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Alaska Jim's Comments of the Day

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#1 ·
My Namesake Grandson, a little Sketchup, and some Shop Stuff

It's been a good Christmas weekend at the Bertelson's in Anchorage AK. We had a an enjoyable Christmas day, with family present for the annual Christmas Day Dinner, got some great gifts, and I finally saw my namesake for the first time in pictures, named James EagleBear Shirk. Third child, for Anthea and Marcus Shirk, Fairbanks, AK, so they weren't johnny on the spot with pictures, gets to be ho ho hum after awhile (-: .

Fairbanks is an uncomfortable distance away, not much 4-lane highway, maybe 40 miles, so the 358 miles going straight north is not a winter drive to be taken lightly. Air travel is down right expensive from city to city in Alaska. So we will bide our time and see James EagleBear in a month or so. We did see James at Thanksgiving, I did some 4D ultrasound on him at the office, not quite ready to be out in the cold world yet.

OK, what is with the EagleBear middle name. That is Marcus's oldest sister's name, and he thought it would be fitting and I think so too.

Here is James:



Handsome, as is fitting for my namesake….....(-:

Have talked to 3 of my children, one to go before the weekend is out. I can see what is going to happen in future holidays, I got a preview on Christmas day. Sherie, many of you know that is my wife, has a brother in Dallas, we traveled to Oregon in September with him this year for two weeks, and he was with us for 2 weeks in England and Scotland a few years ago. Well, he was present for the occasion on Skype, there for opening presents. I cannot guess what will happen when all the kids get into it.

Had a great session with DaveR and Sketchup on GoToMeeting and Skype. Dave is a whiz with this program and a natural at teaching. His dedication to helping us all out is, well, unreal.

Thanks Dave from me and everyone else on LJ's, you are a great resource and an even better friend.

A little shop time, this afternoon. Had to make a box for the now, perhaps, infamous remote oven thermometer. With its probe wire, transmitter, and remote, it was going to be a project to keep together and undamaged. So I made a box, will put the plexiglass top on it tomorrow, and then finish it with….................WATCO, what else, but perhaps a little lighter variety than my Black Walnut stuff for the shop.

Take care, best to you and yours for the holidays….........................
 
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#3 ·
What a beautiful little boy, or should I say handsome.

You must be a very proud Grandpa."CONGRATULATIONS".
 
#4 ·
Somebody did something very right !! That IS a beautiful picture of a very handsome boy. He looks half a year old, already LOL! I also think the "EagleBear" part is extremely cool, so … there :)

Looking forward to seeing the Remote Oven Thermometer Display Case! Sounds like you've had a pretty good holiday, all in all. May the New Year be at least as enjoyable!
 
#5 ·
Mark, Dick, Neil
Thanks for looking, appreciate the oohs and ahhs, he is obviously doing well. I wasn't going to post a picture of my thermometer case, but since you have requested, Neal, it shall be done. A very plebian, practical item. Even had to use a chisel in one place, so I guess it gets to be called a mini-project of sorts.
 
#7 ·
Dennis

Thanks Dennis, I am looking forward to seeing him in person, probably sometime in February. So far this weekend is mostly about work, so no shop time yet. Got to trudge out to the hospitals soon, and make rounds, (rounds is medical terminology for going around to see all your patients in the hospitals), then might get into the shop, if it doesn't get busy again.

Have a good NEW YEAR, Dennis

Jim
 
#9 ·
New Year: Day 1, the adventure begins, anew................

I made a comment on Neil's (NBeener) blog entry, Neils blog entry re New Years
and after looking at it, decided
it probably would make a good entry in my Comments of the Day blog topic.

So apologies to Neil, I copied my own comment, with minor changes, from his blog to my blog….......
.........I guess since I am giving attribution, it can't be plagiarism, I am in a pretty good position to understand the author won't mind…........(-:

.......the comment:

New Year, day 1:

.......staring at the computer screen, trying, with more or less success to wake up. At least the first cup of coffee for the New Year is a good one. That's probably a good omen.

Went to bed at 2130hrs yesterday, Dick Cain got to bed at 10:53pm, if early to bed is good enuf for Dick, it is good enuf for me. It's all relative to time zones anyway. Although I went to bed before Dick, at least by the clock, he was in bed a couple of hours prior to me. So if I am going to beat Dick to bed, all I have to do is lay down on the job. That should be easy.

And Dick probably got up before me, even though I got up at 0324hrs. I got up to drag a poor little guy out of his swimming pool, where he had been splashing around for 9 months. And I am not sure he was very happy about it, what a cry baby. But it was a good way for him to start the new year, not dressed in quite as fancy clothes as Neil and Diana, in fact he was in his birthday suit, but that seemed appropriate enough for the occasion. He may have been pissed off cause he didn't get to exit through the main entrance, I dragged him out through his own special, one time use door, known as a lower uterine segment transverse cesarean section, almost wasn't big enough. Then I closed it up again.

Oh well, that little guy didn't even say thank you, I think he was mad at me in fact. But all in all not a bad way to start the New Year.

........if I could only wake up……..another cup of coffee is in order……...........

.......hope you all have a Happy New Year……..
 
#20 ·
Have a day off, we'll start some stuff in the shop.

Got through the long call weekend, today is a day of recovery. Since, I got reasonable sleep, won the battle with my malfunctioning automatic espresso machine, it's getting worn out I think, maybe a little shop time is in order.

LJ READING LIST
The reading list has been updated with Timbo's review of 'Grove Park Inn Arts and Crafts Furniture'. It is current and serves as an index of all LJ book reviews. You can always find it since a link is in my signature, just right click and open in a new tab, or just double click and go to it.
The link for the list is LJ Reading List

SKETCHUP TEXTURES
The texture file has not been changed, but will be over time. I see it is getting some use, so that makes it worthwhile. Again, if anyone needs a special tiling texture let me know, and I'll build one. The link to the textures is Sketchup Woodworking Textures Zip File

SLED
Going to start my Super Sled today, although I still have some design uncertainty in the main fence adjustment mechanism. I haven't decided whether to keep it adjustable, or glue it down. Because of the complexity of the sled and scope of it's utility, I think an adjustable main fence is wise. Too much work on the sled to have it hinge on a rapid correct placement of the fence while the glue is setting.

But I can make the main board and the back fence, do the routing of the slots, and build the handle piece. By that time I think I will have formalized the main fence design in my brain. I think I have settled on adjustable, with the right side the pivot with a carriage bolt and a recess nut, and the left side to have two of the same with slots for the bolts to move in. The slot could be in the fence or the board, I suspect the board should have the slots.

