tennis elbow from all the hammering and prying. That's okay, because I have still have the left one. There is something to be said for having a spare. All in all, I can't complain. Since working on the Franken-Rack-and all the work I have been doing to disassemble pallets, clear out space for the a shop in the dungeon-I have been feeling…satisfied. Content. Fulfilled. What a feeling. I had forgotten.

And speaking of how I feel, time to take a pain-killer. Then I better check on Franken-Rack: I caught it the other day trying to grab a street cat attempting to mark my tires.
 
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#3 ·
Dollar Store Glue Applicators

A short time ago I found a tip on the Web that I had to follow-up on. Rockler sells a silicone bristled glue applicator brush for $4.99:

Office supplies Electric blue Writing implement Plastic Font


When the white/yellow glue dries on the bristles, it peels and flakes off with little resistance. Nice. Buy the brush once and you won't have to replace it any time soon.

This tip I found was even better. Your local dollar store sells silicone basters for the kitchen for a fifth of the price of Rockler's offering. Here's what I picked up today:

Tableware Cutlery Kitchen utensil Brush Material property


The three large brushes on the left were a buck a piece, the two smaller brushes came as a duet for the same price.

The best part? With a little soap and water washup, I can use these in the kitchen to help baste the Thanksgiving bird. How's that for frugal?
 

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#4 ·
Dollar Store Glue Applicators

A short time ago I found a tip on the Web that I had to follow-up on. Rockler sells a silicone bristled glue applicator brush for $4.99:

Office supplies Electric blue Writing implement Plastic Font


When the white/yellow glue dries on the bristles, it peels and flakes off with little resistance. Nice. Buy the brush once and you won't have to replace it any time soon.

This tip I found was even better. Your local dollar store sells silicone basters for the kitchen for a fifth of the price of Rockler's offering. Here's what I picked up today:

Tableware Cutlery Kitchen utensil Brush Material property


The three large brushes on the left were a buck a piece, the two smaller brushes came as a duet for the same price.

The best part? With a little soap and water washup, I can use these in the kitchen to help baste the Thanksgiving bird. How's that for frugal?
I'm with you Brother! I bought 2 of these at my local dollar store a few months ago. Mine have the "flat heads" like the ones on the right in your pic.
A buck apiece and no shipping. Dont get much cheaper than that!
 

Attachments

#20 ·
Makita Banana

So, it finally occurred to me that I should be looking to Craigslist for used tool deals. It's not like I didn't know I should. Sometimes, it takes more twacks from the two-by-four.

I live in a rural area, in the middle of nowhere, equidistant from anything important. It took a bit of search engine extortion to get listings for my fair little cow country. The best deal was a Makita Model 5008NBA 8-1/4" Circular Saw (less blade) for twenty-five bucks:

Wood Machine tool Machine Auto part Table


Gadget Audio equipment Electrical wiring Cable Gas


Blue Tableware Wood Serveware Audio equipment


Fluid Font Liquid Gas Electric blue


Not a lot of bananas for a quality tool. Within the hour I was listening to it fire up (such sweet music, truly) and smiling all the way home while it road beside me.

It has some time on it, needs a good cleaning and a better power cord, but everything else that matters is rock solid. I know of several characters that have made decent table saws from circular saws. Two of them with a Makita. Definitely. I see a future project peaking above the horizon.
 

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#21 ·
Makita Banana

So, it finally occurred to me that I should be looking to Craigslist for used tool deals. It's not like I didn't know I should. Sometimes, it takes more twacks from the two-by-four.

I live in a rural area, in the middle of nowhere, equidistant from anything important. It took a bit of search engine extortion to get listings for my fair little cow country. The best deal was a Makita Model 5008NBA 8-1/4" Circular Saw (less blade) for twenty-five bucks:

Wood Machine tool Machine Auto part Table


Gadget Audio equipment Electrical wiring Cable Gas


Blue Tableware Wood Serveware Audio equipment


Fluid Font Liquid Gas Electric blue


Not a lot of bananas for a quality tool. Within the hour I was listening to it fire up (such sweet music, truly) and smiling all the way home while it road beside me.

It has some time on it, needs a good cleaning and a better power cord, but everything else that matters is rock solid. I know of several characters that have made decent table saws from circular saws. Two of them with a Makita. Definitely. I see a future project peaking above the horizon.
Good find. I actually GAVE one of these away a few years back. (Dumb move on my part)
 

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#27 ·
Thunked-up Skilsaw 3410-02 Fence Fix

About a year ago, when I finally decided a hammer and chisel wasn't enough to remodel the house, I drove on down to our local Lowe's and plopped down my hard-earned (credit card) money on the counter for a Skilsaw model 3410-02 Contractor Table Saw. I forget the amount of damage done at the time-it can be considered a foregone conclusion that this was the beginning of a huge tab to come-but while it was a lot of bananas for me for the cheapest of the table saws offered (and on sale at that), it was really, really, REALLY, a cheap saw. I fired it up once, then let it sit in our enclosed back porch while I moaned and groaned about the horrible winter that followed.

This summer I got busy with trying to set this baby up, gleaning what I could from YouTube Woodworking Gurus. The more I watched and learned, the deeper my perpetual frown became. Because…I bought a REALLY cheap saw. I spent hours adjusting settings on the blade and fence. Just when I thought I had things into alignment a post-cut inspection proved otherwise. I finally got the blade to within .20" alignment difference front to back with the right miter slot-that's the best this sloppy-mounted direct-drive motor carriage would allow for-but was still crying over the fence's stubborn desire to cock the back end in toward the blade no matter how I adjusted it. This morning I decided to tackle the problem.

The pictures that follow clearly illustrate the problem and what I did to mostly fix it.

Rectangle Household hardware Gas Cylinder Metal

This close up shows the degree of cant that would force the fence to misalign itself once the clamp was cinched down.

Gas Cable Wood Fixture Household hardware

The cause? Poor (okay, let's not sugar coat this - TERRIBLE!) designing of the clamping mechanism. The long bolt is barely half the width of the inner diameter of the spring. The spring has no choice but to swing to one side once pressure is applied.

Hand Digital camera Camera lens Point-and-shoot camera Camera accessory

Another angle…

Musical instrument Musical instrument accessory Wood Electronic instrument Audio equipment

And another. Notice the flaring of the bottom cut edges.

Wood Material property Font Screw Metal

The (temporary) solution that came to mind was to find a tube that could act as a bushing to keep the spring centered. Thankfully, I am a hoarder as well as a tinkerer. Nothing gets thrown out that doesn't have potential. The sponge rubber tube to the right of the spring (I think it came as one a several extras in a cell phone headset from years ago) was all I could find that would make a snug fit in the spring and around the long bolt.

Household hardware Screw Nickel Circle Electric blue

I threaded the sponge rubber as far as it would go, then cut off the excess.

Wood Rectangle Tints and shades Font Hardwood

As you can see, it went on nice and snug. I had high hopes at this point that this would solve the problem.

Wood Rectangle Metal Fashion accessory Transparency

The sponge rubber not only centered the bolt, it also decreased the play between the aluminum fence and the steel clamp. A nice bonus, indeed.

Gas Metal

Okay, so it's not perfectly square. You can't say this isn't a notable improvement.

Hood Automotive exterior Bumper Rectangle Wood

I mounted the fence and first aligned it by running my fingertip along the fence bottom in relationship to the top edge of the right side of the right miter slot. A check with a sliding square showed I was close enough for government work. And the clamping mechanism doesn't shift the back end of the fence now when I clamp it down.

Wood Automotive exterior Bumper Gas Composite material

I know it doesn't look it here, but this is pretty much aligned with the miter slot. What makes it look off is the fact that the fence sits higher off the table at the front than at the back. Whatever. I feel safer now.

Other fixes that needed to be done like yesterday: 1) finding a safe way to make cheap zero-clearance inserts only 3/32" thick; 2) grinding the (ridiculous) tabs off the miter slots, and; 3) building a wood base with dust collection.

I think I'll go and grab another cup of 'joe', instead.
 

Attachments

#28 ·
Thunked-up Skilsaw 3410-02 Fence Fix

About a year ago, when I finally decided a hammer and chisel wasn't enough to remodel the house, I drove on down to our local Lowe's and plopped down my hard-earned (credit card) money on the counter for a Skilsaw model 3410-02 Contractor Table Saw. I forget the amount of damage done at the time-it can be considered a foregone conclusion that this was the beginning of a huge tab to come-but while it was a lot of bananas for me for the cheapest of the table saws offered (and on sale at that), it was really, really, REALLY, a cheap saw. I fired it up once, then let it sit in our enclosed back porch while I moaned and groaned about the horrible winter that followed.

This summer I got busy with trying to set this baby up, gleaning what I could from YouTube Woodworking Gurus. The more I watched and learned, the deeper my perpetual frown became. Because…I bought a REALLY cheap saw. I spent hours adjusting settings on the blade and fence. Just when I thought I had things into alignment a post-cut inspection proved otherwise. I finally got the blade to within .20" alignment difference front to back with the right miter slot-that's the best this sloppy-mounted direct-drive motor carriage would allow for-but was still crying over the fence's stubborn desire to cock the back end in toward the blade no matter how I adjusted it. This morning I decided to tackle the problem.

The pictures that follow clearly illustrate the problem and what I did to mostly fix it.

Rectangle Household hardware Gas Cylinder Metal

This close up shows the degree of cant that would force the fence to misalign itself once the clamp was cinched down.

Gas Cable Wood Fixture Household hardware

The cause? Poor (okay, let's not sugar coat this - TERRIBLE!) designing of the clamping mechanism. The long bolt is barely half the width of the inner diameter of the spring. The spring has no choice but to swing to one side once pressure is applied.

Hand Digital camera Camera lens Point-and-shoot camera Camera accessory

Another angle…

Musical instrument Musical instrument accessory Wood Electronic instrument Audio equipment

And another. Notice the flaring of the bottom cut edges.

Wood Material property Font Screw Metal

The (temporary) solution that came to mind was to find a tube that could act as a bushing to keep the spring centered. Thankfully, I am a hoarder as well as a tinkerer. Nothing gets thrown out that doesn't have potential. The sponge rubber tube to the right of the spring (I think it came as one a several extras in a cell phone headset from years ago) was all I could find that would make a snug fit in the spring and around the long bolt.

Household hardware Screw Nickel Circle Electric blue

I threaded the sponge rubber as far as it would go, then cut off the excess.

Wood Rectangle Tints and shades Font Hardwood

As you can see, it went on nice and snug. I had high hopes at this point that this would solve the problem.

Wood Rectangle Metal Fashion accessory Transparency

The sponge rubber not only centered the bolt, it also decreased the play between the aluminum fence and the steel clamp. A nice bonus, indeed.

Gas Metal

Okay, so it's not perfectly square. You can't say this isn't a notable improvement.

Hood Automotive exterior Bumper Rectangle Wood

I mounted the fence and first aligned it by running my fingertip along the fence bottom in relationship to the top edge of the right side of the right miter slot. A check with a sliding square showed I was close enough for government work. And the clamping mechanism doesn't shift the back end of the fence now when I clamp it down.

Wood Automotive exterior Bumper Gas Composite material

I know it doesn't look it here, but this is pretty much aligned with the miter slot. What makes it look off is the fact that the fence sits higher off the table at the front than at the back. Whatever. I feel safer now.

Other fixes that needed to be done like yesterday: 1) finding a safe way to make cheap zero-clearance inserts only 3/32" thick; 2) grinding the (ridiculous) tabs off the miter slots, and; 3) building a wood base with dust collection.

I think I'll go and grab another cup of 'joe', instead.
Clever fix there!
Like you i try to get by with mostly not-top-of-the-line-tools and end up spending a lot of time fixing them instead. Luckily i like tinkering and quite enjoy tuning tools and the like.
 

Attachments

#36 ·
Pennysaver Acquisition: Delta Belt/Disc Sander & Scroll Saw

This past week I picked up a couple of older power tools that look to have great promise. The first is a Delta Model 31-460 Type 2 Belt/ Disc Sander. The other a Delta Model 40-530 Scroll Saw.

