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Tips and Jigs for the Shop

139K views 283 replies 48 participants last post by  LATOUR98 
#1 ·
Introduction - Purpose and Plan

This last week I realized that although I have not been a woodworking hobbyist per se, I have been working some in the shop since the 70's. Over the years I have encountered a few things that are simple and inexpensive that might be useful to others.

I am enjoying the help, suggestions, and comments of Lumberjocks with vast experience and skills that I will never be able to attain. This is one way of trying help others in a systematic fashion. I would like to do even more, but since I am still working, and have a shop to rehabilitate, this will probably be about right for my time and energy. If I get this started now, as I come upon items of general usefulness, it will be easy to document them in a preorganized place.

I will add the first entry later today, that I have documented in my blog. I will try to be very explict, use pictures and drawings where appropriate, and assume that the reader has little or no experience….you know…like me.
 
#4 ·
Hey Jim
I still work but have been fortunate enough to aid at the local high school (when I have a free day) wood shop since oddly enough the shop teacher is new to woodworking and I teach adult woodworking for our local community collage once a week. It's a lot of fun and the students seem to get a lot out of it. So like every one just do what you can with neighbours or friends and you'll get 10 times more out of it than you put in. Just the desire wanting to help is great.
 
#5 ·
Dan,

Dan and Pommy and Jim:

I am in a blog, but I'm not blogging in the usually sense. Critiques and additions would be appropriate in a blog, but let's face it, a more useful format for the user would be a section where everyone could put in tips, jigs, plans, and one could browse it or search it. I figure my abilities are in the bottom few percent of this forum, and there have got to be huge storehouse of information locked in the minds of some of the members

I couldn't find the right forum section, so I decided to start it in my blog. Actually, there might be some credibility in having a Tips and Jigs section in the Forums, but since I am so new, I did not feel it was appropriate to make such a suggestion. Maybe there is some place that would work that I missed. So I just thought I would start my own series in a blog.

I made the first entry at work when I had a few spare moments, now I am at home. I was going to edit my first entry, to discuss this some, but you beat me to it.

Oh, and by the way, there is a parallel course of thinking going on about making an annual CD of Lumberjock's projects, but that is a totally different type of project. http://lumberjocks.com/topics/10707#reply-110113

This blog series was brought to mind as I was making a pattern for a push block, that I copied from a picture I liked. But the pattern is line art, something you can cut out, done real life size, and trace around it and cut it out with your band/scroll saw. I couldn't find one I liked on the net, so I made my own. Thought, wouldn't it be nice if someone had already done this and put it in a pdf or some such? So, I wanted to make it available for others. That's where this started in my brain. That, and the method of keeping my RAS fence registered accurately so that I can measure off the ruler on the fence for crosscuts. Simple stuff, but time saving and useful for others. And I just wanted a space I could drop things I encountered that I couldn't find elsewhere.

So what do you think? Should we talk to Martin about another forum. Should we put stuff in one the the current forums. Or should I just do my stuff in my blog? Or should others join me?
 
#6 ·
Hey Jim
I'm a little confused if your suggesting that there should be a forum just for tips and Jigs or one for patterns.
I'm sorry I don't get your concept. I guess if others want a forum just for tips and jigs and Martin wants to do it it would be fine. We can get to the same info by going to shortcuts then projects and then jigs on the LJs toolbar.
 
#7 ·
Well, I was just wondering what people wanted to do. I think I will just proceed to do what I started out to do, which was to write my own separate blog series of my own hints, tips, jigs, patterns, etc, rather than calling them projects, which they really won't be.

So, I guess my answer to Dan will be, he should put his own jigs, hints, etc in his own blog, projects, forums, etc. That is what my orignal concept was. And let search find them, as you suggested.

Thanks for the input
 
#8 ·
Fence ruler with stop block and position indicator.

For many years I have used a ruler on my radial arm saw (RAS) fence, and instead of measuring for crosscuts, I just place a stop block at the proper point on the ruler. This is a second generation solution, to remedy minor issues with effective fence height with my first one. I find that my placement of block is accurate to less than 1/64 of an inch, a few thousands of an inch measured with a digital caliper, in routine use.

First I will show you the fence in place on my saw, because then everything else I say will be more understandable.

View 1 - The fence, and the stop block with a Vise-grip clamp (simple, inexpensive, works great)



View 2 - The stop block up close. To position it, you sight along the acrylic piece that is colored with a Sharpie on the edge, creating a very fine line. Because the stop is exactly 10" long, to set it for 0.5 inch, you can read 10.5" on the back side which is easier.



View 3 - The label that has been placed after the fence position has been tested for accuracy. See below. Note the vise grip clap that is used to clamp the stop block sitting on the shelf.



There are three considerations:

1. Indicator for fence position so that you know the fence position is right for the current blade, and has not moved.
2. Placement of the ruler and cursor so that it does not decrease effective fence height and is readable.
3. Setting of the block for short distances where visualizing the ruler is compromised by the saw motor and such.