SHOP STUFF
Yesterday I made a reference block for my Wixey TS fence digital read-out. Responded to JasonWagner's fine review of this Wixey read-out, and then finally made my reference block that I was intending to do for a while, and posted that there. It deserves a spot in my blog, so I will plagarize myself again and put it in Tips and Jigs, probably with pictures.

While I was at it, I made a minor improvement in my RAS fence analog scale. The acrylic piece that serves as a cursor was just about 1/128 short, but one end was registering OK. I replaced that piece with a more precise one, and reset the fence slightly and moved the fence register label to reflect that. Nit picking, but just made it a little quicker to use, because now there is no compensation or guessing at all, and both ends of the 10" stop block have a cursor that is as accurate as I can make it.

Those projects were all I could do yesterday, since everything was fragmented by work interruptions.

TOTES
My latest tote for measurement tools is working great, and of course is nearly overloaded. The reference block for the TS, which is quite small, will be stored there temporarily. I think a small shelf on my central pillar is in order to place it and other items for the TS. Alternatively, an overhead item might be good. Not going to do that until I make my final guard-splitter-dust solutions. That's a ways away.

I am conjuring up a tote design for groups of tools such as chisels, that can be wall mounted or lifted off and carried around. It will be quite different from anything else I have seen, and radically different than my previous designs. I am mostly still working on that in my head. That will probably wait till February, since much of January will be spent in Hawaii, oh darn.

So all for today, will post some more stuff later, but now to Sketchup to print out the design for my sled.
 
#21 ·
I really like your tote ideas Jim. One solution could be a board or boards as long as you want, mounted on the wall with a 45 degree bevel(s) on the top edge and with the long side of the bevel on the side away from the wall. The various totes could then have corresponding hangers which would then comprise french cleats. Strong, easy to hang up, easy to take down. You will probably come up with something better, but that's my take on it. I have to say that I hate drawers for tool storage. Their only advantage is that they keep out the dust, but then so could a tote if it was designed to do so.
 
#29 ·
Question 1: Warped plywood, what to do? Question 2: Best plunge router for table use.

Question 1:
I have cut out a 48×31 inch section of 3/4 inch ply. As far as I can tell, it has a warp side to side, with the high point in the midddle of the 48 inch dimension, 3/16 inch at the middle in back, 1/8 inch in front.

One out of the other three 4'x4' sections has only a 1/16" warp prior to cutting, pretty negligable I would think. I really don't have access to any better grade of plywood that I know of in this area.

I think I should cut the base board out of the best piece, and just use the previous piece I already cut out for my computer cart which will involve much smaller pieces. All my plywood warps, but the best one has acceptable warp, I would think. Does it seem reasonable to use the piece with 1/16" warp, I think that will mostly disappear with the fence and the cut down the middle.

Question 2:
I want to buy a router that will end up in my main router table eventually, probably part of the TS cabinet. What is the current thoughts on this issue. I would like to use it for this project, probably free hand against a clamped on fence, and would probably order it while I am in Hawaii to arrive after I get home. This is not a new question, I know, but as time passes, there are new products. Saw a video of a new Hitachi, but I am not sure it is available yet. I would like it to use either 1/4 or 1/2 inch bits. I would think this should be a professional grade router. My old Skil router still works well but of course is not a plunge router.
 
#54 ·
Maui - Day 1

Was replying to a post by dbHost about insulation, and decided to continue on in my blog. Right now my personal insulation consists of my shorts and a T-shirt, both only for modesty. Sitting on the lanai (balcony or porch) looking at the ocean about 10-15 yards away, light trade winds, drinking coffee, and relaxing 7:15 AM here, partly cloudy, supposed to clear today according to the local Weather Underground. We are in the lee of mountains on the north west smaller part of Maui, and this area is the clearest place on Maui, generally. It's one of the reasons we have come here so many times, very little rain. Sherie is on her usual morning sojourn to Starbuck's in Kihei, a few miles away, for her chocolate milk (she calls it a mocha, but she has them minimize the coffee, put a lot of whipped cream on it, and I find it indistinguishable from chocolate milk). Sherie's mother, Shirley, usually walks the beach just as it becomes light. Mychelle, Sherie's handicapped daughter, age 30, sacks in. I will walk the beach for a mile or more each way a couple times each day. Hence, I will end up with a good sun tan. At about 0800hrs, we will go fast walking for about an hour.

I am drinking some French press generated coffee, from Starbuck's house blend we bought when buying groceries at the Safeway in Kihei yesterday, there is a nearby stand alone Starbucks. I bring along my metal and plastic, very well built, Starbucks French press. Using their house blend, I make coffee, perhaps best described as caustic. I don't think methamphetamine has much on my coffee, and I am always afraid the feds will bust me as a narc.

Ahhhh, the sun is just peeking over Haleakala at this moment, Haleakala being the the large extinct volcano,10,023 feet high that comprises the larger southeastern section of Maui. Maui is shaped like a lopsided dumbbell. I do believe this is going to be a beautiful day. It is 71 degrees now, and it will rise into the low 80's with a steady light breeze. For those of you into geography, we are situated on Maalaea Bay, on the ocean, in a line up of condo buildings, which stop when they butt up against a small municipal park/beach, beyond which runs a 3 mile stretch of wildlife refuge beach down to Kihei with no buildings on the beach at all. Wonderful walking.

Well got to get some more coffee, move the computer out of the sun, and get ready to go walking. I will try to get some photos later today, no promises, I sink into decadence, slobbery, indecisiveness, and mental torpor while here on Maui.

Later….........

Jim
 
#55 ·
Jim, this sounds like you are enjoying yourself as you should be. I am sure your battery will be recharged when you have to come back to reality (and the cold/snows of home).
 
#70 ·
Maui - Day 2

Finally got to the pictures this morning, vacation and play is getting in the way of LJ,s…....(-:

So this morning, got up and sorted and processed the photos, and as I was drinking coffee on the lanai, working on the computer, the sun was just starting to rise over Haleakala:



Later, took a picture of myself with the camera sitting on the railing:



Here is the condo from outside. If the ground floor is floor 1, we are on floor 2 to the right:



Looking out and down the lawn, from the lanai:



Where I was about to go for a beach walk:



Closer view:



As I walked on the beach, this little guy saw me coming, walked away from the water and then around me and went back to feed some more at the water's edge, he didn't think I was impressive enough to fly away from:



.........so I continued down the beach, no buildings here, a wildlife reserve….........



Only walked the beach once yesterday, probably twice today, and pretty soon I will get my suntan whether I want it or not. Time to go fast walking…..........
 
#71 ·
ENVY!! ENVY!! ENVY!!

