Mine begged for a new home, so I started this cart about 8 months ago, then had about 6 months out of the shop due to some work related computer projects, and then today, I finished it. This is the detailed blog, later I’ll post a brief report as a project.

My cutoffs are now finally content……perhaps reborn, set for inclusion into new and exciting projects. Exciting is still an IN word, isn’t it? Feeling old and marginalized……..

Each shop has a unique assortment of cutoffs. They differ by size, type of product, and a personal view as to what should be tossed, and what should be retained. And I am sure, we all have used cardboard boxes either in the past or currently for their storage.

Having used cardboard box cutoff storage for awhile…….hmmmmmm…..like about 43 years, I have a real world understanding of the cost, utility, and frustrations of the boxes.

I know, you can see it coming, it is the Alaska Jim of old…..out comes the hidden engineer, and a warped sense of humor…….we are off and running………..(-:

OK, that is the last smiley, my LJ missives are always about smiles……..

So, you must sit back now, and reflect upon what really happens in the shop.

Cut a board, precise and smooth, hold it up to the light, no warp, no splintering…..Yes, just right.

Next board.

Damn, cutoff in the way!

Glance to the left, glance to the right, down at the feet……..wang!.... there goes the cutoff in its fateful last journey…..destined for the garbage, for the fire……..poor cutoff……..or got lucky and into the cutoff bin.

The cutoff bin has got to be purgatory for cutoffs. Would you like to be a cutoff?

Will I be a part of a wonderful new project? Will I work my way to the bottom, kind of quiet, dusty, but still in contention? Will I be culled, off to land fill, or the crematorium……..?

OK, OK, OK….

To the practical side of things.

One, gotta save some to the cutoffs box. We all reach for cutoffs in nearly every project. If nothing else for a glue block, temporary jig, story stick, hidden structural member, etc.

But they take up space, and you can’t use, and don’t know what is at the bottom of, the box. Most of those bottom dwellers should be culled and discarded, but they are covered up by more recent stuff.

And then when you get old and lazy, you can’t bend down long enough to sort through the stuff in any case. So the bin gets progressively bigger, and at least percentage wise, progressively less useful.

So, not having unlimited space, I got serious about this cutoff stuff a while back, and analyzed the situation.

That’s me, pretending to be logical, and I is gonna ENGINEER a great new solution. I know, the ENGINEER moniker is over utilized, but it still makes me puff up a bit, and try to do my best.

Here are the issues:

Boxes of cutoffs are not easily searchable or moveable.

Boxes of cutoffs are not easily culled.

So……..now to solutions:

Moveable means wheels.

Searchable means organization and that means categorization, and in real terms that means compartments.….and with old backs, compartments means moveable sections.

MODULES. The SOLUTION.

A cutoff cart with modules to organize and transport the cutoffs to the worksite for adding new cutoffs, selection, and culling.

Now, this is just a cutoff cart, not some fine piece of furniture, so we used salvaged and second rate lumber.

This cart could have quite a load, so it needs to be strong…….torsion box base.

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Make a center section for taller items, and attach it to the box. Here we are upside down, drying from a Watco finish.
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And with the wheels and rubberbabybuggybumpers attached………
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Modules, size them to the projects I make, kinda small…. and make the modules moveable, with a handle that tilts them as you pick them up so the cutoffs don’t fall out……..
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All the shelves, removable except for the bottom one (a structural member) canted to 10 degrees to keep the cutoffs in the module.
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That’s pretty much the whole story. You can see how easy it is to move a module to the workbench or any convenient spot to accept new cutoffs, allow you to search for the right one, or to cull them out to make room for new ones.

My cart has a home underneath the extension for the table saw. Out of the way, but handy to the table saw and the radial arm saw.
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I am going to set up a camera to record what happens at night in the shop. See if they really do breed and multiply……..I will report the results…….but we LJ’s already know…….

Fertile little suckers, aren’t they…………….

Alaska Jim

Now you are thinking that picture is a gag. Sheer fantasy….”How silly could anyone be?”, you say.

Well, believe it or not, that comical looking construct (using the term loosely) has been working for over a year. OVER A YEAR, MIND YOU.

This is actually the working internet connectivity cabinet, up until today. Yup, something to be proud of.

No, that is not a pizza box, what do you take me for? That is the box for a pizza STONE…... pizza not included. No, not a stoned pizza.

So the next thing that rolls from your tongue, oiled with the arrogance of a true woodworker…...
.....on a woodworking forum no less…or perhaps greased by a french fry or two as you watch all too serious adults brutalize each other over a misshapen ball of pigskin (talk about being silly), whilst multitasking with your iPad during the commercials….....

”What’s this bawdy piece of junk got to do with woodworking? Don’t you have respect for the forum rules?”, as you glance to see if the commercial is done.

But, I retort, “Everything there is a wood product, probably much of it made from recycled stuff!” (I know what you are thinking, let’s not go there, recycled toilet paper….really?”)

A little explanation, perhaps…..........

This is our vacation house, thousands of miles from home…...
...a place we bought about 2 years ago, and there was no shop, no tools, no junk box, no cutoffs here. You ever moved into a place, bringing nothing with you except a couple of suitcases of clothes? Just starting from scratch?

That’s what happened here. There was nothing but my voice echoing from the walls of empty rooms, and the fearsome posturing of the current inhabitants, a large colony of spiders, who valiantly fought, and they succeeded, to maintain their claim of possession.

I have since named this home the Spider House in honor of their heroism and tenacity…..they live here, we just visit from time to time.

So with the materials at hand, my trusty portable computer and Sketchup, I go to work, and carefully design this intricate…...and might I say, very functional…...electronics cabinet.

Truly original and, well, talk about using reclaimed materials! And this was no 10 minute project. This was a two minute project!

First of all, note the construction materials, partially prefabricated…...

The cylindrical columns are…hmmm…circular torsion boxes with concentric internal bracing in a continuous sheet, perforated for expansion and contraction at regular intervals, which also allows some customization as to diameter of the column.

I was a little distressed in having one of the columns last year’s model, but that’s what was available. The shelves, particularly light weight structures, were intended to be more normal torsion boxes, but I never got around to installing the internal bracing. Got distracted by more immediate problems, and oh well, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. Right?

OK, OK, OK…..”What’s this all about?”, you say, “are you really bragging about this abomination snatched from the jaws of the nearest dumpster?”

At this point, I get rescued….. ... once again, by my lovely bride Sherie, who starts eyeing this truly ingenious edifice…and smartly observes…..”the toilet paper in that thing is going to fall apart from dry rot soon….....and if you made a real cabinet (and since we are running low on toilet paper) it would avoid a shopping trip!”

Now we are talking real money.

So, I get’s the point, finally…...and besides, now you will learn why we vacation here.

I get to once again, make a 30 mile trip to the Corporate Headquarters of Grizzly in Bellingham, WA, to buy some inexpensive and useless piece of gear for the project, while stroking the gleaming big green machines….dreaming I might own another one someday. They have a zillion wood and metal working machines on display. And lurking in their warehouse, are most of the items in their vast catalog of stuff, including thousands of things not bearing the Grizzly brand name.

The average LJ could spend his whole family inheritance here in just about 15 minutes. I hope to demonstrate that someday, in a suicidal act of indulgence. Suicidal, because remember, the big hammer in this family, is Sherie.

OK, so I gather what plywood I have in the garage shop, (unfortunately, too late, I find the 1/2” piece is distinctly inferior and has invisible strange markings, only coming to light after a coat of Watco) and buy some edge banding. I then proceed to make the first presentable project using the slowly growing vacation home shop. Not much room in the garage, so it will always be small.

Ta da….....the new internet cabinet…...it is just about a 12 inch cube in size.

Finished with medium walnut Watco to match some nearby furniture.

It is built of mostly 3/4” birch ply, butt joints, nails, and glue. It is designed to be heavy, because some of the cables and wires are rigid and would tend to pull the cabinet askew. No dadoes or rabbets, partly because I don’t have a table saw here, and no router table yet as well. But it is more than strong enough, and has the weight to do its job.

