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64K views 123 replies 36 participants last post by  Dave10 
#1 ·
Finally a Space of My Own

We finally got our basement a bit more organized and painted, thus giving me a space that I can actually call a workshop. The two photos below show the area I'm working in.

Wood Floor Flooring Engineering Toolroom


The oil tank is a feature because I can put drawings or notes on it with magnets. They don't blow away of get lost as fast.

Furniture Wood Interior design Table Floor


The workbench is one of the first things I knocked together after we bought the house. Someday I'll probably rework it with better legs and lower it a few inches.

Wood Gas Publication Shelving Flooring


The 'ell' part of my shop leads past the laundry (with a shop sink-yay!) I opened up the wall, removing much of the wallboard I installed 15 years ago to create racks for long and short cut offs. Dowels are kept further along.

Shortcomings in the shop are lack of really good lighting in a few spots and lack of a dedicated circuit for electricity. I only use one tool at a time, but the lights blink when I turn on the old TS.
 

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#2 ·
Finally a Space of My Own

We finally got our basement a bit more organized and painted, thus giving me a space that I can actually call a workshop. The two photos below show the area I'm working in.

Wood Floor Flooring Engineering Toolroom


The oil tank is a feature because I can put drawings or notes on it with magnets. They don't blow away of get lost as fast.

Furniture Wood Interior design Table Floor


The workbench is one of the first things I knocked together after we bought the house. Someday I'll probably rework it with better legs and lower it a few inches.

Wood Gas Publication Shelving Flooring


The 'ell' part of my shop leads past the laundry (with a shop sink-yay!) I opened up the wall, removing much of the wallboard I installed 15 years ago to create racks for long and short cut offs. Dowels are kept further along.

Shortcomings in the shop are lack of really good lighting in a few spots and lack of a dedicated circuit for electricity. I only use one tool at a time, but the lights blink when I turn on the old TS.
Looks like a nice place to work in. Great job!

AJ
 

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#3 ·
Finally a Space of My Own

We finally got our basement a bit more organized and painted, thus giving me a space that I can actually call a workshop. The two photos below show the area I'm working in.

Wood Floor Flooring Engineering Toolroom


The oil tank is a feature because I can put drawings or notes on it with magnets. They don't blow away of get lost as fast.

Furniture Wood Interior design Table Floor


The workbench is one of the first things I knocked together after we bought the house. Someday I'll probably rework it with better legs and lower it a few inches.

Wood Gas Publication Shelving Flooring


The 'ell' part of my shop leads past the laundry (with a shop sink-yay!) I opened up the wall, removing much of the wallboard I installed 15 years ago to create racks for long and short cut offs. Dowels are kept further along.

Shortcomings in the shop are lack of really good lighting in a few spots and lack of a dedicated circuit for electricity. I only use one tool at a time, but the lights blink when I turn on the old TS.
Any space is better then no space Dave
 

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#4 ·
The Disappearing Clamp Rack

Wood Shelving Floor Flooring Hardwood


Wall space is a premium in my shop because of the multiple uses of the space. When I started thinking about making clamps I knew I would need a place to store them. I devised a way to put a clamp rack in front of my scrap stick area and hinge it so that it could be pulled up to the ceiling when I didn't need to access my longer clamps. It's raised with two pullies with the rope held taught with an old window sash weight. A clip hooks onto a screw eye at the bottom of the rack, enabling me to unhook the rope to let the rack hang for use. The rack is held to the ceiling by a hinged hook which mush be pushed back to lower the rack. It's the best system I could devise even though I know it's not perfect. Eh, it works for me.

Wood Hardwood Ladder Building Plywood


Ladder Wood Building Floor Engineering


Wood Building Beam Flooring Door


Wood Shelving Ladder Floor Flooring


Property Wood Beam Wood stain Composite material
 

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#5 ·
The Disappearing Clamp Rack

Wood Shelving Floor Flooring Hardwood


Wall space is a premium in my shop because of the multiple uses of the space. When I started thinking about making clamps I knew I would need a place to store them. I devised a way to put a clamp rack in front of my scrap stick area and hinge it so that it could be pulled up to the ceiling when I didn't need to access my longer clamps. It's raised with two pullies with the rope held taught with an old window sash weight. A clip hooks onto a screw eye at the bottom of the rack, enabling me to unhook the rope to let the rack hang for use. The rack is held to the ceiling by a hinged hook which mush be pushed back to lower the rack. It's the best system I could devise even though I know it's not perfect. Eh, it works for me.

Wood Hardwood Ladder Building Plywood


Ladder Wood Building Floor Engineering


Wood Building Beam Flooring Door


Wood Shelving Ladder Floor Flooring


Property Wood Beam Wood stain Composite material
Great space saving idea!
 

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#9 ·
My Power Tools

I thought I'd put up photos of my three bench top power tools.

First up is my band saw:

Gas Machine Household appliance accessory Engineering Room


This band saw was the second tool i bought (around last Christmas.) While I get along with it and I like it, I'll admit that out of the box it gave me some trouble. The blade kept slowing down, grinding to a stop. I fixed that problem by changing the pulley on which the drive belt ran. It's a two speed pulley, but one doesn't work very well. Also, after I broke the blade that came with the saw, a replacement blade of the same tooth spacing, but not from Skil cuts much smoother. Right now it lives on a table in a corner. I can use it there for small jobs, but for larger pieces I carry it out and put it on a table I've got. In the future I'll make a rolling stand for it with storage drawers.

If I had to complain about this band saw, I'd say the table has a design flaw. Its fluted, but sometimes the piece you're cutting catches a piece of scrap and gets caught in the fluting.

Drill Press:

Bandsaws Drill presses Plant Drill Jig grinder


This was my most recent purchase. I bought it around March of this year. It's a nice little drill press and I like it. I made the simple table for it with a removable plug under the bit. Eventually I will probably cut the round hole square because square plugs are less trouble to make than round ones. Currently the drill press sits on a workmate bench. In the near future I'll be making a rolling stand for it with storage. This is one of my upcoming projects.

Table Saw:

Electronic instrument Musical instrument accessory Audio equipment Gas Electrical wiring


This table saw was the first major purchase I made in this adventure called woodworking. For the money I had to spend, this was the best of the choices. I haven't found much to complain about this little saw. I did cut the ears off the miter slots to make sleds easier to make.
 

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#10 ·
My Power Tools

I thought I'd put up photos of my three bench top power tools.

First up is my band saw:

Gas Machine Household appliance accessory Engineering Room


This band saw was the second tool i bought (around last Christmas.) While I get along with it and I like it, I'll admit that out of the box it gave me some trouble. The blade kept slowing down, grinding to a stop. I fixed that problem by changing the pulley on which the drive belt ran. It's a two speed pulley, but one doesn't work very well. Also, after I broke the blade that came with the saw, a replacement blade of the same tooth spacing, but not from Skil cuts much smoother. Right now it lives on a table in a corner. I can use it there for small jobs, but for larger pieces I carry it out and put it on a table I've got. In the future I'll make a rolling stand for it with storage drawers.

If I had to complain about this band saw, I'd say the table has a design flaw. Its fluted, but sometimes the piece you're cutting catches a piece of scrap and gets caught in the fluting.

Drill Press:

Bandsaws Drill presses Plant Drill Jig grinder


This was my most recent purchase. I bought it around March of this year. It's a nice little drill press and I like it. I made the simple table for it with a removable plug under the bit. Eventually I will probably cut the round hole square because square plugs are less trouble to make than round ones. Currently the drill press sits on a workmate bench. In the near future I'll be making a rolling stand for it with storage. This is one of my upcoming projects.

Table Saw:

Electronic instrument Musical instrument accessory Audio equipment Gas Electrical wiring


This table saw was the first major purchase I made in this adventure called woodworking. For the money I had to spend, this was the best of the choices. I haven't found much to complain about this little saw. I did cut the ears off the miter slots to make sleds easier to make.
Nice start vary much like how I started. Can you explain what "I did cut the ears off the miter slots" means?
The miter slots had ears?
 

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#15 ·
Drills-Keeping Things More at Hand

Cabinetry Wood Table Gas Machine


Above: A while ago I built this stand for my drill press. It's got a deep drawer and two shelves behind double doors. It got really tiring having to open the doors, bend over, and reach in to grab either my electric (corded drill,) or my handy hand drill. So today I put a thought into action. I looked up drill holders and found this really basic design to keep things at hand.

Wood Gas Automotive exterior Machine Flooring


Above: A simple chunk of 2×4 with two holes drilled into it and a little cutting and I got this great way to keep two of my most used tools at hand.