We have sunshine hear, but no heat, -20 F at noon.

But our house is nice & warm.

I often wondered where that bird goes in the winter.

He's much smarter than us. <(;O}#
 
#88 ·
Maui - Day 3 - Sharp tools: necessity, compulsion, fetish, or a LJ habit?

Let's get to the nub right away, are we sharp freaks, or is it the only way to go?

.....the story…..

Sherie (my wife) and Shirley (Sherie's mother) have been wronged. Suffered at the hand of inadequate cutlery. Protested and whined while preparing the repast, darting critical and expectant glances in my direction, as I…...... decadently in my cups, enjoyed the day. Since we came to Maui, they have done the cooking, although I am in the barrel tonight. You wouldn't think for a minute, that it had anything to do with my belated, but expert, attention to this most consternating situation?

So strutting to the kitchen, dragging the drawer from beneath the counter, from where it cowered, I surveyed the….hmmm… junkyard. The condo's drawer of knives….........I use the term loosely, is an abomination. Multiple serrated knives, missharpened, cheap, certainly maligned, tortured, and abused, lay prostrate, miserable in the depths of the drawer. A few standard knives, with edges only my bench grinder could bring back to a remedial state, looked hopefully my way. But alas, only one was capable of repair with simple measures….........which I did not have at my disposal.

Lingering at the mall, having dined Vietnamese for lunch today, Sherie reminds me of her paramount vexation, the squeaking balcony sliding screens…....since they are actuated at a most unnatural hour by her habitually early rising spouse, namely me.

Aha, lubricant, and there in a deep corner recess of the mall, I spy a True Value. So, checking for my always anemic wallet, remembering the magic plastic, I jauntily press into the gloom, entering the premise with pessimism. But it is a first class hardware store, complete with helpful smiling faces dressed in aprons (no, not LJ leather), and those elfen customer reps jumped right to my assistance. I tell you, this store is from yesteryear. Found everthing (explanations coming) on my agenda with a passing custrep offhandedly showing me precisely the displays to satisfy my exacting needs. My quick hand extracts the WD40 can with its new sexy swiveling spray head. And two aisles later, following the swishing apron, I found with her offhanded direction, the sharpening stones. I looked after her, amazed, as she turned a corner, never to be seen again.

I digress…......I always digress.

I am definitely OCD, but a corollary…... with compulsion, comes excess.

To the story…....

....and looking throught the various stones and devices, I make a prudent decision, one of my lifelong few, I selected the smallest cheapest stone.

But at the periphery of my visual field, to the left, but slipping into recognition, and comprehension…....a selection of knives.

The biggest baddest Chicago Cutlery French Chef's Knife comes to view and I purloin it, you must understand I had no long term use for the beast….........but I could give it to Shirley to take home…......what better recipient than Grandma. So I slyly slipped through the register with my treasures.

.......to make a too long story short, I sharpened the only knife that was repairable, and added the chef's knife to it, in a special section in the drawer. So everyone was happy, because Shirley, I just found out, was looking at buying this very knife, yes, Chicago Cutlery Chef's Knife. Serendipity.

The End.

However the real question, and I know by reading this forum, we are into sharp things….....

.........necessity, fetish, compulsion, or LJ habit…....what is the real answer…..........????
 
#89 ·
Jim,
As one who loves to cook, my worst (?) pet peeve is a dull knife. Ahh, the joy of a razor sharp knife swishing through a red pepper, julienning a scallion or slicing tissue thin pieces of smoked salmon. Life is good- unless your spouse believes a knife is really a pry bar, screw driver and ice pick combination. I have taken to hiding my freshly cutlery to protect it from abuse.

Glad you are enjoying your vacation!
 
#102 ·
Maui - Day 8 - More photos and phun

We have been lolling around, occasionally venturing out to various parts of Maui. Been trying to maintain the LJ book list, which I have, but can't upload it for technical reasons. May have a work around, we'll see.

So since you asked for more pictures, here they are. Remember, this is just relaxation time for us here, we don't try to do much exciting. Trying to get some kind of picture of a whale for Dennis's daughter in Denmark, but not much luck. Whales yes, but no photo opportunities…...

Wandering the beach, a daily thing…......looking at clouds…....


...and more clouds…......


We go fast walking every day, in a packed sand area just over the dunes from the beach, a foundation of a long forgotten sugar mill is there….....filled with graffiti, but with an apology in the form of a dedication….....


...a view of those background hills….....


...and a few smokestacks of a local power plant….......


This little guy thought if he held still, I might not notice him, as he blended in…....


We took a trip around the northwest end of the island…......here is a view of the neighboring island of Molokai. As you can see, everything is built on volcanic rock on Maui…......


Stopped for a picnic lunch…....caught Sherie, my wife, as she dared me to take her picture, she hates to have her picture taken…....


Saw a sentinel, in the form of a bird, obviously watching and guarding something….........


And I found out what he was guarding…...some ancient runes. They obviously spelled out something of importance to the ancient inhabitants. Accosting a passing native Hawaiian, grayed, face lined with the ages, I asked if he might interpret the stone edifice, and translate what it spelled out, for me and my family. He gazed at the stones, perhaps an ancient dedication to the gods, I mused. His eyes clouded over, I pictured him recalling scenes of nights about the fire, through the ages, telling the oral history of the long forgotten people of his land….....he then seemed to return to the present, turned to me and uttered…..Burma Shave. Oh well, so much for ancient runes and history….....(-:


Later, we passed by the little hamlet of Kahakuloa. The road you see etched in the side of the hills is now paved, I remember when it was gravel. It is one lane. To pass, one car has to partially drive off the road on the hill side placing your vehicle at quite an angle, while the other car slips by. There is about 10 miles of one lane, extraordinarily curvy road with switch backs and s-curves. At this point we had 6 more miles of it to go….


Closer view….......


And then we wandered home….......what's this I spy waiting for me…......


....a cold Longboard Island Lager awaited me, as I relaxed on the Lanai, recalling our adventures of the day…....................
 
#127 ·
Heading home tomorrow. Thoughts on digital devices.

Heading Home
We are going back to Alaska tomorrow. I am totally relaxed, and ready to go home. Itching to get in the shop. Never did get my router ordered, but that is not critical to make my sled.

Digital Devices
Upon reading a review, and commenting, on a digital angle gauge, I started a longer post, but decided it belonged in my blog. The topic of how to measure comes up periodically, but the advent of digital measuring devices adds a new dimension to the discussion. Anybody who has done woodwork for long probably develops his own techniques for measurements.