Thanks for viewing, and hopefully I will have another post in the next week or two, when I get home….. OK, off to find Sherie, for another piece of her sharp witted wisdom, and another honey-do of course.

If there is any trouble understanding the situation, it might be useful to review my postings about this bench prior to the vise installation….
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See my project (http://lumberjocks.com/projects/51199)
Associated blog with more detail (http://lumberjocks.com/jbertelson/blog/24418)
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It is a complex beast.
…and it made installing the vise a……bear…
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It is also a minor review of Victor, my 7 ¼” York Vise, sold by Lee Valley.
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(http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?p=54873&cat=1,41659,41661&ap=1). Cost about $100.
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THE SCENE
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Understand, my tools have names, both because they are friends, and it is easier to refer to them as I write about them. I know, not very professional, but it’s part of life in my shop.
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After Victor has muscled his way in………
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Topless…pretty risqué, Maggie.
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Victor has been putting on the squeeze for a few months now and he is effective. No complaints, I wouldn’t risk it with that Victor fellow.
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THE PROBLEM
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What made this so difficult?
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1) The top of the bench is reversible, so the vise could not be attached to the top.
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2) The vise had to fit between the pedestals of the route through side of the top, and under the top, and yet be flush with the top. Therefore, the size of the vise was limited. Both the size and the general profile of the York 7 ¼” vise made it a good choice, and perhaps one of the few choices.
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3) The top also functions as a downdraft table, so sawdust would be flowing around the vise. Hence the vise mechanism had to be covered (shrouded).
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4) This vise, like most vises is designed to have screws going up into the top, so the top of the vise is flat for a mounting surface, but the bottom is quite irregular. And mounting the vise upside down was not workable due to the top/bottom asymmetry and design of most vises and the quick release mechanism.
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THE VISE, AND THE REVIEW
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So first, here is Victor the vise, prior to installation. This is a special presentation for Mads. You all know Mafe here on LJ’s. He has made his affection for Vicky, my NX60 Veritas block plane, quite apparent, but has made no further advances. So Vicky the block plane asked if she could pose with Victor the vise, to display her sexy profile, and accentuate Victor’s masculine lines. And I acquiesced. That Vicky is a real flirt. And she loves to play with Victor.
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There she is, with hardly anything on, how scandalous! Mads obviously has good taste in women, but for this gal, he better have carbide taste buds…(-:
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To review, Victor is the vise, Vicky is the plane, and Maggie is the bench…got that?
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Now, I really like Victor. The handle and knobs were an optional additional purchase. Very nicely made. Victor is made in the Czech republic, and is generally well finished and works smoothly. I made the jaws out of maple, two ¾” pieces laminated together, and put the 2 degree bevel on the outside jaw they recommended. Works well.
I have one beef, they forgot to clean up the rust on Victor’s shoes……..er……well the end plate that holds the center screw and two rods. It was plain black iron, with some rust on it! Now, granted, it should never be seen, but rust on metal always gives me the ebejeebies, so I took it off, cleaned it up and spray painted it green. So Victor get’s 4.5 stars, seem reasonable?
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MATING THE VISE AND THE BENCH
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So a couple of modifications in Maggie’s figure were made to shoe horn Victor into Maggie. Victor is soooo… big.
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1) I had to cut a notch to fit the vise on each end of the top, because it overlaps the table. Both ends because the top reverses end for end when you flip it. If you look at the first two pictures you will see before and after the notch was cut in the top to accommodate the vise.
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2) A hole was made in the basin end for the vise. Here you see DeDuster rigged to get the sawdust as the Bosch Multifunction cuts out the hole. The multifunction tool made a better cut than my jig saw.
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But that was the easy part…
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Remember, I have to attach the vise to the basin, not the top.
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Well I enlisted the help of that scallywag Sketchup here, you know, that slimy lawyer that will do most anything
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Did you know he could make a 3D diagram of what you want, and in this case it was a complex profiled piece of wood to fit the bottom of Victor…
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..it is the bluish semitransparent object here in this cutaway of the installation…..
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…and then section it with another object………(leaving out the details)…..
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and then make a 2D full scale view of the cross sections and print them out,
attach them to a piece of wood, and cut it out with a band saw? That Sketchup guy, anything for a buck…………
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Then you glue them together…..notice Maggie in action here helping with the clamping………
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At this point you have a base of laminated maple, shaped to fit that complex bottom of the vice, and you can run big long 6” lag screws through the whole thing and 2 inches into the underlying solid pier of Maggie….Maggie is built like a brick…..oh you know.
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That vise is not going anywhere, anyway!
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In the above picture you can see the four lag screws and the base, all installed in the multifunction bench.
But then I had to build a shroud to protect it from the dust, since it lies in the collection space for the downdraft function of the bench.
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Here you see the removable shroud set in place, ready to screw in.
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CONCLUSION
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So that is the story of how Victor and Maggie got together. Vicky, the block plane is still available Mads, but you should make your move soon!
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Watching Victor get a hold on things with Vicky on top making curls and just smoking……….
(no impure thoughts here, LJ’s…)
…as she brings a piece of wood down to size……..
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You got competition Mads!

Oh well, ‘tis done……….
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tah, dah
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THE END

OK, so the furnace goes out this morning, probably about 0200hrs, and I wake up at 0400hrs and notice it is a little cold…...check the electronic thermostat, yup there is a problem. Ain’t electronics wonderful?

Go down to the shop… the furnace is a squatter there... and take the top off of the furnace.

Lot’s of lights flashing. Very pretty.

Recycle the furnace, meaning flipping the breaker off for 45 seconds. No dice.

The flashing lights read…...

...—-... SOS….....

.....naw, not really, I check the reference on the underside of furnace cover…..”No ignition after 3 tries”.

This furnace has been worked on recently, so the ignitor must be the problem.

Please note, it is 8 degrees below zero in balmy Anchorage…....

So, even though they have no room in their schedule for today, we leave a message for our favorite local plumbing and heating place…....only real journeyman plumbers work there.......more expensive….but great service. And I tell the gal to note it is probably just the ignitor….......

......fire up two gas fireplaces, run the monster gas oven at 500 degrees…..it vents into the kitchen, don’t run the hood….......and turn on every light in the place, and all three computers in my office…......you can get a sunburn from those three big monitors running…....the house starts warming up.

I run off to do some surgery, and Sherie pages me as I get done. Give her a call….....

OK, LJ’s hear this…

She tells me that the plumber comes walking in the door, box in hand with new ignitor…....he believed me. Pulled out the old burned out one, left it on one of the project tables so I understood the problem, and walks out the door 10 minutes later, between all the other scheduled jobs.
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.......he notes….....they burn out because sawdust settles on the ignitor, so you ought to buy a few to keep around in case you keep doing this hobby…......IN CASE I KEEP DOING THIS HOBBY?!!
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And he leaves the instructions for how to put one in!
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Yup, this weekend gonna go down and buy a few ignitors.
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Bet he was the same plumber I gave the shop tour to a few months ago when he was working on the furnace, and he thanked me afterwards for sharing the shop stuff.
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What goes around, comes around. There are some great professional workman in this country.

I think I just got an example of what this country is all about…......
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...........................but it was just a tiny little bit of sawdust….....wasn’t it?..............
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Alaska Jim

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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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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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But it is important, because it’s about MY SPACE. The Freezer, you know the d…. freezer is about to leave MY SPACE. Sherie has been diligently shredding documents from centuries ago, that took up space, much better suited…to the Freezer.

It’s a new freezer. The last one, a Gibson small chest freezer, bought in 1983, lasted until last year…27 years. Back in those days, Gibson built great freezers. The seals died. Not the compressor. We decided on an upright. Had Lowe’s do that, selected it on line, went to the store, and the next day, it was done, the old freezer gone…Good Show…Lowe’s. We would do that again for sure. Simplest and neatest appliance purchase ever. And We Got It On Sale!!!

OK,OK,OK…..carrying on here…..

So, Here I am in Mass Destruction Mode, taking down some shelves that were here when we moved here, in 1985.

