# Fall Layout and Marking Tool Swap 2018



## KelleyCrafts

Alright everyone its that time again to sign up for the next swap. With the mostly democratic process we have decided on Layout and Marking Tools.

A Note: This swap is in no way officially sponsored by, run by, or otherwise tied to "LumberJocks" as a company or organization, or to any of the parent or sibling holdings thereof. It is simply run by those of us who participate on LumberJocks.
In order to participate in a swap you must be a member in good standing in the lumberjocks community. The moderator can not be expected to, and will not act as a go between for banned or blocked members.

Basic Details
If you have not participated in one of our LumberJocks Shop Made Swaps before, Welcome! It's relatively simple; each participant makes their swap item(s) and will get a name and address via e-mail after progress pictures are turned in and before the shipping deadline to where they will be mailing their entry. Postage is to be paid by the sender. The LumberJock who you're shipping to, as well as the one who is shipping to you, will be selected randomly. Unless there are special circumstances - like the need for international shipping - I will not influence who anyone is paired with.

Rules for this swap
- Teaser shots are allowed, but please do not post full in-progress or finished pictures until after the reveal date. Remember we want everyone to be surprised when they receive their package!
- A progress pic (sent to me) will be required NO LATER THAN the due date listed near the end of this post. The progress pic needs to show that you've put sufficient time and work into the project to be able to complete it by the ship date. I know things come up so if you don't have a progress pic by the required date but are confident you'll still be able to complete your item by the ship date, just e-mail me BEFORE the progress pic due date and we'll make arrangements. Anyone who doesn't e-mail me a progress pic or let me know why they haven't by 11:59 pm EST on the due date will be dropped from the list of participants.

What we're making
LumberJocks are a creative bunch and turn out impressive work! So, I feel no need to give strict guidelines for what you make for this swap. If it's used in some way to perform some task in some aspect of layout or marking then it's good! Use your own judgement and creativity! Your contribution should be "done" in your shop, by you. You could build something you designed from scratch, build something from someone else's plans, modify an existing product, or even overhaul/restore something you purchased. Again, I trust you so use your best judgement. The important thing is that it's something you put your time, effort and talents into for a fellow LumberJock!

Bonus items
Bonus Items are completely optional and are not in any way required or expected. In past swaps, some folks include an extra "goody" along with their swap items. Bonus items do not have to be related to the swap theme, or even woodworking for that matter. Nobody's expecting anything other than swap items though, so don't feel any obligation whatsoever to add anything extra. It's something that has evolved in past swaps so I wanted to address it up front.

How to sign up
Post below letting me know that you are in and then send an e-mail to ([email protected]) containing ALL of the following information:

-LumberJocks Username
- Real Name
- Email address
- Shipping Address, including country
- Let me know if you are not willing to ship internationally (so I can make sure I pair any non-US participants accordingly)

I'll send a confirmation e-mail and will be keeping a list of confirmed participants below that I will update periodically. If you don't get a confirmation email and see your name on the list within a day or two of e-mailing me, shoot me another e-mail or PM so I don't miss anybody.
Progress pictures will also be sent to the above e-mail address no later than the due date given below.

Your recipient's name and address will be sent to you from the same e-mail address so make sure it's not caught by your spam filter.

Important dates
In order to participate, you need to adhere to the dates below. Failure to do so will result in you getting dropped from the swap. If you can't make the progress picture or ship dates, please make sure to notify me immediately so that I can update my incredibly high-tech collection of Post-It Notes.

-Register for swap, please register by: August 31
- Progress picture, please send by: October 8
- Ship date, please ship by: November 5
- Reveal date: November 9 No final pics until this date. Let the recipient post a pic or two before the sender posts their "formal" pics and project entry. We may reveal earlier if everyone has received their package before the reveal date.
-Closing date: November 14. Please post "reveal" photos by this date. Everyone's anxious to post their projects and for the other participants to see what they made. If your recipient hasn't posted reveal pics by this date, then it's open season! Feel free to post your own pics in this thread and go ahead and post your project. (Unless there is a shipping problem - then please wait for your recipient to get it and post a few pics)

Other Stuff:
When you post your projects, use the tag "2018 Layout and Marking Tool Swap" so we can all easily find the projects in one spot.
This is a collaborative learning experience for all of us so make use of this forum thread to share knowledge and ideas as well asking questions and getting advice. These swaps are about the journey more than the destination!
After all that I want to say that I hope we all have a good time and great discussion while this swap goes on. That is truly what these swaps are about, growing as wood workers, learning new techniques and trying new things out. And also to get something cool in the mail.

Inspiration: Being awesome with accuracy.

Members Signed up:
KelleyCrafts - PSR
ElroyD - PSR
bmichs75DVM - PSR
EarlS - PS







- PSR
Woodmaster1 - PSR
Bluenote38 - PRS
GrantA - PSR
John Smith - PSR
RichBolduc -PSR
TheFridge - PSR


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## RichBolduc

Just watching for now until I figure out how this semester is going to be… Plus I'm in Ireland the first week if September.

Rich


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## jmartel

Count me in.


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## ElroyD

I'm in. I actually need to make some layout tools for myself, so I may as well make a batch of them.


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## mikeacg

Dave,

I don't know a lot about layout and marking tools but I figure this will make me learn!

I'm in!!!


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## EarlS

Dave - I assume you already signed me up. I came up with some ideas this afternoon that should be unique and functional.


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## DavePolaschek

I was afraid the timing was going to work out like this. Ship date and super busy at work will fall at the same time.

Pondering. Maybe I can wrap up the beer swap work this weekend and get started on the next one early…. and have two rush-jobs in a row. :-/


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## BMichs75

My * is a little puckered right now thinking about making a layout tool, but hell with it

I'M IN!!!


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## KelleyCrafts

I have a handful of emails I'll het to in a couple minutes and update the list. Starting off strong. SUPER long dates here so everyone can squeeze this in if you want before the holiday rush. We won't do another until after the first of the year I'm guessing.


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## KelleyCrafts

It's uodayed now. Dave, there's like half a year to finish this up. You got this.


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## HokieKen

Put me on the list Dave. You ain't gettin' an email.


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## KelleyCrafts

Done


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## HokieKen

BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!


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## RichBolduc

must….resist…the…urge…...

Seriously I'll know more towards the end of next month. Need to see how my classes will be before I can commit.

Rich


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## Woodmaster1

I am in the closing date is my birthday.


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## EarlS

OH MY GOD THEY KILLED KENNY!!!! You bastards!!!

Someone had to do it…..


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## builtinbkyn

I'll have to see what kind of time I can devote to this. I already know I won't be able to join in on the beer swap. Just too much going on right now.

This morning I made of 60' of wall base for the areas that received new tile. Just 225' or so to go to replace some other areas in the house that have 3" flat base, which I despise.



















It's a long process to make what is really a simple profile. Now I have to prime them before install


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## KelleyCrafts

Looks good Bill! I would love to see you in this one buddy. The due dates are looooong for this extended swap. I did that on purpose because this is a busy time for us all. So jump on in, I'm positive you can pull it off.

Rich, same goes for you. The dates on this are long. There isn't anything stopping anyone who signs up from finishing up their stuff early either.


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## Bluenote38

Count me in - It will be my first but I wanted to give one of these a shot for a while.


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## KelleyCrafts

Don't forget to follow the instructions in the OP Bill. Once I get your email I'll put you on the list.

WELCOME!


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## jeffswildwood

Dave, give me some time, I have to think about it as I am a wore out wood worker. Since January I have been in the box swap where I made my box and another just like it for an order and a box to cover a missing member. Then the mallet swap where I had trouble even finishing. In the same time frame I made these:










In addition to that I just finished these:










And at the same time I made these:










Needless to say, I need a break from wood work! But I am thinking about it!


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## KelleyCrafts

That's ok Jeff, just send video when it's all over and you're kicking yourself because reveal pics are awesome.

I'm surprised more people aren't struggling with wishihadjoinedtheswapphobia.

*wish·i·had·joined·the·swap·pho·bi·a*
noun
noun: wishihadjoinedtheswapphobia
Extreme or irrational fear of not being part of an LJ swap and seeing the reveal pics of awesome items you might have received and showing off your mad skills as a craftsman.

Plenty of time left to throw your hat in the ring.


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## DavePolaschek

I'm still recovering from not getting an awesome mallet because I wasn't in the previous swap. Maybe next week the phobia for the next swap will kick in.


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## jeffswildwood

> That s ok Jeff, just send video when it s all over and you re kicking yourself because reveal pics are awesome.
> 
> I m surprised more people aren t struggling with wishihadjoinedtheswapphobia.
> 
> *wish·i·had·joined·the·swap·pho·bi·a*
> noun
> noun: wishihadjoinedtheswapphobia
> Extreme or irrational fear of not being part of an LJ swap and seeing the reveal pics of awesome items you might have received and showing off your mad skills as a craftsman.
> 
> *Plenty of time left to throw your hat in the ring. *
> 
> - KelleyCrafts


Been there, done that. But like you said, plenty of time.


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## GrantA

I'm in!


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## Lazyman

Here are the Marking and Layout tools from the swap 2 years ago if anyone is looking for inspiration.


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## John Smith_inFL

*I'M IN* 
confirmation email sent.

I'm not much of a utility tool maker, but this looks like fun.

.

.


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## HokieKen

This will be fun John  Layout tools are great because even if it only does one thing, but does it exceptionally well, it can elevate the level of your work. I made my first birdcage awl for the last layout swap and it totally changed how I mark hole locations for the better. There are many such examples I could give ;-)


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## Jeffery

Hi Lumber Jock Jeff here.
I sent off my request for joining in with the group of guys that will do project exchanges. 
This is my first time doing this and am so excited to see what I will get in Nov 2018 from
my paired partner, I will give my very best to that person you pair me with and that person
will be filled with excitement and Joy too.

Sawdust hug's to all my wonderful wood working community. 
7-28-2018


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## RichBolduc

Screw it…. I don't want that whole regret thing…... Count me in…I'll figure some way to squeeze some pieces in….

I still say you're all a bunch of bad influences…..

Rich


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## HokieKen

Welcome on fellas! 

Just a warning Jeffery… we're not really "huggers". Some of these guys get a little handsy.


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## mikeacg

...and some guys forget to wear pants!!!!

Looks like we are going to have a good crew for this one! Welcome back Rich! Jeff - I just did my first one in the box swap and it was incredible!


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## DavePolaschek

Yeah, Mike. "Forget."

Jeffery, to clarify, you don't get paired up with someone. It's a round-robin, mostly.

I need to make more progress on my beer swap stuff before I sign up for this one. I'll start my second prototype tomorrow, having proved to myself that my first idea is not something I can do today.


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## KelleyCrafts

Jeffery and Rich, I don't think I received an email from either of you on this. If you're in, I need an email with your info like the OP states.

If I'm missing anyone else let me know.


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## KelleyCrafts

A thread bump and some convo. Anyone work on anything cool over the weekend? My son requested a knife for his birthday so I worked on getting this finished up. He wants a leather sheath….we'll see how that goes.










Then I wasted a bunch of time milling up a bunch of sappy pine I won't be using.


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## HokieKen

I had some fun… -ish projects over the weekend 

Turned my second bowl ever. Shooting for live edge on the Walnut. Ended up loosing the bark but the edge presents pretty well I think.









I also needed another bit holder so I laminated some scraps and turned this one. No time unfortunately to play with multiple axis and fancy geometry so this one's a simple on-center turning between centers.









It was no accident that the design and wood selections resemble a recent addition to my shop arsenal )









Finally, my FIL asked me to make a wooden folder for him to give his grandson for his birthday. So I got going on that. It obviously needs final shaping and some finish ;-) I don't know why making wooden blades is so much faster and easier than making steel ones… I usually don't even harden them.


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## jeffswildwood

Nice looking stuff guys! Dave the wood layout on that knife with the red center really looks awesome! Ken that wooden knife is looking good. Are you working with Vernon?


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## KelleyCrafts

OK folks, After discussing certain details with a good buddy of mine, I have decided what I'll be attempting and it's tough. Really tough. It's over complicating something so simple but it should be pretty awesome if it works. I've placed an order for parts already.

Don't forget to challenge yourselves when you're coming up with ideas!!

Only 11 so far but 30 more days to go to sign up. Man this is going to be a long swap. I might need it though with this idea.


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## HokieKen

Made a powered pencil sharpener. Who do I ship it to?


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## KelleyCrafts

Man you have to watch where you sit around that thing.

Send it to Duck.


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## duckmilk

> Man you have to watch where you sit around that thing.
> 
> Send it to Duck.
> 
> - KelleyCrafts


With the blades oriented differently, that might make a pretty awesome hollowing tool. Kinda like an oil well boring bit.



> I had some fun… -ish projects over the weekend
> 
> Turned my second bowl ever. Shooting for live edge on the Walnut. Ended up loosing the bark but the edge presents pretty well I think.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> - HokieKen


From this perspective Ken, it looks like a -- urinal??


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## HokieKen

Exactly Duck! I made my Mom a urinal for her birthday ;-)


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## DavePolaschek

Aren't you supposed to make a urinal out of pee-can, Kenny?


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## HokieKen

> ...Ken that wooden knife is looking good. Are you working with Vernon?
> 
> - jeffswildwood


Not even close ;-) Mine are just toys, not collectibles like Vernon's. My son asked me to make one for his GF's 6-year-old for his birthday a few months ago. My FIL saw that one and thought it was cool so he commisioned me to make this one for his grandson's birthday. The ones I make are just for fun )


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## jeffswildwood

> ...Ken that wooden knife is looking good. Are you working with Vernon?
> 
> - jeffswildwood
> 
> Not even close ;-) Mine are just toys, not collectibles like Vernon s. My son asked me to make one for his GF s 6-year-old for his birthday a few months ago. My FIL saw that one and thought it was cool so he commisioned me to make this one for his grandson s birthday. The ones I make are just for fun )
> 
> - HokieKen


Don't sell yourself short buddy, they are looking remarkable! Project post coming??


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## HokieKen

Hadn't really thought about it but I guess it is a project made from wood…;-)


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## EarlS

Quick question on using brass pins. Do you need to peen them or just glue them into the hole if they don't go completely through the wood? As I understand it, peening is basically hitting the brass with a hammer to cause it to flare out slightly but I'm not sure what the advantage would be to do that if the pin doesn't go all the way through the piece. I've also seen a lot of warnings about cracking the wood when you do so.

Another question - what kind of bit should I use to make a slot in 1/16" thick brass? Would a regular router bit work or do I need to get a metal working bit?

I also need to cut the brass into strips. I don't think my bandsaw is the right way to go unless I get a metal working blade.

I did order a set of countersink bits that are supposed to work for brass.

Any help would be appreciated as I'm a complete noob when it comes to working with metals.


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## GrantA

Ok Earl starting at the top. Is the pin too short or is it a design feature that it is below the wood? Typically you'd leave it long, peen lightly and sand flush. Brass sands and machines very well. The peening can split wood if you overdo it. The back side needs to be on a hard surface and use light taps. 
If it is supposed to be below the surface I'd use a file to cut some grooves around the pin for epoxy to grab hold of.
You can use any woodworking bit, I'd lean towards hss. I wouldn't want to use high end carbide as brass can be abrasive. Shouldn't hurt carbide but might make a mess to clean up. You might even drill a series of holes and file it flat. If it's a long enough slot you can draw-file it for an excellent flat surface 
Cutting into strips, pick your poison. Bandsaw would work fine, you'd want a fine tooth blade though. Depends how much cutting you need to do really. You could cut with a hacksaw, jigsaw, etc and sand/file to finish
And any hss countersink will work fine


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## HokieKen

What Grant said Earl ^

In that wood knife up there, the stainless pins are all peened. You can also epoxy them in but make sure there's somewhere for the epoxy to fit in and make sure the brass is abraded to provide some tooth. I'm a fan of peening myself. It's a little bit of work and can be nerve wracking if you are worried about damaging the surrounding surface though. I always try to peen before final surface finishing if possible.

Use whatever you want to cut the brass. Bandsaw will work fine, just use a fine toothed blade. Scroll saw, jig saw, table saw all work fine as well. Dremel or hacksaw work fine just leave a little more cleanup work. With 1/16" you could actually score with a utility knife and snap it if you wanted to. Just make sure you have plenty of blades depending on how much you're cutting.

I would prefer HSS for the router bit as well but carbide will work fine if that's what you have. Set the router to the lowest speed if it's VS. If it were me, I'd attach the brass to a piece of wood with some carpet tape to aid in holding it and prevent it from getting bent. 1/16 is pretty thick. Definitely tape it to wood if you drill it. A standard twist drill will rip thin metal out of your hand when it breaks the back side. It rolls a big burr when it penetrates and that burr rides the flute like a follower in a thread. I'd also make sure the router bit is a straight flute. If it's an up-spiral, it'll try hard to suck it into the table. With brass that thin, it may succeed. If it's a down spiral, it'll be a fight to keep it flat on the table.

Having said all that, it's really easy to work with brass ;-)


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## EarlS

Thanks for the tips Grant and Ken.

I especially like the idea of being able to score the brass and snap it. Hadn't thought of that.

I'll give the straight flute bit a try with the brass held in place and run the router over it. That seems a lot safer than having the brass moving and wanting to jump around. Of course, if it was screwed into a piece of wood and then run it across the router it should be safe as long as the wood is well controlled. I need a 1/4" x 1-1/2" slot cut in the brass. I have some extra brass so I can try out a couple different methods before I have to make it count.

I'll have to measure the brass rod when it arrives to see what exact size it actually is before I try one method or the other. I'm going to try some brass pips on one of the dice mallets.


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## EarlS

Thanks for the tips Grant and Ken.

I especially like the idea of being able to score the brass and snap it. Hadn't thought of that.

I'll give the straight flute bit a try with the brass held in place and run the router over it. That seems a lot safer than having the brass moving and wanting to jump around. Of course, if it was screwed into a piece of wood and then run it across the router it should be safe as long as the wood is well controlled. I need a 1/4" x 1-1/2" slot cut in the brass. I have some extra brass so I can try out a couple different methods before I have to make it count.

I'll have to measure the brass rod diameter when it arrives to see what exact size it is before I try one method or the other. I'm going to try some brass pips on one of the dice mallets.


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## KelleyCrafts

I'll have to cut about a 1/4" wide 1/8-1/4" deep strip in some 5/8" square brass bar probably 7". My plan as of now is to make a jig that will hold the brass bar tight between two pieces of wood then have a wood topper to cover the whole thing. I'll make sure it's square and then run that along my table saw fence to create the groove. I'm not sure if it'll work but that's my plan right now.

The table saw blade turns much slower than a router so I'm thinking it might be easier to control this way potentially. I've cut brass on the table saw before but never a groove. Let me know how the router works. Even pics of your setup and results would be helpful on this one.

Mine isn't for a mallet, it's for the layout swap so I guess this can be the first teaser post, no pics though, still waiting on my brass to come in and even then I'm going to be working on some infill planes for a bit before I start this swap.

Of course, using this as an excuse to buy a mill would be awesome. My wife lets me get away with a lot but I doubt adding a mill and tooling would be something she would go for right now.


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## GrantA

I'm reminded again that I need to get my collet draw tube lengthened (bought one that is too short) so I can hold end mills in the lathe (South Bend 13) and use the SB milling attachment I scored


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## ToddJB

Grant, I wish you better luck with your milling attachment than I've had with mine. It will get you there, but slow and rough.


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## HokieKen

Y'all both suck. I'm still trying to get hold of a decent lathe at a decent price :-/ I do have line on a Logan 200 that I'll most likely bring home IF it's still around when I get home from vacation next weekend. I'm not holding my breath.

I'd be more likely to use the router method than to try and use a milling attachment on a lathe I think. Brass machines fine with a router IME. Light passes with the slowest speed will make a nice slot if you hold it tight. Dave's right on track. I've had more trouble with some woods going across my TS than I have with brass. The trick on that one is holding it safely and I think ya got the right idea with your jig.

Of course if y'all just want to all pitch in and buy me a mill, I'll gladly machine all of this stuff for ya ;-)


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## ToddJB

Grant, 123 block is your friend for squaring everything up on the attachment.


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## EarlS

Dave, I'll post some pics of the process I use as well once the brass I ordered arrives. Meanwhile, I'm making saw blade and dado blade boxes and trying to get started on those mallets I promised.

I might even get the left over box from the box swap finished and posted. It didn't quite turn out the way I wanted so I've been putting off finishing it because I don't know what I want to do with it. I think I would toss the whole thing in the trash except that the inlay top looks good and it would be a huge pain to get it out of the lid.


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## KelleyCrafts

What's everyone up to? Everyone building for the beer swap?

I'm attempting to make something cool out of this stuff.


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## GrantA

Been awfully quiet here today! 
I'm having a Moscow mule while I'm grilling dinner (chicken legs/thighs & fresh green beans / mushrooms)









And I'm thinking about all the stuff I just ordered from Penn state and Peachtree, debating what to try for this swap! New chuck, pen stuff, gonna be fun!

Dave that looks like an awesome project in the works, I wouldn't mind if it was "some assembly required" even :-D I'm sure it'll be amazing


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## DavePolaschek

I spent all morning building for the beer swap. The afternoon was some shop maintenance. Tomorrow will be more build and then mowing. These are the toughest coasters I've ever built, I tell ya.


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## KelleyCrafts

Nice to hear some swap stuff is getting done. I need y'all to finish up your stuff and start working on this swap. 

Some progress today.


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## builtinbkyn

> Been awfully quiet here today!
> I m having a Moscow mule while I m grilling dinner (chicken legs/thighs & fresh green beans / mushrooms)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> And I m thinking about all the stuff I just ordered from Penn state and Peachtree, debating what to try for this swap! New chuck, pen stuff, gonna be fun!
> 
> Dave that looks like an awesome project in the works, I wouldn t mind if it was "some assembly required" even :-D I m sure it ll be amazing
> 
> - GrantA


No fish? What's with that? Where's the catch?


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## builtinbkyn

> Nice to hear some swap stuff is getting done. I need y'all to finish up your stuff and start working on this swap.
> 
> Some progress today.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> - KelleyCrafts


What in the heck is that? Some kind of dovetail jig?


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## KelleyCrafts

That will be a jack/fore plane Bill. Once it's done. That's brass dovetailed to the 1/4" plane bottom. I still need to peen it down and get it set but I haven't cut the mouth yet or shaped the sides so it gets taken apart a bunch at the moment until I'm ready to set it. Then on to the wood infill parts.


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## DavePolaschek

I've got a dovetailed infill plane in the works too, Dave. I'm aiming for a smoother about the size of a Stanley #2, rather than such a big bastard. You're a lot farther along than I am. I've laid out the dovetails, but haven't started cutting them yet. Also all hand tools, because I'm a masochist.


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## GR8HUNTER

first let me say : I am still thinking of joining this swap but first I like to have a game plan (or 2) before I commit

2- i got this awesome QSS from the mallet swap about 1/4" thick i am thinking of joining it against lets say 1/4" S.S. ? is how epoxy ruffed up both sides ? epoxy with 1/8" pins to help hold it or would just epoxy work well ?

3- THIS IS *NOT* my official join :<))


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## HokieKen

Depends on the use Tony. With a good amount if face surface, epoxying them together is probably enough as long as both materials have some tooth. Adding some pins would be extra security. Just file some grooves into the pins or they'll just push all the epoxy out of the holes.

Join up. I want some matching tools with KH inlays to go with my mallet! ;-)


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## builtinbkyn

> That will be a jack/fore plane Bill. Once it's done. That's brass dovetailed to the 1/4" plane bottom. I still need to peen it down and get it set but I haven't cut the mouth yet or shaped the sides so it gets taken apart a bunch at the moment until I'm ready to set it. Then on to the wood infill parts.
> 
> - KelleyCrafts


Ah. Now I see it ;p Looking forward to seeing the final results too.


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## GrantA

Dave I was trying to imaging what sort of marking tool you had there, now I see - it's not! Lol I'm loving it though keep sharing, I've never built a plane but worst case I crash & burn right? Ha. Ha. I need some drum & cymbal sound effects. Maybe more coffee

Tony I'd cut some sort of crude grooves into the flats so the epoxy can lock the pieces from being able to slide, that's where it could fail.

Bill I'm pacing myself on the fish! Rest assured we're loving halibut blackened and pan-fried with panko bread crumbs! I need to get the ceviche ingredients we had on the trip to make that at home, it was amazing!


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## KelleyCrafts

Well Grant, I completely screwed up the bottom of the plane which sucks because that's probably 8 hours of work there. So I'll have to redo it. Really dumb mistake too.

For the marking tools, I'm still waiting on parts. I'll tell you, what I'm attempting is tough and has a mechanical aspect to it. Hopefully it goes better than the plane has so far.


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## GrantA

That does suck Dave, hopefully the next one takes 2 hours instead of 8! I assume the steel isnt anything exotic/expensive, just labor. We've all been there! I have a couple ideas for the marking swap, planning to get some prototypes laid out this week


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## EarlS

The stuff I ordered for the swap arrived Saturday, along with a primo box-o-wood from Kenny. I wasn't standing out by the mail box or anything crazy like that - too hot. While I haven't started the swap item yet, I made good progress on the dice mallets I promised. There are also plenty of pictures for a blog as requested.

I managed to save the inlay panels off the back up box. They have already found a new home as the tops for a saw blade box and a dado blade box. The back up box looked like a stack of cow patties. Believe it or not, it was a big relief when I chucked it in the garbage. Sometimes you learn more from a failure than a success.

Tony - you need to close your eyes and jump in. Dave and Kenny can be pretty persuasive.


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## jmartel

Finally back from a week of vacation. Guess it's time to start thinking of what I'm going to make for this.


----------



## MrRon

Does the item have to be made of wood, or can it be something, metal and machined?


----------



## KelleyCrafts

I'll be using plenty of metal in my offering MrRon. Go to town buddy! We would be happy to have you aboard.


----------



## mikeacg

If it's a "woodworking tool", I think we are good to go! The more the merrier! Jump right in there Mr Ron!


----------



## HokieKen

Metal and machined is music to my ears Mr. Ron!


----------



## Woodmaster1

I got started on my projects today. They will be a combination of wood and metal. I hope my ideas work out for my victims (partners) sake.


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Very nice woodmaster. I'm guessing they will be great based on your projects. I haven't started mine yet but will do it soon. I've been waiting on one more piece to the puzzle before I get that started. I've also had some handplanes I've been wanting to build and have been working on one of those.


----------



## EarlS

Dave - Can't wait to see what that plane looks like when it's finished.

All of the parts, wood, and instructions (yes, instructions) for my entry are here. I spent the weekend making mallet handles with mixed success. A couple of the laminations came apart after the handles were contoured. I figured they would have problems because there wasn't much squeeze out along the glue line when they were glued up. I could see the crack where the boards met when I took the pieces out of the clamps. Guess I need to apply more even more glue when laminating boards together.

At any rate, the mess on the work bench is dwindling down and the various projects in-progress are nearly finished and out of the way. I'm trying out different things on the mallets as practice for the layout tool.


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Thanks Earl, I can't wait to see it myself Earl. So far so good on this build but man it's a lot of work. I can see why these guys charge $3k-$7k for these things. This is a jack that's 14" long. I still have a ways to go but hopefully I'll get it moved along more this week. I'm going to attempt a french polish on the thing so it shines nice and patinas well so when I die the kids can put it on the $5 table at the garage sale instead of the $3 table. 

Definitely more glue…There's almost no such thing as too much glue, just means more cleanup. I'm interested in the instructions you need for your swap stuff…..I think this layout swap will blow away the last one a couple years ago.


----------



## HokieKen

Except for the moderator. The moderator in the last layout tool swap was a friggin' BOSS!


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Two progress pics are already in!!! Off to a great start and sign up is still on until the 31st!


----------



## EarlS

I was looking through the Lie-Nielson catalog yesterday that came with the dowel plate I ordered. Their planes were nice but none of them had a dovetailed steel plate base like you are making. I would expect that the garage sale price for it will be $10. Would ya take $8.50 for it sight unseen?..... ;+)


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Well Earl, you'll have to wait until I die and come grab a bunch of stuff at what I'm sure will be far below what it's worth. Until then, I hope to use this thing for another 30-40 years before they put it on the garage sale table with all of my other goodies. I actually have three planned right now to build so hopefully they go well and don't take too long. I have a layout swap to build something for. It's just really rare I have some time for a personal project so I'm trying to take advantage. I've had the PMV-11 blade kit and Norris adjuster setups for these planes for probably close to two years waiting to be built.


----------



## Bluenote38

Teaser…. Just chucked a piece of Pink Ivory - wow is it georgous.









I'm still pretty new at turning so hoping I don't chip it.


----------



## EarlS

I have a 1/4" thick piece of pink ivory I'm trying to figure out how to incorporate into this swap. It is really nice looking wood.


----------



## TheFridge

Pink ivory is awesome. Buddy of mine picked up 2 chuncks used as bookends while on safari in Africa.


----------



## HokieKen

Teaser


----------



## mikeacg

Is that a marking tool Kenny?


----------



## jmartel

> Is that a marking tool Kenny?
> 
> - mikeacg


Technically, it can leave a mark, yes.


----------



## Bluenote38

> Teaser
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> - HokieKen


 Oh yeah - that'll leave a mark


----------



## doubleG469

And this swap as well looks like everyone is set to turn out some cool ideas.


----------



## HokieKen

Well, maybe that wasn't a teaser so much as I just thought it looked cool ;-)

On a more relevant note, I did decide on what I'm making and finished up a CAD model. It's challenging but should be fun to work out. And having more time than most swaps will let me keep at it until I get it done well  I may even get started on a prototype later today. AFTER I play with my new Alaskan Mill )


----------



## Bluenote38

> I have a 1/4" thick piece of pink ivory I m trying to figure out how to incorporate into this swap. It is really nice looking wood.
> 
> - EarlS


Sounds like it would make a great edge or trim for a box. Having a really nice piece of wood it is very tough deciding where to use it. I have a couple of Ebony sticks I'm still trying to decide what to do with.


----------



## Bluenote38

> Pink ivory is awesome. Buddy of mine picked up 2 chuncks used as bookends while on safari in Africa.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> - TheFridge


Nice!


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Well that pink ivory is something. When I get some awesome wood I use it on special stuff whenever I can. I don't usually try to save it, I do wait for something awesome but I don't hesitate when something good comes along. There is always more awesome wood out there.


----------



## KelleyCrafts

I wanted to put up a post in this thread as a suggestion, words from experience, or just a thought I've had recently that I feel I should share. I'm moderating again so I guess I can say whatever I want here regardless.

When swaps started I wasn't part of them at the beginning but the kindness we all show to each other has developed into something that's pretty awesome. The kind of place where everyone knows your name. The kind of place that went from sending one item in a swap to sending a bonus item. Then that went from sending one item and one bonus item into "how much shizzzz can I get into a box?". This is where it went wrong. Let me explain.

Lets figure out how many items really need to be in the box?

I've heard off the threads where people will complain because they sent X and received Y. Or they didn't get something as good as they sent or…whatever it is, it's lame. Everyone wants something awesome of course. Why wouldn't they? When you ship your item you should be thinking about how the recipient would feel for sure.

Make ONE thing with the best quality you can. Put time into it and make it awesome. Choose a harder design, make it "prettier" or find something that will challenge you and get it near perfect. Don't slap 10 items together and call it good. Make something awesome and maybe slap together a little bonus. Don't do more than that.

For example, I'll throw out a teaser. My project has a lot of moving parts and is taking me longer to plan the thing than it will to build it but I plan to ship that (if it even works) in a box and MAYBE a small bonus that would accompany the item. That's it. One tool….period. Box is a bonus, the other item would fit in the box and go with it. The one item however will be excellent. Will look amazing, will work amazing, and should last a lifetime. So I'm not toning the time and quality down but the item list sure will. I suggest you all do the same.

This is just my .02 on this guys, do what you want but IMO these things will soon get out of hand where myself and others who I've chatted with will stop signing up because it's just too much for a little side fun.

Let's make this one awesome people.


----------



## HokieKen

I've got a challenge for anyone who hasn't settled on a project for the swap yet.

First, go to this page and find a tool you would like to have. Woodpecker's one-time tools are usually brilliant. They're also usually out of the budget for most weekend warriors like me… But, one of the things I LOVE about some of the tools is that their elegance lies in their simplicity.

Take the modular bar gauge. A few weeks ago I was on the verge of buying a small metal-working lathe. This is what I was going to make for the swap. It's simple as hell but, it's highly useful in a lot of shops and its modularity makes it extremely versatile.

If you have trouble selecting one, I can pick one for you! And if you need it, I'll be happy to assist you with design, material selection and figuring out the process. (Which, BTW, I'm happy to help anyone with those things regardless of where your project idea came from ;-) )

Now, here's the challenge part…make it better than they did. That might involve doing some metal work that's outside your current skill set. It might involve spending hours with a magnifying lamp scribing a scale into a piece of wood. Or it might simply involve you dialing your tools and or jigs in to levels more precise than you've previously needed. Or it might just be a matter of learning how to drill holes dead square and precisely located. But in all cases, hopefully it will teach you a skill you didn't have previously that will serve you for the rest of your life as a craftsman.

Forget the bonus items and the pretty box to hold the tool or the nice shelf to put on the wall to display it. All those things are nice but honestly, if it's coming to my shop, it's a tool and it will be treated like a tool and it will be expected to behave like a tool. (Unless it's for opening or holding beer, then it gets a free pass) I appreciate bonus items as much as the next guy. Tony sent me some awesome pancakes, syrup and coffee in the last swap. Dave sent me some awesome AZ woods in a previous swap. Those were awesome bonuses and I enjoyed every bite, drop and chip. But, the real prizes, the things I can't replace with a quick trip to Amazon, were the turning tools that Dave made me and the mallets that Tony sent me. They're all quality made tools that I use CONSTANTLY and that I could never have gotten from anywhere other than these swaps.

So, these swaps are awesome. I mean that in utter sincerity. I also fear we have gone a bit towards quantity over quality. Not that the quality isn't there mind you. I just worry that as "bonus" items have become more of the rule rather than the exception that the swaps may eventually lean toward making several things rather than making a single thing and making it really well. Pick a project that's friggin' HARD and make it happen! And you know what? If you do and you can't make it happen for some reason. As long as you gave it your best shot, you just e-mail Dave and he can shuffle names around so you have mine. I have lots of tools but I find out everyday how many skills I'm lacking. I'd much rather everyone who's name is on the registered list pick up a new skill. I can do without a new tool ;-P

And there's a WEALTH of knowledge and experience in this thread and on this site. Tap into it!

Now, hopping down off my soap box, somebody make me one of these:


----------



## HokieKen

Dammit! Did Dave really just say the same friggin' thing while I was typing?? Geeze you're friggin' brilliant dude.


----------



## Bluenote38

Damn - And I was going for volume too. ;-)


----------



## HokieKen

> Damn - And I was going for volume.= too. ;-)
> 
> - Bluenote38


You should have joined the beer swap then! )

And just to clarify, I'm not casting any scorn on anyone or anything from this or any past swaps. Quite the opposite. I would like to say that Earl and Rich made too many mallets in the last swap so I would have an example. Fact is they did make too many. But they made them so friggin' well that there's no fault found with them! Other than the fact that they obviously enjoy more shop time than I do and for that, they both suck horribly and make me green with envy. Rather, my previous post and I'm sure Dave's as well, are aimed to stay on the track we're on and to head off any shift in the future.


----------



## KelleyCrafts

First off, I want a set of the odd job tools as well!!! So yeah, everyone make that.

Second, Kenny, you just put it better than I did. Mine was more on the whiny side of things I think. Well done. Same concept though!

Third, I did look on that page for inspiration but another fun teaser. I went somewhere else for motivation on something that I believe is even harder than the stuff Woodpeckers has. I haven't prototyped it yet so if it doesn't work I'm sorry.  I did get the last bits I need yesterday. Well, they probably came Saturday but I hadn't checked the mail yet so I got them yesterday. I'll finish this plane up and then get moving on a prototype to see how screwed I am.


----------



## HokieKen

It's funny, in the first Surprise swap, I started out with the intention of making an Odd Job. I bought a big chunk of Purpleheart for the body, some brass flat stock and stainless round stock and a 12" PEC steel scale even. Then AFTER I bought all the materials, the more I thought about it, the more I felt like it would be a "novelty" more than an truly useful tool. So I switched gears and made this:


However, that was almost 2 years ago and the Odd Job has never really quit sticking in the back of my mind somewhere. It'll never be the best tool for the many jobs it can do. But, for a travelling toolbox or an apron pocket where it's always at hand, I think it would be awesome. I think it was brilliant when Stanley made it originally but Woodpeckers just stepped it up and added precision and made it sexy. For me, the ultimate version would be the WP version with the body made from a chunk of really stable wood with some brass wear plates in the appropriate spots. I've found something I like better to tackle for this swap. But, Dave and I can't be the only 2 people who think that Odd Job is pretty awesome!


----------



## RichBolduc

hahaha most of them were just me playing with a new toy for a couple of hours after work each day…. Now I will admit that my original goal for the beer swap was way to many…. And once I decided to start stabilizing and trying to cast parts that number went way down..  Partially because of poor choices of epoxy.

I think I'm going to sign up for this… and limit myself to 2-3 things…

Rich



> Damn - And I was going for volume.= too. ;-)
> 
> - Bluenote38
> 
> You should have joined the beer swap then! )
> 
> And just to clarify, I m not casting any scorn on anyone or anything from this or any past swaps. Quite the opposite. I would like to say that Earl and Rich made too many mallets in the last swap so I would have an example. Fact is they did make too many. But they made them so friggin well that there s no fault found with them! Other than the fact that they obviously enjoy more shop time than I do and for that, they both suck horribly and make me green with envy. Rather, my previous post and I m sure Dave s as well, are aimed to stay on the track we re on and to head off any shift in the future.
> 
> - HokieKen


----------



## HokieKen

Rich, I think you embodied what the swaps are really geared towards:



> hahaha most of them were just me playing with a new toy for a couple of hours after work each day….
> 
> - RichBolduc





> ... I decided to start stabilizing and trying to cast parts that number went way down..  Partially because of poor choices of epoxy.
> 
> - RichBolduc


You learned to use a new tool for the mallet swap and got set up for stabilizing and casting in the beer swap. That's pretty awesome and EXACTLY what I want to see people doing! Not that everyone needs to buy a new tool but I guarantee that every single one of us has a tool we can learn to use better or make a new jig to use in a whole new way. But yes, if you go into a swap having never turned anything and come out the other side with a new lathe and the ability to use it then you're doing it right! ;-P

On the other hand, we all know you have a lathe and some skills now so if you make 18 scratch awls for this swap, I'm gonna ride ya!


----------



## KelleyCrafts

> It s funny, in the first Surprise swap, I started out with the intention of making an Odd Job. I bought a big chunk of Purpleheart for the body, some brass flat stock and stainless round stock and a 12" PEC steel scale even. Then AFTER I bought all the materials, the more I thought about it, the more I felt like it would be a "novelty" more than an truly useful tool. So I switched gears and made this:
> 
> 
> However, that was almost 2 years ago and the Odd Job has never really quit sticking in the back of my mind somewhere. It ll never be the best tool for the many jobs it can do. But, for a travelling toolbox or an apron pocket where it s always at hand, I think it would be awesome. I think it was brilliant when Stanley made it originally but Woodpeckers just stepped it up and added precision and made it sexy. For me, the ultimate version would be the WP version with the body made from a chunk of really stable wood with some brass wear plates in the appropriate spots. I ve found something I like better to tackle for this swap. But, Dave and I can t be the only 2 people who think that Odd Job is pretty awesome!
> 
> - HokieKen


2 years ago??? Geez. I think that was my first swap and the first time I moderated as well.


----------



## RichBolduc

> Rich, I think you embodied what the swaps are really geared towards:
> 
> hahaha most of them were just me playing with a new toy for a couple of hours after work each day….
> 
> - RichBolduc
> 
> ... I decided to start stabilizing and trying to cast parts that number went way down..  Partially because of poor choices of epoxy.
> 
> - RichBolduc
> 
> You learned to use a new tool for the mallet swap and got set up for stabilizing and casting in the beer swap. That s pretty awesome and EXACTLY what I want to see people doing! Not that everyone needs to buy a new tool but I guarantee that every single one of us has a tool we can learn to use better or make a new jig to use in a whole new way. But yes, if you go into a swap having never turned anything and come out the other side with a new lathe and the ability to use it then you re doing it right! ;-P
> 
> On the other hand, we all know you have a lathe and some skills now so if you make 18 scratch awls for this swap, I m gonna ride ya!
> 
> - HokieKen


No scratch awls!!! I promise… but the original hope of 11 items for the beer swap included 6 coasters… I even got the cork inserts… but alas those aren't going to get made..  Neither are the stainless steel lined cups :'( So there's 8 items I just ran out of time for.

I actually have a challenging class this semester… As ironic as it is… It's "Managerial Risk Analysis and Decision Making"... maybe i'll use some of that to help me limit my goals…. Luckily i'm good enough at my job where I can blow through a months worth of work in a week and do some of the school work there… Along with CAD designs of what I attempt to make.

For this swap… I have some nice burl I might try dying though  I also have no jigs made up yet…. hmmmmmmmm

Rich


----------



## Bluenote38

> It s funny, in the first Surprise swap, I started out with the intention of making an Odd Job. I bought a big chunk of Purpleheart for the body, some brass flat stock and stainless round stock and a 12" PEC steel scale even. Then AFTER I bought all the materials, the more I thought about it, the more I felt like it would be a "novelty" more than an truly useful tool. So I switched gears and made this:
> 
> 
> However, that was almost 2 years ago and the Odd Job has never really quit sticking in the back of my mind somewhere. It ll never be the best tool for the many jobs it can do. But, for a travelling toolbox or an apron pocket where it s always at hand, I think it would be awesome. I think it was brilliant when Stanley made it originally but Woodpeckers just stepped it up and added precision and made it sexy. For me, the ultimate version would be the WP version with the body made from a chunk of really stable wood with some brass wear plates in the appropriate spots. I ve found something I like better to tackle for this swap. But, Dave and I can t be the only 2 people who think that Odd Job is pretty awesome!
> 
> - HokieKen
> 
> 2 years ago??? Geez. I think that was my first swap and the first time I moderated as well.
> 
> - KelleyCrafts


Hmmmm …. and no scratch awls….. I REALLY have to amp up my game. Not sure I can live up to you guys.


----------



## KelleyCrafts

> Hmmmm …. and no scratch awls….. I REALLY have to amp up my game. Not sure I can live up to you guys.
> 
> - Bluenote38


This isn't about living up to anyone. It's not a competition. Well, some of us might get competitive a little. Either way, it's an opportunity for YOU to improve YOUR skills and abilities. I think that's why these things started in the first place. I imagine we will see plenty of awls come out of this thing if Kenny didn't scare everyone away with that post.


----------



## Bluenote38

> Hmmmm …. and no scratch awls….. I REALLY have to amp up my game. Not sure I can live up to you guys.
> 
> - Bluenote38
> 
> This isn t about living up to anyone. It s not a competition. Well, some of us might get competitive a little. Either way, it s an opportunity for YOU to improve YOUR skills and abilities. I think that s why these things started in the first place. I imagine we will see plenty of awls come out of this thing if Kenny didn t scare everyone away with that post.
> 
> - KelleyCrafts


Good - I'll def learn and improve


----------



## EarlS

Honestly, I'm just thrilled that someone wants to spend the time, effort, and money to make something for me, a stranger. I also see their work and think - wow that's cool - and - I didn't think of doing something like that. I also look at all of the projects that are posted as part of the swap and try and figure out how they were built.

I will admit I made a lot of mallets for the last swap and I'm working on a bunch more to send out to different folks. My problem is that I keep seeing more cool ideas and want to make a version like what I see. It is also a chance for me to experiment with things I don't normally get to try out making mostly furniture pieces. One of my biggest challenges is coming up with good designs, making these swap items is a chance to work on that part more.

For this swap, I'm trying to make a couple of basic layout items incorporating some brass, something I have never used and have no idea how to work with. They will need to be extremely precise and accurate, again something that I need to improve.

As for you guys using CAD - I wish I used it at work to draw models but most of my CAD work is drawing and modifying piping diagrams, not 3D stuff. I'm able to hack my way through Sketch-Up if I really get motivated. Probably would help the design process to do more Sketch-Up and make fewer versions of things. Guess that's why I made a box and wound up cutting it apart and throwing most of it away.

