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85K views 272 replies 68 participants last post by  crowie 
#1 ·
Drum Sander Tip

Just recently I managed to buy a second hand drum sander.
The sander is CARBA TEC badged but looks like a Jet 16 -32 Knockoff, as it certainly does not have the height of the current models.

Electrical wiring Gas Tableware Door Machine


I gave it a bit of a beating when I first bought it and sanded just about everything in sight one day, mainly to familiarise my self with its capabilities of what it can and cannot do.

In the process I managed to break a belt and clog some of the others with resin and wood.
The grits I had removed ranged from 60G 80G 120g and 240G from memory.

As these belts amounted to a significant purchase I was not prepared to just throw them away.

I later found out some information from degoose as to where to buy replacement Belts.

Well I have had the machine for about 3 months now and find that I have spent possibly more than the original purchase price on consumables and have about seven belts removed from the machine for clogging or being broken. They were incrementally cleaned whilst in use with belt rejuvenator but it did not fully remove the clogging

The place I got the belts from is The sandpaper Man at Manly West.
I was at the Sandpaper Man"s premises last week talking sandpaper as one would do at a sandpaper shop, when the topic of rejuvenation of the belts came up.

I found out as all the belts I have were polyester cloth there was no reason why I could not soak them in water or the likes to remove the clogging and scrub them with a brush or even use a pressure cleaner on them.

As I had all those items available I thought I would give it a go.

So first up into a bucket of water with some detergent added they went for an overnight soak.

Automotive tire Tire Wood Motor vehicle Cup


I then hung them up on the gate,
This is a top view of belt No 1

Wood Shade Tints and shades Glass Metal


This is a bottom view of belt no 1

Wood Wall Material property Tints and shades Trunk


and introduced the pressure cleaner to them.
The results being,

Wood Tints and shades Hardwood Composite material Wood stain

This is the second belt before cleaning.

I continued and pressure cleaned all the belts

Wood Tints and shades Natural material Liquid Pattern


This is the third belt before cleaning.

Wood Paint Wood stain Floor Wall


this is the third belt cleaned and forth belt ready for cleaning,
Note whatever the black contaminant was, it not all completely removed.

Wood Paint Tints and shades Metal Human leg

Belts 2, 3 and 4.

I worked my way through cleaning them all and obtained the following results

Wood Rectangle Wood stain Tints and shades Gas


and belts 1, 5, 6 and 7.

Font Gas Tints and shades Publication Rectangle


The Pressure cleaner removed almost all of the contamination from every belt including the broken one, of which I will cut up and use else where.

After they were dry I checked them again just in case the water had masked the contamination but all were good.

Conclusion:

Belt Rejuvenation:
No doubt belt rejuvenation whilst the belt is in use is important to prolong its useful life, drum sanders work hard moving material and need adequate dust extraction and cleaning when in use,
Contaminants:
Drum Sanders don't like sanding contaminants like paint and resins if they are grits around 80+ and will clog quickly.
So if there are traces of paint or resin up the grit abrasive range (You can get a 32 Grit) or use another method to prepare the timber.
External Cleaning:
External Cleaning does not restore the surface grit it simply removes contaminants, so if its worn out its now cleaner and worn out!

Enjoy
 

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#114 ·
Hollow Chisel Morticer chisel sharpening angles found!

Well I have eventually tracked down some documented information on the elusive sharpening angles, and the vague references to the mystery two cutting edge type Augers.

This is the latest doctrine available to my knowledge, however as always if I am incorrect please let me know!

Here we go breaking News!

Page 135
Note: There is also a reference to enlarging the chip extraction port. (it must have been originally small and evolved to what we see today) possibly from users enlarging them!

Some images of different augers and in particular some with two cutting edges and one with no center tip at all.

Motor vehicle Newspaper Font Publication Parallel


Page 136

Here is the cutting angles of the primary 60 deg and a surprise of 80 deg secondary finishing, not that its unexpected but I would doubt if ever done this day.

Also some diagrams on the cutting sequence of which I guess we all know any way, I could have edited it out but it complements the article.

Newspaper Font Publication Motor vehicle Newsprint


So all you HCM owners its now fact!
 

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#115 ·
Hollow Chisel Morticer chisel sharpening angles found!

Well I have eventually tracked down some documented information on the elusive sharpening angles, and the vague references to the mystery two cutting edge type Augers.

This is the latest doctrine available to my knowledge, however as always if I am incorrect please let me know!

Here we go breaking News!

Page 135
Note: There is also a reference to enlarging the chip extraction port. (it must have been originally small and evolved to what we see today) possibly from users enlarging them!

Some images of different augers and in particular some with two cutting edges and one with no center tip at all.

Motor vehicle Newspaper Font Publication Parallel


Page 136

Here is the cutting angles of the primary 60 deg and a surprise of 80 deg secondary finishing, not that its unexpected but I would doubt if ever done this day.

Also some diagrams on the cutting sequence of which I guess we all know any way, I could have edited it out but it complements the article.

Newspaper Font Publication Motor vehicle Newsprint


So all you HCM owners its now fact!
Good "FIND"!

You really had to dig for this one!

Very interesting… A MUST to remember…

Thank you!
 

Attachments

#119 ·
Making Architrave Corner Blocks

I needed to see if I could make some door trim Corner Blocks for a house
The job has been on the back burner for some time as I couldnt figure out how to do it.

The router bit I have is called a Dragon Ball and its 2" or 50 mm diameter not some thing you could put in a hand held router.
I initally tried my drill press but it was an outright all round fail, not enough RPM, not enough power, so that idea was scrapped almost as quickly as it started.

I then decided to mount it in my shaper/moulder and try again. As this was almost the opposite setup from before I didnt hold too much hope on it.

Well it actually worked albeit I could not see what I was doing
I checked the Shaper manual to see if there was any reference to the amount of rise and fall of the spindle in relation to the handle rotation, nil and expected as I am using the machine outside its primary design.

With a series of mount ups, cuts and then dismounts and checks I eventually came up with a satisfactory result.

This is the test piece I lashed up as I was concerned about not having enough bulk I had clamps holding it to the fence,and a massive block at the end.

Wood Wood stain Plank Automotive exterior Hardwood


I marked the handle of the moulder with some masking tape as an index and then selected some scrap to do a production run on.

This is the second run setup.
I spaced the material off the top so I could see the setup before turning the machine on

Wood Automotive tire Flooring Floor Road surface


The scrap timber was originally longer and as I cut the profile I cut the completed individual corners off with the saw.

The final result

Wood Wood stain Hardwood Gas Circle


So I cut a set

Wood Rectangle Gas Circle Audio equipment


The process worked well for soft wood and didnt require too much setting up.
Tearout, looks like I will have to factor in some rejects due to tearout and chattering in the final production run.
 

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#120 ·
Making Architrave Corner Blocks

I needed to see if I could make some door trim Corner Blocks for a house
The job has been on the back burner for some time as I couldnt figure out how to do it.

The router bit I have is called a Dragon Ball and its 2" or 50 mm diameter not some thing you could put in a hand held router.
I initally tried my drill press but it was an outright all round fail, not enough RPM, not enough power, so that idea was scrapped almost as quickly as it started.