.....in progress, starting…....

Now before we entered upon this horrific endeavor, of course, we had…

Senate hearings, and Environmental Protection Agency Impact Studies. With input from the public as required.

...meaning Sherie said, ”Get with the Program”.....and aren’t you gonna start repainting the garage walls as you do this?”

.....right….

The Weapons of Mass Destruction…

Now, I bet these are all familiar to those of you in the do-it-yourself mode of umpteen year.

From the left…

1) Small wrecking bar, about 22 Caliber, ...would you believe, Roberts – Made in West Germany, with some stuff about the cast molding I can’t read. How old is that?

2) Standard Stanley Crow Bar, must be 45 Caliber, I think that is the brand, the label wore off decades ago.

3) Pry Bar. Found it in the shed by the house in Fairbanks in 1975….38 Caliber. It’s so old it might have fired musket balls. But it is stamped “Stanley – Alloy 1460”

4) Sledge Hammer – Craftsman. Full auto, and dominating, 50 Caliber. I think this is my third sledge hammer in my life, and I suspect it will be my last. Beautiful construction. First Class.

5) Hammer. Sob. Sob. It has been with me I suspect for 30 years at least. But the claw was no longer sharp. So I went and got another hammer on the rack, a Stanley Workmaster, and it took out those nails with a vengenance. Caliber 30-06.

6) Standard very old ViseGrip with heavily embossed jaws, made of first class steel. Caliber – Pellet Gun. Or maybe Fox Terrier. You somehow get the head of a nail exposed, and clamp that Terrier on it and lever up the ViseGrip with the 22 Caliber wrecking bar, and then you are in business….

OK, enuf of the WMD, we got her done…..........

The Freezer will fit right there!!!

The pile of wood, totally stripped of nails for saving or disposal…...

........and her is the goll dang freezer that is gonna be moved…........

Now that was a satisfying UnProject.

Got to use the WMD, and I am gonna get that freezer out of my shop.

Might be able to use some of the wood for shelves elsewhere, we’ll see.

James Bertelson reporting in the LumberJock war zone, that’s all for now, folks….........(-:

...Oh and for reference, any of you guys got bigger or better weapons?...........

First a Tall-Thin Storage gizmo that is mobile.

For my dowel collection, aluminum extrusions, continuous hinge, etc…

Had a problem with these things falling all over the place, and had to get that space clear for more stuff.

Here is the gizmo sitting in its assigned space:

Took four swiveling ball casters, scavenged from throw aways….....two of one type, two of another, but they were exactly the same height. Bet they were gathering dust for 20 years. A few pieces, cut offs, of 3/4 inch ply…got a lot of that stuff left over from other projects…birch veneer…Chinese…poor quality. And some pine cut offs. And for weight, I took the old mailbox cover made of heavy iron…..really…..the outside cover for the mailbox that is actually in the garage, and attached it to the bottom diagonally, to make it stable.

OK…......the screws and the screw guards were new. I confess.

But then….....the ultimate scavenge….

cardboard tubes from a Rockler shipment of T-track

...to protect some plastic tubes…that actually have the T-track in them. I have used the plastic tubes before…and later you will see it in use again. But this is the outer cardboard tube. Yup, cut up those suckers and enclosed them in a plywood frame, screwed to the base, not glued, so I could change things in the future.

So you see it, pulled out, so I can swivel it around and find what I need…...

....and a little detail…..Slim wanted some close up coverage…....

Now ain’t that sweet. Except for the screws and the finish…WATCO of course…all scrap…

But there’s more…..

Ten minute projects…really!

I don’t know about you, but…

.... the top of my glue bottle, that I refill from a jug, gets stuck no matter how well I clean it.

I kept a needle nose pliers in my glueup tray, because it worked well to lever the top up. But that was silly. Displaced a multipurpose tool into a specialized setup for an oddball use. So, I built this gizmo from a scrap of 3/16 inch ply…......

...next to the glue bottle that causes the problem…

....and in its place on the glueup tray…

Cut that out with my toy bandsaw in a flash….......

And then the next one in a row, a storage for my frequently used props for finishing things. You know those plastic yellow pyramids to support projects you are finishing with whatever…with the pointy tops. Yup, got a bunch of those. But this is about storing some things I made myself.

Most of the time I revert to this collection of…

... really strange objects I built a couple of years ago. They are quicker, things balance better, and they are perfect for WATCO, which I use a lot in the shop.

They are strips of MDF, with a shallow groove cut in the top with the radial arm saw. And in those grooves are some nails, with the heads and points cut off, glued into the grooves with CA glue. So the object you are finishing rides on the nails, which are lying flat. Not as good as a point, but for oil finish more than adequate and markedly more stable and quick.

Here they are in a piece of one of the plastic tubes that Rockler ships its T-track in…

Cut it to size with the bandsaw. For the bottom, a disc of 3/4 inch ply, and two screw to hold it in place. The disc finished with….what else…WATCO. This was quick…bandsaw work, a little sanding on my disc sander, finished quickly, and then a couple of screws.

...and a detail of the gizmos…heavily used, nearly every week for a couple of years…

Well, I got a few more items in the wings, probably will blog them next weekend…......

Thanks for viewing…..

This project was previewed as a Mini-Bench, but that was apparently confusing. So I gave it the more appropriate Multi-Function name.

This bench is where I sand, assemble, and glue-up projects. It holds a compressor, nail guns and the nails.

I am also filing this as a project today, but in much abbreviated form.

CONSTRUCTION:

From the front left….

From the back left…..

From the back right….

The construction is stud grade 2×4’s and cheap plywood (last time I do that), and the top is 1” MDF composed of two 1/2” pieces. The end vertical piers are a lattice of 2×4’s including the legs, sandwiched with sheets of 3/4” birch ply, with everything glued and nailed. the lower and upper horizontal frames are 2×4’s with only one side covered with 3/4” ply.

Most of the 3/4” ply edges are trimmed out with 1/8” thick pine. Excess amounts of 2×4 are used in the piers and the two horizontal frames to increase the mass, and maximize rigidity. 3/4” plywood is used for the same reason. Actually I made it a little too heavy, but it is a rock solid bench and work surface.

PROJECT TOP:

The usual top is shown in the above pictures, but it is reversible. On the other side is the cut through top shown here. I just turned the over the top.

Detail of the cut through top….

The top is reversible, with one side having pedestals for cut through and rout through. The slots accomodate 5/16” T-bolts. Because the top fits into a basin enclosed on 5 sides, and because the top has a number of slots, it works well as a downdraft table as well. The top is held by the basin sides, two pegs, and by its considerable weight.

Here it is without the top so you can see the basin….

Here is a peg….

Both pegs….

I plan to put in a vise on the left end. I have numerous hold downs, fixtures, and surface vises for it. It works great for assembling boxes and objects with nails, screws, and glue.

STORAGE:

Compressor
Underneath is an enclosed compartment for my 6 gallon compressor.

Compressor….

There is a hole for air access underneath it, and a shielded exit for wires and hoses. This results in considerable dampening of the noise level when the compressor cycles. There are 5 air hose ports, with 4 in use for 3 nail guns, and a blower. It has a large front door complete with automatic door prop….

...and a small back access door for the tank drain….

The doors use bullet catches for a latch. The doors are opened by grasping the edges.

Shelves
The shelves, which are adjustable, are on the right holding the hoses and guns. There are 3 guns connected ready to go and a blower….

Here they are stowed away….

Here they are pulled out so you can see them….

The top shelf has a box with adjustable and removeable dividers, that holds the nails for the guns, and beside it is my goto sander, the low profile PC random orbit. The back side of the top shelf has a semi-enclosed compartment for the bulk coils of hose.

The lower shelves hold about 10 to 12 feet of hose in a loose coil for each tool, and it is easily coiled and stuffed back into the appropriate compartment.

Here is the back side of the shelf area….

ACCESSORIES:

Downdraft Capability
On the right side is a removable dust collector manifold where a 4” hose connects. It accesses the basin through a rectangular port, situated to maintain the structural integrity of the basin. It port opening has the same number of square inches as the hose.