I'm off to the shop to make saw dust.


----------



## sepeck

My first tool swap was a while ago and I made a marking knife. 


At the time I hadn't turned much but with the answers to the questions I asked in that thread I made something that certainly stretched me at the time. So my suggestions
Set your challenge to be a reasonable one that will stretch you.
Ask questions in the thread, you will learn a lot when you do this.
Plan time for making 'two' of something because something may go horribly wrong (ahem) so one will become the 'practice piece'.

I'm looking at my schedule (and the weather because no way do I go into the garage when it's 95-105F) to see if I can join.


----------



## GrantA

Scratch awl you say? Maybe I can build a better mousetrap. What if it was a double ended awl? Maybe I should look at those April fool tools from Lee Valley…

I actually had something wood in mind but thanks for the pep talk Kenny & Dave I'll fire up this ol girl and see what we can do


----------



## HokieKen

Dang that's a pretty Southbend Grant. I really hate you so very much… ;-) Remember the modular bar gauge I linked earlier? HINT HINT Seriously though, I have your address so next time you go fishing in Alaska, that thing might be gone when you get home…

And for the record, I wasn't saying no scratch awls in any way. Just that Rich can't make 18 of them and say his skill building was learning to use his lathe. He used that "new skill card" in the mallet swap with the 22 mallets or whatever it was that he made )

Earl - my comments don't even apply to you buddy. You're in a league of your own my friend. Your skill and generosity has every one of us praying to see your name in the upper left corner of our boxes!


----------



## GrantA

I do like that gauge Kenny! I'd have to make about 4 of them though I think! 
You're welcome to come run it anytime you like, I'd sit back with a cold beer while anybody tried to get it out of the shop though lol, after a little bit I'll let my boy Bo come see if you need a hand, hope you brought him a t-bone!


----------



## DavePolaschek

> Make ONE thing with the best quality you can. Put time into it and make it awesome.


I strongly agree with Dave and Kenny on this. I may be a relative new guy (been working with wood for less than two years), but every swap I've been in has been a stretch for me. I'll be sitting this one out because I know I'm not going to have the time to do it right. I'm looking forward to watching from the sidelines, though.


----------



## HokieKen

I'll bring along a little something to keep Bo occupied Grant ;-)


----------



## GrantA

Bwahaha he's above that nonsense, might eat it for a snack though ;-p


----------



## EarlS

Ahhhhghhhh - what the hello is that doing here????? It scared me half to death.

Bo's a good looking fella!!! Everyone needs a shop helper or two like him.

I drilled some holes tonight.










And then I watched the sunset from our driveway


----------



## GrantA

Thanks Earl! Kenny's dog apparently works a corner, hopefully she finds the right path lol 
Those mallets are looking good! Obviously a labor of love!
Great pics of the sunset, reminds me to slow down and observe more often


----------



## RichBolduc

Kenny….I almost feel I need to send you a scratch awl just out of principal now…...

Rich


----------



## GrantA

Let's all send Kenny scratch awls!


----------



## RichBolduc

I'm down!!!

Rich



> Let s all send Kenny scratch awls!
> 
> - GrantA


----------



## HokieKen

Bring em on fellas. They'll get used! ;-)


----------



## TheFridge

Or t track 

I'm pretty sure I will join. The only stipulation is that I get to be grants swapper 

I have some cocobolo and brass to use


----------



## Woodmaster1

The south bend lathe is an awesome machine. I had 2 of those and 8 nine inch south bend's when I taught metal working many years ago. I miss having the machines at my disposal to make things. I guess bidding more when they auctioned them would have helped me get one. I guess that's the price of being cheap.


----------



## TheFridge

I need a mini mill in my life.


----------



## HokieKen

I pay the same price WM… I am fortunate in that I have access to an old Monarch toolroom lathe and a Bridgeport mill at work. But, that access is kind of inconvenient so I don't avail myself of it all that often. I would love to have a 10" or so lathe and a small kneew mill or a big benchtop job at home. So if anyone knows where I can get one at a decent price, hollar!


----------



## HokieKen

> I need a mini mill in my life.
> 
> - TheFridge


Think bigger buddy. You will once you have a baby one anyway…


----------



## TheFridge

You can get a mini mill or lathe with DRO and tooling for 3k$ or less. LMS specifically. There are others that are quite a bit cheaper but kinda meh.


----------



## HokieKen

True Fridge. I was thinking more like a 1930's era machine that wouldn't even know what a DRO is for $500-600. You're not cheap-assed enough to play in my sandbox ;-)


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Wow Earl! That's some mallets. Did you promise that many? I feel like an asshat now if I'm the one who started that.

I would love a lathe or kill too. A small one. Many would they be handy. I need a new shop first.


----------



## KelleyCrafts

12 participants so far and two progress pics….still plenty of time to sign up if Kenny didn't scare you off.


----------



## HokieKen

If I didn't scare you off, I can take some pics in my cape.


----------



## RichBolduc

> Make ONE thing with the best quality you can. Put time into it and make it awesome.
> 
> I strongly agree with Dave and Kenny on this. I may be a relative new guy (been working with wood for less than two years), but every swap I've been in has been a stretch for me.
> 
> - Dave Polaschek


You have almost a year and a half on me!!!

Rich


----------



## RichBolduc

Earl's going to be sending everyone those mallets and no one's going to want to use them because they're all to pretty… lol

Rich


----------



## HokieKen

> Earl s going to be sending everyone those mallets and no one s going to want to use them because they re all to pretty… lol
> 
> Rich
> 
> - RichBolduc


I have used mine twice. I have to admit, I cringed a little both times. It's a tool though so it's gotta earn it's keep ;-) I must say, Earl made some good material selections. Even though I've used it, you'd never know it by looking at it.


----------



## EarlS

Is a scratch awl some kind of bird that lives in VA? ;D

Dave - the extra mallets are for screw ups and my over exuberance. Who knows one might wind up being a bonus item for this swap??

I expect the guinea pigs, I mean testers, to let me know how they perform. There were a lot of firsts for me in the mallet swap and I'm looking for feedback. I'm fairly sure the most of the glue line issues were from the wood drying and shrinking , especially the granadillo and katalox. Hopefully, they will be ready to go labor day weekend.

Dave P - One way or another I WILL figure out a way to get one to you to use.

BTW -anyone heard out of Neil lately?


----------



## HokieKen

I spoke to Neil via PM last week. He said everything is good but he's taken on some new responsibilities on the farm and doesn't have any free time currently. He said he'd be back when he can.

As long as we're on the subject of scratch awls… To prove I'm not an awl-hater, here's my project for the 2016 layout swap:


Allow me to throw some ideas out for anyone considering making and awl for themselves or for the shop. Most scratch awls encountered in woodworking are typically something along these lines:









Which makes sense for some crafts. For leatherworking for instance, an awl is used to punch holes in the tough leather for stitching or whatever. So, the big, bulbous handle makes sense. You're using a lot of downward force so you want a good grip and you want to spread the applied force over a large area. But in woodworking, don't we typically find ourselves doing one of 2 things; either holding it like a pencil or tracing along something like a straightedge or dovetail lines? IMO, the traditional design is poor for woodworking in general.

Now, for a birdcage awl which is used to start holes and has facets and sharp edges to sever the wood fibers, the traditional design makes perfect sense. And many probably use a scratch awl to mark hole locations so I can see the carry-over. But IMO, marking holes is not a job for a scratch awl but that's a subject for another tirade…

So are scratch awls good swap fodder? Of course! The project linked above was my first time making a scratch awl, a birdcage awl or a marking knife. It was also my first time turning laminated blanks. So I learned a ton from that swap concerning both metal and wood work. But here's my challenge to you if you're contemplating making an awl: Do something different! Don't turn a wooden door knob and put a purchased awl in it. Unless you have a good reason for doing it that way… Instead think through the things you use an awl for. Pay attention to things other people use them for. Then forget you've ever seen an awl of any kind and think about how those tasks are best accomplished. Consider the design of both the shaft/point as well as the handle/ferrule and go from there.

And, I have some tips on doing the metal bits for awls and knives if anyone needs assistance.

So there's today's rant ;-) Not saying that there's anything wrong with traditional awls necessarily. Just saying that I find my design to be much better suited to the tasks I typically use mine for. And I bet y'all could come up with different designs that are better still.

And FWIW, I know tools are functional. But they are also SEXY if you ask me. There is a melding of function with geometry with ergonomics with materials with science with art with technology with nature that makes tools as much art as anything. Don't believe me? Take a look at HO Studley's toolchest sometime. I highly recommend the book too.


----------



## EarlS

Uhh - Kenny if you think I'm making something like that for you (I mean my recipient) you have grossly overestimated both my skill level and the amount of time I have to work on swap items. Now, if that is a picture of YOUR swap offering, I could be persuaded to be your recipient.

I think I could manage to make an awl with a wooden drawer knob and a long nail if that's what you had in mind.


----------



## HokieKen

Sure Earl! I can send a copy of that book out as my swap package if that's what you want! It'll save me a ton of time and work ;-)


----------



## EarlS

Does it have lots of pictures?


----------



## HokieKen

> Does it have lots of pictures?
> 
> - EarlS


----------



## KelleyCrafts

For the record, someone can send me that book as their swap item no problem! I would enjoy that book a lot. That will land on my Christmas list for sure. I like that bench from the pic I saw. I would like more info on that for sure.


----------



## HokieKen

I think that book is the only one I've bought that wasn't an e-book in at least a decade. I spent like 3 weeks just pouring over the pictures then finally went back and read it a time or two. The bench is awesome but the toolchest is just flabbergasting. I mean truly mind-boggling.


----------



## KelleyCrafts

No doubt the chest is unbelievable. The planning involved had to have taken years.

I'm not going to build a chest like that but I still haven't built a forever bench.


----------



## HokieKen

I think his bench was extremely well-suited to his work (organ builder). After reading about it, as truly remarkable as it is, I don't think it's well-suited for woodworking in general. But, you can absolutely pick up some helpful ideas from it.


----------



## TheFridge

Email sent. Making one of these right now. If I had only started a month later  lord help y'all if I get a mini mill and the fixins in on time.


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## DavePolaschek

Saw the reproduction of Studley's tool chest at Handworks last year. Not certain, but I would be shocked if it won't be in the Amanas again next year, and I'll almost certainly be there. Heck, that's pretty close to Earl. Maybe we should all go visit him next May.


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## HokieKen

Sexy time Fridger! I need some close ups of that beauty! What's that n yer ashtray thar? ;-)


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## TheFridge

They won't let me within 10' of the studley chest or bench because of my spurting problems.


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## HokieKen

I didn't know there was a repro Dave. I'd probably make the trip to get up close with it. Even to Iowa!


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## HokieKen

> They won't let me within 10' of the studley chest or bench because of my spurting problems.
> 
> - TheFridge


Let's be honest, that's probably true of most people, places and things…


----------



## DavePolaschek

Yeah, Kenny. Jim Moon made one. https://swingleydev.com/ot/get/259978/thread/

It was pretty dang cool. The original was shown privately near Handworks 2015. I think I'd rather be able to touch the reproduction.


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## TheFridge

Can't do that anymore Kenny 

Center marking gauge in coco. Will probably have to get a center pin and a collet of some sort machined.





































Pics are fuzzy. I hate fuzz.


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## EarlS

The tool chest reminds me of when we went to the Art Institute of Chicago and I saw the G&G chair and hutch. I was leaning way over the line trying to get pictures of the back and sides and the security officer came over and told me to move back. I promised her I wouldn't touch I just needed a better angle. She reiterated that I needed to stay behind the line at which point I asked her if she could just open the hutch so I could see inside it. She was not amused, at all. In fact, I almost got thrown out. She still followed me around the gallery where the G&G, Stickely, and other furniture pieces were to make sure I behaved.

Dave - I'll have to do some looking to see if I can find anything out about hand tool shows at the Amana Colony. It's only a couple hours from here. Depending on when it is I have a couple of extra rooms. Hopefully it's not in May since we have a HS graduation this year.

Based on the Fridge's pictures my entry will be on the lower end for this swap. That center marking gauge is a thing of beauty.


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## KelleyCrafts

Earl, I think Dave is referring to a show called Handworks which is held in Amana every other year. The next one is 2019, I don't think the date is set but it's historically in May or early June I believe. I'm going to try pretty hard to make it to the 2019 show.

Fridge….excellent! Definitely nice. So is that a "I just showed too much" teaser or do you have other ideas for this one?


----------



## HokieKen

> ...
> Fridge….excellent! Definitely nice. So is that a "I just showed too much" teaser or do you have other ideas for this one?
> 
> - KelleyCrafts


I have an idea for Fridge ) Take that puppy and make it not only a centerfinder but also a M&T gauge and a doweling jig. That would be badass.


----------



## HokieKen

> ...
> 
> Center marking gauge in coco. Will probably have to get a center pin and a collet of some sort machined.
> 
> - TheFridge


If it were me Fridge, I'd get an old drafting set and steal a 2mm lead holder from it. Then get a 2mm drill rod and make a scribe from it. Then drill the center holes for a snug fit with the lead holder. That would let you use either a 2mm lead or your scribe for marking center.


----------



## EarlS

Nothing came up on the Amana Colonies website for Handworks 2019. I'll keep looking


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## HokieKen

> Nothing came up on the Amana Colonies website for Handworks 2019. I ll keep looking
> 
> - EarlS


This might be a fun weekend if it's nearby Earl…


----------



## GrantA

This is exciting I've got a new collet closer (drawbar, whatever you want to call it) on the way so I can finally use the collets I've been collecting on the south bend. That'll come in handy with this swap ;-)


----------



## HokieKen

> This is exciting I ve got a new collet closer (drawbar, whatever you want to call it) on the way so I can finally use the collets I ve been collecting on the south bend. That ll come in handy with this swap ;-)
> 
> - GrantA


Cool Grant! Need any cutters? I have end mills galore that I can sell for a dang good price.


----------



## GrantA

Let me double check what I have and I'll get with ya. My gallon of anchorseal just arrived, looks legit lol 
Nice coating on the box. Worst packing (lack of) ever from Amazon


----------



## HokieKen

They should have used a little bigger box.


----------



## KelleyCrafts

I've ordered a few 36" brass and stainless rods recently. Some threaded, some not and they have all come separate and in jumbo boxes. The last one is at my door now. I'll try and remember to shoot a pic when I get home but I know it had to cost more to ship than what I paid for these individually.


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## DavePolaschek

> Nothing came up on the Amana Colonies website for Handworks 2019. I ll keep looking


It will be put on by Father John and Jameel from Benchcrafted if it's going to happen, Earl. And it'll get onto the schedule sometime when there's snow on the ground if it's like 2017 was. I'll probably book a hotel in Coralville again. Close enough to get out and enjoy things, but far enough away that I don't have to deal with the wild hand tool parties going all night. ;-)


----------



## GrantA

@Dave - wild all-night hand tool parties??!!??


----------



## TheFridge

Kenny, I might have to check that out. I already tapped an 8-32 hole and don't want to chance throwing center off so I wish I knew about this ahead of time 

Never seen a gauge like that but was working with a buddy who has a mill and lathe to make something similar but have a bunch of drill guides for specific sized bits. I just need something to use now so I made this. If o would've really thought about it I would've inlaid some brass  but it always can be done later 

Might have to holler at you about end mills before long. I think I'm gonna go with a couple sizes from 1/2 to 1/16 in carbide and hss. For roughing and finishing I figure.

Dave, that is just a what I'm working on now pic. If I do something similar it will be different in its own way. This is a prototype. Improvements need to be made. I love me somemarking tools if you can tell by some of my projects


----------



## HokieKen

Just give me a shout Fridge. I have multiples of most sizes in HSS and quite a few solid carbide. Not sure what I have down in the 1/16 range but I'll check for ya.


----------



## HokieKen

And you used Cocobolo for a prototype?!? Man, you just can't hide money! ;-)


----------



## TheFridge

I wish  so I decided to make a dovetail saw for an older buddy who gave me some equipment that I flipped and made 850ish off of. Well. He gave the stuff to me for helping restore a bunch of his flooded equipment but I wanted to give him a token of my appreciation. I asked him what kind of wood he wanted for the handle, and being the baller he he went and cut a 9-12"chunk of coco out of a 4"x6"x6'Yes. 4 thick. o_o and that isn't even the biggest chunk of coco he has. The other is 4" thick and about 16" wide by 4' long. I almost threw my back out trying to lift it.

Chunk…





































So I'm just using scraps from saw handle making 

As far as the mini mill goes, I've crawled around a lot of attics doing electrical side work during my allotted woodworking time 330-530 during the summer so I earned that bad boy. At least I hope  still haven't cleared it with the wifey but I'm pretty confident. If she says no I'll cry until she says yes.

But if she says yes I'll probably take you up in that offer. I do have some scrap t-track…


----------



## TheFridge

She said yes  I love that woman


----------



## KelleyCrafts

> She said yes  I love that woman
> 
> - TheFridge


I love making tools in general Fridge. Glad she said yes, can't wait to see what you do.


----------



## DavePolaschek

> @Dave - wild all-night hand tool parties??!!??


In the Amanas, no less. ;-)

It's a pretty good time, even though I only went for one of the two days last year, and didn't go to any of the after-parties. Also missed Roy's talk. And I still had a great time. Only came home with three new tools, too.

https://overthewireless.com/2017/09/03/handworks-a-survivors-account/ is just one of the many reports from the show.


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## EarlS

Ken - I'm booked this weekend - wife's birthday so I'm going shopping Saturday for dresses (for her) and then Sunday is one of the 4 mandatory times I have to go to church (Christmas, Easter, Mother's Day, her birthday).

Dave - I'll keep an eye out for the show. If it works out, my dad might even be here for graduation and I can go with him. For those that don't know, Coralville is on the east side of Iowa City (University of Iowa) on I-80 so it's a straight drive west to the Amana Colonies. Not much to see on the drive except corn and soybean fields and maybe some big wind turbines. That describes IA.

Fridge - those are some gorgeous handles. Do you sell handsaws?


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## HokieKen

Woo Hoo Fridge gets a mill! You decided which one you're getting yet?


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## TheFridge

Thanks Earl, I don't really sell per se. I'm making a batch of dovetail saws (8-9) for myself and some friends for the cost of materials. I just want my kids and friends to pass down some tools that I made.

I'm working on getting the same buddy who supplied to the coco to laser everything but setup is taking awhile because of my schedule. I want to go all out and do it up.




























Kenny, yeah buddy! It's in the cart already! LMS hi torque with DRO and interlock, roatary table package with 4jaw chuck, kurt style vise, a variety of work holding options, fly cutter. Uhhh. Think that's about it for the moment. Probably go with r8 endmill holders for 2-3 different size endmills. Probably a nice chuck for drilling. Hopefully a tapping head. May look into er32 collets and some collet blocks at some point.

I think I can get by with this setup for awhile before I need to buy more tooling


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## HokieKen

> ...
> Kenny, yeah buddy! It's in the cart already! LMS hi torque with DRO and interlock, roatary table package with 4jaw chuck, kurt style vise, a variety of work holding options, fly cutter. Uhhh. Think that's about it for the moment. Probably go with r8 endmill holders for 2-3 different size endmills. Probably a nice chuck for drilling. Hopefully a tapping head. May look into er32 collets and some collet blocks at some point.
> 
> I think I can get by with this setup for awhile before I need to buy more tooling
> 
> - TheFridge


Nice! The rotary table and 4-jaw chuck will be very handy and good choice on the vise. A crappy vise makes a great mill useless. A tapping head would be sweet but those things are spendy. If you're tapping enough holes though, they be worth it. FWIW, if you have an extra DT saw in the works, it would buy you a good deal of tooling ;-)


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## KelleyCrafts

Excellent work Fridge! I think your goal of having some heirloom pieces is definitely on track. Super nice stuff.


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## TheFridge

Thanks Dave. I like woodworking too but making tools is just as much fun 

Kenny, sounds like a deal  it might be another month before I get the laser setup but once I do it'll go quick. Just let me know the flavors (ppi, plate under spine and palm width) and can definitely get something working for you


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## HokieKen

> Thanks Dave. I like woodworking too but making tools is just as much fun
> 
> Kenny, sounds like a deal  it might be another month before I get the laser setup but once I do it'll go quick. Just let me know the flavors (ppi, plate under spine and palm width) and can definitely get something working for you
> 
> - TheFridge


Sweet! I'm stoked now )) 1-1/2" under spine (as long as it's rigid, I don't care if it's more than that) 15ppi and my palm width is 4". I'm not real particular about the 15 ppi either so if you're doing the rest of the batch all the same, just do mine like those.

Once you get your mill, let me know what size collets you have and what size cutters you want and I'll make it more than worth your while ;-)


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## TheFridge

Sweet! That's the only thing I'm not sure about. I'm gonna go with end mill holders for easy change out so I'm not gonna get a whole set of collets I won't use. I was thinking about finding some mills and whatnot and get some holders to fit them. I think I'm gonna limit end mill sizes to be to 1/2". I figure I can finish with a fly cutter for wide surfaces?


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## HokieKen

You can. You can also go with larger end mills with 1/2" shanks if the machine will handle it. Really just depends on the material and how much of it you need to remove. I'll pull out my endmills tonight and send you some thoughts. Pretty sure I can set you up with a good selection that you would only need 2 or 3 different collets for.


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## HokieKen

I happen to know of a great project to "cut your teeth on" with your new mill… And it could be your swap fodder too, two birds with one stone!


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## EarlS

Kenny - you know you can get mechanical pencils pretty cheap at Walmart? Seems like a little over kill to use the mill to make one ;+)

Those Woodpeckers One-Time tools are nice but spendy. I almost bought the smaller set of set up blocks which would have been nice to get instead of the strips of wood I'm using now to set up spacing on the drill press but the price was a little more than I could justify.


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## TheFridge

That would be awesome that's my thought as well. I shouldn't need many. The machine specs say no bigger than .6 endmill. Most of what I'll be working with will fit in a 2"x2"x6" envelope. I may go with one largeish 3/4-7/8ish for a couple thou finishing pass on some stuff. Mainly in brass. A small amount of tool steel and some aluminum for jigs. My thoughts are geared towards batches of gauges and whatnot. Inlaid in some way  this swap will be very close to over with by the time I'm ready to roll. We will see


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## HokieKen

> Kenny - you know you can get mechanical pencils pretty cheap at Walmart? Seems like a little over kill to use the mill to make one ;+)
> 
> Those Woodpeckers One-Time tools are nice but spendy. I almost bought the smaller set of set up blocks which would have been nice to get instead of the strips of wood I m using now to set up spacing on the drill press but the price was a little more than I could justify.
> 
> - EarlS


Yeah, but I want a custom-made one. I'm too good for that cheap stuff. ;-)

As far as setup blocks go, look into key stock. You can get it hardened and it's standardized with tight tolerances. Not recommending the set I linked, just giving an example… For wider stuff, check out an economy set of machinists parallels. Even cheap sets are hardened and ground to tolerances MUCH tighter than you'll ever need for woodworking. And they're just generally useful guys to have around the shop. You'll probably find a lot of uses for them in addition to just setups.

Edit: I meant to add a set of feeler gauges. A combination of the three will let you dial in setups to .xxx inches. Not that you would need to in woodworking generally but you could.


----------



## ToddJB

I have that exact set of parallels sitting in my wishlist. Good tip on the key stock - never thought about that.


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## HokieKen

> I have that exact set of parallels sitting in my wishlist. Good tip on the key stock - never thought about that.
> 
> - ToddJB


Square key stock up to 1.25" is ground to +.001/-0 if it's made to ANSI standards. Not gauge block or parallel tolerances but plenty tight enough for most setups.

If you're planning to use the parallels for actual machine setups I would recommend going for a thicker set. 1/4" minimum. The curses you save because every time you get your part in position on top of the parallels one of them falls over before you get the vise tight will be more than worth the extra expense ;-) I had a set of 1/8 thick and a set of 1/2" thick. I sold the 1/2" ones when I quit working as a machinist and kept the 1/8 set for the shop at home. I sold the wrong set…


----------



## ToddJB

Good to know. I might go with something like this then: https://www.ebay.com/itm/HFS-9Pair-1-4-Steel-Parallel-Set-9-Pair-Parallels-0002-Hardened/292158352651?epid=1337663560&hash=item4405fead0b:g:loIAAOSwVeJbRu11


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## TheFridge

Things that make you go hmmm….


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## HokieKen

Good call IMO Todd.


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Awesome night in the shop! Didn't work on the swap but the DT jack plane is coming right along. I might be able to finish it tomorrow night if I'm lucky and get the time I think I will….well, finish it to the point of putting the first coat of finish on it that is.

I do plan to get my prototype for the swap underway this weekend. Super stoked about that as well. Love making tools.


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## EarlS

I like the larger set up blocks like what Todd linked. I have a set of 3" long set up blocks but they are square so the 1/8" and smaller widths are mostly useless when setting up the fence on the drill press. I have the Delta benchtop drill press. Basic is a good description, sloppy might be a better description. Another item on the endless list of shop want is a new drill press and a good table/fence to go with it.










Should be a good weekend in the shop. Temperatures are supposed to be mid 90's with high humidity so no outside chores. Now if I can talk my way out of the shopping trip that gives me a full day in the shop tomorrow.


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Earl I picked up the Woodpecker drill press table off craigslist at some point and I really like it.

Kenny has a nice table he built for his drill press some time ago that I planned to copy before I found the woodpecker table. His had drawers and whatnot. I'll find a link for it later this morning. I need to head off to work.


----------



## HokieKen

Here it is


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## EarlS

Nice looking table Kenny. My first order of business needs to be a better quality drill press since the one I have has so much play in the spindle (hope that's the right term for the part that spins and holds the bit) and the table has lots of deflection as well as not being especially level. All in all, not one of Delta's better offerings. Getting a new table for it would be like putting lipstick on a pig.


----------



## HokieKen

Where's the play at though Earl? My DP has <.001 runout in the quill but depending on which Jacobs chuck I put on it, it has any where from .002-.-020 runout on a steel pin chucked up. In other words, it may not be your drill press, it might be your chuck and/or the JT-MT arbor it's on. A flimsy table is a flimsy table though….


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## EarlS

I can hold the quill and jiggle it. The track used to raise/lower the table is loose and the set screws are as tight as I can get them. Like I said - not the best quality press Delta ever made but it will drill a hole better than I can do by hand and I use it with the add-on mortise cutter from time to time to make big mortises. Mostly, it sits on the stand, in the corner taking up space and collecting dust.


----------



## HokieKen

You mean the rack that the hand-cranked pinion rides to move the table up and down? That's always loose. There's probably a collar at top and bottom to keep it from moving vertically but the rack is free to move on any drill press I remember using. There should be a locking screw on the table carriage that locks it in place though once you get it to the height you want.

No good fix for a jiggly quill though. I'd suggest a new drill press ;-)


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## TheFridge

I use one of the front cover's screw holes to put in a brass 8-32 up against the quill to take out slack in my porter cable DP. Then put some double nuts to hold the screw in place. You could always drill and tap and hole too.


----------



## HokieKen

Well, maybe there's one good fix for a jiggly quill….


----------



## GrantA

I got a little time this evening in the shop, made pen #2, planning to give this one to my brother in law is my wife approves, otherwise I'll keep it ;-) I'm enjoying making these 
Time to unwind a little now, busy day tomorrow but planning to get up extra early for a little shop time to get closer to finishing my daughters desk


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## HokieKen

Nice Grant! I like that shape


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## TheFridge

> Well, maybe there s one good fix for a jiggly quill….
> 
> - HokieKen


I was gonna split the casting until I noticed that hole  sure made it easier.


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## EarlS

well - no woodworking this weekend. Wound up in the ER Saturday night with a severe infection from a saddle sore (cycling related). My wife and daughters had to drag me in, but after the ER doc explained that a widespread infection like i have can be life threatening I had to eat crow and apologize to both daughters and my wife since they said the same thing. Guess I should listen to them from now on medical stuff and admit they know what they are talking about.

On the bright side, I can't mow the yard either, but I'm not sure if that is a positive or a negative since I will have to do it once I get permission to do strenuous activities again. Gonna go take my medicine and take another nap…..


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Grant, pen looks awesome!!

Earl….ummm….dude. Infections are no joke so seriously listen to those ladies.

I had some shop time to reorganize after finding some cheap cabinets were probably weighed down too much and were falling off the wall so I had to replace them with another solution.

I did get a little time in there to finish this up. It's not perfect but it should last me until I die I suppose.


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## DavePolaschek

Eek! Let's be careful out there, Earl! Watch out for that monkey butt, buddy!


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## Woodmaster1

Awesome looking plane!!!


----------



## mikeacg

Earl - Be safe my friend and listen to the ladies!
Dave - The plane is beautiful! If the imperfections force you to remove it from your site, I can give you an address to send it to where it will never bother you again!
Now that the beer swap is over, I really need to buckle down on this swap! I have some pretty solid ideas but nothing started yet… 
Been a crazy fall but winter is coming and I have yet another building to seal up before the snow starts falling or I'll be paying to heat the great outdoors!


----------



## DavePolaschek

That's a pretty one, Dave. Nice work!


----------



## HokieKen

Earl, that's why you're supposed to wear shorts when you ride! Those little "seats" can get in a lot of unpleasant territory. And am I to understand that you admitted to your wife that she was right?? That saddle sore is gonna be the least painful part of the rest of your life buddy. What's that? You think I'm wrong? Well rememeber that time your bike seat was stuck up your ass and I told you it was bad and you said I was wrong then too? Remember how you almost died because I was sooooooo wrong???

..... Just preppin' ya buddy.

Dave, Earl made me sad but your plane made me happy again. Excellent work brother!


----------



## HokieKen

In all seriousness Earl, I spent a Memorial day weekend in the hospital a few years ago for a similar malady. Those foreign bodies ain't nothing to play around with. (Easy there Mr. President). Take it easy and follow the doctor's orders: Don't touch it, scratch it or pop it. Feed a fever. Starve a cold. Turn your head and cough and if you shake it more than twice, you're playing with it.

Get well friend ;-)


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Thanks woodmaster, Dave, and Kenny. Thanks to you as well Mike, even with the few small imperfections, this isn't going on the site regardless. This will live in my stable of planes to use. It will lead a very hard life carving up some extremely tough AZ hard woods. I have four of these Veritas "wood plane" kits that have been staring at me for a very long time sitting around the shop so it's time I take a moment to myself and see about making them. I have two more planned at the moment. A long jointer and a coffin smoother all metal infills. Don't worry though, this swap will take priority and I have some plans, difficult plans for sure.


----------



## EarlS

All -thanks for the encouragement and helpful tips (Kenny ;+D). Dave that is one beast of a good looking plane. Hopefully you will post it in the Projects?

Since I'm stuck at home I'm going to try to post the first part of the mallet blog Kenny suggested and then maybe do some reviews. Who knows I might even fire up SketchUp and work on some designs for upcoming projects?


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Earl, I rarely post a project. I just never think to do it. So in honor of your "junk" healing…..

I did it.



Thanks for the comments buddy.


----------



## EarlS

Dave - I'll find out in a couple of hours. I'm sure that doctor visit will be the highlight of my summer….

Meanwhile I'm off to the blog page to get started.


----------



## duckmilk

Wow, I just caught up on this thread after 2+ weeks. You guys have been busy!

I love the handplane AZDave. Soo cool!

"Wound up in the ER Saturday night with a severe infection from a saddle sore (cycling related)." 
Ouch! Did you outgrow your tricycle?


----------



## TheFridge

Solid Dave. I'd pimp it.


----------



## HokieKen

And I'd pimp Fridge. 5 dolla he luv you long time! Any takers?


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Of fridge comes with the new mill I'll pay the $5 for looong time!

Thanks for the props on the plane gents.


----------



## EarlS

Duck - nope it was my big wheel.

Actually I raced when I was younger and have been riding seriously for 30 years, with ~100,000 miles on the bike. I was just about to 4,000 miles for the year but it looks like I won't get there any time soon. I spend most of the 2 hours I'm on the bike every day thinking through woodworking projects, designs, and what the process should be. Great way to get exercise and have time to plan projects.

Tonight just might be the night I finally get the mallet blog going. I'm home alone since I can't sit on the bleachers to watch the swim meet.


----------



## TheFridge

5 dolla? Did you up my normal fee? You trying to skim?


----------



## KelleyCrafts

You have a mill on the way Fridge. You might be worth $6.50 once it arrives and you get it trammed in and working right.

That's a lot of bike riding Earl. I find I'm more productive if i stay fat.


----------



## KelleyCrafts

OK peeps!!! The official last day to sign up for this swap is FRIDAY!!!! So if you're jumping in then jump in now. If your name isn't on the list up there above or below Kenny than let me know that I missed something.


----------



## GrantA

I'm getting nervous! Venturing into unknown territory…
Worst case I screw up and have to send a scratch awl (meaning a doorknob with a nail in it) or best case I make it really awesome and have to keep it and send a scratch awl…
I'm aiming in the middle :-D


----------



## KelleyCrafts

You've got this Grant. Kenny posted lots of good places to find ideas not far above this post. I've got faith in you.


----------



## EarlS

Grant - we can swap knobs with nails.


----------



## DavePolaschek

So the idea is to make 23 scratch awls and bowl the recipient over with quantity, right Dave? ;-)

No way I'm going to be able to jump in on this one. Work will be kicking my butt right about the time y'all will be trying to wrap everything up and ship and reveal and stuff. I'm hoping I can have the decks cleared for the first swap in 2019.


----------



## EarlS

Dave - I think I volunteered to herd the cats for the 2019 swap. Start thinking about swap ideas while you are working and not able to participate in this one.

Same goes for everyone else. Let's see what kind of good ideas everyone can come up with.


----------



## GR8HUNTER

> Dave - I think I volunteered to herd the cats for the 2019 swap. Start thinking about swap ideas while you are working and not able to participate in this one.
> 
> Same goes for everyone else. Let s see what kind of good ideas everyone can come up with.
> 
> - EarlS


no one told me we would have homework now i have to find a nerd and beat him up for the answers LOL :<))


----------



## HokieKen

> ...
> no one told me we would have homework now i have to find a nerd and beat him up for the answers LOL :<))
> 
> - GR8HUNTER


Earl's a chemical engineer Tony. That's about as nerdy as it gets. (Sorry Earl, I don't have to outrun the bear, just you!)


----------



## Lazyman

Nah, smart nerds just give the answers for free to the biggest jock they can find-no running required.


----------



## EarlS

Wow - a guy steps away from the computer for a minute and comes back to find out someone backed the bus over him…... ;+D

Tony - looks like Dave hasn't gotten around to updating the sign up to include your name or I missed seeing it.

Any time I had fellow students "lean" on me for answer I generally gave them about 90% of what they needed. After a couple times of me saying "sorry, that was all I had done when you asked" they moved on.

I believe that if you give a man fish you feed him for the day, but if you feed the man to the fish, you will have fish to eat for many days…. or something like that.

BTW - Kenny - you know in days gone by you COULD sell your wife for $$ for parts for that new lathe….....and no you can't copy my homework. Mine is wrong anyway.


----------



## HokieKen

Hell Earl, 90% is a B. That's good enough for me!

I've never tried selling my wife and (*most likely) never would but Dave tried selling one of his kids. Apparently ebay frowns upon that.


----------



## KelleyCrafts

> Hell Earl, 90% is a B. That s good enough for me!
> 
> I ve never tried selling my wife and (*most likely) never would but Dave tried selling one of his kids. Apparently ebay frowns upon that.
> 
> - HokieKen


True story!! Ebay didn't have a problem with it but the FBI did. I still don't understand why.


----------



## RichBolduc

80-89% is a B. Anything over 90% is an A 

Rich



> Hell Earl, 90% is a B. That s good enough for me!
> 
> I ve never tried selling my wife and (*most likely) never would but Dave tried selling one of his kids. Apparently ebay frowns upon that.
> 
> - HokieKen


----------



## HokieKen

> 80-89% is a B. Anything over 90% is an A
> ...
> - RichBolduc


So then what is 90%? ;-P


----------



## GR8HUNTER

> Wow - a guy steps away from the computer for a minute and comes back to find out someone backed the bus over him…... ;+D
> 
> Tony - looks like Dave hasn t gotten around to updating the sign up to include your name or I missed seeing it.
> 
> EarlS


I'm sitting this one out dont have a table saw yet …. poor me :<((


----------



## EarlS

Kenny - 90% is "good enough" in my book. Thank goodness for partial credit and grading on the curve. I got a 19% on one of the Organic Chemistry III tests and it was good for a B+. Only in engineering can you get the wrong answer, miss most of the questions, and still get a good grade.

Tony - Still no luck on your saw? Maybe Ken can find you a screaming deal on e-bay like the lathe he found?? He seems to be able to find some crazy good deals.


----------



## HokieKen

I've found some great deals in the past. But that lathe wasn't one of em… It was a fair deal for both sides. Maybe even a good deal for me because of the $100 I saved with the eBay coupon yesterday. But it was more just something I REALLY wanted than a bargain I couldn't pass up. When you figure in the fact I still have to drive 5 hours each way to pick it up, it's definitely not a great deal. But I'm as excited as I've ever been about a tool so it still put a smile on my face )

So yeah, if you wanna spend all day going to pick it up Tony, I'll find you a mediocre deal on a table saw! ;-P


----------



## DavePolaschek

> Dave - I think I volunteered to herd the cats for the 2019 swap. Start thinking about swap ideas while you are working and not able to participate in this one.


Well, I've got seven things on my shop projects list, and that's after losing the old list and having to recreate it from memory. I'm hoping I can squeeze a few of those in during the off-time, too. Plus I ordered all the tools I didn't already have for making hollows and rounds last weekend, and they should be here by Friday. I've also got files and a saw vise on the way so I can sharpen up all my saws. So, plane or saw swap? Oh, that reminds me, I also wanted to make a miter jack saw. Eight things on the list!


----------



## HokieKen

I think the next swap should be another layout and marking tool swap 'cause there are so many things I want to try, I'm having trouble narrowing it down!

I still think a chisel swap would be cool. Making chisels is pretty accessible with just a bench grinder and a couple propane torches but for some reason we don't see shop made ones very often. And I'm pointing at myself too!


----------



## jeffswildwood

Maybe a chisel/screwdriver swap. Maybe Grace would play ball with us again for shafts and we could find a supplyer of chisel blanks somewhere. For those of us that don't forge.


----------



## EarlS

Kenny gets bonus points on his homework for coming up with a project that involves fire. Anything that involves metal would be a first for me and definitely WAY outside my comfort zone, not to say I wouldn't give it a go.

All of these sound like interesting , fun, and most importantly, learning ideas. The one thing they have in common is that they are shop tools.

Dave - sorry we hijacked your swap thread to start talking about the next swap before this one even got started. I think Kenny is a bad influence or maybe Dave P, or Jeff? OK - maybe the whole crew??


----------



## Lazyman

Earl, Fire is fun! All you need is a piece of steel, a propane torch and some heavy leather gloves to get started. I couldn't find a good used anvil without spending $$$ so I simply bought a small cheap one from Harbor Freight and it'll do for small stuff I' attempted so far. My biggest problem is a safe place to do it since fire and sawdust don't mix very well. Once you try it, you'll want to do more but even if you don't, you'll find other uses for the propane torch.


----------



## HokieKen

> Maybe a chisel/screwdriver swap. Maybe Grace would play ball with us again for shafts and we could find a supplyer of chisel blanks somewhere. For those of us that don t forge.
> 
> - jeffswildwood


The screwdriver swap was fun too and that's something we can always use. Not to mention there are tons of "specialty" type drivers to be made/had. I'd do another screwdriver swap. Not sure a screwdriver/chisel swap is a good combination but I'd participate in either one 

I don't "forge" either Jeff. But some O1 steel, a hacksaw and a grinder/files/dremel/belt sander or whatever you have and a propane torch would be all you would need to make a chisel. You could "fry bigger fish" with a forging setup but you could definitely make some mortise chisels or small bench chisels or skewed paring chisels with just stock removal.

Edit: I'll also add, I wouldn't rule out breathing new life into old chisels and re-handling them either. That's a lot of work and there's definitely some skill required in fitting new handles to chisels.


----------



## GrantA

c'mon Kenny you mean you don't have any combo chisel/screwdriver/scrapers laying around?!?


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Earl, don't worry about hi-jacking this thread about tool talk. That's never a problem. Hell, these swap threads always take on a mind of their own and usually the only spot I hang out around this joint.


----------



## jeffswildwood

> Maybe a chisel/screwdriver swap. Maybe Grace would play ball with us again for shafts and we could find a supplyer of chisel blanks somewhere. For those of us that don t forge.
> 
> - jeffswildwood
> 
> The screwdriver swap was fun too and that s something we can always use. Not to mention there are tons of "specialty" type drivers to be made/had. I d do another screwdriver swap. Not sure a screwdriver/chisel swap is a good combination but I d participate in either one
> 
> I don t "forge" either Jeff. But some O1 steel, a hacksaw and a grinder/files/dremel/belt sander or whatever you have and a propane torch would be all you would need to make a chisel. You could "fry bigger fish" with a forging setup but you could definitely make some mortise chisels or small bench chisels or skewed paring chisels with just stock removal.
> 
> Edit: I ll also add, I wouldn t rule out breathing new life into old chisels and re-handling them either. That s a lot of work and there s definitely some skill required in fitting new handles to chisels.
> 
> - HokieKen


Ken, I meant that to be screwdrivers and/or chisels. You did make a lot of good points though.


----------



## jmartel

You could do a saw swap again. That was a good one, and there are kits available. More expensive to do, though. People were also restoring older saws for less money than building new.


----------



## HokieKen

> c mon Kenny you mean you don t have any combo chisel/screwdriver/scrapers laying around?!?
> 
> - GrantA


No way! 

I don't know if I'd do a saw swap or not… I love making tools but I HATE sharpening saws. So much so that I've attempted it twice and quit… I really have got to figure it out though, I'm running out of saws :-( But, as bad as sharpening is, the thought of filing in new teeth in a blank plate makes me itch. I do love a good hand saw though so I might jump in. If so, it would definitely be a purchased plate already filed and sharpened that I'd handle.


----------



## HokieKen

On the other hand… there are frame saws, bow saws, turning saws, hack saws, coping saws, etc…. Those are actually right up my alley. Yeah I'd be in for a saw swap ;-)


----------



## jmartel

> I don t know if I d do a saw swap or not… I love making tools but I HATE sharpening saws. So much so that I ve attempted it twice and quit… I really have got to figure it out though, I m running out of saws :-( But, as bad as sharpening is, the thought of filing in new teeth in a blank plate makes me itch. I do love a good hand saw though so I might jump in. If so, it would definitely be a purchased plate already filed and sharpened that I d handle.
> 
> - HokieKen


The saw kits I've bought have had the teeth punched. They still need to be sharpened and set, but you aren't filing teeth in a flat plate. You can buy them pre set/sharpened as well.

But yes, there's saws other than a western dovetail saw that could be made/refurbished.


----------



## GrantA

There's also the attractive option of transforming a gents saw into a dovetail saw. One of these days I'd like to do that


----------



## Bluenote38

Hmmm - I've been toying with doing a saw. It would be a very steep learning curve I think.


----------



## duckmilk

> There s also the attractive option of transforming a gents saw into a dovetail saw. One of these days I d like to do that
> 
> - GrantA


http://lumberjocks.com/projects/91651


----------



## GrantA

Thanks Duck! Yes I love that, such a useful repurpose!


----------



## duckmilk

Airframer is very talented. Too bad he doesn't post anymore.


----------



## MikeB_UK

Or doing weird stuff and combining a hacksaw with a framesaw 



Works really well actually, surprised myself, kind of ugly though.


----------



## DavePolaschek

Jonathan Fisher built a miter saw like that in the early 1800s, Mike.

https://blog.lostartpress.com/2014/08/01/if-you-dont-have-a-tenon-saw/

I just finished reading Hands Employed Aright and it was a good read. A number of Fisher's shop-made tools would be good swap fodder.

Edited to add: reminder, it's the deadline for signing up for this swap. I'm sitting this one out, but that doesn't mean you should.


----------



## MikeB_UK

Well, dammit, 200 years too late.
I'll patent it anyway and hope no one notices 

Shipping costs/times to/from the US/UK pretty much disqualify me from any of these swaps Dave.
I may play along at home though.


----------



## DavePolaschek

> Shipping costs/times to/from the US/UK pretty much disqualify me from any of these swaps Dave.


