| Blog series by degoose | updated 633 days ago | 42 parts | 67146 reads | 518 comments total |
Part 1: Signmaking
Had a full day yesterday, filming the Torque Work Centre,Aaron and Luke came down from Yandina. They make the tool with Keith, who couldn’t make it down.And Stuart arrived with his trusty video camera to take some footage of the machine in action.Had a blast and learned a few more things the wee beastie can do.For a start we just set it up with a router [Makita 3612C ] and did some basic rabbets dados and grooves.Cut an arc and did some angle routing. Pretty cool.\Then we made a board u...
Part 2: Circle inlay
I cut a circle in Purple heart and then wanted to inlay it into a piece of Tasmanian blackwood.To gauge the circle need to to be cut I fitted the PH on the pin in the table and moved the router to just inside the outer edge. I then locked the X and Y axis.Drilled a 6 mm hole in the centre of the blackwood and fitted it on the pin in the table. Turned on the router plunged it and rotated the blank.Then.. Pushed out the centre and inserted the PH.. fit like a glove… wonderful moment as i...
Part 3: Surfacing an endgrain block.
As you all know trying to flatten a large endgrain butcher block can be a little tricky.I use a 16 – 32 drum sander and it is fine for small blocks but this bugger was large and heavy [2 1/2 ” thick]. BTW Purple Heart and New Guinea RosewoodUsing the new surfacer head on the router on the the new wee beastie made flattening this block a breeze.The depth of cut is set and the fore and aft axis is locked while allowing movement sideways. Starting at the front of the block a small p...
Part 4: First cut of the demo video shot this week.
You guys are seeing this video while it is still in the editing stage,, no voice over but there will be.Hope you see the versatility and adaptability of the wee beastie. If you have any questions , I will be happy to answer them and If I don’t know will find out. This was a nearly 400 meg video.. but by splitting and compressing to Mp4 got it down to a fairly acceptable size. I have 117 small segments that deal with things like adjustment and fitting of various attachments for those wh...
Part 5: Ease of use.. changing attachments.
Self explanatory heading, changing attachments is as easy as loosening a bolt.Here are just a few very short vids of the different attachments being changed.[As requested by Lisa aka Dustbunny.] .. Locator pins make it easy to attach. This one is for the router. .. .. Tightening the bolt from the rear. .. .. Adding the copy attachment bracket. .. .. Using an allen key to tighten up through the access hole in the bracket.. .. .. Adding a dust extract...
Part 6: Bloopers
Just like on real TV and at the Movies.. bloopers seem to be the best bits.Here are a few of the out takes we had.. most were deleted but I managed to save a few for your viewing pleasure... . Trying to mount the saw.. lol . . And the darn router . . Working with Japanese safety boots.. thongs with a strap. . Router again... . .. "Thing" from the "Adams Family" made an appearance to help .....
Part 7: For those who are interested in the Work Centre.
I am providing two links for those who are interested in the Torque Work Centre. Pics don’t fit in the window here hence the link to Photobucket.First is a brochure on features and the second is a price list in AU$ including GST here in Australia.. not applicable overseas.http://i662.photobucket.com/albums/uu349/degoose/frontpagetorque.jpg http://i662.photobucket.com/albums/uu349/degoose/torqueworkcentresprices.jpg I am still waiting on shipping costs to various locations , please...
Part 8: Shipping to the U.S. of A.
Some of you will have received a PM from me regards the cost of shipping the Torque Work Centre to the US. For those who may require this info and have not received it. Most people on the continental US will be able to have the machine [configured similar to mine .. 2 meter by 600mm table with 900 mm outfeed on the arm.. including copy. saw and drill optional attachments, shipping and insurance,], delivered to their door for between US$3900 and US$4100 depending on actual address.The ...
Part 9: The all new video clips.
Here is the all new promo with voice over straight from the editing room.Please take the time to look at it all and I hope that you enjoy.