I am slowly accumlating an array of digital devices. All my devices are made by Wixey:

Wixey Saw Fence Digital Readout
Wixey Angle Gauge
Wixey Digital Caliper
Wixey Digital Protractor

The saw fence readout works well and has been in use a few months, very useful for duplicating cuts, or frequent resetting of the fence in increments.
The digital caliper is in heavy use, and I find it indispensible, and easier to use than an analog caliper, which I also own.
The angle gauge, as noted above, works well, but is not in heavy use.
The protractor has not been put to use yet.
I may buy a height gauge.

Accuracy and Precision
Here is a nice discussion of Accuracy and Precision
It seems easier to me to just read off a number from a device, than measure something as 3/32 and a little, or about 5/64. The mind has to work harder, and the memory process is then subject to errors. Any time I can use a digital device instead of analog with the same work, I do it. To be honest, I am not sure digital devices give me more usable accuracy, but it is easier to be precise. Stated more scientifically, I can get very close to the actual measurement with an analog device such as a ruler, meaning I can be reasonably accurate. Let's face it, accuracy to the nearest 1/64 is almost always close enough for woodwork. But the digital device allows me to reproduce that measurement over and over, which is the definition of precision. Anytime something is easier to read, easier to remember, and can be reset on the same device or transferred to another device accurately, you increase precision.

I would suspect the most important thing is reproducibility, i.e. precsion. We frequently just need to be consistent to make good looking, nicely fitting furniture and other objects. Using stop blocks, story sticks, cutting everything with the same measurement at once, cutting on the same side of your pencil mark, etc, is more important than a digital device.

Pencil Marks
Pencil marks are always a source of error, and I remember years ago of falling into the trap of basing measurements on previous measurements recorded as pencil marks, and slowly accumulating significant errors. Now, I never base another pencil mark on a previous pencil mark.

I note that Incra is selling a set of marking rulers, Amazon link
I have a similar ruler made by General that sets on my measurement device tote. However, Incra has upped the ante with a T ruler and bend ruler using the same principle. They have small slots cut in them that exactly fit a 0.5mm mechanical pencil lead. That allows you to be very accurate, because you eliminate parallax errors, pencil width errors, etc. This should increase precision, because you make the exact same pencil mark elsewhere. But your measurement has to be a precise fraction down to 1/32 of an inch.
 
#128 ·
Precision is an interesting theme Jim. What little precision I am able to muster up is the result of the many mistakes I have made over the years.

There are so many ways to approach the subject. For example, I often find that the actual dimensions aren't as important as consistency ( I think you already said that). By using a marking gauge you can pretty much guarantee consistent marking in from an edge for example without measuring. If you are making aprons for a table with mortise tenon joints you can put the boards besides each other to see that the shoulder lines are all at the same place because if you measured your shoulder line from the end of the board and the board was just a little longer than the others it could throw the whole table out of square and prevent the the tenons from gluing up properly.

My point here is that we need to practice quality and measurement control as we step through our projects. There have been many many complaints about poor QC by manufacturers, but I wonder how well we practice it ourselves. I too own digital angle devices and calipers, but it would be very interesting to have a wide discussion on how different people ensure accuracy in their work and also the methods they use to mark and cut.
 
#144 ·
Emergency router purchase - Bosch 1617 EVSPK - first impressions, and a surprise!

Well today started out OK. Down to the shop, after Sherie got up a little late, no shop work when she is sleeping…right above the shop.

Finally decided that plywood was out of the question for my Super Sled due to poor quality materials…....I know…I will find a local cabinet supply to get me Baltic birch. But I reviewed the stresses etc, and with some thought and additions, 3/4 MDF will work, I am certain. So while trying to lift up a 4'x 8' sheet of the stuff, and saying to myself this is going to be a tough haul, I decided to build a plywood trolley (guaranteed to be interesting, as usual).

So, I decide I will make some plywood wheels, about 6" diameter, time to make a quick and dirty circle jig for the band saw. Pull out the old Vermont-American cheapo router table with it's 30 year old Skil router attached. Then the fun?!? began. Cut out the wood pieces on the saw, but needed to do some routing for what is essentially a large sliding dovetail. Found the design for the jig in a ShopNotes I had, but checked my FWW archive of the last 25 years….......and…....found the same design. This should take me about two hours total to make the jig I figure.

So I decide to do some test routing. I can't get the bit to stay in the collet, adjusting it is a b--, and the one nice feature of it, a push gizmo that holds the shaft so you only need one wrench, fails. Now, I have done a modest amount of routing with this router, and it always worked. I thought I could hold out until I had a new router table in the TS extension, and put a Triton in there, which is still my intention. But I knew I would need three new routers, one for fixed and plunge work (I hadn't decided what), a Triton 2.5 hp for a table router, and the Bosch palm router for trim.

So I said, I am now going to do an emergency purchase of my free router, fixed and plunge, and temporarily stick it in my old Vermont-American table. I can't work with the Skil anymore (it will not be buried, I might find a fixed use for it. No taps yet.) The issue is, I have to do a lot of routing on the Super Sled…..I have to have a working router.

So quick to the internet…..
Reviews come up with two…...a Milwaukee fixed only router at a reasonable price…..or the universally well reviewed Bosch 1617 EVSPK plunge and fixed combo. For the Bosch I liked the low set wooden handles for the fixed router to give it good balance, and the essentially universal praise. I print them both out, and 20 minutes later out to Lowe's. I figured I might not get the lowest price, but I was gonna find one in town if I could.

Wham…...Lowe's had the Bosch for $220 which…...was reasonable. 20 minutes after I left, I was home with the router. Without changing clothes or taking off my coat, I read the instructions and put it in the router table….....and here comes the surprise….........

Much to my amazement, it has an above the table height adjustment with T-wrench. And even more amazing, my Vermont-American old cheapo table has a beveled hole already made for it. So I run upstairs, get into my grungies (you know, old clothes) run down to the shop. Then to put the bit in it. I find that if I take the insert out, then push the motor up, put a block of wood under it of the right height…..I have above the table bit change capability. It comes with two CAST WRENCHES, unfortunately you need two. But one goes under the table on a flat section of the shaft, and does not have to be held, kinda a nothing thing, and I can work on the collet nut above the table.

I put in the bit. Take out the piece of wood. Stick in the T-wrench and adjust the bit perfectly in one try, snap the lock, and get perfect results as proven with a test piece. Ran that RPM down to the lowest, because I was removing a lot of wood…

Amazing.

Now the Triton, I know, will be a little easier, but this is quite extraordinary for a quick purchase, and a temporary implacement in an old table. Wow.