I then decided to mount it in my shaper/moulder and try again. As this was almost the opposite setup from before I didnt hold too much hope on it.

Well it actually worked albeit I could not see what I was doing
I checked the Shaper manual to see if there was any reference to the amount of rise and fall of the spindle in relation to the handle rotation, nil and expected as I am using the machine outside its primary design.

With a series of mount ups, cuts and then dismounts and checks I eventually came up with a satisfactory result.

This is the test piece I lashed up as I was concerned about not having enough bulk I had clamps holding it to the fence,and a massive block at the end.

Wood Wood stain Plank Automotive exterior Hardwood


I marked the handle of the moulder with some masking tape as an index and then selected some scrap to do a production run on.

This is the second run setup.
I spaced the material off the top so I could see the setup before turning the machine on

Wood Automotive tire Flooring Floor Road surface


The scrap timber was originally longer and as I cut the profile I cut the completed individual corners off with the saw.

The final result

Wood Wood stain Hardwood Gas Circle


So I cut a set

Wood Rectangle Gas Circle Audio equipment


The process worked well for soft wood and didnt require too much setting up.
Tearout, looks like I will have to factor in some rejects due to tearout and chattering in the final production run.
COOL…
 

Attachments

#127 ·
HDPE in the Planer Thicknesser

I see a few posts regarding the machining of HDPE aka HMDP and even PEHD.

Just to reassure the LJs that were concerned about melting, exploding, and generally screwing up machines, here is some HDPE I scavenged and planed to remove the wear grooves so I could use it again.

This is what it looked like upon recovery from the scrap bin.

End View


Wood Hardwood Natural material Automotive exterior Composite material


The surface to be worked

Wood Hardwood Composite material Rectangle Natural material


The first Pass results

Wood Grass Hardwood Bumper Natural material


Then the final results

Again the end view

Shade Composite material Tints and shades Concrete Rectangle


Now the worked surface

Road surface Asphalt Rectangle Composite material Wood


Note:- The static charge on the chips is real and they "cling" everywhere
 

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#128 ·
HDPE in the Planer Thicknesser

I see a few posts regarding the machining of HDPE aka HMDP and even PEHD.

Just to reassure the LJs that were concerned about melting, exploding, and generally screwing up machines, here is some HDPE I scavenged and planed to remove the wear grooves so I could use it again.

This is what it looked like upon recovery from the scrap bin.

End View


Wood Hardwood Natural material Automotive exterior Composite material


The surface to be worked

Wood Hardwood Composite material Rectangle Natural material


The first Pass results

Wood Grass Hardwood Bumper Natural material


Then the final results

Again the end view

Shade Composite material Tints and shades Concrete Rectangle


Now the worked surface

Road surface Asphalt Rectangle Composite material Wood


Note:- The static charge on the chips is real and they "cling" everywhere
Rob, I too have cut this material. I know it as HMDP, High Molecular Density Plastic. It can be worked with carbide bits. It did clog up my dust collection on my miter saw and the grooves in my drill bits. It will melt if you let the heat build up while you are sanding it. But it does have its uses.
 

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#138 ·
Removing Iron stains from timber

OK first up acknowledgements to Mark Wilson for educating me on removing iron stains from naills in wood using Oxalic Acid.

I thought I may be able to use common household products according to information I read on the internet so after visiting under the sink I set to work.

I did three tests with the same test sample offcut

CLR

Wood Rectangle Table Flooring Gas

results no change. Active ingredients not disclosed apart from not containing any phosphates

Mould Away
Wood Food Hardwood Ingredient Wood stain

Results no change Active ingredients Sodium hydroxide, sodium hypochlorate

and Toilet Cleaner,
Wood Wood stain Hardwood Flooring Varnish

Results no change. Active ingredients Hydrogen peroxide and lactic acid.
( I remember bleaching my hair with hydrogen peroxide some 40 years ago so I thought this would at least work!)

All failed to produce any noticable or effective results, apart from the timber may be cleaner in the test area.

So off I went on the pushie and bought some Oxalic Acid specifically designed as a rust and stain remover on timber and masonry

The Oxalic Acid active ingredients 100% w/w Oxalic Acid

The first test

Food Table Ingredient Tableware Wood


The first test produced no change so I read the instructions again and repeated the test and left the solution in place for 10 minutes more

Results

The second Oxalic acid test

Wood Rectangle Natural material Wood stain Hardwood


Conclusion:
Oxalic Acid produced the best results, however it did not remove the stain entirely.

It may be that the test sample area was contaminated my me using gunk reported to work on the internet, again inconclusive.
 

Attachments

#139 ·
Removing Iron stains from timber

OK first up acknowledgements to Mark Wilson for educating me on removing iron stains from naills in wood using Oxalic Acid.

I thought I may be able to use common household products according to information I read on the internet so after visiting under the sink I set to work.

I did three tests with the same test sample offcut

CLR

Wood Rectangle Table Flooring Gas

results no change. Active ingredients not disclosed apart from not containing any phosphates

Mould Away
Wood Food Hardwood Ingredient Wood stain

Results no change Active ingredients Sodium hydroxide, sodium hypochlorate

and Toilet Cleaner,
Wood Wood stain Hardwood Flooring Varnish

Results no change. Active ingredients Hydrogen peroxide and lactic acid.
( I remember bleaching my hair with hydrogen peroxide some 40 years ago so I thought this would at least work!)

All failed to produce any noticable or effective results, apart from the timber may be cleaner in the test area.

So off I went on the pushie and bought some Oxalic Acid specifically designed as a rust and stain remover on timber and masonry

The Oxalic Acid active ingredients 100% w/w Oxalic Acid

The first test

Food Table Ingredient Tableware Wood


The first test produced no change so I read the instructions again and repeated the test and left the solution in place for 10 minutes more

Results

The second Oxalic acid test

Wood Rectangle Natural material Wood stain Hardwood


Conclusion:
Oxalic Acid produced the best results, however it did not remove the stain entirely.

It may be that the test sample area was contaminated my me using gunk reported to work on the internet, again inconclusive.
Have you tried lemon juice ?
 

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#146 ·
Jointing timber using a bandsaw.

I am making a laminated seat for a chair its 500mm x 500mm x 50mm.
I do not have any timber that size so I had to make it by laminating and jointing a series of pieces together.

Layer 1 is two pieces that will do the job
Layer 2 will be 4 pieces to complete the glue up.

This is the raw material I want to use.

Wood Natural material Hardwood Rectangle Artifact


Piece 1 and 2 are what I need for Layer 1 and piece 3 and 4 butt joined to start Layer 2.

But after working out I cannot cut both of them straight without reducing the width below 500mm left me with the option to bandsaw them on the profile and glue them back together again

Using double sided tape I then supported the pieces and bandsawed them.

Wood Rectangle Hardwood Flooring Plywood


I had to cut a small section from Pieces 3 and 4 to get them in the bandsaw.
I could have docked them but as the layer 1 pieces had to be bandsawed I did both.

Wood Wood stain Hardwood Plank Flooring


Next was to fit biscuits.

Wood Wood stain Art Hardwood Flooring


An additional tip here.
Originally I set the biscuit jointer to #20 and cut three positions to fit biscuits, went to dry fit them toogether and found due to the uneven surface penetration was not deep enough for #20 biscuits, and the joint would not close.
So I simply swapped them out for #10s and all closed up perfectly.