Solutions:

1.An adhesive label with vertical lines, that is thin enough to not influence the position of the workpiece. If the fence is out of alignment, it is obvious at a glance. I always give a quick look before cutting a piece.

First verify the the fence is properly placed. I adjust the fence and then cut a piece of scrap placed against the stop block and measure it with a caliper. I use a digital one made by Wixey. Then adjust and cut until it is perfect.

Then place the label against the fence so that half of the label will be on the table. Knock it into position with a block of wood. Then cut it with a box cutter or other, right at the junction between the fence and the table. Mark it, if you wish, with the blade model in use. You can use other labels for different blades.

2. I used a ruler that was placed in an indent on the face of the fence originally. This reduced its effective height. This time I placed it on top of the fence, and used a piece of acrylic for the cursor. Much better.

3. Make your stop block exactly 10 inches long. Then you can sight off the back of the block, i.e. 10.5 inches = 0.5 inches on the front of the block.

I made the label myself with a Brother label maker. But, any label with lines you can orient vertically will do. Even a piece of lined paper glued in place.

Comment:

This is one of the best time saving things I have done in the shop. It also improve my measurement accuracy.
It may be applicable to any tool that uses a movable fence.

If anyone is interested and has questions about how to cut the block and acrylic, etc., let me know.
 
#17 ·
Reclaiming old stuff.........guess what this was.......

Well, after finishing my downdraft table (see my blog, Revamping and Updating My Old Shop), and making my dutiful post about it here, I started to clean up the shop. So moving stuff back where it belonged, the two-bit (pun intended) router table went up high on a shelf, moved off a generic rolling stand that I use for all kinds of stuff, and then I looked about for a place to put the downdraft table. (This shop desparately needs wall space and, it will take cabinets and big time organization to accomplish that).

I looked at the stand the router just came off of….......and plunked the downdraft table on it…....and laughed. It fit perfectly. But the funny part of it is, I suddenly remembered where this stand came from. It has a handle on the left for rolling. It normally sits on all four legs, but if you lift up on that handle, then the casters, that are normally just barely off the ground become the lowest point, and off you roll. I had built a plywood top, and a shelf for what was a barebones iron stand. It is heavy sturdy, portable, was given to me, and except for the casters, was built from scrap. The stand that I started with is just the iron part.

I built this about 17 years ago….....

Here it is, this is an easy one…....the stand was given to me, I used it briefly, and I was going to throw it out before I had the inspiration and turned it into a utility cart….......

What is it. Easy.

 
#21 ·
Replacing the belt and pulleys on a Delta Contractors Saw

I am documenting the following only because I noted posts on the net requesting info on how to get the arbor nut off the Delta Contractors Saw. I am sure there are other ways to do this, but this was simple and worked.

I am slowly upgrading my old Delta Contractors Saw. So I bought the In-Line machined pulleys and the Power Twist Plus 1/2" V-belt 4 foot package. In-Line could not supply the belt, so I bought it separately. It takes 3 & 1/2 feet (42") of belt.

I wondered if there was anything special I needed to know to replace the pulleys. So I googled around and found some people who didn't know how to get the pulley off the arbor end, but no answers. The problem with the arbor end pulley, that comes in two halves held in by a nut, is that the nut it is a right hand thread, and the saw blade end, of course, is a left hand thread. There are no flats on the shaft as on my RAS to get a hold of the shaft. So you can't hold the saw nut to get the pulley nut off, because the motion loosens it.

I put WD-40 on each pulley and let it soak in before trying removal.

The motor pulley has a hex screw that you have to loosen, then you can knock the pulley loose, and remove or keep knocking it until it is off. That pulley had a shaft key that the hex set screw bit into. I saved the key.

The arbor end presented two problems. 1) getting the nut off 2) knocking off the split pulley.

My solution for holding the shaft was to put an old blade, ready for the dump, on the saw. Then I grabbed the blade with a vise grip and let the saw table keep the vise grip from turning. Then tightened the nut down good. The vise-grip gave me a better puchase than the wood to loosen up that old nut. Then using the arbor wrench provided with the saw, I could easily remove the right threaded nut. I tilted the saw to get a better view of the arbor pulley and knocked it off using a hammer and piece of wood.

The halves had a built in key, but the new pulley did not come with one. Fortunately, about 30 years ago I had bought a miscellanous hardware collection, cheapo like, and it came with some shaft keys. And fortunately I had one that fit. So I put on the new machined arbor pulley, and used a key, since the pulley had a hex set screw. I did not put the nut back on, since I could not see not any use for it since the pulley was now firmly held with the hex set screw and key, just like the motor pulley. The nut was superfluous and just a pain to take off,

Similarly I put on the new pulley for the motor end.

I cleaned up any excess WD-40, and the shipping grease on the pulleys with acetone. Then I put the link belt together, and put it on saw. There were good instructions on the inside of the packaging for the belt, including how long to make it for my kind of saw, so I won't repeat that here. I checked the alignment of the pulleys with each other, and made sure the belt cleared the guard.