I spend about an hour cleaning up and adjusting the sander. It runs well, but as you can see from the photos it needs some cleaning up in areas where surface rust has formed. The miter and ledge are in fine working over. The sanding belt needs to be replaced. From the v-shaped groove in the stop, I would guess it needed to be replaced a long time ago. Incidentally, I have the Harbor Freight version of this model and what a difference in ruggedness, precision and power. I'm looking forward to making a lot of saw dust with this.

Table Sewing machine Wood Household appliance accessory Sewing machine needle


Wood Camera lens Gas Cameras & optics Camera accessory


Audio equipment Font Gas Electronic device Technology


The scroll saw has been patiently waiting for a little TLC. A thin layer of rust has coated the entire surface of the top plate. It doesn't appear to have caused pitting, but of course I'll know for sure once I get to cleaning. The #12 blade that came with it was definitely abused, so it was chucked. I was really surprised at how quiet and smooth running it was when I first turned it on at the original owner's garage.

Wood Table Hardwood Gas Record player


Sewing Wood Creative arts Art Gas


Automotive parking light Automotive tire Automotive lighting Asphalt Bumper


Basically, I got both of these for $75.00. Time will tell if I got a bargain or not.
 

Attachments

#37 ·
Pennysaver Acquisition: Delta Belt/Disc Sander & Scroll Saw

This past week I picked up a couple of older power tools that look to have great promise. The first is a Delta Model 31-460 Type 2 Belt/ Disc Sander. The other a Delta Model 40-530 Scroll Saw.

I spend about an hour cleaning up and adjusting the sander. It runs well, but as you can see from the photos it needs some cleaning up in areas where surface rust has formed. The miter and ledge are in fine working over. The sanding belt needs to be replaced. From the v-shaped groove in the stop, I would guess it needed to be replaced a long time ago. Incidentally, I have the Harbor Freight version of this model and what a difference in ruggedness, precision and power. I'm looking forward to making a lot of saw dust with this.

Table Sewing machine Wood Household appliance accessory Sewing machine needle


Wood Camera lens Gas Cameras & optics Camera accessory


Audio equipment Font Gas Electronic device Technology


The scroll saw has been patiently waiting for a little TLC. A thin layer of rust has coated the entire surface of the top plate. It doesn't appear to have caused pitting, but of course I'll know for sure once I get to cleaning. The #12 blade that came with it was definitely abused, so it was chucked. I was really surprised at how quiet and smooth running it was when I first turned it on at the original owner's garage.

Wood Table Hardwood Gas Record player


Sewing Wood Creative arts Art Gas


Automotive parking light Automotive tire Automotive lighting Asphalt Bumper


Basically, I got both of these for $75.00. Time will tell if I got a bargain or not.
I have the same sander. I had to buy a replacement disk for it since the one that came with it was not at a 90 degree angle to the drive shaft that it connects to. The replacement is perfect, and the setup runs great.
 

Attachments

#39 ·
Refinishing a Skilsaw 3410-02 Table Saw Top

I have already blogged about the poor quality rip fence that came with this model table saw. The minor modifications I noted earlier have made the fence mostly accurate. Eventually, I will either add material to it to build it up in size and maybe make it dead-accurate or I'll build my own.

Yesterday, I posted a question in the forum about using a Gripper push block system on a textured surface. That generated a variety of comments. What I got out of it is that the rough, textured top that came on this saw was not going to give me a safe working saw. In retrospect, this explains why I have shied away from using it, even when it was the best tool for the job at hand. I just knew it wasn't safe. I mean, this top is so rough, if I pushed a 12" piece two-by-four on the top, it would move a fraction of an inch and stop dead. I decided I was too far into this project to abandon it. It was time to sand. This is what the top looked like before I got started. That rough texture is not pitting, but hard granules sitting on top of the surface and baked into the powder coat finish:

Automotive tire Hood Automotive lighting Asphalt Wheel


Font Asphalt Scaled reptile Pattern Monochrome photography


The aluminum top on the 3410-02 is a very thin casting. The entire saw has to be dead-level to be sure the four corners of the top would be in the same plane. I clamped the saw to the top of a leveled Black and Decker Workmate. I started off the sanding with 150 grit on an 1/4 cut sheet oscillating sander. This got quite a bit of the rough powder coat off and took down to the aluminum some of the high areas. At this point I changed over to wet sanding with 320 grit using a large hand block, using a straight edge as I went to make sure I was addressing high spots and not creating any lows. I finished off the sanding with 400 grit. This is what the top looked like after the sanding:

Hood Automotive design Wood Automotive exterior Bumper


Wood Font Gas Automotive exterior Rectangle


After sanding, I wiped down the top with a mild detergent and water. When dry, I applied two coats of The Original Formula HC Johnson Wax. The surface now looks like I had applied a couple of coats of Future Acrylic finish to the top:

Wood Plant Hardwood Window Flooring


To test the success of the sanding and waxing, I took that same piece of rough lumber and pushed it onto the top. It skated nicely across and off the back end of the saw.

But of course, this can't be the end of the tale….

Putting it all together, I once again saw how the riving knife didn't appear to be in the right plane in relation to the blade. Quite a bit of (more) finagling and I lost patience with. Both bolts came out and I pulled the knife assembly to see what I could find. I blew out the sawdust and made sure it was clean. The knife appeared to be straight. It had to be in the way the mount was securing to the base. Sure enough, the knurled underside of each bolt was moving the mounting plate when tightened down. What solved the problem was the addition of a regular and lock washer to each securing bolt. This is a perfect example of pricing/marketing overriding usability and safety. Here is the riving assembly and mount with the washers added. It's aligned now:

Rim Gas Automotive tire Auto part Metal


Next step? Build a heavy wooden base with individually leveling feet. The feet are coming in mid-next-week. I should have the base built by tomorrow.
 

Attachments

#40 ·
Refinishing a Skilsaw 3410-02 Table Saw Top

I have already blogged about the poor quality rip fence that came with this model table saw. The minor modifications I noted earlier have made the fence mostly accurate. Eventually, I will either add material to it to build it up in size and maybe make it dead-accurate or I'll build my own.

Yesterday, I posted a question in the forum about using a Gripper push block system on a textured surface. That generated a variety of comments. What I got out of it is that the rough, textured top that came on this saw was not going to give me a safe working saw. In retrospect, this explains why I have shied away from using it, even when it was the best tool for the job at hand. I just knew it wasn't safe. I mean, this top is so rough, if I pushed a 12" piece two-by-four on the top, it would move a fraction of an inch and stop dead. I decided I was too far into this project to abandon it. It was time to sand. This is what the top looked like before I got started. That rough texture is not pitting, but hard granules sitting on top of the surface and baked into the powder coat finish:

Automotive tire Hood Automotive lighting Asphalt Wheel


Font Asphalt Scaled reptile Pattern Monochrome photography


The aluminum top on the 3410-02 is a very thin casting. The entire saw has to be dead-level to be sure the four corners of the top would be in the same plane. I clamped the saw to the top of a leveled Black and Decker Workmate. I started off the sanding with 150 grit on an 1/4 cut sheet oscillating sander. This got quite a bit of the rough powder coat off and took down to the aluminum some of the high areas. At this point I changed over to wet sanding with 320 grit using a large hand block, using a straight edge as I went to make sure I was addressing high spots and not creating any lows. I finished off the sanding with 400 grit. This is what the top looked like after the sanding:

Hood Automotive design Wood Automotive exterior Bumper


Wood Font Gas Automotive exterior Rectangle


After sanding, I wiped down the top with a mild detergent and water. When dry, I applied two coats of The Original Formula HC Johnson Wax. The surface now looks like I had applied a couple of coats of Future Acrylic finish to the top:

Wood Plant Hardwood Window Flooring


To test the success of the sanding and waxing, I took that same piece of rough lumber and pushed it onto the top. It skated nicely across and off the back end of the saw.

But of course, this can't be the end of the tale….

Putting it all together, I once again saw how the riving knife didn't appear to be in the right plane in relation to the blade. Quite a bit of (more) finagling and I lost patience with. Both bolts came out and I pulled the knife assembly to see what I could find. I blew out the sawdust and made sure it was clean. The knife appeared to be straight. It had to be in the way the mount was securing to the base. Sure enough, the knurled underside of each bolt was moving the mounting plate when tightened down. What solved the problem was the addition of a regular and lock washer to each securing bolt. This is a perfect example of pricing/marketing overriding usability and safety. Here is the riving assembly and mount with the washers added. It's aligned now:

Rim Gas Automotive tire Auto part Metal


Next step? Build a heavy wooden base with individually leveling feet. The feet are coming in mid-next-week. I should have the base built by tomorrow.
I just finished ripping a 2-1/2" strip (measured off the front fence rail) from a piece of 5/8" OSB with two adjacent factory cut edges, the longer of the two against the fence. A square showed the cut edge to be square vertically all along the cut. A straight edge along the length of the cut showed it was dead on and square to the smaller adjacent factory edge. Nice. Even with the rough side running along the table top the wood moved easily across the top. Very nice. But of course, happy endings always end in a twist. The measured width of the piece was 2-7/16" wide. Tomorrow I will work on the taking some plastic off the fence's clear measure indicator.
 

Attachments

#44 ·
Marble Pieces for Scary Sharp Sharpening & Cheap Trim Router Fix

As I struggle to get my dungeon workshop together before the cold weather makes it impossible to work outdoors, I'm slowly finding inexpensive resources and coming across cheap fixes. I was in our local hardware box store yesterday to pick up some rope caulk for our 100-year-old windows-this is an annual event-and decided to see if I could get a granite floor tile for sanding chisels on. In our fair little 'city' it's impossible to buy just one tile and no samples were to be had. With a little help from the help, I came across a box of Polished Italian Venatino marble pieces just large enough to handle my sharpening needs:

Rectangle Gas Wood Display device Font


There are enough slabs to be useful in some projects I have in mind:

Wood Rectangle Flooring Hardwood Wood stain


The box sold for $5.95 USD. Not bad. I hope the marble will be as tough as granite would have been. I'll report back later, once I get a chance to do some chisel sharpening.

Along with getting a few boxes of rope caulk, I picked up a hose clamp large enough to fix a damaged adjustable trim router I had laying around for well over ten years. It looks just like one of the HF models. I purchased it about ten years ago from a roving surplus tool outfit that hits our area once in a great while. I'm sure this came off the same manufacturer's assembly line.

When I got it home, I made the mistake of not opening the box to inspect what I bought. It was a few days later when I did, long after the roving surplus event had left. What I found was a long crack in the clear plastic base, which had spread through both sides of the clamping area. This had to be caused from the shipping process or manhandling from the sales personnel while setting up each event. For years it sat in the box, until I cared enough to see if there was a fix.

A couple of years ago I attempted to repair the cracked area using a plastic and vinyl solvent called Tenax 7R. After several days of drying time, I applied spacers to either side of the adjustment cog in the hope of relieving enough pressure on the cracked area when clamping down the setting. The spacers were a good idea, but they didn't stop the crack from breaking open under clamping pressure. Once again, I put it aside and forgot about it.

The first chance I've had to use it since then was the other day. No amount of clamping pressure that was safe for the damaged clear plastic base would keep the router secured. There had to be a way to fix this problem, so I wouldn't have to throw away a working power tool. After some thunkery it occurred to me that the simplest, cheapest way to get around the limitations imposed by the cracked base was to add a clamp that compressed the top half of the base around the router. A 2-14" - 3" hose clamp was the right height and circumference to do the job. In fact, it works a little too well. I have to loosen its grip completely to allow the router to move at all. Tightening up the clamp is easily done with one hand holding the set router while the other screws in the clamp head. The clamp bites into the clear plastic, keeping it from moving while you tighten the clamp. You don't need much tension to keep the router in place. Here is what the router looks like now, after the fix:

Carpet sweeper Gas Cylinder Wood Flooring


Machine tool Automotive tire Gas Rim Engineering


Automotive tire Gas Cylinder Auto part Electric blue


One more tool has been saved from the trash bin. My frugal heart is happy.
 

Attachments

#45 ·
Marble Pieces for Scary Sharp Sharpening & Cheap Trim Router Fix

As I struggle to get my dungeon workshop together before the cold weather makes it impossible to work outdoors, I'm slowly finding inexpensive resources and coming across cheap fixes. I was in our local hardware box store yesterday to pick up some rope caulk for our 100-year-old windows-this is an annual event-and decided to see if I could get a granite floor tile for sanding chisels on. In our fair little 'city' it's impossible to buy just one tile and no samples were to be had. With a little help from the help, I came across a box of Polished Italian Venatino marble pieces just large enough to handle my sharpening needs:

Rectangle Gas Wood Display device Font


There are enough slabs to be useful in some projects I have in mind:

Wood Rectangle Flooring Hardwood Wood stain


The box sold for $5.95 USD. Not bad. I hope the marble will be as tough as granite would have been. I'll report back later, once I get a chance to do some chisel sharpening.