Yeah. I'd like to know how some booksellers and eBay tool vendors in the UK can get by charging less than a few £ to ship stuff to the US. And it gets here quicker than things coming from Amazon sometimes.


----------



## ElroyD

> I just finished reading Hands Employed Aright and it was a good read.


I've been curious about this book. I may have to pick up a copy to add to my collection.

I really need to get into swap mode and decide what I'm going to make. I have a few ideas, just need to get started with organizing them.


----------



## TheFridge

I'd be down with a saw swap. If I could just find the time to get some laser engraving done.


----------



## EarlS

Keep these ideas in mind as you SIGN UP for THIS SWAP, then later we can do some voting for the next one.

While you all have been sitting around chatting I managed to finish the mallets, get them boxed up, and sent out to all of the "volunteers" that responded. They should be there Tuesday.

All that is left is to post the write up on the heads, and make a project post. Should have that done this afternoon. That clears the bench for the work to begin on this swap.

Side note - when cutting on the off side of the saw, remember to add the kerf thickness. I have a couple of really nice 5/8" thick pieces of wood that were supposed to be 3/4". I also managed to cut a piece that was supposed to be 2 5/8" wide into a piece 2" wide.

I'd blame it on the glasses, but the table saw readout is digital and the numbers are 3/8" tall. They were supposed to be 1/2" but I forgot to account for the blade thickness…....


----------



## KelleyCrafts

I hate to derail the convo but today I stayed home from work. Getting some shop time dedicated to making a prototype for THIS swap and maybe laying out some dovetails for a 22" jointer.

Bahaha….just poking fun. I would probably be down for a saw swap. That would be a challenge for me.


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Oh, Fridge….

What router bit did you use to shape the round on the handles you posted previously? I assume they are 1" thick to start??


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Damn, one more thing….thanks for the reminder Earl.

SIGN UP TODAY!!!! Final day to sign up.


----------



## jmartel

> Oh, Fridge….
> 
> What router bit did you use to shape the round on the handles you posted previously? I assume they are 1" thick to start??
> 
> - KelleyCrafts


Saw blanks typically are 7/8" thick. As far as rounding, it's best to use rasps and do it by hand.


----------



## TheFridge

That is correct Dave. Final thickness around .85 ish

The bits I use 










The router


----------



## Bluenote38

I'm hearing that maybe a saw swap next time. Would this be a good saw plate to start with?










It's a leftover from I think a old Craftsman miter box.


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Good job getting those all looking even. I use files/rasps for handles but those looked all uniform so I figured you used a bit or something.

Very nice job buddy!


----------



## DavePolaschek

Looks like a dozen in the swap. That's respectable.


----------



## EarlS

Well crap - I just ruined 3 versions of the same thing because the plans SUCK!!!! Yes I bought plans for one of the items. Whoever the idiot was that drew them up put loads of dimensions and reference lines on that are worthless.

The particular bad instruction that got me was a reference of 13/16" from the "top" for the center line of a hole. The hole is cut first, then the top 5/16" of the blank is cut off. Except that the reference line is from the cut off line, not the top of the blank. Why not just provide the reference from the bottom edge since it isn't getting changed? Why provide a reference line for one step to something that is done after the first step is complete. Imbeciles!!!!!

At this rate someone will get a box full of scraps, sawdust, and lots of my hair after I pull it out. Hmm - is a glitter bomb considered a layout tool?


----------



## DavePolaschek

As long as the glitter falls in a graceful curve, I think it is, Earl.


----------



## TheFridge

Thanks Dave. Just a bit more practice than most.


----------



## GrantA

I got my new drawbar setup on the lathe so I can finally use my collets… This'll come in handy  I see a spider chuck being built in the near future, after this swap. Which is after the desk I've got to finish! 
Let's see if I can knock out the 3 drawer boxes I need


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Awesome Grant! I need to go Fridge's route and grab a mill. I want one pretty bad. I'd take a lathe too though, and a forging press.


----------



## GrantA

Mill is definitely on the wish list here too!


----------



## GrantA

Wait up Kenny isn't signed up here?? Maybe this will tag him @hokieken


----------



## HokieKen

I'm on the list Grant. Dave just puts pictures for me instead of words. He knows I don't read so good.


----------



## GrantA

Ohhh I get it now duh Kenny from South Park hah I knew that just didn't put it together 
You trying to use the new lathe for this swap? Better get it back together quick!


----------



## HokieKen

It's in the process of being reassembled ). But , no I won't be using it for the swap. At least not that I know of. I already had a project I'm pretty well invested in time-wise so I'm gonna stick with it for the swap.


----------



## EarlS

Ken you need to get some before/after pictures of the lathe so we can see what you did.

Grant - it's always a bad joke when it has to be explained - "Oh my GAWD!! They killed Kenny"


----------



## HokieKen

I have a few before shots from the eBay listing. Honestly though, I'm letting it be cosmetically so there isn't any big difference in appearance. I have taken it down to nuts and bolts, cleaned and degreased every piece and re-lubed it and got most of it re-assembled. I'll wrap up the assembly tomorrow and make a few chips before I try to make a permanent home for it so I can level everything up and indicate everything in. Tons of fun this weekend!


----------



## KelleyCrafts

I'm so excited for you Kenny. That thing is awesome. I can't wait to see it running.


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Doing some hand filing for my swap submission. Man I think I should find a way to reroute Fridges mill order to my place. I'm closer to LMS than he is so it should be here in no time.


----------



## GrantA

I've got some 303 & 360 due in this week for my swap project- I'm sure at least a couple of y'all know what those are! I might work some carbon fiber into it too. This one's gonna be fun!


----------



## KelleyCrafts

I figured a fun teaser would be a good Labor Day post.

I do know what those are grant. Can't wait to see what you come up with.


----------



## GrantA

Oh and Dave if you cut those rabbets by hand you DESERVE a mill!! Yikes
Send a pic to LMS maybe they'll have a pity party!


----------



## HokieKen

No fancy egg for me. I must admit a little bit of jealousy though ;-) The food never seems to care though. It likes my cast iron just fine


----------



## GrantA

Nothing wrong with that setup Kenny! The big benefits to an egg are not having to add fuel during a long cook (effiency) and the dome reflecting heat onto the top of the food. 
I've been saying it but this year I'm gonna find a big cast iron chili pot and build a tripod to cook chili & soup over my firepit on the patio! Any fire is better than propane… Friends don't let friends cook with gas! :-D


----------



## KelleyCrafts

I wasn't bragging yesterday Kenny….I was more or less looking for support being $1000+ lighter in the pocket. Also Earl and Grant have some insane awesome info for me. I have some tiff in the Amazon cart now.

Nothing wrong with your setup buddy. That is WAY better than my old setup. I'll be over in like 14 hours. Keep it warm for me.


----------



## HokieKen

Better hurry Dave!


----------



## EarlS

What gives? No one posting on this thread???? Personally, I'm looking forward to more time in the shop tomorrow since the lawn is mowed and I'm still banned from the bike. I might be able to get the brass part for the bonus items figured out. Never worked with brass before. Never worked with any metal before. Then I can start the actual swap item…..... unless I get distracted again…..squirrel!!!!


----------



## DavePolaschek

"Maybe everyone's busy building so they'll be done early?" he innocently asks. ;-)


----------



## TheFridge

Too late Dave. A mini mill wandered into my shop yesterday. It must've gotten lost on the way to your house  it's definitely staying now.


----------



## KelleyCrafts

YOU HAVE ONE HELL OF A FUN WEEKEND AHEAD OF YOU BUDDY!! I'm definitely interested in a review from you on that. I've priced one in my cart more than once but I can't seem to justify $3k with the goodies to actually pull the trigger.

I do have a search on CL for any mills that come up but I'm leaning toward something new with a small footprint like that over something that takes more space and might need some TLC or missing parts or whatever.

I'm also interested in a forging press and not sure which one I would want first. Both are expensive.


----------



## EarlS

Well my plans for tomorrow just got upended. Looks like I'll be timing for the swim meet at the HS tomorrow rather than working in the shop. Guess I will have to get out there on Sunday.

Is that a CNC? I'm really totally clueless as to what a mini mill can do.


----------



## HokieKen

Just buy me one Earl. I'll shoot some videos for you


----------



## GR8HUNTER

> Well my plans for tomorrow just got upended. Looks like I ll be timing for the swim meet at the HS tomorrow rather than working in the shop. Guess I will have to get out there on Sunday.
> 
> Is that a CNC? I m really totally clueless as to what a mini mill can do.
> 
> - EarlS


GOOD VIDEO :<))


----------



## HokieKen

Don't show him that Tony!! If he sees there are others, he won't need to buy me one!! :-(

Why isn't your name up there in the list Tony? You still on shop restriction? Any luck on the tablesaw hunt?


----------



## EarlS

Ken - the wife has me on a budget. She found the receipt for the beer…...... Why would you shoot a video though? Did it do something wrong? What caliber weapon would you use? I'd like to see that.

My 14 tpi bandsaw blade came today along with some milling bits so I can work on the huge chunk of brass I have. It's 0.0625 thick x 3/4" wide and 12" long.

Baby steps…...


----------



## HokieKen

Milling bits for 1/16" brass Earl? I have a feeling you may be over-thinking this a bit… Several of the woods your mallets contain are harder to work with than brass. I would recommend a ZCI for your bandsaw ir you'll get nasty burr on stock that thin. Carefull drilling it with twist bits, it'll ride the flutes as soon as the tip exits the back end. Clamp it down. Don't hold it!

And I hate those damn videos!


----------



## EarlS

Ken - thanks for the tips. I will make sure I use them.

I bought some extra so I can work through the learning curve. I have a ZCI on the bandsaw already. I plan to run it over the disc sander after I cut it to clean up the radius. I was planning to sandwich the brass between some 1/4" plywood and clamp the whole thing down. I figure this is a good first try at working with metal, not too thick, not too complicated, plenty of extra if I mess up. Oh and my dad will be here in a couple weeks if I really botch it (40+ yr. retired machinist).

That was some video. I'm an expert on the mini mill now ;+P I'll show my wife the video and tell her Kenny needs one and see what she has to say.


----------



## TheFridge

Well unfortunately, I have to rearrange to make a spot. Then build a cabinet for it. Clean the cosmoline off of everything. Build something to organize the tooling. Tram it. Still have a good bit to do before I can even take a cut 

I'm doing my best to exercise some patience.


----------



## bndawgs

Kenny, do you use the side burner to start the chimney? I do that with my duo when doing charcoal


----------



## duckmilk

> I ve been saying it but this year I m gonna find a big cast iron chili pot and build a tripod to cook chili & soup over my firepit on the patio! Any fire is better than propane… Friends don t let friends cook with gas! :-D
> 
> - GrantA


Here is what I have for a fire pit Grant.










Its a ceramic coated steel tub from an old washing machine.


----------



## GR8HUNTER

> Don't show him that Tony!! If he sees there are others, he won't need to buy me one!! :-(
> 
> Why isn't your name up there in the list Tony? You still on shop restriction? Any luck on the tablesaw hunt?
> 
> - HokieKen


no I'm back …… I got that g0715p ….. just got it off truck this afternoon…. now a cleanup tune up and make it mine I just had to much other stuff going on to join in this one :<))


----------



## HokieKen

> Kenny, do you use the side burner to start the chimney? I do that with my duo when doing charcoal
> 
> - Steve


Never thought about it but that's a good idea! I honestly don't know if I've ever used the side burner for anything…


----------



## HokieKen

> Well unfortunately, I have to rearrange to make a spot. Then build a cabinet for it. Clean the cosmoline off of everything. Build something to organize the tooling. Tram it. Still have a good bit to do before I can even take a cut
> 
> I'm doing my best to exercise some patience.
> 
> - TheFridge


I feel ya Fridge. I'm getting to the good stuff on my lathe now though


----------



## TheFridge

Sweet K-dog

I threw a stand together. Just need a couple pieces of 3/4 for the top. Screw reorganization. I just kicked all the parts for an old 20" bandsaw out the way. I'll figure them out later


----------



## RichBolduc

Guess I should start paying attention to this thread considering I'm signed up and the beer swap is over… lol Plus i'm back from Ireland…. Time to start planning I guess.

Rich


----------



## EarlS

Rich - gift card to Lie-Nielsen would probably work


----------



## RichBolduc

> Rich - gift card to Lie-Nielsen would probably work
> 
> - EarlS












Rich


----------



## bndawgs

> Kenny, do you use the side burner to start the chimney? I do that with my duo when doing charcoal
> 
> - Steve
> 
> Never thought about it but that's a good idea! I honestly don't know if I've ever used the side burner for anything…
> 
> - HokieKen


it's pretty nice. the chimney is an exact fit over the burner. no need to use newspaper, just fill the chimney and turn on the burner


----------



## bndawgs

why do people post free wood on CL, but then never post their address or respond to emails?


----------



## HokieKen

> why do people post free wood on CL, but then never post their address or respond to emails?
> 
> - Steve


They respond to the first e-mail. What sucks is when they don't pull the ad after it's gone…


----------



## KelleyCrafts

It's definitely time to drum up some activity here. Thanks Rich. This one is a long one but if everyone gets motivated and wants to move the timeline ahead I won't argue.


----------



## jmartel

I've at least got an idea of what I'm going to make. Does that count?


----------



## HokieKen

Got a fresh idea in my inbox this morning for any of you who are still looking for inspiration ;-)

Just a tip, you can buy the 1/32" Incra positioning racks for a couple of bucks…


----------



## GR8HUNTER

thats a cool tool Kenny …. but I not on the list :<((((


----------



## HokieKen

We can get ya on the list Tony! I know people ;-)


----------



## GR8HUNTER

I bet you do LOL :<))


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Just say the word Tony and you're in!


----------



## EarlS

I think everyone has a hangover after Kenny's Beer Swap.


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Could be prepping Earl.

I don't know where all of you live but good luck to Rick, Kenny, and Jeff this weekend. Also to anyone else in the line of the storm coming in. It sounds like this one will be beyond dangerous and even really heavy inland. I'll be thinking about you fellas.


----------



## jeffswildwood

> Could be prepping Earl.
> 
> I don t know where all of you live but good luck to Rick, Kenny, and Jeff this weekend. Also to anyone else in the line of the storm coming in. It sounds like this one will be beyond dangerous and even really heavy inland. I ll be thinking about you fellas.
> 
> - KelleyCrafts


Thanks Dave, I know it's coming me and Kens way.


----------



## RichBolduc

Ok… Some parts ordered…. Anyone know where I can find t-track for a #4 or #6 bolt instead of the standard 1/4-20?

Rich


----------



## EarlS

Rich - can you but track without the holes and drill it yourself? I think Kreg has quite a wide variety of track.


----------



## HokieKen

> Ok… Some parts ordered…. Anyone know where I can find t-track for a #4 or #6 bolt instead of the standard 1/4-20?
> 
> Rich
> 
> - RichBolduc


Not exactly. Only options that come to mind require modifications/fabrications. The tidiest would be with some 80/20 parts. You can buy track and you can buy stock that fits the slots in the track. Then you drill/tap the stock and cut to whatever length to make your own nuts.

A second, similar option, would be to use regular t-track that accepts the 1/4 bolts and buy some 7/16 flat bar and make your own square nuts.

A third option would be to cut a dado the size of your nuts/bolt heads then mount 2 pieces of wood or metal on top of it to capture the bolt/nut.

Really depends on the application, how much force is involved etc. Might be able to offer better suggestions if you can reveal more details without giving anything away.


----------



## HokieKen

Or… you could buy Tee Nuts and grind the flange down to the right size.


----------



## RichBolduc

Thanks Kenny. Those are still to big. They're designed for 1/4-20 bolt. I'm looking for one about half that size.

Rich



> Ok… Some parts ordered…. Anyone know where I can find t-track for a #4 or #6 bolt instead of the standard 1/4-20?
> 
> Rich
> 
> - RichBolduc
> 
> Not exactly. Only options that come to mind require modifications/fabrications. The tidiest would be with some 80/20 parts. You can buy track and you can buy stock that fits the slots in the track. Then you drill/tap the stock and cut to whatever length to make your own nuts.
> 
> A second, similar option, would be to use regular t-track that accepts the 1/4 bolts and buy some 7/16 flat bar and make your own square nuts.
> 
> A third option would be to cut a dado the size of your nuts/bolt heads then mount 2 pieces of wood or metal on top of it to capture the bolt/nut.
> 
> Really depends on the application, how much force is involved etc. Might be able to offer better suggestions if you can reveal more details without giving anything away.
> 
> - HokieKen


----------



## HokieKen

> Thanks Kenny. Those are still to big. They re designed for 1/4-20 bolt. I m looking for one about half that size.
> 
> Rich
> 
> - RichBolduc


You could rip those down with a table saw and remove however much you need from the center. Unless you're talking about height…


----------



## mikeacg

Thinking of all you Lumberjocks down in the path of Florence. I only left town once during a hurricane and almost didn't get back in. Water was up to the bumper on 74/76 coming back into town and rising steadily. Had to drive about 20 miles an hour but made it back in time to fire up the generator and save everything. We were only accessible by air for almost 2 weeks after the storm. Vowed not to leave again! Heck, my shop was better built than most houses (including my own) with all the hurricane codes…
Stay safe guys! Let us know how you fared when you can!!!


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Fridge, Mill Rich some custom sized T-track. Thank you.

Solved.


----------



## RichBolduc

haha that would work…. Only need about 8-10" of it 

I might see if I they can sneak some in for me at work actually

Rich



> Fridge, Mill Rich some custom sized T-track. Thank you.
> 
> Solved.
> 
> - KelleyCrafts


----------



## duckmilk

Hmm, #4 or #6 bolts are pretty small. Maybe get some square tubing the right size and cut the slot in it?


----------



## RichBolduc

Ohhhhhh that's an idea .. let's see what McMaster has… Don't think we have much small salquate tubing are working

Rich


> Hmm, #4 or #6 bolts are pretty small. Maybe get some square tubing the right size and cut the slot in it?
> 
> - duckmilk


----------



## duckmilk

I hope you find something rich. Once in 2000 try's I have an idea, hope this doesn't fall into the 2000 fail category.


----------



## TheFridge

I don't have any key way or dovetail bits yet


----------



## Lazyman

> Ok… Some parts ordered…. Anyone know where I can find t-track for a #4 or #6 bolt instead of the standard 1/4-20?
> 
> Rich
> 
> - RichBolduc


How about making a custom t track by cutting a dado of the width you want and inlaying some aluminum or steel strips that over lap the dado?


----------



## RichBolduc

Ohhhh that's a pretty solid idea!!!! Thanks 

Rich



> Ok… Some parts ordered…. Anyone know where I can find t-track for a #4 or #6 bolt instead of the standard 1/4-20?
> 
> Rich
> 
> - RichBolduc
> 
> How about making a custom t track by cutting a dado of the width you want and inlaying some aluminum or steel strips that over lap the dado?
> 
> - Lazyman


----------



## HokieKen

> ...
> A third option would be to cut a dado the size of your nuts/bolt heads then mount 2 pieces of wood or metal on top of it to capture the bolt/nut…
> 
> - HokieKen


Oh so when I say it it's stupid but when Nathan says it, it's a good idea??? Geeze. ;-)


----------



## RichBolduc

He mentioned overlapping the dado  That's whats made me realize it 

Rich



> ...
> A third option would be to cut a dado the size of your nuts/bolt heads then mount 2 pieces of wood or metal on top of it to capture the bolt/nut…
> 
> - HokieKen
> 
> Oh so when I say it it's stupid but when Nathan says it, it's a good idea??? Geeze. ;-)
> 
> - HokieKen


----------



## EarlS

Ken - are you in the path of Florence? Anyone else?

I know there isn't much the rest of us can do, so please stay safe.

I suppose a hurricane is a legitimate excuse for not getting your swap item finished??


----------



## HokieKen

I'm less in the path than I was yesterday… When I went to bed, they were predicting 15-20" rain Thursday-Monday and 100 mph gusts here. When I got up, it was 2-5" Saturday-Tuesday and 40 mph winds. So, it looks like the worst of it's gonna swing south enough to barely miss me. We've already had some flash flooding this week due to unusual amounts of rain though so we're not really out of the woods, just out of the deep woods…

I know Jeff (jeffswildwood) is still in the path for some serious stuff and most anyone in NC or SC is gonna get clobbered to some extent.

And no, there is no legitimate excuse for not finishing your swap item unless it involves a hospital stay ;-)


----------



## Lazyman

> ...
> A third option would be to cut a dado the size of your nuts/bolt heads then mount 2 pieces of wood or metal on top of it to capture the bolt/nut…
> 
> - HokieKen
> 
> Oh so when I say it it's stupid but when Nathan says it, it's a good idea??? Geeze. ;-)
> 
> - HokieKen


Hah. It's all in the words Kenny. I guess some of my daughter's creative writing talent rubbed off on me. Either that or no one pays any attention to anything you say.


----------



## HokieKen

I imagine there is a good deal of truth in both of those possibilities Nathan ;-)


----------



## EarlS

What was Kenny talking about? I know I have the same problem at home. The dogs seem to be the only ones that hear me, and only when I say "outside" or "food".


----------



## HokieKen

Did someone say food?


----------



## Lazyman

Beer!


----------



## HokieKen

Everyone heard that ;-)


----------



## GrantA

Whew I better not wait 4 days to check this thread again yall have been posting a lot. All caught up now, gotta go pickup some materials I ordered from grainger, hopefully Friday I'll make it down there. Then I can work towards progress pics!


----------



## duckmilk

> Did someone say *squirrel*?
> 
> - HokieKen


----------



## EarlS

Looks like the spammers hit LJ hard last night/early this morning. Nearly every forum I checked into had the same spam. I'm sure Cricket will do a thorough cleaning.

I finally managed to get a couple of 1/4" x 1" slots cut in the brass strips. I used the drill press and they were OK, but a bit sloppy. I'm going to try to put something together for the router table so I can get one continuous cut rather than drilling holes next to each other and cutting/filing them into a slot. The piece is only 5" long and 3/4" wide but I did sandwich it between a couple pieces of 1/8" mdf using double sided tape. Looks like I also need a 1/4" round file just because I don't have one and it would be nice if I did so I can clean things up better on these slots.

If everything works out tonight with the brass I should be able to start the main layout tool for the swap.

In the meantime I had an epiphany (no it didn't hurt) on how to use some small pieces of exotic scrap to make some bonus stuff that should be really useful but not overly difficult to make.


----------



## HokieKen

Deal! Nathan bring the beer and duck bring the squirrel. I'll make biscuits and well fry them suckers up and make some gravy )


----------



## duckmilk

I've never eaten squirrel. Are they hard to kill? How many times do you have to shoot them? Can I just bring one that the barn cats have already killed?


----------



## RichBolduc

Not a lot of meat so you need a lot of them… Skinning them is a PITA too for how little meat you get… Decent in stew. A 22 will take them down

Rich



> I ve never eaten squirrel. Are they hard to kill? How many times do you have to shoot them? Can I just bring one that the barn cats have already killed?
> 
> - duckmilk


----------



## TheFridge

22 works. Preferably not a shotgun.

Stewed. Yep. Not a lot of meat but good. The longer the better.


----------



## HokieKen

> ...The longer the better.
> 
> - TheFridge


That's what she said ;-)

DON'T LISTEN TO THESE **************************************** DUCK!

They're right about the .22. One shot should do. You need a mess so drop a dozen or so. Skinning them is easy peasy. Step on the tail slice once right behind it and pull the skin and fur off like a onesie. Squeeze the neck to pop the head off and 2-finger the gross stuff out. The legs are all ya need. Wrench them free at the shoulders and chop the little ugly-ass feet off. If ya stew it ya loose it! Bread it with some flour and salt and pepper and a couple eggs and fry it in cast iron skillet. Hold up! Don wipe that sucker out! Throw some milk and flour in the grease and make some gravy. Make some biscuits and get to grubbin'!

Honestly I've never had it in a stew. It may be awesome;-). It's just so damn good fried I won't do anything else with it ;-). A lot of my buddies used to boil 'em and pick the meat for sandwiches. Too much work if ya ask me.


----------



## HokieKen

Watch for warbles on squirrels though. I just toss it for the crows if it has those nasty bastards. Them things give me the heebie jeebies


----------



## TheFridge

I ate a squirrel stew that was the best thing I ever put in my mouth. For real. Cooked for about 6-7 hours. Maybe more. Was whole squirrelsl. The best part was the meat along the spine. Reminiscent of eating a smoked turkey new in a gumbo or stew.


----------



## GR8HUNTER

speaking of shooting rodents like chipmunks …… I had a bag of sunflower seeds in shop I forgot to close …. next day empty bag …. yelled at myself got another bag …. hehehehe forgot again to close it gone again now im a little pissed off …. went to drill a hole on drill press its very hard to pull down and push up ..im thinking now what … so I begin to tear it apart and a seed fell out of the hole then 10 more …that little bass#$%^ put both bags into my drill press LMAO :<))


----------



## HokieKen

Ha! That's funny Tony . Chipmunks are cute little suckers. Ya feel kinda bad killin' em.

Well I guess I'm gonna have to stew some squirrels this fall. Fridge has had a lot of things in his mouth so if squirrel stew was the best, I better give it a whirl!


----------



## mikeacg

Squirrels are like woodcocks - you need a bunch of them to make a decent meal…
I'll bite Kenny! What's a warble?


----------



## Lazyman

Since I live in the city I have to use a BB/Pellet gun to shoot the squirrels that plague our bird feeder. Of course, they usually just run up the tree and flip me off so I started using a live trap. I've probably caught 20 of the bastards in the last year or so.

I had to look up what a warble is. That's just nasty.


----------



## bigblockyeti

Squirrel(s) chewed on the wires for the sending unit and the fuel pump on my wife's car. Many recipes will by tried.


----------



## DavePolaschek

I miss the hawk that used to live in my neighborhood. It kept the squirrels and bunnies nervous, which is how they should be. But it disappeared a few years back. Now I can nearly walk up to the rodents and bop 'em on the head. Would eat the ones out in the country when I was growing up, but won't touch the city rodents. They spend too much time foraging in dumpsters to be good eating.


----------



## jeffswildwood

Squirrel stew? Fried sounds good but the stew, I don't know. A friend of my Mom's made some once. I took the lid off the crock pot and almost retched! I looked Horrible! It may have been the cook and the way it was cooked.


----------



## GrantA

I'm enjoying following along but as long as I can get chicken& beef from the store or if the store wasn't there I could kill wild turkey, hog, deer, duck- I'm not messing with squirrel. If it comes to being HUNGRY I'll put squirrel & crow on the menu though


----------



## Lazyman

> I m enjoying following along but as long as I can get chicken& beef from the store or if the store wasn t there I could kill wild turkey, hog, deer, duck- I m not messing with squirrel. If it comes to being HUNGRY I ll put squirrel & crow on the menu though
> 
> - GrantA


+1. A wet squirrel looks too much like a rat and I would eat red clay before I would eat a rat.


----------



## HokieKen

I'll take squirrel over duck any day Grant! Don't know why, I've just never been able to develop a taste for duck.



> ...
> I ll bite Kenny! What s a warble?
> 
> - mikeacg





> ...
> I had to look up what a warble is. That s just nasty.
> 
> - Lazyman


That ^ pretty well sums it up. Google it Mike. Warbles a.k.a. Bot Flies. It's basically really big maggots that live under the skin of animals then tear out like an alien after they hatch….


----------



## RichBolduc

You should of seen some of the worms I've pulled out of fish i've filleted after spearfishing….. Mostly in Amber Jacks… Holy ********************… I swear some were as long as I was tall.

Rich


> I ll take squirrel over duck any day Grant! Don t know why, I ve just never been able to develop a taste for duck.
> 
> ...
> I ll bite Kenny! What s a warble?
> 
> - mikeacg
> 
> ...
> I had to look up what a warble is. That s just nasty.
> 
> - Lazyman
> 
> That ^ pretty well sums it up. Google it Mike. Warbles a.k.a. Bot Flies. It s basically really big maggots that live under the skin of animals then tear out like an alien after they hatch….
> 
> - HokieKen


----------



## doubleG469

Well hello from Texas! I was jumping on to see all the progress pics on this and you guys are talking about squirrels…. and warbles…. yuck.


----------



## RichBolduc

I might actually start this weekend… Or maybe tonight… I think I want to try some dye stabilization with some Satinwood Burl…

Rich



> Well hello from Texas! I was jumping on to see all the progress pics on this and you guys are talking about squirrels…. and warbles…. yuck.
> 
> - doubleG469


----------



## EarlS

I saw a fox across the street this morning as I was pulling out of the driveway. Maybe it will take care of the chipmunks, squirrels, and rabbits that are overrunning the neighborhood. The coyotes haven't. All they kill is the little dogs and cats in the neighborhood.

You would think that my shop helpers (Springers) could figure out how to catch the little varmits while they are digging around in the yard. They did manage to kill a woodchuck and in the process they both got worms.

Looks like I need to dig out the pellet gun and thin the herd a bit myself. Needs to get cold before I would eat squirrel or rabbit I shoot. Dad always told us not to eat anything like that in the summer since they could be full of parasites.

Meanwhile - how is everyone's swap work going?


----------



## jmartel

> You should of seen some of the worms I ve pulled out of fish i ve filleted after spearfishing….. Mostly in Amber Jacks… Holy ********************… I swear some were as long as I was tall.
> 
> Rich
> - RichBolduc


That's why I refuse to eat Cod or Scrod now. Found a worm when eating one when I was young. Haven't been able to eat them since.


----------



## doubleG469

> You should of seen some of the worms I ve pulled out of fish i ve filleted after spearfishing….. Mostly in Amber Jacks… Holy ********************… I swear some were as long as I was tall.
> - RichBolduc
> 
> Rich
> 
> That s why I refuse to eat Cod or Scrod now. Found a worm when eating one when I was young. Haven t been able to eat them since.
> 
> - jmartel


it's all protein.


----------



## duckmilk

Holy Cow!!! I was just funnin' guys. No, I have never eaten squirrel, but I've eaten lots of other things. We used to eat quite a bit of rabbit when I was young (yes, we would only shoot them in the winter). The worst of all though was porcupine. I don't know how my dad and his drunken buddies got it skinned, but my mom seasoned it and put it in the oven. HORRIBLE and tough as rubber. You could still taste the juniper bark in the meat.


----------



## duckmilk

Progress Pic!

Progressing on another beer sent to me by Mike. Ducky likes it!


----------



## mikeacg

That's what I like to hear Duck! Hope you have a great weekend my friend!


----------



## duckmilk

Thanks Mike! We are invited to a fish fry this evening


----------



## EarlS

I was going to post a teaser picture but none of them are vague enough not to give away the surprise.

I'll have to remedy that tomorrow.


----------



## HokieKen

Here's a teaser. I guarantee no one will infer anything at all about my swap project from it ;-)


----------



## ElroyD

Finally got started on a build for this swap yesterday. I decided to try my hand at a little green woodworking, which isn't something I normally do. A small limb from one of our maple trees provided materials. Here're my first teaser pics:


----------



## TheFridge

Kenny. You're out .0004…. I expected better of you *-*


----------



## KelleyCrafts

I leave you all alone for a day and you eat a bunch of rodents. You're all worse than my dog. Just don't chew up the couch please.


----------



## DavePolaschek

I left a present in your shoe too, Dave. ;-)


----------



## EarlS

On the same note, one of the dogs managed to find a pile of something smelly and slimy and rolled in it this afternoon. LOML had the pleasure of giving him a bath since she let him out and didn't watch him. Meanwhile I spent the afternoon in the shop working on swap stuff. Got lots done. It's finally starting to look like more than a pile of wood.










See - I organized it…..not a pile anymore. Those are random length rulers with no markings. The pumpkin bar was really tasty.


----------



## HokieKen

> Kenny. You're out .0004…. I expected better of you *-*
> 
> - TheFridge


Like I constantly have to tell my wife, you should really have learned to lower your expectations by now Fridge ;-)


----------



## HokieKen

Geeze Earl slow down. Fridge and I have new toys so the swap isn't even on our radar yet!

I think Elroy has misunderstood the thread and is making a squirrel trap…


----------



## KelleyCrafts

OK, Earl sent his progress pic which is a bit more detailed than what he sent in the thread. Pretty cool stuff!!

Also, a reminder, progress pics by the 8th, still some time but not a lot so that's just a reminder.

I'll throw my progress pic up here I suppose. I'm using some black palm which I'm nit 100% I'm happy with he color. Working it sucks too. It was expensive so I'm going to use it anyway.


----------



## TheFridge

Progress pic












> Kenny. You're out .0004…. I expected better of you *-*
> 
> - TheFridge
> 
> Like I constantly have to tell my wife, you should really have learned to lower your expectations by now Fridge ;-)
> 
> - HokieKen


You tell her that too 

I tell mine, it's not the size of the t track. It's the size of the nut in the slot that counts


----------



## EarlS

Dave - black palm splinters and blows out like crazy as I found out on those mallets I made. Your piece is a lot more white than black which is cool. You always make amazing stuff so I really want to see what you have in mind.

If that is the price - it is spendy. I usually get my exotics from Bell Forest Products, no one around here has exotics . Shipping can be expensive though since you have to buy $250 to get free shipping and that comes with a lot of restrictions too.

Kenny - If Elroy makes a squirrel trap I hope I get it so I can take care of the little varmits digging up the yard and burying their nuts. I'll even send a couple (nuts and all) to you so you can make some squirrel stew. They should be nice and juicy with USPS 3 day shipping.

Fridge - I hope you are taking lots of pictures to show us what you did with that brass when you do your reveal.


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Earl, it's definitely blown out. I think darker palm would have been better with the brass but I still wanted something flashy. I rarely use exotics since the AZ wood is already pretty nice stuff so it's rare I buy wood unless it's from my buddy who mills AZ woods bigger than I can mill.  really it just adds to the "challenge yourself" theme I hope people are carrying through on this swap.

Fridge - I see chips!!! How's the new mill? I actually might be ordering one sooner than later. LMS one has the solid back instead of angles which is good. Brushless with a belt which is good and I'm looking at the DRO version (the one they sell that comes with DRO that is). I'm guessing that's what you got? Initial review?


----------



## TheFridge

Earl, good tip. I forget to take pics during.

Dave, yes that is what I got. Very happy. I didn't expect a Bridgeport but I would've been unhappy with the power and stability of a cheaper version. I pushed the limits milling some steel. At this point, I can hold it I can cut blue chips without it hogging down. I'm building a column stiffener out of 3/4 plate and 4" sq tube. It'll help when milling steel and side milling.


----------



## HokieKen

Here's a teaser girls. I finally decided to start on this thing


----------



## ElroyD

> If Elroy makes a squirrel trap I hope I get it so I can take care of the little varmits digging up the yard and burying their nuts. I ll even send a couple (nuts and all) to you so you can make some squirrel stew. They should be nice and juicy with USPS 3 day shipping.
> 
> - EarlS


Ooh! Good plan. Now I have something else to whittle!


----------



## EarlS

Kenny - you can't make a random length ruler. I already claimed that idea….

That's a solid looking tenoning jig. I had a Delta one and was never able to get it dialed in (or else it was the operator) so I got rid of it. There are times I wish I had kept it.


----------



## HokieKen

That's a story stick, not a ruler Earl.

That tenon jig is a generic Chinese job and I'm highly impressed with it. Well machined cast iron and everything is tight and rigid. I had to tear it down to remove all the cosmoline and found some sloppy burrs and sharp edges but eased those and it works well for what I've used it for. Which is not tenons…


----------



## EarlS

Kenny - So is that a "short" story stick?

Looks like you are getting squirrel as your "bonus" gift. Elroy sounds like he's on board with the trap idea. I might be able to throw a couple of "tired" ************************* and possums in as well as the "fresh" squirrels. It will give you a variety of snacks to go with your beer hoard.


----------



## KelleyCrafts

> Earl, good tip. I forget to take pics during.
> 
> Dave, yes that is what I got. Very happy. I didn't expect a Bridgeport but I would've been unhappy with the power and stability of a cheaper version. I pushed the limits milling some steel. At this point, I can hold it I can cut blue chips without it hogging down. I'm building a column stiffener out of 3/4 plate and 4" sq tube. It'll help when milling steel and side milling.
> 
> - TheFridge


That's kind of a bummer Fridge. I am looking for something that will allow me to flatten and make parallel damascus steel and maybe mill it a little along with other things that would be in brass and aluminum mostly I imagine. That 15N20 I use is really tough stuff. When I go to cut it, I can definitely see a difference in the 15N20 over high carbon steels. I'll have to do more research on this stuff. These Chinese tariffs have jumped everything up significantly.


----------



## HokieKen

Machinability ratings are a good way to select materials. Specialized cutting fluids can help with certain materials. Old timers swear by lard for the best finish on hard steels. There are better modern alternatives ;-) Most any mill can machine most any steel, as long as your cutters are hard enough. It's just a matter of whether you can take .001", .010" or .100" per pass…


----------



## HokieKen

Finished! Ready to ship this beauty to some lucky sucker! I call it the Saddle Sore. It's like a saddle square but the faces aren't really all that flat and the walls aren't quite square to them.


----------



## EarlS

Yep that's a saddle sore alright. It looks like it will cause pain and discomfort when used with a high likelihood of causing an infection from a splinter, followed by a visit to the ER and possibly a surgical procedure.

Does it come in different sizes?


----------



## duckmilk

> the faces aren't really all that flat and the walls aren't quite square to them.
> 
> - HokieKen


As evidenced by the picture.

Kenny, what is that steel rule you have laying there. I was shopping for one the other day, but would really like to have an 18" one, stainless probably.


----------



## HokieKen

Earl, when you get pissed off at it and snap it in two… voila! Two sizes ;-)

Duck, that's a PEC blem scale. Can't recommend the PEC seconds highly enough. Here is an 18" one.


----------



## John Smith_inFL

*Fall Layout and Marking Tool Swap 2018*

.

I very rarely (and I do mean VERY) make shop tools other than a few jigs
for the table equipment here and there. so I find myself totally in a new arena.
my adventuresome thought process has hit a snag - but - this is what I have so far.
materials used are way over 40 years old - so I think it qualifies as an antique ???










.

.


----------



## mikeacg

Thinking of possum stew…








...just makes me hungry!


----------



## RichBolduc

Dammit John… Stop copying me!!!

Rich



> *Fall Layout and Marking Tool Swap 2018*
> 
> .
> 
> I very rarely (and I do mean VERY) make shop tools other than a few jigs
> for the table equipment here and there. so I find myself totally in a new arena.
> my adventuresome thought process has hit a snag - but - this is what I have so far.
> materials used are way over 40 years old - so I think it qualifies as an antique ???
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> .
> 
> .
> 
> - John Smith


----------



## GR8HUNTER

he copy me only difference is Ticonderoga :<))


----------



## EarlS

John's layout tool is a multi purpose tool since you can draw a circle, make "straight" lines, pick your nose with the eraser, use the clothes pin as a clamp (or to pinch your nose so you can't smell the possum stew), use the wood in a project, or make spit wads and shoot them at shop visitors with the rubber band. That is a serious piece of fine engineering. Plus it's an antique.

I wonder why Kenny didn't come up with something like that. All he has is a piece of wood with a slot cut in it.


----------



## HokieKen

*S A D D L E S O R E* Earl. Nothing so mundane as "a piece of wood with a slot cut in it". If you look again, you'll see there are obviously TWO slots cut in it.

I may have to abandon that piece though. When looking at John's beam compass, I realized that my project, like his, is deficient in two key areas… T-Track and Cowbell.


----------



## EarlS

You can never have too much cowbell. Cowbell on a T-Track - now that's an idea.










I figured the top cut was the practice cut for the bottom one.


----------



## jeffswildwood

It's not a marking tool but it did solve a big problem. If you get a chance, take a look. I like this one! (Damn, I sound like spam)  http://lumberjocks.com/projects/394465


----------



## HokieKen

Awesome work Jeff!

Here's a serious question for you all. How often do you do your layout work with an awl or do you just use a pencil? So if you had a marking gauge or beam compass or centerfinder or whatever, would you prefer it have a scribe/awl or a pencil holder? Or do you use both often enough that you need both?


----------



## jeffswildwood

Thanks Ken. I'm not in the swap but my .02 cents on your question. I use a fine point mechanical pencil mostly. For tight work I go to a marking knife. If I could do dove tails, I would go with a marking gauge with a blade.


----------



## TheFridge

Marking knife all the time. Tried a lead pencil. Didn't work for me.

On a similar note. I don't get shoulder planes. I mark the line with a gauge. Cut close w dovetail and finish with a chisel.

Definitely need more t track in this swap.


----------



## DavePolaschek

I scribe or use a marking knife if I'm going to be sawing to the line. I sketch curves with a pencil. And when working walnut, I use a white china marker in the scribed lines. But I've got a dozen boxes of Dixon Ticonderogas I got on sale so there's pretty much always a few sharp ones laying around the shop.


----------



## HokieKen

Thanks for the input guys!

Since Earl seemed to think my Saddle Sore was somehow subpar, I decided to add a drill guide feature. I hope that's better Earl!


----------



## duckmilk

> I may have to abandon that piece though. When looking at John s beam compass, I realized that my project, like his, is deficient in two key areas… T-Track and Cowbell.
> 
> - HokieKen


Where is the glitter going? Orange is my preference.


----------



## duckmilk

And, you could make a small cape for it and a tiny hammer on one end, perfection!!!


----------



## HokieKen

I was trying to do that Duck. Then it got loose and rattled around in my tablesaw for a while. What the hell is it gonna be now?


----------



## HokieKen

Maybe if there are 3 of them it'll make more sense??


----------



## HokieKen

BTW, the pics I posted are legitimate teasers for my project. If anyone can guess what I'm making (specifically, not in broad strokes!) I'll make you an extra one. Offer expires at noon Eastern tomorrow! Offer open to non-swap participants as well. I reserve the right to accept or reject any answer solely at my discretion but if you nail it, I'll gladly throw another pot on the fire!


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Wooden tuning forks!!!

Damn straight suckers!!!! I'm getting a set of those!!!!


----------



## TheFridge

I'd say they are sculptures called "if t track could walk…"


----------



## MikeB_UK

> BTW, the pics I posted are legitimate teasers for my project. If anyone can guess what I'm making (specifically, not in broad strokes!) I'll make you an extra one. Offer expires at noon Eastern tomorrow! Offer open to non-swap participants as well. I reserve the right to accept or reject any answer solely at my discretion but if you nail it, I'll gladly throw another pot on the fire!
> 
> - HokieKen


There is a slight design flaw in them dividers kenny


----------



## DavePolaschek

Little wigs on two of them, and you'd have Larry, Moe and Curly! You already have my address, Kenny.


----------



## EarlS

I'm a bit late to the party - I use pencil (lead or white depending on the wood) almost exclusively. Occasionally, when I remember that I have a marking knife I might use it for cross grain layout to help with tear out. That comes from knowing that the precise set up on the table saw, router, or whatever jig I'm using is more important, and once the tool is set up I can make all of the necessary cuts identical so if there is a slight difference, everything should be consistent (right or wrong).

Kenny - are those tuning forks that you can use to make sure your cowbell isn't off key? My official guess is an odd job tool -inside mitre and try square, a depth gauge, a scribing tool for arcs and circles, a T-square, a depth marking scribe, a plumb level, and a rule.

Again on a more serious note - tell me a little more about the metal vise that you have the wood clamped into on the drill press. I'm thinking I need something other than my left hand to hold pieces when I'm drilling.


----------



## HokieKen

Nice guesses guys but so far only one of 'em going out in the swap ;-)



> ...
> Again on a more serious note - tell me a little more about the metal vise that you have the wood clamped into on the drill press. I m thinking I need something other than my left hand to hold pieces when I m drilling.
> 
> - EarlS


That's a machinist-made vise Earl. You may find something similar if you search for "grinder vise" or "mill vise" on ebay. I also like this style for smaller stuff.

I can talk about vises all day, I love the little buggers  But if you're in the market, shoot me a PM. What to look for is greatly dependent on the size you're looking at, what it will be holding and budget. I will say that if I were going to buy a single vise for use on my drill press, it would probably be a decent cross-slide vise in order to maximize bang-for-the-buck.


----------



## EarlS

Ken - After the little bit of work I did with the 1/8" brass I realized I need something more substantial than finger pressure to hold small pieces securely. I can tell that my accuracy and consistency were lacking when I look at the finished pieces, not the best work I could have done.

My dad (retired machinist) will be visiting next week so I will ask him for some beginner's advice and thoughts and drop you a PM.