Added glue and clamped them all together.

Rectangle Wood Flooring Floor Hardwood


Next day I checked the pieces.

Brown Table Wood Flooring Floor


Here is Layer 1 A Side sanded

Table Wood Wood stain Hardwood Plank


And finally a close up of the glue joint result before any sanding.

Brown Wood Table Flooring Floor


Whats the A abd B side. The A side of Layer 1 will be the top of the seat, the B side will be glued to the B side of Layer 2
Making a final piece 500Ă—500 x 50, ready for carving and sculpting

Conclusion:

The results I obtained just using the bandsaw were worthy of continuing with so now its on with the work to produce Layer 2.

Enjoy
 

Attachments

#147 ·
Jointing timber using a bandsaw.

I am making a laminated seat for a chair its 500mm x 500mm x 50mm.
I do not have any timber that size so I had to make it by laminating and jointing a series of pieces together.

Layer 1 is two pieces that will do the job
Layer 2 will be 4 pieces to complete the glue up.

This is the raw material I want to use.

Wood Natural material Hardwood Rectangle Artifact


Piece 1 and 2 are what I need for Layer 1 and piece 3 and 4 butt joined to start Layer 2.

But after working out I cannot cut both of them straight without reducing the width below 500mm left me with the option to bandsaw them on the profile and glue them back together again

Using double sided tape I then supported the pieces and bandsawed them.

Wood Rectangle Hardwood Flooring Plywood


I had to cut a small section from Pieces 3 and 4 to get them in the bandsaw.
I could have docked them but as the layer 1 pieces had to be bandsawed I did both.

Wood Wood stain Hardwood Plank Flooring


Next was to fit biscuits.

Wood Wood stain Art Hardwood Flooring


An additional tip here.
Originally I set the biscuit jointer to #20 and cut three positions to fit biscuits, went to dry fit them toogether and found due to the uneven surface penetration was not deep enough for #20 biscuits, and the joint would not close.
So I simply swapped them out for #10s and all closed up perfectly.

Added glue and clamped them all together.

Rectangle Wood Flooring Floor Hardwood


Next day I checked the pieces.

Brown Table Wood Flooring Floor


Here is Layer 1 A Side sanded

Table Wood Wood stain Hardwood Plank


And finally a close up of the glue joint result before any sanding.

Brown Wood Table Flooring Floor


Whats the A abd B side. The A side of Layer 1 will be the top of the seat, the B side will be glued to the B side of Layer 2
Making a final piece 500Ă—500 x 50, ready for carving and sculpting

Conclusion:

The results I obtained just using the bandsaw were worthy of continuing with so now its on with the work to produce Layer 2.

Enjoy
I like it!
 

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#154 ·
Alternative use for Transfer Punches

I know everybody possibly has a set of transfer punches they use for aligning dowels and all sorts of other holes in our woodworking activities.

However I found a alternative use for them as precision gauges.

I was busy making some boxes with dividers for somebody you all know when I began fitting the dividers.
It was then that I found I needed to resaw some of the dividers 1mm narrower to ensure a precise fit.

Shipping box Wood Rectangle Hardwood Flooring


As I only have a fairly crude setup on my crosscut sled I found trying to adjust the stop by less than 1mm was proving very unreliable in regards to repeatability.

Wood Gas Composite material Metal Musical instrument


So I decided to use my Transfer punches to set the resaw width.
I started with the 2mm one next to the tape flag on it and worked my way down to the smallest on I have and have (and never used before) until I found the required exact fit. (The tape was to stop the punches rolling away on me as I deternined the correct width)

All I did was place the transfer Punch between the divider and the stop and then resawed it, checked it for fit then cut away on the rest, bingo a perfect precise fit

Wood Floor Flooring Wood stain Musical instrument accessory


Thats all from me today.
 

Attachments

#155 ·
Alternative use for Transfer Punches

I know everybody possibly has a set of transfer punches they use for aligning dowels and all sorts of other holes in our woodworking activities.

However I found a alternative use for them as precision gauges.

I was busy making some boxes with dividers for somebody you all know when I began fitting the dividers.
It was then that I found I needed to resaw some of the dividers 1mm narrower to ensure a precise fit.



As I only have a fairly crude setup on my crosscut sled I found trying to adjust the stop by less than 1mm was proving very unreliable in regards to repeatability.



So I decided to use my Transfer punches to set the resaw width.
I started with the 2mm one next to the tape flag on it and worked my way down to the smallest on I have and have (and never used before) until I found the required exact fit. (The tape was to stop the punches rolling away on me as I deternined the correct width)

All I did was place the transfer Punch between the divider and the stop and then resawed it, checked it for fit then cut away on the rest, bingo a perfect precise fit



Thats all from me today.
Thanks for the tip. Learn something every day.

I was wondering what a transfer punch is, where I come from originally, it's called a drift punch - don't ask me why. Maybe to do with the idea that it's used to punch out metal pins in metalwork?

Never had a reason to use one in woodworking (yet).
 

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#159 ·
Tool air cooler

Majuvla's post prompted this one.
Not wanting to hijack his post or to be seen as to be tacking on the end of his here it is.

My grinder I use for linishing and all those sorts of jobs, also has a white wheel fitted for sharpening tools as well.
When sharpening chisels and items sensitve to changes from heat build up they can be cooled with chilled compressed air directed through a vortex to prevent the tool being subjected to temperature build up.

Saw Tool Plant Gas Automotive tire


Its operation requires dry clean air to work so you will need to have a filter and moisture trap fitted to your outlet.
Most woodworking applications have this as the norm when used as a duster, then attach it to the metal part of the grinder cover by its magnet.

Then and then apply air.

You get two effects one outlet which produces heated air and the other outlet chilled air.

No moving parts involved (except the air) and it directs a cold stream of air onto your woodworking tools undergoing sharpening to assist in cooling them.

In case you were wondering what a vortex is:-

What Is A Vortex Tube?

A low cost, reliable, maintenance free solution to a variety of industrial spot cooling problems. Using an ordinary supply of compressed air as a power source, vortex tubes create two streams of air, one hot and one cold, with no moving parts. Vortex tubes can produce:

Temperatures from -46° to +127°C (-50° to +260°F)
Flow rates from 1 to 150 SCFM (28 to 4248 SLPM)
Refrigeration up to 10,200 Btu/hr. (2571 Kcal/hr.)

Temperatures, flows and refrigeration are adjustable over a wide range using the control valve on the hot end exhaust.

A closing note:-
The differiential temperatures are based on incoming air temperatures, meaning the hotter the incoming air the less cooling and the colder the air the less heating.
 

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#160 ·
Tool air cooler

Majuvla's post prompted this one.
Not wanting to hijack his post or to be seen as to be tacking on the end of his here it is.

My grinder I use for linishing and all those sorts of jobs, also has a white wheel fitted for sharpening tools as well.
When sharpening chisels and items sensitve to changes from heat build up they can be cooled with chilled compressed air directed through a vortex to prevent the tool being subjected to temperature build up.