I rechecked the front to back alignment of the blade with the miter slot….......of course….....using my handy-dandy Wixey Digital Caliper mount….......got another use out of that wretched thing….. (-: There was no change in alignment from my hammering and messing around with the pulleys.

The saw is very free of significant vibration. A nickel stayed standing. Couldn't find a new dime, and the old I had wouldn't stand…......so I leaned it up against a nickel, and they both stayed standing from startup through shut down (does that pass the purist's dime test?). The saw sounds different, no rumble, just some whine…......that's all I need…... my saw has become a whiner. Next I need a zero clearance insert and a large sled. Then off to my computer cart utilitarian project.

I still have lodged in my brain an innovative saw guard and splitter solution, as well as an innovative dust collecting solution…......bet you can hardly wait…........................(-:
 
#25 ·
Large Sled - Sketchup

This is the Sketchup view of my Large Sled, hopefully will start it this weekend. I do most crosscut on the radial arm saw up to about 14", so I need a large sled for sizes beyond that. It will take a panel up to 24" wide. MDF base, high impact acrylic guard (thanks MickeyD), the rest is 3/4" birch ply. Runners will be aluminum bar backed with MDF.

 
#47 ·
Tool Totes - Purpose, Philosophy, Design, Construction, and Usage

Note: I was asked to describe my tool tote after it was noted in my push drill blog. So here is my command performance (-:
....probably more than you asked for.

My tool tote was born out of frustration and need. I had a plastic one that started falling apart, and was totally inadequate in any case. So I built mine, lets call him Tommy, and his sidekick Betty Bit Box. This is a utilitarian as it gets. Built about 22 years ago, it has traveled all over the state in the bowels of my motor home, suffered through rain storms (motor home fixing), snow storms, trips to the attic, out to fix the gate and the fence, onto the roof to install antennas and fix the flashing and shingles, etc. It has primarily an electrical bent, but is used for plumbing, woodworking, any shop project, etc. I suspect I will build a totally woodworking one and put different and new tools in it. So here is my thoughts on tool totes:

PURPOSE:
Whatever you are interested in. Really, if you are going to build one, build two or more at the same time. The concept is simple. Carry your tools to the job in a tote that has dedicated tools, that are never removed from the tote, because then you always know what is there.

I think there may be two main types:
Portable Fixitup Tote: That would be similar to Tommy
Workshop Tote: Mostly for moving commonly used tools to the point of action. Some people make large ones and put them on wheels. That is something different than Tommy, but has the same philosophy.

PHILOSOPHY:
Totes should fit you, and your tools. They should be extremly tough and durable. They should be mutable, meaning tool racks should come off with a few screws and be replaceable. They should be portable. You never have enough totes, I need more.

DESIGN and CONSTRUCTION:
There should be as many different designs as there are totes, meaning, this should be about as custom and unique as things get. Build it to fit your tools.

Considerations include:
Size: too big and you can't move it.
Weight: this is a big issue, Tommy is heavy, so construction materials and size should take weight into consideration
Durability: Metal would be fine, but it is not too mutable. Wood is mutable, but heavy. Plastic is probably just not workable. I chose wood, because I can build in wood easily, you can make it as tough as you want, refinish it with ease, and it is mutable.
Construction: I used nails and glue for much of the main construction, and then screwed add-ons to the main frame. Trust me, nails and glue with butt joints, even with ¼ plywood is amazingly strong. Tommy is 22 years old, and nothing on him has broken.
Finish: Danish oil works great, refinishing is easy, nicks, scratches etc don't destroy the integrity of the finish.
Parts: Totes are a great use for scrap, salvage drawers ( Tommy's are from my old broken purchased plastic tote), and Rube Goldberg designs.
Handle: It should be a rod so that you can pick it up at the point of balance. You will pile things on it and in it, and the center of gravity will change drastically. So use a rod over the top to carry it. I used a dowel.

My tool tote, Tommy, and his sidekick, Betty the bit box
.
Betty contains screwdriver bits, extensions, countersinks, etc.

Tommy got his 3rd, or is it 4th coat of Watco today, just so that I could show you the construction, and give you a better idea of how it is used.

Tommy with his tool racks off
.

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Tommy's tool racks
.

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Tommy's drawer fittings, the plastic drawers have to be lifted slightly to pull out, so they don't open on their own
.

.
Tommy's contents
.

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Tommy's drawers
.

.
Betty bit box open, note the piece of a rubber baby buggy bumper that stops the sliding top.
I took this picture after turning Betty upside down and shaking her. Betty is designed to keep
everything in place when the top is closed.
.

.
Betty nearly closed, you can see the latch mechanism, it is very firm and it never opens unintentionally
.

.
Tommy filled from the left
.

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Tommy filled from the right
.
 
#83 ·
Revised sled.......Soooper Sled Design

After patron, Timbo, stefang, Scott, and NBeener goaded me on, and dbHost had more ideas, I decided I had to do the SoooperSled. So I ordered the stuff from Rockler, and now it is here. So I made a design. Still not sure whether to use plywood or MDF for the base, the plywood up here is kinda marginal. Can use it for the fences, glue up a couple of layers and make sure it is straight, but don't know for the base yet. Got a message into Timbo re that.