Along with getting a few boxes of rope caulk, I picked up a hose clamp large enough to fix a damaged adjustable trim router I had laying around for well over ten years. It looks just like one of the HF models. I purchased it about ten years ago from a roving surplus tool outfit that hits our area once in a great while. I'm sure this came off the same manufacturer's assembly line.

When I got it home, I made the mistake of not opening the box to inspect what I bought. It was a few days later when I did, long after the roving surplus event had left. What I found was a long crack in the clear plastic base, which had spread through both sides of the clamping area. This had to be caused from the shipping process or manhandling from the sales personnel while setting up each event. For years it sat in the box, until I cared enough to see if there was a fix.

A couple of years ago I attempted to repair the cracked area using a plastic and vinyl solvent called Tenax 7R. After several days of drying time, I applied spacers to either side of the adjustment cog in the hope of relieving enough pressure on the cracked area when clamping down the setting. The spacers were a good idea, but they didn't stop the crack from breaking open under clamping pressure. Once again, I put it aside and forgot about it.

The first chance I've had to use it since then was the other day. No amount of clamping pressure that was safe for the damaged clear plastic base would keep the router secured. There had to be a way to fix this problem, so I wouldn't have to throw away a working power tool. After some thunkery it occurred to me that the simplest, cheapest way to get around the limitations imposed by the cracked base was to add a clamp that compressed the top half of the base around the router. A 2-14" - 3" hose clamp was the right height and circumference to do the job. In fact, it works a little too well. I have to loosen its grip completely to allow the router to move at all. Tightening up the clamp is easily done with one hand holding the set router while the other screws in the clamp head. The clamp bites into the clear plastic, keeping it from moving while you tighten the clamp. You don't need much tension to keep the router in place. Here is what the router looks like now, after the fix:

Carpet sweeper Gas Cylinder Wood Flooring


Machine tool Automotive tire Gas Rim Engineering


Automotive tire Gas Cylinder Auto part Electric blue


One more tool has been saved from the trash bin. My frugal heart is happy.
Love the way you think buddy. Your frugal heart must all a flutter right now…LOL!! Great save on the trim router.
 

Attachments

#53 ·
The Dungeon: Before Construction of a Woodworking Shop

Our house was built in 1900, as close as the public records will tell. I know many of you are living in homes quite a bit older, especially in the U.K. and Europe, that are in much better shape than ours. The difference is where this home was built and what for. At that time in our local history, Norwich was a sizable hub for railroad traffic. Down at the East end of our street is an embankment that once looked over an large train yard with an engine turn-circle/round house. Across the street is a three-story dwelling that looks somewhat like the Munsters home-not as elaborate, but with similar architectural features. It was designed explicitly to be a boarding home for the railroad community, as was our house. But unlike the boarding home across from us, our home was build fast and with little concern for elegance or quality of construction.

All of this construction near the tracks was the Italian section. The Irish section was across the tracks to the West of us. Back in those days, you didn't cross the tracks (neighborhood to neighborhood) without repercussions. Use your imagination on what that could entail.

The Italian section of town didn't have the nicest homes and properties in our community. Those were on the other side of the tracks. You can see this disparity today, especially as the West side occupants have died off and large homes become fodder for slum lords happy to turn them into multiple dwelling rentals.

So that's a brief history of the house and why it exists. The challenges I face in creating a working woodworking shop are visually obvious. Add to that a minimal amount of funds to invest in the project and you can see I will have to improvise and make due, a lot. You may have noticed the lumber on the floor. That's what I have reclaimed so far from pallets collected in the community. Because pallet wood tends to be ash in our area, the hardwood lumber will be strong, if not pretty looking. Most of my benches will be made with this wood, using quality lumber for tops and where straightness is critical.

Last thing to mention: the spider webs. I probably should have taken some ceiling shots to show you the extensive network of cobwebs and active arachnids residing in the dungeon. I have only cleaned to the entranceway and half of the main area, to date. This will be the most difficult task for me because I have arachnophobia. That should answer your question on why has it taken so long to get the ambition up to clean up the dungeon. ;)

Here are pictures of The Dungeon. Enter at your own peril:

Grey Wood Floor Fixture Composite material

The outside entrance to the dungeon. This is enclosed within a two-story porch, with the back entrance to my home at my backside as I took this picture.

Brick Building Road Wood Alley

The foyer pathway to the dungeon. Barely noticeable in this picture is the window to the right. I have a 270 cfm variable speed fan mounted in what use to be a window.

Wood Fixture Rectangle Gas Composite material

The 270 cfm fan unit. I still have to insert the fan and motor, plus wire up the box (which will be mounted over the small hole on the left) which will house the variable speed switch. I also need to run 14 gauge wiring to the fan.

Table Wood Gas Machine Shelf

You are now entering the dungeon. Check your anti-arachnid forcefield!

Wood Gas Machine Motor vehicle Miter saw

Just as you walk in you are greeted by this humongous behemoth of old. It probably has been 60 years or more since this house heated with oil. It will stay there. I plan on building a studded all on the two showing sides and use the space and wall for benches and tool storage, respectively.

Building Wood Floor Flooring Waste containment

This is to the left of entering the dungeon. The chest freezer will be relocated to the front side of the dungeon, see in following pictures. The red supports can't be moved, so the space between them and the coal bin wall will sport a wall lumber rack.

Wood Machine Building Toolroom Engineering

This is at the front end of the house, where I used to have a bike shop long ago. All my bikes (four of my own and one of my wife's) are stored in the upstairs back porch. I will have to reorganize the this area and weed out the stuff that I really should get rid of. Still have some bikes to build, if only to sell off.

Notice the door? There is a room behind that wall that hasn't been used in over 20 years! I plan on doing so.

Wood Luggage and bags Shelf Floor Gas

To the left of the previous picture is that space I mentioned that should hold the freezer, get it out of the main work area. The metal cabinet may be kept, but probably I will get rid of it. Pretty rusty and very flimsy.

Wood Gas Metal Beam Machine

Turning 180 degrees from the previous picture, this is the view of the opening to a room that is just to the left of when you enter the dungeon. The usable space spans the entire width of the dungeon, but it has a lot of junk in it now. Lots of cleanup, new lighting…lots of work ahead of me.

Shelf Shelving Glass bottle Wood Bottle

I will relocate this storage shelf, probably in the room I just pointed to on the left. You can see the old steps that used to go upstairs. A bathroom now sits above it.

Wood Hardwood Window Plank Wood stain

Entrance to the old coal bin area, North side. The floor there is bare ground mixed with decades of coal dust. No reclamation possible there. It also sports rods sticking out of the ground. Not a safe place to spend time in.

Wood Gas House Fixture Tints and shades

The South side entrance to the coal bin area. You can just see one of the two services. This used to be a two family dwelling, so it has two 100 amp services. Notice the cob webs? Unfriendlies!

Wood Automotive tire Waste container Tire Gas

This area is reasonably dry year round, so it will be fine for the chest freezer. If you didn't notice early on, I have a dehumidifier running, connected to a 5 gallon bucket that I change out daily. Right now the humidity hovers between 45 and 48 percent.

The race against time is to get the table saw onto an enclosed base that will connect to a shop vac for dust collection. I can't cut anything down there until I have a mobile collection system up, but really that is mostly closing off the bottom of the table saw. Everything else has a collection port I can connect to right now. Today will be a nice day. I will have to hall out the table saw and miter saw, plus some saw horse and portable benches to get the base done today. I hope.
 

Attachments

#54 ·
The Dungeon: Before Construction of a Woodworking Shop

Our house was built in 1900, as close as the public records will tell. I know many of you are living in homes quite a bit older, especially in the U.K. and Europe, that are in much better shape than ours. The difference is where this home was built and what for. At that time in our local history, Norwich was a sizable hub for railroad traffic. Down at the East end of our street is an embankment that once looked over an large train yard with an engine turn-circle/round house. Across the street is a three-story dwelling that looks somewhat like the Munsters home-not as elaborate, but with similar architectural features. It was designed explicitly to be a boarding home for the railroad community, as was our house. But unlike the boarding home across from us, our home was build fast and with little concern for elegance or quality of construction.

All of this construction near the tracks was the Italian section. The Irish section was across the tracks to the West of us. Back in those days, you didn't cross the tracks (neighborhood to neighborhood) without repercussions. Use your imagination on what that could entail.

The Italian section of town didn't have the nicest homes and properties in our community. Those were on the other side of the tracks. You can see this disparity today, especially as the West side occupants have died off and large homes become fodder for slum lords happy to turn them into multiple dwelling rentals.

So that's a brief history of the house and why it exists. The challenges I face in creating a working woodworking shop are visually obvious. Add to that a minimal amount of funds to invest in the project and you can see I will have to improvise and make due, a lot. You may have noticed the lumber on the floor. That's what I have reclaimed so far from pallets collected in the community. Because pallet wood tends to be ash in our area, the hardwood lumber will be strong, if not pretty looking. Most of my benches will be made with this wood, using quality lumber for tops and where straightness is critical.

Last thing to mention: the spider webs. I probably should have taken some ceiling shots to show you the extensive network of cobwebs and active arachnids residing in the dungeon. I have only cleaned to the entranceway and half of the main area, to date. This will be the most difficult task for me because I have arachnophobia. That should answer your question on why has it taken so long to get the ambition up to clean up the dungeon. ;)

Here are pictures of The Dungeon. Enter at your own peril:

Grey Wood Floor Fixture Composite material

The outside entrance to the dungeon. This is enclosed within a two-story porch, with the back entrance to my home at my backside as I took this picture.

Brick Building Road Wood Alley

The foyer pathway to the dungeon. Barely noticeable in this picture is the window to the right. I have a 270 cfm variable speed fan mounted in what use to be a window.

Wood Fixture Rectangle Gas Composite material

The 270 cfm fan unit. I still have to insert the fan and motor, plus wire up the box (which will be mounted over the small hole on the left) which will house the variable speed switch. I also need to run 14 gauge wiring to the fan.

Table Wood Gas Machine Shelf

You are now entering the dungeon. Check your anti-arachnid forcefield!

Wood Gas Machine Motor vehicle Miter saw

Just as you walk in you are greeted by this humongous behemoth of old. It probably has been 60 years or more since this house heated with oil. It will stay there. I plan on building a studded all on the two showing sides and use the space and wall for benches and tool storage, respectively.

Building Wood Floor Flooring Waste containment

This is to the left of entering the dungeon. The chest freezer will be relocated to the front side of the dungeon, see in following pictures. The red supports can't be moved, so the space between them and the coal bin wall will sport a wall lumber rack.

Wood Machine Building Toolroom Engineering

This is at the front end of the house, where I used to have a bike shop long ago. All my bikes (four of my own and one of my wife's) are stored in the upstairs back porch. I will have to reorganize the this area and weed out the stuff that I really should get rid of. Still have some bikes to build, if only to sell off.

Notice the door? There is a room behind that wall that hasn't been used in over 20 years! I plan on doing so.

Wood Luggage and bags Shelf Floor Gas

To the left of the previous picture is that space I mentioned that should hold the freezer, get it out of the main work area. The metal cabinet may be kept, but probably I will get rid of it. Pretty rusty and very flimsy.

Wood Gas Metal Beam Machine

Turning 180 degrees from the previous picture, this is the view of the opening to a room that is just to the left of when you enter the dungeon. The usable space spans the entire width of the dungeon, but it has a lot of junk in it now. Lots of cleanup, new lighting…lots of work ahead of me.

Shelf Shelving Glass bottle Wood Bottle

I will relocate this storage shelf, probably in the room I just pointed to on the left. You can see the old steps that used to go upstairs. A bathroom now sits above it.

Wood Hardwood Window Plank Wood stain

Entrance to the old coal bin area, North side. The floor there is bare ground mixed with decades of coal dust. No reclamation possible there. It also sports rods sticking out of the ground. Not a safe place to spend time in.