The manifold on with hose, note the blast gate….

The manifold off, it just slides on and off the bolts….

Electrical
The back of the bench has a cord keep system. The electrical cord is 14 gauge, very heavy duty, water proof, and self supporting. It will stand the abuse of lying on the floor or being plugged in overhead, if I choose to do that.

Note the cord keep, just two elevated disks, and note one of the handles for tilting….

Each end has 4 receptacles. The left side has a switch with a pilot light that turns on the power for the compressor.

Left side receptacles and compressor power switch….

There is a worklight inside the compressor compartment.

Feet and Wheels
The feet are adjustable carriage bolts. There are wheels at the front and one side positioned so that tilting the bench engages them. There are handles on the opposite side and back to assist with the tilting. The handles can be seen on the cord keep picture and the left sided power switch picture.

The bench is now so heavy (the MDF top, compressor, tools, nails) that it is hard to tilt. I will make a wheeled dolly to help. I am not sure what it weighs, but over 300 pounds and maybe close to 400 pounds.

USE:

The top has been in use on a flimsy old project table. Once the multi-function bench was far enough along to use, I moved the top to it, and I have been using it to make its shelves and other pieces.

CONCLUSION

Okay…this is way too serious a presentation for me, this was the dark side. So I will try to make a more humorous blog as well…the light side…given some time.

Whew!

INTRODUCTION

The TarBall is a quartet of interconnected projects, one leading to the other. I will review this, since the Minibench only makes sense in context.

The four items:

1. Super Sled
2. Project Table top (with slots for hold downs, pedestals on the other side, it is reversible)
3. Minibench Base (a more robust base for the heavy Project Table top)
4. Robust dust collection and outfeed table for my TS.

The first 3 are basically done except for a couple details, and are in use now.

HOW IT HAPPENED

1. It started with my Super Sled, which is in heavy use, but still lacks a guard. It has miter arms done, and all works well:

In the process of making the miter arms, I decided I needed a better way to hold things while I routed them, so…
2. I made a reversible project top out of two thicknesses of ½” MDF, a complex project. While making the project top, I figured out how to do the miter arms on the router table from a magazine article. So here is the completed project table top, originally configured to fit on my very old and not so robust project tables. It is reversible with rout through and cut through pedestals on the optional side:

Normal side with demonstration:

Pedestal side with demonstration:

3. I quickly decided this was a very valuable item and really needed a much more robust base, the minibench.
4. …but before that, I thought I should complete my TS dust collection project. Well, getting into that about half way, I decided I was much too inefficient, so I needed some nail guns. Got those, and then decided to put them in the base for the project table top. I now started calling this a minibench.

I then halted the TS dust collection and started the minibench base, which is now almost finished except for the cord keeps.

So now to the real purpose of this blog:

MINIBENCH PREVIEW
This blog is a preview of the Minibench. It will be presented as a project soon, when everything is absolutely done and the compressor and guns are in place.

Design
All elements of the bench were designed in Sketchup and followed quite faithfully.

Purpose
1. Hold the project top, with its numerous slots for t-bolts to attach jigs, and its reversible pedestal side for through cutting and routing.
2. Hold the compressor, 3 guns and a blower all attached at the same time, and the nails.
3. Electrical connections for various hand tools and the compressor.
4. Operations such as planing, sanding, routing, glueups, etc. This required it to be mobile, stable, and sturdy.

The nearly complete bench from the front, without contents:

The nearly complete bench from the back, without contents:

Building the Minibench

Materials – This bench is built out of cheap plywood and stud lumber. Never again. But it is done.

Construction – Glued, with Titebond III, and I mean everything that could be glued was, and nails. I started out using the top in an old project table rickety base, and as soon as I could, started using the minibench, to build the minibench…(-:

Finish – WATCO, medium walnut because it blended in the filler and blemishes better than clear or dark walnut.

Features Added During Construction

Along the way, I decided the top could be used for a downdraft table, especially if something covered part of the holes. So I incorporated that.

General Description
There is a open box like structure on the top to house the reversible top. The top has its movement controlled by wooden studs. There will also be leveling screws that selectively engage depending on which side is up.

Leveling and Moving – There are 4 leveling bolts one on each leg. There are two wheels on the front side and two on the right side. By lifting the bench from the back, or the left, you engage one of the sets of wheels so that you can move it. I estimate it will be well over 300 pounds with everything in it. It is extremely heavy without anything in it!

Engineering – I built it to be strong, rigid, and heavy. It has way more wood in it than required just for strength. The piers at each end are a lattice of 2×4’s, including the legs that extend up to the bottom of the box. The lattice is sandwiched between pieces of ¾” plywood. Everything is glued and nailed. The piers are probably much stronger and more rigid than a piece of solid hardwood of the same size. The bottom and top are also overbuilt but not to the extent of the ends.

Compressor Compartment – The compressor has a compartment in the base, nearly sealed for noise control. There is an external switch for the compressor. There are two receptacles in the box connected to the switch. One may be used for a light. There is a round air entrance in the bottom, under the compressor, for sound control. There is a sound shielded slot for the hoses at the top over the shelves.

Storage and Stowing -Four shelves for the hooked up nail guns, blower, and four connected hoses, and there should be room for the nail packs.

Electrical -The table is electrified with 4 receptacles on each end. The wires run internally out of sight in the top frame of 2×4’s, and through the hose port to the compressor compartment. The cord that connects the bench to a source is very heavy duty 14 gauge, self-supporting, meaning it can be used for over head connections.

Access – There is a big access door in front for the compressor, and a small door in back to access the tank bleed. These doors use friction bullet catches. You open them by pulling on the edge, no knob required.

Dust Collection – There is a removable manifold, meaning removable without tools by sliding it off of its bolts, to convert the 4 inch round section of DC hose to a rectangle of the same area, so as not to compromise the strength of the box, and to maximize air flow.

…Now for the Fun, Building and Using the Minibench

Here I have the beginnings of the bench setting on one of my old rickety project tables, that has the completed MDF top on it. The plywood was warped, the studs were warped, and I did not joint anything. I just adjusted as I went along. Here you see me planing a leg.

Here I am planing the 1/8” pine trim I used to edge plywood. I tried the No. 4 Veritas, but quickly reverted to the Veritas block plane for better control. The No. 4 caused some tear out in the veneer since it couldn’t be controlled to the same extent as the block plane. Notice I am planing on the minibench at this stage.

Here I am gluing and nailing on some trim, using the minibench and some fixtures. Have a bunch of these things already made. The bench is great for glueups, nailing, etc.

I am sanding one of the shelves, note the DC manifold in place using the minibench as a downdraft table.

Working on the manifold, glueup and nailing.

Here is a detail of the manifold. The piece of wood you see the blast gate extruding through holds with very strong spring action. I think this is a novel approach, I blogged on it in the past, and now use it routinely. If anyone wants to know how this is done, let me know. It is an extremely easy way to interface wood objects and dust control stuff.

Doing neurosurgery on the minibench, notice the blood on the floor (kinda looks like sawdust) and the instrument table at the right.

Now attaching nerves to the brain………….(-:

Notice the knock down project elevator that the bench is sitting on, to bring it up to working height for the electrical. I have to do a few refinements to the project elevator, and then will present it as a blog or project. Very useful and flexible. Built a lot of helpers along the way here.

Well, that’s all folks, until I get home, put the cord keepers on, and put in the compressor, etc. Then I will post it as a project. If you wonder about the surgical references, let me tell you, this project took on a life of its own. It definitely has a persona. When it is complete, I’ll have nbeener help me name it, because he won’t read it unless it has a name………(-:

Considering “Medusa” as a name…..........(-:

Whew!

I will probably blog in more detail about some of the features, as well as post it as a project. This is one shop object that deserves a place as a project.

Thanks for stopping by………

Alaska Jim

We have all done it. Unless I am the only imperfect one here…which is a distinct possibility………….(-:

In the shop, and you see a problem, something happens over and over again. That’s a reoccurring issue. Fix it.