So assuming I use plywood I have a design. Not much new, I had Nixon's stuff and Scott's stuff up on my side computers (I frequently use three computers, one is my last main computer, the other is a cheap thing I built, and my aging main computer, all running on old, but good, 21" monitors).

I digress…..do you ever think how much heat these things give off, infrared, I am always toastie, browning in front of these monitors…......(-:

So anyway, I made a design and I am looking for comments….....cause I will be working on it soon.

Here it is from the front:



...from the back:



Tomorrow morning I will post a link to the Sketchup File and the textures I am using….......
 
#98 ·
Second Revision.......Super Sled Sketchup Design

After much knashing of teeth and pulling of hair, I decided on a compromise.

1) I am going to use 3/4" plywood, which I have and can obtain that is flat, i.e. not warped. The weight is not significantly different than the 1/2" MDF. The loss in blade height of 1/4" is inconsequential, because very thick pieces would undoubtedly be narrower, and I would cut them with the RAS.
2) I am going back to the original back design of Scott and Nixon, i.e. 11.5". I don't need to worry about the plywood breaking off of it like the MDF. If it works for Scott and Nixon, it should work for me, and my plywood is thicker. Note that the wood the handle is attached to as well as the blade safety block will hold the pieces together until I make final adjustments of the main fence.
3) The rails (miter slides) will be 3/4"x1/8" aluminum bar backed up with 1/4" ply, hardboard, or MDF, I don't think it is too important.
4) I went back to 28" protractor arms, since this size board can handle them.

So I am ready for the critique, throw your best punches…...................

Front view:



Back view:

 
#99 ·
Here is the Sketchup File for the Soooper Sled

Soooper Sled Sketchup File

The only object I downloaded was some thread for the bolts, which I then modified in a number of ways. The Rockler star knobs are original, I couldn't find the exact item in the warehouse. Feel free to use anything in the file anyway you want. I turned off the shadows, since they take a lot of processing. Choose edge or profile in the edge style under the view menu item.

I have opened another blog item for the textures,

Sketchup Texture Blog

which I used in this drawing, as well as many others designed for woodworking. This will be a work in progress and I will update it and notify people in that blog item when updates occur.
 
#106 ·
Tool Totes - Shop Tote for Small Tools and Instuments

INTRODUCTION
This is a description of Tammy Tote, a much different tote than Tommy, who was described per request, and is very utilitarian, meant to leave the shop when necessary, and had a distinctly electrical bent. Tommy is described here Tommy Tote, and the tote philosophy.

So here is the new tote, Tammy the shop tote, loaded with the intended tools, which I am sure will change over time:



HISTORY
Tammy, who has a very different appearance, is designed to stay in the shop, but is more flexible as to content. Tammy was built last Sunday in a couple of hours, and although inherently flexible, has a distinct purpose in my shop. She is designed to carry mostly measurement tools and instruments, and a few other frequently used items. She is a little similar to another tote, that sits on the back of my radial arm saw table. He is named Toby, and was built 10 years ago or so. He wasn't designed to move anywhere, and Tammy is so much better, the result of discovering Toby's deficiencies, that Toby will be replaced soon by a tote similar to Tammy, and Toby will become a shelf on the wall or on some other bench.

Here is venerable old Toby, useful, but not as useful as he needs to be…....



Toby brings one characteristic to Tammy intact, his method of fixation to the table top. He has 2 iron studs, made from 16d nails, that fit in drilled holes on the table. They are so effective, that, not remembering after 10 years of stitting there, I thought he was screwed to the table. So when I had to remove him and put him on the new RAS table I looked for the nonexistent screws, and then found that he was easily removeable, and lifted him off. Tammy, the new shop tote has the same system.

PHILOSOPHY
As noted in my previous tote blog, I think there are a few essential requirements for totes:

1. Totes should fit you, and your tools
2. They should be extremly tough and durable
3. They should be mutable
4. They should be portable

......and an observation….....
5. You never have enough totes

I noted there were two purposes for totes, the portable fix-em-up type and the shop tote. Tommy is a fix-em-up type but is always at my side during projects, because he carries a lot of stuff that is useful. And Tammy is a shop tote, designed to be in the shop, and not go elsewhere.

DESIGN
Tammy was designed with a smaller opening in between the bottom two shelves because I knew my big digital instruments would go there, and actually one more will be there, my Wixey digital angle gauge. I don't really need to see that shelf well. Tammy is symmetrical front to back, and she is open at the front and back, (Toby the RAS tote is open only at the front, a problem). The curved cut outs on the sides are to facilitate reaching in at an angle. You should be able to reach tools from nearly all angles. Seeing is not quite as important, because you remember what is where after awhile.

Perhaps two new Tote principles here:
6. All tools should be readily visible
7. Tool accessibility should be maximized

Tammy has the same studs as Toby. I made holes in all my project tables at all corners (they are very mobile and can get turned around), and on my workbench as well. I can pick up Tammy and in a few seconds have her securely situated at another work site.