Saw Tool Plant Gas Automotive tire


Its operation requires dry clean air to work so you will need to have a filter and moisture trap fitted to your outlet.
Most woodworking applications have this as the norm when used as a duster, then attach it to the metal part of the grinder cover by its magnet.

Then and then apply air.

You get two effects one outlet which produces heated air and the other outlet chilled air.

No moving parts involved (except the air) and it directs a cold stream of air onto your woodworking tools undergoing sharpening to assist in cooling them.

In case you were wondering what a vortex is:-

What Is A Vortex Tube?

A low cost, reliable, maintenance free solution to a variety of industrial spot cooling problems. Using an ordinary supply of compressed air as a power source, vortex tubes create two streams of air, one hot and one cold, with no moving parts. Vortex tubes can produce:

Temperatures from -46° to +127°C (-50° to +260°F)
Flow rates from 1 to 150 SCFM (28 to 4248 SLPM)
Refrigeration up to 10,200 Btu/hr. (2571 Kcal/hr.)

Temperatures, flows and refrigeration are adjustable over a wide range using the control valve on the hot end exhaust.

A closing note:-
The differiential temperatures are based on incoming air temperatures, meaning the hotter the incoming air the less cooling and the colder the air the less heating.
I thought all one did was to dip'em in water… (??)
 

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#165 ·
Using the Standard Gifkins Dovetail Jig with timber wider than the recommended 310mm

The Gifkins Dovetail Jig set up with the Standard template B10 series template has a recommended dimensions of:- 14mm up to 22mm with a maximum width of 310mm.

Font Parallel Pattern Number Monochrome


The additional pieces I added to my Toolmakers Chest pushed the width in paticular to 325mm, too big to fit between the Jigs Sliding stops.
So to re route my project I removed the Sliding stops and aligned the existing tails and pins by feel and eye.

Note: To be able to do this accurately you should have new sacrificial backboards fitted so that re alignment is possible with existing cut outs otherwise it may not work as well.

How I did it.

First up I removed one Sliding stop and aligned the previous cutouts with the backing board.

Then set the height of the cutters from the existing profiles and away I went.

Wood Gas Audio equipment Machine Engineering


The new timber ready to be cut is visible on the left.

Once it was cut I then needed to duplicate the cut on the opposite side so off came the other Sliding stop.

Wood Gas Flooring Tool Circle


I didnt take a picture of the view looking underneath but I guess you will understand what I saw to align everything perfectly.

Plant Wood Wood stain Table Hardwood


Gifkins do make a jumbo Jig (see specs picture above. Which I dont have, so I had to make do.
 

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#166 ·
Using the Standard Gifkins Dovetail Jig with timber wider than the recommended 310mm

The Gifkins Dovetail Jig set up with the Standard template B10 series template has a recommended dimensions of:- 14mm up to 22mm with a maximum width of 310mm.

Font Parallel Pattern Number Monochrome


The additional pieces I added to my Toolmakers Chest pushed the width in paticular to 325mm, too big to fit between the Jigs Sliding stops.
So to re route my project I removed the Sliding stops and aligned the existing tails and pins by feel and eye.

Note: To be able to do this accurately you should have new sacrificial backboards fitted so that re alignment is possible with existing cut outs otherwise it may not work as well.

How I did it.

First up I removed one Sliding stop and aligned the previous cutouts with the backing board.

Then set the height of the cutters from the existing profiles and away I went.

Wood Gas Audio equipment Machine Engineering


The new timber ready to be cut is visible on the left.

Once it was cut I then needed to duplicate the cut on the opposite side so off came the other Sliding stop.

Wood Gas Flooring Tool Circle


I didnt take a picture of the view looking underneath but I guess you will understand what I saw to align everything perfectly.

Plant Wood Wood stain Table Hardwood


Gifkins do make a jumbo Jig (see specs picture above. Which I dont have, so I had to make do.
And you did a fine job…well done!!
 

Attachments

#167 ·
Sell it and buy a new one

This blog is the result of GR8hunters post Inventors?? i need help!!

When I read his call for help it related to a Drill press he had without any table positioning mechanism, meaning the rack and pinion used to raise and lower the table.

There were a series of replies all having merit as to how to overcome the problem but involved retrofitting the Drill Press.

In my usual 36 grit reply I indicated the only solution was to update in the way of buying a new Drill press, and as it was almost Christmas it would be a great time to do it and added we didnt need to be imbuggered with dinosaur machines in this stage of our lives, as we were also getting old and could do nothing about it however our tools we could.

Anyway from down south came a duck echo saying that the crank was just as bad, so I accepted a task to conduct some scientific experiments to justify my abrasive comment.

This morning at the expence of other woodworking activites this testing was conducted.

The test involved measuring the amount of force needed to crank the Drill press table up and down.

I used some very accurate scientific equipment to verify the results I obtained and in the conclusion provided the uncertantity of measurements.

The test involved the following equipment
1 x radial arm drill purchased from carba tech specifically for the purpose
1 x Chinese high accuracy Luggage scale
1 x spray can of Smiths provided food safe lubricant
1 x chunk of plywood preped for making a aftermarket handwheel.
1 x test weight of some calibrated wood offcuts to simulated a job on the table.

The enviromental conditions were as below.
Bloody hot even at 0900 AM
No wind to interfer with the readings.

The test situation.
A general view of the clutter

Plant Automotive tire Motor vehicle Grass Gas


Some more close up details of the mechanism

Wood Building Plant Gas Hardwood


I conducted two tests one with the mechanisn not lubricated and one after applying a measured amount of lubrication to the rack and pinion mechanism.

Test One No lube.

Going up

Measuring instrument Temperature Gas Display device Auto part


Going down

Plant Temperature Measuring instrument Gas Electronic device


Test two lubrication applied

Bicycle tire Automotive tire Bicycle handlebar Bicycle fork Bicycle wheel


Going up

Motor vehicle Temperature Gas Auto part Electronic device


Going down

Tire Temperature Measuring instrument Automotive tire Gas


Conclusion:

Going up: It took about 2kgs of horizontal force to turn the handle to raise the table.
Applying lub made no value added difference.

Going down: It took about 85 gms to force to turn the handle to lower the table.
Applying Lub reduced this figure to about 4 gms.

Is lubricating the mechanism worthwhile no just makes a mess and is ineffective at the greatest load, that of elevating the table.

Uncertanity of measurements: Dead accurate mate.

Alternatives to reduce manual effort.

The crank handle could be lengthened to reduce the effort in fact a wheel the size of a cars steering wheel or even a ships wheel (which I assume shipwright has on his drill press) could be added.

The Prototype wheel I prepared

Wood Natural material Art Wood stain Plant


I could supply blanks of this wheel and with a business arrangment in place have them customised to suit your needs, that would be with the skills assistants of the likes of htl, crowie, little black duck, or dutchy and all the other LJs who make fantastic looking wheels

Thanks for letting me waste your time !!
 

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#168 ·
Sell it and buy a new one

This blog is the result of GR8hunters post Inventors?? i need help!!

When I read his call for help it related to a Drill press he had without any table positioning mechanism, meaning the rack and pinion used to raise and lower the table.

There were a series of replies all having merit as to how to overcome the problem but involved retrofitting the Drill Press.