This is a real mundane problem, with a real mundane solution. However, instead of trying to buy something, like a simple plastic tray…....well, got all this scrap, let’s put it to use.

PROBLEM

I am sure most of you do not have this problem, but I am constantly moving things in my relatively small shop so that one of the project tables, which is being used for gluing things, suddenly has to be an outfeed table, or something similar.

Now, I don’t know about you, but when I am gluing, I have a glue bottle, a small pan of water to wash off my fingers and small brushes, a bunch of folded up paper towels, usually some quick drying filler, and a putty knife as well. Moving all this stuff is a pain.

In addition, there is water involved, it inevitably spills, so I have to have newspaper there. Need something to hold this stuff, need containment for spilled water. A plastic pan, aluminum pan……all kinds of stuff might work.

SCENARIO

But I am a woodworker, an LJ at that, and I have scrap, and scrap is always a temptation……right? It’s free, headed for the garbage or the fireplace. Satisfaction in using scrap. Probably an award out there for it….and there has been an LJ contest or two, using just scrap. Enter the scrounge mentality.

Digression:

I am sure there are those of you for whatever reason, irrationally scrounge things up to do something, because of past experiences, or upbringing. Folks my age, had parents who came through the depression. They were real careful what they threw away. It is amazing what simple things gave them pleasure, because they had been through rough times. My folks lost everything. I remember rationing in WWII. I remember the end, the headlines about the atomic bomb. We didn’t have a car until I was in eighth grade….because we couldn’t afford one. So there is my sob story, and my paltry rationale for……..making do. Because, I do not have to make do. But it is burned into my psyche. So, understand, what follows……..

SOLUTION

Let’s see, lots of wood, some acrylic, plenty of tools, easy ‘off the cuff’ design.

Want it to be easy to carry around, handle the occasional spill, be big enough, have some aesthetic value, and like all my shop objects, outlive me………(-:

Make a box with handles, big ones along both of the lateral edges. Have some left over 1/8” pine trim pieces from the minibench, cover some plywood surfaces with pine trim.

The box:

OK, you say, that looks pretty good…….but wait a minute, what happens with the spills?

OK, made an acrylic insert, silicone caulking attaches the wood rim. Should do pretty well.

Yup, there it is, acrylic insert in place. Can take it out and clean up any spills, it is basically waterproof for the usual spill, no problem.

……..and here it is in use……….

Now, that really didn’t take too long……….but you know….a simple plastic tray would have worked. But I get a lot more pleasure out of this totally overwrought creation.

I am sure I am alone. I apologize for……..taking your time, appreciate your indulgence, and will try to do better next time.

But you know, I really like using that tray……..really……….(-:

OK, for you of the politically correct persuasion, I believe either sex can be in the Auxiliary in LJ’s, how could it be otherwise? That is the last homage to ‘politically correct’ you will get in this blog……….so savor it…....

………..this is the last smiley because, this whole thing is a smiley………(-:

So…I know, an apology is due here, because this is not strictly woodworking. But I used my new little vacation home minishop here in La Conner WA. It will soon gain real woodworking abilities…although limited, on purpose. It was a test run of sorts. Had to keep it simple. Get to know my current tools…flex my Lumberjock muscles…..a prelude to assembling woodworking mega tools for the minishop.

PREAMBLE…..

So, we go shopping for food and stuff…lot of stuff and way too much shopping for me, typical of a new house scenario…

It’s a new house.

La Conner House from the back……….

Where’s the grill?

….…it is part of my persona…bet a lot of you LJ’s identify with that…….

Now, let’s face it, grilling and barbecuing is left to the guys…….as the girls feign insult over being displaced in their normal roles as cooks and providers of all daily needs in the homestead.

Of course…in the shadows, beneath the trees, they are clustered…….

…..drinking sherry, savoring bon bon’s…….

……enjoying our mishaps with giggles and pointing fingers, as we strut, emote in testosterone laden grunts and postures, and ebonize fine cuts of meats and strange vegetables…reducing them to elemental carbon……

Look closely through the gloom and the haze…….there we are, wincing in the smoke laden atmosphere, lords of the fire pit…tattoos, cut offs, sledges, uproars, grimaces, laughs and gestures, smeared faces, discarding empty cans and bottles, throwing partially gnawed bones to the growling, fussing, and begging entourage of dogs………………

The gals are happy to see us stone age brutes, hunkered around the barbecue, probably a BUDWEISER MOMENT…be it wood fired, gas, or electric………

Well, it’s their true PRINCESS MOMENT, while we tyros try to look accomplished in a realm of homespun duties, that they long ago mastered on their road to be Heads of the Household.

”What!”, you say, “wait a minute, who is the Head of the Household?”

Only for works of fiction and delusional minds does any claim to Head of Household truly exist for Archie. Accept your fate, we guys are the inferior sex. We live in a matriarchal society, all other arguments to the contrary. The secret is out. More evidence shall be forthcoming.

SCENE 1…….

“Hey”, I says,” we gonna get a grill this trip?”

Who is she to complain?
Of course, then I cook the meat, occasionally cremate a few veggies…….what’s to lose?

So Sherie and I are grocery shopping and looking for stuff. Looked at the BORG, Lowe’s, Ace, and Sears the last trip. I was thinking another Weber….rhymes with Budweiser…but said hmmm, as we looked at grills wandering through the multi-mart……known as Fred Meyer in this region….

“This infrared technology looks interesting.”

Understand that I am a CLOSET GEEK, former physics major, Ham radio operator, build and repair computers, hobbyist programmer……..I know and am on speaking terms with the electromagnetic spectrum. Did you know your true love emits infrared………..

……..well, that is a little too familiar.

“……this s—- is cool Mom”, I says.

Understand, Sherie, in reference to my closet Geekhood comment always says……”you came out of the closet decades ago”. So she is unimpressed.

SCENE 2…………

As all GEEKS and for that matter, all LJ’s do……..I looked up the reviews on the NET…………

Fortunately, in this realm, Sherie abdicates her Princesshood.
“No”, she says, ”I don’t want to be the queen………, I want to be the Princess!”

Think about that….guys. I am a very experienced and capable footman.

So I got permission to choose the grill.

Char Broil Quantum Two Burner Infrared

PRO:
Lots of good stuff for the small form factor Char Broil Quantum…….other people, including me, liked the fact that it didn’t dominate the landscape, cooked great……no problems. Just right for up to 4 people, pretty realistic for this place.

CON:
Reading the reviews, one gal said it took her over 3 hours to put together, that was her main complaint. I chuckled.

Yup…well meet Alaska Jim the Lumberjock…….no sweat.

Not much else creditable in the complaints section.

So go to buy it. We have this car, rented……now why didn’t we rent the usual SUV or van? This is the first trip in 15 years we rented a car. So we had to pull the box apart, couldn’t even access the ‘free assembly’ offer.

Not a problem. Lumberjock.

The helper from Fred Meyer says, “heard a lot of good comments about this grill.”

I’m struttin’.

SCENE 3……..

OK, got it home, we decided to have barbecued pork chops for dinner.

Out comes Bosch, got two drivers and a drill…this is big time LJ stuff…the sparks are gonna fly!

Let’s get this sucker put together……….NOW!

Cut open the packages. Get it organized. Hmmmmm………yup this thing has a lot of parts.

Put on my LJ T-shirt, and….I go into my focused LJ realtime assembly megacontrol constructo attitude.

Yup, well, mucho parts. Lotta instructions. Little parts for these big fingers. Sweat pours. Light not too good. This is not the home shop. Kinda stiff. Getting hungry.

What was it that gal said about 3 hours?

OK, an excuse. The sheet metal was bent from shipping in a few places, and things weren’t lining up and had to take it partially apart. This meant Sherie had to come help once again, they even said it would take two people at that step and it did.

With Sherie watching on, I bang on it with my trusty, already getting worn new rubber mallet, and finally, a glint in my eye, it lined up………

But then I couldn’t find one of the screws. So looked and looked, getting pissed here, sweep the floor with a flashlight, lie down on the floor, look under the car……

………and then sweet, feminine, Princess Sherie, saunters over to the tool bench, counts 5 remaining screws of that length, and sagely notes……..why would there be an odd number of screws left?