Tools fall to the floor, with more or less disastrous results in my experience, because you push them off with something else. You cannot easily push Tammy off the work areas, in fact it is nearly impossible with a random movement. The tools on Tammy are held by low edges front and back, so random movements will not dislodge them. The front and back lips of the shelves can easily be made as high as you need for security for a given tool set. Mine are about 3/8". A secure system of mounting is important, because you want the tote away from the center of the workspace, near the edge.

CONSTRUCTION
Unlike Tommy, there are no customized tool racks, so nothing has to be removable and replaceable. Hence, Tammy fits the mutability requirement. Finished with Black Walnut WATCO danish oil. You can't compromise it with scratches or dents. Danish oil is a good shop jig finish.

Tammy's construction is plywood with dados, nails, and glue. I have said this before, and I will say it again, this type of construction is highly underrated, and I have never had it fail in up to 25 years of hard use. The sides are 1/2 birch ply, the shelves and edging are 1/4 inch birch ply. The studs are 16d nails, protruding 3/4" and cut and rounded on the end. The shelves are dadoed into the sides. Tammy is very light weight.

I made a jig for the right dimensions for Tammy's studs, and drilled 9/64 holes, then inserted the nails. Cut them off 3/4" above the surface, removed them, rounded the surface with a file, and replaced them. I used super glue to keep the studs in Tammy. Then used the same jig (just a piece of wood with two screws driven in and protruding) to place all the holes in my work surfaces. Works perfectly. You may want to enlarge the holes in the work surfaces with a little in and out of the drill.

Outside dimensions: approximately 8 1/4" high, 7" deep, 11 3/4" wide. These dimensions are about what I wanted, influenced by scrap material on hand.

MORE PICTURES

Here's the stuff I put in Tammy, minus the angle gauge….....



Here's a picture that lets you see Tammy's stud's, I cut the curves in her side with my bandsaw. I used a template I quickly made with Corel Draw's superb bezier function capability, printed up patterns to scale, and cut them out, and drew them on the board.



And here is Tammy, with her feminine curves, and Tommy with his robust muscle compared….....



..........aren't they a cute couple? (-:
 
#125 ·
Sledding on the 4th of July........is this a Jig, or an Antic?

This is a long convoluted story from the project side, but pretty straight forward as a blog.

I made a panel sled…....a 3×3 foot monster.

One sided, blade to the left, fence at the front. The sled is not finished off, meaning, I am going to put a little oak on the front, the rabbeted pieces are already cut and sized, and give it the ubiquitous coat of WATCO. In my shop, WATCO is the rule for jigs and fixtures.

Here is the underside.



It only has one working slide. The slide on the edge is to make it level for the outfeed table….......
Large but light, 1/2 inch MDF and my aluminum and hardboard sandwich slides.
The sled is just to the right of the blade, hence only one slide.

Fence Detail: (see pictures down the page)
The aluminum angle fence is attached with screws and bolts at the ends. The bolt near the blade is actually run through a threaded hole in the aluminum angle. The end bolt goes through the edge slider for strength and has an oversized hole in the angle for adjustment. The other screws in the angle are through oversized holes in the angle aluminum. All screws and bolts are fixed with lock washers.

Notice the front projection for the slide. When I start a cut the slide is fully engaged on the TS top, front to back.

My runners are made from 3/4 inch by 1/8 inch stock aluminum, glued to 1/8 inch hardboard, about 1/16 inch narrower than the aluminum with CA glue. The slide is also screwed, the edge slide is not. Aluminum because it is easy to work, including countersinking the screws, steel would be nicer….....a compromise, the slide is glued to the MDF or plywood with Titebond III

This looks like a great way to build a sled for panels, quick, relatively light, and accurate, it is simple, quick, and cheap.

Note the support, a piece of aluminum tubing in some already dadoed oak, that was waste. The tubing is not attached, it rolls and slides with the wood.



Why did I make this unwieldy beast? Well it is a long story. It is about sleds.

Once upon a time…... there was this novice LJ, who decided to make a crosscut sled…......simple….......and when the LJ buddies, gurus, and experts got through with it…........it became a super sled. Almost done. Except for the miter arms. So routing the oak the for the arms…....

no matter how I clamped it, the oak jumped around and I got lousy slots.

The problems was layers, I needed room underneath, because it was a through slot, and that meant layers of clamped guides. Bad.

So not knowing there was a slick method to make slots on the router table, I decided to make a project table, reversible, one side for through cuts, the other side absolutely flat with reference angle corners to do glueups, setups, whatever.

Now, once finding the way to make the slots, already well on my way with the project table, I said to myself:

'This project table is a great idea, I am going to go on and finish it'.

It is a convoluted strange variant on Bricofleur's Rout through Jig, http://lumberjocks.com/projects/23200,

Thanks Serge!!!

(I didn't realize this until I was half way through it, and it was obvious that the general idea came from him, I had favorited his jig).