Well too late for any more work, but tomorrow, I should be a shop whiz…...........(-:

Kudos to Bosch, because this looks like it will be a very good emergency purchase…....
 
#159 ·
Welcome back the wood lovers realm.

Congratulations on your new purchase.

I think Bosch is a reliable tool.

Nowadays if you buy any of the top name brands, you'll be satisfied.

Competition is a good thing.
 
#170 ·
Some progress on the sled, finished up my "bicyclic panel trolley".

I have been busy in the shop this weekend, and during the week for that matter. Made a workshop antic (defined as making something to prove you could do it when it would be smarter to buy it) which is a panel handler, best describe as a bicyclic trolley. Hmmmmmmmm, that should probably be copyrighted. Also have started on my sled. You know, the HisAndHersDoubleSurfboard size thing I have illustrated before in Sketchup.

Sherie is out doing some quilting thing tonight, and Kermit and I (Kermit is a Mitred Conure, the biggest, and loudest of the Conures) are sitting here typing the blog, listening to Linda Ronstadt Greatest Hits Volume 1, 1976. Best remembered by me from the mid 80's as we drove to our ski chalet at Girdwood. My son was into skiing in high school, he is now 40!...yikes…...and we would always be out there for the winter weekends. We sold that chalet a while after he went off to college. So the main speakers from the Chalet audio system are the main speakers for my office…....what I am listening to now. Some excellent old ADC towers. Made the sales person drag them out of the back room, to hear them, they were well reviewed, and they are still great speakers. Got a surround sound system here in the office…...all cast offs, but great sound. Neat old memories. Now I am just playing it off of iTunes, the contents of my iPod.

A caveat, that sounds very romantic and fuzzy I know, but Kermit, who can rev up sound sufficient to burst eardrums is sitting on my shoulder and singing along, in his mostly monotone voice….. but boy does he have rhythm. His favorite is Aretha Franklin.

Have the small front fence for my super sled glueing up, and also part of my panel trolley. I am too lazy to haul out a 4×8 foot piece of MDF and cut it up tonight. It will be attached to 2 pieces of 3/4" ply to form the back fence. The MDF is for perfect flatness, and adds a little thickness so that I can put in four bolts and have an adjustable fence. And my trolley, which I have already tried, will easily move it from the garage over to the project tables (which double as saw horses, another reason to have them) to be sawed with the circular saw into bite size pieces.

Got into the adjustable fence thing after perusing my FWW DVD (covers the last 35 years). It is slowly becoming a force in my woodworking, you just have to remember to use it. Guess I ought to do a review on it.

So tomorrow will get up and cut up some MDF and glue up the main back fence. And then put the plunge part of my new Bosch router into action, leave the fixed base on the table. Really impressed with the Bosch, the above table bit change and above table height adjustment are awesome, even in my old cheapo table.

I am glad I finally found some good plywood in my stack, thought I ought to be using up the stuff I already had.

Well time to go off to make dinner, now listening to Linda Ronstadt's Greatest Hits Volume 2.

Saturday night music…......
 
#171 ·
Sorry, I didn't know what a Mitred Conure was until I Googled it. Beautiful bird and by the looks of the images is fairly large. I image he is a noisy companion. I can see why you choose the name Kermit.

Sounds like the sled is coming along. Can't wait to see the pictures!

Lew
 
#177 ·
Working on the sled.......it may be an interesting weekend

I glued up the back fence. I used an old B&D Workmate to do much of the clamping, but it didn't allow me to sit the fence on a flat surface. The result was not optimum. Tried a little planing and sanding. Nope.

I went out and bought a bunch of miscellaneous clamps, long overdue. I now have about 1/10th of the clamps I will probably need…..(-: .........remembering you never have enough clamps. So cut some new pieces…..the back fence is only 3 inches high…..and this time I can see the glue up will be better, but not perfect.

So I have got to do it…......open the package on my bench top jointer. Now understand, I bought the jointer and planer at closeout prices, you know, Delta cheap stuff. About 4 or 5 months ago. The planer still in the box, the jointer freshly out today. These are not going to be my final planer and jointer. I suspect within a year or two I will replace them and pass them on to my son-in-law. He doesn't know he needs them, yet…..(-:

I plan to use them to build up the shop and make it much more efficient in terms of space, and then I will be able to fit in a better jointer and planer, if that is necessary.

So I am going to practice with the jointer on the first fence, and then move to the better fence. Amazed I did as much as I did today. Finally quit working in the shop about 1730hrs, I normally take Wednesday afternoons off, but today work ended at 1400hrs. So I spent a few hours in the shop, mostly preparing for the weekend.

Now I am relaxing…....Sherie is out teaching a knitting class so I have to make dinner for myself…......not sure what that will be. Kermit and I are listening to Jim Croce as I type.

So the weekend will get me using the jointer, and I should get the sled to a functional status, probably without its miter arms. We'll see what happens…....not too compulsive with hobbies….....don't need it…that is the name of my game with work….....no room for error. Hobbies…......have to be more relaxed….......no deadlines…..no compusions. Right. Never happen with me….........(-:

.........so later…......off to make dinner.
 
#178 ·
Looks like you are in for an enjoyable week end, Jim.

Make yourself a good hold down/push stick for the jointer. I just saw a neat one that looked sort of like hand saw handles mounted to the push stick portion. It got your hands up out of the way and the placement/angles of the handles looked like they provided optimal down pressure and forward pressure.

Lew
 
#185 ·
Tool stuff, jointer and router...............

Act 1
Today was productive in the shop. I was going to get the baby jointer up and running so I could fix my sled fence glue up, which, really was fairly close the second time. After running some errands, I assembled the Delta Bench Top jointer. You know, the one I bought for about $200 on closeout in September, I think. Got it out of the box for the first time yesterday and removed the glunk. Today I assembled the fence and the guard, fast, no brainer.

Decided I wanted to clamp it to my bench or a project table, so I cut out a piece of 3/4" ply, rounded the edges with the router, sanded it, put in recessed holes for 5/16" bolts with Forstner bits, and then gave it a double coat of clear Watco. Watco, always Watco. Then attached it to the jointer. Of course, I had to measure those holes precisely, etc., so that little deal was not instant project. But, it will last the life of the machine.

Clamped the jointer to one of my three project tables. This sled fence is not not short, it is 48" long, so I need 4' on either end of the jointer. There was not enough room to clamp the jointer on my bench, mostly due to the dratted freezer. However, I have climbed on top of those flimsy looking project tables. I calculate they will hold about 400 pounds or more.