Part 10: Affordability
A big Hello to all the woodies in the US and Canada who would like to own one of the wee beasties,,.Due to the removal of GST [ Australian Goods and Services Tax ] when a Machine is sent Overseas and the much lower shipping charges we have , [yes we .. I am now an official Agent for the company] negotiated.. the total amount you need to have one delivered to you is US$3600.00 This Is a round figure,.. it is still dependent on actual delivery address! Hope this new information...
Part 11: New Sign for the trip to Melbourne.
Hello.. remember me.. lolSo Sorry I have been taking so much time away for my favourite site … Lumberjocks…Been real busy.. website is now up and running…. lazylarrywoodworks.com.auand the boards are coming along nearly 50 but no pics yet ,... sorry.. soon … I promise..This is a work in progress. Needed a sign for the display at the Melbourne Working with Wood show in October…I was clearing up around the shed and found a 2.5 metre slab of Camphor Laurel that had ...
Part 12: 3-D carving.
This weekend just gone we did a little bit of 3-D carving.I think we were a little adventurous and we were only moderately successful. Did not really have the right cutters but over all I think It came out fair to muddling. I made a blank out of plywood glued up.. 400 mm by 400 mm by 70 odd mm thick, and used a sun face for the template.Spent a lot of the time scarfing out the waste .. would have been better gluing up a pyramid…. you will figure this out from the photos. [ lucky we had ...
Part 13: 3D carving video
If video sticks or does no work use "This":http://s662.photobucket.com/albums/uu349/degoose/?action=view¤t=VTS_10_1.flv
Part 14: A couple more videos.
Check out the blog at Stu's Shed complete with videos. Look beyond what I am actually doing and see the potential of what the machine can do. No script, no rehearsal, no idea.. lolThese were taken when Stu dropped in last week. Stu doing a bit of Slab surfacing. Me using the copy attachment to copy an old english letter ” L” Using the stops to route a border around the letter e Aztec art freehand routing using the pin and changing the radius.. Lord of the Rings LOLJust a ...
Part 15: Cutting rings for bases.
For the last few days at the end of last year ….LOL…I was very busy… I was designing a recessed base for my Lazy Larrys..I have just taken the time to post this….To start I have cut a circle of 5/8” plywood to mount the bearing.. this is roughly 300 mm or 12” in diameter as seen to the left in the first pic.This is accomplished by using the router to drill a hole in the centre.. the same size as the pin in the table. The hole is dropped over the pin and th...
Part 16: Dressing a slab.
Here is a few short videos of the Torque Workcentre making light work of dressing a slab of Eucalyptus.. . . This slab was fairly hard and around 16 inches by 30 inches..even though this is a small slab by any standard the principle is the same and as you can see it only takes minutes.. so if the slab were bigger it would still not take any great amount of time to flatten and smooth it…
Part 17: Coming to the USA
There is lots of exciting news regarding the Torque Workcentre...I can’t tell you everything at this stage…. we are still in negaotiations with various parties…... but what I can tell you is that the Torque Workcentre will be available in the U.S..of A. very soon….and no I will not be coming to the states just yet… but there is a definite possibility that I will be able to visit in the forseeable future…
Part 18: Coming to the USA ....The secret revealed...
Now for the news that I had to keep under my hat…Check this out...
Part 19: Drilling holes for shelf supports.
I had to make some holes for shelf supports in the entertainment unit I am making, so I set up the Torque Workcentre ...I used the travel limiting stops on the Y axis… marked the distance on the sides of the boards…. locked the X axis …marked the back fence in line with the router bit… I used a spiral upcut 8 mm bit…moved the router to the backstop on the arm and drilled a hole them moved the router forward to the stop and drilled another hole… moved the ...
Part 20: It is official... first dealers in the USA!!!
Yes folks the big day has arrived… We are proud to announce the first dealers of the Torque Workcentre in the U.S.of A.The machine was sent to Denver, Colorado last month, to be featured on the Cool Tools show.. Stuart Lees of Stu's Shed went over to demostrate the machine and from what I have heard had an absolute blast… Working with Chris Grundy would have been an experience not to be missed … nor is a trip to Rockler… we don’t have them here….Our first ...