Now the project table top is reversible in my standard 2×4 foot project table base, so it already has prebuilt legs. So I finished it off. Lot of glueups. Needs a little metal to make it robust, meaning nails and screws, but heavy and absolutely flat…...........and but…......

.........the sides were not straight and the corners therefore were not reference angles….... I wanted that.

So, to the rescue, the Quick and Dirty Panel sled.

So today, I finished the sled….......

This is basically using the TS as a Jointer.

I had to use a run off fence to guide it because the table top was longer than the sled. Check out the Rockler fence clamps….....

So I ran my project table top through the saw, using the sled, all four sides….......

But….....checked it out…..........

PERFECT STRAIGHT SIDES AND ABSOLUTELY RIGHT ANGLES FOR REFERENCE AT EACH CORNER…......ALL RIGHT!!

.......an overview of the sled with the project table on it….........



Notice the project table way in back. It is used for an infeed table, just supporting the corner as I get started.

Another view of the sled in action, note the clamped stop block. When I turned the project table top crosswise that was not possible, but it still worked well….......



I am really excited….....this Q&D sled worked out great…......

........next blog is the project table top, essentially complete. A real oddity.

Hope you enjoyed sledding, on the 4th of July…...........(-:

Bammmmm…......

Alaska Jim
 
#131 ·
Wow, it's like "Stone Soup", only with wood. A hundred ingredients later and this is the result; well done. I hope to see it in person soon.
I am convinced that over time, the real appreciation for this advanced divice will increase over time and use.
 
#153 ·
I designed, built it, use it..........but WHAT IS IT?

I designed, built it, use it, like it….......but what is it??

I have come to a point where I am finishing off a number of shop fixtures. I was thinking I was like Tolkien with his Lord of the Rings Trilogy…....I have read them all…...and then realized I had a quad…......

What a disappointment…...all the famous hip and iconic people, (maybe that's the problem, I am not hip or iconic), do…..... TRIOLGIES............... Rats.

I even tried to find the word…quadigy. People use the word for things, but it isn't a real word, I think. But folks seem to think it ought to be a word, because it crops up on searches.

Therefore…....I have a QUADIGY

This is a part of a long saga of intertwined, off beat shop projects that I am about to complete. The only one left of this quadigy is a super sled, which is more mainstream and just waiting for its miter arms. Completed are the panel sled with its oak trimming (Oak Trimming?......for you neophytes to LJ's, thats what LJ's do), the dust collector gizmo, and the project table top. All of them are kinda unique and have been used some in an unfinished state (you are thinking that there is nothing really unique anymore, but you have forgotten how nerdy, and off the wall, this old senile Alaskan really is).

But this blog is about….......the gizmo. It is done done done. I know what it does, but I really don't know what it is!

So here it is:



Kinda like hydra with multiple inputs…...errr…....exputs…......well really…...hmmmm.

........it sucks a lot…......that's its job….......if it were my job…...yup…..thankfully it is not my job.

So come on, we need a name. It is fed….or drained…..again, this is difficult…by a…..

4 inch dust collector branch tube at the back. A blast gate is installed there.

Why the blast gate? So I can close it off without going all the way to where ever it is hooked up. That way I can quickly turn to another tool that has a nearby blast gate, open it up and use it briefly, close it, then come back to where I was and open the blast gate on the gizmo again, and start sanding, drilling, whatever again.

There are four bullet catches on this thing. They can be pushed back down with some pressure from the acrylic covers, and they pop into an appropriately located hole, so as to firmly hold the cover. With enuf pressure from the cover, they will move out of the way and the cover can be closed again. There are finger holes in each of the covers.

You open and close these covers with a quick forceful snapping action. I like bullet catches, and I have used them in many objects over the years.

This thing slurps a lot of sawdust. The top, front, and both sides have….(no, LJ's, not orifices).......ports…..that sounds good. Each of the ports has an acrylic cover that covers the port when not in use. The acrylic cover has a hole for a bullet catch so that in the case of sides, the cover will be held by the catch while you are attaching a hose. The top one actually has the bullet catch situated to keep it closed, because gravity is not a factor. At the front there is a slot…..(no…..not a trough)....also with a cover that can be pushed up and is held by the bullet catch.



It is feasible to use two of the ports at a time with the flow from my DC.

Here is a detail of the inside illustrating a port. You can see a 3/4" piece of plywood, with an offset circle cut in it so that one side, in this case the bottom, is open. Meaning you can cut this with a band saw like I did. Then, only the closed side opposite the open side is nailed and glued in place. The circle is cut exactly the same size as the narrowest portion of the tapering hose connector. The the connector can cause the unglued part of the plywood to spred slightly, giving a very tight spring action fit.



This is a very quick and easy way to make ports that exactly fit tapering hose connectors with a tight spring action. You can use a piece of scrap 3/4 inch plywood, and cut it with whatever works for you….scroll saw, jig saw, or band saw.

Now, just for novelty, this gizmo will take an aluminum and MDF slide, inserted in the bottom of the gizmo…....
.......so that it can be moved smoothly along, to follow what you are doing. Here it is on my new project table top ready to slide along, as you create sawdust, with some tool or another, on the board clamped in front of it.