Checked the angle on the jointer fence. Mind you, I didn't even adjust it, just screwed it together. Dead on with my Groz engineers square. I was amazed. You know, these things, meaning my bench top jointer, as well as my benchtop planer ( still in the box, unopened ) do not have the best reputations. Taped a copy of the speed selection chart to the side of the jointer, taped it good, meaning completly covered with tape. It will be there for the next 5 years, I know how those things go.

So I took a hose from the nearest DC outlet, I have DC hose piped all over the place, and put the end near the dust chute ( going to make an adapter to the jointer later ), and turned it on. First did a practice run on my first sled fence, the one I plan to discard. It would need a lot more than the 1/32" I set it at. That is the first time I ever used a jointer. Fine.

Now to the real sled fence. Checked it again on the RAS table, which is very flat. Yup, it was a little rocky. So to the jointer. Did the bottom and the top.

Just 1/32" They turned out absolutely flat. Wow was that easy.

Now I know why you have to have a jointer! I knew I bought that thing for a reason. Although I wasn't certain at the time…....(-:

Act 2
OK, not today, probably tomorrow when my mind has had time to get in the groove, leave the stresses of the job behind, gonna rout the grooves on the sled base for the T-track. I ain't gonna take no chances. I am going to hem that router in with clamped on guides.

So at least I can pull the router out of my little cheapo table, and put it in the plunge base.

...............hmmmm. The legs are not long enough, and that router is not gonna come out easy. Had to take the base off, not easy….......well dummy….......the same way I put it in.

....WHAT WAS I THINKING???

My cheapo table was designed for small cheapo routers. Mind you it is only the cheap short stamped steel legs that are at fault. Nothing wrong with the fence and the table top, remember, it was even perfectly predrilled for my above the table height adjustment.

Not going to abandon the top. I am going to make a plywood box underneath it with door to remove the router, DC port and connection to the table side DC. I looked at Lowes today, the Bosch table for $170 would still need modification for DC. Not that much better otherwise. Better, but not $170 worth.

For those of you not following earlier, I have above table bit change and height adjustment with the Bosch router I recently bought, much to my amazement. Also know I plan to put a router section in my table saw cabinet. But that is a least 6 months or more down the road. I need a router table to make the stuff for my new shop arrangement. So another project…........

In summary, great results with the jointer, stuff to do with the router. Don't know whether the sled or the router table will take precedence, probably the sled.

...another interesting, and very fun, day in the shop…you all have a good day too!

Alaska Jim
 
#186 ·
Jim,
I know what you mean about salvaging the router table top. When I got my Porter Cable router, it came with a table and fence. Well the legs were too flimsy and the fence just wasn't what I wanted. Remounted the metal router table in my table saw and reworked the fence using the original hardware. Works great now but still needs some sort of dust collection.



Lew
 
#196 ·
Plunge Routing the Sled T-Track Slots......OCD in ACTION!

Yesterday I promised DennisGrosen that I would have pictures of what I was doing, a picture book, as it were.

So this is the story of today in the shop, nothing momentous, but it was the first time I had used a plunge router. It is only a couple of weeks old, a Bosch 1617 EVSPK fixed and plunge kit. It works very well, and allows above table bit change and height adjustment, using the fixed base in the router table.

So I took the motor out of the table, and put it in the plunge base. I experimented with it, and figured out how to precisely set the depth. As I said previously, I decided I would really hem this thing in because I didn't want it going astray on the only decent piece of plywood I had. So I made a setup using some metal guides I use for the circular saw, and some very carefully measured, cut, and marked pieces of wood, effectively a jig, to set up the position of the cut.

Here is the router set in position, hemmed in by the metal guides, and the wood blocks front and back:



I digress: This is a very large sled, because it is meant to be used for items my radial arm saw can't handle. The RAS is so quick, accurate, and easy, there is no way for the TS to compete with it for ordinary crosscut, but the RAS has a 15" limit.

So back to the story, let me explain what I did to get to this point:

First I scribed the exact position of the T-track slots on the sled base board. Meaning, the center of the initial and end position of the router bit. I used a 3/4" straight bit, 1/4" shank, carbide teeth from a set built by Hickory I bought some time ago, months before I bought this router. They were purchased for my ancient Skil, that subsequently decided to retire on disability. I outlined the edges of the slots also, as a reality check.

I digress again: Now you oldtimers and pros are saying, 'I would just put a couple of marks there, clamp down a straight edge, and go for it'. It is kinda like I do surgery, which is part of my day job. I don't even bother to mark the skin, I just whip out the scalpel and I can make the exact cut I need without even thinking about it. Never crooked, never too short or too long, curved just right….............but I wouldn't take that kinda chance with my wood!

Now I have the start and end points, here is how I made sure the router started where I wanted it to, made the perfect groove, and ended where I wanted it to…........OCD in action.



There are two items of interest in the above picture.
First, the board under the clamp. It is the exact width of the router in its normal position, left to right, with the flat part in the back. This is important, because it makes the router symmetrical, left to right when held in this way. This board also has an exact center mark on the front of it, you can't see it in the photo. I made two of these boards. So they separate the metal guides the exact width of the router. The first thing I do is set those boards on the beginning and ending center marks (the odd board with the hole in it has a mark on its side right next to one of those center marks) and then clamp the metal guides against them. Now I have a channel that will guide the router exactly in the right to left dimension.

I then made the third board, the one with a hole in it, by clamping the router to it, and plunging the bit (any bit with a known diameter will do)to make the hole. The router was clamped so that its flat back side was at the top of the board, as centered as I could make it, and then I drew a line around the rounded part of the plate in front. And then I cut the board down to that circular line. And then I bisected the hole with crosshair lines, easy to do because we know that is exactly a 3/4 inch hole. And I drew them down onto the sides of the board. So now I have a board that when the mark on its side is at the center of the beginning or ending point of the slot, determines where the router should start and stop. The top end is used for the start position of the cut, and bottom end is used for the end position. And so I moved the two exact width boards to those positions. Hard to explain, but once you have these boards, you can set the track and the beginning and end boards in a few seconds.

So here is the first slot I made, with the T-track sitting in it:



For the next slot I removed the middle clamp that held the width boards on each end. Just loosened the clamps on the metal guides, and slid the whole mess over to the next slot position and set them up in a few seconds.

Here are all the slots, with the little boards that I have carefully marked and stored with router, the heros of the story….....(-:



And here is a mockup of the sled, still missing some pieces, but coming along fine….......



........and that Dennis, is the end of the picture book, time to go to sleep…...........(-:
 
#215 ·
Valentine's Day Rescue.........a solution from the man-cave

OK, here is a funny on me.

My wife was at a quilting retreat over the weekend, and got home yesterday. She gets home, fortunately (-: without a valentine for me, fortunate cause I didn't have one for her. Most often, I make them complete with poetry on the computer, a 2 to 4 hr project.