In my usual 36 grit reply I indicated the only solution was to update in the way of buying a new Drill press, and as it was almost Christmas it would be a great time to do it and added we didnt need to be imbuggered with dinosaur machines in this stage of our lives, as we were also getting old and could do nothing about it however our tools we could.

Anyway from down south came a duck echo saying that the crank was just as bad, so I accepted a task to conduct some scientific experiments to justify my abrasive comment.

This morning at the expence of other woodworking activites this testing was conducted.

The test involved measuring the amount of force needed to crank the Drill press table up and down.

I used some very accurate scientific equipment to verify the results I obtained and in the conclusion provided the uncertantity of measurements.

The test involved the following equipment
1 x radial arm drill purchased from carba tech specifically for the purpose
1 x Chinese high accuracy Luggage scale
1 x spray can of Smiths provided food safe lubricant
1 x chunk of plywood preped for making a aftermarket handwheel.
1 x test weight of some calibrated wood offcuts to simulated a job on the table.

The enviromental conditions were as below.
Bloody hot even at 0900 AM
No wind to interfer with the readings.

The test situation.
A general view of the clutter

Plant Automotive tire Motor vehicle Grass Gas


Some more close up details of the mechanism

Wood Building Plant Gas Hardwood


I conducted two tests one with the mechanisn not lubricated and one after applying a measured amount of lubrication to the rack and pinion mechanism.

Test One No lube.

Going up

Measuring instrument Temperature Gas Display device Auto part


Going down

Plant Temperature Measuring instrument Gas Electronic device


Test two lubrication applied

Bicycle tire Automotive tire Bicycle handlebar Bicycle fork Bicycle wheel


Going up

Motor vehicle Temperature Gas Auto part Electronic device


Going down

Tire Temperature Measuring instrument Automotive tire Gas


Conclusion:

Going up: It took about 2kgs of horizontal force to turn the handle to raise the table.
Applying lub made no value added difference.

Going down: It took about 85 gms to force to turn the handle to lower the table.
Applying Lub reduced this figure to about 4 gms.

Is lubricating the mechanism worthwhile no just makes a mess and is ineffective at the greatest load, that of elevating the table.

Uncertanity of measurements: Dead accurate mate.

Alternatives to reduce manual effort.

The crank handle could be lengthened to reduce the effort in fact a wheel the size of a cars steering wheel or even a ships wheel (which I assume shipwright has on his drill press) could be added.

The Prototype wheel I prepared

Wood Natural material Art Wood stain Plant


I could supply blanks of this wheel and with a business arrangment in place have them customised to suit your needs, that would be with the skills assistants of the likes of htl, crowie, little black duck, or dutchy and all the other LJs who make fantastic looking wheels

Thanks for letting me waste your time !!
huh-sorry buddy I just got home from the company Christmas party and -well,ill just take your word for it-LOL! hell just buy a new one!
 

Attachments

#183 ·
Adjusting your Irwin square if its a bit loose

I have an Irwin square which I use often due to it being the only accurate square of that size I have got.

Well after years of use and possibly a little abuse I noticed a vey small amount of movement in the square.

As I rely on it quite a lot I decided to see if I could reset it.

No adjustment screws or the likes were visible so I assumed there was something under the plactic sides.
On further investigation I found there was a small amount of movement in the side covers but they would not slide off.

There was not a lot of space between the sides and the actual metal frame so I decided to poke a trimming knife blade down between the two.

Rectangle Wood Office ruler Ruler Font


I then slid a steel rule in and it stopped about 30 mm, now pushing the plastic side I found it would now slide off.

Ruler Wood Office ruler Rectangle Tool


Looking closer there was a dimple in the plastic cover locking it into a hole in the metal frame but no adjusting screws, very odd I thought so I removed the other plastic side and found what looked like three really small "screws"

Wood Rectangle Wood stain Gas Tints and shades


Using a magnifying glass I saw a round nut with a section notched out on the outside.

Ruler Office ruler Wood Rectangle Measuring instrument


Wondering if I could adjust them I got a small punch and hammer and gave one a hit.
Sure enough it moved.

Calipers Hand tool Ruler Office ruler Wood


So I set my square in a vice and with my small japanese square set it back to 90 degrees.
Then gently tapped the round nuts up tight again.

Once that was done all the movement was gone and the square was accurate once more
I slid the plactic sides back on and returned to work..

I thought you may be interested.
 

Attachments

#184 ·
Adjusting your Irwin square if its a bit loose

I have an Irwin square which I use often due to it being the only accurate square of that size I have got.

Well after years of use and possibly a little abuse I noticed a vey small amount of movement in the square.

As I rely on it quite a lot I decided to see if I could reset it.

No adjustment screws or the likes were visible so I assumed there was something under the plactic sides.
On further investigation I found there was a small amount of movement in the side covers but they would not slide off.

There was not a lot of space between the sides and the actual metal frame so I decided to poke a trimming knife blade down between the two.

Rectangle Wood Office ruler Ruler Font


I then slid a steel rule in and it stopped about 30 mm, now pushing the plastic side I found it would now slide off.

Ruler Wood Office ruler Rectangle Tool


Looking closer there was a dimple in the plastic cover locking it into a hole in the metal frame but no adjusting screws, very odd I thought so I removed the other plastic side and found what looked like three really small "screws"

Wood Rectangle Wood stain Gas Tints and shades


Using a magnifying glass I saw a round nut with a section notched out on the outside.

Ruler Office ruler Wood Rectangle Measuring instrument


Wondering if I could adjust them I got a small punch and hammer and gave one a hit.
Sure enough it moved.

Calipers Hand tool Ruler Office ruler Wood


So I set my square in a vice and with my small japanese square set it back to 90 degrees.
Then gently tapped the round nuts up tight again.

Once that was done all the movement was gone and the square was accurate once more
I slid the plactic sides back on and returned to work..

I thought you may be interested.
.... with my small japanese square set it back to 90 degrees….
- robscastle
Nice tip rc.

And to think that back in the 60's we(I) poo pooed the Made in Japan stamp… Now we'd kill for it and they always come to our savour every time…

PS. Maybe we should just buy Jap squares… but how the hell could we correct them?
 

Attachments

#191 ·
wow i think saw stop would love those saws rob-lol.those are a little scary,especially that amanco,blade seems a little dull too.id say we should be grateful for the tools we have now buddy.
 
#195 ·
Aldi Step drill sets

OK here is something I would not have normally considered.
Using a step drill in wood.
These are usually reserved for thin metal and plastics, however I decided to do a test and see if they were suitable for solid and engineered wood.

First up the Purchase details.

I bought 2 x sets of drills from ALDI. Now the picture shows both sets together in one box so dont be confused.
The cost was $12AUD each.

Wood Cable Font Gadget Hardwood


Now the technical details.

Each individual set had the following contents:-

Set 1
Set 1 had 4 x Drills 1x Countersunk bit 12.4mm 1x Drill saw bit 6mm 1 x tapered cone drill 8 to 20mm and 1 x step drill 4 to 12mm .

Set 2
Set 2 had 3x drills, 1 x step drill 4 to 12mm (same as set 1) 1Ă—4 to 20mm step drill and 1Ă—4 to 32mm step drill.