Wood Gas Machine Office equipment Wire


Above: The chuck of the drill rests in a hole just a little bigger than the chuck, and the cord is held in a hole with an access slot cut to the edge. After I mounted it, I noticed all this unused space between the two holes, so I drilled a bunch of holes, a little over a quarter inch into the space. They are not through holes, so I can put various 'in use' items in them, instead of putting them on the table where they inevitably get lost in the wood chips. My hand drill also has a handy home with two keeper holes. One will keep my countersink bit handy which is used in the hand drill about 1/2 the time.

Wood Gas Hardwood Wood stain Plywood


Above: Since I inherited an impact drill from my wife's father, I made a similar arrangement on the less accessible side of the cabinet.

Publication Shelving Wood Shelf Rectangle


Above: You might remember I had a sliding tray in the drawer of this cabinet. This idea just didn't work out. The drawer is either too shallow or two small, so I took the tray out and arranged my most used drill bits in there like on a shelf. From left to right I have: Spade bits, twist drills, bradpoint bits, one of those combo quick change sets, and my Forstner bits. The other cases are inherited from my dad and have extra bits that I had. (Ideally I'll check them before I go buy anything.)

Wood Drawer Cabinetry Shelving Chair


Above: So now I have an empty shelf and a space-wasting plastic drawer set on the bottom shelf. I'm going to use these spaces by installing sliding shelves to hold other drill oriented paraphernalia like drum sanders, hole saws and the like.

Milling Cabinetry Saw Plant Wood


Above: With my stand in it's usual home, you can see that my most used drills are open and the impact drill is a little less accessible, but sill available.

Below: So, this 'project' today has yielded a few nice hole saw plugs. Candy, any idea what I should SAVE these for?

Wood Hardwood Plywood Wood stain Room
 

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#16 ·
Drills-Keeping Things More at Hand

Cabinetry Wood Table Gas Machine


Above: A while ago I built this stand for my drill press. It's got a deep drawer and two shelves behind double doors. It got really tiring having to open the doors, bend over, and reach in to grab either my electric (corded drill,) or my handy hand drill. So today I put a thought into action. I looked up drill holders and found this really basic design to keep things at hand.

Wood Gas Automotive exterior Machine Flooring


Above: A simple chunk of 2×4 with two holes drilled into it and a little cutting and I got this great way to keep two of my most used tools at hand.

Wood Gas Machine Office equipment Wire


Above: The chuck of the drill rests in a hole just a little bigger than the chuck, and the cord is held in a hole with an access slot cut to the edge. After I mounted it, I noticed all this unused space between the two holes, so I drilled a bunch of holes, a little over a quarter inch into the space. They are not through holes, so I can put various 'in use' items in them, instead of putting them on the table where they inevitably get lost in the wood chips. My hand drill also has a handy home with two keeper holes. One will keep my countersink bit handy which is used in the hand drill about 1/2 the time.

Wood Gas Hardwood Wood stain Plywood


Above: Since I inherited an impact drill from my wife's father, I made a similar arrangement on the less accessible side of the cabinet.

Publication Shelving Wood Shelf Rectangle


Above: You might remember I had a sliding tray in the drawer of this cabinet. This idea just didn't work out. The drawer is either too shallow or two small, so I took the tray out and arranged my most used drill bits in there like on a shelf. From left to right I have: Spade bits, twist drills, bradpoint bits, one of those combo quick change sets, and my Forstner bits. The other cases are inherited from my dad and have extra bits that I had. (Ideally I'll check them before I go buy anything.)

Wood Drawer Cabinetry Shelving Chair


Above: So now I have an empty shelf and a space-wasting plastic drawer set on the bottom shelf. I'm going to use these spaces by installing sliding shelves to hold other drill oriented paraphernalia like drum sanders, hole saws and the like.

Milling Cabinetry Saw Plant Wood


Above: With my stand in it's usual home, you can see that my most used drills are open and the impact drill is a little less accessible, but sill available.

Below: So, this 'project' today has yielded a few nice hole saw plugs. Candy, any idea what I should SAVE these for?

Wood Hardwood Plywood Wood stain Room
Always good to make things handier, Dave. If I think of what to do with the 20 hole saw plugs I have I'll let you know!
 

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#17 ·
ZCI for My Benchtop Tablesaw

Wood Flooring Gas Hardwood Composite material


Because my table saw has one of those thin metal blade inserts, I've been thinking for quite a while how to make a zero clearance insert for my saw. I cut quite a few small or thin items and often, as might be expected, the thin cuttings fall down the slot between the insert and the blade. Only once did this actually result in something a bit startling, but I wanted to remedy the situation in any case.

At one time, I tried making a ZCI by dadoeing around a hunk of wood so that it would fit in the space. I had to hollow out in the location of the blade because on these saws the blade just barely goes below the surface of the table at its lowest position. I had to rig up a finger clamp to hold it in place, just for peace of mind, if not actually for safety's sake. Eventually that experiment broke in half, so I put my old metal insert in and continued thinking about it…

...for two years.

Last week I got an idea that might solve my problem easily and cheaply. I wasn't able to actually do it until today.

Tableware Wood Kitchen utensil Tool Rectangle


Above: I cut a piece of hardboard, the kind that is 1/8 inch thick to cover the throat of my blade insert (about 2 inches). I glued it on to the underside of the insert with hot melt glue. That way, If I need to make an angled cut, I can just snap it off 'easily'.

Wood Rectangle Gas Flooring Wood stain


Above: Then I took another strip of the hardboard that I had previously cut to fit in the throat of the insert and I glued it onto the hardboard that I glued to the underside. When it was dry, I lowered my riving knife and set the insert correct side up in its place. Because of the blade situation (read above) I had to turn on the saw and then push the blade insert down from the edge nearest to me. This is probably the only remotely dangerous part. Then I turned off the saw and brought my fence over to hold the metal insert in place. Then I turned the saw back on and raised the blade up to full height.

It didn't come flying out and hit me in the eye or anything, so I think it will be OK. If you look at the photos you'll notice that the area where the riving knife goes does not have zero clearance. This is because that area of my blade insert is on a different level and it would be difficult to put a ZCI section there. Also, I'd have to manually cut the slot for the riving knife and that would be a pain.

I used the saw this way all day today and it's still working well. It's not quite as convenient as a full ZCI, but it's better than nothing at all and not so inconvenient as I rarely make miter cuts by tilting the blade.
 

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#18 ·
ZCI for My Benchtop Tablesaw

Wood Flooring Gas Hardwood Composite material


Because my table saw has one of those thin metal blade inserts, I've been thinking for quite a while how to make a zero clearance insert for my saw. I cut quite a few small or thin items and often, as might be expected, the thin cuttings fall down the slot between the insert and the blade. Only once did this actually result in something a bit startling, but I wanted to remedy the situation in any case.

At one time, I tried making a ZCI by dadoeing around a hunk of wood so that it would fit in the space. I had to hollow out in the location of the blade because on these saws the blade just barely goes below the surface of the table at its lowest position. I had to rig up a finger clamp to hold it in place, just for peace of mind, if not actually for safety's sake. Eventually that experiment broke in half, so I put my old metal insert in and continued thinking about it…

...for two years.

Last week I got an idea that might solve my problem easily and cheaply. I wasn't able to actually do it until today.

Tableware Wood Kitchen utensil Tool Rectangle


Above: I cut a piece of hardboard, the kind that is 1/8 inch thick to cover the throat of my blade insert (about 2 inches). I glued it on to the underside of the insert with hot melt glue. That way, If I need to make an angled cut, I can just snap it off 'easily'.

Wood Rectangle Gas Flooring Wood stain


Above: Then I took another strip of the hardboard that I had previously cut to fit in the throat of the insert and I glued it onto the hardboard that I glued to the underside. When it was dry, I lowered my riving knife and set the insert correct side up in its place. Because of the blade situation (read above) I had to turn on the saw and then push the blade insert down from the edge nearest to me. This is probably the only remotely dangerous part. Then I turned off the saw and brought my fence over to hold the metal insert in place. Then I turned the saw back on and raised the blade up to full height.

It didn't come flying out and hit me in the eye or anything, so I think it will be OK. If you look at the photos you'll notice that the area where the riving knife goes does not have zero clearance. This is because that area of my blade insert is on a different level and it would be difficult to put a ZCI section there. Also, I'd have to manually cut the slot for the riving knife and that would be a pain.

I used the saw this way all day today and it's still working well. It's not quite as convenient as a full ZCI, but it's better than nothing at all and not so inconvenient as I rarely make miter cuts by tilting the blade.
I am so glad you tackled this project. Why do manufacturers make saws that we can't use with a zero clearance insert? The first manufacturer that comes up with a simple way for us to do what we need to do will get the business. Until then, I think you are on to something. I had a similar problem with the blade being too close to the zero insert I made so I put a smaller circumference blade on the saw to start the cut, then finished with the original blade. However, that experiment was with an old Craftsman with a honking thick area for the insert and not one of the thin ones. I do have two other saws I would love to use your idea on.