Working this weekend, so kinda distracted. Out doing a csection this morning, meaning 0400hrs, it is 0600hrs now. (and by the way gals, I don't know why you call this a man's world, that is the second airline pilot I delivered a baby for in the last 12 months)

So I asked my wife Sherie about the retreat, and inquired about the extension cord I lent her from the shop, one I had made, an 18 footer made with 14 AWG, heavy duty plug, and 4 receptacles in a metal box…..all to code. A little beaten up from use in the shop. She said it worked perfectly, they had numerous devices plugged into it.

So I retreats to the man-cave…..what can a guy do in a big hurry in the shop, says I to myself.

WHY NOT?, every woman has always wanted an extension cord for Valentine's Day, RIGHT?

So, since I keep a lot of electrical components around, including cord, I make her a brand new shiny, 18 foot long 14AWG extension cord, with bright galvanized metal box, with new white receptacles, and a heavy duty plug…......and label it as Sherie's Quilting Retreat Extension Cord on four sides with my handy dandy Brother label maker.

Presented it to her and gave her a kiss and said Happy Valentines Day. It got a laugh….....I hope it got me off the hook….......................(-:

.......didn't I do good guys?
 
#238 ·
Some work on the sled, and Sharp Objects......ouch...........

Recovering from a week, and last weekend, of hard work. Finally got out to the shop today. Mid afternoon. The job stress and my age makes for many days of recovery….........

Pared down the width of my sled from 48 to 44 inches..........more about the reason for that in later entries. Then I put the angles on the little fence......I never know whether to call it the front or the back fence…......furthest from the operator.

Well, goofing around with setting the blade angle on the TS I came in contact with the extension fence supports that came with my Vega fence, and got a minor though irksome cut. Love the fence, hate the supports. They are very sharp mild steel.

So out came the huge rasp, and I filed down the corners and the edges. I am not quite ready to make an extension table. There will be an intense planning process there…....more later. So I said, I need a place to put my push sticks, calibration block for the Wixey, and the wrench that I occasionally use to remove the guard.

So I made a tray, out of warped 3/4 inch ply and some junk MDF for the rim to keep things there.

Most of the stuff I need for the saw is low profile, including the push blocks, so the fence will pass right over it. Now instead of sharp objects, I have a tray to hold stuff, untill I make the real extension. The TS cabinet will have drawers, a router table, etc.

So spent a couple of hours in the shop, and got some worthwhile things done.....some project stuff, some temporary things for protection and utility.

Thinking about the old tools, the RAS and the TS, I almost think of them in a personalized way. Kinda goofy. They are old friends.

Like Kermit, my 20 year old Mitred Conure. He plucks his breast feathers, he is not pretty. And neither am I. We are old in our life cycle. The saws cannot express feelings or talk. But Kermit, that's a differnt story.

Of course, Kermit talks to me, and sometimes he makes sense.

As I was changing clothes yesterday after work, and, like I always do, I put him on the exercise machine in our large bedroom, looking out a giant 13 foot window onto the back yard. I call it the Big Sky whenever I sit him there. A wonderful crab apple tree lives in our back yard, probably about 40 years old. We always leave some fruit on it for the Bohemian Waxwings that come every winter to dine on the frozen apples. And much to my surprise the Waxwings had arrived.

Kermit becomes animated, and excitedly blurts out 'Birdies', in his unbelieveably loud and piercing voice. Never heard him say that before. Unreal.

Do our tools talk to us. No. But somehow I think they have personalities, after long use. Friends like Kermit…...

Guess I am hopelessly romantic….......
 
#251 ·
Still working on the sled.........some progress........

Today I got up pretty early and put the bolt holes in the main fence for my sled.

All 6 of them. Not as simple as one would like. I am not gluing the fence down, I am making it removable for additional items or replacement. These are 3 inch carriage bolts. Nuts on the top of the fence for easy accessibility. Carriage bolts because you can tighten the nuts without holding the bolt. Rudimentary.

I made one bolt tight with 5/16 inch hole on the end, since the bolts are 5/16, and the rest are 3/8 inch to enable adjustment. I should have made them all 3/8 inch, the tight hole was hard to negotiate and needed some enlarging.

The origin of the problem is the countersinking both top and bottom.

And then secondarily drilling the main hole. Hard to get everything to line up over a distance of nearly 4 inches. I accomplished it, with careful measurement and an assortment of drill bits….......shhhhhhh…..and a bit of filing. I knew enough to start the task early in the morning.

So it is done. I have also finished the main fence, the sled base and the short…......er…....call it the small fence with a couple of coats of clear Watco. The small fence will be installed tomorrow morning with 4 lag bolts. Not likely I will ever have to move it or replace it.

To align the sled fence, I just used my Vega TS fence, which aligns perfectly with the miter slots, and a large square. But of course I will test it, and because it uses bolts, I can adjust it. In fact, there was the slightest bit of cupping in the fence, so using one of my new Bessey clamps I pulled it right and adjusted the 6 bolts...........that's why there are six bolts. Allows for maximal adjustment. OCD.

But I skipped a couple of steps. When you are working, and are OCD, things take time.

On Tuesday, I think that was the day, I put on

the rails (slides, whatever you call them that slide through the miter slots). Formed of a sandwich of 1/8 inch hardboard slightly less than 3/4 inch wide, and 3/4 inch wide aluminum bar.

Spot glued them together with Super glue.



Then glued them in place on the sled base again with super glue, after aligning the sled with the Vega fence. Then did a little filing, a little center punching, and they are near perfect.



The rails are fixed in place with wood screws through countersunk holes in the aluminum. Paste waxed the table saw and silicone greased the miter slots, and took the silicone grease off the next day and put on paste wax. Silicone is a no-no on the table I found out. Pretty smooth now, though.

Wednesday, I installed the T-track. OCD strikes again. I plan to use these T tracks for all kinds of things…...this sled is meant to be a jig platform among other things. I didn't use slots, they can develop wear patterns …... DaveR …....pointed that out. But I am using 3/4" ply…...nahhh….0.7 inch ply. After routing for the T-track, I had about 0.3 inch of wood to use. I might use wood screws and even a little glue, but the latter would affect my ability to repair a wear item. Flat head machine bolts and countersunk nuts to the rescue. Tedious, 5 per T-track, but you are really going to have to do something strange to dislodge that T-track. All kinds of calculations and measurements.

So there you have it, tomorrow put the far fence in, make the kerf, and test and adjust the alignment. Then make the miter arms. The miter arms ought to be fun.