Wood Gas House Fixture Tints and shades

The South side entrance to the coal bin area. You can just see one of the two services. This used to be a two family dwelling, so it has two 100 amp services. Notice the cob webs? Unfriendlies!

Wood Automotive tire Waste container Tire Gas

This area is reasonably dry year round, so it will be fine for the chest freezer. If you didn't notice early on, I have a dehumidifier running, connected to a 5 gallon bucket that I change out daily. Right now the humidity hovers between 45 and 48 percent.

The race against time is to get the table saw onto an enclosed base that will connect to a shop vac for dust collection. I can't cut anything down there until I have a mobile collection system up, but really that is mostly closing off the bottom of the table saw. Everything else has a collection port I can connect to right now. Today will be a nice day. I will have to hall out the table saw and miter saw, plus some saw horse and portable benches to get the base done today. I hope.
My small shop is entirely set up in old coal bin. The thick wood walls are nice for hanging things anywhere you want. Im guessing that I have more cobwebs than you do, and have never seen a spider in basement! Just take it one spot at a time and it didnt take that long to get shop up and running, enjoy.
 

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#66 ·
Bench and Block Planes Purchase

These days I can't afford to splurge on many of the things I want, but I still do some impulsive shopping when the money allows for it and the urge is upon me. I had forgotten that yesterday was a holiday for some institutions in our area, in my case the credit union I have my business accounts with. Fortunately, behind and above the credit union lies our Lowe's hardware center. Sure. Why not? I needed a metal speed square, anyway.

I imagine that some of you shop much the same as I do, going in with a notion of what you want or need, but finding yourself needing to check other isles just in case you forgot something on your list. Yep. When I saw the planes I knew this was what I needed to deal with jointing and planing the edges and faces of all that pallet wood I have stored up. A power jointer and planer are purchases for a later time. This just made sense. Later today I hope to get the marble plates and sandpaper out to see if I can scary-sharp the blades on these. I'll have to see if I can find a large, flat surface for the soles. I really can't wait to make some curly shavings.

Did I get the speed square, you ask? Nope. I forgot about it in the excitement. Next time. There will always be that.

Wood Table Electric blue Metal Tin
 

Attachments

#67 ·
Bench and Block Planes Purchase

These days I can't afford to splurge on many of the things I want, but I still do some impulsive shopping when the money allows for it and the urge is upon me. I had forgotten that yesterday was a holiday for some institutions in our area, in my case the credit union I have my business accounts with. Fortunately, behind and above the credit union lies our Lowe's hardware center. Sure. Why not? I needed a metal speed square, anyway.

I imagine that some of you shop much the same as I do, going in with a notion of what you want or need, but finding yourself needing to check other isles just in case you forgot something on your list. Yep. When I saw the planes I knew this was what I needed to deal with jointing and planing the edges and faces of all that pallet wood I have stored up. A power jointer and planer are purchases for a later time. This just made sense. Later today I hope to get the marble plates and sandpaper out to see if I can scary-sharp the blades on these. I'll have to see if I can find a large, flat surface for the soles. I really can't wait to make some curly shavings.

Did I get the speed square, you ask? Nope. I forgot about it in the excitement. Next time. There will always be that.

Wood Table Electric blue Metal Tin
Congrats and have some fun. Don't forget to strop the blades

with green honing compound :)
 

Attachments

#74 ·
Table Saw Base: The Saga Continues

Yesterday started out wet, as was the day before it, but the temperature was high enough I could be comfortable outdoors in a short sleeve shirt. I decided to move a couple of portable benches upstairs on the enclosed back porch to see if I could get more done on the table saw base. At that point, all I had together was the base framing, which comprised of four 2" x 4" pieces half-lap joined, glued and screwed together. I decided on building the framing longitudinally because I wanted strength with some flex. The reason for this is the dungeon floor is irregular and not even close to being flat in some areas. I planned on building a heavy base for its size to allow levelers to flex the base as needed. Because the shorter 1" x 6" boards used for the apron are butt joined to the longer sides, I also glued them as well as used screws. The longer sides are only screwed together.

Wood Hardwood Wood stain Plank Flooring


The second picture shows the arrangement of the casters and how the levelers come into play because of the aprons. I didn't need to use locking casters because once the saw is wheeled to where I want it, the levelers will be engaged. It wasn't my intention to limit the swivel movement of the rotating casters, but now that I have given it some thought it's probably for the best. The base doesn't need to parallel park on a dime.

Wood Plant Wood stain Hardwood Gas


The next step is to build the framing for the top melamine board that the saw will be bolted to. Once done, I can measure what height I have created between the base and top constructions to determine what measurement is needed for the vertical corner framing. Target total height for the base is 34", perfect for my small 5' 6" frame.

With a weekend coming up, I should have the base completed by Sunday. The hold-up is not construction time. This project is being designed as I build it. Sometimes, it takes hours or days of research weighed against what I have for tools I can use and what I believe my skill level can make happen. Slow, frustrating at times, this is what I enjoy most about building things from scratch.
 

Attachments

#75 ·
Table Saw Base: The Saga Continues

Yesterday started out wet, as was the day before it, but the temperature was high enough I could be comfortable outdoors in a short sleeve shirt. I decided to move a couple of portable benches upstairs on the enclosed back porch to see if I could get more done on the table saw base. At that point, all I had together was the base framing, which comprised of four 2" x 4" pieces half-lap joined, glued and screwed together. I decided on building the framing longitudinally because I wanted strength with some flex. The reason for this is the dungeon floor is irregular and not even close to being flat in some areas. I planned on building a heavy base for its size to allow levelers to flex the base as needed. Because the shorter 1" x 6" boards used for the apron are butt joined to the longer sides, I also glued them as well as used screws. The longer sides are only screwed together.

Wood Hardwood Wood stain Plank Flooring


The second picture shows the arrangement of the casters and how the levelers come into play because of the aprons. I didn't need to use locking casters because once the saw is wheeled to where I want it, the levelers will be engaged. It wasn't my intention to limit the swivel movement of the rotating casters, but now that I have given it some thought it's probably for the best. The base doesn't need to parallel park on a dime.

Wood Plant Wood stain Hardwood Gas


The next step is to build the framing for the top melamine board that the saw will be bolted to. Once done, I can measure what height I have created between the base and top constructions to determine what measurement is needed for the vertical corner framing. Target total height for the base is 34", perfect for my small 5' 6" frame.

With a weekend coming up, I should have the base completed by Sunday. The hold-up is not construction time. This project is being designed as I build it. Sometimes, it takes hours or days of research weighed against what I have for tools I can use and what I believe my skill level can make happen. Slow, frustrating at times, this is what I enjoy most about building things from scratch.
Most of my designing is done on the fly, I plan and plan but when it comes down to doing something I always hit a roadblock and have to improvise.
 

Attachments

#79 ·
Making Shavings

Earlier this afternoon I started out with the notion I would get as much of the superstructure for the table saw done as time would allow for. The bottom of the base (seen earlier) is made entirely out of new lumber, which wasn't my intention from the onset. I was getting ready to make a trip out to our local Lowe's for more 2" x 4"s when I decided to use the reclaimed lumber in the dungeon.

After I found a couple of boards with straight edges long enough to cut to the sizes I needed, I measured them to length and cut with my new crosscut handsaw. Then it was time to see if they would plane using a bench plane that hadn't been sharpened beyond it factory edge. Dialing in the correct tension between the lever cap and blade assembly was a bit of a pain. Once I got it dialed in I was making shavings. And lots of them!

Window Table Wood Floor Flooring


In this second picture, the two boards on the left have been planed on all four sides. The rough board on the far right is what they looked like before planing.

Wood Wood stain Hardwood Plank Rectangle


My planing was far from perfect. I don't have the skill at this time to plane squared edges by eye. Faces were pretty flat, though. Surprising, considering what little time I had put into it.

All in all, I accomplished both goals I started out with: 1) to see if I could make the boards smooth enough for construction, and; 2) to see if the factory ground edge on the plane could accomplish the task.

I spent a lot of time on cutting with a handsaw and planing just these two 26" boards. Was it worth it? Of yeah. Seriously, in the back of my mind I am wondering if I would rather revert to hand tool construction whenever possible. I have to say that my hand saw cut ends were pretty close to square. I now know addictive hand planing can be. And best of all was how all of this was making me feel. Just awesome.
 

Attachments

#80 ·
Making Shavings

Earlier this afternoon I started out with the notion I would get as much of the superstructure for the table saw done as time would allow for. The bottom of the base (seen earlier) is made entirely out of new lumber, which wasn't my intention from the onset. I was getting ready to make a trip out to our local Lowe's for more 2" x 4"s when I decided to use the reclaimed lumber in the dungeon.

After I found a couple of boards with straight edges long enough to cut to the sizes I needed, I measured them to length and cut with my new crosscut handsaw. Then it was time to see if they would plane using a bench plane that hadn't been sharpened beyond it factory edge. Dialing in the correct tension between the lever cap and blade assembly was a bit of a pain. Once I got it dialed in I was making shavings. And lots of them!

Window Table Wood Floor Flooring


In this second picture, the two boards on the left have been planed on all four sides. The rough board on the far right is what they looked like before planing.

Wood Wood stain Hardwood Plank Rectangle


My planing was far from perfect. I don't have the skill at this time to plane squared edges by eye. Faces were pretty flat, though. Surprising, considering what little time I had put into it.

All in all, I accomplished both goals I started out with: 1) to see if I could make the boards smooth enough for construction, and; 2) to see if the factory ground edge on the plane could accomplish the task.

I spent a lot of time on cutting with a handsaw and planing just these two 26" boards. Was it worth it? Of yeah. Seriously, in the back of my mind I am wondering if I would rather revert to hand tool construction whenever possible. I have to say that my hand saw cut ends were pretty close to square. I now know addictive hand planing can be. And best of all was how all of this was making me feel. Just awesome.
Learning by doing! It is a never ending, but gratifying, process. The boards look great, you gained valuable experience, and saved some money by re-purposing materials. It doesn't get any better than that!!
 

Attachments

#84 ·
Lowe's is Replacing the 9-3/4" x 2: Bench Plane

A little while ago I decided to contact Lowe's Customer Care about the damaged spring underneath the quick-release lever cap. If you didn't see my previous blog entry about this, here is what it looked like when I first disassembled it shortly after purchase:

Light Wood Tints and shades Human leg Flooring


I explained what I found and asked that they either replace the plane with a new one or just ship out to me a new level cap. The representative said a senior manager from the store I bought the plane from would call me within 24 hours. The senior manager's call came in just minutes after my call to the service center ended. She said they have a new plane ready for exchange. In an hour or so I will be making the exchange and hopefully get around to taking it apart for cleaning and honing of the blade.

The more serious we get we in a special interest the more we tend to pick on the department stores that serve us generic or low-line equipment and materials for our needs. Kobalt and Lowe's are not on the same par as Festool and Rockler. They do serve a need and I am not above utilizing the product and their store when it works for me and my stingy wallet.
 

Attachments

#85 ·
Lowe's is Replacing the 9-3/4" x 2: Bench Plane

A little while ago I decided to contact Lowe's Customer Care about the damaged spring underneath the quick-release lever cap. If you didn't see my previous blog entry about this, here is what it looked like when I first disassembled it shortly after purchase:

Light Wood Tints and shades Human leg Flooring


I explained what I found and asked that they either replace the plane with a new one or just ship out to me a new level cap. The representative said a senior manager from the store I bought the plane from would call me within 24 hours. The senior manager's call came in just minutes after my call to the service center ended. She said they have a new plane ready for exchange. In an hour or so I will be making the exchange and hopefully get around to taking it apart for cleaning and honing of the blade.

The more serious we get we in a special interest the more we tend to pick on the department stores that serve us generic or low-line equipment and materials for our needs. Kobalt and Lowe's are not on the same par as Festool and Rockler. They do serve a need and I am not above utilizing the product and their store when it works for me and my stingy wallet.
Glad to hear Lowes stepped up to the plate and made things right.
 

Attachments

#86 ·
Workshop Stalled, Back On Target

Over a week ago I contacted Lowe's for a replacement lever cap or swap for a new Kobalt No. 4 plane. They gave me the only new plane on the shelf, which I checked over at the service counter before leaving for home. Not only was the sheet metal spring for the lever in perfect shape and connected to the cap properly, the throat was better formed and the frog sat better to my eye. It just looked better overall.