Wood Triangle Chemical compound Metal Transparency


All were coated with the usual gold looking Titanium aluminium nitride (TiAlN) or aluminium titanium nitride
and all had 3 sided or hex shafts. So 5 of the set (hex) can fit into a standard hex driver adapter.

I only used the 4 to 20mm stepped bit for the test.

Wood Burin Mallet Hypodermic needle Tool


First test was a piece of MDF board.

Automotive tire Grey Space Automotive lighting Armour


I can report the bit ate it no worries.

The resultant hole.

Gas Natural material Electric blue Automotive exterior Rectangle


So I turned the board around and drilled back in again.

Asphalt Road surface Gas Wood Electric blue


All seemed a reasonable job with only a bit of raggedy edges showing.

Next I turned my attention to a piece of pine.

Wood Wood stain Hardwood Plank Fixture


As you can see it ate it again.

Now from the other side drilling back.

Wood Wood stain Hardwood Natural material Plank


Conclusion:


If you have a situation where a bigger drill is needed and you dont have one, a step drill could be used.

Note:
As the step section is small there will be a decresing dimension if material thicker than the step is used, otherwise move the shank out and pass completetly through.
Does it work with hardwood (Red Ironbark) I havent tried it yet.

And its BOC! For what its worth enjoy.
 

Attachments

#196 ·
Aldi Step drill sets

OK here is something I would not have normally considered.
Using a step drill in wood.
These are usually reserved for thin metal and plastics, however I decided to do a test and see if they were suitable for solid and engineered wood.

First up the Purchase details.

I bought 2 x sets of drills from ALDI. Now the picture shows both sets together in one box so dont be confused.
The cost was $12AUD each.

Wood Cable Font Gadget Hardwood


Now the technical details.

Each individual set had the following contents:-

Set 1
Set 1 had 4 x Drills 1x Countersunk bit 12.4mm 1x Drill saw bit 6mm 1 x tapered cone drill 8 to 20mm and 1 x step drill 4 to 12mm .

Set 2
Set 2 had 3x drills, 1 x step drill 4 to 12mm (same as set 1) 1Ă—4 to 20mm step drill and 1Ă—4 to 32mm step drill.

Wood Triangle Chemical compound Metal Transparency


All were coated with the usual gold looking Titanium aluminium nitride (TiAlN) or aluminium titanium nitride
and all had 3 sided or hex shafts. So 5 of the set (hex) can fit into a standard hex driver adapter.

I only used the 4 to 20mm stepped bit for the test.

Wood Burin Mallet Hypodermic needle Tool


First test was a piece of MDF board.

Automotive tire Grey Space Automotive lighting Armour


I can report the bit ate it no worries.

The resultant hole.

Gas Natural material Electric blue Automotive exterior Rectangle


So I turned the board around and drilled back in again.

Asphalt Road surface Gas Wood Electric blue


All seemed a reasonable job with only a bit of raggedy edges showing.

Next I turned my attention to a piece of pine.

Wood Wood stain Hardwood Plank Fixture


As you can see it ate it again.

Now from the other side drilling back.

Wood Wood stain Hardwood Natural material Plank


Conclusion:


If you have a situation where a bigger drill is needed and you dont have one, a step drill could be used.

Note:
As the step section is small there will be a decresing dimension if material thicker than the step is used, otherwise move the shank out and pass completetly through.
Does it work with hardwood (Red Ironbark) I havent tried it yet.

And its BOC! For what its worth enjoy.
Interesting
 

Attachments

#210 ·
What I found snoopin around in Anthm27s shed while he was in Hong Kong

well I got the ride on purring so wondering what to do next I snooped about in his shed and unpacked a few more boxes.

Window Wood Shipping box Table Office supplies


In one I found this deceptive looking box.

Brown Rectangle Wood Wood stain Hardwood


Being a bit of a curious person (read as a sticky beak) decided to open it.

Font Symbol Wood Art Natural material


To my surprise there were a set of planes in there that any pilot would kill for.

Product Knife Tool Automotive lighting Automotive design


I might add, and not just ordinary planes, ones of all shapes and sizes.

Tableware Kitchen utensil Hand tool Tool Wood


There were ones for any thing you could possibly imagine doing.

Automotive parking light Automotive tail & brake light Automotive lighting Hood Motor vehicle


All sitting quietly awaiting the master to return.

Hood Automotive design Material property Motor vehicle Eyewear


So I tucked them all back in, wiped my eyes, closed the lid and put them back.

Taking care to ensure I didn't drop my wallet in the shed.

P.S The lady wasn't forgotten either I found a nice Filipino broom in there too, its now sitting on your bed.
 

Attachments

#211 ·
What I found snoopin around in Anthm27s shed while he was in Hong Kong

well I got the ride on purring so wondering what to do next I snooped about in his shed and unpacked a few more boxes.

Window Wood Shipping box Table Office supplies


In one I found this deceptive looking box.

Brown Rectangle Wood Wood stain Hardwood


Being a bit of a curious person (read as a sticky beak) decided to open it.

Font Symbol Wood Art Natural material


To my surprise there were a set of planes in there that any pilot would kill for.

Product Knife Tool Automotive lighting Automotive design


I might add, and not just ordinary planes, ones of all shapes and sizes.

Tableware Kitchen utensil Hand tool Tool Wood


There were ones for any thing you could possibly imagine doing.

Automotive parking light Automotive tail & brake light Automotive lighting Hood Motor vehicle


All sitting quietly awaiting the master to return.

Hood Automotive design Material property Motor vehicle Eyewear


So I tucked them all back in, wiped my eyes, closed the lid and put them back.

Taking care to ensure I didn't drop my wallet in the shed.

P.S The lady wasn't forgotten either I found a nice Filipino broom in there too, its now sitting on your bed.
Oh my!!! Drooling all over my phone.
 

Attachments

#216 ·
How to get Buried Treasue out of your timber and finger (a way)

If you read my blog about making a Tongue drum you would see I found some buried treasure in the process.
Now it couldn't possibly stay in the timber and had to go, this is how I removed it.

Tools needed:-
A pair of stud screw removing Pliers
A small plug cutter
Drill power preferably
a small twist drill
The victim/s

The process
Identify the foreign object, preferably before your woodworking tools do, by visual inspection or metal detector or in the worst case movement!

In my case the thicknesser detected two intruders, luckily no immediate damage was done.

Brown Wood Wood stain Natural material Flooring


The process used:-
carefully drill around the object with a suitably sized plug cutter

Wood Wood stain Hardwood Varnish Tool


drill down far enough to get the nose of the pliers onto to the nail
clean all debris off the shank of the nail

Table Wood Tool Hand tool Wood stain


grab the nail tightly with the pliers and gently wiggle and pull up at the same time.
If it turns but doesn't come out its a screw so you will have to unscrew it at the same time.

soon the trouble maker well be out of its hiding hole.

continue on as get his buddy too!

Brown Wood Wood stain Flooring Hardwood


now upon close inspection there are some discoloured hole giving away another hiding spot
to ensure their clear get a small drill and drill down to see if you strike gold, if only wood or rubbish come out you fine and job complete

Wood Flooring Wood stain Hardwood Varnish


now annoying microscopic splinters in your finger

There is one here annoying the hell out of me.