………and then I remembered I hadn’t gotten to the fourth screw, because the third screw wasn’t fitting.
So I picked up the fifth screw, put it in, and now there were four……..

But, that isn’t the real issue……..

the real issue is whence comes such insight, impeccable shop logic, and general smartass attitude in the Princess. Something isn’t right here.

Let’s face it guys, at this point I have a right to be suspicious, certainly a conspiracy is a strong probability, in fact I think a conspiracy is a certainty.

There has got to be a first class endeavor out there to make the spouses more savvy about the shop…you know, so they can censor purchase plans, and clear out the smoke screen that hides our furtive efforts to smuggle in new shop mega machines. Only LJ’s could pull this off…there has to be a secret Lumberjock’s Auxiliary Guild...

…and so that is how I found it.

Sherie denies she knows of such a thing…………. she denies she is a member……. But then she smiles, and even smirks when I quiz her. Explains a lot.

SCENE 4….

Well, old Lumbering Lumberjock is now into his 3rd hour.

What did that gal say about a lot of parts, and….JUST three hours?

I think she was not forthcoming, this is gonna take longer than 3 hours. She is probably a member of the LJ Auxiliary Guild as well.

Sherie when noting that I was not going to get it done in time for cooking dinner………

........how could she know that, unless she was in the AUXILARY?..... dragged me down to the microbrew, where we ate nachos, and fish tacos, and imbibed a brew or two.

So the next morning, this is what greets me, still a lot of parts to go………

After trying to place an un-scrutinized malformed bolt into a nut, inevitably in the most difficult place in the whole project…………

……..and then having to get it out with AUXILIARY help because it not only wouldn’t tighten, it also wouldn’t loosen……..

I replaced it with one of my providently purchased collection of bolts and nuts from Ace.

Finally got that grill done, and moved it out to one of the decks.

Total time expended…….at least 4.5 hours.

The grill, on one of the decks…….ready to go………

RECAP……

Last evening I used the grill and it did a better job on pork chops than the home grill. So at least my Geek persona didn’t malfunction.

But who would have thunk it, a Secret Lumberjock’s Auxiliary Guild...

……what’s this world coming to?

So I had to make a place for the hinge, since this is an on-the-fly plan change.

Chisel, to make room for the hinge mount. Glue chip-out chisel first, the one I had sharpened. Had to finish with a small new chisel…..the old glue chipper is better…...the WorkSharp has some work to do.

Fit the hinge mount in. But it is not to the level of the door, because of where I had to place it.

I had to overlay it with a 0.25 inch x .75 inch x about 18 inches long piece of pine, to level it to the door.

Needed trimming down on the wide 3/4 inch side, more on one end than the other.

Sand it perhaps….....?

Titebond III glue on, put it in place, ohmygosh can’t sand it there… and no shoulder plane…..)-:

So I picked up that piece, the backside laden with glue, stuck it in the old wood vise, ah hah!!!

....a challenge…....can I fix it, before the glue dries…........

To work…with the block plane, 18 inch target…out come pretty curls…....

.......no adjustment needed, in the groove….

Back and forth…....as fast as I could…dappled sunshine streaming through open doors…...wind whistling, ruffling my shirt, tousling my hair…

Plane some, out of the vise, put it in place, check the fit, back to the vise….plane some more…out of the vise….put it in place, check the fit…back to the vise….....plane some more….....

Well, no other way to make that piece fit….with the glue on…before the glue dried.

Yup I did it…..

...where was the crowd, cheering me on, I beat that machine with my hand plane….......(-:

So got it done before the glue dried and clamped it in place.

Of course…......I could have wiped off the glue….....but…....come on….......it was a challenge…....

.......fun in simple things…......

...the scene…the piece gone and done…ready for the door fit tomorrow.

......ain’t there a few whisps of smoke in those shavin’s?

Sure, my shop is changing from its plebian DIYer origins, and mutating into a woodworking shop. But that redefinition isn’t a far stretch, most of the basics, big saws and all, were there.

But to make another point, it isn’t just that the old shop is so familiar, that it allows me to rapidly make small projects within hours, frequently without a trip to the store for wood or fasteners or finish…………..

The real point is………the shop EXISTS.

So, I have a new vacation home.

No, not a furnished condo complete with groundskeeper, housekeeping, swimming pool, golf course. No. Not me.

Sherie and I have a 16 year old fashionable two story house perched on a hill in a small town of 839 people in northern Washington. This town is filled with Victorian homes and artsy shops…..and good restaurants.

The house has outdoor decks, balconies, and railings, all of which require maintenance. There is a two car garage with a shallow alcove off to one side…empty. The garage is in the house, under the bedrooms.

I can tell. One sniff, a casual glance. Only one pair of electrical sockets. Lousy lighting. Clean naked walls. No nail holes, not even patched blemishes. Shiny spotless floor. This soulless house, exists in La Conner, Washington.

But where the heart of the home should be, there is only an epoxy painted floor… unblemished, clean, dimly lit.

Silence. Sterile.

If this house was alive, the detritus of its existence would be evident

…the place with be alive with the aroma of creation, casting a dull haze on the household and permeating the carpets and the air. You might detect a hint of pine resin, perhaps the subtle scent of oak, a wincing whiff of burnt wood might waft by…….perchance the rancid smell of linseed oil.

But the clincher, the centerpiece of my evidence, with this I rest my case…

...there is not a hint of ……… SAWDUST

Now I must digress…especially in what has been presented… as a philosophical treatise. And here I…well…really make an excursion, into the mythical battleground of two giants that lay claim to the lighter, perhaps more frivolous, yet artistic spirit of mankind.

There is the woodcraft goliath, and the fiber arts denizen.

I identify most closely with the former. Sherie with the latter. She might say the quilting room, with its sewing machine and table, ironing board, etc. might well be the heart of the home. But I just can’t identify with that. The only odor, perhaps a little formaldehyde, but I can’t really detect even that. Perhaps a little ball of lint somewhere to evidence her activity. I mean how many quilts can you use? Granted she knits some, weaves on occasion, and even spins a little. But surely that quilting room cannot be the heart of this home, that puny motor on that sewing machine can’t even be 1/10th hp…….a 1/10th horsepower home. Come on now! Well, since this is the LJ forum, I surely don’t have to belabor the point. You understand.

End of digression.

So I says, I will energize this home, give it a new heart.

TOOLS.

That’s my mantra. Of course, how do you set up a shop…without having a shop?

Shops usually evolve slowly, I think, especially at first. I remember a slow evolution from a small collection of handyman tools to a do-it-yourselfer shop with considerable woodworking capabilities. It took many years, without a specific purpose, just responded to needs with more tools.

But I needed an instant shop in La Conner, because I really can’t even imagine a house without a shop anymore. And when you are setting up a new house, inevitably you have to fix things, hang things, etc.

So here is the garage, now with a pile of tools, but certainly not a shop yet.

Note that I have temporarily placed a couple of lights on the wall, have a slab door on a couple of Stanley saw horses for a workbench, and already have the panel cover off trying to figure out how to add more circuits and plugs.

This house needed some stuff repaired and painted, so I collected some painting supplies, minimal woodworking tools, and an assortment of general purpose tools such as socket wrenches, files, etc.
It needed to be organized, so I got some pegboard and placed some of it on the wall in back of the workbench. Here is a picture of my setup to cut the wood strips to mount the pegboard.

Sure miss my RAS sitting idly at home in Anchorage………(-:

I used some precut ¾ x ½ inch strips, and some ¼ by 1 and 3/8 inch strips, gluing them together in appropriate lengths and positions so that none of the holes in the peg board would be blocked. Thanks to Dave Owen for that idea, although I had to use a different approach because I didn’t have the tools to cut dadoes. This was a little slow, but worked well.

I also added two new circuits of 120 V 20 Amps, and can easily add a 240 V if needed later.