Before cleaning it up and putting it to use, I spent some time with the Korean made ATK block plane's blade to see if I could sharpen it up using wet/dry sandpaper and the Italian marble pieces I bought a while back. Two observations were made. The first is what most of you would have known or guessed: the blade won't hold an edge. It is untempered, low-grade soft steel. I could get an edge that would work for about four passes before the actually pressure on the plane caused the wood to bend over the edge and polish the new bevel. I picked up a fine diamond stone today, so when the ordered honing blade guide comes in next week from Rockler, I plan on one more try to see if my freehand technique was the problem more so than the blade. Thereafter, it get thrown in the trash bin if it won't work.

The other reason for hitting Lowe's today was to get myself a 12" planer. I need to get some milling done faster and much more precise than I can ever accomplish by hand at this point. I had intended on getting the Porter-Cable 12" model that runs for $269.99. They no longer stock it, so I had to accept an upsell to a DeWalt DW734 for another $139.00 more.

Gas Automotive exterior Machine Auto part Font


The wife said it was a go. The tightwad in me wanted to wait. The heart slapped me upside the head and looked at me like I was crazy to even think of backing out. I listened to my heart. It sits on the kitchen floor right now, waiting for me to find room for it in the mess I call the dungeon.

A jointer is definitely out of the picture for a while, maybe not until next year. I'll have to joint use my router table with an offset to the outfeed fence for now. But now I can plane the better reclaimed lumber I have been accumulating and get to work making the dungeon workshop's infrastructure.

One final note: I had to return the dehumidifier. It doubled our electric bill in one month. No way I can justify that kind of monthly expenditure to bring the humidity down. With winter coming, the humidity will be tolerable. Next spring I will have to consider what options will be available to control humidity in the shop.
 

Attachments

#87 ·
Workshop Stalled, Back On Target

Over a week ago I contacted Lowe's for a replacement lever cap or swap for a new Kobalt No. 4 plane. They gave me the only new plane on the shelf, which I checked over at the service counter before leaving for home. Not only was the sheet metal spring for the lever in perfect shape and connected to the cap properly, the throat was better formed and the frog sat better to my eye. It just looked better overall.

Before cleaning it up and putting it to use, I spent some time with the Korean made ATK block plane's blade to see if I could sharpen it up using wet/dry sandpaper and the Italian marble pieces I bought a while back. Two observations were made. The first is what most of you would have known or guessed: the blade won't hold an edge. It is untempered, low-grade soft steel. I could get an edge that would work for about four passes before the actually pressure on the plane caused the wood to bend over the edge and polish the new bevel. I picked up a fine diamond stone today, so when the ordered honing blade guide comes in next week from Rockler, I plan on one more try to see if my freehand technique was the problem more so than the blade. Thereafter, it get thrown in the trash bin if it won't work.

The other reason for hitting Lowe's today was to get myself a 12" planer. I need to get some milling done faster and much more precise than I can ever accomplish by hand at this point. I had intended on getting the Porter-Cable 12" model that runs for $269.99. They no longer stock it, so I had to accept an upsell to a DeWalt DW734 for another $139.00 more.

Gas Automotive exterior Machine Auto part Font


The wife said it was a go. The tightwad in me wanted to wait. The heart slapped me upside the head and looked at me like I was crazy to even think of backing out. I listened to my heart. It sits on the kitchen floor right now, waiting for me to find room for it in the mess I call the dungeon.

A jointer is definitely out of the picture for a while, maybe not until next year. I'll have to joint use my router table with an offset to the outfeed fence for now. But now I can plane the better reclaimed lumber I have been accumulating and get to work making the dungeon workshop's infrastructure.

One final note: I had to return the dehumidifier. It doubled our electric bill in one month. No way I can justify that kind of monthly expenditure to bring the humidity down. With winter coming, the humidity will be tolerable. Next spring I will have to consider what options will be available to control humidity in the shop.
Try Crigslist I don't know how far Ithica, NY is from you but I found this 6" Rockwell jointer for less than $100. I found a similar one for myself. I had to clean it up and do some fine tuning but it works great.
 

Attachments

#91 ·
Delta 36-510 Type II Motorized Bench Saw Refurb

So last night I headed out to a rural homestead about 40 minutes away to look at a table saw selling for $25.00. It looked well used in the pictures supplied on Craigslist. My hope was that it wasn't more beat than it looked.

The Delta 36-510 Motorized Bench Saw ran fine, but it had been stored in a garage for a couple of years and it looked like it was pistol whipped into getting work done. Without question it was going to need a breakdown, cleaning and lubing before I could use it.

The only part it was missing, the blade lowering/raising wheel, I could do without. A wooden replacement is an easy fix. I suppose you could count in the bolt that mounts the blade guard/riving knife/anti-kickback pawls assembly. The flimsy device looks to be useless. Since it needs to be disassembled and the surface rust removed, I am putting it aside for a later date.

Font Technology Auto part Audio equipment Hardware programmer


I spent most of the day disassembling and cleaning the dirty saw. The top was sanded wet with 600 grit sandpaper. Bearing surfaces and moving threaded parts were lubricated with paste wax. Flat washers and/or locking washers were added or replaced originals as felt it was as needed.

I replaced the sawdust-caked blade with one of my hardly used Skil saw spares.

Measuring instrument Gas Font Circle Bottle cap


Wood Hardwood Natural material Metal Wood stain


Hours later, I fired it up without the blade. The motor turns over instantly without a noticeably large amperage load. Afterward I moved the saw to the upstairs back porch, I waxed the top and fence rails.

Here is a picture of the finished refurb. I forgot to take a starting picture. I should have. A big difference between then and now.

Table Gas Outdoor bench Audio equipment Kitchen appliance accessory
 

Attachments

#92 ·
Delta 36-510 Type II Motorized Bench Saw Refurb

So last night I headed out to a rural homestead about 40 minutes away to look at a table saw selling for $25.00. It looked well used in the pictures supplied on Craigslist. My hope was that it wasn't more beat than it looked.

The Delta 36-510 Motorized Bench Saw ran fine, but it had been stored in a garage for a couple of years and it looked like it was pistol whipped into getting work done. Without question it was going to need a breakdown, cleaning and lubing before I could use it.

The only part it was missing, the blade lowering/raising wheel, I could do without. A wooden replacement is an easy fix. I suppose you could count in the bolt that mounts the blade guard/riving knife/anti-kickback pawls assembly. The flimsy device looks to be useless. Since it needs to be disassembled and the surface rust removed, I am putting it aside for a later date.

Font Technology Auto part Audio equipment Hardware programmer


I spent most of the day disassembling and cleaning the dirty saw. The top was sanded wet with 600 grit sandpaper. Bearing surfaces and moving threaded parts were lubricated with paste wax. Flat washers and/or locking washers were added or replaced originals as felt it was as needed.

I replaced the sawdust-caked blade with one of my hardly used Skil saw spares.

Measuring instrument Gas Font Circle Bottle cap


Wood Hardwood Natural material Metal Wood stain


Hours later, I fired it up without the blade. The motor turns over instantly without a noticeably large amperage load. Afterward I moved the saw to the upstairs back porch, I waxed the top and fence rails.

Here is a picture of the finished refurb. I forgot to take a starting picture. I should have. A big difference between then and now.

Table Gas Outdoor bench Audio equipment Kitchen appliance accessory
I would say, you got a deal for $25.00. Nice job of cleaning it up.
 

Attachments

#96 ·
Down-n-Dirty Router Table Base Project

In the process of converting the dungeon into a less-than-scary, useful workshop, I continue to come up with necessities that divert my attention while solving needs. For instance, since I can't afford right now (and may not have the room for) a 6" jointer, the next best thing is to joint on a router table. Yes, I can do it on a table saw. The Skilsaw's accuracy is still debatable. More important, I can't use it until I can make room for it in the dungeon ,and I finish making the base for it. Jointing by hand is beyond my skillset and tools owned at the present. The router wins the bid.

The Blue Hawk router table is an inexpensive model, flimsy at the feet if not mounted to something sturdy. I didn't have a stand or bench low enough to give me a good working height, so I decided to refurbish a cheap chipboard office utility stand for this purpose.

Wood Gas Machine Electronic device Output device


All the additional wood used in this project came from destructed pallets. The legs are the two pieces that I did some practice hand planing on a few weeks ago. The rest were power sanded with 40 and 80 grit to remove the majority of the roughness. This was not a furniture project. It doesn't have to look pretty in the dungeon.

Table Furniture Wood Rectangle Wood stain


Tire Wood Rectangle Hardwood Plant


The bolts that make up the feet came from a Real Deal store in our community, where -most- everything is a buck. I think a dozen of these bolts come in a dollar package. The nuts used were in my parts bins.

Wood Amber Door Gas Door handle


The sheet rock screws I have had for some time and the wood screws used on the melamine top were also part of a package for a buck. The melamine was left over from shelving I had custom made for me at a professional office I had 20 years ago. I guess that makes the total cash outlay for this project $2.00 USD.
 

Attachments

#97 ·
Down-n-Dirty Router Table Base Project

In the process of converting the dungeon into a less-than-scary, useful workshop, I continue to come up with necessities that divert my attention while solving needs. For instance, since I can't afford right now (and may not have the room for) a 6" jointer, the next best thing is to joint on a router table. Yes, I can do it on a table saw. The Skilsaw's accuracy is still debatable. More important, I can't use it until I can make room for it in the dungeon ,and I finish making the base for it. Jointing by hand is beyond my skillset and tools owned at the present. The router wins the bid.

The Blue Hawk router table is an inexpensive model, flimsy at the feet if not mounted to something sturdy. I didn't have a stand or bench low enough to give me a good working height, so I decided to refurbish a cheap chipboard office utility stand for this purpose.

Wood Gas Machine Electronic device Output device


All the additional wood used in this project came from destructed pallets. The legs are the two pieces that I did some practice hand planing on a few weeks ago. The rest were power sanded with 40 and 80 grit to remove the majority of the roughness. This was not a furniture project. It doesn't have to look pretty in the dungeon.

Table Furniture Wood Rectangle Wood stain


Tire Wood Rectangle Hardwood Plant


The bolts that make up the feet came from a Real Deal store in our community, where -most- everything is a buck. I think a dozen of these bolts come in a dollar package. The nuts used were in my parts bins.

Wood Amber Door Gas Door handle


The sheet rock screws I have had for some time and the wood screws used on the melamine top were also part of a package for a buck. The melamine was left over from shelving I had custom made for me at a professional office I had 20 years ago. I guess that makes the total cash outlay for this project $2.00 USD.
The original stand was not weighed before I started this project, but my guess would be it was under 10 pounds. Finished weight of this base is 49 pounds. No fat. All hardwood muscle. ;)
 

Attachments

#100 ·
Elevation Control Knob and New Table Fit

Shortly after I finished the router table base it occurred to me that this could be a multi-purpose base. I knew the melamine top wasn't deep enough to accommodate the Skilsaw 3410-02 table saw, but the newly acquired Delta 35-510 had a smaller body that fit nicely with room to spare all around. The bolts you see sticking up from the melamine are for the router table. I was glad to see that they wouldn't interfere with the table saw.

Table Gas Audio equipment Electronic device Machine


I am a pack rat, holding onto anything that has the remotest possibility of being useful in the future. I found in my parts bin a hardwood knob that I had long ago epoxied thin cork strips to for a grip. I drilled a 3/8" hole 1/2" deep into the flat end to accommodate the shaft, then routed out a slot across the hole for the sheer pin using my old Dremel Drill Press. Because of the cork grip it is easy to turn, but it does take quite a few turns to raise and lower the blade. For now this works well and the bent shaft may not allow for a replacement OEM wheel to work, anyway.

Baseball glove Font Jewellery Fashion accessory Metal


Tomorrow I will cut out a square hole in the melamine and chipboard top for sawdust extraction. I have some plywood that will work well in making a partial box underneath that will be attached to the chipboard back. Before I do that I will cut an extraction port out of the back that I can use with my shop vac. I'll post pictures of this final adjustment when completed.
 