----------



## GR8HUNTER

*THIS* is the one I have but much older :<))


----------



## DavePolaschek

Dang it, Ken, you and Tony talked me into buying a cross-slide vise for my post drill. Found a Wilton on eBay that looks pretty good. What do you think?

I'm seeing a distinct lack of teasers around here other than Kenny's saddle sore. Hopefully that'll change this weekend.


----------



## Bluenote38

Bit of a teaser. No mill or lathe (metal) yet so hacksaw and files.



















And of course the afteglow….


----------



## DavePolaschek

I don't suppose this would count as a layout tool, unless maybe I laid someone out with it?










Seems my drawknife works pretty well.


----------



## mikeacg

Bill,

You found that in Michigan?

Dave,

Probably not, but I like the way you think!


----------



## Bluenote38

> Bill,
> 
> You found that in Michigan?
> 
> Dave,
> 
> Probably not, but I like the way you think!
> 
> - mikeacg


Yep, PF Chang's. Haven't had one since I was in Tokyo a long time ago ;-)


----------



## HokieKen

Nice teasin' Bill ;-)

Dave, Wilton makes vises all over the map. In general, anything 10+ years old is a solid bet. Newer than that, it could be Wilton quality or it might be something chinese branded Wilton that's not as nice. The good news is as long as it's pretty rigid and the jaws stay parallel, it can be made to work well.


----------



## TheFridge

Ditto


----------



## KelleyCrafts

I have the Wen one that was posted earlier and I was able to get it dialed in perfect with very little work. Like VERY little. I was very impressed for the price. I like it a lot.


----------



## EarlS

Here's a teaser for everyone:










15 lb pork butt just went on the Big Green Egg for the next 10 hours at 200 then an hour at 350 to get a good bark and hit the 195 deg internal temperature.

Tuesday night is Senior night for the Girl's Swim team. After the meet, the the home team provides food for all of the swimmers and coaches on both teams. My daughter, who is a senior, wanted pulled pork sandwiches, so we are making enough for ~60. We live in IA so pork is king and I'm sure there won't be much left. Others are making potato salad, baked beans, fruit, and for dessert, cake.

The smoke from the BGG will be wafting into the shop all day.


----------



## Bluenote38

No BBQ but a new sacrificial top on the RAS…. And it's already collecting stuff.


----------



## DavePolaschek

This isn't a layout tool either, but fill it with whiskey, and you'd probably get laid out.


----------



## HokieKen

I don't see any corn Earl. I thought you cooked everything with corn? ;-). I thought about you yesterday… my brother was playing a clip from some standup comedian and one of his but was about visiting Iowa. He called it a pointless corn maze with no escape ;-)

You carving cups Dave? What about the vise?


----------



## Bluenote38

No BBQ but a new sacrificial top on the RAS…. And it's already collecting stuff.


----------



## HokieKen

Here's today's shop fun. I hate it when friends who know I do woodworking get married….


----------



## DavePolaschek

> You carving cups Dave? What about the vise?


Apparently I am, Kenny. I headed out to the shop with the intention of getting started on my plane till, but the past couple days, the birch chunks I picked up at the resort back in July called to me and told me to make things. So a mallet and a cup got made instead of a plane till.

The vise got ordered. It'll get bolted onto the post drill and make it easier for me to drill out mortises and such. It's probably way overkill for what I actually need, but d I have very little tolerance for poor workholding, so I'm probably destined to be a vise junkie.


----------



## jmartel

BBQ I can contribute with:










Will probably start working on the swap item this week.


----------



## HokieKen

That's some sexy bark Jmart!


----------



## Bluenote38

> BBQ I can contribute with:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Will probably start working on the swap item this week.
> 
> - jmartel


NICE! Here's my burnt offering~!










Ok, in all honest my wife grilled it while I was mowing the lawn. I just poked it for the last 15 minutes or so and brought it in


----------



## HokieKen

I had a grilled cheese and soup :-(


----------



## GR8HUNTER

nothing wrong with that I had a cheddar cheese omelet with fried spam fresh tomato slices and white homemade bread …. toasted :<)))))))))))))


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Food looks excellent guys!!

Don't forget peeps, progress pics due in two weeks from tomorrow!!

I've been sick lately so I haven't gotten shop time. Spent a couple hours in there today while the wife was at church. She kicked me out when she got home so I could rest more….so boring!

Here's a sneak peak. I had to crop it kind of funny though.


----------



## TheFridge

Things that make you go hmmm…


----------



## Bluenote38

Ok early but official teaser










And the shavings are curling off the scraper beautifully


----------



## EarlS

Bill - if you draw Kenny for the swap, just add some glitter to the saw dust and send him a big box of the mix. He'll be as happy as a pig in the mud. Make sure you set it up to explode all over the place when he opens it.

Just trying to help.


----------



## Bluenote38

> Bill - if you draw Kenny for the swap, just add some glitter to the saw dust and send him a big box of the mix. He ll be as happy as a pig in the mud. Make sure you set it up to explode all over the place when he opens it.
> 
> Just trying to help.
> 
> - EarlS


Roger wilco Earl!!


----------



## HokieKen

So now I'm a glitter pig? Geeze. This did say Kenny & Earl but I changed it after reading that.


----------



## TheFridge

> Bill - if you draw Kenny for the swap, just add some glitter to the saw dust and send him a big box of the mix. He ll be as happy as a pig in the mud. Make sure you set it up to explode all over the place when he opens it.
> 
> Just trying to help.
> 
> - EarlS
> 
> Roger wilco Earl!!
> 
> - Bluenote38


And t track. It is a must.


----------



## jeffswildwood

> - HokieKen


Nice Ken. But when I saw the prior pic I was betting on a band saw box. ;-)


----------



## HokieKen

That would have been a lot cooler Jeff! But no… my buddy wanted a "stump" for a cake stand that looked like someone had carved their names in it. This is where I landed. Waste of a big chunk of Walnut but I didn't have any other wood that was big enough in diameter :-(


----------



## duckmilk

Ohhh, the humanity of it!!


----------



## Bluenote38

> That would have been a lot cooler Jeff! But no… my buddy wanted a "stump" for a cake stand that looked like someone had carved their names in it. This is where I landed. Waste of a big chunk of Walnut but I didn t have any other wood that was big enough in diameter :-(
> 
> - HokieKen


Yeah but you have to admit, it's pretty cool!


----------



## TheFridge

Egregious waste of resources. So how good of a friend?

I'd suggest repossessing it after the wedding or aniversary or whatever unqualified event it is.


----------



## EarlS

Kenny - I thought you just mis-spelled our names but I wasn't going to say anything. For all I know, it might have been ebonics.

If that stump is anything like the walnut chunk you sent me should be able to put it on the lathe, frosting and all. Tell them you will make them something. Otherwise, I'm with Duck and Fridge.

Egregious - great word of the day. Just ask Jack Sparrow.

We've been busy making more pork butt tonight after finding out this afternoon that there will be 2 more teams at tomorrow night's swim meet, so 30 more girls to feed. Good thing they are all small town (farm) girls so they should appreciate the porcine delicacies that will be the main course. We also made more sauce, now we are up to 1/2 gallon of homemade and several bottles of Sweet baby Ray's for those that don't want the homemade version.


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Sounds good Earl!! I'm a fan of sweet baby rays. It's all we use. Homemade BBQ is normally spiced up with some kind of vinegar concoction and as much As I enjoy spice, the vinegar type spice is not for me. Like the crap they put on spicy hot wings….just horrible tasting.

Have fun with that buddy. We have a large family so doing a cookout like that is pretty common for me and I've been enjoying my egg like crazy. I haven't served the number you're doing yet but I feel I could if I needed to.

Here's a question though. I lite the charcoal and let the smoke get to a "blue" state and then I know it's good to go. As I go though, I still end up smelling like smoke and get a bitter taste on my mouth from that stuff. Any tips? Do you encounter that?


----------



## EarlS

Dave,

I light the charcoal, close the lid and leave the top/bottom vents wide open and wait for 10-15 minutes. By then the temperature is usually 300 deg F or so, then I pinch back the top/bottom vents to control the temperature. Some days I don't get smoked, other days I do. I try to get it lit and get the grate on as fast as I can so I can close the lid before the smoke gets going too much. I also leave the lid closed as much as possible.

My homemade sauce doesn't have vinegar in it. I like flavor, not heat so much so I use more spices and very little pepper. Molasses, brown sugar, and ketchup make up the base, then whatever spices I have on hand.

Dry rub is brown sugar, spices, salt, and regular ground pepper.

This afternoon the pork will go into slow cookers, pour some sauce in, turn them on low/warm and then take them with us when we go to the swim meet. There will be a line of slow cookers plugged into the outlets along the hallway with anything that needs to stay warm, and a couple tables full of everything else. When the girls get done eating there isn't much left, which is exactly how it should be. None of the girls leave hungry.


----------



## HokieKen

Thanks Bill  I thought it came out pretty well based on what I was asked for. I'm not so good at carving and I don't have any templates for letters so I was glad he asked for it to look like some kid did it in the woods. I can do that ;-)

Earl - Ebonics, there's a forgotten movement! At least I guess it is.. it's not still a thing, right? And for the record, I get my name spelled right at least 1/2 the time.

Fridge, unfortunately he's a pretty good friend and already asked me to put an outdoor finish on this because he wants to keep it and sit it on their front porch. Which is out of the rain thankfully. I have some outdoor finish from General Finishes that I will put on the ends and the carved portion. Anyone have suggestions for the bark? Just leave it alone is my plan but I imagine it will let go in a couple of years after temperature and humidity cycles.


----------



## duckmilk

> I have some outdoor finish from General Finishes that I will put on the ends and the carved portion. Anyone have suggestions for the bark? Just leave it alone is my plan but I imagine it will let go in a couple of years after temperature and humidity cycles.
> 
> - HokieKen


It will eventually slough in a couple of years Kenny. To prolong the amount of time the bark stays on, I would suggest you finish it as well. If you have a sprayer, you could thin the exterior finish you already have and spray several coats on it. That should help slow the moisture changes.


----------



## EarlS

Rather quiet on the swap conversation. I managed to get a few minutes of shop time in last night before we had to plant flowers. How are things progressing for everyone else?

Tomorrow is a day off and my dad and I will be visiting Johnson Creek Hardwoods to get some 8/4 walnut stock for a bookcase and 3 more chairs. Since they still have chestnut available I will get some more of it to make shop tool boxes. Who knows what else might wind up in the back of the truck?


----------



## Bluenote38

Yes Earl - it quiet… Too quiet ;-)


----------



## HokieKen

Thanks for the info Duck. I don't have a sprayer but I can slop it on with a brush. I was thinking of doing a pour of epoxy over the bark but then decided that was WAY more effort and expense than I was putting into this thing.

I've got a successful prototype done so I'm working on one of my swap tools now. It's coming along well. I shouldn't miss the ship date by more than a month or two. ;-)

Earl, one of the things on my woodworking bucket list is to make a replica of a Gurstner machinist's tool chest:









I think Chestnut would be a perfect choice for that project if I can find some whenever that day rolls around. So good choice ;-) What else did end up in the back of the truck?


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Why out of chestnut Kenny, just one of your favorites or is there another reason? I've wanted to make one of those before I ever even worked anything with metal. They are just damn cool little tool chests. I would probably use some of my native stuff and make it super fancy but I could definitely see a box like that coming soon…..among other things.


----------



## EarlS

Kenny - we are going up there tomorrow (Friday). How much chestnut do you need? Do you have a place where you can get it from? If not, let me know and I can get some for you, and we can figure out the details to get it out to you. Johnson Creek had some really nice pieces the last time I was there. The scrap piece I used for packing on your mallet box was from them. I'm thinking about getting ~20 bf or so of 4/4 just because they have it.


----------



## HokieKen

Thanks Earl but that build could be one of those things that doesn't happen until I retire in 25 years ;-) So I'm not gonna get stock for it now. Chestnut pops up around here occasionally. Usually in the form of reclaimed barn boards or big beams. But occasionally as bf lumber. Even if I was building the box now, I'd be perfectly happy with some QSWO if I couldn't get my hands on any Chestnut. Appreciate the offer though!



> Why out of chestnut Kenny, just one of your favorites or is there another reason?...
> 
> - KelleyCrafts


I just like Chestnut because it's so uncommon these days but it looks similar to Oak so it would still give the box the traditional look. Most likely I'll end up using Oak which is fine. Actually, most likely I'll never get around to building it but you know how that goes ;-) They are really sexy boxes but my Craftsman and Kennedy boxes get the job done just as well so it's not any kind of priority at all.


----------



## DavePolaschek

Johnson Creek sounds like a fine field trip next time I'm heading down your way, Earl. I've got Youngblood Lumber up here, so I don't *need* to drive to Illinois to shop for wood, but it never hurts to have a look-see.

I've knocked out five projects last weekend and this morning. All little stuff, but I should write it up some time this weekend. Did my second Gramercy bow saw, a cup and mallet from birch logs, mounting brackets for the bow saws, and this morning while the garage was changing the oil and flushing the radiator on my truck, I knocked out a new knob for one of my frying pan lids.










It just needs a cuppa-tree coats of shellac and it'll be good to go.


----------



## duckmilk

I love those tool chests as well Kenny.

Dave P seems to be the only one actually doing anything in the shop. I hung a shelf the other day in mine, but that is all. Trying to get signed up for medicare currently, but ran out of time this evening. It has to be better than my wife's company insurance which doesn't seem to cover much at all. Did the lab tests for my annual physical and now have a bill for $150 to pay for what it didn't cover :-(


----------



## EarlS

Duck - I've managed to eke out a bit of time here and there but with the folks visiting I'm not getting much done. I put some finish on some swap parts and got some 1/8 round overs finished so the pieces are getting close to complete so I can assemble them this weekend.

Kenny - If you decide you want some chestnut let me know. I'm planning to build up a bit of a hoard just so I have some in the future.

Dave - good to see someone getting stuff done in the shop. Johnson Creek is out in the trees a way so it is a nice 45 minute drive. If the trees are starting to turn it should be a scenic drive.

Dave K - I like your native selection. Makes some good looking knoves and such.


----------



## DavePolaschek

Well, my sweetie was sick last week, so rather than "hover" and keep her from resting, I spent a bunch of time in the shop. I almost feel like I should've been in this swap, but I'm glad I'm getting stuff done. Hopefully I can play along in the next swap early next year.

Good luck with the insurance, Duck.

Earl, enjoy the drive to Johnson Creek. Even if the leaves aren't changing yet, it should be a nice drive.

Kenny, my pop had two of those machinist tool chests like that which were full of tools. I let them go for far too little back then. Oops.

Butternut is another one that's getting hard to find. I picked up a board from Youngblood a while back, and have been using a few small pieces of it to accent other woods. It made nice breadboard ends on a hickory cutting board. Works about like walnut does, but isn't as dark.


----------



## EarlS

We spent a couple hours going through the boards at Johnson Creek. I picked up some qtr sawn chestnut, red elm, some short pieces of maple for drawer boxes, and a really nice 8/4 piece of walnut with some great looking burl/pattern on it. There is a diagonal crack I will have to work around but it should be OK.

The rest of the day was spent working on swap stuff. I made a bunch of parts and then realized that there was a top and bottom part that needed to be different so I have the 6 bottom pieces and no top pieces. Anyone that wondered why I had 12 mallets when I started out to make 6 now knows my secret - Mistakes - plain and simple.

I'm hoping to make something from the red elm for the swap since I haven't worked with it before. I'd like to find some butternut one of these days and try it out.


----------



## DavePolaschek

I kinda like working with elm, Earl. I keep using scraps from the slab I bought to make my low bench for various things.

If you need me to grab some butternut for you and bring it down when I come down for Handworks just let me know. They had a bunch at Youngblood, but it's not cheap.


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Good job knocking out some small projects Dave. That's always gratifying and helps the long list out significantly I imagine.


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Well, Fridge inspired me, actually I'm just giving him credit for this so I can blame someone when I tell the wife but yesterday after work I turned this into something.


----------



## KelleyCrafts

I've had a CL alert for probably 9 months now for a couple of tools so Fridge you're off the hook but it's still fun to blame you.

Pics to come.


----------



## Bluenote38

Working and finishing up several projects.

First up is a new shop cabinet with outfeed suppports. The handles are causing me fits. Cheap Chinese and what I thought was 6-32 is actually 3.5-.35 metric. They packed 25 mm screws and I need 35 or 40. So the hunt begins


----------



## Bluenote38

Boy I truly hate posting by phone …


----------



## TheFridge

I am all about enabling


----------



## mikeacg

Now THAT is a teaser picture!!!!


----------



## KelleyCrafts

That's looking good Bill!

The Chinese stuff is cheap but you always have to add In the cost of frustration I suppose.


----------



## KelleyCrafts

I have pics but I kind of like leaving everyone hanging a little.


----------



## EarlS

Dave K - I was wondering if you found the pile of cash I used as packing in the bottom of your mallet box. Looks like you did. ;+)

Dave P - When we get a bit closer to Handworks I will let you know on the butternut.

I managed to get one of the swap items assembled after having a threaded insert start splitting off the wood as it was threaded into the hole…..grrrrrr. So I "modified" things a bit and used a different style of insert.


----------



## HokieKen

I've been in amusement park all day and still have the "haunted" stuff that the wife loves left to do before I can "enjoy" my 3-hour drive home. I hate everything and everyone.


----------



## Bluenote38

> Well, Fridge inspired me, actually I'm just giving him credit for this so I can blame someone when I tell the wife but yesterday after work I turned this into something.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> - KelleyCrafts


Can't wait to see what you turn this into!!


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Lol!!! Just leave everyone behind and head home. If their any good they will find their way back. If they aren't, you get more shop time. Win win if you ask me.


----------



## Lazyman

> Working and finishing up several projects.
> 
> First up is a new shop cabinet with outfeed suppports. The handles are causing me fits. Cheap Chinese and what I thought was 6-32 is actually 3.5-.35 metric. They packed 25 mm screws and I need 35 or 40. So the hunt begins
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> - Bluenote38


Bill, I hate those kind of handles, especially in the shop. Those free ends are constantly catching on my clothes, power cords and anything loose that gets moved around. So if it is not too late, don't buy new screws. Instead get some pulls where the ends curve down flush. My 2 cents.


----------



## Bluenote38

> Working and finishing up several projects.
> 
> First up is a new shop cabinet with outfeed suppports. The handles are causing me fits. Cheap Chinese and what I thought was 6-32 is actually 3.5-.35 metric. They packed 25 mm screws and I need 35 or 40. So the hunt begins
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> - Bluenote38
> 
> Bill, I hate those kind of handles, especially in the shop. Those free ends are constantly catching on my clothes, power cords and anything loose that gets moved around. So if it is not too late, don t buy new screws. Instead get some pulls where the ends curve down flush. My 2 cents.
> 
> - Lazyman


I was thinking that could be a problem


----------



## Bluenote38

The rest of my busy day included cutting back the day lillies (Spirea is next). Oh… Mowed the lawn too.










Fixing/straightening/painting the mailbox










Put up most of the rock board aroind the fireplace getting ready for the rock face.










And if course the mantle from Armstrong Millwork out in Highland










More to do tomorrow


----------



## TheFridge

Dave. If I have to wait any longer I'm going to punch a baby.

It's up to you to save this baby.


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Ok ok…. I had to make sure I got it off the trailer in one piece before I posted it. Lol

Actually, my wife took it out of the trailer. She handles the small jobs.


----------



## TheFridge

Clean. Super jelly

Wish they had equipment around here. Even the cheapest I've seen have been way out of my price range and they don't last long. Way too many industrial shops serving chemical plants and refineries to sit for too long.


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Bill, that mantle is going to look awesome on that wall. Clean and neat. VERY COOL!


----------



## KelleyCrafts

> Clean. Super jelly
> 
> - TheFridge


Don't get too jealous Fridge. Every time you change speeds on yours just imagine me changing belts.

This thing is pretty small. Popped up on CL and I talked to Kenny about it for a couple days because he has some experience in this department and I actually lost sleep over it a little too. I finally decided I had to have it, perfect size for my small shop. I had to rearrange things and now the shop is a complete mess but it's in there. We will see how things go, I might have to sell one of my bandsaws to free up some space. 

Overall, I'm extremely happy with it but I haven't set it up or trammed it in yet. I probably won't get to that until later this week unfortunately. Also, all of the milling for this swap is done already, this would have done better but I'm not buying more brass to redo this stuff so someone will get what I've done already.

It weighs in at about 1200 pounds. She's a fatty.


----------



## KelleyCrafts

> Clean. Super jelly
> 
> Wish they had equipment around here. Even the cheapest I've seen have been way out of my price range and they don't last long. Way too many industrial shops serving chemical plants and refineries to sit for too long.
> 
> - TheFridge


There are lots of atlas lathes around but hardly any mills that aren't Bridgeport which is too big and too much money. Honestly Fridge I have never seen one this size before I saw the post on CL and I've had alerts for 9 months. We don't have many in Arizona at all unless you spend big money. I spent $1400 for this which is way too much for people in the northeast but pretty reasonable here I think.


----------



## GR8HUNTER

GRATZ on that wonderful machine Dave … now get back to work mister LOL :<))


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Thanks Tony. I have so many things to do right now but all I want to do is play with the thing. Sigh….sometimes timing sucks but I'm still pleased with it.


----------



## TheFridge

Damn. I'd trade for 1400$.


----------



## EarlS

Bill - you are putting me to shame with all of the stuff you are working on. I managed to nearly break one of the swap items, and had to "modify" it, and drill a few holes in a piece of brass. Oh, and make a bunch of expensive firewood.

Dave - that thing is WAAAAY beyond my skill level. I'm really stretching things working with a piece of 1/4" x1/2" brass. I'm also considering a major expansion for the drill press - a drill press vise like Kenny, Dave, and Tony posted.

Baby steps.


----------



## Bluenote38

Lol… all fairness I had my 20yo son helping with the yard work until he had to go to work - and I can feel it today. But it was one of my most productive days since coming off overtime this summer. I'm really happy with my layout tool progress - only 4-5 setbacks and one "throw it out and try again" :-(


----------



## Bluenote38

> Ok ok…. I had to make sure I got it off the trailer in one piece before I posted it. Lol
> 
> Actually, my wife took it out of the trailer. She handles the small jobs.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> - KelleyCrafts


It's a perfect "Fun Size" mill - totally cool!


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Earl, it's way beyond my skill level too!!

Thanks Bill!


----------



## HokieKen

So, are y'all done yet?

That's one bad-ass machine there Dave. Ya done good on that one!


----------



## KelleyCrafts

> So, are y all done yet?
> 
> That s one bad-ass machine there Dave. Ya done good on that one!
> 
> - HokieKen


Thanks Kenny.

Also another good reminder from Kenny, progress pics are due in one week from today. I have some that are marked above, if you don't have a P by your name, then you need to send me some pics please!!

We had one drop but we still have plenty to make this one a good one.


----------



## TheFridge

Oh. Didn't realize I had to send it to you. This was mine.


----------



## KelleyCrafts

I honestly don't think I saw that. You posted that on the thread? Damn, if I didn't find a mill already, that would have pushed me over the edge.

Excellent Fridge. Sorry man if I missed that. I usually go through the email account so my small brain can keep tabs on things.


----------



## Bluenote38

> Oh. Didn't realize I had to send it to you. This was mine.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> - TheFridge


and THERE is the reason I want one too!


----------



## KelleyCrafts

I hear it's the thing to do Bill, grab one like Fridge or wrestle with CL and find a deal.

I imagine a metal lathe isn't too far behind this purchase.


----------



## TheFridge

If you get get a metal lathe comin you better turn that frown upside down  like that


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Oh I'll be at least a couple months, after tooling and goodies I'll add to this mill, I'll need to recoup a bit before I drop more cash. The $1400 price tag on this thing was just the beginning. My vise should be in tomorrow and I have some mills coming Wednesday from the same dude you got yours from.  I still have other wants on the list though, DRO, flycutter, face mill, rotary table, power feed…I'm sure there's more. I'll start getting orders in for most of that stuff soon enough but I want to tram it and give it a spin before I do that. I should be able to cut something this weekend but after last weekend, I'm behind on my swap so I need to make that a priority. I wish I had this thing at the start of this one.

On a side note, at least metal lathes are a lot cheaper and have less tooling usually. I imagine I'll grab one off of CL if I can find one that isn't 6 feet long when I start looking.


----------



## duckmilk

> I should be able to cut something this weekend but after last weekend, I m behind on my swap so I need to make that a priority.
> 
> - KelleyCrafts


Wait!!! You're running this thing and you're behind?? Have you sent yourself a progress pic yet? ;-)


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Oh Duck, I assure you I have definitely been working. This is a tough tough project. Would have been easy with this mill though. 

Either way, I'm coming along.


----------



## duckmilk

I would have commented more on the metal mills, but I know nothing about them. They really look sweet though.
I would like to get into some small time forging though. I have a nephew who is a really talented blacksmith and farrier. I would really like to get with him and have him show me some stuff.

Gotta go sign up for medicare tomorrow. Dang, I don't feel that old yet.


----------



## Bluenote38

Didn't want you guys to think I was a deadbeat on Sunday after a strong Friday/Saturday, I was just waiting for the paint to dry on finished projects (finally)


----------



## duckmilk

Nice Bill! Tell us more about that dust collector.


----------



## KelleyCrafts

I love forging Duck. Talk about a stress relief! Nothing like knocking a hammer eye out of a 2.5" think piece of steel knowing all you used was some muscle. It's good stuff.

Great job Bill!! Now get to work on a swap progress pic for me!!!


----------



## HokieKen

Good looking lathe stand Bill. I like that a lot!


----------



## Bluenote38

> I love forging Duck. Talk about a stress relief! Nothing like knocking a hammer eye out of a 2.5" think piece of steel knowing all you used was some muscle. It s good stuff.
> 
> Great job Bill!! Now get to work on a swap progress pic for me!!!
> 
> - KelleyCrafts


ROFL…. I'll have to be creative on those photos or it will be obvious to old salts like you, Kenny, and Earl…

I'm waiting on a pack of scrollsaw blades later this week.


----------



## DavePolaschek

Man. Be glad none of you guys caught this cold so far. My sweetie was down for four days, and I've had two, and will need at least one more before I get back to work. Bad enough that all I want to do is curl up with my blankie and NyQuil and sleep it off. My fancy adjustable shooting board showed up on Friday, and I haven't even opened the box yet. That's pretty serious.

Bill, you can email a progress pic to Dave that shows what you're building and it doesn't have to be a teaser. Just don't post something that gives it away publicly.


----------



## Bluenote38

> Man. Be glad none of you guys caught this cold so far. My sweetie was down for four days.
> 
> Bill, you can email a progress pic to Dave that shows what you're building and it doesn't have to be a teaser. Just don't post something that gives it away publicly.
> 
> - Dave Polaschek


Thanks Dave - I didn't realize that, will send. And sorry to hear the better half is/was sick. We've dodged the bullet here over the last 2 weeks. Something going around the school and lots of my Scouts are out sick.


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Yep Bill, just shoot me pics to the email in the original post. You don't have to hide anything or make it a surprise.


----------



## EarlS

Just got off Amazon to pick up more stuff to improve the original design, nothing like that awesome hunk of brass Fridge posted. The more teasers I see the more I know I am WAYYYY out of my league on this swap. I'm glad I didn't have to pass a metal working skill test to participate because I wouldn't have a clue.

I'm hoping to finish up by next weekend and then I guess I will have to start working on all of the furniture projects that I've been neglecting for the past 6 months.


----------



## Bluenote38

> Just got off Amazon to pick up more stuff to improve the original design, nothing like that awesome hunk of brass Fridge posted. The more teasers I see the more I know I am WAYYYY out of my league on this swap. I m glad I didn t have to pass a metal working skill test to participate because I wouldn t have a clue.
> 
> I m hoping to finish up by next weekend and then I guess I will have to start working on all of the furniture projects that I ve been neglecting for the past 6 months.
> 
> - EarlS


Ditto - thank god I have a great set of files and a hacksaw ;-)


----------



## GR8HUNTER

> Just got off Amazon to pick up more stuff to improve the original design, nothing like that awesome hunk of brass Fridge posted. The more teasers I see the more I know I am WAYYYY out of my league on this swap. I m glad I didn t have to pass a metal working skill test to participate because I wouldn t have a clue.
> 
> I m hoping to finish up by next weekend and then I guess I will have to start working on all of the furniture projects that I ve been neglecting for the past 6 months.
> 
> - EarlS
> 
> Ditto - thank god I have a great set of files and a hacksaw ;-)
> 
> - Bluenote38


if god wanted us to work with metal … he would have made metal trees *LMAO :<)))))*


----------



## DavePolaschek

> if god wanted us to work with metal … he would have made metal trees *LMAO :<)))))*


Is this where I mention "ironwood," Tony? ;-)

Or is it just the cough syrup making that funny?


----------



## HokieKen

Metal Trees ^


----------



## duckmilk

> Or is it just the cough syrup making that funny?
> 
> - Dave Polaschek


Aw hell Dave, have some more cough syrup anyway and enjoy the evening. Watch some old cartoons and have fun.


----------



## HokieKen

The Odd Job is back! Woodpecker's is doing another run. Woo Hoo! I want one of these! *It's how much??!?*
.
.
.
.
Never mind…


----------



## jeffswildwood

> The Odd Job is back! Woodpecker s is doing another run. Woo Hoo! I want one of these! *It s how much??!?*
> .
> .
> .
> .
> *Never mind…*
> 
> - HokieKen


Agreed


----------



## GR8HUNTER

> The Odd Job is back! Woodpecker s is doing another run. Woo Hoo! I want one of these! *It s how much??!?*
> .
> .
> .
> .
> *Never mind…*
> 
> - HokieKen
> 
> Agreed
> 
> - jeffswildwood


*OUCH $370.00 WOW :<((((( *
better do one more job for that price something I cant say here LOL


----------



## DavePolaschek

Well hell. That sounds pretty reasonable, Kenny. Now I *know* it's the cough syrup talking.


----------



## HokieKen

Take another dose and order me one Dave!


----------



## EarlS

Dave, while you're ordering, I'd love to have one too. You might check the under cushions on the couch and see if there is enough odd change hiding in the cracks to cover the cost. I'm sure no one would mind if you were a late entry in the tool swap with something like the Odd Job.

I've bought a few Woodpeckers One Time items and I find that I manage to use them one time and then forget that I have them. I have a Woodpecker's carpenter's square that I was sure would be the most used measuring tool in the shop, but it has never been out of the case. The quality is great, but the price is rather steep.


----------



## DavePolaschek

Yeah, I've bought a couple Woodpeckers things. Bought a nice try-square that sees a lot of use. Not as much as the one I got from Gary as a bonus in the first beer swap, though. Also bought some corner clamps from them which get used less than the picture frame clamps that Pooh sent me in the first swap I participated in. So if I bought one of these Odd Job clones, it would just guarantee getting something better from one of you mooks in a future swap. Not a bad plan, but I seem to be getting better, since dropping almost $400 on it doesn't sound like a great plan any more.


----------



## GR8HUNTER

> Take another dose and order me one Dave!
> 
> - HokieKen


BAHAHAAHAHAHAHA :<))))))))


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Just added a couple of P's to a couple of names up there. Four more names need to send over some pics please. I don't want to embarrass you and call you out individually but it's the names up top without a "P" next to them.


----------



## duckmilk

I talked to my nephew last night, he's the farrier/blacksmith. I'll be visiting him in 2 weeks (I hope) and he is excited to show me some blacksmithing and help me out. He even has an old (moderately beat-up) anvil he said he would give me and some other stuff, including an old one-burner propane forge. He's a really busy guy, so I hope it works out and he is home. I have an oak shop stump I may take with me and give to him.


----------



## EarlS

Spent an hour or so last night in the shop making knobs for the swap item and managed to get through a tricky bit of work without ruining anything, yet. Still have a few places where it could all go wrong, which is why I made more than one. Yet another reason to get a lathe. All of the rain we've been getting means I can't get out to work on fall chores or ride my bike so I guess I'll just have to find more things to do in the shop…..darn.

Do I dare thread a 1/4" bolt into a 1-1/4" blank using a threaded insert and put it on the drill press and use the drill as a sort of vertical lathe? I need to make the 3/4" round neck for the knob. Otherwise I can make a 3/4" dowel on the router and then drill out the center of the knob and glue the dowel into the knob, the drill out dowel for the 1/4" threaded insert. I've also seen folks make a jig that holds the blank above the saw blade and then spin the blank as it is passed over the blade. Ideas?


----------



## doubleG469

Man i will tell you these swaps drag out forever when you aren't involved in them…..


----------



## mikeacg

Earl,

I'd be watching Craig's list or local rummage sales. You can buy a decent lathe fairly cheaply - might not be the best lathe in the world but it would be a good place to start. My concern for your drill press is that the bearings weren't designed for the side stress you would be applying and it would cost more to replace the drill press than it would cost to pick up a cheap lathe. 
Safety is a consideration as well. A drill press is not designed to hold a piece securely between centers and what would you use as a tool rest?
If you were closer, you could come and use mine! Is there a turning club in your area or a woodworking group?


----------



## DavePolaschek

> Man i will tell you these swaps drag out forever when you aren t involved in them…..


And they zip by like an over-caffeinated hummingbird when you're in them.


----------



## GrantA

Sorry guys I've had a ton of stuff going on but I'm still in! Shop time this weekend to get some progress pics. I'm a little bummed a tool I ordered to use on my project hasn't come in yet (was due 2 weeks ago grrrr) but it's cool I'll just go at it from another angle. Gonna be some round stuff spinning in my shop this weekend and I don't mean on the wood lathe


----------



## EarlS

Mike, I was thinking about the stress and safety issues on the drill press too. I think the safe way to go is to make the dowel core then drill out the knob and glue the dowel into the knob.

It will be another "first" which is what these swaps are for.


----------



## HokieKen

> Mike, I was thinking about the stress and safety issues on the drill press too. *I think the safe way to go is to make the dowel core then drill out the knob and glue the dowel into the knob*.
> 
> It will be another "first" which is what these swaps are for.
> 
> - EarlS


I agree Earl. I have made several jig knobs this way and they have held up just fine. You can turn stuff on the drill press but, in addition to the bearings not being designed for radial load, the taper holding you chuck in will come loose and fall out pretty easily with side loading. Which is why my DP sanding drums sit idle and I now own an OSS ;-)

You can also shoot me a sketch of what you need and I'll turn them and get 'em in the mail.


----------



## HokieKen

> I talked to my nephew last night, he s the farrier/blacksmith. I ll be visiting him in 2 weeks (I hope) and he is excited to show me some blacksmithing and help me out. He even has an old (moderately beat-up) anvil he said he would give me and some other stuff, including an old one-burner propane forge. He s a really busy guy, so I hope it works out and he is home. I have an oak shop stump I may take with me and give to him.
> 
> - duckmilk


I've been looking for a good deal on an anvil for about a year now. You suck Duck!


----------



## EarlS

Kenny - I'll give the dowel approach a shot first and let you know if it doesn't work out.

As for anvils - did you see the miniature one that was posted on the project page a few days back?


----------



## HokieKen

I did see that. Was afraid I might damage it though.


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Lots happening lately around this joint.

Careful there Earl, Mike had it right, a drill press sucks for what you're doing. I'm sure there are plenty of us will to turn something for you.

Duck, an anvil…awesome! I can't wait to hear about what it is and get a look. Anvils are EXPENSIVE insane really. I definitely got lucky but getting one free is the cats meow for sure. Very exciting man. Hopefully he'll hook you up with a couple sets of tongs and a good hammer to start.


----------



## EarlS

When I come up with odd ideas for making something I judge them using the pucker factor. I'll leave it up to you to decide what is puckering. The drill press idea had a "crack walnuts" pucker factor.


----------



## EarlS

Duplicate post


----------



## duckmilk

Yes, he said it was an old one and kinda beat up, but useable. It came to him from the next door neighbor. I don't know what weight range it is, but I'm hoping it will be at least a 70 pound one. He said his anvil is 100 lbs.
As far as other goodies, I don't know what he may give me, but he's been doing this for probably 20+ years.


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Don't pucker too tight there Earl.

Duck, mine is a Peter Wright anvil 128LBS, made in England somewhere between 1880-1910. It's not perfect by any means but it's perfect for me. Good size too. Seriously share when you get it. I'm very curious what all you get on that trip.


----------



## Lazyman

Earl, Shop Fox makes a lathe kit for a drill press but personally I wouldn't go that route either. Put the $50 towards a cheap harbor freight mini lathe instead. 
Another way to make something round using the router involves a small jig, basically a box open on top and bottom, that will hold the blank between centers over a core box bit on a router table. You simply spin the blank over the bit by hand and it makes it round pretty nicely. I use this technique instead of my lathe when I need a perfect cylinder and it works very well. I have also used it to make a crowned roller for my shop built belt sander. Let me know if you need a picture of what I am talking about.


----------



## EarlS

Nathan - that is similar to the approach I plan to use. I'll put a 3/8 roundover bit on the router and then run the middle section of 3/4" square blank across the bit and flip it to get all 4 sides. The square sections on both ends ride on the ends keep it flush on the fence. A little sanding should finish it off.


----------



## duckmilk

128 lbs??? holy cripes that must have been a beast to move. I hope mine isn't over 100. I just turned 65 today and may not be able to move it later in life ;-)
He told me to go ahead and bring him the shop log so that's one more thing out of the big shop.


----------



## DavePolaschek

Earl, just slap together a little lathe yourself. I've seen your work. You've got the skills. Just be careful with your tootsies!


----------



## Lazyman

> Nathan - that is similar to the approach I plan to use. I ll put a 3/8 roundover bit on the router and then run the middle section of 3/4" square blank across the bit and flip it to get all 4 sides. The square sections on both ends ride on the ends keep it flush on the fence. A little sanding should finish it off.
> 
> - EarlS


 I've done that too but it's easy to get slightly out of round dowels without perfect setup which may be fine for your current need. When I need an odd size or a size that is too large for the roundover bits on hand I use this other technique which is similar to the table saw method you mentioned but not as scary on the router table.


----------



## EarlS

It's only 7:00 AM and I've already had one of those mornings.

I'm back to square one on one of the items. I drilled a hole on the wrong end and used a piece 1/8" shorter than it should have been. If I had only made one of those mistakes I would have a functional layout tool. As it is, it is a pretty piece of waste.

Then, I was looking at the brass I received yesterday and for some reason I ordered 5/8"x/1/8", not 1/2"x1/8" so I'll see how well an old blade does ripping brass to width.

Not the best way to start the weekend. I guess that this means things can only get better from here.


----------



## DavePolaschek

> Then, I was looking at the brass I received yesterday and for some reason I ordered 5/8"x/1/8", not 1/2"x1/8" so I ll see how well an old blade does ripping brass to width.


Depending on how long the piece is, I might just file the extra 1/8" off. With a fairly coarse file, it would go pretty darned quick.


----------



## GR8HUNTER

> Earl, just slap together a little lathe yourself. I've seen your work. You've got the skills. Just be careful with your tootsies!
> 
> - Dave Polaschek


you must still be on Nyquil buddy :<)))))


----------



## HokieKen

Bandsaw it Earl. The saw won't even know it's not wood. Tablesaw will work fine too if the piece is long enough. No worries brother, brass is like a fat girl on prom night… ;-0


----------



## EarlS

Yep - Bandsaw to get the 1/2" width from the 5/8" worked like butter on Kenny's prom date .

Since I'm remaking the layout tool I'm going to modify things a bit to make things better. The original came from a set of plans and some of the techniques and details weren't how I would do it. If things go well I should be back on track this afternoon. Things always seem to go faster when you do them the second time, until you make a mistake and then - third time's a charm".

The knobs turned out well enough that I can use them instead of store bought ones.

Maybe our next swap should be "miscues and mistakes". Send your recipient a project that you messed up and he can fix it or make it into something else.

I've also been thinking a real swap idea for this winter might be "mystery swap". As long as the item can fit in a medium or large flat rate box, anything you want to make. Since I volunteered to run it, I might as well start soliciting ideas. Also - start date - January 15, 2019? That would give everyone time to get through the holidays and decide if they want to participate.


----------



## duckmilk

This is what my wife wants for her birthday.

https://www.nebotools.com/p/GLOW/524

Pretty cool! If it was rechargeable, it would be even better.


----------



## HokieKen

Your "mystery" swap sounds like the "surprise" swaps we've done Earl. They were very successful and I think people enjoyed them. I know I did.


----------



## BMichs75

Progress pick sent


----------



## HokieKen

Maybe you can get one that's fueled by beer Duck ;-)


----------



## duckmilk

That would be a never ending source of light )


----------



## HokieKen

You'd never be able to get "blind drunk"


----------



## GR8HUNTER

I know im late to the anvil party but check this guy out #206 WOW :<))

https://lancaster.craigslist.org/tls/d/206lb-soderfors-anvil-with/6716829968.html


----------



## HokieKen

And it's only $800! And that is why I'll probably never have an anvil :-(


----------



## EarlS

Duck - have you seen the Corona commercial where the guy turns his iphone to the flashlight app and sets his beer on it to make a lamp? You could adapt the idea a bit and try different beers until she finds one she likes as a light. Of course you would also need to drink them so you know they taste good as well as light up well.

It looks like the third time might be the charm. The second try on the layout tool is looking like it is going down in flames (not literally thankfully). I'm off to take the brass off the wood and see if I can salvage anything. My exotic scrap pile is getting bigger and the usable stock is dwindling. Who would have though that screwing brass strips and to a piece of wood could be so difficult? Yep - I'm that guy.


----------



## ElroyD

My in-progress pic is on it's way, though it seems to be stuck in some sort of email limbo. If it doesn't leave my phone by tomorrow, I'll try to resend.


----------



## duckmilk

> I know im late to the anvil party but check this guy out #206 WOW :<))
> 
> https://lancaster.craigslist.org/tls/d/206lb-soderfors-anvil-with/6716829968.html
> 
> - GR8HUNTER


Isn't the flat part of the anvil supposed to be….flat?

I have not seen that commercial Earl. But the one she wants is only 19.99 (free shipping starts at 20.00)


----------



## EarlS

Duck - $19.99 plus shipping would buy plenty of good beer. Dave P. might even be able to set you up with some 
Pabst Blue Ribbon for that price. You could make a holder for a flashlight that you set you beer on.










Or this might be even more fun after you have a few.






I'm just trying to help ;+)


----------



## duckmilk

I don't think my wife would be as happy with that Earl. Besides, she has a hard time seeing in the dark and that nebo might help. It would also help her find her drink in the dark.
I have pretty good night vision. When I'm drinking at night, I can see EVERY little rock…that I trip over ;-)


----------



## jeffswildwood

All this beer talk. Went to the second annual octobeerfest down town last night. Another big turn out but some changes this year. Entry price went from $20.00 to $30.00 for sampling. Last year non samplers were free to enter, now $5.00. Last year, sample all you want, this year they give you 20 tickets so that's all the samples you get! With the sample cup size, three cups make one 12 oz. beer. So 20 tickets is a little over a six pack. With craft beer, that still packed wallop! This year there was three bands.


----------



## EarlS

Jeff - that sounds like the beer festival they have around here. Higher ticket prices, less samples (tickets) and a few local (not great) bands.

Duck - someone needs to figure out a way to make bio-luminescent beer. That is a billion dollar idea.

Hope everyone was able to get their progress pic to Dave. I managed to get things to work on the 3rd try so now I can move on to the main item for the swap. No it's not beer, though that would be a good idea.


----------



## mikeacg

Earl,

Bio-luminescent beer? I'd be afraid to pee!

Glad to hear you are having better luck with your project! I've not seen anything but perfection out of your shop so far!!


----------



## GrantA

I just sent some progress pics. Gotta replace some broken tools today to get back at it. I'm pretty excited to get at it!


----------



## HokieKen

I'm struggling to find shop time these days. Luckily I got a good jump on the swap early so I'm still in good shape. Probably no "bonus" coming from me on this one. However, the project kind of contains a bonus so I don't feel bad ;-) Don't feel bad Earl. It took me 3 strikes to get one of my items to work right. And a tip for you that may or may not be helpful… drill the holes in the brass and the wood at the same time with some glue or carpet tape holding the pieces together. If you're having issues with alignment, that is.

Looks like everyone got progress pics in except maybe Rich? Haven't heard from Rich for a bit. Maybe still drunk from his trip to Ireland? ;-)


----------



## RichBolduc

I wish I was still in Ireland…. Have several pieces stabilized and dyed. One just needs to be glued and sanded, another piece needs to be shaped and drilled… I'll get pics in tonight though I promise. If I get time I'll get the 3rd piece I was hoping for done too… Nothing as crazy as the first 2 swaps I attempted.