Part 21: Jig for Horizontal Boring...
The Torque Workcentre can be transformed into a horizontal boring machine by the addition of a very simple jig…I will let the video show just how simple it all is.. For all the Torque Workcentre owners who wish to know more about this jig… just drop me a line and I will send the plans to you…
Part 22: Kent Shepherd ...Blog Site
It looks like there is a new blog site in town!Kent Shepherd … the first American Dealer of the Torque Workcentre has just posted his new blog at kentshepherd.wordpress.comThis site will give a distinctly American twist to what the Torque Workcentre is all about and how to use it…hints and tips as well as video demonstrations. From what I have read in his first two posts, this site will be well worth bookmarking as Kent brings his own brand of humor to the woodworking community&#...
Part 23: Making a Template.
The Torque Workcentre can also be used as an over head pin router.To accomplish this you will need a template… basically a board with a groove cut in the shape of the item you want to copy.. so that the groove will move over a pin in the table and the router above will cut the shape below.. Very simple but care must be taken…Here is how to make a template…Next up will be using the template to make a cheese board... in Camphor Laurel of course..I will also be making a templat...
Part 24: Using the template.
In the last blog I made a template for copying Cheese Boards.In this vid we will see how to use the template with the Torque Workcentre in overhead pin routing mode.. I hope you all enjoyed this as much as I did making it. .Just a small selection of cheese boards..Stay tuned …..If you thought the first year was good… you ain’t seen nuttin’ yet.
Part 25: How to clamp work to the table.
A lot of folks are wondering about clamping work to the Torque Workcentre..Kent Shepherd has posted a blog about how he went about it.If you would like to see how he did it just pop over to his blog. BTW He did the whole process on the Torque Workcentre… what else?
Part 26: Routing a box.
In this video you will see Aaron route a box from one piece of timber… MDF in this case…Video removed due to WHS issues… will be reposted when these issues have be addressed. Very simple … just route 4 grooves with a 45 degree V-bit cut the 4 corner pieces out with a sharp utility knife and fold up.. a little glue and two clamps… voile.
Part 27: And Repairs Too....
I had a request to repair a table top… this table was made in the USA but purchased 30 years ago in Scotland… over the years the glue holding the Hard Rock Maple strips together started giving way… It arrived in 2 pieces but soon became 6 after I put some stress on the joins… To ensure that my glue joins did not fail I resorted to Biscuits…and Titebond III… After leaving it in clamps for several days… I was away… attached it to the bench o...
Part 28: New Bearing Covers.
For a while now … Torque Workcentres have been involved in making some improvements … one of these involves the re-manufacturing of the bearing covers..This will allow the bearings to run smoothly and have less hassles … keeping the dust from the bearings and the running surface.After several months and many attempts… the bearing covers have been completed…Here is a sneak preview of the covers.. which will be available to all owners of the Torque Workcentre. T...
Part 29: Sorry about that?
Sorry about the PINK bearing covers… The guys who are making the covers thought it would be a little bit of fun to make a set in PINK.... I don’t care who you are… that there was funny…Here are the real covers in BLACK ... and as you can see they are embossed with the TORQUE brand..
Part 30: Back to Basics
Taking it back to the basics… how the machine works and what type of power tools can be used on the TWC.. Let us look to Stuart Lees from Stu’s Shed. Stu … while still a hobbyist woodworker… has an engineering background ..and thus an understanding of how the TWC works and how it could be used by woodworkers as is shown by the videos he has made since he received his first TWC. Now over the last few weeks Stu has posted a few videos of the basics of the Torque Wo...
Part 31: From one foot to four feet...
Have you ever wished that a 12 inch sliding saw could crosscut more than just the 300 mm at 90 Degrees [one foot]... how would it be if it could be adapted to crosscut up to 1300 mm [over four feet]... WOW Well that is just what the boys at Torque Workcentres have done… by taking the head unit from a Hitatchi C12RSH 12 inch sliding compound mitre saw and making a bracket to attach it to a bearing carriage they have virtually made the saw capable of cutting down the entire length o...