Attachments

#101 ·
Elevation Control Knob and New Table Fit

Shortly after I finished the router table base it occurred to me that this could be a multi-purpose base. I knew the melamine top wasn't deep enough to accommodate the Skilsaw 3410-02 table saw, but the newly acquired Delta 35-510 had a smaller body that fit nicely with room to spare all around. The bolts you see sticking up from the melamine are for the router table. I was glad to see that they wouldn't interfere with the table saw.

Table Gas Audio equipment Electronic device Machine


I am a pack rat, holding onto anything that has the remotest possibility of being useful in the future. I found in my parts bin a hardwood knob that I had long ago epoxied thin cork strips to for a grip. I drilled a 3/8" hole 1/2" deep into the flat end to accommodate the shaft, then routed out a slot across the hole for the sheer pin using my old Dremel Drill Press. Because of the cork grip it is easy to turn, but it does take quite a few turns to raise and lower the blade. For now this works well and the bent shaft may not allow for a replacement OEM wheel to work, anyway.

Baseball glove Font Jewellery Fashion accessory Metal


Tomorrow I will cut out a square hole in the melamine and chipboard top for sawdust extraction. I have some plywood that will work well in making a partial box underneath that will be attached to the chipboard back. Before I do that I will cut an extraction port out of the back that I can use with my shop vac. I'll post pictures of this final adjustment when completed.
This looks familiar, a base that will support multiple tools.
All you need to add is a standing storage cabinet to hold the tools not in use.

However, I don't rember where I have seen this.
 

Attachments

#107 ·
Over-Engineering and Laughing at Oneself

Sometimes, I have to laugh at myself.

For several days I have been contemplating the best way to add mobility to the Router Table Base I created, which now also acts as a Table Saw Base for the Delta 36-510. I've watched numerous YouTube videos showing all sorts of simple to ingeniously complex Lazy-Boy lever systems. For this project, 'better' translates to 'cheap', 'using materials I already have', and 'taking the least amount of time to create'. After about an hour of pretend-fitting casters to pieces of wood for depth and hinging possibilities, I finally noticed the four holes pre-drilled into the bottom of the original sides of the utility table. I checked my large Zip-lock bag of casters to see if I still had those that came with the table. Yes, I did. And as you can see in the photos they lift the table a good inch or so above the present settings of the levelers, which leaves ample room for both mobility and height leveling. Jeeze-Louise, I can't believe I didn't see this before!

So go ahead and laugh. I sure am right now, and I wouldn't mind the company.

Wood Flooring Wood stain Floor Plank


Wood Rectangle Wood stain Plank Hardwood
 

Attachments

#108 ·
Over-Engineering and Laughing at Oneself

Sometimes, I have to laugh at myself.

For several days I have been contemplating the best way to add mobility to the Router Table Base I created, which now also acts as a Table Saw Base for the Delta 36-510. I've watched numerous YouTube videos showing all sorts of simple to ingeniously complex Lazy-Boy lever systems. For this project, 'better' translates to 'cheap', 'using materials I already have', and 'taking the least amount of time to create'. After about an hour of pretend-fitting casters to pieces of wood for depth and hinging possibilities, I finally noticed the four holes pre-drilled into the bottom of the original sides of the utility table. I checked my large Zip-lock bag of casters to see if I still had those that came with the table. Yes, I did. And as you can see in the photos they lift the table a good inch or so above the present settings of the levelers, which leaves ample room for both mobility and height leveling. Jeeze-Louise, I can't believe I didn't see this before!

So go ahead and laugh. I sure am right now, and I wouldn't mind the company.

Wood Flooring Wood stain Floor Plank


Wood Rectangle Wood stain Plank Hardwood
You think this is bad? You wouldn't believe all of the brain farts I've had over the years with some of the projects I was working on. This is nothing.
 

Attachments

#112 ·
Zero Clearance Insert, Hard Wood Fence Rail, Chisel Sharpening

My day started at 4:30 am, way too early for getting to bed shortly before midnight. I blame this flu I can't get rid of and a lot of heavy dreaming. And yet, I had one of the most productive days in the past week. Most of the afternoon was spent sharpening chisels, mounting a wood fence rail and creating a zero-clearance insert for the Delta 36-510 Bench Saw. Here are some pics of what I accomplished.

The Chisels
The chisel sharpening took up a good portion of the day. It was my first chance to try out the Rockler honing guide and diamond honing stone I bought from Lowe's. The stone only had one side, fine, so I ended up using various grades of sandpaper to deal with the rough shape of some of my chisels. What was surprising was the inconsistent results between the chisels I worked on.

Hand tool Wood Tool Metalworking hand tool Scratch awl


Two were plastic handled, very inexpensive chisels, one half-inch, the other with a 1-inch blade. Both of these had damaged ends, so a metal file was used to file the end flat. The wider chisel came out pretty sharp. The half-inch chisel appeared to be sharp, but no matter what I did I couldn't get it as sharp as its bigger brother. Here is the half-inch:

Wood Hardwood Metal Wood stain Varnish


The 1/2" was the experimental first, the least valuable and therefore expendable if I really messed it up. When I decided I couldn't get any better edge, I took a piece of milled pallet wood and did some practicing on it. Here is a close-up of what I accomplished with the chisel. The dimension of the cutout is approximately one inch square. Bear in mind I haven't done free-hand chisel work like this in quite a few years. A rubber mallet was used only to cut the ledges from above:

Wood Wood stain Flooring Hardwood Natural material


The Bench Saw
I decided to make a zero-clearance insert for the Delta 36-510 Type 2 10" Bench Saw using a 1/2" thick milled piece of pallet wood. Because the metal insert is very thin and sits upon ledges close to the surface of the cast top, the contact points were going to have to be routed out of the 1/2" thick blank. I used a 1/4" shank trim router: freehand except for the wide edge on the motor side.

The messy part was finding a way to get enough material removed where the highest point of the blade touched the insert so it would sit flush with the table top before I turned on the saw. I didn't have a smaller blade that would fit, so I hand routed from the underside, progressively going deeper as I came to the apex of contact. Then I ran a narrow board front to back over the insert and clamped it to the saw top. I powered up and ran the blade through both the insert and clamped piece.

Wood Composite material Window Flooring Gas


The insert is usable, but not finished. The screws used to mount the steel insert won't work with the new wood insert. Instead, they are screwed into the top and will be used as height adjustment for the insert after I fasten magnetic strips to the underside of the insert where the screws are:

Wood Musical instrument Wood stain Hardwood Flooring


There is a little wiggle room along the length of the insert, so I think once the magnetic strips are attached, if it still moves around I will paint the edges and underside to make up the difference.

The last accomplishment was the fastening of a wood rail to the fence. Again, using a cut to length 1/2" piece of milled pallet wood, I used sheet rock screws to attach it to the metal fence. The reason for this was the fence was not straight and being that it's rectangular tubing there isn't any way to straighten it out. I applied paste wax to the top of the insert and the rail facing and bottom edges.

Tomorrow, I mark and cut out a hole in the saw body to accept the 2-1/2" dust extraction port, then attach the port using a gasket to get a tight seal. Just in time was today's delivery of the 10' hose. So I guess tomorrow I will be assembling and using my Dust Deputy setup.
 

Attachments

#113 ·
Zero Clearance Insert, Hard Wood Fence Rail, Chisel Sharpening

My day started at 4:30 am, way too early for getting to bed shortly before midnight. I blame this flu I can't get rid of and a lot of heavy dreaming. And yet, I had one of the most productive days in the past week. Most of the afternoon was spent sharpening chisels, mounting a wood fence rail and creating a zero-clearance insert for the Delta 36-510 Bench Saw. Here are some pics of what I accomplished.

The Chisels
The chisel sharpening took up a good portion of the day. It was my first chance to try out the Rockler honing guide and diamond honing stone I bought from Lowe's. The stone only had one side, fine, so I ended up using various grades of sandpaper to deal with the rough shape of some of my chisels. What was surprising was the inconsistent results between the chisels I worked on.

Hand tool Wood Tool Metalworking hand tool Scratch awl


Two were plastic handled, very inexpensive chisels, one half-inch, the other with a 1-inch blade. Both of these had damaged ends, so a metal file was used to file the end flat. The wider chisel came out pretty sharp. The half-inch chisel appeared to be sharp, but no matter what I did I couldn't get it as sharp as its bigger brother. Here is the half-inch:

Wood Hardwood Metal Wood stain Varnish


The 1/2" was the experimental first, the least valuable and therefore expendable if I really messed it up. When I decided I couldn't get any better edge, I took a piece of milled pallet wood and did some practicing on it. Here is a close-up of what I accomplished with the chisel. The dimension of the cutout is approximately one inch square. Bear in mind I haven't done free-hand chisel work like this in quite a few years. A rubber mallet was used only to cut the ledges from above:

Wood Wood stain Flooring Hardwood Natural material


The Bench Saw
I decided to make a zero-clearance insert for the Delta 36-510 Type 2 10" Bench Saw using a 1/2" thick milled piece of pallet wood. Because the metal insert is very thin and sits upon ledges close to the surface of the cast top, the contact points were going to have to be routed out of the 1/2" thick blank. I used a 1/4" shank trim router: freehand except for the wide edge on the motor side.

The messy part was finding a way to get enough material removed where the highest point of the blade touched the insert so it would sit flush with the table top before I turned on the saw. I didn't have a smaller blade that would fit, so I hand routed from the underside, progressively going deeper as I came to the apex of contact. Then I ran a narrow board front to back over the insert and clamped it to the saw top. I powered up and ran the blade through both the insert and clamped piece.

Wood Composite material Window Flooring Gas


The insert is usable, but not finished. The screws used to mount the steel insert won't work with the new wood insert. Instead, they are screwed into the top and will be used as height adjustment for the insert after I fasten magnetic strips to the underside of the insert where the screws are:

Wood Musical instrument Wood stain Hardwood Flooring


There is a little wiggle room along the length of the insert, so I think once the magnetic strips are attached, if it still moves around I will paint the edges and underside to make up the difference.

The last accomplishment was the fastening of a wood rail to the fence. Again, using a cut to length 1/2" piece of milled pallet wood, I used sheet rock screws to attach it to the metal fence. The reason for this was the fence was not straight and being that it's rectangular tubing there isn't any way to straighten it out. I applied paste wax to the top of the insert and the rail facing and bottom edges.

Tomorrow, I mark and cut out a hole in the saw body to accept the 2-1/2" dust extraction port, then attach the port using a gasket to get a tight seal. Just in time was today's delivery of the 10' hose. So I guess tomorrow I will be assembling and using my Dust Deputy setup.
You are a man on a mission :)
 

Attachments

#115 ·
Zero Clearance Insert, Hard Wood Fence Rail, Chisel Sharpening

My day started at 4:30 am, way too early for getting to bed shortly before midnight. I blame this flu I can't get rid of and a lot of heavy dreaming. And yet, I had one of the most productive days in the past week. Most of the afternoon was spent sharpening chisels, mounting a wood fence rail and creating a zero-clearance insert for the Delta 36-510 Bench Saw. Here are some pics of what I accomplished.

The Chisels
The chisel sharpening took up a good portion of the day. It was my first chance to try out the Rockler honing guide and diamond honing stone I bought from Lowe's. The stone only had one side, fine, so I ended up using various grades of sandpaper to deal with the rough shape of some of my chisels. What was surprising was the inconsistent results between the chisels I worked on.

Hand tool Wood Tool Metalworking hand tool Scratch awl


Two were plastic handled, very inexpensive chisels, one half-inch, the other with a 1-inch blade. Both of these had damaged ends, so a metal file was used to file the end flat. The wider chisel came out pretty sharp. The half-inch chisel appeared to be sharp, but no matter what I did I couldn't get it as sharp as its bigger brother. Here is the half-inch:

Wood Hardwood Metal Wood stain Varnish


The 1/2" was the experimental first, the least valuable and therefore expendable if I really messed it up. When I decided I couldn't get any better edge, I took a piece of milled pallet wood and did some practicing on it. Here is a close-up of what I accomplished with the chisel. The dimension of the cutout is approximately one inch square. Bear in mind I haven't done free-hand chisel work like this in quite a few years. A rubber mallet was used only to cut the ledges from above:

Wood Wood stain Flooring Hardwood Natural material


The Bench Saw
I decided to make a zero-clearance insert for the Delta 36-510 Type 2 10" Bench Saw using a 1/2" thick milled piece of pallet wood. Because the metal insert is very thin and sits upon ledges close to the surface of the cast top, the contact points were going to have to be routed out of the 1/2" thick blank. I used a 1/4" shank trim router: freehand except for the wide edge on the motor side.