Works been crazy, last week was finals and then the wife had foot surgery this past Friday so I've been limited to shop time. But I'll get one of the pieces cut to shape tonight and pics sent in I promise.

Rich


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Looks like we are missing Rick and Elroy. Unless I missed an email or something those are the only two unaccounted for.

Elroy said he had one stuck in limbo but I haven't received it yet.

I'm in the shop all day with the swap being number one priority. I hope to wrap that up very very soon. About to start on a house remodel. The wife wants custom kitchen cabinets, I told her she needs to find someone who can make those, she said she already knew someone….no idea what she's talking about.


----------



## EarlS

Uh oh - Dave's days are numbered. My wife asked about custom cabinets and I distracted her by suggesting that we move to a new house. Not sure option is worse.

Sounds like everyone has something in the works for the swap which is always a good sign.


----------



## HokieKen

> ... The wife wants custom kitchen cabinets, I told her she needs to find someone who can make those, she said she already knew someone….no idea what she's talking about.
> 
> - KelleyCrafts


Probably her boyfriend. ;-)


----------



## HokieKen

Elroy and Rich are vets so I'm sure they'll get their pics in. 100% on progress pics. Well done fellas! Now give use some names Dave so I can see who gets my Saddle Sore!


----------



## GrantA

Yeah I need to decide what color coating to use. I'm kinda thinking about trying some purple I have…


----------



## HokieKen

Purple is so 1990's Grant. I'd like to see a nice understated Amaranth.


----------



## EarlS

One word for my lucky recipient - GLITTER!!!!!


----------



## HokieKen




----------



## KelleyCrafts

> ... The wife wants custom kitchen cabinets, I told her she needs to find someone who can make those, she said she already knew someone….no idea what she's talking about.
> 
> - KelleyCrafts
> 
> Probably her boyfriend. ;-)
> 
> - HokieKen


Man I hope so. I think she means me if not.


----------



## KelleyCrafts

I'll get names out in the next day or two.

All progress pics are in.


----------



## KelleyCrafts

NAMES HAVE BEEN ASSIGNED!!!

If you didn't get a name let me know. Hopefully I didn't make mistakes and give duplicates or something. It's been a long couple of weeks, no promises.


----------



## EarlS

Looks like I'm sending my stuff to EarlS…. wait that's me. ;+)


----------



## RichBolduc

Don't forget your bonus item!!

Rich



> Looks like I m sending my stuff to EarlS…. wait that s me. ;+)
> 
> - EarlS


----------



## GrantA

Anybody else down my way in hurricane Michael's path? No damage thank goodness, pine tree across the driveway and lots of limbs. No power since around 5pm yesterday, getting a bit sticky… Lots of folks were not so fortunate though - Panama city & Mexico beach were devastated


----------



## EarlS

Grant - good to hear you are safe and minimal damage from the sounds of it.


----------



## Woodmaster1

> Looks like we are missing Rick and Elroy. Unless I missed an email or something those are the only two unaccounted for.
> 
> Elroy said he had one stuck in limbo but I haven't received it yet.
> 
> I'm in the shop all day with the swap being number one priority. I hope to wrap that up very very soon. About to start on a house remodel. The wife wants custom kitchen cabinets, I told her she needs to find someone who can make those, she said she already knew someone….no idea what she's talking about.
> 
> - KelleyCrafts


My wife has the same thought. My completion date set by her is November 10. I guess she thinks 4 years is long enough to get them done. 3 1/2 years in planning 2 months to make. I have no problem with my time schedule but she did.


----------



## HokieKen

Glad you dodged it Grant. We're getting an assload of rain up here from the storm but those people down there really got hammered. Rich and John Smith are in Florida somewhere. You guys good?


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Glad you're good Grant!!!

Yeah, John and Rich are in Florida, chime in when you can to let us know you're good.


----------



## RichBolduc

I'm all good. I'm in Tampa Bay so I didn't get much more than a regular storm wind and rain wise.

Rich


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Glad to hear it Rich.

John is in Kissimmee so that's NE of you so I can assume his story is about the same as yours? Just a regular storm?


----------



## RichBolduc

I'd be shocked if he even got that from the storm.

Rich


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Glad to hear it!


----------



## GrantA

got the fridge, some lights and ceiling fans running now! Once the fridge runs for a bit I'll kill that breaker and run the well,gotta play musical breakers lol 
I wonder how my wife would react if I told her I was killing the house breakers to run the shop for a few?


----------



## John Smith_inFL

yep - all good here - thanks for the thoughts.
I am just down the road from Orlando. all we got was some heavy rain.
all thoughts and prayers have been summoned for the victims in the storm's path.

got 90% of my swap project done, so the pressure is off of that part.
will continue landscaping as soon as it dries out here. I am one block from the
Nation's Largest Bass fishery. (Lake Tohopekaliga). so when the lake level is up, 
so is my water table. dig a 24" deep hole and in a few minutes, it has water in it.

and as I am posting this, the bottom just dropped out of the sky with thunder . . . 
so I am indoors for the day. may as well get on the home chores (or, take a NAP).

.

.


----------



## GR8HUNTER

you better get that toilet clean before wife gets home mister then a nap LOL :<))

Kenny an assload just depends on whos ass your looking at could be small or huge LOL :<))

PRAYERS for all in the path of another :<(((


----------



## HokieKen

We got a BIG assload of rain Tony. Schools and businesses shut down for flooding kind of rain. We weren't expecting that much but it hammered us from about 10am until now. About 4" here and 6" in areas around here. I swear I'm still gonna be cutting grass in friggin' January if it don't quit raining :-/


----------



## HokieKen

At least the floors at Taco Bell are getting cleaned )


----------



## duckmilk

Wow, glad you guys are OK. 
We haven't been hit by any hurricane nor seen that much rain, but it has rained here almost every weekend. On the 21st and 22nd, we had about 7 1/2", but we were very dry throughout the summer and needed it.

Nice generator Grant.


----------



## duckmilk

Great, just watched the evening news. We're going to get maybe another 4" of rain on Saturday.
The distillery has concerts once a month. The last 2 were rained out. This Sat. will be another rain out I suppose.


----------



## HokieKen

We're done with the rain thank goodness. Worst flooding I've seen around here in a long, long time though.


----------



## GR8HUNTER

around here we been getting sooooooo much rain at 1 point 158 roads where closed and some destroyed CRAZYIEST SUMMER I EVER SEEN :<(((((


----------



## TheFridge

Waaaater sucks. It really really sucks.


----------



## jeffswildwood

Ken, I saw pictures from your neck of the woods. Looked really bad at the hospital and mall. We got a lot of rain but not that bad.


----------



## mikeacg

We've been getting rain pretty much for the last 3 weeks but today it's not going to rain. Nope! It got colder so now we're going to get snow instead… Yuckkkkkk!
Got heat in the new building yesterday so things are looking up!


----------



## HokieKen

> Ken, I saw pictures from your neck of the woods. Looked really bad at the hospital and mall. We got a lot of rain but not that bad.
> 
> - jeffswildwood


Yeah, this was by no means the worst flood I can remember but it was pretty severe and the odd thing was places that flooded that haven't had to worry about it in the past. Like the mall. That place has never flooded that I know of. It was weird. I had to go to Virginia Tech last night and passed some bad stuff on the way but when I got there, there was no sign of any issues in Blacksburg. Several people I spoke with had no idea what was going on down the mountain.

Glad y'all dodged the bullet!


----------



## bigblockyeti

More than average rain in western SC, some wind but not a whole lot. Most of the nasty stuff went east of here by not a long ways, many schools were delayed or cancelled just 45minutes up I-85.


----------



## EarlS

Glad to hear everyone impacted by the hurricane are OK and the worst of it is over. You can keep that kind of rain.

I'm betting Dave got some accumulating snow in Minneapolis over the last couple of nights. I saw snowflakes coming down this morning so the weather went from 90 deg a couple days ago to freezing. So instead of cutting down the flowers and getting everything tidied up for winter I worked on swap stuff all day. Amazing how much you can get done when no one is around for an entire day.

Hopefully, with the colder weather it will dry out. I've lost track of how much rain we've had in the past month, but I know the farmers are getting worried about the beans and corn harvest. Hopefully Neil (poohbah) is doing OK with his farm too.


----------



## DavePolaschek

Haven't gotten any snow at my place, but I'm downwind of downtown, so the heat island has kept it above freezing at my house until this morning. It's about five degrees difference between my house and work, which is five miles away.

Hoping to get back into the shop this weekend. Between being sick and then trying to get things winterized, I haven't gotten much quality shop time lately. And things are going to get busy for work soon, too.


----------



## DavePolaschek

Guess everyone was busy working on their projects today. I managed to glue up a new lid for my mailbox. Old one succumbed to the elements and cracked and I had wet mail. Trying to get the new one together and back on the side of the house in time for Monday's mail.


----------



## EarlS

I'm waiting for the sun to come up and folks to get moving. I'm not sure how well the neighbors would take to waking up on a Sunday morning to the sound of my planer.

Meanwhile I'm working on SketchUp designs and plotting what to do next on the swap project. I managed to screw in some threaded inserts yesterday before we spent the day driving around looking at houses in the Fall Parade of Homes. For a mere $600K you too can own a McMansion. Lots of interesting home improvement ideas though for those of us who haven't hit the lottery.

I did have to watch the end of the IA State trouncing of West Virginia last night. Not sure how Kenny feels about that but it looked good from our house since my youngest daughter will be a freshman Cyclone next year.


----------



## RichBolduc

I need to stop doing these evil swaps…. Going to get a Perfomax Pro 1632 With stand, infeed and outfeed tables and extra paper.. $500










Rich


----------



## Mosquito

Dave, it's snowing down here in Lake City at the cabin… pretty heavily lol

Rich, sounds like you need to do more swaps to me  Maybe even host one, so you have an excuse to reward yourself for a job well done afterwards


----------



## HokieKen

Earl, us Hokies from back in the Big East days have a deeply rooted anti-mountaineer spirit ;-) I don't really hate 'em but I have to admit to smiling a little bit on the inside last night


----------



## RichBolduc

Needs a new conveyor belt but it's mine…. Lol

Seriously nothing else I need/want except a full size lathe to replace the comet ii and a new band saw to replace the old Delta.

Ricb


----------



## TheFridge

Nice rich. I picked one up early this year. Only a couple hours but the conveyor belt came apart too. I had been sitting up for awhile. With extras.

WV lost? Missed that  I watched LSU stomp a mud hole in Georgia and some of Bama (as much as it pains me) against Mizzou. Not many games interested me this weekend.


----------



## EarlS

Rich - looks a lot like the Jet drum sander. Had one for 3-4 years but never mastered it. Kept burning the paper no matter how careful I was with not taking off too much. Now that I have the DeWalt 735 planer I generally only need a little work with the ROS or hand held belt sander.

Good luck with it.

I have a lathe on my wish list too, but I suspect it will be a while before that gets checked off.


----------



## duckmilk

Interesting information you guys are providing about the drum sanders. I had considered getting one for a few years now. I think I will wait.

This weather is weird. Not only are we supposed to get more rain but, now we might break a record for the lowest high temperature for tomorrow. Mid 40's for Oct. 15?? In TX??


----------



## RichBolduc

It essentially is the Jet one. Perfomax got sold to Jet and then the people who started Perfomax started SuperMax… Then sold SuperMax to Laguna…

I have the 735 too… The wife wants me to start doing flags and end grain cutting boards to sell, so this will be used for that stuff mainly… And some stuff for this swap of course…

Rich



> Rich - looks a lot like the Jet drum sander. Had one for 3-4 years but never mastered it. Kept burning the paper no matter how careful I was with not taking off too much. Now that I have the DeWalt 735 planer I generally only need a little work with the ROS or hand held belt sander.
> 
> Good luck with it.
> 
> I have a lathe on my wish list too, but I suspect it will be a while before that gets checked off.
> 
> - EarlS


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Congrats Rich. Drum sander is the only way to do end grain boards imo. End grain boards are the only way a board should be made if selling as a cutting board too.


----------



## DavePolaschek

Yeah, Mos. It snowed here this morning, too.










Got the mailbox lid done, but I'm not especially happy with it. Had to hurry in order to get it put back on the house tonight. Used my brad-nailer to put on a piece of trim, and then had to remove a little trim with a block plane so it could open and close. But it's done and functional and shouldn't leak.

And yeah, the weather is weird all over. A buddy in Germany was bitching about the 80 degree weather he had today. I offered to trade him, but he wasn't falling for it.


----------



## TheFridge

My drum sander can be finicky sometimes but I can deal with it for 250$  I plan on putting a lock on the unsupported side soon.


----------



## KelleyCrafts

All drum sanders are finicky from my experience. I've had two from grizzly. I still have the one.


----------



## duckmilk

What would be the best imo is an overhead wide belt sander with a conveyor belt. A friend of mine has a large commercial shop that has one with a 36" wide belt. He builds a lot of bar tops for restaurants.


----------



## HokieKen

What would be best imo, is to have a friend who has a large commercial shop that has one with a 36" wide belt. Much cheaper ;-)


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Alright everyone, shipping is three weeks from today!!! It's time to start wrapping up and getting everything boxed up and shipped. You are welcome to ship early, just don't ship late please.


----------



## GR8HUNTER

now the excitement starts to set in and just maybe a little regret :<)) small amount


----------



## RichBolduc

I'm about 2-3 days worth of work away from shipping… Just need to get a new feed belt for my drum sander.. should be in by Monday.

Rich


----------



## EarlS

I learned my lesson using the Gorilla clear glue on exotics so I picked up some epoxy for the parts that need glue. One more batch of glue-ups tonight, some bandsaw work, sanding, finish, and box things up. I should be ready to ship by mid November.

Tony - still time for you to join. I'm sure Kenny would love to get another swap item from you.


----------



## Woodmaster1

Shipping tomorrow, then it's up to usps to crush it, misplace it or take 10yrs to deliver.


----------



## EarlS

USPS is short for "Some Re-Assembly Required".


----------



## HokieKen

Yeah, I'm not gonna do that. I won't be shipping in 3 weeks. That's ridiculous. I haven't even started on this project. Hell, I don't even know what I'm making. I'll ship when I'm done. That will most likely be at some point in 2019. However, it's possible it will be in 2020.

If you have my name though, you better not be even a day late getting my package shipped. I'll send out the ninjas!


----------



## EarlS

Good to see you're consistent Kenny!!! At least you're making something. I'm off to Hobby Lobby to get the glitter to add to the sawdust and scrap pile. There should be enough to make a glitter bomb and send some to you to you too. With glitter, like other communicable diseases, it is always better to give than receive. <cough> <cough> ;+)


----------



## HokieKen

Okay. I decided to finally start on this thing.


----------



## GR8HUNTER

> Okay. I decided to finally start on this thing.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> - HokieKen


*BAHAHAHAHAHA ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ :<))*


----------



## jeffswildwood

> Okay. I decided to finally start on this thing.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> - HokieKen
> 
> *BAHAHAHAHAHA ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ :<))*
> 
> - GR8HUNTER


A sharp pencil *IS* a marking tool! HAHA


----------



## duckmilk

Good one Kenny )


----------



## EarlS

Looks like the mudflap girl is branching out.


----------



## KelleyCrafts

I bet she shaves…..pencils.


----------



## HokieKen

I was gonna use a sliding dovetail but then decided the butt joint worked better.


----------



## Lazyman

Looks like you may be a little behind Kinney.


----------



## EarlS

What about a carpenter's pencil?


----------



## GrantA

I see the swaps are working in Rich's favor for new tool purchases! I'm with Kenny on this one, doubtful I'll ship early but I'll make it on time. Went to Disney this past weekend, got away from the yard cleanup after the hurricane. No more trips planned and I got a big panel I was commissioned to glue up out of my shop this morning (I pray it stays flat!) so I'm full speed ahead on the swap 
I think Kenny asked this before, what was the consensus for marking tools as far as pencil vs cutter?


----------



## HokieKen

Here's another teaser…


----------



## GrantA

So you ARE using the little SB for this swap eh? Whatcha doin to that there aluminum bar?? 
And don't think I've forgotten ya Kenny just been slammed, sorry but I'll make it worth the wait, planning to have a package headed your way the end of this week! I've still got pecan tree sections flanking the drive, goes along with the new pines from Michael lol


----------



## GrantA

Yo Kenny have you tried this one? Delicious!!


----------



## HokieKen

Putting some knurl on it!









I am using the SB for some swap parts. This is actually a tool that I'll use to make the parts for the swap.

It took me a few minutes to remember what you were sending me . Obviously I haven't needed it! I appreciate it ). No hurry on it though. Take your time!


----------



## HokieKen

And yes, that Hazy Little Thing is delicious!!


----------



## GrantA

You making a die holder?


----------



## HokieKen

Oh and the concensus was that most people use pencils but there are some of us that use marking tools.


----------



## HokieKen

Damn that's a good eye!! Yep a tap and die holder so I can do powered tapping and use the die for smaller external threads.


----------



## GrantA

Let me know how it turns out I need to make one. I ordered one off Amazon (made in India…) but it never showed up. I'll make one soon
Are you making a morse tapered shaft for it to ride on?


----------



## HokieKen

I just ordered a MT2 arbor with 3/8 threads on the end and tapped my tail piece and mounted it.


----------



## GrantA

That's where I got hung up on deciding what to do. I was leaning towards getting some 5160 round bar and cutting MT3 and a straight shank maybe 3/4 or so for the sleeve to ride on


----------



## HokieKen

Tou have taper attachment? If so, I'd just cut it in. If not, just buy an arbor


----------



## GrantA

Yeah I thought they all did ;-)

hehe I got lucky on that part


----------



## HokieKen

You got REALLY lucky on that. Those things go for big bucks.


----------



## KelleyCrafts

All you guys and your machining talk, I want a piece of the action. I'm milling tonight too for the swap.


----------



## TheFridge

Knurling capability? Duly noted 

Playtime. I really need to up my file game. Mill bastards just aren't getting done. I hate sanding.


----------



## HokieKen

Some serious sexy in those teasers fellas! )


----------



## MikeB_UK

> Knurling capability? Duly noted
> 
> Playtime. I really need to up my file game. Mill bastards just aren't getting done. I hate sanding.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> - TheFridge


If that's a teaser, you've got carried away, even I can tell what you're making


----------



## John Smith_inFL

Dang - I'm glad to see you guys posting pictures !!
I had my swap item all boxed up and ready to go in the mail today
and remembered I did not take any pictures of it . . . . (that would be a bummer).

Dave - are you sworn to secrecy with blood on a pine knot if 
we send you any completed photos ???

.

.


----------



## HokieKen

> Knurling capability? Duly noted
> 
> - TheFridge


Sort of. Still working on it. I'm not sure if it's the chinese tool I bought or my tool post just isn't rigid enough but I can't seem to get a really nice knurl in steel or aluminum. The knurl on the big piece last night did come out decent but not as defined as I would have liked for appearance.



> Playtime. I really need to up my file game. Mill bastards just aren't getting done. I hate sanding.
> 
> - TheFridge


For metal or wood? Are your mill bastards single cut or double?


----------



## EarlS

I'm lost with all this metal working talk. I managed to drill some holes in some brass strips and countersink them. Does that count as metal working.

1st coat of finish went on the final swap item last night and I planed out some Red Elm for a box to protect things from the ravages of shipping with the USPS.


----------



## KelleyCrafts

John, yep. Through the progress pics I've been able to figure out just about everyone's project and I haven't told their recipient. The surprise is the cool part of this so there's no way I would.

Earl, you worked metal!!!! You cut it, drilled it, and assembled a project with it. So I would say it counts!


----------



## HokieKen

> I m lost with all this metal working talk. I managed to drill some holes in some brass strips and countersink them. Does that count as metal working.
> ...
> 
> - EarlS


No Earl, not at all. You have to spend a minimum of $800 on a machine in order to do metal work. Sorry but you'll have to start over and use wood. It's obvious that whatever you made will not work.


----------



## GrantA

Naw Kenny, Earl is on his way to being a machinist now. I've done way more than I should have with just a drill press lol


----------



## TheFridge

Mike, not a teaser. We could call it a bonus 

Kenny. A half dozen from 4"-12" single cut. A couple chainsaw files. Need some smooth files and at least one with a safe edge.


----------



## EarlS

Kenny - guess I'll have to send my extras to you so you can check my work and see if it qualifies or not.

I do need to get a vise to hold things down. I bashed my left hand up good trying to hold the brass down while I drilled into it despite Kenny's warnings not to do it that way and suggestions for a hold down to buy. I think I wiped most of the blood off. When I describe the swap item as "blood wood" it isn't the species as much as it is the finish. Rustic might be good description as well.

Up till now my definition of metal working was popping the top of a good brew.


----------



## HokieKen

Try these Earl:


They're crude and simple but I'm still using them to this day. Perfect for stuff like holding brass down while you drill it ;-) The Plasti dip on the toe is the key.


----------



## EarlS

Now you tell me…... Actually, after I stopped the bleeding, I made a hold down for the brass strips. It worked out a lot better and didn't hurt nearly as bad as the left handed manual hold down. The wound is healed. Now I know what it is like to get pummeled by brass knuckles.


----------



## HokieKen

Now try it with a piece of 16 gauge sheet metal with jagged, snipped edges…

Not really, the scars are real. If you need a hole in sheet metal, get a knockout punch. There's my PSA and a betterment of your metal-working education ;-)

What did you decide on a vise? Anything or just going to do without? I know you were going to pick your Dad's brain about it, just curious what he had to say.


----------



## GR8HUNTER

I have a small roper Whitney punch for sheet metal holes works GR8 :<))


----------



## HokieKen

When I first started as a machinist, a guy brought me an electrical enclosure and said he needed a 7/8" hole added and he had laid out the location and asked if it was something I could do for him. "Well sure!" I mean I was still a little wet behind the ears but I could drill a hole in a box! So, I took it over to a drill press, clamped it in a vise and chucked up a 7/8" drill bit.

A couple of minutes later, I had a drill press swinging a freshly ruined electrical box and the attached vise around at 500 rpms slapping the quill handle. I learned about knockouts that day )


----------



## KelleyCrafts

The first 'S' has been assigned! It's getting close!


----------



## GR8HUNTER

way to go John :<))


----------



## GrantA

I located the stank in my shop! Dead bird INSIDE a cabinet, however that happened. 2 large spiders in there too, one was dead. Possibly a double homicide. I killed the only witness/ suspect promptly though 
Sorry but this is great news, I had to share  back to it now!


----------



## HokieKen

Glad it was in your cabinet and didn't wiggle its way into a hole in the drywall. Nothing quite like a rotting carcass and nothing more frustrating than not being able to find it!


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Sometimes on hot AZ days I think I have the same problem until the smell follows me into the house…...


----------



## Bluenote38

Ebony and (Pink) Ivory. Bit of a teaser - sorry no machine tools and my metalwork is hacksaw and file.


----------



## HokieKen

So…... this is still a thing that we're doing?


----------



## DavePolaschek

Bet you weren't waiting for those in your cape, Kenny.


----------



## TheFridge

Hole saws are a wonderful alternative for us poor electricians 

You too huh? They dropped a phone book in my driveway a couple months ago. After getting wet and run over so many times it formed a paste on my driveway  I left it the originally out of spite


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Looking fancy bluenote.

Kenny, where did you get the gnome that looks like you? Some company make those special?


----------



## TheFridge

Hey, I have one of those in LSU colors. It's kinda laying on its side in the weedy flower bed though. I kinda got a little too aggressive when weedeating.


----------



## GrantA

Kenny those make good riser blocks when you need something up a little higher off the bench!


----------



## HokieKen

Yeah it's about time for some new gnomes. Those are pretty faded. I need some alder to carve a couple new ones. Then they'll never fade.


----------



## HokieKen

Honestly I'm considering finding out when the phone books are being delivered next year. I'll get a group of about 50 people and we'll stalk all the big residential areas. Then when we see someone delivering them, we'll just ride along behind them and pick them up as they drop them off. Then we'll deposit them in front of the door of wherever they originate from.

Seriously, it's 2018. And who the F is still paying to have their business listed in this thing? Shame on them.


----------



## RichBolduc

I just kick the ones they throw in my driveway to the middle of the road. They people droppothem in my yard are littering not me. Hellni haven't had a landline since 2001.

Rich


----------



## TheFridge

Damn phone book heathens! I wanna meet someone that still uses the phone book  off I go to the SOTS thread. Guaranteed to have a couple there


----------



## Bluenote38

> Seriously, it's 2018. And who the F is still paying to have their business listed in this thing? Shame on them.
> 
> - HokieKen


Lol…. Mostly the 46 million over 65 according to Pugh Research.


----------



## HokieKen

That would make sense but I work with a lot of people and have a lot of family over 65. And I can't think of one that wants a phone book. Unless they need to beat a kid without bruising…


----------



## HokieKen

Of course there's at least 46,000,000 kids that need beatin' so maybe that's where the numbers come from ;-)


----------



## KelleyCrafts

I just placed an ad in my local one. What's wrong with that?


----------



## HokieKen

> I just placed an ad in my local one. What's wrong with that?
> 
> - KelleyCrafts


Everything upstream of the period.


----------



## TheFridge

> Of course there's at least 46,000,000 kids that need beatin' so maybe that's where the numbers come from ;-)
> 
> - HokieKen


I got 3 of those at my house


----------



## HokieKen

Your wife said there's 4 at your house ;-)


----------



## TheFridge

I would've said 4 but that one goes without saying


----------



## HokieKen

I love fall! Autumn seasonal beers are the best ;-)


----------



## HokieKen

Here's a teaser that will make a man cuss…


----------



## KelleyCrafts

That sucks buddy!!


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Me: Hey babe, we could use a night away before we start this kitchen renovation. Maybe we grab a room in San Diego for a night this next weekend and take a nice walk on the beach and have a nice night out? It's only 5 hours away, how does that sound?

Her: Oh babe, you're so romantic. Sounds wonderful, I'll find a hotel room and see if there's anything exciting to do the night we go.

Me: Sounds like a plan babe, don't get just any hotel room, grab a nice place, one that has a spa.

Her: GREAT!

Me: Make sure they can accommodate the trailer please.

Her: Huh?

Me: I figured since we are going there anyway, we can go pick this up while we're there.










Her: ~shakes head



And that my friends is how it's done.


----------



## TheFridge

I am in awe….


----------



## KelleyCrafts

It's nothing crazy special Fridge but it should be the only one I ever have to buy. 11" swing 36" spindle to tailstock.

Logan 1957 in pretty good shape they tell me. I was told it was bought in a huge lot from a hospital of all things. Super clean.


----------



## HokieKen

You're a hero to us all Dave…


----------



## GR8HUNTER

next thing you will have to add on to your shop Dave :<)) GRATZ


----------



## DavePolaschek

Nicely played, Dave.


----------



## bigblockyeti

The only way to improve would be to tell her don't get anything too fancy, there's too much to see in the city to spend a lot of time in the motel. My wife freaked when I went 2 miles out of our way headed home from staying at a bed & breakfast to pick up a $5 used cordless drill.


----------



## KelleyCrafts

It's the nice hotel that throws them off Yeti…that's the key.

As long as the seller holds it like they say they will, should be a nice short trip.


----------



## KelleyCrafts

> My wife freaked when I went 2 miles out of our way headed home from staying at a bed & breakfast to pick up a $5 used cordless drill.
> 
> - bigblockyeti


Just read this part. I'm actually extremely fortunate that my wife is a bit of a "maker" herself so she gets it. She doesn't do the same stuff I do but she benefits when tools like this enter the shop. So it really wasn't a hard sell. She's probably already getting a list together for me with stuff she wants me to make with that thing I'm sure.


----------



## EarlS

Wow - I'm out of commission for a few days and come back to 40 unread posts. Well it looks like the box for the swap items isn't going to happen. Had a surprise surgery Thursday night with 2 weeks off work and 6-8 weeks of no lifting or strenuous activity. Fortunately all I need to do is a bit of finishing and I can get things ready for shipping. Hoping to get that done later this week when I can stand a little longer. Since I can't drive, I'll have to persuade my wife to be the delivery girl to get the box in the mail. Might as well use that sympathy card as much as I can.

Figured I should buy a lottery ticket with the luck I've been having lately.

Ken - I haven't decided on the vise but the one you suggested looks good. I think I have it on an Amazon favorite list so I don't forget what it is.


----------



## GR8HUNTER

> Wow - I m out of commission for a few days and come back to 40 unread posts. Well it looks like the box for the swap items isn t going to happen. Had a surprise surgery Thursday night with 2 weeks off work and 6-8 weeks of no lifting or strenuous activity. Fortunately all I need to do is a bit of finishing and I can get things ready for shipping. Hoping to get that done later this week when I can stand a little longer. Since I can t drive, I ll have to persuade my wife to be the delivery girl to get the box in the mail. Might as well use that sympathy card as much as I can.
> 
> Figured I should buy a lottery ticket with the luck I ve been having lately.
> 
> Ken - I haven t decided on the vise but the one you suggested looks good. I think I have it on an Amazon favorite list so I don t forget what it is.
> 
> - EarlS


oh no Earl … what happen to you ? :<(((


----------



## EarlS

Tony - nothing bad like losing fingers or anything. GI stuff, but they fixed everything so it should all be good, just slow recovery.


----------



## HokieKen

Dang Earl, sorry to hear that man. Rest up and get well!!


----------



## Bluenote38

Earl sorry to hear. Happy you still have all your digits though.


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Glad you made it through ok Earl. Being an emergency makes it hard to prep for so I'm glad you have a good support system there.


----------



## Bluenote38

Final parts on the drill press. And showing off the most advanced of my vast metal working capability


----------



## HokieKen

Looks exactly like my drill press looks at the moment Bill. Other than what's in the vise ;-) And I've said it before but I love my cross-slide vise on my drill press! I had to have 5 holes in my parts drilled at precise distances and it nailed them all within a few thousandths. Just gotta remember to account for the backlash in the lead screws.


----------



## jeffswildwood

Earl, hope you get well soon.


----------



## DavePolaschek

Hope you're feeling better soon, Earl.


----------



## EarlS

The silver lining to sitting home all day recovering from surgery is that I get to read (and respond) to LJ posts. I'll also have plenty of time to work on SketchUp plans, go back through old LJ projects, and generally catch up on non shop stuff.


----------



## GR8HUNTER

and also more good stuff …… If you have a good nurse to take care of you …… might even have some time to do online shopping LOL :<))


----------



## EarlS

I like the way you think Tony. My better half reminded me that the medical bills need to get paid so I shouldn't engage in online purchases. Of course it was stated in a much more direct manner.


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Well sweet! Earl is sitting around bored all day just looking for something to do. I'll shoot my CAD over for my kitchen cabinets so you can put together a cut list for the plywood portion of the project. THANKS BUDDY!!


----------



## HokieKen

How long are you shop-restricted Earl? Got any carving tools?


----------



## duckmilk

Get well Earl!!

I was out in NM the last 5 days. Met with my nephew and he gave me some goodies.

This anvil is a little beat up, but nothing that I can't work around or get fixed if the need arrives. It is really dusty now but I will clean it up. I can't make out the manufacturer yet. He said it weighs 115lb and I believe it.










And this one burner forge that will eventually need a little work. The top lifts up on a catch to allow stock to be heated from the end.



















He also gave me a Nordic Forge 1 3/4 lb rounding hammer and a pair of tongs.


----------



## duckmilk

He taught me a little forging. I had to turn a horseshoe into a flat bar, then turn it into a circle, then forge weld the ends together (I don't have a picture of the end product at the moment) which is what I am doing here.




























That is one of his (many) anvils I was using.


----------



## duckmilk

And this 400lb monster










Excuse the look on his face, that was my fault in the timing of the photo. He's actually a good looking guy.


----------



## HokieKen

Just when I thought Duck couldn't get any studlier…


----------



## TheFridge

I like your taste in men duck 

I'm sorry!!! I had tooooo!!!!!


----------



## KelleyCrafts

AWESOME DUCK!! That anvil looks just fine to me man. Nothing like moving metal one tap at a time. You enjoy it? Also that forge looks like it's got two burners not one.


----------



## HokieKen

How is it that Duck can be in a forge in Texas with a long sleeved shirt tucked into his jeans pounding on hot steel and not even be sweating?? I can break a sweat taking a nap naked!


----------



## GR8HUNTER

naked nap….. that would be something I would *NOT * want to see :<))))


----------



## TheFridge

Kenny, I believe it's called being a gangster and showing all us young punks how it's done?

"This ain't work. Try holding a horse up by both back legs and putting horseshoes on at the same time wimps."


----------



## EarlS

Duck - that is one fine looking cowboy hat as well. Anyone that can wear a 10 gallon hat while pounding away on a forge and not have it fall off gets my vote for the swap stud.

I do think you need a bigger belt buckle though.

Kenny - I'm out for 6-8 weeks. Right now it is a challenge just to get out of my recliner. Hopefully today, I can spend some time final sanding and waxing the last bits for the swap and get them boxed up. Also, I have to remember to take pictures before I box things up.


----------



## HokieKen

Good luck Earl! I asked about carving tools because it's a nice way to spend "recliner time" IMO ;-)

And there's no need to vote for Swap Stud. Duck's not in this swap so I win.


----------



## EarlS




----------



## DavePolaschek

I'm feeling kinda studly this morning, too. My sweetie cut the tip of her finger (very minor) and came to me, "you cut yourself a lot, what do I do?"

A guy's gotta be good at something!


----------



## RichBolduc

Please tell us you handed her some blue shop towels and a roll of duct tape….

Rich



> I'm feeling kinda studly this morning, too. My sweetie cut the tip of her finger (very minor) and came to me, "you cut yourself a lot, what do I do?"
> 
> A guy's gotta be good at something!
> 
> - Dave Polaschek


----------



## HokieKen

He said it was "very minor" Rich. Don't waste duct tape on that. A couple of drops of super glue will do.

Where'd you get Fridge's senior picture Earl?


----------



## EarlS

Duct tape and superglue will fix anything. Dave - you didn't tell her you use ketchup to make those cuts look more impressive - did you?

Kenny - Google is an amazing thing…. Sorry though folks I can't post those naked nap pics of Kenny I found on Google Maps though due to content restrictions - this is a family friendly site and Cricket wouldn't approve.

I still think a great Halloween prank would be to open the garage door on the shop and turn the table saw on when kids come up the driveway, have a recorded scream, and come stumbling out of the shop squirting ketchup all over the place, then have a fake hand fall out on the ground. I'm thinking I would be able to keep all of the candy my wife buys to give the kiddies, plus all of theirs when they run away in terror. Whadya think?


----------



## HokieKen

Funny but I actually trimmed my thumb down a little on Halloween night in 2015 Earl. I wasn't planning that one though and didn't get any candy for it :-(


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Fridge was one sexy little beast.


----------



## EarlS

Someone is waiting by their mailbox with no shirt, or pants….










Brought to you by too much time and too little imagination


----------



## DavePolaschek

> He said it was "very minor" Rich. Don t waste duct tape on that. A couple of drops of super glue will do.


I actually said, "If it was me, I'd squeeze the finger so it bleeds enough to get any dirt out, then drip in some superglue, squeeze it shut, and go back to work. You probably want bacitracin and a band-aid, since superglue in an open wound will lead to foul language, sweetie. I'll go get the first aid kit."


----------



## duckmilk

> How is it that Duck can be in a forge in Texas with a long sleeved shirt tucked into his jeans pounding on hot steel and not even be sweating?? I can break a sweat taking a nap naked!
> 
> - HokieKen


Naw, I was in NM at the time and it was cooler there than here. I did have to learn how to not burn my hand whilst pulling the metal out of the forge. Aaand, I'm not studly, just manly 

I just got back to our little paradise from the city. Glad you guys had a chuckle.

We used to use super glue to close the incisions in dog's scrotums after castrating them.


----------



## HokieKen

I was wrong… Duck cuts dogs nuts off and glues 'em back together. I'm pretty sure he could do the same to Chuck Norris if he wanted to.


----------



## KelleyCrafts

I do t know about you Kenny but I do t thjonk ive seen Duck and Chuck in the same room. I think you're talking about the same man.

His alias even rhymes. Just sayin.


----------



## jeffswildwood

Duck has a problem forging. He keeps breaking the anvil!

Duck don't need a forge. He can form metal cold!


----------



## mikeacg

Duck for President!


----------



## EarlS

Dave, you are smooth and eloquent.

I think my response would be: Yep it's bleeding. Looks like it should stop in a bit. I think you will need to go to the store to get more Band-Aids, I used the last of them last time I cut myself. While you are there could you get me a candy bar.

Everyone needs a hero. I'm happy to say this group of misfits seems to have found theirs, finally. Good luck with them Duck. You might want to get a copy of the hero handbook. Amazon probably has it.

I had everything boxed up yesterday and realized I forgot pictures and a note. Boy, these little pills are something. I'm taking them by the handful, 3 times a day.


----------



## mikeacg

Earl for President!!!


----------



## HokieKen

Nah, that guy has a pill problem.


----------



## duckmilk

Hero, I am not, except to my dog. And I'm too smart to ever run for president. Why would I want half the country hating me? I'd rather be liked.


----------



## EarlS

Kenny - 
One pill makes you larger, and one pill makes you small
And the ones that mother gives you, don't do anything at all

Duck - I'll take a dog anytime. No such thing as a bad dog, just bad owners.

Mike - I'm WAAAAY too RED. I'm proud that I graduated from the same high school as Dick Cheney.

Pictures are taken. I even got the pictures right side up and no backwards ones. The note went through the spell checker and grammar checker just in case the pills misspelled anything. I put something in the box. Might have been a few spatulas, a ladle, and a strainer spoon?? Hopefully tomorrow my better half can get down to USPS where they can see how badly they can handle it on the way to my recipient.


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Sweet Earl!!

Let me know when it's out and I'll apply an S to your name.

As a reminder, shipping is under two weeks away, if you only get to the shop on the weekends, you have this weekend and next and you need to be done by next weekend to ship by the following Monday.

Once you ship, let me know and I'll throw an S by your name.

I personally won't be shipping until next week but hopefully before that weekend at least.


----------



## HokieKen

I have no idea what that gibberish means Earl. I'll just go ask Alice, I think she'll know.


----------



## duckmilk

> AWESOME DUCK!! That anvil looks just fine to me man. Nothing like moving metal one tap at a time. You enjoy it? Also that forge looks like it's got two burners not one.
> 
> - KelleyCrafts


I meant to respond earlier Dave, my nephew called it a one burner and that is what I said. But, you are correct, the gas is split into two burners.


----------



## HokieKen

Teaser


----------



## EarlS

Kenny - Alice was THE party girl. Your teaser looks like you were playing with fire again.

It's been a week with no woodworking and I am going just a little stir crazy. My hands are itching to pick up some wood and make it into something. Ideas for projects are bouncing around my head. The little voice in my head, however, tells me to sit back down. Guess I'll have to compromise by going out to the shop for a bit here and there and tidy up.


----------



## GR8HUNTER

> It s been a week with no woodworking and I am going just a little stir crazy. My hands are itching to pick up some wood and make it into something. Ideas for projects are bouncing around my head. The little voice in my head, however, tells me to sit back down. Guess I ll have to compromise by going out to the shop for a bit here and there and tidy up.
> 
> - EarlS


BE CAREFUL OF THAT VOICE AND ALSO TOUCHING YOUR WOOD :<)))


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Just ignore the little voice Earl. I have a couple voices in my head that tell me to relax but the other nine tell me to get out in the shop.


----------



## EarlS

From the place I get my motivation: Despair.com


----------



## Bluenote38

Prep'g for final assembly. And showing off my vast array metal working tools ;-)










And of course my photo manipulation skills are about as good as my metal working skills.


----------



## EarlS

Your vast array certainly encompasses many more tools than my metalworking tool trove. Notice I said tool, singular, as in a file.


----------



## HokieKen

I think Bill's making a 3-way hinge!


----------



## Lazyman

3-way marking hinge.


----------



## jeffswildwood

> It s been a week with no woodworking and I am going just a little stir crazy.
> 
> - EarlS


It's been a long time, weeks, since I have even been in my shop. Life has really thrown a curve ball. :-(


----------



## Bluenote38

> Your vast array certainly encompasses many more tools than my metalworking tool trove. Notice I said tool, singular, as in a file.
> 
> - EarlS


ROFL… I do have tiny files  And I was going for a 4-way so maybe my design/parts list is short a piece?? That could have been the third page that jammed the printer.


----------



## EarlS

Dave - Give me an "S". What's that spell? Well nothing, but it is short for SENT.


----------



## TheFridge

I think I see an automatic center punch  that's two tools


----------



## HokieKen

There's a pin vise and a carbide scribe too. I just didn't say anything because I didn't want Earl to feel inadequate. But yeah, Bill ate Earl's lunch in the metal working department.


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Two people earned their S today!!

Me, I took a drive West today, will head back home tomorrow.


----------



## GR8HUNTER

> Me, I took a drive West today, will head back home tomorrow.
> 
> - KelleyCrafts


to get your new lathe ? :<))


----------



## EarlS

I managed to mangle several pieces of brass and break off a couple of brass screws. That, gentlemen, takes some effort. Not sure how much damage I did to the bandsaw blade or the table saw blade cutting the brass pieces to length and width, but I now know brass doesn't like router bits or drill bits. After painstakingly sanding the brass with my ROS I realized my file worked a lot better and doesn't discolor the wood like sanding. Lastly, brass doesn't need finish applied to it because it has to be removed or it looks terrible.

I have no idea what most of those items on Bills bench are or how to use them. I think he just added them as filler. Show off!!!! ;+P


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Yes sir Tony. I'll grab it in the morning. Spent a great day with the wife walking around La Jolla village.


----------



## builtinbkyn

Man a guy has a lot of reading to catch up on when he's AWOL for weeks. Is this thing still going on like the other endless swaps? Wasn't Rome built faster? When is the endless deadline anyway? A guy wants to know! Must have something to do with Kenny. It always does ;p I was looking forward to seeing the reveals.


----------



## GR8HUNTER

hey… how's Bill and Willie … long time :<)) this one seems to be forever LOL


----------



## builtinbkyn

Hey Tony. All's good here. How you doin'? Fully recovered?


----------



## GR8HUNTER

well not fully but back In shop when I can thanks :<))


----------



## HokieKen

Lotta criticism from the peanut gallery!

Good to see ya Bill . I think ship date is a week from Monday. I'm gonna have to pick an idea and get started pretty soon…


----------



## EarlS

Kenny - you mean the mudflap girl pencil sharpener didn't work? What happened? I'm guessing you found her on one of those on-line dating sites and her real name is Ted and he/she lives in the basement of her/his parent's house?

Bill - glad to see your'e back. I think we got distracted with lathes. Can't speak for Rome, but I have heard patience is a virtue. Not sure how much virtue you're going to find in this crew, though, of any kind.

I'd like to say the next one will go faster but I'm doubtful given that I volunteered to run it. Well, walk is probably a lot more my style, or even a slow crawl. So are you in?


----------



## GR8HUNTER

what is the next swap Earl ? :<))


----------



## EarlS

Tony,

I think the general idea that everyone liked was a mystery swap where you make what you want for your recipient. Could be anything, probably need a few ground rules like it has to fit in a USP Medium or Large box, you have to do something to the wood, no box-o-scraps. Others have thoughts on this approach, or additional rules?

Probably would start Jan 15 and reveal on March 15.


----------



## jeffswildwood

The mystery swaps in the past were nice! I always had a lot of fun with these. I hope I can get in when the time comes. I have to wait and see what the future holds though. There will be a *lot* of trips to Dr.s coming in my future. Actually they have already started. Not for me but for my wife. Tough times at the jeffswildwood shop. Keep her in your thoughts and prayers guys!


----------



## HokieKen

Sorry to hear about that Jeff. Hope it works out for y'all soon!


----------



## jeffswildwood

> Sorry to hear about that Jeff. Hope it works out for y'all soon!
> 
> - HokieKen


Thanks Ken


----------



## EarlS

Jeff - that's not good. Having just went through a surprise surgery, I can relate to the impact medical issues can have on shop time, whether it is you or someone close to you. I'm hoping you will be able to participate. Shop time can be a great way to work out the stress from everything else. We will keep you and your wife in our thoughts and prayers.