So here it is, the shop as we left La Conner, heading back to Anchorage:

There are a number of cheaper tools, but they will get the job done for now until I find out what this shop will evolve to. Note the cheap Stanley chisels……actually pretty darn sharp off the shelf. I bought those when I found myself looking for a chisel while putting up the pegboard and lights.

A close up of my few power tools. Note that I got a compressor and pin and brad nail guns. That was to make the glue up of my pegboard supports reasonably efficient.

Here is a picture of a novel support for some Quick Change files that use one handle. Made with scrap materials on hand, peg board and some wood strips. I enlarged the peg board holes on the top piece, and countersunk the holes on the bottom piece so that the handles would stand upright. Glued together and spaced properly with some wood strip pieces.

Here is the shop busy at work painting a post cap to replace one missing from one of the balconies.

I bet you can feel that happy shop at work.

I bet you can hear the heart beat of the hand saw and hammers.

Yup, the La Conner house has found its soul, and is now officially alive………..

Alaska Jim – vacationing in La Conner, Washington

Digression…..

I had this tool for over a year….. but never used it. bought it on sale. What LJ would do that?

Me. Special case. My buddies know this. If you are not a buddy, ask them. You still may not understand, but hopefully you will sympathize.

.....off the digression…...

So, a recovering workaholic, spent a few minutes on my current project and realized my brain was in shutdown. No original thinking possible, so forget the project. All my projects are original…...is it because I can’t follow instruction???

I know, none of you think I can follow instructions. But you are dead wrong….....

No. I proved it today.

Even I can follow instructions.

So remember, in recovery, brain in shutdown….........

So watched the video on the Workshop 3000…........

.......settle into the recliner, get into the movie mode…...

........now isn’t that the American Way….....when you want to relax….......turn on the boob tube….....no thought….other than figuring out how to get the cap off the beer bottle…...is it screw top?......or do I need an opener…..hopefully a screwtop…..’cause don’t know where I left the opener’.

Now the popcorn…....shucks…....talk about idiot stuff….......into the microwave…....and push the button that says “Popcorn”.

Now why can’t the tablesaw gurus fix that…......you know…....push a button for a 3/4” dado…...or dial the blade angle….......push a button…......and let her rip….......come on now….....lets get modern…....

OK, OK, OK…........

Watching the movie, thought about caveats, as I picked hulls out from betwen my teeth…....and washed the detritus down with Alaskan Amber…..........

I can see where people might get bad results. Not that it is difficult, but you don’t want to use it without looking at the instructions, which are simple, and well done.

But there is always the Archie type that can’t figure out why the axe blade doesn’t fit in the chisel port…........and calls the manufacturer with a complaint…....that too is the American Way.

I put the abrasives on the glass wheels, I had 5 abrasives, including two honing abrasives. I have three glass wheels….....think I bought two extras.

.........and the leather honing kit…..and the wide blade adapter…...all waiting for over a year…..to enhance my oh so special tools as they craft the latest creation to be published in Fine Woodworking. Right. In my dreams.

Now shouldn’t we do a little self analysis here, where are my hard won dollars going….......well…....the facts are not too pretty…........

I always buy the whole enchilada…don’t want to be left without the right attachment…....I suspect the manufacturers should use me in their ads…....compulsive, suggestible, compliant…....and not too critical. Doesn’t that sound like Archie?

I took one of my old chisels, the one I use for chipping out glue squeezeout when it is dry. It is an acrylic handled Stanley 3/4”, probably about 25 years old. A replacement for a lost 3/4” in a Craftsman set that is 40 years old. Decided I would figure out the new system using a secondary chisel.

Hear pluses and minuses about the Worksharp…....but some fraction of the minuses are probably from not following instructions. I mean, come on guys and gals, can’t afford the popcorn and the beer? The rest are probably valid…....it is not the ultimate sharpener, but it’s quick and doesn’t place any wear and tear on my wrists. I thought it would be a good solution for me, and after using it, I think it is.

So working with this old but cheap chisel I realized that….....when doing the backside…...if you get too close to the hilt it will get rough and gouged. Lesson learned. Don’t think I will repeat that.

Doing the bevel…..easy for the guys…..plunge in for one second…....pull out..letting it cool…..hmmmmmm…....plunge back in….....and so forth. Repetition. The American Way.

Learned that if you have a cheap chisel, even with a coarse grit, it takes a long time to make the back flat. I came close, but since I am using it for glue chip out, don’t want to get carried away.

I then worked through the grits and honing (only to the first level, let’s not get ridiculous on this cheap chisel) on the back and the bevel (I did not put in a micro bevel).

I have a new set of off the wall display from the local industrial hardware store….......cobbled together set…......labeled Sheffield and Longneck, they look identical. I may some day get good chisels, but not essential now.

They replaced the old set, which Sherie thought looked a lot like screwdrivers and used on more than one occasion accordingly.

My sharpened old chisel is definitely the sharpest chisel in the shop. One caveat….....if you start with cheap chisels, better use a real coarse grit method, perhaps a very coarse sheet on a glass or granite sheet, to get it into some degree of flat on the back before starting. That old chisel was not ground well at the factory. You might instead buy some coarser discs and trim them for the Workshop, especially if starting with a cheap chisel.

Otherwise, it was a simple no brainer, follow the instructions, the 3000 was set up with no skew from the factory. Just did what the video said. Couldn’t get through all the popcorn…...but finished the beer…...always finish the beer.

Yup, some days you need a no brainer….......especially on those days when you ain’t go no brain…......those are the appropriate days for a no brainer…............right….........

So, when the day comes that you ain’t got no brain…........well….....

Alaska (no brain today) Jim

One of the most important things about antiques is the patina. Refinishing removes much of the value. I learned that….....no, not at a Holiday Inn Express…....I learned that on Antiques Roadshow!

So just to help you understand the concept, I will give you an example from my shop. I guarantee that my radial arm saw has LOTS of patina, I put it there…...........(-:

I bought that shining brute at Sears, 41 years ago, and finally it has gained value. It is now an antique. Can’t remove the patina….......that’s a no, no.

Little rust here, little paint there, scratches, replaced switch:

.........there it is….......

...........PATINA in technicolor..........note the fine, ingenious, replacement switch….........(-:

Yup, just a surface mount switch, like for a barn, you know. I am sure it is rated for motors and inductive loads….........wouldn’t it be?

You know I might be tempted to do an upgrade, but gee whiz…......even that switch has become part of the patina. Besides, I can find that switch easily, and it has a great clicking action….......(-:

........and for you electrical engineers out there….....I put that switch there over 30 years ago. It may not be rated….....but is sure does the job.

I love the patina my tools have acquired over time….............just like an antique…....I am sure removing the patina would compromise the value…............(-:

I bet there are other LJ’s out there that have tools with…........a LOTTA PATINA…..........(-:

Aha….....that’s it, mind control…......that’s what they are up to. Indeed it must be the cause of the Lumberjock Syndrome.

Every syndrome must have at least three characteristics:

The Lumberjock Syndrome

1) The victim is a Lumberjock
2) The LJ is seen entering a store to buy a specific item
3) The LJ exits the store with multiple items, but not the specific item the LJ went there for.
4) The LJ spends much more time, and money, than intended, and certainly more than the LJ can afford.
5) The LJ has no memory of the event
6) The events reoccur at odd intervals, possibly related to stressful events….....like….....burns at the site of one’s pocket from unspent and overactive currency, feelings of worthlessness, shopping deprivation
7) LJ’s with this syndrome may also suffer from LackOfNewTool Lament, an apparently related and not dissimilar affliction.
8) There is no known cure

As an aside, beware of ads claiming to cure this terrible malady, perhaps through mail order rather than buying locally, they will certainly just exacerbate the phenomenon. Mail order may be less public, but it allows the victim to to hide the symptoms from his support group….....until the packages arrive…........(-:

Actually, in all honesty, I was looking for a reviewed item, by the Fine Woodworking gods……a Porter Cable 12V drill/driver and impact driver combo. They thought it was a great buy. Powerful, light, and reasonably priced……..