There is a lot of down pressure on the insert making me worry about the hot glue. Wouldn't it be great to have some small flat head bolts to countersink into the metal insert? Then the smaller hardboard insert could be thicker and attached more solidly to the metal one provided. I'd try it, but I am scared I'd mess up the original insert and ruin my saw.

Thank you. I think you're on to something. Maybe others have ideas. This is the place for them.
 

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#23 ·
Its hard when you need to share your shop space with other needs, like the family basement. Been there, done that.
Because of the dust I create, I've had to limit my woodworking space to a one car integral garage. Mrs. doesn't like saw dust in the laundry, seems the lint filter doesn't catch it all.
Your set up is pretty efficient regarding space and need to share, got just about every spare nook & cranny filled, like the paint and dowels between the joists. Nice work.
My experience with maintaining work space in the house for the shop is like your seat on the bus, once you give it up you can't get it back!
 
#25 ·
Thinking About Safety - It's Not What You Think!

Bottle Wood Automotive lighting Gas Bumper


I got two gift cards in my Christmas Loot this year. They were for two different stores, but things worked out. Lately I've been thinking as I do things around my shop. When I make sparks while grinding a bolt I wonder if they might somehow start a fire in the sawdust. I've wanted a second pair of safety glasses so I won't have to hunt down the one I set down. My ear plugs are starting to look dirty. So I took the cards and bought some safety gear for the shop. I got a small extinguisher, new glasses, earplugs, a first aid kit and a few dust masks that are a step up from the super cheap ones I've been using. I'm not planning on starting a fire, nor lopping off an apendage, but that's why they call them accidents. I just feel better having this equipment around.

Fixture Fire extinguisher Cylinder Gas Tints and shades


[Above] I made a simple way to keep the extinguisher out of the way, yet close at hand. [Below] I located it near the stairs and by the boiler (the yellow arrow points to it.) That way I'll be headed for the exit either way. I know I could just run out the back through our shed, but then I'd have to go all around the outside of the house and in the front door to get to a phone or spread the alarm. Also, if I come down the steps and notice something, it's right there. (Argh! I just put that vacuum there a minute ago! It belongs in the other side of the basement.)

Wood Floor Flooring Machine Hardwood


[Below] The first aid kit is appropriate for shop environments, though there's a few things I'll be adding to it, like an eye rinse cup. I located it in our laundry because it's near the sink. Most of the time you'll want to wash out a serious wound with water if not soap as well. We've kept bandages in the medicine cabinet in this room, but I wanted something more dedicated to the purpose, plus the kit can be quickly grabbed off the wall to take outside for gardening accidents and such. You can see I put the universal symbol of First Aid on it with red duct tape.

Rectangle Wood Material property Paint Shelving


[Below] Up until now I've made due with safety glasses, ear plugs and a dust mask hung above my table saw. I'm going to keep the new dust masks in plastic so they don't become covered with dust!

Wood Wall Electrical wiring Gas Wood stain


Again, I haven't had any close call, but when you're often wielding chisels, saws, hammers and other potentially dangerous objects, powered or not. I think it's only prudent to have a few 'safety tools' around.
 

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#26 ·
Thinking About Safety - It's Not What You Think!

Bottle Wood Automotive lighting Gas Bumper


I got two gift cards in my Christmas Loot this year. They were for two different stores, but things worked out. Lately I've been thinking as I do things around my shop. When I make sparks while grinding a bolt I wonder if they might somehow start a fire in the sawdust. I've wanted a second pair of safety glasses so I won't have to hunt down the one I set down. My ear plugs are starting to look dirty. So I took the cards and bought some safety gear for the shop. I got a small extinguisher, new glasses, earplugs, a first aid kit and a few dust masks that are a step up from the super cheap ones I've been using. I'm not planning on starting a fire, nor lopping off an apendage, but that's why they call them accidents. I just feel better having this equipment around.

Fixture Fire extinguisher Cylinder Gas Tints and shades


[Above] I made a simple way to keep the extinguisher out of the way, yet close at hand. [Below] I located it near the stairs and by the boiler (the yellow arrow points to it.) That way I'll be headed for the exit either way. I know I could just run out the back through our shed, but then I'd have to go all around the outside of the house and in the front door to get to a phone or spread the alarm. Also, if I come down the steps and notice something, it's right there. (Argh! I just put that vacuum there a minute ago! It belongs in the other side of the basement.)

Wood Floor Flooring Machine Hardwood


[Below] The first aid kit is appropriate for shop environments, though there's a few things I'll be adding to it, like an eye rinse cup. I located it in our laundry because it's near the sink. Most of the time you'll want to wash out a serious wound with water if not soap as well. We've kept bandages in the medicine cabinet in this room, but I wanted something more dedicated to the purpose, plus the kit can be quickly grabbed off the wall to take outside for gardening accidents and such. You can see I put the universal symbol of First Aid on it with red duct tape.

Rectangle Wood Material property Paint Shelving


[Below] Up until now I've made due with safety glasses, ear plugs and a dust mask hung above my table saw. I'm going to keep the new dust masks in plastic so they don't become covered with dust!

Wood Wall Electrical wiring Gas Wood stain


Again, I haven't had any close call, but when you're often wielding chisels, saws, hammers and other potentially dangerous objects, powered or not. I think it's only prudent to have a few 'safety tools' around.
A great way to spend your plastic Christmas loot!
Someone (2 people actually) cared enough to give you a gift.
The safety stuff just may help keep you around longer.
Giving them another chance to show you that they care….
That & you get even more gifts!!! ;^)
 

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#29 ·
My Table Saw Jigs

I was recently asked about the jigs I use on my Skil table saw, so I thought I'd add this blog entry about the ones I've built and use.

Wood Gas Engineering Composite material Machine


[Above and below] First up is my crosscut sled. This is the first jig I built for my table saw. It's down and dirty with no frills added, no hold down t-tracks or anything. If I need a stop block I just clamp it to the back of the jig. The red strip on either side of the blade is a 'replaceable' strip I put in after the fact. Someday I'll build a replacement for this sled, perhaps designing in that replaceable insert so that the occasional 45 degree cut won't permanently destroy the bed of this jig.

Wood Keyboard Musical instrument Wood stain Musical instrument accessory


[Below] The next pair of pictures show the 45 degree miter sled I built. If you're going to any amount of picture frame type projects this jig is one to definitely have. It saves you from resetting your miter gauge every time and you know it's already accurate.

Wood Hardwood Machine Art Machine tool


Wood Rectangle Flooring Floor Hardwood


[Below] The next two shots show my spline cutting jig. It's definitely not the best but it serves. As the second picture shows I initially built this jig to straddle the fence, but a modification made that no longer possible. (I added a length of 1/8 inch steel to the fence to straighten out a bow that developed.) The jig can still be used by simply rubbing it carefully along the fence instead.

Wood Hardwood Gas Rectangle Wood stain


Wood Gas Composite material Hardwood Machine


[Below] this is a combination taper jig/ edge straightening jig. This is definitely not one of my best efforts, but it works for 3/4 in. stock. The 3 arms can be tightened down on any board that will fit between the blade and the edge supporting the threaded posts.

Wood Gas Composite material Engineering Metal


[Below] This is a template cutting jig. I've used it once while cutting the angled pieces for my Cranky the Crane build. I haven't used it as such, but in theory it can also be used as an auxiliary fence for cutting narrow pieces.

Wood Hardwood Gas Wood stain Composite material


[Below] This is a mod I did with the miter gauge that came with the saw. The gauge stick was loose so I replaced it with a wooden runner that fits the miter slot better. If you plan on cutting a lot of the same angle and you need accurate, you're better off making a jig anyway. The miter gauge has no detents and I consider it loosy goosie.

Wood Yellow Wood stain Gas Hardwood


[Below] Lastly, this is a dedicated taper jig I built for some chairs I need to make. The jig is made to create two separate angles for the legs of the chair. [More info on this jig here.]

Product Wood Office equipment Gas Musical instrument accessory
 

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#30 ·
My Table Saw Jigs

I was recently asked about the jigs I use on my Skil table saw, so I thought I'd add this blog entry about the ones I've built and use.

Wood Gas Engineering Composite material Machine


[Above and below] First up is my crosscut sled. This is the first jig I built for my table saw. It's down and dirty with no frills added, no hold down t-tracks or anything. If I need a stop block I just clamp it to the back of the jig. The red strip on either side of the blade is a 'replaceable' strip I put in after the fact. Someday I'll build a replacement for this sled, perhaps designing in that replaceable insert so that the occasional 45 degree cut won't permanently destroy the bed of this jig.