----------



## jeffswildwood

> Jeff - that s not good. Having just went through a surprise surgery, I can relate to the impact medical issues can have on shop time, whether it is you or someone close to you. I m hoping you will be able to participate. Shop time can be a great way to work out the stress from everything else. We will keep you and your wife in our thoughts and prayers.
> 
> - EarlS


Thanks Earl.


----------



## mikeacg

Jeff,
We will be thinking of you and your family! I'll add you all to our prayer list today at church. 
I'm taking care of my 92-year-old mother and I know how doctors' appointments and treatments can eat up time! Keep your chin up, my friend!
Mike


----------



## jeffswildwood

> Jeff,
> We will be thinking of you and your family! I ll add you all to our prayer list today at church.
> I m taking care of my 92-year-old mother and I know how doctors appointments and treatments can eat up time! Keep your chin up, my friend!
> Mike
> 
> - mikeacg


Thanks Mike, that means a lot. I really appreciate the support from my wood working family!


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Good luck Jeff's to you and your wife.


----------



## jeffswildwood

> Good luck Jeff's to you and your wife.
> 
> - KelleyCrafts


Thanks Dave!


----------



## duckmilk

Sorry to hear that Jeff. I just sent a silent prayer for her.


----------



## jeffswildwood

> Sorry to hear that Jeff. I just sent a silent prayer for her.
> 
> - duckmilk


Thanks Duck!


----------



## HokieKen

So I had to spend today's shop time making these…



























I had planned on doing my swap project today :-(

So, hypothetically, if y'all were to get a Jack O' Lantern as your swap package, would you prefer tbe Velocoraptor, Peppa Pig, or Mason's hand and foot prints?


----------



## TheFridge

Velociraptor. 100%. If it was alder my head would explodeded. Both of thems. The double -ed in explode is for two explosions. FYI.


----------



## HokieKen

Good answer Fridge. That was the only valid response. You passed.


----------



## EarlS

I think Mason's hand and foot print jack-o-lantern is pretty neat. Hopefully you didn't lop off any digits in the construction of the openings.

So if I understand what Kenny was "hypothetically" saying, someone is going to get some pumpkin guts and glitter as their layout tool bonus items. Oh, and a mudflap girl pencil sharpener. That's shaping up to be a show stopper of a package. Hypothetically speaking, of course.


----------



## HokieKen

Sorry Earl, I got a little excited with the pencil sharpener and wore it out. Also, I'm out of pencils.

No worries on Mason's digits. I wasn't about to put a knife near my lil' buddy! I was extremely safe about it. I coated his hands and feet with JB Weld and once it cured, I torched it until it was red hot and he just touched the pumpkin and burned right through it. Not sure why his mom and grandma were so pissed?


----------



## GrantA

I came back to 50 posts, whew I made it through them 
Jeff I pray all goes well for your wife

Kenny, I definitely second the velociraptor. I had to do the same yesterday evening, after a day of yard work. That after a Saturday of nonstop birthday parties & dance practice for my daughters followed by BBQ & GA Football at a friends house. I'm worn out from the weekend - time to catch a nap and get in the shop today!


----------



## EarlS

So Mason got to be the Human Torch from Fantastic 4 for Halloween? Those women just don't understand.


----------



## HokieKen

I was going with Human Torch, they were scared of Deadpool.


----------



## jeffswildwood

Thanks Grant! Nice pumpkins too by the way. I like the cat!


> I came back to 50 posts, whew I made it through them
> Jeff I pray all goes well for your wife
> 
> - GrantA


----------



## GrantA

Thanks Jeff I carved the cat for my youngest, my 9yr old daughter did the owl on her own after I drew the lines for her.

Guys I just went into harbor freight to kill a few minutes, they have a little 4" table saw. It's a desk top tablesaw!! Comes with a miter gauge too, says it's good for picture frames. :-D
You could use it too trim pencils at your desk!


----------



## RichBolduc

Mark me as received with some purple hearted (99% sure) christmas presents 

My uncle was in last week and we got my drum sander going and tuned up my bandsaw….so I'll be finishing mine up and getting them out before Monday now easily

Rich


----------



## HokieKen

I got a metal sliver under the tip of my index finger weekend before last. It's been aggravating the crap out of me ever since but I just couldn't get the bastard out. It finally worked it's way close enough to the surface for me to dig it out with my knife today. Woo Hoo! It's a good Monday 










For reference, it's about .070" long…


----------



## duckmilk

Your hand looks pretty well calloused.


----------



## EarlS

You just need a stronger magnet. Those little ones are the best kind of sliver. Irritating, annoying, and impossible to dig out. They are extra fun when they get infected.

I'm not sure what is worse, though, a sliver, or a gnat bite. The kind that swells up and itches like crazy then takes a couple of weeks to heal.


----------



## HokieKen

> Your hand looks pretty well calloused.
> 
> - duckmilk


BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Ya' got me Duck ;-)



> You just need a stronger magnet. Those little ones are the best kind of sliver. Irritating, annoying, and impossible to dig out. They are extra fun when they get infected.
> 
> I m not sure what is worse, though, a sliver, or a gnat bite. The kind that swells up and itches like crazy then takes a couple of weeks to heal.
> 
> - EarlS


It was stainless so non-magnetic Earl. And gnats don't bite. That's the clap flaring up on ya.


----------



## EarlS

I know it wasn't the clap. My better has me tested every few months.

You need to quit using such good quality stainless. Get some of that Chinese stuff that way it will rust and you can find/remove the splinters easier. Either that or make stuff from exotic wood so all of the splinters will cause you to swell up nicely and let you know you have a splinter.

I was going to suggest your "hand" looked fairly well tanned.


----------



## HokieKen

I would guess there are probably at least 200 slivers of various metals embedded in my hands and arms. A decade in a machine shop and an inability tow work effectively with gloves on makes for a good bedding area. Plus I hoped eventually I would turn into Iron Man..


----------



## EarlS

So as a bonus, you get the full body cavity search when you go thru TSA at the airport? Sounds like fun. How's the flying part coming along?


----------



## TheFridge

I'd start milling adamantium and shoot for wolverine.


----------



## HokieKen

Never been an issue with TSA. Neither has the pin in my elbow. The condoms full of heroin are another story…


----------



## HokieKen

Flying is a no-go so far. Pretty sure I just need to find the right cape though.


----------



## HokieKen

You can't mill Adamantium Fridge. Only liquify and injection mold it.


----------



## duckmilk

> Flying is a no-go so far. Pretty sure I just need to find the right cape though.
> 
> - HokieKen


Hey, Halloween is coming up, just get yourself a broom.


----------



## HokieKen

Tried that Duck. Botched a landing. No more brooms for me!


----------



## EarlS

Kenny - have you tried Unobtanium, you know the stuff they were mining on Avatar? Alternatively, you might be able to score some Vibranium on E-Bay or Amazon.

Got a PM from my swap recipient. USPS didn't lose or mangle the box. Kenny - I have extras if you need something since your mudflap pencil sharpener is worn out. ;+)


----------



## Bluenote38

> Your hand looks pretty well calloused.
> 
> - duckmilk


Hmmmm - thought that was gator hide.


----------



## jeffswildwood

> Flying is a no-go so far. Pretty sure I just need to find the right cape though.
> 
> - HokieKen
> 
> Hey, Halloween is coming up, just get yourself a broom.
> 
> - duckmilk


Who needs a broom!


----------



## EarlS

Bill - Kenny only uses the finest Naugahyde.

BTW - Kenny - I still have plenty of sawdust, glitter, and brass shavings left over so if you need a swap item, I can help a brother out.


----------



## HokieKen

Thanks Earl! I found a couple of unexpected hours this morning though so I should be able to ship by Christmas easily. Valentine's Day at the worst.


----------



## doubleG469

> The mystery swaps in the past were nice! I always had a lot of fun with these.
> 
> - jeffswildwood


OOH a mystery swap, I am in! there's a lot of crap, err I mean I have some very nice items in the shop I can give away…
;-)


----------



## EarlS

That's the spirit. If not Valentine's Day, there's always St. Patrick's Day (beer). I find unexpected hours skulking about every now and again but generally they manage to escape from me since I'm so slow.

As you well know, glitter goes well with most major and all minor holidays so you should be good to go.


----------



## HokieKen

Hey! Who's that Gary dude up there? I'm not sure if we can let a newb into the next swap ) Good to see you're still around GG. Hope to see ya in the next one!

I guess I probably better go ahead and ship this thing next week Earl. I realized Christmas is around the corner. It'll take me a couple of months to do my Etsy shopping and make sure everything is shipped in time for it to arrive so I can take it to the mall and pretend like I bought it there so they will wrap them for free…


----------



## TheFridge

Kenny. I thought you said Vaseline Day a couple posts up. Then I read it and saw Valentine's Day.

I can't tell you how sorely disappointed I am. To cancel my plane tickets.


----------



## GrantA

OK I'm kinda just venting here, thoughts are welcome! We're all (most of the time) like -minded fellas… My wife is dragging me along to look at a house tomorrow (dammit I cringe at having to move my shop and start from scratch). The backyard is kinda small, I've got to see where I could squeeze a shop. What would you guys call a decent size for a small shop? I've got a 20×24 now with a 12×32ish (cantilever overhang on front) open carport area and it's FULL. I'm thinking I want 20×30 next. The saving grace at this house though is that it has a 2-car garage (bikes, etc can go there) and it has an extra upstairs bedroom that can be my reloading /gun /whatever area with nice cabinets /bench. Currently I have a good bit of cabinet space in my shop occupied with that stuff. And probably 4ft of my countertop has my presses bolted to it. 
I've got my big metal lathe which isn't mobile, everything else is on wheels though. 12" joiner, 16" planer, tablesaw, belt sander, bandsaw, the usual suspects. 
This house is more convenient to school and work for my wife so that's the main attraction, if not for that we'd stay put!
Sorry to bend your ears!


----------



## EarlS

Grant,

I have a 2 car garage sized shop that I pull my truck into every night. So 1/2 of the space is set up with the table saw, DC, and bit assembly table. The rest of the machines are on mobile bases that I store along the other side of the garage. When I'm working on projects, the truck gets left outside and the entire area can be used for whatever I'm doing. At the end of the evening, or weekend, the equipment gets put back and I pull the truck into the garage. I have some old pictures of it on my "Workshop" tab. I've reorganized somewhat but it is still generally set up the same way.

We are looking to move this summer and I will likely get 1 stall of the garage unless I can convince her to let me have the 2 car part and she can park in the 1 car part.


----------



## TheFridge

I planted seeds early.

When my wife wants me to look at a listing, she starts out with "look how big that shop is. Is that a good size?" Or usually it's "they have plenty of room for a big shop."


----------



## Bluenote38

> OK I m kinda just venting here, thoughts are welcome! We re all (most of the time) like -minded fellas… My wife is dragging me along to look at a house tomorrow (dammit I cringe at having to move my shop and start from scratch). The backyard is kinda small, I ve got to see where I could squeeze a shop. What would you guys call a decent size for a small shop? I ve got a 20×24 now with a 12×32ish (cantilever overhang on front) open carport area and it s FULL. I m thinking I want 20×30 next. The saving grace at this house though is that it has a 2-car garage (bikes, etc can go there) and it has an extra upstairs bedroom that can be my reloading /gun /whatever area with nice cabinets /bench. Currently I have a good bit of cabinet space in my shop occupied with that stuff. And probably 4ft of my countertop has my presses bolted to it.
> I ve got my big metal lathe which isn t mobile, everything else is on wheels though. 12" joiner, 16" planer, tablesaw, belt sander, bandsaw, the usual suspects.
> This house is more convenient to school and work for my wife so that s the main attraction, if not for that we d stay put!
> Sorry to bend your ears!
> 
> - GrantA


I'm feeling your pain. My clock is running down - selling in the spring and I'm pretty sure we are moving to an apartment for 2-6 months. My only demand is that I have Shop Space. 600sqft minimum. And a Library (in the house not in the shop) ;-)


----------



## KelleyCrafts

i haven't been getting email notifications on this thread for some reason…I've missed A LOT!

Jeff, the peeps in my house who pray are including your wife in those.

Kenny, you should have just cut the finger off and then pulled the metal out and used duck tape and super glue to put it back on.

Grant, Move the wife into the small shop building you would add and set the house up as a shop. Problem solved.

Everyone, only a few days left to get your stuff in the mail. Not many 'S' marks on the participant list. I'm definitely not one of them. I will have a few late nights wrapping things up myself. Let me know when you've shipped please.


----------



## EarlS

Also, Let Dave know or post when you receive your swap item as well so he can put an "R" next to your name.


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Yeah what he said.


----------



## TheFridge

PL for me. Possibly late. Will be worth it though.


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Sweet!!! Whoever has Fridge can ship late!!!


----------



## DavePolaschek

Jeff, so sorry for the medical problems. Hoping for the best.



> Kenny. I thought you said Vaseline Day a couple posts up. Then I read it and saw Valentine's Day.
> 
> I can't tell you how sorely disappointed I am. To cancel my plane tickets.
> 
> - TheFridge


I read that post to my sweetie. We've just spent the past five minutes giggling together, and I believe I know what I'll be getting for Feb 14th next year. :-/

Thanks, Fridge.


----------



## HokieKen

Y'all are crazy. Everyone knows Vaseline day is the first Tuesday of every month.


----------



## Bluenote38

> Also, Let Dave know or post when you receive your swap item as well so he can put an "R" next to your name.
> 
> - EarlS


Thx


----------



## TheFridge

Dave, sounds like I did my job. In more ways than one


----------



## KelleyCrafts

What job is that Fridge?

Two R's were given out pirate style. Arrrrr


----------



## Woodmaster1

My victim's items have been shipped and received. I have received my items and I can't wait to show off what I got they are awesome.


----------



## EarlS

Kenny - sounds like you are in luck. Fridge mentioned that he would be PL (Possibly Late) so I take that to mean he's OK with you taking a bit longer to finish your sawdust, metal shavings, glitter, and Vaseline swap project and get it to him. That's going to be some reveal.

Either that or else he's waiting to see if the rabbit died.


----------



## HokieKen

Fridge is happy with anything that involves vaseline and glitter Earl. That's why he lives in LA, Mardi Gras is like his holy land.

Grant - my shop is 20' X30' or so. It's a good size. So far I've managed to make room for everything I've wanted and I have a ton of crap I don't really need that I can get rid of if needed to make room for more. Like my mill when that happy day arrives ;-) I also have a lot of house stuff and yard care stuff in there too. I think my plan for next spring will be to put a storage building out back for that stuff to make the shop a little roomier. But yeah, moving sucks. I've made it clear to my wife that if I ever have to move again, it'll be right after the divorce. Of course I think we all know I'll move when she tells me to though…



> ...
> 
> Either that or else he s waiting to see if the rabbit died.
> 
> - EarlS


I actually got that Earl. Does that date me? I tried to come up with a clever tie-in with the White Rabbit song but couldn't. Been a long couple of days ;-)


----------



## HokieKen

On a more swap-relevant note… my project is done and I'm working on the "bonus". I won't be shipping early but I'll be shipping on-time. I was really sweating this one because I got an early jump on this project and stuff just wasn't working out. But, in the end, it did and thankfully, I have a package I think is swap-worthy. On one of the items, the one I'm shipping is the 4th build. Having your own metal lathe in your shop really allows you to put lipstick on a pig though )


----------



## ElroyD

Just finished up my main build. For something I thought would be simple, I sure let time slip away from me. I'll be shipping on time though.


----------



## GR8HUNTER

GETTING EXCITING NOW :<)))


----------



## builtinbkyn

> GETTING EXCITING NOW :<)))
> 
> - GR8HUNTER


↑THIS! Man it's about time. Let's see then goods!


----------



## TheFridge

Glitter and Vaseline. For the ultimate glory hole.


----------



## EarlS

Kenny - I tend to prefer a good dry rub, or maybe some bbq sauce on my pig. That makes it taste a lot better than lipstick, vaseline, or glitter.

I was wondering if anyone remembered the old pregnancy test method with the rabbit. For those of you playing along at home, Steven Tyler and Aerosmith make reference to it in Sweet Emotion.


----------



## KelleyCrafts

You lost me at this Earl…



> I tend to prefer a good dry rub
> - EarlS


It's Fridge's fault really.


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Too much Vaseline talk around this joint.


----------



## HokieKen

For some reason, the phrase "ultimate glory hole" makes me feel like I need a shower…


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Anytime I think about Fridge I feel dirty, it's all good.


----------



## EarlS

I think we are circling the drain….. I'm getting dizzy.


----------



## HokieKen

You can circle the drain all day… just avoid the ultimate glory hole!


----------



## EarlS

That's the thing about vaseline, It gets sticky in water so I might just wind up stuck on the side of the drain with nothing but glitter to keep me company.

I think I'll pile on and blame Fridge… everyone else is….Don't take it personal… Kenny made me do it. He has moral turpitude….

Anyone remember that one?? Hint - Pigs were involved and so was Kim Cattrall.


----------



## HokieKen

I'm ashamed to say I had to google it Earl. That's one of my favorite movies and thankfully I haven't seen it in probably 20 years. I forgot Kim Catrell was even in it! The sunny side is that now I can watch it and it will be like I've never seen it )


----------



## mikeacg

I didn't get any messages on this post for days and was starting to get worried… but tonight when I got home I had 54 new messages… Weird!


----------



## EarlS

I think the site was having problems with the e-mail notification. I had a bunch of notifications late yesterday as well. There were a number of forum threads about no notifications so I'm guessing Cricket took care of things and fixed the problems.


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Last weekend people!!

I know I'll need some more time in the shop to finish.


----------



## GR8HUNTER

> That s the thing about vaseline, It gets sticky in water so I might just wind up stuck on the side of the drain with nothing but glitter to keep me company.
> 
> I think I ll pile on and blame Fridge… everyone else is….Don t take it personal… Kenny made me do it. He has moral turpitude….
> 
> Anyone remember that one?? Hint - Pigs were involved and so was Kim Cattrall.
> 
> - EarlS


hahahaha ANGEL BEACH HIGH Mrs. Ballbricker *LMAO :<))*


----------



## HokieKen




----------



## GrantA

I'm right there with ya Dave, gonna be a productive weekend in the shop!
The house i went to look at where I was worried about fitting a shop was easily shot down as it needed too much updating, then we found one we both love though- d'oh! 
It was built in the 20 and is in scenery shape. Closer to work /school /town, more sqft, AND it has 400a service with a 20×20 workshop…. It's a half acre lot where I'm used to 3 (on the plus side more shop time /less yard time) and it's a little more expensive than we wanted but I won't have to build a shop. Naturally I want to change a couple things but nothing major. Gotta share a couple pics. This one has a strong possibility of working out! It definitely has character - check out the coffered ceiling


----------



## EarlS

Why do they call her Lassie?

Awoooooooo!!!!!

Grant - That might just be the glory hole that Fridge and Kenny were talking about. Doesn't get much better than that.


----------



## HokieKen

Nice digs Grant! If y'all decide to go on it, good luck!


----------



## HokieKen

Is Mike Hunt in this swap? Has anyone seen Mike Hunt?


----------



## HokieKen

Yeah, it'll be easy for me to get the SB out of that shop next time you go fishing too )


----------



## GrantA

Haha I'll sit back and watch Kenny, the way the yard is landscaped I'd have to take out some bushes to be able to back up to the shop door, should be able to use my dad's front end loader to move it from a trailer to the shop though. On the one hand I dread the thought of moving (we're in a nice home we built 7 years ago!) but in the other hand if I'm gonna move I like this one  we'll see how it pans out. 
it has 2 rooms and a bathroom downstairs that I'd combine into a master suite and add a half bath off the living room, upstairs has 4 rooms and a bath so the kids' rooms, playroom and office /etc are covered


----------



## EarlS

Kenny - well played.

Grant - don't underestimate Kenny. You're likely to come home and find the whole shop gone, building and all and Kenny will have pictures on his Shop folder.


----------



## KelleyCrafts

I'll sit back with a beer and watch with you Grant. I just pulled my new lathe off the trailer and had two households worth of neighbors helping to roll that thing off. It was MUCH harder than the mill. Broke one of the furniture dollies too.


----------



## duckmilk

Looks really nice Grant, and I agree, less mowing + more shop time.

I've been watching a whole bunch of forging videos. Some by Alec Steele, some others including professional farriers, and lot from Black Bear Forge. His name is John I think, but I can't remember his last name. Anyone know? He forges a lot of woodworking tools.


----------



## duckmilk

Nevermind. John Switzer, Beulah, CO. No longer taking orders unless you sign up on his waiting list.

He has some great videos on youtube for the beginning blacksmith. I am not even a beginner yet. I need to get my anvil worked on first. Needs some tlc and a little welding on the edges.


----------



## GR8HUNTER

I thought you were going to show us a picture of that sweet shop inside :<(((

her name was Miss Honeywell *LMAO :<)))))))*


----------



## GrantA

> I thought you were going to show us a picture of that sweet shop inside :<(((
> 
> - GR8HUNTER


If'n you're taking to me, nothing but some tubafour framing and a very small amount of romex inside that shop. It has one 30a circuit, at least the house is setup properly with twin 200a panels though and it's a short run but for it to be usable I'd have to run some wires for sure, at least a 100a sub panel.


----------



## KelleyCrafts

It's been awhile, this thread needs a teaser pic for all of us schmucks still working on stuff. So here you go. Pretty revealing IMO.

Mine definitely won't be as pretty as I was hoping.


----------



## EarlS

Dave - just put some glitter on it and it will be "pretty". Or if you have Fridge or Kenny, glitter and vaseline.

That sounds like some kind of heavy duty lathe. I'm guessing you aren't looking to move to a new place anytime soon. We need pictures.

Which reminds me - Everyone - don't forget to take pictures of you swap item before you box it up. Someone might have forgotten to do that, hypothetically speaking, of course, and had to open things back up to get pictures.


----------



## DavePolaschek

> Someone might have forgotten to do that, hypothetically speaking, of course, and had to open things back up to get pictures.


I know for a fact that *I* did not forget to take pictures of my swap item during this swap.

So a surprise swap for the next one, with Earl running it? Did I get that right? I'm gonna hafta start working on surprising myself in the shop about Thanksgiving, I figure. And it'll end some time between Vaseline Day and Easter?


----------



## RichBolduc

okay everything is ready to package. Just need to get down to the post office which I'm hoping to do before I go to Woodcraft today

Rich


----------



## EarlS

Dave - Hypothetically, it might have been me with the layout tools that were all nicely wrapped in bubble wrap and packed in the box, taped up and ready to go then realizing I forgot the pictures….. Hypothetically, of course.

Woo hoo - I managed to spend a little time in the shop yesterday rough cutting and gluing up walnut for a shelf/bookcase for my youngest daughter. Moving slow and definitely sore this morning but it's good to be back in the shop, even if it is with limited activities.

Sounds like the next swap is sender's choice, a.k.a surprise, or mystery swap. How does medium or large USPS box max size, anything you want to make, but no box-o-scraps, sound to everyone? Start date would be 01/14/19 and ship would be 03/18/19. I will start a forum thread for it in early December that way Kenny has plenty of time to come up with an idea.. Anything else anyone thinks needs to be specified?


----------



## GrantA

Cutting small threads in stainless SUCKS

That is all

Carry on


----------



## TheFridge

Don't not know if I showed this here yet  unfortunately it cut into valuable shop time but my wrists are thanking me already. Wish it had a hair more low end power but hey. It still works pretty friggin good.










It's game day batches Geaux Tigers


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Nice Fridge!


----------



## HokieKen

Little bites and feed in at 29 degrees Grant. Only cut on the lead face.


----------



## GrantA

1/4" internal Kenny, I don't have a boring bar small enough for that ;-)


----------



## HokieKen

Saw a really awesome old Compton Oak in Colonial Williamsburg yesterday.


















We didn't get to see any work going on but I did poke around the "mill"



















And they weren't working but the shop where they maintain the wagons was cool.



















All the tools and methods they use are period-correct.


----------



## HokieKen

Hand tap those suckers Grant. What kind of stainless are you using? I've never had trouble with stainless unless it was really hard.


----------



## HokieKen

Just put the final coat of finish on my bonus item. Rode this one down to the wire but it'll be in the hands of USPS in the morning )


----------



## EarlS

Kenny - nice thing about using Vaseline as a finish is that you don't have to wait for it to dry. Add a sprinkle of glitter and you can call it "pretty" too.


----------



## HokieKen

It ain't Arizona Polish Earl but it'll do!


----------



## HokieKen

Does anyone else use these shop towels? I buy them in 12 roll packs. I ran out Thursday and it's seriously muckin' up my mojo!


----------



## TheFridge

Shop towel brand yes? I keep a couple rolls in the shop at all times.

Notification: have bonus item that qualifies as a main item. Main item I started on originally had to be scrapped and I don't have to the tooling to complete it in anything that resembles a reasonable amount of time


----------



## HokieKen

Well, I can say for a fact that Fridge's "bonus" item definitely qualifies as a badass main item…


----------



## EarlS

The way I look at it, it's the effort and learning that really counts on these swaps, not just the final product, though I'm sure it will be something special judging by the how much Kenny is drooling over there.

He looks like a hound dog that just tried to eat a frog.


----------



## DavePolaschek

Heck, having run the box swap, I definitely agree that it's more the fun of building and seeing each other's work that matters, but there's also the hope that Kenny will fail to properly defuse the glitter bomb with his Thor mallet or Duck will end up with glitter in his cookie-duster.

Plus, you're generally a bunch of good guys.


----------



## HokieKen

Stupid frog. I really wanted that bastard.


----------



## HokieKen

1 final teaser…


----------



## HokieKen

Now…. off with the clothes.
.
.
.
.
On with the cape.
.
.
.
.
And I'm sitting by the mailbox.

Hurry up fellas. It's cold in VA in November!!!


----------



## HokieKen

And my reward…


----------



## ElroyD

I cut this one close. 9:35 pm, and I'm just finished. I'll be able to pack and ship everything in the morning.


----------



## KelleyCrafts

I did the same. I just printed my label. Not crazy proud of this one but I definitely accepted the challenge the moderator set at the beginning of this thing. Wish I had the mill from the beginning. Was too late to turn back though.

Please let me know when you ship and receive so I can make sure everyone receives something.


----------



## KelleyCrafts

My final clue/teaser. My package is heading East.


----------



## HokieKen

No way! I'm east!


----------



## GrantA

Earl I agree about the effort and lessons learned! I'm finishing mine up this morning, between technical difficulties and life in general this has been a personal challenge, fingers crossed it turns out like I hoped 
I'll update yall later today


----------



## EarlS

Kenny - How do you expect the USPS to deliver your box if you mark out the address?

You know you could get a bucket with some goldfish in it and a cane pole and say you're ice fishing.


----------



## HokieKen

I used crayon Earl. They can scrape it off. I tried that but the goldfish all died. Should I put water in the bucket?


----------



## BMichs75

Mark me with an "S". Delivery Wednesday


----------



## KelleyCrafts

OK, I updated the list above. If anyone else ships let me know. Still a few slackers among us. Myself included. I won't be able to get out of the office today but my package is packed up and ready to go. I'll drop it at the post office this evening.


----------



## HokieKen

I'll drop mine off in the next hour or so on my lunch break )


----------



## TheFridge

This afternoon.


----------



## HokieKen

Mine is officially shipped. Delivery scheduled for Thursday.


----------



## KelleyCrafts

So according to comments this is what I have left:

The following dudes, let me know when you're shipped officially please or if you have an update.

Elroy - Said this morning.
Fridge - This Afternoon
Me - This evening. 
Rich - Said he was dropping yesterday on the way to Woodcraft.
Grant - Still drilling and tapping.

Let me know guys, this is one of the two or three days I actually have to work as a moderator so once everyone has an S by their name I'm kind of done. I'll be glad to have this one wrapped up.


----------



## RichBolduc

Didn't make it. Everything is in a box at my house and will go out today.

Rich


----------



## EarlS

Brandon - For a minute I thought that was the Mega Millions winning ticket and you were going to send it to your recipient.

Kenny - Did you leave instructions on how to scrape off the crayon with the smart folks at USPS?

With goldfish, water is optional. Just make sure you properly fillet them and cook them so you don't get some dread fish disease. You will need a tiny little knife….check Youtube I'm sure someone has made an instructional video on it.


----------



## HokieKen

> ...Just make sure you properly fillet them and cook them so you don t get some dread fish disease. You will need a tiny little knife….check Youtube I m sure someone has made an instructional video on it.
> 
> - EarlS


I'll be damned.


----------



## ElroyD

I'm officially shipped. Just dropped it off at the Post Office. It should arrive at it's destination sometime on Wednesday.


----------



## GrantA

> Grant - Still drilling and tapping.











Mine is going FedEx tomorrow with a Thursday eta. One hint - it's going to a state that ends in A


----------



## EarlS

Kenny - YouTube is the font of ALL knowledge.

Grant - that rules me out since I live in Ioway or Iowuh depending on which part of the state you live in. Or, for those of you that think IOWA is a word, it is actually an acronym for Idiots Out Wandering Around or Inbreds Out Working Agriculture


----------



## RichBolduc

Shipped…. Also I posted I received a week or so ago but there's still no R next to my name.

Rich


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Good Rich, let me know when it's dropped please.

Grant, let me know when FedEX has it in their hands.

That's funny to me Earl…...just funny.


----------



## KelleyCrafts

HA! Good timing Rich! I made the changes to your name.


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Grant, Fridge, and KelleyCrafts are the slackers now…..


----------



## HokieKen

I think Rich was saying that it has been dropped Dave.



> Mine is going FedEx tomorrow with a Thursday eta. One hint - it s going to a state that ends in A
> 
> - GrantA


New York?


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Rich and I were typing about the same time I suspect. He's squared away and taken off of the slacker watch list.

Actually, If Fridge ships today and I ship today we will be on time so not really slackers. It's Grant we should all be shaming for shipping a day late at this point right?? I know who he's sending to and it's not me so I can talk smack I suppose.


----------



## GrantA

Sorry guys I tried! That's why I'm sending FedEx instead of usps, 2day instead of 3!


----------



## TheFridge

Shipped! Yay!

Boo this man! Boooooo!


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Grant buddy…I'm kidding. In my chair, you're just happy if everyone ships and everyone gets a package. One day late isn't a huge deal and we should be able to reveal on Friday like I planned so I'm TOTALLY cool with it.


----------



## KelleyCrafts

I have you marked Fridge. So now I'm the second place slacker.


----------



## HokieKen

> Sorry guys I tried! That s why I m sending FedEx instead of usps, 2day instead of 3!
> 
> - GrantA


Yeah, mine isn't going to be delivered until Thursday either and I shipped today so that ain't holding nobody up.


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Come to think of it, Pony Express might not get my package there before Friday. Sorry about that.


----------



## EarlS

Kenny's hold up is the crayons he used to hide the address.

Grant - as far as I'm concerned, don't spend extra $$ for expedited shipping. Especially if it is for Kenny - his neighbors love to see him sitting forlornly by the mail box in nothing but a cape, fishing for goldfish in a bucket.


----------



## GrantA

Earl that's pretty funny about Iowa! Since I'm on break for a few I'll share my latest acquisition - last week my compressor started sounding funny, was only making about 40psi… It's probably 20 years old, 21gal craftsman oilless which I've already replaced the piston /rod assembly in once. Not doing that again. Tractor supply had a US-Assembled Ingersoll Rand 5hp 60gal unit on sale for $629 so she came home with me this morning! I had to go ahead and get it while the hydraulic lift trailer was available 
Going from 3.5cfm to 14!


----------



## HokieKen

What the hell are you doin' with all that air Grant?!


----------



## GrantA

Gonna be shopping for a blast cabinet soon! And my little compressor can't keep up with my die grinder, it barely can handle an hvlp gun. I'll get my money's worth out of it!


----------



## GrantA

I need to get a portaband of my own… My dad has several that I'm welcome borrow but that's not always convenient… I might have just rattled a tooth loose using the sawzall to cut a chunk of aluminum lol


----------



## HokieKen

The Harbor Freight portaband is a workhorse Grant.


----------



## EarlS

Grant - you need to get into punkin' chuckin' with that much air. Make some kind of air powered cannon or something you can name the "Devastator".


----------



## KelleyCrafts

> The Harbor Freight portaband is a workhorse Grant.
> 
> - HokieKen


I can second this. I bought one thinking I would barely use it. I use it constantly and it chugs along nicely. I'm pleased and it's like 1/3rd the cost of a Milwaukee.


----------



## TheFridge

They make a stand for the portabands. Forget who. Turns it into a vertical bandsaw with a table. Pretty neat.

I will admit. I got tired of cutting brass on the portaband… the 3/16 blade in the bandsaw works like champ


----------



## GrantA

Swag Offroad is probably the one you're thinking of fridge

On another note I saw a usps notification and I'm pretty sure I know who sent me something :-D


----------



## TheFridge

The best part is, it was sent to me first as a joke


----------



## duckmilk

Exciting times! I can hardly wait for the reveals.

On another note, I went to a welding shop to ask about welding the edges of the anvil my nephew gave me so I could re-shape them. The manager gave me some options but wasn't real optimistic about how well the edges would hold up. He then took me to a corner of the shop and showed me an anvil he wanted to get rid of. $200 and 200 lbs.




























It's a Hay Buden made in Brooklyn NY.
Here it is next to the other one which turns out to be a Trenton.


----------



## duckmilk

> ...Just make sure you properly fillet them and cook them so you don t get some dread fish disease. You will need a tiny little knife….check Youtube I m sure someone has made an instructional video on it.
> 
> - EarlS
> 
> I ll be damned.
> 
> - HokieKen


Filleting a goldfish with a dull switchblade?


----------



## HokieKen

Duck, you suck. I'm gonna call you Hoover 'cause you suck so much.


----------



## ToddJB

Are you f'n kidding, Duck? Dude, in Colorado people believe anvils are $6 a pound. I don't have one because I literally haven't found one for a remotely respectful price.


----------



## GrantA

Ducks getting ready for the anvil swap!


----------



## TheFridge

Since I'm an a-hole  and have an unnecessary need to one up everyone.

I picked up a powermatic 180 18" planer and a delta 46-612 reeves drive 16" lathe today. I would say how much it cost but that would imply I had to pay for it


----------



## ToddJB

Mother suckers, I'm in the wrong business


----------



## HokieKen




----------



## KelleyCrafts

Very nice Duck!!! Lucky duck really.

I ended up paying $0.44 a pound for mine at 124 lbs. Peter Wright I would easily pay a buck a pound.

I am in late but I did shop earlier this evening. It's all on Grant now…we'll, also if I didn't screw up any names in the process.


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Grant with the informed delivery it kind of gives stuff away. I'm sure my recipient might have an idea at this point if he or she (politically correct, and who knows how he identifies) has the informed delivery setup.

My sender went with FedEX but I knew who it was before he did.


----------



## EarlS

Dave - I see you went the same way Kenny did. "I am in late but I did SHOP". Hope you bought me something nice for my swap item ;+)

Is it bad that I'm the only one that doesn't think Duck sucks for getting another anvil? As long as he makes us all something nice on his new anvil I'm happy for his good luck.

Same goes for Fridge.

I'm sure Kenny will be waiting in his cape and nothing else, by the mail box for samples from both of you. Better hurry on getting something to him, he said it's cold outside and we don't want him getting frostbite on his extremities.


----------



## KelleyCrafts

I don't think Duck sucks for the deal he got. He's a lucky duck.

Fridge too. I encourage that kind of thing.

However, I don't need any of their "samples".

And Earl, everyone knows I shop Etsy for these swaps. Duh.


----------



## HokieKen

FWIW, "You Suck" = "Nice Score Man! I wish I could find a deal like that!" in LJ lingo. Are you dudes new here? ;-)

My extremities bite the frost Earl, not the other way around.

I was a bit hasty in making my mailbox stand this time though… I forgot it's election day. I have to go put my red, white and blue cape on and go vote. So do you! Go vote suckas, all the cool kids are doing it! Just write KENNY in the blank spot at the bottom of each category if you don't know who to vote for. They'll know who you mean.


----------



## KelleyCrafts

I voted a couple weeks ago Kenny. With the poor job our state does with the voting centers, early voting is what smart people do around here.

Definitely vote!! This one is important regardless of which side you're on. I'm guessing most of you are on the right side on this one though.


----------



## EarlS

I do hope no one takes offense to the banter, all meant in good fun.

Duck now can be a double fisted hammer banger with 2 anvils. That means twice the goods, twice the quality, twice as fast.

I'm not very metallurigically inclined so when everyone starts talking about metal stuff I'm out of my depth. Same goes for the lathe, though I hope to remedy that one of these days.

Everyone needs to watch the news tonight and see if Kenny makes it on TV in just his cape at the polling station.

My vote was cast a week or so back. Thank goodness for absentee ballots. Request one, fill it out, send it back and no lines. I'm glad this mess is almost over. I'm tired of the nasty ads. Sadly, it will all start back up tomorrow in preparation for the next prez election.


----------



## RichBolduc

I'm offended…. Where's my safe space?

Rich



> I do hope no one takes offense to the banter, all meant in good fun.
> 
> - EarlS


----------



## HokieKen

> ...
> 
> Everyone needs to watch the news tonight and see if Kenny makes it on TV…
> 
> - EarlS


Yes, watch the news while you read your Yellow Pages. You're such a luddite Earl. ;-)


----------



## EarlS

Kenny - I had to look that one up. There's precious else I can do besides watch the idiot box. Between recovering and the the riving knife problem on my table saw I'm practically locked out of the shop.

I'm still waiting for the new yellow pages to be delivered. The other phone book is in deplorable shape from all of the use it received. I need the large font version since my eye sight isn't what it used to be. Guess warning about going you'll go blind is true.

Rich - Depends on what gender/race/political affiliation you identify with. If you're a conservative, white male you are outta luck. Otherwise, pick your favorite safe place. You might start with the gender neutral bathroom and see if someone in there can help you find it.


----------



## RichBolduc

As long as the safe space has whiskey and bacon I'll manage.

Rich


----------



## HokieKen

Don't forget the Yellow Pages Rich.


----------



## EarlS

The nice thing about the Yellow Pages is they are multi-functional. You can read them, start a fire, or use as toilet paper. Those are just a few uses, but I'm sure Kenny can tell us about a whole host of other uses.


----------



## GrantA

So close! I'll take the flogging, mine WILL ship tomorrow for a Friday delivery just in time for reveal . Dave I'll email you pics later tonight so you don't think I'm yanking yalls chains.
Just like my wife always tells me my time management sucks 
On the bright side I think it's damned nice! And now I'll get a bonus in the box too. 
I won't open whatever is coming to me till mine has been delivered, that's only fair.
Sorry again! I don't want anybody thinking I had any ill intentions just life getting in the way as usual


----------



## HokieKen

Okay Grant. But, we'll need video of the flogging. Have the daughter record while the wife administers ;-)


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Actually, just send me duplicate of whatever you sent so I can review it in person. I'll send it back…..don't worry.

I think all the guys on this thread will agree that's a fair resolution to the current slacker issue. I'll even give you half my swap moderator pay to be nice.


----------



## GrantA

That sounds fair Dave! I'mma need a couple weeks though I have to work on honey do stuff! Kenny if she knew I've been working on this instead of other things there would definitely be a flogging! 
I think I win the award for most pieces for this swap project though. Not for any swap project, Rich holds that title from the beer swap lol


----------



## KelleyCrafts

I don't know man, my one item I sent has a lot going on with it. It's not the prettiest thing but there were a lot of elements involved with it. I'm proud of the idea, meh, on the execution but it was built mostly without a mill so I guess hindsight is 20/20.

Can't wait to see what you made man. Can't wait to see them all actually. Friday will be here soon.


----------



## GrantA

I'm still dreaming of a mill too, definitely would make a few things I did simpler. Maybe safer? Hehe
While I'm filling up my dream shop how about a cnc machine too? Wow that'd be so nice to make duplicate parts! I'm proud of mine for coming off a manual lathe run by a hobbyist/amateur!!


----------



## TheFridge

It's ok earl. I freely admit, I am a horrible person sometimes 

That reminds me, I need to keep a lookout for a mysterious package…


----------



## Bluenote38

> The Harbor Freight portaband is a workhorse Grant.
> 
> - HokieKen


Ditto!


----------



## TheFridge

I need something like that in my life for steel.


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Here's mine Fridge.


----------



## HokieKen

Here's mine. Right next to my tempering oven in the metallurgy department of the shop


----------



## duckmilk

OK, I'm clueless. What is a portaband? I'm guessing a metal bandsaw.

At the moment, I have no time for a mill. The forge, anvil and hammer should suffice for my crappy efforts.
I think it will take me a LOT of practice to learn to forge. First, I need more than one set of tongs. I may try to build some out of a kit. Black Bear has ordered some tong kits and likes them.

As far as woodworking, I still love it but have gotten into a slump lately. Too much other stuff going on which I won't bother you with. But, I am excited about this swap and seeing what you wackos produce.

Oh, and thanks everyone for the YOU SUCK ;-)


----------



## GrantA

Duck, portaband is Milwaukee's name for a portable metal cutting band saw. Apparently their new ones are imports too so I may have to look at the HF model.

I thought you just use the barbecue Tongs?? I know polar bear forge sold blanks but I just looked to give you a link and the site says they stopped doing them. I'm sure there are lots of kits out there though!


----------



## TheFridge

Don't tell me you're still using a hacksaw duck? A sawzall at least?


----------



## HokieKen

Duck just chews stuff to length. 'Cause he's a stud.


----------



## GrantA

Ya know fridge, my hacksaw may be a little slower but it has never made anything vibrate off the bench or left me feeling like I've been running a jackhammer!


----------



## TheFridge

Touché grant. I'm a skinny bastard so I'll take any mechanical advantage I can get.


----------



## EarlS

Fridge - nah I didn't mean to imply you are a horrible person. What I was implying is that you need to send all of us samples of the things you make from your latest swag:

"I picked up a powermatic 180 18" planer and a delta 46-612 reeves drive 16" lathe today. I would say how much it cost but that would imply I had to pay for it "

So a portaband isn't the group that plays music when you are in the porta potty?


----------



## HokieKen

No package in my box or on my porch today boys. I'm not a patient man…. I did at least narrow it down and I know who has my name. It's definitely Duck. Probably. Pretty sure he's sending me on of his 8 anvils.


----------



## HokieKen

And no Earl. The porta-potty music is by the Soggy Bottom Boys


----------



## mikeacg

" 'Cause he's a stud." With a cool hat! (Don't forget the hat Kenny!)


----------



## HokieKen

Or the (dung) Beatles


----------



## HokieKen

Or maybe Led Zepplin
.
.
Think on it for a second…


----------



## TheFridge

Oh my. I am a man of constant sorrow.


----------



## HokieKen




----------



## TheFridge

^ For The Win!


----------



## Bluenote38

> That sounds fair Dave! I mma need a couple weeks though I have to work on honey do stuff! Kenny if she knew I ve been working on this instead of other things there would definitely be a flogging!
> 
> - GrantA


'

ROFL!! My wife saw the incoming Swap Tools and said "So this is what you've been doing instead of working on MY project!" - which is rock facing the Great Room fireplace. Of course, I could (in all honesty and with a straight face) say "Not Me, I didn't make those, I'm not that good I got them from a friend."


----------



## RichBolduc

I only sent every FL IPA I could find at the store. I think there were 19 of them, but one can popped at the house so he got 18. Then the 3 actual beer related items…

Rich



> That sounds fair Dave! I mma need a couple weeks though I have to work on honey do stuff! Kenny if she knew I ve been working on this instead of other things there would definitely be a flogging!
> I think I win the award for most pieces for this swap project though. Not for any swap project, Rich holds that title from the beer swap lol
> 
> - GrantA


----------



## HokieKen

There were 19 beers that made it here Rich ;-) I just finished the last one a couple of weeks ago )


----------



## RichBolduc

There must have been 20 originally then. lol I remember one can popped somehow so I made the wife drink it when she got home…

Rich



> There were 19 beers that made it here Rich ;-) I just finished the last one a couple of weeks ago )
> 
> - HokieKen


----------



## GrantA

Wow you really do hate beer lol!


----------



## RichBolduc

I seriously do not like beer at all. All I drink is whiskey, rum, vodka. I blame me getting drunk and sick off beer when I was like 5… My dad thought it was hilarious and realized where all his beers vanished.. my mom was pissed… I'll try a sip of the wife's here or there, but I really don't drink beer. I think i've had 2 fulls beers in the past 20 years. One was a Kentucky Bourbon one that had a super strong bourbon taste and the other was a Coors Light that her uncle handed me the first time I ever met him, so I didn't want to be rude.