……………but wouldn’t 18volts be even brighter…….have a little more shine……hmmmmmmmm…….

Really folks, I looked for that PC set in Lowe’s, while buying some electrical stuff for my latest and greatest shop endeavor, modular tool carts, project carts, and cabinets. But I didn’t find the exact one. I knew that my old friend Makita lurked at the nearby Home Depot store, but…….I was in the aisle at Lowes. I had decided my Dewalt Power Screwdriver was a failed purchase, after about 3 to 4 years. Not enough power, and the battery had to be charged daily. No Dewalt. Porter-Cable……..not a stand out in the battery operated realm. A little dubious.

But there, the new romance in my shop life……Bosch………recent good experience with a router buy. I had confidence. There it was shining to my right……….as I drove the cart down the aisle….needing a Drive Buy.

I picked up the drill/driver…….holstered it and then after appropriate hestitation…. drew it again slickly and smoothly, definitely a kill.

Hmmmmm. Well, really it hefted just like the latest Makita, last purchase before the Dewalt……a Nickel Metal Hydride brute, but it is heavy……and definitely passé.

The impact driver…….I could see those screws and lag bolts succumbing to its manly power. Even more compact…..perhaps would fit in a leg holster, for a last ditch attempt at survival……

While contemplating a rigorous search for the absolute best…..the box found its way into my cart. The Drive Buy. $199.00……….not on sale. More than the reigning FWW PC superduper saver scoop.

But it was 18V, it exuded testosterone, I don’t think I deceived myself…….Bosch…….cool stuff………worth more…….pride of ownership. More chrome than the competitors.

The next day…..some pretty inconvenient angles, confined spaces, drove a couple of pilot holes and a couple screws, then a lag screw………a perch for a 4” dust collector tube when not in use. Impressive power. Light weight. Compact. Just great.

Today same thing, drilling holes, very difficult approach. Holes………I just couldn’t believe how fast that drill went through ¾” ply, and a piece of metal.

And then I set up the 5/16 inch bolt with the nut in back, with an oversized washer. It was a bad angle for the second one………couldn’t see well……the first one went perfectly….and with the second one gave the impact driver a second squeeze couldn’t tell if the bolt-nut was tight……and watched a 5/16 inch hex bolt head with an oversized washer behind it sink into and start to destroy the ¾ inch plywood.

Yikes………I had a monster in my hand!!!!!!!!!!

Did I tell you, the drill has an automatic chuck lock so that you can really ratchet down on that drill bit with minimum effort…….wonderful.

I have rarely been so impressed with a tool on initial use……..in this case two of them. I don’t know what the long term will bring, but I am optimistic………

……….with my latest Drive Buy……….

By the way, I still haven’t read the instructions……….(-:

Bosch 36618 drill/driver
Bosch 25618 impact driver

$199 for the set at Lowe’s…………

PS

I have a zillion things to blog about, I am way behind……….but trying to complete some stuff……..

But I knew……out there…….someone……would feel much better that they were not alone……….

……when they do a Drive Buy………

Alaska Jim

Just thinking about my activities today….....well….......a lot of lumberjock influence. It has been a very busy day. Got up at 0500hrs and didn’t stop working in the kitchen dining area until 1100hrs. I took off 30 minutes to drink my coffee and check my email. Right now it is a typical Anchorage Thanksgiving….....34 deg, and snow balls are falling from the sky, you know, warm enuf that the flakes clump together.

So what did I do today? Of course, first some family stuff…...er….....flock stuff. Kermit needed his stainless steel palace, you know, the one big enough for the largest of macaws, which he lives on and in much of the day….......cleaned. That took over an hour. It is not a cage, because there has been no door on it for years. Kermit is 20 years old and is very predictable. He is the king of the household, and he has a palace….......and servants, and I am one of them….......(-:

A picture, that will explain the rest of the morning…....taken on the huge granite kitchen island that has a sink, dishwasher and a 6 burner gas stove with oven…......and tends to be piled with a lot of stuff, because it has a lot of space. Who’s rule is that?...........stuff expands to fit the available space…........you know the gist of it. The most significant part of the island is the oven, a flaming hot gas oven, giant thing, that…...............cooks the world’s best pizza.........made by Sherie….......with the worlds best rolling pin.................................

Behind you see the stained glass French doors leading out on to the porch, where the turkey is now at 102 deg on the grill, as you can see, if you squint, on the remote receiver for the electronic oven thermometer.

Here is the case I made last Thanksgiving for the thermometer, Sherie bought it in an emergency to replace my old meat thermometer, she couldn’t find one of the old analog beasts that will survive a pizza oven at a 1000 deg ( well maybe slight exageration by 500 deg or more) so she bought the electronic one….......which is really great….....

.......and the thermometer in the case…..........

I blogged about this last Thanksgiving.

But the important thing to note is…...............my first home made pie crust…....TA DAH.

What brought this to mind was nbeener’s newest box, a product of learning from his mistakes on the previous box…....which is a NIGH UNTO PERFECT BOX.................did I say that right Neil…........(-:

Neil comes to mind, because with my original post, he obviously developed a fetish issue with the case and the thermometer…......if he ever comes to Alaska I will place it in my safe deposit box at the bank.

So the implication is…........my next pie crust will be better, it has to be, because I am using the world’s greatest rolling pin…...........recognize that one anybody?

Next time I will do what my mother did…....make a double recipe for a single crust so you always have enough, and what remains is made into crust cookies covered with sugar and cinnamon….............

The crust is flaky, tastes good, etc., made with good old fashioned Crisco (in stick form). There wasn’t quite enuf to look pretty, but the pumpkin pie is now cooking and looks great.

Now how did I get roped into making a pie crust…........the overall premise is quite reasonable, since those of you who are familiar with Sherie from my other posts…......remember that she has a…........hmmmmmm…....supernatural ability to get her way with me.

We are having a total of 7 people for dinner, including Kermit it is 8. For some reason, everyone seems to buy pre-made pies in this family (not me), and I do believe my mother was a fabulous pie maker in the old tradition. So when I complained about the prospect of store bought pie, Sherie said….....”well I could make the filling…....” whereupon I said, with minimal prompting…......”I will make the crust”

So the pie is nearly done. The turkey, which is filled with stuffing I made from scratch as always, is cooking. I always cook them on the grill (using it as a convection oven), and it is progressing nicely.

So the homemade thermometer box, the special LJ rolling pin, and the pie crust an example of a first effort….....quintesential Lumberjocks….........ain’t it?

So I am happy to be a Lumberjock today, with the activities intertwined with my adventures and friends here on LJ’s.

Happy Thanksgiving, Lumberjocks…..........hope you have as much to be thankful for as I do….......

Alaska Jim

Today, I had 30 minutes to spend in the shop, before I went to the office.
The morning was already busy….....surgery, seeing patients in the hospital, etc.

So I did glueups on some partially completed fixtures for my project table, a couple of one foot long fences. Still had a little time, fifteen minutes.

......and then I thought about something that was sticking in my craw. I had known for about a couple months that the left side of the fence for my super sled, was out of perpendicular. Know that I am truly OCD.

Not talking about right angle to the blade, that is fine, but perpendicular to the large flat surface of the sled. So if I put a thick or high piece of wood against that fence, it would then be forced ever so slightly out of right angle to the blade, if it extended over to the left.

I had thought about a simple solution….........and I had fifteen minutes, for real, before I had to leave for the office.

I quickly marked the exact position of the fence, at least on the left side…....

........and here is where the pleasure came in. My super sled fence, has an adjustable and removable fence. Fastened with 6 carriage bolts. I thought about this long and hard when I made that sled.

I loosened the left side three bolts, and in a few minutes, using some number four washers, shimmed that fence to perfection. Using a thin metal ruler and a strong magnet to manipulate then. Took me 10 minutes.

The SuperSled is now….....well…..perfect in my eyes…....you know…......it’s a simple thing.

I left for the office with a big smile on my face.

Is it simple things….....or am I a simple man….....

........and does it make any difference…........(-:

Alaska Jim