Wood Keyboard Musical instrument Wood stain Musical instrument accessory


[Below] The next pair of pictures show the 45 degree miter sled I built. If you're going to any amount of picture frame type projects this jig is one to definitely have. It saves you from resetting your miter gauge every time and you know it's already accurate.

Wood Hardwood Machine Art Machine tool


Wood Rectangle Flooring Floor Hardwood


[Below] The next two shots show my spline cutting jig. It's definitely not the best but it serves. As the second picture shows I initially built this jig to straddle the fence, but a modification made that no longer possible. (I added a length of 1/8 inch steel to the fence to straighten out a bow that developed.) The jig can still be used by simply rubbing it carefully along the fence instead.

Wood Hardwood Gas Rectangle Wood stain


Wood Gas Composite material Hardwood Machine


[Below] this is a combination taper jig/ edge straightening jig. This is definitely not one of my best efforts, but it works for 3/4 in. stock. The 3 arms can be tightened down on any board that will fit between the blade and the edge supporting the threaded posts.

Wood Gas Composite material Engineering Metal


[Below] This is a template cutting jig. I've used it once while cutting the angled pieces for my Cranky the Crane build. I haven't used it as such, but in theory it can also be used as an auxiliary fence for cutting narrow pieces.

Wood Hardwood Gas Wood stain Composite material


[Below] This is a mod I did with the miter gauge that came with the saw. The gauge stick was loose so I replaced it with a wooden runner that fits the miter slot better. If you plan on cutting a lot of the same angle and you need accurate, you're better off making a jig anyway. The miter gauge has no detents and I consider it loosy goosie.

Wood Yellow Wood stain Gas Hardwood


[Below] Lastly, this is a dedicated taper jig I built for some chairs I need to make. The jig is made to create two separate angles for the legs of the chair. [More info on this jig here.]

Product Wood Office equipment Gas Musical instrument accessory
I think about got all the possibilities covered
 

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#32 ·
My Multipurpose Router Station

When I built the router table as an extension of my table saw I had in mind using it as more than a router station. For starters it allows me to make wider rips on my table saw, but it does a few more things and I'm not done yet.

Wood Shelf Engineering Gas Machine


[Above and below] Like others of its brethren, my router station can be used with or without the fence. I have a vacuum port set in the fence as well as one for the cabinet depending on which one I think will work best.

Wood Shelf Motor vehicle Gas Automotive exterior


[Below] The router is mounted to a wooden base plate that sits in a rectangular hole in the table. I can also take it out for changing bits or to remove it completely.

Wood Gas Engineering Machine Machine tool


Wood Shelf Engineering Machine tool Gas


[Above and Below] Before building this base, I simply clamped my belt sander to the bench to do sanding on smaller work. This base adds an advantage aside from the work surface. In the edge sanding position the vacuum from the router station takes away most of the resulting dust. When used in the flat on its back position, the dust extraction doesn't work very well.

Wood Shelf Motor vehicle Gas Publication


[Below] I also made a small disk sander from a spare drill. This one also benefits from the vacuum in the router station. Both of these sanders can be used just clamped to a work bench if I don't want to remove the sander.

Wood Shelf Gas Engineering Toolroom


I have one more thing I want to build for this station. I plan on building a scroll saw from a spare jig saw I've got laying around. I'll get to it eventually.
 

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#33 ·
My Multipurpose Router Station

When I built the router table as an extension of my table saw I had in mind using it as more than a router station. For starters it allows me to make wider rips on my table saw, but it does a few more things and I'm not done yet.

Wood Shelf Engineering Gas Machine


[Above and below] Like others of its brethren, my router station can be used with or without the fence. I have a vacuum port set in the fence as well as one for the cabinet depending on which one I think will work best.

Wood Shelf Motor vehicle Gas Automotive exterior


[Below] The router is mounted to a wooden base plate that sits in a rectangular hole in the table. I can also take it out for changing bits or to remove it completely.

Wood Gas Engineering Machine Machine tool


Wood Shelf Engineering Machine tool Gas


[Above and Below] Before building this base, I simply clamped my belt sander to the bench to do sanding on smaller work. This base adds an advantage aside from the work surface. In the edge sanding position the vacuum from the router station takes away most of the resulting dust. When used in the flat on its back position, the dust extraction doesn't work very well.

Wood Shelf Motor vehicle Gas Publication


[Below] I also made a small disk sander from a spare drill. This one also benefits from the vacuum in the router station. Both of these sanders can be used just clamped to a work bench if I don't want to remove the sander.

Wood Shelf Gas Engineering Toolroom


I have one more thing I want to build for this station. I plan on building a scroll saw from a spare jig saw I've got laying around. I'll get to it eventually.
Looks like you are pretty self contained there about your TS. You are giving me pause to rethink my router table configurement.
 

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#36 ·
Bandsaw Reset

I wanted to finally do a review of my bandsaw, so I asked the gang here what sort of things should I be testing? After receiving the replies I set out to see what my band saw would do.

No so fast there! When I know the saw is capable of re-sawing a 2×4, but when I tried raising the blade guard to do just that, it topped out at about 3 1/4. I knew this was not right.

After a few minutes I identified the problem. The upper blade guide assembly was too far forward and was hitting the metal of the saw casing. OK, I knew things were not exactly right with my saw, but I had been putting up with things for expediency.

When I was a printer in the mom and pop shop, occasionally the press I was running would just start goofing up in some way. When this happened, instead of fighting the settings all day, making myself miserable and disappointing my employer, I would usually break the set up down, I.E. move almost everything, and set up the press from scratch. The problem usually came from what I call 'setting creep'. That's where you run a press for a long time and just keep compensating for things instead of doing things the correct way.

So I took the blade off, took the table off and removed the guide assemblies top and bottom. The rear bearings needed dome oil, but other wise were fine. I made sure the wheels were OK. The top one was running over to the outside a bit much, so I reset the tracking from scratch. I think it was skewed so much that the top edge was rubbing on the blade guard too.

Before putting it back together, I blew out the dust and checked everything. I put everything back together and grabbed a scrap piece of plywood. As a test, I cut out two more of John Heisz's push sticks. Everything cut fine. Then I grabbed a hunk of 2×3 and drew a line down its length. It re-sawed just fine. Like most folks, I do have some blade drift, about 5 degrees I guess. I put on the fence, made it parallel to the blade and managed to re-saw one side of the 2×3. I also cut off a piece of the re-sawn 2×3 and tried to cut a small circle in it. With a 1/4 inch blade I cut a circle about 1/2 inch in diameter.

Feeling really confident I grabbed a 2 foot length of 2×4 that I was saving for something else (sob) and re-sawed that too. OK, I tried to re-saw it, but apparently I didn't hold the piece down well enough and it sort of twisted as it went. Ok, but still not bad.
 
#44 ·
Puttering Around with Loose Ends

There's been a few things in my shop that I've had in the back of my head to do, things to improve my situation. So these last couple of days I've decided to tackle a few. They are not all pictured below.

[Below] Somewhere in the past I bought this Porter Cable 8 inch, variable speed grinder. I remember during my research that one complaint about it was that the goose neck light only received power when the grinder was turned on. In other words when the light was on the grinder had to be spinning. The light has its own little switch on top for when you don't want it shining on your work. Last year I took it upon myself to remedy that. I know something about electricity.

(Gibberish may follow) The light is wired so that the power goes through the switch for the grinder. I isolated the hot wire and spiced it (with solder) to the lead direct from the plug. Turned it on and the light still didn't work. My though was that the common (ground) wire was also routed through the switch. But I didn't lose any ground. The light could still be used, just only while the grinder ran. Okay, so it's super safe at least. At that time I didn't feel like taking the bottom off and rerouting the common wire.

So today I was using the grinder to help tie up another loose end and I decided that since I had it conveniently on the work table, that now would be a good time to reroute the common so the light would work without the grinder spinning away. It makes a great task light too! I isolated the common coming from the lamp and spliced it in, with solder and tape, to the common coming from the plug. Presto! It works. Other than that I think it's a great grinder.

Machine tool Gas Wood Engineering Machine


[Below] These next 3 pics might be confusing. I think it's safe to say that many of our shops are not perfectly arranged. This can especially be the case when people give things to you when your space is limited. The picture shows my shop-made step stool in its new home. This is really a good place for it because often I need it in this location to get some wood off the rack or something off the shelf. In its previous location…

Wood Wheel Flooring Hardwood Workbench


[Below] The vacuum shown here is now where the step stool used to live. I inherited it from my father in law, but I've never had a good place for it. Here I can easily pull it out to use the band saw or drill press, plus I can hook it up to the band saw for (sort of) dust collection. It's also more convenient here for… um, using as a vacuum!