Rich



> Wow you really do hate beer lol!
> 
> - GrantA


----------



## GrantA

You had a traumatic experience, I'd guess with some sort of busch/coors/budweiser… Oh well more for the rest of us!


----------



## RichBolduc

Probably. My dad was cooking for the lions club at the fair or tractor pulls in Northampton, MA… Him and his friends would get a beer, take a few sips and put it down…. I'd sneak up and finish it. Puke all over my moms car. Parents were already divorced and man was my mom pissed. This had to have been 82/83… lol

Rich



> You had a traumatic experience, I d guess with some sort of busch/coors/budweiser… Oh well more for the rest of us!
> 
> - GrantA


----------



## GrantA

OK whew that sounds better, a couple posts up you had me thinking your dad was having you pound them! I wasn't gonna say anything


----------



## EarlS

Yep - I'm out of my league with this group. I think I'll take my virgin strawberry daiquiri (can't have alcohol with the meds I'm taking) and go stand in the corner quietly and reorganize my pocket protector.


----------



## RichBolduc

On a side note Grant…. My wife and I brought home about $1000 worth of Whiskey from our Ireland trip… lol

Rich


----------



## GrantA

Nice score rich!
.Earl - safe to assume those meds are temporary? You still locked out of the shop?


----------



## EarlS

Rich - so you are sending some out as your "bonus" item? That's mighty friendly of you to share like that ;+)

Grant - The meds are almost done, unless the infection is stubborn and doesn't go away. I'm going to try for some shop time this weekend. Nothing heavy, 20 lb lifiting restriction so jointing the 8/4×8 ft walnut slab is still on hold but I'm hoping I can work on small stuff.


----------



## KelleyCrafts

I hate to change the subject but I have to put the work hat on for a minute. Please let me know when you receive or ship (Grant) so I can mark it on the OP.


----------



## GR8HUNTER

> You had a traumatic experience, I d guess with some sort of busch/coors/budweiser… Oh well more for the rest of us!
> 
> - GrantA


piels and Schlitz for this old guy you young guys can google it :<))



> Yep - I m out of my league with this group. I think I ll take my virgin strawberry daiquiri (can t have alcohol with the meds I m taking) and go stand in the corner quietly and reorganize my pocket protector.
> 
> - EarlS


will help my buddy earl organize too much insulin for alcohol :<((


----------



## RichBolduc

I've heard about the legendary Schlitz ********************z Tony….. My Dziadek (grandfather in Polish) used to drink it. Along with some other long dead brands.

Rich


----------



## HokieKen




----------



## RichBolduc

I remember cans of Narragansett, Old Milwaukee, Shasefer and Hamm's too

Rich


----------



## EarlS

Dang Kenny you're looking a lot better after a few beers….










So never judge a book by its cover
Or who you gonna love by your lover
Love put me wise to her love in disguise
She had the body of a Venus
Lord, imagine my surprise

Well I'm not the world's most masculine man
But I know what I am and I'm glad I'm a man
And so is Lola
Lo lo lo lo Lola, lo lo lo lo Lola


----------



## RichBolduc

A 2 at 10 is a 10 at 2 and everyone looks good at 3.

Rich



> Dang Kenny you re looking a lot better after a few beers….
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> So never judge a book by its cover
> Or who you gonna love by your lover
> Love put me wise to her love in disguise
> She had the body of a Venus
> Lord, imagine my surprise
> 
> Well I m not the world s most masculine man
> But I know what I am and I m glad I m a man
> And so is Lola
> Lo lo lo lo Lola, lo lo lo lo Lola
> 
> - EarlS


----------



## John Smith_inFL

Dave - please mark me down as *RECEIVED* . . . . . .

.

.


----------



## GrantA

Yo Dave lemme get an S by my name please sir


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Thanks John and Grant, changes were made.

I didn't want Grant to be the guy who messed up the reveal date so I decided to try something fun out….by mistake. Sorry fellas.

I gave Brandon's sender an incomplete address. It was late and I copied and pasted the wrong thing. I can make up tons of excuses but overall I left the street address off the recipients address. That package was sent to a business at a specific city and zip code. Luckily, the population of that city is like 4000 or something so MAYBE if we (meaning me) are lucky, we get a motivated USPS person that says "I can still find this place so we should be fine". I'm not counting on it but I guess we will see. If that doesn't happen, then the package will make it's way back to the sender and he will put the complete street address on the package and it will go back out.

Both sender and receiver are aware of the mistake. I had to give the receiver half my moderator pay before he agreed it was fine but we made the deal.

So reveals might be Friday, they might wait for the last package, I'm not sure yet.


----------



## GrantA

Either way, cheers!


----------



## GrantA

Dave if the zip code is correct just call up the local post office in the morning and ask for the postmaster. Most are surprisingly helpful


----------



## GrantA

OK mark me received too! This is gonna kill me but I won't open it till the one I sent gets delivered, should be Friday


----------



## duckmilk

Go ahead Grant. Open it..Open it..Open it..



> Duck just chews stuff to length. 'Cause he's a stud.
> 
> - HokieKen


And spit out nails


----------



## jeffswildwood

Since everyone here is waiting for reveal, I thought I would share what I got in the mail today. A surprise from Hairy! What a wonderful box for an old war dog like me to get. Being an engineer I handled many a case of explosives so it was perfect! His timing was great also. Just when you need a lift, leave it to a fellow lumberjock to come through. Thanks Hairy!


----------



## duckmilk

Wait, empty box? Where is the C4?


----------



## jeffswildwood

> Wait, empty box? Where is the C4?
> 
> - duckmilk


I think it's better that way Duck. ;-)


----------



## GrantA

Since I haven't been posting teasers…


----------



## BMichs75

Dave, we get tons of mail and packages to the clinic everyday and being a small town everyone knows who we are. If it was delivered to the right town, I would be surprised if it didn't make its way to the clinic. But, as of this writing, there was no package delivered today. So we will see.


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Brandon, it's scheduled for tomorrow so hopefully that's true. Keep us up to date.

Jeff, I got one of those too!! Even has a false bottom. Hairy didn't trust me with the dynamite though.


----------



## EarlS

Those are some fine looking boxes from Hairy.

Brandon - I have plenty of glitter, sawdust, and brass shavings that I was going to send to Kenny for something to open while he waited by the mailbox, kind of an appetizer. I could box it up and you could open it at the clinic. After all, glitter is the Herpes of the crafting world, and I believe it's better to give than receive.

Grant - all you metalworking guys SUCK!!!


----------



## jeffswildwood

> Jeff, I got one of those too!! Even has a false bottom. Hairy didn't trust me with the dynamite though.
> 
> - KelleyCrafts


That's a nice one! Hairy has been busy.


----------



## HokieKen

As I understand it from a guy… Brandon's package left Canton this morning on its way to its final destination. He said it's still showing scheduled delivery for tomorrow too.

He also said that reveals ahould proceed as scheduled in any case…


----------



## HokieKen

> Dave if the zip code is correct just call up the local post office in the morning and ask for the postmaster. Most are surprisingly helpful
> 
> - GrantA


Might be a good idea if you swing by there or call in the morning Brandon and just give 'em a heads up?


----------



## HokieKen

Tracking… from a dude…


----------



## GrantA

I celebrated my late ship day with steak tacos & cold dos equis at my favorite Mexican restaurant, yum! This time change is killing me, I thought spring was the worst one…

So is mine the only one scheduled for Friday delivery?


----------



## DavePolaschek

I believe there's a box at my work from Hairy, too. I'm gonna go update the box swap thread, I guess…

Dave, are we in a race for which swap is going to be wrapped up first?


----------



## BMichs75

> Dave if the zip code is correct just call up the local post office in the morning and ask for the postmaster. Most are surprisingly helpful
> 
> - GrantA
> 
> Might be a good idea if you swing by there or call in the morning Brandon and just give 'em a heads up?
> 
> - HokieKen


Already on my calendar


----------



## mikeacg

> Duck just chews stuff to length. 'Cause he's a stud.
> 
> - HokieKen
> 
> And spit out nails
> 
> - duckmilk


...that he straightened with his tongue!

(The legend continues to grow…)


----------



## GrantA

Anybody here get emails from Woodworkers Supply? I've never seen one of these but it looks handy! Which one of you guys is gonna mill one out of aluminum?


----------



## HokieKen

I'll mill an Aluminum one. Then I'll anodize it red and sell it for $180 with a 6 month lead time.


----------



## GrantA

put glitter on it and have a bidding war on your hands!


----------



## RichBolduc

Put me down for 2!!!

Rich



> I ll mill an Aluminum one. Then I ll anodize it red and sell it for $180 with a 6 month lead time.
> 
> - HokieKen


----------



## GrantA

ha! Rich needs it for all the resin he uses now!


----------



## RichBolduc

Shush you…. I don't need that kind of negativity in my life…

I've gone through about $400 worth of alumilite and $300 in cactus juice… -_-

Rich



> ha! Rich needs it for all the resin he uses now!
> 
> - GrantA


----------



## GrantA

Or whatever you can dilute it with!


----------



## HokieKen

A dude told me that your package arrived at the Sugarcreek Post Office at 9:33 this morning Brandon…


----------



## EarlS

Rich - $300 in cactus juice? Is that code for tequila? Never heard of using tequila as a solvent but if it works….

Grant Those bucket openers have been around for a long time. Most paint stores have them. So does Fastenal and place like that.

Kenny - you can add some hand painted flowers and sell them on Etsy.


----------



## HokieKen

I'll send you a link when I get them up Earl. You're wife will LOVE a couple of bucket openers with hand-painted flowers for Christmas! ;-)


----------



## mikeacg

Earl,
It's been the problem solvent for many years…


----------



## RichBolduc

yeah… I've bought 5 gallons so far… Have 2 unopened and one that's a lovely color of scotch left.

Rich



> Rich - $300 in cactus juice? Is that code for tequila? Never heard of using tequila as a solvent but if it works….
> - EarlS


----------



## HokieKen

I was looking at some chisels on Ebay and found this killer deal! I'd suggest you each buy at least 2!!


----------



## GR8HUNTER

tomorrow cant come fast enuff for me WOOOOO HOOOOOOOO :<))



> I was looking at some chisels on Ebay and found this killer deal! I d suggest you each buy at least 2!!
> 
> - HokieKen


i had already ordered all you jocks 2 of them already then i woke up LOL :<))


----------



## mikeacg

Someone please explain why that chisel is worth that much money! I don't get it…


----------



## HokieKen

Just buy one and you'll see why it's worth that much Mike. I personally guarantee you'll regret the purchase immediately!


----------



## HokieKen




----------



## GrantA

I need to get knives for my 16" double sided planer and my 12" jointer. Suggestions? I can get planer knives from Woodtek (it's a woodtek machine) for $60 a set (of 3). The machine uses 2 sets. That may be about as good as it gets but I figured I'd ask where you all like to get them.


----------



## GrantA

Actually Grizzly has a dispoz-a-blade setup that is for a 16" 4-knife cutterhead of theirs on clearance for $117, the knife specs for the machine match mine I'd just have an extra holder. Any feedback on the dispoz-a-blade?


----------



## HokieKen

Alright fellas. That's the third time the cops have been by this week because of neighbors complaining about my nude mailbox stalking. I hope something's coming today!


----------



## GrantA

Probably coming Friday Kenny


----------



## HokieKen

Well now I definitely know who got my name 

It's Earl!


----------



## EarlS

Dang it Kenny!!!! You put Sherlock Holmes to shame. Guess I'd better get the stuff in the box and make a trip to the local USPS station.

I'm hoping my box arrives this afternoon because the weather folks are calling for 1-2" of the white stuff (snow for you southern dwellers) tonight and tomorrow. Anyone want to help a decrepit, ailing, laid up guy shovel his snow tomorrow morning? I can pay in glitter, wood scraps, and saw dust. You can even use the big 7.5 HP, 2-stage, self propelled snow blower I have. It helps pull me up the steep driveway.


----------



## KelleyCrafts

What is snow?


----------



## EarlS

It's the street name for shaved ice.


----------



## HokieKen

> What is snow?
> 
> - KelleyCrafts


A bastard in the North. Duh.


----------



## GrantA

I thought this was snow?


----------



## KelleyCrafts

I know there are a handful of packages making their way in today. Let me know if you get them. The iffy address package has made it to the recipient so that's good news.


----------



## EarlS

Everything I do is iffy. I'm on my way to see the Pony Express with Kenny's box-o-glitter.


----------



## HokieKen

> I thought this was snow?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> - GrantA


No, this is Snow:


----------



## EarlS

Nah - this is what snow looks like where I grew up:










Looks like this was taken on a beautiful early June day.


----------



## bigblockyeti

This is snow.


----------



## duckmilk

I heard the white powdery stuff was illegal. Perhaps that is why the cops keep driving by Kenny's house.


----------



## RichBolduc

Mine was supposed to be delivered by 8 today… but it says it's still in transit in the recipients state.

-_-

Rich


----------



## HokieKen

> This is snow.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> - bigblockyeti


A lickey-boom-boom-pow


----------



## duckmilk

Hmm, got a voice mail this afternoon from the county appraiser. He said if I sign up for the age 65 homestead exemption, it would cut 25K off the appraised value of our property for this year. Yesterday he was here and said he would deduct 5% off the value of our big shop for depreciation. I think I love this guy. Wonder if he drinks beer and likes to fish?


----------



## RichBolduc

And I just looked at the USPS tracking… and it's in the wrong state…....

Verified the receipt, and it has the right city and state on it… great…

Rich


----------



## jeffswildwood

So…...is tomorrow reveal day??


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Maybe we should wait for Saturday?


----------



## BMichs75

> - HokieKen


They delivered it around 3pm. All I can say is I was giddy like a 10 year old girl at a Justin Bieber concert


----------



## HokieKen

I know the feeling Brandon ). Give me a sweet, sweet R Dave.


----------



## KelleyCrafts

I think we are just waiting on Elroy, Earl, and Fridge to receive and we can reveal.


----------



## EarlS

I'm always the last one picked. Just like when I was a little kid we played red rover or dodge ball at recess….. <sigh> some things never change.

I wonder if I can mail something to myself for the next swap since I'm the moderator, or better yet do like Kenny and send everyone my address.

I'm for starting the reveal tomorrow and we can stretch it out into tomorrow night and Saturday. The folks that sent the boxes should be able to verify that they will arrive either tomorrow or Saturday. I, for one, want to see what everyone got and this way would stretch it out. Kind of like opening some presents on Christmas Eve and the rest on Christmas Day.

Plus now that Kenny has his swap item I'm sure his wife would like him to stop prancing around in his cape. It frightens the children and terrifies the pets.


----------



## HokieKen

Screw the kids and I ate the pets.

And I don't really care when we do reveals. But I'm posting pics of mine tomorrow ;-)


----------



## GR8HUNTER

> Screw the kids and I ate the pets.
> 
> And I don't really care when we do reveals. But I'm posting pics of mine tomorrow ;-)
> 
> - HokieKen


you better not let me down DO IT DO IT DO IT :<))))


----------



## Woodmaster1

> What is snow?
> 
> - KelleyCrafts


I will know tomorrow morning, because it is going to snow.


----------



## GrantA

No reveals yet?










I found one of Kenny's for sale ads too!


----------



## HokieKen

LOL to the Snap-on block 

I'll post reveal in a bit. Too big of a PITA on my phone…


----------



## mikeacg

I got up this early for nothing? Come on Kenny!!!!


----------



## GrantA




----------



## GrantA

Everybody will see all this activity and think "wow there reveals to see"

Then they scroll down and NOPE just us and our shenanigans


----------



## HokieKen

Let's take a vote. If y'all want to see a reveal, let me know. Once everyone in the swap responds, I'll post some pics. If that's what y'all want.


----------



## RichBolduc

I'm fine with reveals whenever…. I'm concerned that the stuff I sent was shipped to the wrong state though….

Rich


----------



## GrantA

Rich is it still showing that? A lot of times it'll go seemingly out of the way to a hub then make its way to the destination. Drives one of my customers crazy when his freight moves 150 miles east to get 100 miles west lol


----------



## RichBolduc

Yeah. Elroy got me….. It shows it's in NH but he lives in VT. =\ Was supposed to be delivered to him yesterday.

Rich



> Rich is it still showing that? A lot of times it ll go seemingly out of the way to a hub then make its way to the destination. Drives one of my customers crazy when his freight moves 150 miles east to get 100 miles west lol
> 
> - GrantA


----------



## GrantA

At least it's a neighboring state, could be on the right path even and just got delayed a day. If you don't see favorable activity this morning call up the post office

Worst case locate it and send me addresses, we'll take collections and I'll get it delivered on a hotshot


----------



## mikeacg

Ooooh, someone is happy!!!!


----------



## EarlS

I'll choose Grant for the win, Alex…... I'm not sure I want to see the Snap-On calendar that goes with Kenny's wood block.

Kenny - I'm not a dead democrat in Chicago so I can only vote once, and I already did.


----------



## ElroyD

> Yeah. Elroy got me….. It shows it s in NH but he lives in VT. = Was supposed to be delivered to him yesterday.
> 
> Rich


Don't wait on me. Go ahead and start the reveals! I'm curious to see what everyone made. With any luck, I'll see a package in the mail today or tomorrow.

-Elroy


----------



## EarlS

While we are waiting I found a picture of Kenny's laundry hanging out to dry:


----------



## HokieKen

Well, alright boys, I'll start the ball rolling 

My package came from the swap Veterinarian, Brandon (BMichs75). I was stoked to find a box on the porch when I got home last night  Inside were all these goodies!










First there was a marking knife. Which is something I use a lot so an extra is more than welcome.










I'm not sure what the wood is? And I don't know for sure but I think Brandon did his own metal working on this. I like the blade shape and size and it's exceptionally well ground with the point on center and the sides symmetric. I did a little "stress testing" on it too and the hardness is good as well. No rolled edges and it left a nice line )

Second we have an awl.










Now I joked about nails in door knobs and calling it an awl at the beginning of this swap. That's certainly not what this is! Brandon laminated the handle in a Celtic Knot-ish style. Again, not sure what the woods are, hopefully he will enlighten us. The twist in the shaft is awesome though and makes for a handsome tool. The point is well-ground and centered and held up superbly in my stress testing as well. I'm not sure what Brandon used for the ferrules on the awl and knife but they're both excellent with cutouts just the right size for the tools and they're turned to match the wood perfectly on both.

Finally, a wood and brass square  I've never made one of these but always admired them. This one is classic in looks and feel.










I'm pretty sure the wood on this one is Cocobolo (my favorite!) which is always a great match with some nice polished brass. The best part though? See the light between the blades?










No? That's 'cause it ain't there ;-) Brandon got this thing dead square so big bonus points there! It's a handy size too and fits nicely in my tool well. So there it shall reside.

Finally as a great bonus, he sent me some <cocobolo>?, some ??? wood, and some brass.










I'm not sure what the mystery wood is but it is heavy and beautiful. Some gorgeous chatoyance. Fill me in on what all the different woods are Brandon )

And THANK YOU for an excellent package. These are all 3 well-made tools that are ready to go to work and that will find use in my shop. Excellent material selections and kudos for making a square square! I hope you enjoyed the builds and found some new skills!


----------



## GrantA

Very nice Brandon!

For future swaps though guys if you get Kenny make sure whatever you send needs a little tweaking, it'll give him something to do


----------



## mikeacg

Off to a good start with this swap! Thanks for priming the pump Kenny! Can't wait to see what everyone else did!!!


----------



## GR8HUNTER

a very nice package Brandon :<)) LUCKY KENNY MORE PLEASE :<))


----------



## GrantA

Kenny is that awl perhaps a turned down drill bit? Looks sweet!


----------



## HokieKen

I think it must be some kind of special bit. Maybe a masonry bit? The flutes are very shallow and have no sharp edge. Whatever it is, it's plenty hard and looks really cool!


----------



## GrantA

I was noticing how shallow the flutes are, I'm gonna have to put one in the lathe and see how well a carbide insert will cut it. I'll wear my apron and face shield!


----------



## EarlS

Those are some sweet looking tools. Nice work Brandon!!!!


----------



## HokieKen

I'd be more inclined to spin it in a hand drill against a belt or wheel grinder. Small diameter+interrupted cuts+hardened steel is gonna be tough on your turning tool.


----------



## HokieKen

Earl, Grant is waiting until his package is delivered to be fair to his recipient. Hypothetically, *if* you were his recipient, would you want him to wait or go ahead and open his package and show us the goods? Hypothetically…


----------



## HokieKen

I have a meeting from 9-10. There better be some pics when I get back!


----------



## EarlS

Open those suckers up and post them…..don't wait for me. You know how slow and decrepit I am. Hypothetically, of course


----------



## GrantA

I can't confirm or deny who's getting what, fridge and Earl are still waiting 
I can confirm one of yall is getting a box from me today, I've been wearing out the refresh button on the FedEx tracking page, it's on the truck for delivery now!


----------



## BMichs75

Kenny,
The marking knife if made from an old planer blade that came out of my powermatic 180. I recently installed a Byrd head on it and saved the knives for a special occasion like this. The blade was hand ground (difficult in a hardened blade I found out) and sharpened to 4000 grit on my Japanese wet stones (careful as that thing is scalpel blade sharp  ). The wood is jatoba and the ferrule is made from a brass plumbing cap turned down.

The awl was made from a piece of bloodwood I purchased when I was in veterinary school about 10 years ago. Bloodwood is one of my favorite woods due to its density and the color it has when finished. I thought it would be a nice piece to add. The Celtic knot was made from hard maple and was the first time I have ever made one. My only critique is I wish I would have used thinner stock as it would have offer a more sleek look. The blade is in fact a masonry bit. I cut the carbide tip off and turned it out to a point on a sander at a slow speed to maintain the temper. Again the ferrel is a brass cap from the plumbing isle at Lowes.

The square is made from… you guessed it, cocobolo. First time working with that wood and I loved the feel when it was all glued up. I didn't trust the epoxy alone so it was also pinned with 1/8" brass round stock. A little hand filing and sanding to get the blade as square as I possibly could. The blade was hand sanded to 2000 grit wet/dry paper on all 4 sides.

Everything was finished with 3-6 coats of danish oil.

Bonus items included the leftover bar stock of brass used to make the square blade, left over cocobolo, and a piece of radiant wood stock (jatoba or sapele???). I bought a large pallet full of cool pieces at a auction 4 years back and this was one of the pieces. I loved the radiant tangential rays of this piece and thought Kenny would also have an appreciation for the beauty.

There you have it friends… my attempt at a marking tool swap. Kenny I hope everything fits you well and you get plenty of use out of all the tools.


----------



## Bluenote38

Big Reveal… Snowing in Michigan ;-)










On a real note too big for my phone

Holy crap - this is like a group txt msg. 48 notifications.


----------



## KelleyCrafts

I just got into work so I'll get a post up soon with what I received. Kenny can't be the only one folks….post'em up. I think everyone else is getting their stuff in today so we should be good for reveals when you get it.

I'll get something up soon for my stuff, I'm two hours behind most of you.


----------



## GrantA

Dave that just means you should start two hours earlier than us!


----------



## GR8HUNTER

> I have a meeting from 9-10. There better be some pics when I get back!
> 
> - HokieKen


We need more pics posted here in 7 min.


----------



## Lazyman

Come on guys. You don't want Kenny pissed at you. Besides, us deadbeat nonparticipants need some tool porn.


----------



## KelleyCrafts

hmmm….I might have to wait a bit. I kind of strive for Kenny to be pissed at me. I don't think I can pass up the opportunity.


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Well, it wasn't really a surprise who was sending to me but I'm very pleased with what came. Bluenote was my sender and he did a wonderful job on his first swap, at least I believe he said it was his first swap. Either way, he sent my some stuff I'll use so I'm happy.



















First up is a bidcage awl. I have one from Kenny I received for my birthday a year ago and use it constantly. This one is a lot smaller so it fits right in with the other one so they will both be handy to have around. I didn't bring the sheet with me to work which listed all the woods so I'll have to just spit out some wood types that I remember and Bluenote can correct me along the way if he feels like it. The awl is pink ivory. Sitting next to the awl is a marking gauge that's HUGE. I have never owned one this big and I actually think I can find a use for this to go with my others. It might not get used often but when you want one, it's nice to have. I believe it's made of mahogany and I'm not sure of the rest. The knob is ebony I believe.



















Up next is the real deal big item and it's a couple of pinch sticks. These things are cool, and will be handy as all get out. I actually don't have a story stick, bar gauge, pinch sticks, etc. in my shop at all and it's always been on my list of things to do but never a priority. These suckers will go to work very soon when I start my kitchen cabinet build doing drawer work and the like. These are made from purple heart and aluminum. The sliders are brass and ebony and I'm a big fan of these. I dig them a lot.

So I'll say it again to him, thanks Bluenote! I appreciate the hard work and the challenges you faced that we talked about is the point of this thin so kudos!


----------



## GR8HUNTER

very nice work Bill wow not a swap virgin anymore very nice story sticks :<)) nice haul Dave


----------



## GrantA

Safe to assume Bluenote =Bill? Awesome work! I'm anxious to see (hopefully) a project post on those!


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Yep, I guess it's in his signature so I can use his real name. It's Bill.


----------



## HokieKen

Whew! Luckily my meeting ran long and Dave saved y'all's bacon! What are the rest of y'all waiting on????

Thanks for the info Brandon! Excellent work on all ) And if that's Jatoba or Sapele, it's the most superior board I've ever seen of either one. Regardless of species, it's destined to dress up some future projects )


----------



## HokieKen

Bluenote Bill does some damn fine work! Wowzas those pinch sticks are sexy and look damn handy and I'm a big fan of birdcage awls. Glad Dave finally has a decent one and not just that POS he got for his 40th birthday! Great show Bill!


----------



## EarlS

Kenny - I'm still waiting for my box from you. Have you made it to the Post Office yet???

Bill - those are some fine looking story sticks. I also like the look of the pink ivory on the awl. I remember wondering what you would make with it when you posted a teaser of it. The marking gauge reminds me of the ones you see in a picture of a master craftsman's tool box, simple but elegant. Well done for a first swap. So I can mark you down for the swap this spring?


----------



## Bluenote38

Yes, a Swap virgin no more am I. You guys have always amazed me at your level of capability, ability, artistry, and technical competence. My swap partner was Earl and he came through on all counts in Spades. For being a singular swap I received a six (yes, 6) piece tool group of stunning implements in utility, beauty and execution. (btw my upload speed sucks)










Starting with the Marking gauge - it's Bloodwood, Katalox, and Cocobolo with brass rub surfaces. You should feel this gauge. It is smooth and soft as silk!!










This is going to be a great user



















Next up is a pair of Torpedo Levels. One in Brazilian Ebony and the second in Granadillo both with superbly inlaid brass wear plates.



















Next is a Rectangular Layout Gauge in Paduk and Cocobolo. This piece features brass layout surfaces and a Starrett 6" scale retained by several rare earth magnets - it's not going anywhere.



















Last is a pair of Bocote and brass pencil gauges. One is for straight edges and the second curves.



















These are all outstanding additions to my tool box - thanks Earl…


----------



## RichBolduc

Woohooo.. Elroy's says delivered… I don't feel like "That person" anymore 

Rich


----------



## Bluenote38

> Kenny - I m still waiting for my box from you. Have you made it to the Post Office yet???
> 
> Bill - those are some fine looking story sticks. I also like the look of the pink ivory on the awl. I remember wondering what you would make with it when you posted a teaser of it. The marking gauge reminds me of the ones you see in a picture of a master craftsman s tool box, simple but elegant. Well done for a first swap. So I can mark you down for the swap this spring?
> 
> - EarlS


Lol… yes I'm in for Spring. I'll still have a shop this spring. Next summer(?) no idea where I'll be - maybe a tent. ;-)


----------



## RichBolduc

Good lord… Earl's embarrassing us all again… Are we all going to put in orders for these like we did the dice mallets? 

Rich


----------



## GrantA

Wow Earl! You guys are making me second guess what I made


----------



## HokieKen

I was gonna take your package to the PO today Earl. But not now! What the hell is your deal with trying to make the rest of us look like slackers? I think going forward, these swaps should just be a matter of everyone sending their address to Earl and then he makes us all something and sends it to us with nothing in return.

Oh wait…. he already did that after the mallet swap…

Seriously Earl, that's a badass package. You did just fine and dandy on that brass too ;-) I especially like the height gauge/butt gauge/whatever it's called. That would be handy to have around. The brass wear plates and the key to keep it aligned are excellent. In-setting the scale and using magnets to hold it is brilliant. That way it's adjustable and rigid. Definitely copying that one! (Don't you dare send me one!)

I have an machinists' ingrained fear of wooden levels but dang those are sexy! I wouldn't use one to level my lathe bed but I'd definitely use it to hang pictures!

I need a mortise gauge and I like that design a lot. I have many marking gauges but none with 2 pins. Did you find plans somewhere or is that your design? Either way excellent execution! I'll have to keep that one in mind to copy too 

Excellent work, as always, Earl. Bill, that's a great package to score and one you certainly deserved in return for the one you made!


----------



## GR8HUNTER

a great bunch of goodies Earl you came thorough again with flying colors I want you to have my name in the next swap LMAO :<)) more post please :<))))


----------



## EarlS

Bill - I'm pleased that you like them and can find a home for them in your shop.

Have to be honest and admit I made 7 torpedo levels because I kept finding scraps of cool wood. I bought the plans from Schlabaugh & Sons. I was thrilled that my Dad wanted one.

They were done in early August so I decided to make a marking gauge so I bought another set of plans from Schlabaugh and Sons. I made 2 of them just in case something didn't work out. The Granadillo version has a large crack that showed up across the top so I kept it. Good thing I made extra.

Meanwhile I found plans for the square layout gauge and had to make it. I actually made 3 of them that I messed up because I didn't pay attention to the plans. So I had to make 2 more correctly.

Which leads me to the final set of marking gauges. I stumbled across a picture of them and found plans for them as well. Since I had a bunch of scraps from the square layout gauge I made 3 sets. I think the idea behind the circle layout gauge is brilliant. One side for inside circles, and the other for outside circles.

I will post where I found all of the plans on my Project post.

I'm not sure I'm up to taking orders this time around. My daughters have suggested that I make some stuff for them, and my wife needs a bookcase. I also have to start working on the "mystery" swap item if my ineptitude this time around is any indication of how that will go.


----------



## RichBolduc

Earl… you seriously need to set up an online store….

Rich


----------



## HokieKen

> Earl… you seriously need to set up an online store….
> 
> Rich
> 
> - RichBolduc


Yeah. You can use it to sell your wife and daughters so you can keep making stuff for us! ;-P


----------



## KelleyCrafts

WOW EARL!!! WOW! The square layout gauge is the star but all of it puts mine to shame. The levels are clean and beautiful, the marking gauge is stellar in how it works for mortises and the pencil gauges I actually don't think I've ever seen one before.

The person who got my package, if you haven't opened it yet, just toss it in the trash….Earl, you are the man.


----------



## RichBolduc

Maybe he can just adopt us and make us stuff full time?

Rich



> Earl… you seriously need to set up an online store….
> 
> Rich
> 
> - RichBolduc
> 
> Yeah. You can use it to sell your wife and daughters so you can keep making stuff for us! ;-P
> 
> - HokieKen


----------



## Lazyman

Earl, you are certainly an over achiever. Stunning work.


----------



## TheFridge

Sorry! Busy last night and today. package received. Will check er out when I get home this evening. Don't let me hold up progress!

I don't know who got the Vaseline but I tell you I'm jealous….


----------



## mikeacg

And Earl wants us all to join his swap? So he can embarrass us further???? Wow is all I can say…

Biil - you did a great job, especially for a newbie! I look forward to your write-up on how you made all of it!

This swap is looking great and it's still early! I'm sorry I missed out but life got in the way. I'll be back for the next one Earl! I love the abuse!!!


----------



## GR8HUNTER

I have to take wifey to doc there better be more pictures of porn when I return *OR* you guys are not aloud to participate in any more swaps LMAO :<)))))))))))))


----------



## TheFridge

What other swap?


----------



## HokieKen

> What other swap?
> 
> - TheFridge


Earl's doing another "surprise" swap after the first of the year. And NO, you can't send your wife or any of your kids and yell "surprise". I already asked :-/


----------



## RichBolduc

That means you can't jump out of a box wearing only your cape either…...

Rich



> What other swap?
> 
> - TheFridge
> 
> Earl s doing another "surprise" swap after the first of the year. And NO, you can t send your wife or any of your kids and yell "surprise". I already asked :-/
> 
> - HokieKen


----------



## HokieKen

Like hell it does!


----------



## HokieKen

Where's all the friggin' pictures of the sweet tools you buncha hemmorhoids?!


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Don't bother opening it Fridge, just toss it and I'll send you a little cash or some end mills or something.


----------



## RichBolduc

We all had our spirits and souls crushed after seeing what Earl made… We're to embarrassed to show what we did.

Rich



> Where s all the friggin pictures of the sweet tools you buncha hemmorhoids?!
> 
> - HokieKen


----------



## EarlS

Rich - I would go broke with an online store. My scrap bin is full of "mistakes".

Kenny might just be onto something. Just as long as I can keep the dogs.

I'm thinking my "surprise" entry might have to be a squirrel in a box.

Dave - I cheated and bought plans so none of the items were my ideas. As I said, it took more than one re-do for me to follow the instructions. My approach as always is "if you can't beat them with quality, overwhelm them with quantity".

Mike - I was "volunteered" for the position by whoever was running the beer swap (Kenny) not mentioning any names (Kenny).

I'm anxiously waiting for my boss to leave work early so I can slip out the back door and head home to see if any of the local delivery folks have made it to our neighborhood. Usually, it is after dark when they come by and I find things sitting by the back door the next morning.


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Definitely let me know when it's delivered so I know we are good. Just waiting on you and Elroy to give me the word and I can hang my hat on this one.

You do great work Earl, I'll be sending you something after I get my little remodel done so it will probably be months from now but One day, you'll just get a nice surprise. I would do it sooner but my wife is finally the boss on a project around the house and she's taking advantage of it so I definitely have my hands full right now. I don't even have drywall in my kitchen ceiling right now….it's horrible. The whip marks will scare too I think.


----------



## HokieKen

> We all had our spirits and souls crushed after seeing what Earl made… We re to embarrassed to show what we did.
> 
> Rich
> 
> - RichBolduc


I know of at least a couple of packages that are still worth showing. Even in the shadow of Earl's. Mine's not one of them but there are a couple…

... ahhhh hell I tried but I just can't do it! Humility makes me itch and my head throb. My package is WAY better than Earl's! Not the tools… but the package itself. I packed the hell out of that box. Packing tape on all the seams, beautifully centered with the ends trimmed flush. Yep, there's no doubt, I sent the best package in the whole swap! The contents on the other hand…


----------



## GrantA

I can see the only way to stand out in this crowd - I'll have to start putting snacks in the package, guaranteed to taste better than a pencil gauge!


----------



## John Smith_inFL

Here is my gift from our valued member, *Elroy D.*
I think that Elroy is stuck in a time warp from when the First Settlers landed at Plymouth Rock.
he used very few power tools (if any) and no metal fasteners in making this very fine Chalk Line.
His personal note read:
"Here's a Chalk Line and a bit of chalk for it. I based this on images of Colonial Layout Tools
used to mark timbers for cabin and ship building. I try to work as an 18th century woodworker.
The bow and chalk canister are maple, worked green from our back yard and the other bits are 
maple from the woodpile. Finished with linseed oil" 
~ Elroy ~

nicely done, Elroy. nicely done indeed !! and thank you so much !!





































I was telling Elroy that I am assembling many of the woodworking tools that my great grandfather,
grandfather and father used back in their day into a toolbox to pass down to my grandkids and this 
chalk line fits the bill to a *"T"* . . . . this is one of those items that I would never have thought
to make myself. all I know is the modern metal chalk lines which are not period correct AT ALL.
thanks again, Elroy !!

.


----------



## GrantA

That's pretty cool John! Nice work Elroy, does the bow serve any particular purpose? I'm trying to wrap my head around it.


----------



## HokieKen

Well I'll be damned. There is a swap first! I've even seen levels before but not a chalk box. Nicely done Elroy and it's pretty cool it went to John who has such a cool collection going to pass down to the younger generation. Good on both of y'all!

Like John, the modern metal versions are all I know so forgive my ignorance but… how do you put the chalk on the line? Just put a touch on your finger tip and rub it on or do you ball the line up and put it in the little box? Educate me )


----------



## GrantA

Reveal time!


----------



## HokieKen

Grant, I think Earl gave you the all clear to open your box…

Rich, what the hell are you waiting on?


----------



## HokieKen

LOL!!!!


----------



## GrantA

Yeah but it'll be my luck something bad will happen I'll wait until it delivers. I just got a delivered notice from FedEx and got excited but it was for a customer :-(


----------



## RichBolduc

I'm sitting at work for another 10 minutes… then to get blood work done… should be home and posting by 330.

Rich



> Rich, what the hell are you waiting on?
> 
> - HokieKen


----------



## GrantA

If you don't hurry up Kenny is gonna do blood work on ya


----------



## RichBolduc

As long as it gets the wife to stop nagging me about it i'm ok with that.. All because I haven't seen a doctor in 10+ years she's been demanding I go get a physical and full blood workup done… She's not a fan of the "I'll go to the doctors when I can't take care of it myself" mentality. Will Kenny wear a nurses outfit with his cape?

Rich



> If you don t hurry up Kenny is gonna do blood work on ya
> 
> - GrantA


----------



## John Smith_inFL

Elroy didn't enclose any instructions with the string line.
so he will have to chime in on how our ForeFathers used it.

.

.


----------



## EarlS

Elroy - you have to tell us more - A LOT MORE - about that chalk line. That is BRILLIANT!!!!

No you guys see why I go quantity? I can't compete with that kind of work. I think my pocket protector needs more reorganization. I'll be in the corner.

Does everyone agree that Kenny has the nicest box?? (I was going to say package but decency won't let me).

Grant - you're starting to get Kenny and Fridge riled up. Open that box sir and let out the goodness within.


----------



## Bluenote38

> Earl… you seriously need to set up an online store….
> 
> Rich
> 
> - RichBolduc


I echo that!


----------



## Bluenote38

> Here is my gift from our valued member, *Elroy D.*
> 
> His personal note read:
> "Here s a Chalk Line and a bit of chalk for it.
> ~ Elroy ~
> 
> nicely done, Elroy. nicely done indeed !! and thank you so much !!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I was telling Elroy that I am assembling many of the woodworking tools that my great grandfather,
> grandfather and father used back in their day into a toolbox to pass down to my grandkids and this
> chalk line fits the bill to a *"T"* . . . . this is one of those items that I would never have thought
> to make myself. all I know is the modern metal chalk lines which are not period correct AT ALL.
> thanks again, Elroy !!
> 
> - John Smith


Much nicer than my bright yellow plastic one. To thumbs up (if you have them)


----------



## HokieKen

> Elroy - you have to tell us more - A LOT MORE - about that chalk line. That is BRILLIANT!!!!
> ...
> 
> - EarlS


I second this!



> Yeah but it ll be my luck something bad will happen I ll wait until it delivers. I just got a delivered notice from FedEx and got excited but it was for a customer :-(
> 
> - GrantA


Good thinking Grant. Because everyone knows a sealed box in Georgia guarantees a delivered box in Iowa.


----------



## GrantA

I'm figuring you lay the line across the chalk container, loosely press the lid on and drag the line through, coating with chalk. I've been wrong before.

I left that package safe and sound on my bench, it'll probably be a few hours before I'm even able to open it now, I have removed the temptation


----------



## GrantA

There are greater forces at work here Kenny this is serious swap business


----------



## HokieKen

> ... Will Kenny wear a nurses outfit with his cape?
> 
> Rich
> 
> - RichBolduc


I wish I had a nickel for every time I've been asked that…


----------



## ElroyD

You can mark me as officially received. 










I'm happy you guys like the chalk line. I wasn't sure about it when I started making it. Basically, the bow just acts as a holder for the line while it's coiled up for storage. The entire bow section spins on the handle to allow the user to unreel it quickly.

To use it, draw the line through some chalk or ink, sort of the way Grant mentioned, so that it sticks to the line. Have an assistant hold the tabbed end on one end of your work, walk to the other end of where you need your straight line, pull it tight, and snap it. If there's enough chalk, it should leave a nice straight mark to follow.

In colonial days they were often used when hewing beams for cabins and ships, to give a straight line for the hatchet men to follow while squaring up logs. I figure in a modern shop they can be used for marking out long lengths on boards.

There's another type that has the reel attached to a bowl full of ink or chalk that I may attempt to make at some point. There's a cool video of one being made here:


----------



## RichBolduc

Man it looks like USPS beat up that box…lol. Hope nothing is broke. I separated the swap items from some bonus items

Rich


----------



## RichBolduc

You'd have more nickles if it was for every time you heard put some damn clothes on…

Rich



> ... Will Kenny wear a nurses outfit with his cape?
> 
> Rich
> 
> - RichBolduc
> 
> I wish I had a nickel for every time I ve been asked that…
> 
> - HokieKen


----------



## RichBolduc

So I had George/Woodmaster send me my package. As stated before, it's purple goodness… Purple Heart!!! Because he sent it so early, I actually put the knife to use on this swap. The square is dead on and I already have plans for the angle gauge 

Rich


----------



## GrantA

OK I ended up having to run back home after picking up the kids, since I have Earl's blessing I went ahead and opened up my package from Fridge. 
WOW what an awesome marking gauge! The pictures don't do it justice. I only have two that are the pin style so this one will be put to good use! 
Fit & finish is immaculate - slick as glass, perfect joints between wood & brass. Amazing!
THANK YOU ANDREW!


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Elroy that little chalk box is awesome! Is that felt on bottom of the lid? If so then it makes total sense. Great job on the 18th century work there, seriously that's another swap first I think. The steam bending is awesome if that's what you did to get it curved beyond it being green. It also sounds like it fell into the right hands too! Can't beat that!

George, the purple is awesome, wow that color stayed well. I never have luck keeping purple heart purple. I never once was successful. Maybe it was too dark when I start?? Who knows. Those look like super quality tools for sure!

Elroy, I'll mark you as received. Earl, just waiting on you (Grant) since I haven't heard anything and you're (Grant) is the slacker of the group.


----------



## HokieKen

Atta way fellas!

Nice set of PH layout tools George! The wood and brass look great together!

There ya go Grant ;-) Fridge's marking gauges are the bee's knees! Even with a mill, it takes some skillz to make that end piece fit the wooden stem so nicely and the tight fit of the blade in the channel on the end is good stuff. Not to mention how smooth and polished the Walnut and Maple are. He must have sanded that up to about 800,000 grit.


----------



## HokieKen

Still 5 to be revealed by my count…


----------



## KelleyCrafts

SUPER CLEAN!!! Great work Fridge….you throw that box out yet?


----------



## ElroyD

Here are the awesome tools I received from Rich: A nice panel gauge, a center finder, a marking knife (which I desperately needed), a boatload of my favorite pencils, and a couple of hunks of hardwood for my next project.



















The marking knife is nice and sturdy, with scales pinned to each side. I ran right down to my shop and found that it gives a nice crisp line.



















The panel gauge also leaves a nice line, and is another tool that I've been needing. I really like how the color of the metal arm compliments the wood of the fence and turned wood handle.










The center finder matches the panel gauge, making a nice set for my toolbox.










The pencils, sadly, have already been claimed by my daughters, who ran off with a box each before I could hide them. I'm sure they'll put them to good use makings tons of cool drawings for our refrigerator.


----------



## Woodmaster1

John Smith sent an awesome set of tools.


----------



## GR8HUNTER

very classy looking purple tools George :<))

awesome marking gauge Andrew classy looking :<)))

and WOW Rich goureous looking wood on them tools and also my fav pencils also Elroy :<))

nice job John great collection :<))

3 more to go come on guys


----------



## RichBolduc

Glad they'll be of use Elroy. The wood should stay pretty hard. I had the burl in the vacuum chamber for 3 days stabilizing and dying. The panel gauge tip is replaceable with a lathe tool carbide insert.

Rich


----------



## KelleyCrafts

WOW Rich and John really stepping it up!! Man, everyone is giving Earl a run for his money on this one. I can't believe some of the great work being performed.

The panel gauge is awesome! I don't have one and haven't really needed one but I will eventually want one around the shop, I like that design, looks great! What kind of wood is the bonus? Looks like good stuff.