Part 32: Flattening a log..
I got this dirty old piece of log… actually half a log… someone had split it down the middle … with both an axe and a chainsaw… fairly ugly and unstable… Using MDF cleats I pinned the log to the TWC and ran a surfacing head over it… flat and smooth… cross cut the ends and rotated and bookmatched for legs.. drilled some holes with a forstner bit for some tea candles… nice centrepiece for a table..More pics of the finished piece here..
Part 33: What cutter?
In answer to a question from LJ Sharon aka PurpLev.... I took some close up pics of the Carb-i-tool 55 mm 3 flute surfacing cutter… this bit has 3 rotatable replaceable carbide tips…. as they dull or are damaged you loosen of the holding screw with the tool supplied and rotate 90 degrees to a new face… when all 4 are used… just replace for a few dollars each.This is a fairly powerful router bit and it is advised only to use it in some form of jig… such as the &#...
Part 34: Sign for a Bar...
I made a sign for a mate… GRIMA VIEW…. and a friend saw it… hey how much… told her and she thought it would be a great idea for me to make a sign …”Rabbit’s Bar.”.. to hang over the bar that I will be building.. so that is how you pick up a commission…For a bar I did not know I was building…Any way… here is the progress on the sign… I have not finished this.. as I intend to spray on some poly... Total build time so far...
Part 35: Free Beer Tomorrow..
This is a sign I made with the TWC using the copy attachment.. Enjoy...
Part 36: New Web Site..
I just had to let you all know about the new website for Torque Workcentres All you lumberjocks who have been drooling over the TWC, just have to go and have a look at the new attachments…The new video is awesome and the site is sick. Here is a sneak peek at the chainsaw attachment…
Part 37: The New Video
For those who wanted to watch the new video but don’t do the link thing…..
Part 38: Grooving square bollards.
I was asked to make some bollards… short posts with a hole at the top to thread rope through….I picked up some 8 foot lengths of 4 inch by 4 inch treated hardwood.. cut them in half and planed them smooth..ish..Ran a piloted chamfering bit around all 4 corners and the top… sorry no pics….The 1 1/4 inch hole near the top, which was drilled with an electric drill mounted in the TWC, was also chamfered…The beauty of this set up is that the post is supported on the t...
Part 39: Dressing a few panels.
Had a phone call from a bloke I met last May at the Timber and Working with Wood Show.. seems he had two panels that were glued up from some 290 mm wide stock… Problem was… stock was too thick and after glueing up into 560 mm by 560 mm panels… how do you dress this down to the right thickness.. Ah you say… I know, I know.. Pick me.. Torque Workcentre to the rescue. Secure the two panels to the table … Insert the 55 mm surfacing head.. into the rout...
Part 40: Drilling angled holes.
To make a wine bottle balancer it requires a hole drilled at an angle…so what to do… build a jig for the drill press.. Cut some tapered pieces and make a ramp to hold the blank to be drilled… Hey… what is this? I have a Torque WorkCentre….. and one of the features is the ability to drill holes at any angle… hmmm….. make a jig to hold the blank horizontally on the bed and then drill at the required angle… Two t-bolts and some knobs to ...
Part 41: Dimensions and angles...
This is just a quick post to give some information regarding the way I make the wine bottle balancer…You can use other dimensions and it will still work I did research the whole thing and found different angles and other variables…but this is what I have come up with by trial and error… to make the bottle balance in a horizontal position.. not pointing up or down… more aesthetically pleasing.. and if it looks right don’t mess with it… Length…11 ...
Part 42: Slabbing attachment
Just received the video of the new prototype chainsaw attachment for the Torque WorkCentre..This is different in that the chain saw is mounted under the Machine… thereby negating the need to lift the log onto the table… NB. please be aware that this is the very first prototype and as such may have some issues… there will be furthur development and refinement as theses issues are addressed…With regards length of log…. up to 8 feet or so at this stage .. obvious...