The slide is clamped to the table. the gizmo runs over the slide without touching the table, so it is smooth. And the gizmo has flanges which grasp the slide so that it will not tip or come off.

Anyway, I know what you are all thinking….over engineered….is that a compliment or not? Time to lay down the glove and tell me where you stand.

OK, OK, OK. Back to the business of explaining why in h… I made this abomination, that looks like it has been transplanted from some Greek mythologic horror story…..with the gizmo being one of the monsters.

I was making this project table top…....one of the quadigy.....also now completed, and I was having MDF dust flying everywhere as I routed slots, all the way through the MDF, meaning sawdust could exit out the top and the bottom, and hence was making a real mess. I found I was hooking up hoses, and trying to clamp them in place, usually in an unsatisfactory fashion, partly because the router and the drill were on the move and quickly got out of range of the dust port. Hence, I invented this gizmo, with options for one or more smaller hoses, or just a slot opened in front to place near the workpiece.

So there you have it. A device to facilitate dust collection from drills, sanders, routers, circular saws, etc. This gizmo can be clamped near to the action, or if the action keeps moving, moved along a slide without having to reclamp it in a new position.

We need both a descriptive name….....and of course….....Neil will demand that it have a pet name.....you know, a name like Norton, the shop mascot, the fancy sanding block has.

So what would be a good descriptive name, that lets you know what we are talking about? And then to individualize it, give it personality, something I can talk to when I have a lonely day, what would be a good pet name?

Thanks for viewing

Alaska Jim
 
#193 ·
Project Table Top........misconceived, but it is a gem.........no birth defects....(-:

Now tell me why did I build this thing?

It should be made of rosewood, and inlayed with ivory and ebony, considering the amount of time I have spent, and the grief it has caused, and sawdust it has generated.

I have been at this thing off and on for months. I originally naively started this thing so I could better control routing slots in the oak miter arms I was trying to make for my super sled.

After getting well on my way, I of course found a neat article on how to do the slots on the router table, in a twinkle, yet.

........IN A TWINKLE!

Dahhhhhhh.

(pardon me while I gnash my teeth, and self-flagellate for the umpteenth time)

Moral of the story, a little research of the literature can save you about 7000 curse words…......

(I have outstripped my vocabulary of unprintable, politically uncorrect, and blasphemous exclamations, and let me tell you, we physicians have large vocabularies, and a proportionately oversized group of epithets to add emphasis to our erudite, and sometimes not so erudite, commentary)

A little research can also save you about a hundred hours of work, with the most dastardly manufactured construction material ever invented, surely by the devil himself…........MDF. Another name for this thing would be the MDF MONOLITH…..here it is sitting on one of the project tables, for an overview…........



MDF….....damned MDF.

I swear even my toothbrush and dental floss, let alone my comb, and my Jockey briefs, have been clogged and corrupted by the odious silt generated from this stuff, rising with the slightest touch, in noxious clouds, to cover everything in the shop.

I will forever remember routing that stuff…......

..... with earprotectors, a face shield, and a mouth mask…..sweat running down my face, making little rivelets in the MDF mud coating me.....peering through the corrosive plumes of desert sand-like stuff, trying to get a glimpse of my lines, to see if I had yet another time, gone astray.

I saved these masochistic episodes for times when I felt particularly guilty about some moral deviation, having found this to be the supreme self-punishment [no, I am not going to confess about my deviant behaviour…......(-: ]

I also made my dust collecting gizmo along the way, as a result of being…..

.........covered with (it must be made of finely ground camel dung) the effluent that it vengefully spit at me as I tried to coax it into something of value.

You would think the stuff would at least be light weight, but oh no. I am sure the EPA will some day tell us we can no longer use MDF because it is primarily composed of lead, or depleted uranium.

And then when you try to finish it, you would swear the finish when applied to the top…....falls straight through it and ends up on the floor. They should make sponges of this stuff.

All right. Thanks LJ's, for allowing me to vent a little, I needed that.

OK, to tell the truth, this project table top is a very useful item.

I was using it constantly while I made my dust collecting gizmo. With appropriate holddowns, I used it for glueups of the box, glueups of assorted plywood appendages, and a way to firmly hold the acrylic while I filed the proper profile in the hole for the bullet catches, etc.

It is reversible, one side being smooth, and interlaced with 3/8 inch slots for holddowns and jigs. The other side has pedestals to facilitate through routing and cutting, and of course the mirror image of the slots.

The pedestal side:



It is one inch thick, composed of two layers of one half inch MDF. The top is one piece, the pedestal side is made of many pieces to reduce the amount of routing, and allow the vertical face of the pedestals to actually be glued to the top piece and entrapped by other pieces, all for strength. The pedestals also bridge some of the long slots for strength. The pedestals themselves have a long slot running the whole length.

It has been finished with the ubiquitous Dark Walnut (can't get Black Walnut anymore) WATCO. Never looks dirty….....because it looks like it is made of dirt. The finish has no dimensions, so it doesn't screw up mechanical constructions, and it can be recoated easily at any time.