The messy part was finding a way to get enough material removed where the highest point of the blade touched the insert so it would sit flush with the table top before I turned on the saw. I didn't have a smaller blade that would fit, so I hand routed from the underside, progressively going deeper as I came to the apex of contact. Then I ran a narrow board front to back over the insert and clamped it to the saw top. I powered up and ran the blade through both the insert and clamped piece.

Wood Composite material Window Flooring Gas


The insert is usable, but not finished. The screws used to mount the steel insert won't work with the new wood insert. Instead, they are screwed into the top and will be used as height adjustment for the insert after I fasten magnetic strips to the underside of the insert where the screws are:

Wood Musical instrument Wood stain Hardwood Flooring


There is a little wiggle room along the length of the insert, so I think once the magnetic strips are attached, if it still moves around I will paint the edges and underside to make up the difference.

The last accomplishment was the fastening of a wood rail to the fence. Again, using a cut to length 1/2" piece of milled pallet wood, I used sheet rock screws to attach it to the metal fence. The reason for this was the fence was not straight and being that it's rectangular tubing there isn't any way to straighten it out. I applied paste wax to the top of the insert and the rail facing and bottom edges.

Tomorrow, I mark and cut out a hole in the saw body to accept the 2-1/2" dust extraction port, then attach the port using a gasket to get a tight seal. Just in time was today's delivery of the 10' hose. So I guess tomorrow I will be assembling and using my Dust Deputy setup.
You are a man on a mission :)

- luv2learn
Thanks. Yeah, a mission alright. Sometimes, I get shot down on the way to my own funeral. ;)
 

Attachments

#117 ·
Delta Bench Saw Bearing Woes

After all the time I have put into refurbishing this saw, after all the gross and fine adjustments made, at the end of it all the saw is unusable. How bad is it? A 90 degree miter cut of a 1/2" thick piece of hardwood only a few inches deep leaves at least one stepped kerf in cut and on both axis the cut is not square. You can smell wood burning and see the practically new blade struggle to get through the cut. A rip cut leaves sporadically located kerf marks along the cut edges on both side. Even light burn marks. The blade is squared to the miter slot to within a 1/32" at the back and as close as possible with a cast aluminum top for 90 degrees vertical true. The fence face is square to the top and blade, plus I measure front and back of the blade to the fence before ripping. It also sounds rough through my ear protection when cutting.

Before buying the saw I wiggled the installed blade to check for bearing wear. I thought there was a little too much play. The long country roads drive made me antsy to buy the thing. A new armature bearing is about $30.00, by the time you add the shipping. Is the saw worth it? Probably not.

I couldn't care less about the $25.00 investment in the saw. It's the time I have spent refurbishing the saw that has me torqued. For now, it's a put-away for a future time when I have the shop up and some time to kill dismantling the motor carriage and motor. And here I am a month later with the base unfinished and the Skilsaw table saw my 'catch-22' choice. Not a happy camper.
 
#122 ·
Dust Collection Finally Up and Running!

A couple of weeks ago I ordered a 2-1/2" universal port that I had hoped to use on the backside of the Delta 36-510 Bench Saw. With that beast being parked indefinitely due to a bad armature bearing, I can now use it for it's original intent: a dust collection port for the yet-to-be-finished base for the Skilsaw 3410-02 that I started over a month ago. Along with the port I ordered a 10' length of wire reinforced 2-1/2" dust collection hose. The hose was suppose to be the input and output hose to the Dust Deputy Cyclone I had mounted on a 5 gal. bucket. It would connect to either the 6 peak h.p. 16 gal. Sears Wet/Dry Vac or the smaller, more compact and newly acquired Shop Vac that fits on a dolly I made for this purpose. The latter can accept a finer particle bag and already uses a HEPA filter inside. The Sears is too old and wasn't designed for either.

All of this should have worked. It didn't .The ordered hose has a much larger internal diameter than the widest outer diameter on the Dust Deputy's ports. A call to Rockler tech support ended up lasting over 30 minutes and ended with my thanks and a no thanks to a cob-job solution that would have cost me as must as the hose did. The answer, ironically, came from our local Lowe's in the form of a new Shop Vac hose and extension set. The two cost more than the other hose, but they solved the connectivity problem with the Dust Deputy, and the extension pack allowed for the connection of the two hoses together as well as giving a connection point for the Rockler hose and some of my equipment. In effect, I really didn't need the reinforced Rocker hose. At least I can still use it in my setup. Here you can see the finished collection system with the extension tube connecting the new Shop Vac hose with the old Sears hose and its associated vacuuming accessory:

Vacuum cleaner Fluid Gas Automotive tire Kettlebell


Before taking this picture I used it to vacuum up the fine broken up concrete particles. I tried this once before with my previous attempt at making my own dust collector using PVC ends. No smell of concrete or dungeon this time around. After a few minutes I did start to feel a scratchiness in the throat, which is still bothering me right now. I can't say that I am surprised, and I am only slightly disappointed. The system was designed for sawdust collection, not concrete dust. The floor has to be cleaned before I can setup down there. As efficient as this system is I am fine with needing to wear a mask whenever I do the floor.

The second picture shows how much pallet wood I have to put away before I can bring down the 3'x6' bench from the second floor back room. The good news is that I was successful in relocating the 13 cu. ft. chest freezer to another wall and that will give me that side of the coal bin area to build a lumber rack. You can also see why I need to build the base for the Skilsaw. A very convenient foldable base for on-site use. Terrible for indoor use.

Wood Table Flooring Floor House
 

Attachments

#123 ·
Dust Collection Finally Up and Running!

A couple of weeks ago I ordered a 2-1/2" universal port that I had hoped to use on the backside of the Delta 36-510 Bench Saw. With that beast being parked indefinitely due to a bad armature bearing, I can now use it for it's original intent: a dust collection port for the yet-to-be-finished base for the Skilsaw 3410-02 that I started over a month ago. Along with the port I ordered a 10' length of wire reinforced 2-1/2" dust collection hose. The hose was suppose to be the input and output hose to the Dust Deputy Cyclone I had mounted on a 5 gal. bucket. It would connect to either the 6 peak h.p. 16 gal. Sears Wet/Dry Vac or the smaller, more compact and newly acquired Shop Vac that fits on a dolly I made for this purpose. The latter can accept a finer particle bag and already uses a HEPA filter inside. The Sears is too old and wasn't designed for either.

All of this should have worked. It didn't .The ordered hose has a much larger internal diameter than the widest outer diameter on the Dust Deputy's ports. A call to Rockler tech support ended up lasting over 30 minutes and ended with my thanks and a no thanks to a cob-job solution that would have cost me as must as the hose did. The answer, ironically, came from our local Lowe's in the form of a new Shop Vac hose and extension set. The two cost more than the other hose, but they solved the connectivity problem with the Dust Deputy, and the extension pack allowed for the connection of the two hoses together as well as giving a connection point for the Rockler hose and some of my equipment. In effect, I really didn't need the reinforced Rocker hose. At least I can still use it in my setup. Here you can see the finished collection system with the extension tube connecting the new Shop Vac hose with the old Sears hose and its associated vacuuming accessory:

Vacuum cleaner Fluid Gas Automotive tire Kettlebell


Before taking this picture I used it to vacuum up the fine broken up concrete particles. I tried this once before with my previous attempt at making my own dust collector using PVC ends. No smell of concrete or dungeon this time around. After a few minutes I did start to feel a scratchiness in the throat, which is still bothering me right now. I can't say that I am surprised, and I am only slightly disappointed. The system was designed for sawdust collection, not concrete dust. The floor has to be cleaned before I can setup down there. As efficient as this system is I am fine with needing to wear a mask whenever I do the floor.

The second picture shows how much pallet wood I have to put away before I can bring down the 3'x6' bench from the second floor back room. The good news is that I was successful in relocating the 13 cu. ft. chest freezer to another wall and that will give me that side of the coal bin area to build a lumber rack. You can also see why I need to build the base for the Skilsaw. A very convenient foldable base for on-site use. Terrible for indoor use.

Wood Table Flooring Floor House
Looks good, other than the fact that I use PVC to connect my shop vac to my dust deputy and I use a 3 gallon bucket (needed a lower bucket to be able to tuck all this under my stairs) it is the exact same thing I use. As long as I remember to empty the bucket it works great for keeping saw dust and planer chips off the floor.
 

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#129 ·
Dungeon Gets A Lumber Rack

A couple of days ago I started on a wall-mounted lumber rack in the dungeon. At that time I had barely enough room to get around the Black and Decker Power Mate and various stuff laying around, including the destructed pallet wood I had in various piles on the floor. Here is what my workspace looked like while I was constructing the rack:

Flooring Floor Wood Musical instrument Electrical wiring


Table Wood Desk Workbench Tool


Wood Yellow Tool Flooring Hardwood


Shipping box Wood Luggage and bags Gas Box


Yellow Wood Gas House Flooring


Electrical wiring Gas Audio equipment Technology Electronic device


Because of the limited space, I didn't want to use the miter saw in this project. This past summer I bought a Stanley FatMax cross-cut hand saw, the perfect solution in this project:

Wood Bumper Motor vehicle Gas Automotive exterior


The brownish-red coloring on the tip of the blade is reflective of the camera's flash and dungeon lighting. Even after all the cutting, the blade is shiny and pitch-black from tip to handle. You can see how aggressive the teeth are on this saw. I'm sure I could prune trees with it. If you are in need of an aggressive saw that will cut straight and easy through any kind of wood, this would be a good recommendation.

Here is the finished lumber rack, along with close-ups of the arms and braces. It's in a good location. The support posts ruin the space for much of anything other than storage:

Wood Composite material Gas Hardwood Wood stain


Wood Stairs Hardwood Wood stain Gas


I came up with specific dimensions for this project, like the length of the arms are 16" and the braces are all patterned after the first one installed. Different thicknesses and even kinds of wood were used, so I compensated as required:

Wood Hardwood Wood stain Plank Lumber


And here is the rack loaded with the wood I had piled on the floor:

Wood Hardwood Beam Composite material Lumber


Getting the lumber off the floor and pushing some things to the sides, you can see I have a lot more space to work with now. This is only the start. Once I get the bicycle shop end organized, the dungeon will be a multi-purpose shop for all my interests and needs:

Tire Flooring Floor Automotive tire Wood


Wood Flooring Floor Hardwood Gas


Conclusion:
I spent a lot more time in making this rack than I had planned for. The constant search for materials and tools needed always eats up a lot of time. Once I found everything, it was a matter of finding the right dimensions from the wood pile, measuring what I needed, clamping the stock to the top of the Power Mate and sawing as straight as possible, then dry fitting with two levels before tacking with the nail gun. Once tacked, I drilled pilot holes and fastened with the appropriate screws. Leveling added extra time and effort because most of the time I had to drill the minimum amount of holes to allow alignment, fasten, then drill the rest and finish fastening. Unfortunately, I only have one portable drill heavy enough for this kind of work, so I had to switch between drill and screw bit every time. The Kobalt Speedbit set was some help, but they are so flimsy I ended up breaking the bit midway into the project, and the quick-change unit added so much length to the business end that it made it difficult to get in between the wall studs. I eventually gave up on the system and resorted to changing bits as needed. My next new tool purchase will be for another portable drill.
 

Attachments

#130 ·
Dungeon Gets A Lumber Rack

A couple of days ago I started on a wall-mounted lumber rack in the dungeon. At that time I had barely enough room to get around the Black and Decker Power Mate and various stuff laying around, including the destructed pallet wood I had in various piles on the floor. Here is what my workspace looked like while I was constructing the rack:

Flooring Floor Wood Musical instrument Electrical wiring


Table Wood Desk Workbench Tool


Wood Yellow Tool Flooring Hardwood


Shipping box Wood Luggage and bags Gas Box


Yellow Wood Gas House Flooring


Electrical wiring Gas Audio equipment Technology Electronic device


Because of the limited space, I didn't want to use the miter saw in this project. This past summer I bought a Stanley FatMax cross-cut hand saw, the perfect solution in this project:

Wood Bumper Motor vehicle Gas Automotive exterior


The brownish-red coloring on the tip of the blade is reflective of the camera's flash and dungeon lighting. Even after all the cutting, the blade is shiny and pitch-black from tip to handle. You can see how aggressive the teeth are on this saw. I'm sure I could prune trees with it. If you are in need of an aggressive saw that will cut straight and easy through any kind of wood, this would be a good recommendation.