The sled, small fence not yet installed, but ready….......



The small fence…......



When the sled is done, I am going to make some router table modifications, and then I have to make a quick and dirty computer cart.

And then I am going to make the world's most useful and interesting outfeed table, and the TS right extension router table.

......sounds like a lot of fun…...........
 
#264 ·
Sled mostly Done, Fence Calibrated, Dado Set in action......busy shop weekend.

Yesterday and today I got the little front fence installed, the push handle-blade bury block assembly constructed and installed, and the fence calibrated.

I am now ready to use it to make my quick and dirty temporary router table modifications, and then make the miter arms. Need the router table fixed to do that. First a couple of pictures, to make the explanation easier….......

..........sled from the back…......



........sled from the front, the operating position…....



So let me digress.

I know I should have taken a picture of this, I blew it…......

If you notice, instead of a closet rod for the handle as I initially planned, serendipity intervened and as I hunted for the piece of closet rod I had somewhere, I stumbled upon this piece of railing for a stairway.

Perfect. Better than the rod. So I pulled out my Oshlun 8 inch bargain dado set, used only once before on some ZCI's, and dialed iin a very tight fit for the vertical piece of plywood, and eyeballed the center, it turned out to be adequate, and pushed it through with 2 pushblocks. Looked at the dado.

This is hard to believe, I had only used it on MDF before with good results, but that was not a good test. Not only was this dado perfectly square, but all surfaces actually looked like they had been polished. If there is a better dado set out there, it must be that you can see your reflection in the bottom of the dado. There is nothing I could do to those surfaces to make them better, and this was a low priced bargain dado set. Wow. Bought this on the advice of a LJ review. Read them reviews, gals and guys.

So back to the story…...........

So I did the glue up for the handle support and bury block, rounded and sanded it because it sticks out a little from the back, and will easily get damaged, and I will brush up against it.

I am finishing everything with clear Watco, but I used a little medium walnut on the handle. I attached the handle-buryblock assembly with two lag bolts into the fence, no glue. I thought of four, but it is pushed against the base, so even as the fence gets cut higher, it will still help to hold it together because there is no motion possible in the up down direction…......just speaking of forces of course. So except for the rails, no glue anywhere, on purpose for maintenance. But of course, then my fasteners have to be robust, and they are.

Here is a little more detail of the handle assembly…...



OK, now to the calibration. I had actually done a quick and dirty calibration yesterday, you know, make a cut and flip it over and compare, that's how I did the initial calibration, after making the initial kerf.

So I get out my 6 inch try square, use it all the time, I should put a ring in my nose to hang it from.......

by the way the measurement tote is used literally constantly…..and start putting lines where the fence is now…....

What is this?, the fence is off angle in the verticle.

D--. I already jointed this thing. Get the jointer back out, easy deal, recheck the jointer for everything, reread the internet explanations of how to use a jointer. And did this and that, and figured out I moved too fast. Moved real slow, perfect right angle. Whew. Neophyte in action.

Put the fence back on. Do a 5 cut test. Off 0.003 to 0.004. Adjusted…redid the 5 cut….and got just about 0.001…....not worth changing. By the way, all this stuff about alignment comes from LJ's.

So now my sled is functional. I can use hold-downs and even do 2 foot rips. All that is left is to install the stop block T-track, and make the miter arms. But that will wait for the router table quick and dirty mods, and then on to my utility computer cart for the office….......that started this whole venture into hobbyist woodworking.

My next blog item is some philosophy, and this blog got so long, decided to make two entries….......
 
#279 ·
A new LJ Mentored Project......Integrating my old saw and the Super Sled into the Shop

Put on your thinking bonnet, because this is all interrelated stuff. If this seems complex, it is, mostly because there are contingencies based on performance, and I built my sled with these things in mind. Things like splitters have nothing to do with the sled.

1) Splitter. I have ordered Incra microsplitters, the ones with a metal skeleton, and they are in the mail. That will be my splitter solution. I agonized over this a long time, but if I don't like something about them….....I will engineer something better along the same lines and build them….....many virtues to having a ZCI (zero clearance insert) mounted splitter…...(-: ZCI's are a snap to make, and modify. Thanks to the reviews on LJ's about this splitter.

2) Guards. Guards are high on my list of essentials. I never do a rip without one. Never. But I used that sled without a guard, because I am not using it in production mode, and they have a much better safety profile. Much like my radial arm saw.

But the sled will get a guard, most likely a three sided guard that will be pretty safe, and will tend to trap dust.

Now comes the complexity because there are contingencies.

I am going to build a guard for when I am not using the sled that is an overhead mobile guard, meaning multiple mounting points. If my new idea works it will not need dust control integrated with it. With 2 or more mounting points, and there are a bunch of designs out there describing how to make it sit in place. Like my lamps on my central pillar, you do not need an extremely robust mounting system, because you can place it on a different mount that doesn't interfere with the workpiece, and it does not need a long reach.

3) Dust control. With a contractors saw there is this large open area in back. How to control dust?.........make a containment box…......and that is my secret weapon…......the outfeed table, or better put, the outfeed cabinet. It will work even with miter cuts. And be a detachable part of the overall TS cabinet, the TS cabinet will also include a router table in the extension. So with dust contained, including revisions to the other slots in the main TS cabinet, there will be a strong negative pressure in the saw cabinet, at least with my DC, which I find pretty impressive for what I paid for it.

So once you have strong negative pressure, how to use it to collect the dust near the blade.

Any dust coming through the kerf in the ZCI will of course be trapped. And here is the thought….......

Why not a dust port in the ZCI, which should probably be a slot?

Lot of wasted space on that ZCI. If you are using an overhead guard it will contain the air flow, and perhaps (the contingency) trap the dust. Same with the sled. You don't need a full slot in the sled, just a series of holes, which, as they pass over the ZCI will become subject to the suction.

4) Sled Availability. I narrowed my sled to 44 inches, it was designed at 48 inches. 48 inches is awkward, if you are trying to house it, because about 48 inches is a good cabinet size looking at sheet goods. So I cut it back.

I am going to house the sled in the outfeed table, with a pivoting sub-cabinet that makes it line up with the TS and you pull it out, hence it needed to be narrower.

I want the turn over to be about 30 seconds with minimal physical effort to change from normal to sled usage.

And all this will be the subject of an LJ Mentored Project that ought to create a lot of interest and input.

I sure hope this creates some interest, because I am sure I am going to need your help….....
 
#280 ·
I think instead of a slot in the ZCI, a few holes in the wider section may work better. Maybe located nearer the end where the blade is moving down into the insert. Just a thought.

Lew
 
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