Wheel Wood Tire Shelf Motor vehicle


[Below] This vacuum is the one I hook up alternately to my table saw and router station for (sort of) dust collection. I got it from my pastor who was throwing it away. Previously this vacuum lived on the far side of the gray post seen on the left. This is a much better location. This space previously hosted my collection of jigs. I put the two main ones, crosscut and panel sled, under the TS and the rest are piled in front of the vacuum. The space under the TS used to have a (failed) prototype of a single-step stool and an empty tool box I got at a yard sale over 15 years ago.

Wood Motor vehicle Gas Machine Electronic instrument


[Below] One of the 'non-pictured' things I did was to change the clamping jaw on one of my clamps. The photo below shows the clamp as built. I changed the screw jaw over to a block similar to the one on my latest effort. I also stripped the paint off and improved the stop block by replacing the dowel with a carriage bolt.

Wood Wood stain Plank Table Hardwood


Wood Hardwood Plywood Varnish Metal


[Above] Speaking of my latest effort. I changed the handle over on this clamp to the swing style that is seen on my original bar clamps [Below]. I also removed that extra block on the adjustable stop.

[Below] My original swing arm grip. You'll be seeing more about these bar clamps in the future.

Wood Wood stain Hardwood Flooring Plank


[Below] The last thing I did was to do a post mortem on a sander. I bought this random orbit sander a year ago and it failed on me this week. I went out and bought a replacement, but wanted to see what the actual problem was. It looks like a plastic part responsible for the random-orbit part has worn out and broken. I may be at fault as I didn't know about the gentle guiding these sanders need to work. We'll see how the replacement lasts. Taking the sander apart, I kept the motor brushes, the cord, the sanding pad and the sealed switch. Everything else got pitched out.

Automotive lighting Automotive tire Wood Gas Rim


Automotive lighting Automotive tire Motor vehicle Wheel Automotive design


Automotive lighting Chainsaw Saw Motor vehicle Glove
 

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#45 ·
Puttering Around with Loose Ends

There's been a few things in my shop that I've had in the back of my head to do, things to improve my situation. So these last couple of days I've decided to tackle a few. They are not all pictured below.

[Below] Somewhere in the past I bought this Porter Cable 8 inch, variable speed grinder. I remember during my research that one complaint about it was that the goose neck light only received power when the grinder was turned on. In other words when the light was on the grinder had to be spinning. The light has its own little switch on top for when you don't want it shining on your work. Last year I took it upon myself to remedy that. I know something about electricity.

(Gibberish may follow) The light is wired so that the power goes through the switch for the grinder. I isolated the hot wire and spiced it (with solder) to the lead direct from the plug. Turned it on and the light still didn't work. My though was that the common (ground) wire was also routed through the switch. But I didn't lose any ground. The light could still be used, just only while the grinder ran. Okay, so it's super safe at least. At that time I didn't feel like taking the bottom off and rerouting the common wire.

So today I was using the grinder to help tie up another loose end and I decided that since I had it conveniently on the work table, that now would be a good time to reroute the common so the light would work without the grinder spinning away. It makes a great task light too! I isolated the common coming from the lamp and spliced it in, with solder and tape, to the common coming from the plug. Presto! It works. Other than that I think it's a great grinder.



[Below] These next 3 pics might be confusing. I think it's safe to say that many of our shops are not perfectly arranged. This can especially be the case when people give things to you when your space is limited. The picture shows my shop-made step stool in its new home. This is really a good place for it because often I need it in this location to get some wood off the rack or something off the shelf. In its previous location…



[Below] The vacuum shown here is now where the step stool used to live. I inherited it from my father in law, but I've never had a good place for it. Here I can easily pull it out to use the band saw or drill press, plus I can hook it up to the band saw for (sort of) dust collection. It's also more convenient here for… um, using as a vacuum!



[Below] This vacuum is the one I hook up alternately to my table saw and router station for (sort of) dust collection. I got it from my pastor who was throwing it away. Previously this vacuum lived on the far side of the gray post seen on the left. This is a much better location. This space previously hosted my collection of jigs. I put the two main ones, crosscut and panel sled, under the TS and the rest are piled in front of the vacuum. The space under the TS used to have a (failed) prototype of a single-step stool and an empty tool box I got at a yard sale over 15 years ago.



[Below] One of the 'non-pictured' things I did was to change the clamping jaw on one of my clamps. The photo below shows the clamp as built. I changed the screw jaw over to a block similar to the one on my latest effort. I also stripped the paint off and improved the stop block by replacing the dowel with a carriage bolt.





[Above] Speaking of my latest effort. I changed the handle over on this clamp to the swing style that is seen on my original bar clamps [Below]. I also removed that extra block on the adjustable stop.

[Below] My original swing arm grip. You'll be seeing more about these bar clamps in the future.



[Below] The last thing I did was to do a post mortem on a sander. I bought this random orbit sander a year ago and it failed on me this week. I went out and bought a replacement, but wanted to see what the actual problem was. It looks like a plastic part responsible for the random-orbit part has worn out and broken. I may be at fault as I didn't know about the gentle guiding these sanders need to work. We'll see how the replacement lasts. Taking the sander apart, I kept the motor brushes, the cord, the sanding pad and the sealed switch. Everything else got pitched out.





Hello Dave.

Intersting stuff there buddy,
What's the bucket and hose in front of the step stool? are you doing some moonshine on the side with fermenting wood chips?

The sander, I have a similar one and it went from a ROS to a disk sander one day so I disected much the same reason as you did and I found the bearing in the raised section had failed replaced it and it still works well today.

You may find your bearing is on the way out and is getting hot and damaging the plastic housing also.
 

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#47 ·
It's a 'Project', but not a Project

I've been neatening up the shop lately because a bunch of little things have built up and it was just time to adjust some stuff. It's basically a cleaning up, cleaning out and reorganizing on a small scale. Here's a few of the things I've done:

[Below] I keep my narrower plywood scraps above the oil tank. I went through them and weeded out the really narrow ones that I know I'll never use. The very thin plywood that I usually find as drawer bottoms I keep under my planer which is unseen to the right of the oil tank. Any larger pieces of plywood I usually store vertically in front of the tank. [Note: the wavy plywood you see rests on the last two rails I have from a bedframe and it holds up everything else.]

Wood Flooring Hardwood Plywood Room


[Below] This gray shelf is where I keep some miscellaneous items such as parts for home made clamps, my church banks and seldom used tools. I have a box on the bottom shelf with a few things that were my Dad's, including one of his last pocket notebooks. Nothing earth shaking in it, but I like preserving a sample of his handwriting. The shelving was overloaded with small junk items that I was saving. Much of it went out. Then I was able to get 4 tool boxes off the floor near my table saw and put them off the concrete.

Shelf Shelving Wood Publication Hutch


[Below] I went through my 'stick' storage area and got rid of the true junk, keeping the longest, cleanest pieces. I usually generate these while ripping boards to width.

Shelf Wood Shelving Flooring Floor


[Below] Not sure if I ever showed my 'lumber rack' It can hold pieces 8 feet long, though much of it is currently shorter, mostly rescued wood. You can see 3 spots where I store shorter boards end in. These are between the rack supports. I'm not sure where exactly, but I saw this idea as a tip on YouTube. I still have more short boards than I have room to store. I also moved my C-clamps over here at this time.

Wood Hardwood Tints and shades Lumber Shelving


[Below] So where does all the stuff go that I'm throwing out? I put it in boxes that go in a trash bag and it ends up not far from here in a landfill. It's basically pine pieces that are too small to do much with, plus there's plenty more where they came from. Much of what you see in these two boxes lived in a sort of vertical file between my drill press and band saw. I rarely ever went and grabbed anything out of it to use for anything but a stop block. I did however discover a few chunks of walnut and oak (6×6 in. at the most) which I had forgotten about. They are now in a safe place.

Shipping box Packing materials Package delivery Wood Rectangle


Now I'm tackling my catch all workbench so that it won't look so cluttered and dusty, at least for a while. ;-)
 

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#48 ·
It's a 'Project', but not a Project

I've been neatening up the shop lately because a bunch of little things have built up and it was just time to adjust some stuff. It's basically a cleaning up, cleaning out and reorganizing on a small scale. Here's a few of the things I've done:

[Below] I keep my narrower plywood scraps above the oil tank. I went through them and weeded out the really narrow ones that I know I'll never use. The very thin plywood that I usually find as drawer bottoms I keep under my planer which is unseen to the right of the oil tank. Any larger pieces of plywood I usually store vertically in front of the tank. [Note: the wavy plywood you see rests on the last two rails I have from a bedframe and it holds up everything else.]

Wood Flooring Hardwood Plywood Room


[Below] This gray shelf is where I keep some miscellaneous items such as parts for home made clamps, my church banks and seldom used tools. I have a box on the bottom shelf with a few things that were my Dad's, including one of his last pocket notebooks. Nothing earth shaking in it, but I like preserving a sample of his handwriting. The shelving was overloaded with small junk items that I was saving. Much of it went out. Then I was able to get 4 tool boxes off the floor near my table saw and put them off the concrete.