Here is the finished lumber rack, along with close-ups of the arms and braces. It's in a good location. The support posts ruin the space for much of anything other than storage:

Wood Composite material Gas Hardwood Wood stain


Wood Stairs Hardwood Wood stain Gas


I came up with specific dimensions for this project, like the length of the arms are 16" and the braces are all patterned after the first one installed. Different thicknesses and even kinds of wood were used, so I compensated as required:

Wood Hardwood Wood stain Plank Lumber


And here is the rack loaded with the wood I had piled on the floor:

Wood Hardwood Beam Composite material Lumber


Getting the lumber off the floor and pushing some things to the sides, you can see I have a lot more space to work with now. This is only the start. Once I get the bicycle shop end organized, the dungeon will be a multi-purpose shop for all my interests and needs:

Tire Flooring Floor Automotive tire Wood


Wood Flooring Floor Hardwood Gas


Conclusion:
I spent a lot more time in making this rack than I had planned for. The constant search for materials and tools needed always eats up a lot of time. Once I found everything, it was a matter of finding the right dimensions from the wood pile, measuring what I needed, clamping the stock to the top of the Power Mate and sawing as straight as possible, then dry fitting with two levels before tacking with the nail gun. Once tacked, I drilled pilot holes and fastened with the appropriate screws. Leveling added extra time and effort because most of the time I had to drill the minimum amount of holes to allow alignment, fasten, then drill the rest and finish fastening. Unfortunately, I only have one portable drill heavy enough for this kind of work, so I had to switch between drill and screw bit every time. The Kobalt Speedbit set was some help, but they are so flimsy I ended up breaking the bit midway into the project, and the quick-change unit added so much length to the business end that it made it difficult to get in between the wall studs. I eventually gave up on the system and resorted to changing bits as needed. My next new tool purchase will be for another portable drill.
Wow Paul, what an improvement. Organization always takes time up front but saves time in the long term. Great job.
 

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#136 ·
Upcycling Old Furniture for the Dungeon

I have been making one heck of a mess in the dungeon, lately. Seriously. But it's a necessary mess, because I am slowly upcycling two pieces of old, beat-up furniture that had been in the dungeon for well over a decade into workbenches that will never win a beauty contest, but will surely be stout workhorses until their final day. I can only show you the one I am working on right now. The other one needs a new top. That will have to wait until this one is finished and I can store all the clutter into the many drawers.

This first picture is of the space the upcycled bureau will go into. It used to be in front of the old oil tank:

Brown Wood Wood stain Brick Brickwork


After a couple of hours of chiseling off the cracked and peeling veneer from its top, this is what it looks like:

Wood Rectangle Wood stain Hardwood Plank


Some of the veneer was still tight to the top and needed to be chiseled and pried with some damage to the underlying wood inevitable. You can see the glue was tenacious enough in some spots that all I could do was sand it smooth and let it be:

Brown Wood Rectangle Wood stain Table


Another view of the top after being sanded with 120 grit with the belt sander:

Table Cabinetry Drawer Desk Rectangle


I applied Vinyl Wood Patch to the damaged areas. The stuff I had on hand was old. By the time I got to the end closest to the camera is was drying and difficult to spread:

Wood Rectangle Table Hardwood Natural material


A couple of hours later I took the belt sander to the top, starting with 40 grit and ending with 120 grit. After a thorough wipe down with denatured alcohol I liberally applied a lemon oil for furniture restorative to the top. I wasn't sure at first if I wanted to add a lip around the back and sides. Inevitably things get shoved over the back and side edge and are forever lost. I took two long 3-1/2" wide pallet slats that I have milled down to 5/8" with the thickness planer and formed a 1" high border around the two sides and back. I applied the lemon oil to these as well. The new bench fits perfectly in the space I made for it:

Cabinetry Table Furniture Drawer Desk


Tomorrow I will work on the drawers, cleaning each one up and making sure the drawer runners are working. I'm pretty sure I am missing the bottom drawer and one of the top smaller ones. I can make replacements later on. The goal is to get the shop placed and organized in as soon as possible to make the Christmas gifts I have in mind.
 

Attachments

#137 ·
Upcycling Old Furniture for the Dungeon

I have been making one heck of a mess in the dungeon, lately. Seriously. But it's a necessary mess, because I am slowly upcycling two pieces of old, beat-up furniture that had been in the dungeon for well over a decade into workbenches that will never win a beauty contest, but will surely be stout workhorses until their final day. I can only show you the one I am working on right now. The other one needs a new top. That will have to wait until this one is finished and I can store all the clutter into the many drawers.

This first picture is of the space the upcycled bureau will go into. It used to be in front of the old oil tank:

Brown Wood Wood stain Brick Brickwork


After a couple of hours of chiseling off the cracked and peeling veneer from its top, this is what it looks like:

Wood Rectangle Wood stain Hardwood Plank


Some of the veneer was still tight to the top and needed to be chiseled and pried with some damage to the underlying wood inevitable. You can see the glue was tenacious enough in some spots that all I could do was sand it smooth and let it be:

Brown Wood Rectangle Wood stain Table


Another view of the top after being sanded with 120 grit with the belt sander:

Table Cabinetry Drawer Desk Rectangle


I applied Vinyl Wood Patch to the damaged areas. The stuff I had on hand was old. By the time I got to the end closest to the camera is was drying and difficult to spread:

Wood Rectangle Table Hardwood Natural material


A couple of hours later I took the belt sander to the top, starting with 40 grit and ending with 120 grit. After a thorough wipe down with denatured alcohol I liberally applied a lemon oil for furniture restorative to the top. I wasn't sure at first if I wanted to add a lip around the back and sides. Inevitably things get shoved over the back and side edge and are forever lost. I took two long 3-1/2" wide pallet slats that I have milled down to 5/8" with the thickness planer and formed a 1" high border around the two sides and back. I applied the lemon oil to these as well. The new bench fits perfectly in the space I made for it:

Cabinetry Table Furniture Drawer Desk


Tomorrow I will work on the drawers, cleaning each one up and making sure the drawer runners are working. I'm pretty sure I am missing the bottom drawer and one of the top smaller ones. I can make replacements later on. The goal is to get the shop placed and organized in as soon as possible to make the Christmas gifts I have in mind.
You are demonstrating a trait most Lumberjocks that I know have and that is frugality. Nice save on the dresser.
 

Attachments

#139 ·
Finished Bureau-Turned-Bench And Organizing

This afternoon I finished up the bureau-turned-bench (sans door knobs I will put on tomorrow) and did some organizing after moving a large free standing shelf unit up against the old oil tank.

Here is the new bench with band saw and drill press in place. I ran a generous wipe of lemon oil all over the dark veneer to try and bring some oil into the old wood. It darkened up nicely while the rag did a fair job of cleaning up grime and debris.

I mounted a power strip on the wall behind the bench. A short heavy duty extension cord will be custom made to connect it to the overhead outlet that I put in years ago.

Cabinetry Drawer Wood Desk Chest of drawers


This large and deep shelf unit is made of pine boards with an OSB backing. I've had it for decades, though I can't remember where it came from. A generous application of lemon oil was applied to the pine.

Wood Automotive tire Electrical wiring Gas Machine


Tomorrow I will fill up the drawers and shelves, hopefully getting rid of all the clutter I brought down into the dungeon. In the moving around I took out two metal cabinets that never had proper tops put on and junk cabinet that is going to the landfill. I think I will make tops for the metal cabinets and find a use for them on the bike shop end of the dungeon.
 

Attachments

#140 ·
Finished Bureau-Turned-Bench And Organizing

This afternoon I finished up the bureau-turned-bench (sans door knobs I will put on tomorrow) and did some organizing after moving a large free standing shelf unit up against the old oil tank.

Here is the new bench with band saw and drill press in place. I ran a generous wipe of lemon oil all over the dark veneer to try and bring some oil into the old wood. It darkened up nicely while the rag did a fair job of cleaning up grime and debris.

I mounted a power strip on the wall behind the bench. A short heavy duty extension cord will be custom made to connect it to the overhead outlet that I put in years ago.

Cabinetry Drawer Wood Desk Chest of drawers


This large and deep shelf unit is made of pine boards with an OSB backing. I've had it for decades, though I can't remember where it came from. A generous application of lemon oil was applied to the pine.

Wood Automotive tire Electrical wiring Gas Machine


Tomorrow I will fill up the drawers and shelves, hopefully getting rid of all the clutter I brought down into the dungeon. In the moving around I took out two metal cabinets that never had proper tops put on and junk cabinet that is going to the landfill. I think I will make tops for the metal cabinets and find a use for them on the bike shop end of the dungeon.
Awesome save on that dresser. It looks like you found the missing drawers.
 

Attachments

#146 ·
Wall Mounted Floor Saving Workbench

This is what I was thinking of to go up against the field stone walls around the dungeon walls.

Wood Textile Table Floor Flooring


http://www.familyhandyman.com/workshop/workbench/wood-work-bench/print

The tall back ends would have to be screwed (bolted?) to the overhead beams for support since there isn't any way to actually attach to the field stone. Maybe I will need to add short, sturdy feet extending out onto the floor space for additional support. Thick mil. plastic sheets between the wood and wall would keep the moisture from rotting the wood. All I need are more pallets.
 

Attachments

#147 ·
Wall Mounted Floor Saving Workbench

This is what I was thinking of to go up against the field stone walls around the dungeon walls.

Wood Textile Table Floor Flooring


http://www.familyhandyman.com/workshop/workbench/wood-work-bench/print

The tall back ends would have to be screwed (bolted?) to the overhead beams for support since there isn't any way to actually attach to the field stone. Maybe I will need to add short, sturdy feet extending out onto the floor space for additional support. Thick mil. plastic sheets between the wood and wall would keep the moisture from rotting the wood. All I need are more pallets.
Good idea Paul. I like your idea of adding some short feet to the bottom. Perhaps you could build an additional shelf on top of them, then you would have three shelves rather than the two shown in the picture.
 

Attachments

#151 ·
The Ghost of Delta Present

Okay, so I couldn't leave it alone. Sue me.

It all started when I brought down to the dungeon the multi-purpose base I originally made for the router table, then added mounts to for the Delta 36-510 table saw I bought used earlier this year. I decided with a little bit of room to move around down there I would once again see if the arbor bearing was really as bad I as had thought before. For testing I mounted a spare Skilsaw 10" 28T combination blade. I made no adjustments to the vertical blade angle or the alignment of the blade to the miter slots from the last time I used it. I grabbed a small 4" wide pallet slat that had a decent straight edge to make my first cut.

As before, I saw a lot of burning in the cuts I made. I wondered if I was feeding too slow and the board was bouncing into and off the fence as I was feeding. Speeding up the feed rate got rid of that problem, however another problem surfaced, now that the cut was clean. The blade was sniping the last 1/4" of the board as it exited from between it and the fence. A few attempts with more pressure from the oversized thin push block didn't help. I decided to cleanup and mount the riving knife/blade guard assembly. The riving knife might be able to keep the the inside board from running into the rear of the blade. And it worked. Here is what the saw now looks like with the combination riving knife and blade guard assembly mounted.

Wood Gas Composite material Engineering Machine


Wood Composite material Gas Engineering Machine


I set the miter jig to 90 degrees and trimmed off the bad edges, now that I have two parallel cut edges. The ends came out dead on after several tweaks of the miter angel using a small square. Here is what the board looked like after all cuts were made.

Wood Rectangle Flooring Wood stain Floor


Here is a cross-cut end.

Wood Rectangle Wood stain Hardwood Flooring


The closer edge of the rip cut.

Wood Tints and shades Gas Hardwood Automotive exterior


And the rear most edge of the rip.

Wood Wood stain Flooring Floor Hardwood


It's unfortunate that my camera (and skill level) can't show what my eyes can see. For what can be seen in these photos, do you think the cut quality is accurate enough for non-cabinetry type construction? I'm speaking of better than contractor quality work, but not where the tolerances are measured in thousands.
 

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