This reversible top fits in one of my old project tables, whose tops are just dropped in, held by cleats, but not fastened on. But I will make a whole new base for this thing, partly because it is fairly heavy, but also it will be made to store most of my clamps.



So you see it in a temporary home, with a few examples of simple holding situations, but it will soon have a new much more robust base.

Needless to say, I can dream up a myriad of attachments and gizmos for this item.

Most of them won't be useful, but they will be fun to make…............(-:

Here is the other side in mockup use, ideal for through routing and cutting:



I have also been wondering if this might be used with a plunge saw, I really need a better setup to cut large sheets of MDF and plywood into manageable pieces. Of course I have a large panel sled, and will blog on it since it is now finished, as well. Thanks for absorbing my, at times, vindictive prose, and my amateurish photos. Have a good one…......(-:

Alaska Jim
 
#194 ·
Jim, I know you built this to assist with the construction of another more useful jig! Actually this does seem to be very useful for holding a workpiece. Does it have a name?
 
#224 ·
Making the job of being safe, very easy. Contractors Saw Original Guard Mod.

I realized after I did this, that Martin has reduced the size of the width of photo you can use, so the photo isn't centered, but you can see everything.

Yesterday I made a very quick modification to my original equipment Delta Contractor Saw guard. All the parts were in the shop, serendipitously, so it took me less than 30 minutes.

I had placed a wing nut on the back bolt for the splitter nearly a year ago. But this time, I actually modified the mount so that there are no nuts or bolts that are loose when I take the mount off.

Here are the parts I used, with a ruler for perspective:


Now I can put the guard on or off in 20 seconds.

I put a slot in the back part of the splitter so the back bolt stays in place, on or off, and you can slide it on and then tighten what used to be a nut, now it is a plastic and brass 5/16 jig knob.

Here is a picture of the slot I cut with a hack saw. The side you put the slot on may or may not be important. But if you put the slot on the other side, if somehow, the whole thing got loose, I can visualize the wood and the guard going forward together because of kickback pressure through the pawls. The upward position of the slot makes it even less likely to move.



The front one always was a slider, but it had a bolt fitting into a purposefully sloppy nut mechanism. I put a 5/16 inch T bolt through the wrong way and tightened it, and now have a plastic and brass 5/16 jig knob there also. Any kind of bolt would work, however.




It used to take me just under a minute to put the guard on or off, and I had a bolt and nut to replace when I put it back on, and it took a wrench to tighten the front bolt.

Now I have it down to 20 seconds, and there are no loose parts and no tools needed. Just making sure the job of being safe is very easy. I use both hands and tighten or loosen both knobs simultaneously.



Of course I plan to replace the whole guard system, and I have already purchased some items, although the shark guard sure is tempting. The saw dust collection needs to be addressed in the next 3 months.

But in the meantime, I use the guard because it is easy, and it helps keep me safe.
 
#225 ·
Nice idea, Jim.

I like the idea of not needing a wrench to tighten down the bolt. I'll have to see if this will work on my saw. Mine's a real pain to remove/reinstall the splitter.

Lew
 
#235 ·
Radial Arm Saw Dust Collection...Precision Control of the Dust......

Over a year ago, I was participating in a discussion about dust collection, including Radial Arm Saws (RAS). Jim Hamilton noted that moving the dust collection port, let's call it the dust hood, up to the fence improves performance considerably. So over a year later, I finally got around to it.

The new system outperforms the old one about 20 to 1, meaning there was at least 20 times the number of chips or more, with the old system. On many cuts, there are no chips left on the table, especially common with solid wood.

This is my old system….....
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Notice how far back it is. I made that about 15 years ago I think. Initially it was powered by the central household vacuum system, for the last two years it was connected to a Delta 50-760 with hose running throughout the shop to many blast gates. The problem is that chips fly all over the table, especially with thin veneered Chinese plywood. Note the white plumbing piece to redirect any flow through the guard's dust port. Very little comes through that port in crosscut. This saw is used a crosscut specialist. Also for dadoes. I may make a miter jig for it, but the TS with its Super Sled does most miters easily.
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.......so I make a new dust hood, modify the fence, change the guard, and add a "remote control" to the blast gate.
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Note it comes right up to the fence. The holes in the fence help lower the stream of air to catch chips on the surface. They also function extremely well as a table sweep...kind like a floor sweep….so that the few chips that are still scattered can be swept over to it with a brush or even a piece of wood. This works surprisingly well.
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Here is the blade pushed back to its resting position…..I removed the essentially useless lower guard, and blocked the dust orifice on the guard…...
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Note the piece of dowel working as a "remote control" for the blast gate, which is now open.
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Here is the saw part way out…
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The blast gate is attached with my usual plywood spring ring.......same as pictured here as used on my multifunction table….
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...and the fence has a ruler and stop block system as blogged here........

Fence and Stop Block System
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Now I don't have to stop and clean up after every cut…......, and I just push the occasion few stray chips up to the holes in the fence.
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Slick.
 
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