Shelf Shelving Wood Publication Hutch


[Below] I went through my 'stick' storage area and got rid of the true junk, keeping the longest, cleanest pieces. I usually generate these while ripping boards to width.

Shelf Wood Shelving Flooring Floor


[Below] Not sure if I ever showed my 'lumber rack' It can hold pieces 8 feet long, though much of it is currently shorter, mostly rescued wood. You can see 3 spots where I store shorter boards end in. These are between the rack supports. I'm not sure where exactly, but I saw this idea as a tip on YouTube. I still have more short boards than I have room to store. I also moved my C-clamps over here at this time.

Wood Hardwood Tints and shades Lumber Shelving


[Below] So where does all the stuff go that I'm throwing out? I put it in boxes that go in a trash bag and it ends up not far from here in a landfill. It's basically pine pieces that are too small to do much with, plus there's plenty more where they came from. Much of what you see in these two boxes lived in a sort of vertical file between my drill press and band saw. I rarely ever went and grabbed anything out of it to use for anything but a stop block. I did however discover a few chunks of walnut and oak (6×6 in. at the most) which I had forgotten about. They are now in a safe place.

Shipping box Packing materials Package delivery Wood Rectangle


Now I'm tackling my catch all workbench so that it won't look so cluttered and dusty, at least for a while. ;-)
Dave,
I feel your pain. I've a general rule, unless it is exotic, anything less than 1 1/2" wide goes away. Seems to keep the wood scrap clutter manageable.
 

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#54 ·
I'm Getting a Scroll Saw!

For some time I've thought of trying to use one of my spare jig saws to create a scroll saw. I've obviously not been in any great hurry to do this. However, a Do It Yourselfer friend mentioned to me some time ago that he had a scroll saw he wanted to get rid of because he never used it. He mentioned it again recently so I asked him what he's take for it. He said $20, so I sealed the deal. He didn't give me the model number, but said it was an older saw and was a Dremel with 2 speeds. Looking around, I think the only Dremel scroll saw that matches is the 1671. [EDIT] It's a 1672, the difference being that the 1672 has a quick release tension knob Yahoo!

There's not a lot of info out there on this, but the little I found sounds encouraging. My friend has the manual, but it's also available online. I think this will make a good addition to my arsenal of tools. I am curious though as to how much it sold for when it was new. From the manual, it may date from 1994.
 
#55 ·
Adding pictures. I just got this from my friend today. Turns out it's a 1672, not 1671. The difference seems to be that it has a quick release blade tension clamp!

Wood Table Gas Audio equipment Electronic instrument


Sewing machine Wood Gas Machine tool Machine


Audio equipment Gas Cabinetry Electronic instrument Wood


A look at the connection between the arm and mortor.

Automotive tire Bumper Gas Wood Office equipment


This is the only listing I found to get an idea of how much this saw cost when new [link]
 

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#67 ·
T-Wrench Handle

Wood Wood stain Automotive exterior Gas Chair


"Necessity is the mother of invention" as the old saw goes. When I was researching the scroll saw that I got, I found that the special T-wrench was missing. So I looked it up and found that it is metric and 3.5mm. 3.5mm is not really a standard size as I found. They aren't included in sets of hex wrenches and to buy a T-wrench of that kind would cost more than I'm willing to spend.

Then I just looked online for a normal Allen key that was 3.5mm and found that while not pricey were still a bit more than ones found in sets.

Today I was just about to click the 'buy' button on one of these on eBay because the description said it was about 4 inches long (And thus could put it in my own handle if I wished.) It occurred to me that I should look in my jar of miscellaneous hex wrenches first.

I had not one, but two 3.5mm hex wrenches and they were longer than normal, 4 inches. I double checked that they fit the required screw on my scroll saw and they were perfect.

So I grabbed a scrap chunk of oak from my hardwood scrap bin. (Yes I have one of those now!) Then I cut it to approximate size on the table saw, drilled a hole on the center and used the drill press to do most of the work of creating a mortise for the L part of the wrench. I had to clean it up with a small chisel.

Then I ran that part of the handle over the Table saw to create a dado big enough to accept a piece of bamboo skewer. I inserted the wrench, glued in the skewer piece and let the glue dry.

It's possible I should have used epoxy because the wrench rocks a bit, but I don't mind.

After the glue set up, I planed the skewer flush with the top of the handle and narrowed and shaped the handle. Then I sanded it and coated it with boiled linseed oil.

Much cheaper than buying one and it has fancy bamboo inlay!

Wood Wood stain Hardwood Nail Thumb


Wood Finger Wood stain Varnish Hardwood
 

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#68 ·
T-Wrench Handle

Wood Wood stain Automotive exterior Gas Chair


"Necessity is the mother of invention" as the old saw goes. When I was researching the scroll saw that I got, I found that the special T-wrench was missing. So I looked it up and found that it is metric and 3.5mm. 3.5mm is not really a standard size as I found. They aren't included in sets of hex wrenches and to buy a T-wrench of that kind would cost more than I'm willing to spend.

Then I just looked online for a normal Allen key that was 3.5mm and found that while not pricey were still a bit more than ones found in sets.

Today I was just about to click the 'buy' button on one of these on eBay because the description said it was about 4 inches long (And thus could put it in my own handle if I wished.) It occurred to me that I should look in my jar of miscellaneous hex wrenches first.

I had not one, but two 3.5mm hex wrenches and they were longer than normal, 4 inches. I double checked that they fit the required screw on my scroll saw and they were perfect.

So I grabbed a scrap chunk of oak from my hardwood scrap bin. (Yes I have one of those now!) Then I cut it to approximate size on the table saw, drilled a hole on the center and used the drill press to do most of the work of creating a mortise for the L part of the wrench. I had to clean it up with a small chisel.

Then I ran that part of the handle over the Table saw to create a dado big enough to accept a piece of bamboo skewer. I inserted the wrench, glued in the skewer piece and let the glue dry.

It's possible I should have used epoxy because the wrench rocks a bit, but I don't mind.

After the glue set up, I planed the skewer flush with the top of the handle and narrowed and shaped the handle. Then I sanded it and coated it with boiled linseed oil.

Much cheaper than buying one and it has fancy bamboo inlay!

Wood Wood stain Hardwood Nail Thumb


Wood Finger Wood stain Varnish Hardwood
That's clever! Nice work!
 

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#75 ·
I improved my tapering jig

Wood Gas Composite material Engineering Metal


Over a year ago I posted this blog entry [link] about the jigs I've made for my table saw. Even then I knew the tapering jig pictured above was in need of augmentation. At the time it was adequate, but every time I used it…

This week I decided to just take the time and fix the old tapering jig up so that wouldn't feel so much on the edge when I use it. The main reason though is that I want to use it more for putting a nice clean edge on boards that are not straight. The wimpy hold downs I was using were hard to adjust and were not good for boards of differing thickness.

[Below] I took a note from a video or two on Youtube and made new and improved hold down fingers.

Wood Wood stain Floor Varnish Hardwood


[Below] The black knob is just a hole saw cut out (which I saved from a previous project) with a T-nut driven into it. If it ever falls out, I'll glue it in with epoxy.

Wood Automotive tire Automotive wheel system Gas Auto part


[Below] In this shot you can see the slot I made in the fingers. I made it by drilling two holes spaced about 1/4 inch apart. Then I removed the wood between them with a sharp chisel. Pretty much I just pared it clean, no mallet required.

Wood Wood stain Flooring Hardwood Plank


[Below] Each finger goes on a length of 1/4 inch 20 tpi threaded rod. A short length of dowel goes on over it to help the knob bear down without skewing. Probably a knob with a hemispherical bottom or even a knob that was a big sphere would accomplish the same thing, but this was easier.

Wood Wood stain Hardwood Flooring Creative arts


[Below] Here you can see how the finger can grab boards that are thick as well as thin. In its previous incarnation, the jig was really only good for 3/4 inch stock.

Wood Table Wood stain Hardwood Desk


[Below] And here's the completed, revamped jig. Now where's that wood…

Wood Wood stain Hardwood Table Varnish
 

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#76 ·
I improved my tapering jig

Wood Gas Composite material Engineering Metal


Over a year ago I posted this blog entry [link] about the jigs I've made for my table saw. Even then I knew the tapering jig pictured above was in need of augmentation. At the time it was adequate, but every time I used it…

This week I decided to just take the time and fix the old tapering jig up so that wouldn't feel so much on the edge when I use it. The main reason though is that I want to use it more for putting a nice clean edge on boards that are not straight. The wimpy hold downs I was using were hard to adjust and were not good for boards of differing thickness.