Wood Automotive tire Finger Tool Hand tool


Even the maggy lamp and tweezers could not remove it
So out comes the secret weapon, a used blunt razor just drag it across the area and it will PU the little rotter
just like when your trying shave with a blunt razor and drag it right out!

that's all my useless knowledge for today!
 

Attachments

#217 ·
How to get Buried Treasue out of your timber and finger (a way)

If you read my blog about making a Tongue drum you would see I found some buried treasure in the process.
Now it couldn't possibly stay in the timber and had to go, this is how I removed it.

Tools needed:-
A pair of stud screw removing Pliers
A small plug cutter
Drill power preferably
a small twist drill
The victim/s

The process
Identify the foreign object, preferably before your woodworking tools do, by visual inspection or metal detector or in the worst case movement!

In my case the thicknesser detected two intruders, luckily no immediate damage was done.

Brown Wood Wood stain Natural material Flooring


The process used:-
carefully drill around the object with a suitably sized plug cutter

Wood Wood stain Hardwood Varnish Tool


drill down far enough to get the nose of the pliers onto to the nail
clean all debris off the shank of the nail

Table Wood Tool Hand tool Wood stain


grab the nail tightly with the pliers and gently wiggle and pull up at the same time.
If it turns but doesn't come out its a screw so you will have to unscrew it at the same time.

soon the trouble maker well be out of its hiding hole.

continue on as get his buddy too!

Brown Wood Wood stain Flooring Hardwood


now upon close inspection there are some discoloured hole giving away another hiding spot
to ensure their clear get a small drill and drill down to see if you strike gold, if only wood or rubbish come out you fine and job complete

Wood Flooring Wood stain Hardwood Varnish


now annoying microscopic splinters in your finger

There is one here annoying the hell out of me.

Wood Automotive tire Finger Tool Hand tool


Even the maggy lamp and tweezers could not remove it
So out comes the secret weapon, a used blunt razor just drag it across the area and it will PU the little rotter
just like when your trying shave with a blunt razor and drag it right out!

that's all my useless knowledge for today!
The razor trick is new to me - I'll have to remember that one!

Definitely not useless knowledge :)
 

Attachments

#223 ·
Hook and Loop alternative fixes

I am not sure if this is of any interest but here goes.
1. Most of our sanding work involves Hook and loop materials of all sorts of dimensions.

I have a couple of ROS
a Metabo SXE 450 150mm ..and two Dewalt's D26453- XE 120mm
All courtesy of Degoose a few years back, so thank you Larry.
I also have a half sheet sander, I had two but somebody pinched one.

2. When my son and I were building his new gate he was sanding away and didn't notice the Abranet disc spun off, and as a result subsequently sanded off the H&L surface of the backing pad.

Has it been damaged beyond repair?

3. How to test if the H&L has failed, place a disc on the edge and try to pull it off sideways if it releases the H&L surface is damaged, if it stays stuck its OK.

Helmet Circle Tints and shades Gas Art


Another check would be to use your sanding block as a second test.

Input device Yellow Mouse Font Peripheral


Believe it or not if the H&L is good it will not release sideways.

4. So what do we do?... go buy another backing pad?

Automotive tire Automotive wheel system Rim Gas Font


Anywhere between $25 and $38 AUD, and that will fix it.

Or….

5. replace just the H&L section on the original pad.

So here is the alternative fix. Coming in at $9 and $9.50 AUD each

You will need to sand off all of the original H&L, shouldn't be a prob as its half done already.

Method 1
Use a a sheet of sandpaper and run the ROS on it until the surface is removed, or
Method 2
Use the trusty disc sander and hold the ROS on it running, checking your progress regularly.

Automotive tire Motor vehicle Bumper Yellow Automotive design


or

Automotive tire Automotive lighting Gesture Motor vehicle Gas


Note you do not need to remove the pad from the sander, I took it off intending to go buy a replacement pad, Which incidentally I did as a back up if the other method failed during a task, and don't press too hard and burn the pad into the grit.

Soon it will look like this.

Composite material Circle Rim Pattern Electric blue


With the replacement pressure sensitive H&L replacement pad your now ready to go to step 2
this is my 150mm Metabo replacement.



This is my 120mm DeWalt replacement.

Circle Manhole cover Button Pattern Font


Now I had to punch the three screw locating holes in it.



Then ready to attach.

A bit of filddling about but possibly a cost effective alternative
a cost saving of 2/3 to1/2 the complete replacement pads.

Will they work as well? .....only time will tell.
 

Attachments

#224 ·
Hook and Loop alternative fixes

I am not sure if this is of any interest but here goes.
1. Most of our sanding work involves Hook and loop materials of all sorts of dimensions.

I have a couple of ROS
a Metabo SXE 450 150mm ..and two Dewalt's D26453- XE 120mm
All courtesy of Degoose a few years back, so thank you Larry.
I also have a half sheet sander, I had two but somebody pinched one.

2. When my son and I were building his new gate he was sanding away and didn't notice the Abranet disc spun off, and as a result subsequently sanded off the H&L surface of the backing pad.

Has it been damaged beyond repair?

3. How to test if the H&L has failed, place a disc on the edge and try to pull it off sideways if it releases the H&L surface is damaged, if it stays stuck its OK.



Another check would be to use your sanding block as a second test.

Input device Yellow Mouse Font Peripheral


Believe it or not if the H&L is good it will not release sideways.

4. So what do we do?... go buy another backing pad?



Anywhere between $25 and $38 AUD, and that will fix it.

Or….

5. replace just the H&L section on the original pad.

So here is the alternative fix. Coming in at $9 and $9.50 AUD each

You will need to sand off all of the original H&L, shouldn't be a prob as its half done already.

Method 1
Use a a sheet of sandpaper and run the ROS on it until the surface is removed, or
Method 2
Use the trusty disc sander and hold the ROS on it running, checking your progress regularly.

Automotive tire Motor vehicle Bumper Yellow Automotive design


or



Note you do not need to remove the pad from the sander, I took it off intending to go buy a replacement pad, Which incidentally I did as a back up if the other method failed during a task, and don't press too hard and burn the pad into the grit.

Soon it will look like this.



With the replacement pressure sensitive H&L replacement pad your now ready to go to step 2
this is my 150mm Metabo replacement.

Paint Circle Art paint Electric blue Gas


This is my 120mm DeWalt replacement.



Now I had to punch the three screw locating holes in it.



Then ready to attach.

A bit of filddling about but possibly a cost effective alternative
a cost saving of 2/3 to1/2 the complete replacement pads.

Will they work as well? .....only time will tell.
Very good. Though HL is a pain at times, it is way better than the old adhesive stuff.
 

Attachments

#259 ·
Cyclops grinder guard

OK HNY all

Had lots fun reading about all the current lens posts, so I thought it best trying not to be too much of a pane, add my effort.
Nowhere as humorous as Mads or other posts and I dont expect to be getting a DT3 for it either, or as some may say no third prize.

Anyway years ago like others I dismantled a projector and found some very impressive lenses.

I needed to see my sharpening efforts in better detail so I glued it onto my shield

Automotive lighting Hood Motor vehicle Automotive tail & brake light Headlamp


It worked very well for me and I thought is was the ducks nuts …so to speak.

Plant Wood Mammal Outdoor furniture Wood stain


I can now see better!