[Below] I took a note from a video or two on Youtube and made new and improved hold down fingers.

Wood Wood stain Floor Varnish Hardwood


[Below] The black knob is just a hole saw cut out (which I saved from a previous project) with a T-nut driven into it. If it ever falls out, I'll glue it in with epoxy.

Wood Automotive tire Automotive wheel system Gas Auto part


[Below] In this shot you can see the slot I made in the fingers. I made it by drilling two holes spaced about 1/4 inch apart. Then I removed the wood between them with a sharp chisel. Pretty much I just pared it clean, no mallet required.

Wood Wood stain Flooring Hardwood Plank


[Below] Each finger goes on a length of 1/4 inch 20 tpi threaded rod. A short length of dowel goes on over it to help the knob bear down without skewing. Probably a knob with a hemispherical bottom or even a knob that was a big sphere would accomplish the same thing, but this was easier.

Wood Wood stain Hardwood Flooring Creative arts


[Below] Here you can see how the finger can grab boards that are thick as well as thin. In its previous incarnation, the jig was really only good for 3/4 inch stock.

Wood Table Wood stain Hardwood Desk


[Below] And here's the completed, revamped jig. Now where's that wood…

Wood Wood stain Hardwood Table Varnish
Big improvement over the previous configuration!
 

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#78 ·
Small Picture Frame Clamping Jig

[Legebla en Esperanto]

Table Wood Rectangle Bottle Flooring


Hand Finger Wood Creative arts Art


[Above] Typical example of Mother Necessity. I needed a way to glue up a small live-edge picture frame plus 5 of it's sisters sometime down the line. The live edge made it impossible to use a strap clamp or even a rubber band. So after thinking about it, I came up with this 'simple' clamping jig. It consists of a pair of cross pieces, the height and width of which match the height and width of the intended frame size. The four cut out corners of one cross piece have butt jointed corners glued to them and a saw kerf cut into the two outside edges of each corner piece. [Below] Here the frame pieces are glued and placed in the jig.

Rectangle Wood Flooring Floor Wood stain


[Below] Now the top piece is put on to hold down the frame. (not shown) This is held down with a thick wooden washer and a wing nut (because the thread on the carriage bolt I used starts higher.)

Wood Rectangle Floor Flooring Wood stain


[Below] Then a rubber band is stretched along the corners of the jig using the kerfs to hold it in place. At this point the frame pieces can be moved around for a best fit and the wing nut tightened down for firm pressure keeping the frame flat.

Wood Wood stain Hardwood Flooring Engineering


Wood Rectangle Hardwood Flooring Wood stain


I used spray lacquer on the corners to hopefully keep them from sticking to the frame. So far it's worked fine.
 

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#79 ·
Small Picture Frame Clamping Jig

[Legebla en Esperanto]





[Above] Typical example of Mother Necessity. I needed a way to glue up a small live-edge picture frame plus 5 of it's sisters sometime down the line. The live edge made it impossible to use a strap clamp or even a rubber band. So after thinking about it, I came up with this 'simple' clamping jig. It consists of a pair of cross pieces, the height and width of which match the height and width of the intended frame size. The four cut out corners of one cross piece have butt jointed corners glued to them and a saw kerf cut into the two outside edges of each corner piece. [Below] Here the frame pieces are glued and placed in the jig.



[Below] Now the top piece is put on to hold down the frame. (not shown) This is held down with a thick wooden washer and a wing nut (because the thread on the carriage bolt I used starts higher.)



[Below] Then a rubber band is stretched along the corners of the jig using the kerfs to hold it in place. At this point the frame pieces can be moved around for a best fit and the wing nut tightened down for firm pressure keeping the frame flat.





I used spray lacquer on the corners to hopefully keep them from sticking to the frame. So far it's worked fine.
Nicely done.
I've seen it done with nylon straps but never with the top holder downer great idea, add a little wax under the jig so it won't be glued to the frame and your all set.
I like it! I like it! LOL
 

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#80 ·
Handy Mini Multi-Miter Sled

Wood Wood stain Hardwood Flooring Composite material


Table Wood Flooring Wood stain Floor


This is one of those jigs I've thought about for a while and finally decided to just do it. It's down and dirty, focused very much on function and not at all on prettiness. Originally I planned to make a dedicated 90 degree miter gauge since the one for my saw is pretty unreliable. It works, but-well, you know.

After I got the 90 degree part finished it occurred to me to try some added functionality. On the board behind the fence I added two fences, one at 45 degrees and the other at 30 degrees. I won't guarantee they are 100% accurate, but they are darn close.

I did use the 45 degree to cut a quick, square picture frame, a small one. The miters look about as good as any I cut, even with my dedicated miter sled. After I finish milling up the frame, I'll post it as a project. [link]

There may not be a lot of use for a 30 degree angle, but in the past made a few coat hangers and I cut them at 30 degrees. It will be a bit easier doing it with this than with my wonky Cheap-A miter gauge.

[Below] Mandatory glue up photo.

Wood Engineering Flooring Hardwood Machine


[Fun Fact: The Esperanto term for miter jig is: bevel-helpilo.]
 

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#81 ·
Handy Mini Multi-Miter Sled

Wood Wood stain Hardwood Flooring Composite material


Table Wood Flooring Wood stain Floor


This is one of those jigs I've thought about for a while and finally decided to just do it. It's down and dirty, focused very much on function and not at all on prettiness. Originally I planned to make a dedicated 90 degree miter gauge since the one for my saw is pretty unreliable. It works, but-well, you know.

After I got the 90 degree part finished it occurred to me to try some added functionality. On the board behind the fence I added two fences, one at 45 degrees and the other at 30 degrees. I won't guarantee they are 100% accurate, but they are darn close.

I did use the 45 degree to cut a quick, square picture frame, a small one. The miters look about as good as any I cut, even with my dedicated miter sled. After I finish milling up the frame, I'll post it as a project. [link]

There may not be a lot of use for a 30 degree angle, but in the past made a few coat hangers and I cut them at 30 degrees. It will be a bit easier doing it with this than with my wonky Cheap-A miter gauge.

[Below] Mandatory glue up photo.

Wood Engineering Flooring Hardwood Machine


[Fun Fact: The Esperanto term for miter jig is: bevel-helpilo.]
Nice title, say that three times fast.
As for the sled, great idea to add the angle cuts on the back, makes it very useful three ways. Nifty.
 

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#85 ·
Storing a set of cheapo stamped wrenches

This is just one of those things. Some time ago I began to lament not having grabbed my dad's set of stamped wrenches. There are times when you just need a thin wrench to get into a space and hold a nut or even turn it a bit. I eventually found a set on the smaller end on eBay to compliment my 3 Handy Andy wrenches from my childhood.

Very recently I found this set in our dollar store. That's how cheap these are. I bought them and brought them home. Now I needed a way to store them out of the way, but close at hand just in case.

Drill presses Wood Drilling Jig grinder Milling


I drilled a small hole (1/8 inch) right into the 'C' in China on each wrench.

Wood Engineering Gas Machine Art


Then I sanded off the burr.

Wood Hardwood Flooring Wood stain Beam


Then I hammered a finishing nail into a convenient stud and hung the wrenches on it. The hole is off center, so the weight of the long end will keep them hanging pretty straight. I don't expect to use these often but the price was not to be argued with.
 

Attachments

#86 ·
Storing a set of cheapo stamped wrenches

This is just one of those things. Some time ago I began to lament not having grabbed my dad's set of stamped wrenches. There are times when you just need a thin wrench to get into a space and hold a nut or even turn it a bit. I eventually found a set on the smaller end on eBay to compliment my 3 Handy Andy wrenches from my childhood.

Very recently I found this set in our dollar store. That's how cheap these are. I bought them and brought them home. Now I needed a way to store them out of the way, but close at hand just in case.

Drill presses Wood Drilling Jig grinder Milling


I drilled a small hole (1/8 inch) right into the 'C' in China on each wrench.

Wood Engineering Gas Machine Art


Then I sanded off the burr.

Wood Hardwood Flooring Wood stain Beam


Then I hammered a finishing nail into a convenient stud and hung the wrenches on it. The hole is off center, so the weight of the long end will keep them hanging pretty straight. I don't expect to use these often but the price was not to be argued with.
What a great bfind, you never know whast you may find in the dollar stores. great idea to offset the holes
 

Attachments

#92 ·
Storing a set of cheapo stamped wrenches

This is just one of those things. Some time ago I began to lament not having grabbed my dad's set of stamped wrenches. There are times when you just need a thin wrench to get into a space and hold a nut or even turn it a bit. I eventually found a set on the smaller end on eBay to compliment my 3 Handy Andy wrenches from my childhood.

Very recently I found this set in our dollar store. That's how cheap these are. I bought them and brought them home. Now I needed a way to store them out of the way, but close at hand just in case.

Drill presses Wood Drilling Jig grinder Milling


I drilled a small hole (1/8 inch) right into the 'C' in China on each wrench.

Wood Engineering Gas Machine Art


Then I sanded off the burr.

Wood Hardwood Flooring Wood stain Beam


Then I hammered a finishing nail into a convenient stud and hung the wrenches on it. The hole is off center, so the weight of the long end will keep them hanging pretty straight. I don't expect to use these often but the price was not to be argued with.
Cone Spanners….oh yes I remember them, great little tools they were too!

You may possibly get arrested for owning one these days!!
 

Attachments

#96 ·
More File Handles

Art Metal Lighthouse Still life photography Font


Since I found out how not difficult it is to put a handle on a file, I decided to have a file handle making party today. I put handles on the rest of my needle files that will go in my lutherie kit. They were made from those wooden handles of those disposable foam brushes. The ferrules are cut pieces of small diameter copper pipe.

Font Candle holder Candle Tableware Wood


The handles of the larger files are made from various short spindles that I've saved over the years. One of the nice things about using the spindles is that they often have a tenon on them that fits a ferrule. The ferrules for these are used plumbing fittings that I had in my plumbing drawer for emergencies. It being easier to clean up something you have at 3 AM than it is to buy one at a store that isn't open at 3 AM. I'm glad I've never encountered a situation like this yet.

Cosmetics Wood Office supplies Nail Electric blue


Product Wood Metal Gas Titanium


I might mention that I did not want these handles to look new. I like them looking pre-worn. The finish on these is boiled linseed oil.

I have 4 more files to put handles on… eventually.

Esperanto fun facts:

file = fajlilo
handle = tenilo
ferrule = (metal)kolumo
 

Attachments

#97 ·
More File Handles

Art Metal Lighthouse Still life photography Font


Since I found out how not difficult it is to put a handle on a file, I decided to have a file handle making party today. I put handles on the rest of my needle files that will go in my lutherie kit. They were made from those wooden handles of those disposable foam brushes. The ferrules are cut pieces of small diameter copper pipe.

Font Candle holder Candle Tableware Wood


The handles of the larger files are made from various short spindles that I've saved over the years. One of the nice things about using the spindles is that they often have a tenon on them that fits a ferrule. The ferrules for these are used plumbing fittings that I had in my plumbing drawer for emergencies. It being easier to clean up something you have at 3 AM than it is to buy one at a store that isn't open at 3 AM. I'm glad I've never encountered a situation like this yet.

Cosmetics Wood Office supplies Nail Electric blue


Product Wood Metal Gas Titanium


I might mention that I did not want these handles to look new. I like them looking pre-worn. The finish on these is boiled linseed oil.

I have 4 more files to put handles on… eventually.

Esperanto fun facts:

file = fajlilo
handle = tenilo
ferrule = (metal)kolumo
I love the ferrules. You did a GREAT job. I may have to have a file handle making party myself.
 

Attachments

#101 ·
No more piles O' files

Cabinetry Wood Drawer Wood stain Hardwood


Since I recently went to the trouble to put handles on my collection of chisels, I decided to also make them more accessible. They used to be kept inside the cabinet shown. The smaller ones were in a lazy Susan that I inherited from my dad, while the longer ones just sat in a pile on a shelf. I made these racks out of scrap wood and mounted them on the outside of the door of the cabinet. While I was at it, I took my rack of 'good' chisels* and mounted it on the outside on the other door. The racks are made such that the chisels and the files do not fall off when the doors are opened or closed, but the tools are more readily accessible.

In organizing these, I discovered that I have only two identical files, but I think they were made decades apart. One is a Craftsman and the other is a Heller Bros.

  • N.B. the chisels that I re-handled a short time ago are pat of my lutherie tool set and now live in a tool roll.
 

Attachments

#102 ·
No more piles O' files

Cabinetry Wood Drawer Wood stain Hardwood


Since I recently went to the trouble to put handles on my collection of chisels, I decided to also make them more accessible. They used to be kept inside the cabinet shown. The smaller ones were in a lazy Susan that I inherited from my dad, while the longer ones just sat in a pile on a shelf. I made these racks out of scrap wood and mounted them on the outside of the door of the cabinet. While I was at it, I took my rack of 'good' chisels* and mounted it on the outside on the other door. The racks are made such that the chisels and the files do not fall off when the doors are opened or closed, but the tools are more readily accessible.

In organizing these, I discovered that I have only two identical files, but I think they were made decades apart. One is a Craftsman and the other is a Heller Bros.

  • N.B. the chisels that I re-handled a short time ago are pat of my lutherie tool set and now live in a tool roll.
Good job, Dave. I used to keep all of my tools in a chest. I now have everything visible in an open wall cabinet in one corner of the shop … I'm now using tools I didn't know I had! Oh yeah, good job on the handles!
 

Attachments

#105 ·
A Brass head hammer just because

Wood Household hardware Cylinder Wood stain Nickel


I don't know what I might use this hammer for, but I felt like making it. The head is made from a piece of plumbing that I replaced in our bathroom. The face pieces are screw on fitting from my box of 'future' clamp parts. The handle is a turned spindle from some piece of furniture. The voids in the head were filled with epoxy wood. I lightly sanded the handle to remove some of the finish and swabbed on some boiled linseed oil. The head was cleaned up with a belt sander and a fine bristle brass wheel.

Motor vehicle Wood Gas Auto part Engineering


Wood Household hardware Nickel Metal Font


Wood Tool Hand tool Hardwood Blade


Wood Hardwood Household hardware Tool Cylinder


Wood Tool Household hardware Hardwood Wood stain
 

Attachments

#106 ·
A Brass head hammer just because

Wood Household hardware Cylinder Wood stain Nickel


I don't know what I might use this hammer for, but I felt like making it. The head is made from a piece of plumbing that I replaced in our bathroom. The face pieces are screw on fitting from my box of 'future' clamp parts. The handle is a turned spindle from some piece of furniture. The voids in the head were filled with epoxy wood. I lightly sanded the handle to remove some of the finish and swabbed on some boiled linseed oil. The head was cleaned up with a belt sander and a fine bristle brass wheel.

Motor vehicle Wood Gas Auto part Engineering


Wood Household hardware Nickel Metal Font


Wood Tool Hand tool Hardwood Blade


Wood Hardwood Household hardware Tool Cylinder


Wood Tool Household hardware Hardwood Wood stain
Nice use of available parts to make this hammer!

I was thinking you could have filled the head with BB's or lead shot, to make it more of a dead-blow hammer. Of course, if you have the parts lying around, you could just make another one, and have a pair!
 

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#108 ·
RIP, My Skil Table Saw

Tonight I was using my table saw and it started slowing down and speeding up and coming to a stop quicker than usual. This was accompanied by a sort of scorching small. After completely unplugging the saw I tried turning the blade by hand. When it would move, it was hsard to spin and it would stop. I tried applying oil to the moving areas to no benefit. I'm 99.9% sure it's the bearing.

Being a Skil saw I'm sure that even if I wanted to replace the motor, that I would either not be able to find one, and it likely costs nearly as much as a new saw of the same price range, IE it's not worth going to the trouble.

BUT, my plan is not to just go buy an identical saw, or at least that's not my plan A. My plan A is to ask my pastor what he would take for the craftsman table saw that he's had in his garage sitting unused since the 20th century. It was a gift he got from his wife, but he doesn't use it.

This of couse means I'll have to remake all my TS jigs, but that may be a good thing since the ones I have were the fist I ever made. Mark II must be better, eh?
 
#114 ·
New Table Saw

Table Waste container Wood Automotive exterior Desk


This not meant as a review. I'll do that somewhere down the road. I got the new saw set up on my old base instead of the much touted folding, portable, self storing, base that came with the saw. Biggest problem is that I had to move my router stand to the other side of the saw since the extendable leaf needs room to extend.

My last saw cost me about $125 and lasted me about 5 years. $25 per year isn't bad for a table saw by my estimation. This one cost $200. We'll see how long it lasts.

Now, back to work!
 

Attachments

#115 ·
New Table Saw

Table Waste container Wood Automotive exterior Desk


This not meant as a review. I'll do that somewhere down the road. I got the new saw set up on my old base instead of the much touted folding, portable, self storing, base that came with the saw. Biggest problem is that I had to move my router stand to the other side of the saw since the extendable leaf needs room to extend.

My last saw cost me about $125 and lasted me about 5 years. $25 per year isn't bad for a table saw by my estimation. This one cost $200. We'll see how long it lasts.

Now, back to work!
I like the color, really spiffs up the place.

I never thought about it before but I'm at $47/year on my saw. 16 more years and I'll be at $25/yr
 

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