Automotive lighting Oval Natural material Gas Helmet


I am not sure of the magnification level but I an sure if you were game to put an appendage under it you would be most impressed!

Making sure the appliance is unplugged first.

As I work outdoors i needed to ensure the Sun didn't find it and cook ants or other think for instance lazering my white stone, so I to prevent any thermal mistakes and causing wild fires or the likes I have to cover it with a cardboard barrier.

Gas Machine Machine tool Motor vehicle Wood


I also actually had the frenzel lens from a projector TV mounted in a wooden frame but after melting bricks on a sunny day wirh it I decided to dispose of it quick smart as it appeared to be a real feather or fur singe creator in a big way.

That's all folks
Or is it yabba dabba do?
 

Attachments

#260 ·
Cyclops grinder guard

OK HNY all

Had lots fun reading about all the current lens posts, so I thought it best trying not to be too much of a pane, add my effort.
Nowhere as humorous as Mads or other posts and I dont expect to be getting a DT3 for it either, or as some may say no third prize.

Anyway years ago like others I dismantled a projector and found some very impressive lenses.

I needed to see my sharpening efforts in better detail so I glued it onto my shield

Automotive lighting Hood Motor vehicle Automotive tail & brake light Headlamp


It worked very well for me and I thought is was the ducks nuts …so to speak.

Plant Wood Mammal Outdoor furniture Wood stain


I can now see better!

Automotive lighting Oval Natural material Gas Helmet


I am not sure of the magnification level but I an sure if you were game to put an appendage under it you would be most impressed!

Making sure the appliance is unplugged first.

As I work outdoors i needed to ensure the Sun didn't find it and cook ants or other think for instance lazering my white stone, so I to prevent any thermal mistakes and causing wild fires or the likes I have to cover it with a cardboard barrier.

Gas Machine Machine tool Motor vehicle Wood


I also actually had the frenzel lens from a projector TV mounted in a wooden frame but after melting bricks on a sunny day wirh it I decided to dispose of it quick smart as it appeared to be a real feather or fur singe creator in a big way.

That's all folks
Or is it yabba dabba do?
good idea rc,now i just need to find an old projector! hmmm whens the last time i saw one of those ?
 

Attachments

#267 ·
Milescraft SignPro Mod 1

Is there anybody out there these days that still has a Sign making kit from Milescraft?

If so it possibly buried in sawdust under the workbench somewhere.
All because of the frustrating results from letters A N and R.

I dont have a fix for R just yet so have to live with the deformed look it produces

However this week I needed to make a sign for a customer and out it came and got dusted off.

Here is the result.



a closer look
The messy N's

Wood Font Tints and shades Landscape Grass


And messy A's



As I have had the kit for about 9 years, I thought I better re read the instruction manual.
I did and checked for updates on the net …nothing has changed.
Possibly because everybody doing signs has gone CNC and the kit has become obsolete.

So I emailed Milescraft for any technical bulletin updates.

See the reply below:-

Good afternoon, Robert,

Thank you for contacting Milescraft. We are sorry to hear that you are having difficulty with some of the letters in the sign making kit and certainly apologize for this inconvenience. The letters that you are struggling with are the three most difficult letters in the kit to rout, you are not alone. Each of these letters do take some practice to get the hang of. In all cases you will rout in a clockwise motion and you will want to be sure that your bushing is snug against the edge of the template, this will give you the best results. We recommend getting a test piece of wood and practicing with the A, N, and R, until you are comfortable with the tricky parts of each of these letters.

Robert, should there be anything further that I can assist you with, please let me know.

Sincerely,

Jessica Randall

Marketing & Sales Support Specialist

Milescraft Inc.

So after having the kt for 9 years more practice is needed, of which I did and would you believe occasionally I jagged a good one.

Wood Font Tints and shades Landscape Grass


completely disillusioned I decided to give up and drink beer instead.

During the night I decided there has got to be a better way to get perfect results and started thinking.

next day I found some thin metal about 2 x times the thickness of a Coke can.

I cut a series of pieces on my table saw, traced out the diagonal for the letter N and die ground the diagonal section out.

Fitted it into to my milescraft jig.



and tested the modified overlay section out.



Brilliant just what I needed, so I made another (roughie) one for the horizontal section of the A.

Automotive lighting Art Font Material property Gas


and got a much better result.



ignore the P I forgot to clamp up properly.

Looks to be satisfactory mod …comment for more details if its of interest or just have a sly chuckle to yourself.

The tools I used to make them.

Wood Road surface Gas Flooring Composite material
 

Attachments

#268 ·
Milescraft SignPro Mod 1

Is there anybody out there these days that still has a Sign making kit from Milescraft?

If so it possibly buried in sawdust under the workbench somewhere.
All because of the frustrating results from letters A N and R.

I dont have a fix for R just yet so have to live with the deformed look it produces

However this week I needed to make a sign for a customer and out it came and got dusted off.

Here is the result.

Font Wood Rectangle Composite material Electric blue


a closer look
The messy N's

Wood Font Tints and shades Landscape Grass


And messy A's

Wood Automotive tire Font Tints and shades Grass


As I have had the kit for about 9 years, I thought I better re read the instruction manual.
I did and checked for updates on the net …nothing has changed.
Possibly because everybody doing signs has gone CNC and the kit has become obsolete.

So I emailed Milescraft for any technical bulletin updates.

See the reply below:-

Good afternoon, Robert,

Thank you for contacting Milescraft. We are sorry to hear that you are having difficulty with some of the letters in the sign making kit and certainly apologize for this inconvenience. The letters that you are struggling with are the three most difficult letters in the kit to rout, you are not alone. Each of these letters do take some practice to get the hang of. In all cases you will rout in a clockwise motion and you will want to be sure that your bushing is snug against the edge of the template, this will give you the best results. We recommend getting a test piece of wood and practicing with the A, N, and R, until you are comfortable with the tricky parts of each of these letters.

Robert, should there be anything further that I can assist you with, please let me know.

Sincerely,

Jessica Randall

Marketing & Sales Support Specialist

Milescraft Inc.

So after having the kt for 9 years more practice is needed, of which I did and would you believe occasionally I jagged a good one.

Wood Font Tints and shades Landscape Grass


completely disillusioned I decided to give up and drink beer instead.

During the night I decided there has got to be a better way to get perfect results and started thinking.

next day I found some thin metal about 2 x times the thickness of a Coke can.

I cut a series of pieces on my table saw, traced out the diagonal for the letter N and die ground the diagonal section out.

Fitted it into to my milescraft jig.

Rectangle Wood Font Gas Automotive exterior


and tested the modified overlay section out.

Wood Font Grass Wall Plant


Brilliant just what I needed, so I made another (roughie) one for the horizontal section of the A.

Automotive lighting Art Font Material property Gas


and got a much better result.



ignore the P I forgot to clamp up properly.

Looks to be satisfactory mod …comment for more details if its of interest or just have a sly chuckle to yourself.

The tools I used to make them.

Wood Road surface Gas Flooring Composite material
it appears that you are going to win the battle, congrats on that. My standard response to "can you do this for me" is that I either don't have the proper tooling to do the job or just a flat out NO, it's out of my comfort zone.
 

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