That chalk line rig is so modern yet classic looking it's amazing. Two chalk lines in the swap, who would have guessed???...nobody. It's funny, I barely use a chalk line but I will be tomorrow, wouldn't mind having one of those for this rare occasion.

Excellent work guys.


----------



## RichBolduc

It's a chunk of Osage orange and a chunk of purple heart. All the tools are made from dyed and stabilized satinwood burl. The panel gauge had a replaceable carbide head on it.

Rich


----------



## HokieKen

Awesome work John and Rich. The burl looks awesome Rich! I'd like some more detail on the materials and especially on the chalkbox/penis stretcher John ;-)


----------



## jeffswildwood

I go down to the shop for a few hours and 91 post! Wow, there sure is some awesome stuff coming out on THIS swap. Everyone went all out! Lots of sweet metal work too. Usually I feel bad missing out on a swap but I would have been out of my league if I had joined this one!  Earl, that is an amazing set. I would have no idea how to get a level, level! Great job everyone. Can't wait to see the rest.


----------



## mikeacg

Exactly what I was thinking Jeff! These guys are rockin' it!


----------



## HokieKen

Glad you made it into the shop for a while Jeff! And we all know you would have rose to the occasion if you'd have joined.

I have to agree with you and Mike though, some serious chops being shown so far!


----------



## GrantA

I've refreshing this screen all day long… They said it should be there by 5 when I called


----------



## Woodmaster1

> I go down to the shop for a few hours and 91 post! Wow, there sure is some awesome stuff coming out on THIS swap. Everyone went all out! Lots of sweet metal work too. Usually I feel bad missing out on a swap but I would have been out of my league if I had joined this one!  Earl, that is an amazing set. I would have no idea how to get a level, level! Great job everyone. Can t wait to see the rest.
> 
> - jeffswildwood


Jeff you would have done great job. I always feel I get more than I send. Then in retrospect everyone does a great job no one needs to feel their stuff is subpar. Great job to everyone who participated.


----------



## HokieKen

I'll second that ^^


----------



## KelleyCrafts

> I ve refreshing this screen all day long… They said it should be there by 5 when I called
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> - GrantA


I freaked out when I saw Illinois on there….at first. Then I figured it out.


----------



## HokieKen

So we are awaiting pics from Brandon, Fridge and Earl from what I can tell. Then Dave can collect his moderator pay and call it good.


----------



## EarlS

I saw the Fed-Ex truck on my way home and almost stalked it to the next stop. At least I know it is finally in town.

All I can say is WOW on all of the great layout tools and the quality and creativity is amazing. I'm having tool porn overload…..I think I'm going blind. I'll have to do some more drooling later tonight after it gets dark and I can be alone.

I just heard a vehicle go by that might be a Fed Ex delivery truck. Meanwhile, I'm replacing the temperature switch and control in the shop heater so I can work out there this weekend.


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Go chase the truck Earl….


----------



## GrantA

Go get it Earl!


----------



## EarlS

I almost tripped over this really well taped box on my way to the shop. I gingerly opened it, concerned that the glitter bomber might be sending me something. In case you haven't been following along at home, Grant was my sender.

The first thing I found was some ballast:










I'll have to wait a couple more weeks to try them as my meds are not compatible with these types of adult beverages. I will impatiently be waiting to try them. Once I can do so I will let you know how they taste. Fortunately, my wife isn't much of a beer drinker.

Then I discovered a plastic storage container filled with a multitude of small packages:










After removing the tape (it was well taped shut and I'm one of those folks that has to get all the tape off before I can proceed to the goodies inside) I was finally able to get to the good stuff:




























Not being overly metallurgically inclined I had to study it for a moment to discern its purpose. This is a heavy duty story stick (I hope I got it correct). There are 3 sets of tips , a short rod, 2 medium rods, and 6 long rods (solid stainless?) with threaded inserts, plus a fine adjustment block (I'm guessing that is the aluminum teaser Grant posted).

My daughter asked what it was used for so I demonstrated what it is used for. I also explained that I will be using it almost immediately to build her sister's bedside tables, then my wife's bookcase, and then it will be heavily used when I start making custom closet inserts duplicated from the ones I built for this house. No more tape measure "close enough"measurements on large furniture pieces for me. This was built to use and take plenty of abuse, which I will take advantage of every time I use it.

THANK YOU GRANT!!!!! It's way beyond my skill level and you really did a great job!!!!


----------



## GR8HUNTER

very nice Grant :<))


----------



## HokieKen

Killer Grant ) Good on ya Earl ;-)


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Awesome Grant!! Excellent job! That sucker will be handy for sure Earl. Great for case work.


----------



## BMichs75

Ok… Sorry for the delay but it has been a long day full of assholes and ********************… (refer to HokieKens reveal post if you're not sure what that means  )

HokieKen had my name in the swap, which is pretty awesome because he was my recipient as well. I received a heavy box from the post office at work yesterday. I waited until I got home because I didn't want my employees to hear me giggling like a little kid. I opened the box to find… a box.








The Japanese style puzzle box is made with spalted maple, walnut, and gummy cherry harvested in or around HokieKen's native land of VA. I am glad the box came with instructions or I may still be trying to open it! Inside i found a cornucopia of cool stuff.








First off was is a pocket compass. It is made from Cocobola and brass, which is an awesome combination if I may say. The compass was inspired by the Woodpeckers One Time tool pocket compass, but I would hands down take this version any day of the week! Kenny even hid the anchor piece in the base of the compass. He included an O1 steel/brass awl and pencil for my marking pleasure. There is also a steel 6'' rule for, well… measuring stuff. This is a marking and layout swap after all. The level of detail in this piece is mind blowing. 









The second tool he included was a turned metal and Cocobolo beam compass. He turned this metal himself out of stainless steel. The two pieces can be used alone for up to a 12'' circle, or screwed together to make a 24'' diameter circle!!! Holy hell, I just need a tool now to cut a circle that big. He also hid the anchor in the end of the bar by milling threads into the opposite end of the connector threads. 









He added a few extra ''goodies'' to the box. A few pieces of walnut, a big hunk of white oak, a piece of pear, and some greenwood. All harvested fairly locally (Kenny's back yard perhaps?) minus the greenwood.









All in all I am blessed to have received such an awesome tool set from HokieKen. I do not have any tool that can lay out a good circle other than a plastic lid, so overall I scored BIG!! 
Thanks Again Kenny. Everything is much appreciated.


----------



## EarlS

More awesomeness from the caped crusader. Looks like you scored some sweet swag Brandon. I want to see more detailed pictures of the pocket compass. Looks like there is a lot going on there.

I'm not getting anything else done in the shop. The thermostat is changed out and it is 47 deg in there so I have a perfect excuse to sit and go through all of these reveals. The group has certainly set the bar high on this swap.


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Excellent job Kenny!!!

The woodpeckers challenge was a tough one and you done good! That thing is pure sexy and exactly the point of this. The beam compas is the bomb too. Another handy piece for the shop. Loving this set and the box to store it in. Great job buddy!


----------



## GR8HUNTER

Kenny did you get all Brandons stuff from etsy classic nice set in its own case also wow VERY NICE :<))

NO ONE TAGGED their stuff ?

should be 2 more to go now


----------



## jeffswildwood

Nice Ken! That is some detailed stuff! That gummy cherry look familiar. ;-)


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Well, it looks like we saved the best for last. I didn't go for quantity like Earl or quality like Earl and everyone else, I went for creativity. I think Fridge is still trying to figure out what it is, that must be the hold up.


----------



## GrantA

I'm glad you like it and can put it to use Earl! 
You stuffed my dice mallet box with local beers so I had to return the favor! I sent two each of a local Golden Ale (Skywater- Dave P in Minnesota had that one too), IPA AND their stout which they have only been canning for a couple months (couldn't get it in cans for the beer swap). 
The tool is my rendition of the Woodpeckers OneTimeTool bar gauge. The bars are solid 303 stainless, the blocks are 6061 aluminum. And of course the tips are 360 brass. It'll go from 6" (with no tips) to over 8ft with tips. 
Thank you for the kind words! I hope you get a ton of use from it - it is the first one I've made so if you have any questions, suggestions or requests reach out to me please! I'm going to have to make myself one. I think my dad would like one too. Oh and…. Whew how about that CNC??


----------



## HokieKen

Glad you liked the set Brandon. I was a little worried that box full of stuff for drawing circles wouldn't be a real treat… I must say, the amount of time and effort to get a good, usable specimen of that pocket compass is Frankly embarrassing ;-/ I probably should have just bought one from Woodpeckers and had it drop shipped! In the end though, brass and Cocobolo can make anything look good ;-)


----------



## HokieKen

I'll post a detailed project at some point but here's a teaser Earl ;-)


----------



## TheFridge

I'm sorry! I finally got a chance to sit down. Will be back in a bit…


----------



## Woodmaster1

Dave (Kelly crafts) I just realized your the person I sent a scroll saw part awhile back. Do you have the scroll saw and is the part still working for you?


----------



## HokieKen

It's been a bit Fridge…


----------



## KelleyCrafts

> Dave (Kelly crafts) I just realized your the person I sent a scroll saw part awhile back. Do you have the scroll saw and is the part still working for you?
> 
> - Woodmaster1


That little part worked out great!! However, the scroll saw is more of my wife's thing and we ended up selling that big beast and getting an old Excalibur model a handful of months ago. Takes less space which is good for me but we were able to give it a good home in awesome working condition.


----------



## TheFridge

Sorry. Heater wasn't working. Had to break the hammer out.

Money shot!



















Dave, won't lie. It took me a couple minutes to figure it out  It really is a wonderful thing. I'm glad your boyfriend talked you into finishing it. *~* that thing had to be a challenge! Challenges build character I say 

And as far as the bonuses. You know I love wood  if only you a jar of Vaseline too 

I'm having fun trying to guess what the wood is. It would make a great saw handle. Tight, slightly interlocked grain. Reminds me of crepe myrtle except red. Or an ornamental tree. What is it?

Effing postman wasn't gentle. Knocked one of the cheeks off  easily fixed though


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Glad you got it, sorry it wasn't in one piece. I'm not particularly proud of the end result but all the bones are there and it scribed lines exactly like it should when I sent it. It's heavy and loose so make sure the flat side parts are against the wood when in use and it'll work just fine. I was going to pin those cheeks, I should have really. Ultimately the wood I sent is what I should have used. The red stuff is eucalyptus, the white stuff is citrus. Hopefully it gets used, I plan to keep the mechanics on that and build an aluminum version but with the mill in full affect. I ran out of time and already dumped to much cash into that one to toss it. Actually three of those tbh. This one was definitely a challenge.


----------



## DavePolaschek

Speaking of weird wood, it looks like I may have some sweetgum headed my way. A co-worker in St. Louis took down a big tree last year and has milled it this year. Sounds like the deal is he'll send me two large flat rates, and I'll stabilize some and send it back and we'll both get to experiment. Guess I'm going to have to get my vacuum chamber going sooner rather than later. We might also be meeting at Handworks in May with pickup trucks full of various stuff to swap.

Nice work on the reveals so far, boys! There's a bunch of stuff I feel lust in my heart for, and good creative ideas like I expect from this crowd. But where's the rest of them? I mean Earl even managed to reveal in spite of all his "medicine" making him a little goofy.


----------



## GR8HUNTER

please excuse me for being dumb but what is it Dave looks very nice :<))


----------



## GrantA

Dave P they're all accounted for now, 11 of them

Am I the only one wondering what Dave made? It's purdy but what's it do? Center scribe?
Whew I see Tony asked too we need a video of that in action!

Dave, THANK YOU for an excellent swap!


----------



## GR8HUNTER

now Dave gets his payment thanks for running a successful swap Dave :<))


----------



## RichBolduc

So for the next 'Anything goes" swap… are we allowed to start working on the projects now? If so, I need to learn how to cut dovetails…. especially rising sun dovetails…

Rich


----------



## EarlS

As far as I'm concerned anyone that wants to start working on their "mystery" swap items can and should. I know I woke up this morning and started thinking about what I want to make.

John - I personally will apologize for the group. I, for one, was fascinated by your project post and the thought and detail that went into your swap item. Perhaps your comments will remind everyone that we need to temper our comments a bit when it comes to the forum banter.


----------



## TheFridge

Damn phone went dead as I was replying last night.

Dave, it might not have turned out how you wanted but bravo for your effort. I think it's awesome and I'll use it as much as I can because of that. Might I recommend 1/8" brass? That thing is a hoss.

Don't trust the postman

Yes tony, center scribe. It'll mark center of anything that'll fit in its jaws.

Kenny is so immature. *_*


----------



## RichBolduc

I have all this burl…. Let's see what I can incorporate in to the swap.










Rich


----------



## TheFridge

Screw the burl. I wanna cut up your table for saw handles 

Ok. Maybe I could use the one with the beer on it.


----------



## GrantA

OK I got my project posted and even made a video, go check it out!


----------



## RichBolduc

LOL… Yeah I love that table. We had it custom made before I had anything more that a Makita 5 piece set. It's a 78"x40" black walnut table with reclaimed cypress legs





































Rich



> Screw the burl. I wanna cut up your table for saw handles
> 
> Ok. Maybe I could use the one with the beer on it.
> 
> - TheFridge


----------



## HokieKen

John. Apologies. My comment was simply a tongue-in-cheek suggestion to your recipient that a little more detail would be nice because I had no idea what that tool was. And it was delivered with a dig at myself, no one else. I have great respect for your craftsmanship and meant no offense.

I've always enjoyed the cameraderie of these swaps and the "where a dude can be a dude" atmosphere of the forums associated. Comments such as mine have never intended offense. Please don't bow out of future swaps due to it. It was my infraction apparently so I'll retire to the penalty box.


----------



## KelleyCrafts

John, I New it was a chalk line because of the progress pics you sent but I don't think the rest of the crew knew what it was so it was all tongue and cheek. Everything you sent was a solid package so I wouldn't take anything as a bad thing, just you being "part of the guys". I didn't make a joke about your project but I do know in real life and on here I have a tendency to tease people I like. I'm sure that's the case here. Personally, I would take the chalk line in a heartbeat. Especially since I'll be using one today even.


----------



## GrantA

Hopefully he comes back. I'll hand it to ya though Kenny I almost spit out some beer when I read that! It was not obvious at all what it does and looking back you were only ribbing yourself about it.


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Fridge, once that cheek is glued on then it will be more stable. I lost sleep on that last night. Those cheeks help hold things in place. As for the brass, uh. Definitely smaller brass in the future. I think the belts are about 1/4" so that would be the smallest the arms could be but switching to aluminum would solve many problems as well.

I'm still going to play with that whole project once I finish building the kitchen. You might get a version 2 in the mail at some point.

For everyone else. I attempted to make a rack and pinion center scribe.

You can see one here. 
https://www.bridgecitytools.com/default/cs-2-centerscribe.html

It can scribe the center of a little over 4" board plus the ends of stock for turning.

I'll do a project post and explain some things. Now that I have a mill though I could make this in 1/4 of the time and 100% better.


----------



## EarlS

Dave - that is a clever little beastie.

I'm off to the shop for the day. Now that the thermostat works on the heater it isn't 40 or 100 degrees in there. Looks like the wires from the thermostat were crossed over each other at the connections and burned through the insulation on one of the wires which is why it wouldn't shut off when the power was turned on to it.

In addition to using my new bar gauge I need to start figuring out what I want to make for the next swap. I have 4 or 5 ideas….sound familiar?


----------



## GrantA

Wow Dave that's slick! It must weigh every bit of 5 lbs though!


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Thanks grant. It's way too heavy. I'm going to keep working the design and use aluminum. It has bearings and belts that drive each side out equally. When I have time I'll do a project post. Really busy weekend though.


----------



## GrantA

Good grief bearings & belts?!? I assumed gears, let us know when you do post the project I definitely want to check it out!


----------



## RichBolduc

ok. Project posted.

Rich


----------



## TheFridge

Dave, aluminum would work as well. I like 1/8 thick x 1/2×1/2 brass for angle stuff as well. Pretty sturdy but not too heavy. Don't worry about the cheeks. The postman will never hurt her again…


----------



## HokieKen

That's pure sweet Dave! Far more ambitious than most of us. I'm stoked you even pulled off a functioning version. I was honestly skeptical when you first linked me to the Bridge City but kudos man! I know you put a ton of time and effort into the design and build on this thing. The moderator set a fine example on this swap 

Thanks for running it brother! Sorry I got out of line on ya…


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Thanks Kenny. It was a tough one but with a mill now I have so many better ways to do things. This won't be the last you see of this project.

That's all folks!!! Thanks for participating and make sure you post your projects. John, I know you're a bit disappointed right now but please post a project. I would love more details on the chalk line, I think I want to make one of those with the reel on it like that to sit on the bench. I personally dig it. Don't forget to tag your projects!! I'll have mine up sometime in the next couple of days. I'm up to my neck in a kitchen remodel this weekend.


----------



## builtinbkyn

Wow! Man nice to see the reveals happening. Awesome skillsets displayed. We want to see moar!


----------



## HokieKen

Sorry Bill. There were supposed to be 2 more reveals. But you and Tony didn't play… so we're all done.


----------



## duckmilk

Very nice things everyone created! Great job to all of you, and a handsome job of moderating to the Great Dave!!


----------



## GR8HUNTER

> Sorry Bill. There were supposed to be 2 more reveals. But you and Tony didn't play… so we're all done.
> 
> - HokieKen


thanks for making me feel good about my work but my work is not top notch enuff to play with the big guys :<((


----------



## EarlS

Tony - your work is always top notch. Hopefully you can join in the fun on the 2019 Spring Swap.


----------



## GR8HUNTER

honestly I really hate metal work I would have made an awl but Kenny said NO :<))


----------



## HokieKen

> thanks for making me feel good about my work but my work is not top notch enuff to play with the big guys :<((
> 
> - GR8HUNTER


I read this to my mallets from the last swap. They're calling BS ;-)


----------



## jeffswildwood

> thanks for making me feel good about my work but my work is not top notch enuff to play with the big guys :<((
> 
> - GR8HUNTER


Are you kidding? I totally disagree with that Tony. You are one of the big guys!


----------



## builtinbkyn

> Sorry Bill. There were supposed to be 2 more reveals. But you and Tony didn't play… so we're all done.
> 
> - HokieKen


Wait! What? I thought there were almost 2 dozen participants? What? Huh? Did I miss something? No more reveals?


----------



## GrantA

There were 11 of us all together this time


----------



## builtinbkyn

> There were 11 of us all together this time
> 
> - GrantA


From the beginning Grant? Man I really thought I saw quite a few more names signed up. Maybe I'm in an alternate reality :O lol


----------



## HokieKen

Sorry Bill. When everyone heard you were sitting it out, they dropped like flies.

For whatever reason, layout tools seem to either intimidate or bore people when it comes to these swaps.


----------



## HokieKen

Project posted.


----------



## GR8HUNTER

not sure if its me but I cannot get a tag for anyone's project :<((


----------



## HokieKen

Try this Tony:

http://lumberjocks.com/projects/tag/2018+layout+and+marking+tool+swap


----------



## bobasaurus

I'm kinda sad I didn't participate. Couldn't find the motivation after the last swap (hammers/mallets).


----------



## GrantA

Several projects are posted but only 3 are tagged properly


----------



## GR8HUNTER

> Try this Tony:
> 
> http://lumberjocks.com/projects/tag/2018+layout+and+marking+tool+swap
> 
> - HokieKen


THANKS Kenny :<))


----------



## EarlS

Grant - who needs to re-tag and how do they do so?


----------



## HokieKen

> Grant - who needs to re-tag and how do they do so?
> 
> - EarlS


Anyone whose project doesn't show up at the link I gave Tony above. If you edit your project and put "2018 layout and marking tool swap" under the tag section, you'll be good to go


----------



## GR8HUNTER

Kenny ,Rich ,Grant and Elroy are only ones tagged :<((

it makes it real easy to see all at one time :<))


----------



## HokieKen

It really is nice to have all the projects tagged. I have links to all the tagged projects for past swaps saved in my bookmarks. I refer to them quite often. Especially when it's time to come up with an idea for an upcoming swap…


----------



## EarlS

Sorry - forgot "and marking" on my tag. Corrected and should be searchable. FYI for others, the "edit" button is on the very top right hand side.


----------



## Bluenote38

> Sorry - forgot "and marking" on my tag. Corrected and should be searchable. FYI for others, the "edit" button is on the very top right hand side.
> 
> - EarlS


Hey Earl - here's a "First Use" photo. I'm marking the line for the bracket on the back of a fireplace mantel. I set it for 1/2" and it worked perfectly - thanks


----------



## HokieKen

I'm making one! How thick is that thing Bill/Earl?


----------



## GR8HUNTER

> It really is nice to have all the projects tagged. I have links to all the tagged projects for past swaps saved in my bookmarks. I refer to them quite often. Especially when it s time to come up with an idea for an upcoming swap…
> 
> - HokieKen


yes it is very nice to get ideas imma scatterbrain :<((


----------



## EarlS

Kenny - 1/2" thick, 6" long. Check your PM.

I tried out the small pencil gauge this weekend as well as a first use of Grant's bar gauge. I forgot to take a picture so I'll recreate one tomorrow night.


----------



## DavePolaschek

I *think* the last box from the box swap is now posted


----------



## GR8HUNTER

> I *think* the last box from the box swap is now posted
> 
> - Dave Polaschek


HEHEHE the layout tool and mallet wrapped up before box funny :<))


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Sorry fellas, I've been beyond slammed this past few days. I'll get my project post up tomorrow and hopefully I'll be able to explain my contraption a bit better.

In the mean time. I do have a little more tool porn to show off.

Earl I'm sorry I didn't get this posted earlier.

Earl sent me a package in typical perfection Earl style. Beautiful tools. Seriously amazing work and all will be extremely handy. I even looked up and learned about pencil gauges in the process. Thank you Earl!! You're the man!!


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Fixed the image direction.


----------



## TheFridge

Yeah I am a loser as well.


----------



## HokieKen

Well, Earl didn't make enough of those sweet layout gauges for everyone so well-deserved for the moderator!

He was kind enough to share his sketches with me though so I spent my minimal shop time tonight prepping a couple pieces of Rosewood to make my own


----------



## HokieKen

Don't worry Fridge, we still love ya buddy.


----------



## GrantA

Fridge I'm not sure what you're moping around about but I'm really loving your marking gauge! Used it today laying out my first ever dovetails, gonna cut the ends of and practice another time or two before I show anybody though ;-)
I'm finally making time to finish the desk I started on a while back for my daughter, should be done this week just need some dry weather to spray the paint!


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Damn Kenny. That rosewood will look amazing. Seriously awesome.


----------



## GrantA

Ooh that will look nice Kenny, you adding brass on the ends too? Earl if it's not a bother I'd like to see those drawings too - I have a bundle of that figured maple (1/4" thick) from on here (if you haven't seen it check it out in the trade & swap forum!).


----------



## HokieKen

Yep, definitely adding the brass. Gonna try to be as sexy as Earl. Won't make it but it's worth a shot!

I will class it up a little with a custom brass thumb screw though ;-)

Grant, not sure if 1/4" would be thick enough. Be worth a shot but seems like it would be a little "flimsy"? Maybe not… I intend to use mine as a height gauge for setting router bits and dado stacks. I don't think 1/4" would stand firmly enough for that.

And I speak with utter authority on the subject because I've seen pictures of two of them and started building one ;-p


----------



## GrantA

Expedition Unknown is on travel channel right now, Norse shipbuilders shop, pretty cool!


----------



## TheFridge

Grant, you sure know how to make a girl feel good  I was just talking about my lack of a project post as well. I usually wait until I have 2-3 projects to post then spurt them out.


----------



## HokieKen

Grant can wait for you to spurt them out Fridge.


----------



## GrantA

Lol 
Well in case any of yall have been thinking about ordering anything from clearvue cyclone they have 10% off! I just pulled the trigger on a 16" impeller, that'll push me in the right direction for my pentz cyclone build-up I already have a 5hp motor now it's just some sheet metal work needing done  hold my beer I got this


----------



## HokieKen

Grant, you need some adderal brother. FINISH THE DESK


----------



## GrantA

Well yeah that'll be finished before I build anything else 

Have you seen that other…squirrel!' Lol


----------



## GrantA

Just need my drawers, planning to have them finished tomorrow then primer /final sand /paint. The legs need a little more smoothing but I'm pretty happy with it


----------



## HokieKen

I've never said this to another man. On this site. Today. But, those are beautiful legs!

Seriously man, killer work on that thing! We'll have to send the LJ ninjas after you if you paint it though…


----------



## GrantA

Thanks!
She wanted it painted, that's why they're yellow pine! The top is natural pine though.
If you look closely you can see my first attempt at a scratch stock, should've cut the groove a little closer to the edge but it added a little something to an otherwise plain front. I'm proud to say they're are no screws in it, I will use a few to secure the top but the rest is m&t. I used biscuits for the drawer supports. Legs & top are pine, everything else poplar.


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Set nice Grant. I feel I've seen that before. Like in the last swap thread or something??

Either way, paint away, the customer gets what she wants. My dining table is a big heavy beast and I still screwed the top in with the figure 8 things. Works great. Otherwise I cut all the joinery. It's a good feeling.


----------



## GrantA

In the last swap thread i had cut the legs and drawn the front. D'oh one of these days I'll get my ducks in the same vicinity at least. Not even trying for a row!


----------



## HokieKen

LOL. I have a bow saw I started after the beer swap LAST summer that's still in process and a belt grinder I started at the beginning of this year. I feel ya ;-)


----------



## EarlS

Wow - a guy goes out to his shop for a few hours and 22 posts and some spam later I'm caught up.

Dave got the box I put together in case the Pony Express didn't get Kenny's box to Brandon. When things worked out Dave mentioned that he could find a warm cozy home for the poor cold, homeless marking gauges that I was pushing out into the cruel world. So I sent him the box in the hopes that he would adopt them.

Grant - PM me with your "real" email and I'll get those plans to you. I'll second Kenny's comment about those legs.


----------



## HokieKen

> ...
> Dave got the box I put together in case the Pony Express didn t get Kenny s box to Brandon. ...
> 
> - EarlS


And now Brandon is cursing the USPS and weeping for what could have been…


----------



## EarlS

Sorry about your luck Brandon. Dave told me not to send it to you…...


----------



## HokieKen

Yeah, maybe next time my recipient will get lucky and my package will get lost in shipping. Actually… now that I think about it, I'm certain that's what will happen! As a matter of fact, I've already completed my project and shipped it out to my recipient.


----------



## HokieKen

Shipping update: my package was destroyed by USPS. Can you cover that for me Earl?

;-))


----------



## GrantA

I got to thinking…again…  
It'd be awesome to spray finishes in my shop, for simplicity let's assume all water based (acrylic paint is what I'm using in the immediate future) through an hvlp gun. Anybody thought about using one of those 10×10 easy up shelters as a spray both? Hang plastic around the sides, box fan with filter on one side. Hmm


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Grant, I have had a spray shelter on my list for awhile now and finally bought it to cover me while I cut a concrete step inside my house last weekend. I plan to use it as a spray tent going forward but it worked well and was pretty big. It doesn't have a bottom so you'll need a drop cloth too.

This is the one I bought.

HomeRight Large Spray Shelter C900038 Portable Paint Booth for DIY Spray Painting, Hobby Paint Booth Tool Painting Station, Spray Paint Tent https://www.amazon.com/dp/B011L3DVVO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_n3kYP59Z3cwAW


----------



## Bluenote38

I saw someone on YouTube that did it - April Wlikerson maybe?? Worked great for whoever it was. It did required a face-mask/respirator be used though.


----------



## GrantA

Dave, first off why are you cutting concrete inside the house? Your wife is gonna kill you, do that outside from now on k?
I had a quick look at that tent, it looks like it's really just a tent, I'm thinking more of a folding spray booth on the cheap, with the filter and fan to catch overspray. It doesn't look like the tent would let me spray all around, oh let's say hypothetically a desk
 
I'll see what Walmart has, HF has a10×10 pop-up for $65, maybe I can use a 20% coupon too


----------



## HokieKen

I have a pretty fancy one Grant. Not sure if you want to invest that much though…


----------



## Lazyman

> HomeRight Large Spray Shelter C900038 Portable Paint Booth for DIY Spray Painting, Hobby Paint Booth Tool Painting Station, Spray Paint Tent https://www.amazon.com/dp/B011L3DVVO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_n3kYP59Z3cwAW
> 
> - KelleyCrafts


Note that Rockler has that "tent" on sale right now for $42.


----------



## HokieKen

Hmmmm. I like the way the front opens up on that thing. I think that would be good for naked mailbox stakeouts.


----------



## GR8HUNTER

HF also has bigger ones Grant :<))


----------



## EarlS

Kenny - you're out of luck. I'm out of capes, vaseline, and glitter. Plus someone has to send something to YOU, it doesn't work the other way around. I'll dig through the scrap bin and see if I can find something to make up for your loss.

Maybe you can build an igloo by your mail box by the time the next swap ships.

Grant - get some PVC pipe and fittings and make a spray box. Grab some clear plastic drop cloth and blue painter's tape. When you're done, throw the plastic away and put the PVC frame away until the next time. Cheaper and more durable than the tent.


----------



## KelleyCrafts

I think earl has the real solution. That's what I should have done even though the tent did a decent job.

Grant, my wife was walking around the tent with a weed sprayer full of water spraying down the gaps so she approved. Hell, I wouldn't have been cuttingbthat if she didn't want it cut! There is a step at our entry that's concrete. It's big and can't be moved outside. I tore down a wall attached to it so it looked funny having the side of a rectangle hanging there so she wanted a slant cut in it, like 3' cut. I had to cut that and then cut the horizontal to make it even with the concrete foundation. Let's just say it was "fun" and dirty. This past weekend kicked my ass for sure.


----------



## HokieKen

> ...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> - KelleyCrafts


Hey Earl - what kind of wood is that on Dave's layout gauge? Bocote? Zircote? Macassar Ebony? I can't put my finger on it but I like it a lot


----------



## HokieKen

> Grant, my wife was walking around the tent with a weed sprayer full of water spraying down the gaps so she … kicked my ass for sure.
> 
> - KelleyCrafts


Fixed that for ya^


----------



## KelleyCrafts

I think thenine Earl Gabe me is bocote.

And yep, you about guessed it. She isn't often the boss but she's the PM on this one and taking full advantage.


----------



## GrantA

Dang Dave a little early to be drinking lol. I was gonna say Bocote too

And yeah I figured as much on your concrete cutting I was just messing with ya. Did you get to use a big street saw? Or whatever they call em. Chainsaw with an abrasive wheel


----------



## KelleyCrafts

No, those are gas powered so we skipped that. I used a 14" Makita and then a 4.5" grinder with a concrete wheel to chip away at the side of the thing. It sucked.


----------



## HokieKen

thenine Earl Gabe. Is that Latin? ;-)


----------



## GrantA

I think it's just lack of sleep, he's been working too hard


----------



## EarlS

Kenny - some wild bocote on the square layout gauge, ziricote on the 2 small ones, and some figured walnut for the torpedo level.

Or for Dave - etecob thing, toceiricz garrrr, walmart, bombs away…... must be ebonics or pig latin


----------



## HokieKen

Bahahahahaha Earl ))


----------



## GR8HUNTER

> Kenny - some wild bocote on the square layout gauge, ziricote on the 2 small ones, and some figured walnut for the torpedo level.
> 
> Or for Dave - etecob thing, toceiricz garrrr, walmart, bombs away…... must be ebonics or pig latin
> 
> - EarlS


or dyslexia which is not funny HAHAHAAHAHA :<))


----------



## HokieKen

I think you should change your username to Earl Gabe


----------



## KelleyCrafts

You guys snick schoob tinle krempt!


----------



## GR8HUNTER

> You guys snick schoob tinle krempt!
> 
> - KelleyCrafts


https://video.search.yahoo.com/search/video;_ylt=AwrJ6yxXo.xbvGEA3SJXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTByMjB0aG5zBGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDBHNlYwNzYw--?p=minion+say+what&fr=yfp-t#id=4&vid=92f64505464fb02e7af81b8dff1437f4&action=view


----------



## duckmilk

Wow!! I thought this thread ended. Boy was I wrong!

LMAO Earl. I was gonna say something, but you got it covered.

Kenny, I remember you mentioning the belt grinder you are building. What do you estimate the final cost to be? I found one that reviews say is professional grade, but the cost is $1099, which seems fairly reasonable for me being a hobbyist. 1hp TEFC motor with VFD.

https://originblademaker.com/product/belt-grinder-2x72-complete-chassis-with-motor-vfd-combo/

The name used to be Oregon Blade Maker, made in USA.


----------



## DavePolaschek

> Or for Dave - etecob thing, toceiricz garrrr, walmart, bombs away…... must be ebonics or pig latin


That's a work of art, Earl!

Even with his gibberish, Earl's an artist.


----------



## HokieKen

Well Duck… thie whole project started when Dave bought his and made me jealous. So I said "I'm gonna build one and it's gonna be basic but good and I'm gonna do it for less than $200"

Now, in the end, I went for something with more bells and whistles but with a 2hp Baldor 3ph motor and a VFD and professionally made wheels and platen, IIRC, I ended up in for right around $400 in materials. Obviously I have hours of labor yet to invest.

If you're shopping for one to buy, Dave needs to chime in. He did a lot of research and I think he's pretty thrilled with the one he bought.


----------



## GrantA

Kenny and I both still have unfinished 2×72 grinders too  
I got a deal on my 2hp 3ph motor at $100, paid right at 200 for the vfd, about 150 for wheels/flat platen, maybe 50 in tubing /plate. I've got to redo my frame though I think. I tried an unproven design and the tensioner just isn't very forgiving. I wanted to make it taller with a smaller front to back footprint. 
Unless you're going the treadmill motor route and the treadmill is free or dirt cheap I don't think you'll build one much less than 500


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Duck, I ordered from Reeder.

https://reederproducts.com/shop?olsPage=products

It's a good grinder and you can tip it horizontally. I ordered the bare bones setup and got my own motor and VFD for it. They have a couple options that not everyone has for a decent price. If you're interested I can answer anything you want.


----------



## HokieKen

Grant - is your tensioner just tube-in-tube with a compression spring underneath? That's my plan so if it don't work, I'd like to know


----------



## GrantA

Yes it is, it just didn't seem to put quite enough tension on it, I need to order some different springs to try. I got all 2 or so they had at the local hardware store haha
My welder (aka dad) got the vertical tubes a little out of plumb but I think I can shim the bottom enough to run it and see it the belt slips or not. I got it tracking good, probably had it up to 100rpm by hand lol. But haven't put any pressure on the belt. 
Maybe this weekend I can work on it, once the desk is out of the shop! Dovetail practice is almost complete, got my drawer stock ready to go and a sweet marking gauge set up nicely ;-)


----------



## HokieKen

Right on. I have an abundance of springs so I should be able to get by.

I used aluminum tube for mine because the fit is generally better than with steel. Mine's all drilling and tapping though instead of welding. Probably gonna wish I had just used steel…


----------



## KelleyCrafts

I've seen a ton of the tube in tube with spring designs, should work fine. Definitely looking forward to seeing these grinders in action.

For dust collection I mounted a 5 gallon bucket to the table the grinder is mounted to and it's held on by clips. It works but emptying that with water in it just leaves a nasty sludge to deal with. It works but I don't like it. My next attempt will be one of the wood turner type DC shrouds and just hook it to the DC and see if that does better without me having to monitor and deal with the water and sludge.

Similar to this one

The only problem with that is I have dropped things plenty of times so hopefully the grate in the center would do it's job holding the item there.


----------



## EarlS

Dave, - I have one of those laying on the shelf in my shop unused if you want it. I can check the dimensions and get a picture for you.


----------



## KelleyCrafts

> Dave, - I have one of those laying on the shelf in my shop unused if you want it. I can check the dimensions and get a picture for you.
> 
> - EarlS


Thanks Earl, the cost of shipping a medium flat rate box is more expensive than the Amazon prime cost of the thing so I imagine I'll just order one. After I'm done building cabinets, my shop is getting remodeled to make room for the lathe I bought and to get a better workflow so I'm not sure exactly what size I plan to get at the moment either. I might end up moving my grinder onto a different stand, I'm not 100% sure yet. My whole shop is up in the air right now and seriously a mess. The house too for that matter, it's amazing I'm staying sane at the moment.


----------



## GrantA

I was figuring on starting with something like this, either have a vertical drop or put a p trap in it, then whatever you drop can be retrieved. A screen isn't a bad idea still though 
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Master-Flow-12-in-x-6-in-to-6-in-Universal-Register-Box-RB12X6X6/100114412


----------



## HokieKen

You kinda have to be careful with DC when your working with metal fellas… If you have a cloth bag full of sawdust and you start sucking up sparks coming off of metal, it might be awesome! Well awesome if you like fire ;-)

The solution is to suck it through a bucket of water as a filter. Of course, that gets you right back to where you are now with a bucket of sludge.


----------



## EarlS

Kenny - thanks for the heads up. That thought didn't cross my mind when I was making sparks on the sanding belt while sanding brass with stainless screws in it while hooked up to the Shop Vac.

Another reason to stay away from metal working in the wood shop. BOOM!!!


----------



## GrantA

Oh yeah I forgot to mention I was thinking about using a separate DC, one of those little $100 ones that hangs on the wall. 
Either way though by the time any dust makes it to the impeller it'll be cooled off.


----------



## KelleyCrafts

I agree Kenny, I have more shop vacs then needed so I planned to actually setup one of those to use for all the metal stuff in the shop. I would just knock the 4" port down and hopefully it'll be enough. The dust is a fine dust and already shooting down so I think the regular shop vac dedicated would work without issue. Well, I hope it will.

We use a lot of the sawdust from my DC for the compost bin and making wax firestarters for the fireplace so I try not to mix the two whenever I can. I use my grinder for wood and metal so the sludge gets pretty nasty.


----------



## HokieKen

Yeah, it may not apply if you have really long DC duct runs. Then again… sawdust is highly combustible. Just cause it ain't still glowin' don't mean it ain't hot enough. I just know I've read lotsa stories where guys with portable DCs and shop-vacs hooked up to their sanders have set 'em a blaze. Personally, I just turn off the DC and put on the respirator when I grind metal then vacuum when I'm done.


----------



## HokieKen

You have a fireplace? In Arizona? Why, is it so hot there that building a fire actually cools it down? ;-P


----------



## HokieKen

I'm ordering this…


----------



## KelleyCrafts

We do have fireplaces. Actually it's convenient, when it gets AZ cold, we can light a fire and warm the house without turning the heater on. Saves a ton on utilities. Makes up for the fortune we spend in the summer. One of my neighbors doesn't run a heater all winter, even when it gets below freezing the few days a year.

Right now I usually use a respirator and have the water bucket but I'll be putting AC in the shop before summer and I plan to have the place closed in. I seem to have a lot of issues to a lot of the dust the woods I work put off so dust collection going forward will be even more important now. I'll be looking for ways to cut that back on every tool going forward. One of the main reasons I'm looking to go without a tablesaw all together. If I do that, the grinder and bandsaws are my two biggest problems going forward. The baby drum sander does a great job, the planer is good and the jointer is good. I should get it figured out and if the shop vac bursts into flames, that's an awesome show for the day and an excuse to get a better shop vac.


----------



## RichBolduc

I bought my wife this…. She didn't understand why I was calling her Sparkles for a week until she opened for Christmas last year in front of the family…..

https://www.amazon.com/Sparkle-Farts-Original-Farting-Unicorn/dp/B01MQ1I2IE/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1542301577&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=sparkle+farts&psc=1

Rich



> I m ordering this…
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> - HokieKen


----------



## HokieKen

Nice Rich )

The mug will be my brother's Christmas present. He'll love it.


----------



## HokieKen

As long as the shop vac isn't full of sawdust, you should be good to go since there's no cloth in there either. I may have to consider dedicating my shop vac to the same.


----------



## GrantA

Well I just got some good news! After consulting with my welder ( dad!) on my cyclone body (pentz design for my 5hp 16" impeller setup  haha yasss!)...
after hearing that the cone of the cyclone is longer than my hvac friend's roller meaning it'll have to be made in two pieces…
Dad says "hey I have another buddy that has a 6ft roller AND I could do it out of stainless" 
Yes please!


----------



## duckmilk

Way to go with the cyclone Grant!

Thanks for the info on the Reeder grinder Dave. I had already researched them, along with the KMG and Wuertz. The one I posted seems to be as well made as those from the reviews and a couple of youtube reviews. For the amount of use I will give it, I think that price point may be the way I will go. Although, If I get into forging more than I anticipate, I may come to regret the decision. I can also make my own horizontal tipping mechanism.



> I should get it figured out and if the shop vac bursts into flames, that s an awesome show for the day and an excuse to get a better shop vac.
> 
> - KelleyCrafts


Don't for get to take pics of that if it happens


----------



## HokieKen

When was working on designing mine Duck, what I found in general is that they're all basically the same. They look different but they aren't when you get down to what really makes it work. The price differences come in with bells and whistles, how many bells and whistles you can add later and materials.

I like the one you chose. I read a lot of good stuff about Oregon Blade Maker and in fact, I purchased my drive wheel and my flat platen/bracket/idler wheels from them. I like the aluminum wheels over the lightning wheels just because plastic wears a lot faster. The only thing I would caution you about is that you won't have a table/rest on that thing as it comes. That's something you may want to plan for.


----------



## KelleyCrafts

I agree Duck, price is definitely a good decider, KMG and Wuertz however are way more expensive than what I went with. I think you'll use the grinder more than you think you will. I use mine on just about every project now regardless of wood or metal. It's just a handy beast to have around.

I do think the Oregon Blademaker versions are just fine, nothing wrong with those at all. I didn't spend that much more on mine than what they charge. I bought mine for less than $500 bare bones and added wheels, motor, VFD, etc. on my own. I think mine came with the table for that price so I think overall it was close to the same price with a couple benefits. I can't recal for sure but I think my wheels might have come from Oregon Blademaker as well but I'm not 100% sure on that.


----------



## duckmilk

Thanks Kenny and Dave. I'm not worried about a stand. I have a bench it can be attached to or, more probably, build a stand-alone that I can move around.

On other news!!! I just got signed up for my medicare supplement insurance ) Set for life! I sometimes worry about you younger guys and what will be available when it comes your time. (Of course, the congress may make mine non-existent as well someday. Vote wisely.)


----------



## jeffswildwood

> On other news!!! I just got signed up for my medicare supplement insurance ) Set for life! I sometimes worry about you younger guys and what will be available when it comes your time. (Of course, the congress may make mine non-existent as well someday. Vote wisely.)
> 
> - duckmilk


That *is* good Duck! I have tricare, OK but hard to use. Wife has medicare and Tricare for life. She never gets a Dr. bill  Will come in real handy very soon.


----------



## BMichs75

> Sorry about your luck Brandon. Dave told me not to send it to you…...
> 
> - EarlS


Wtf… Earl you know I like free stuff


----------



## HokieKen

I ain't speedy but I'm still ploddin' along Earl!


----------



## KelleyCrafts

> Sorry about your luck Brandon. Dave told me not to send it to you…...
> 
> - EarlS
> 
> Wtf… Earl you know I like free stuff
> 
> - BMichs75


For the record, I didn't tell him to send it to me!!!

He offered to handle things if you didn't get your package but you got it so I told him things were good.


----------



## DavePolaschek

This weekend I'm setting up my vacuum chamber and toaster oven, and am planning to stabilize my first batch of wood over thanksgiving weekend. Any suggestions from about things I should or shouldn't do? For the first batch, I've got some spalted elm, birch, and box elder, some apple (heart and sap wood), walnut, and a few as-yet-undetermined pieces from a buddy's shop. Planning to do a batch of knife-scale-sized pieces. No dye, just plain cactus juice.

My coworkers who make stuff have started making knives, and have told me they'd like a steady supply of knife scales. I figure it's worth giving it a try.


----------



## RichBolduc

Stabilize the light stuff first as the cactus juice will darken with use.

Depending on your lid, if its acryly make sure not to get the juice on there as it will cause hazing and checking.

Put smaller pieces in their own container and weight them down, I've used cut up soda bottles so I don't pour to much resin but I use a 5 gallon pressure put.

Remember to relieve the chamber slowly when it starts foaming and keep doing this until no bubbles appear.

I can generally pull a full vacuum of -32 in about 20-30 minutes, then I let it sit overnight or until I get back from work the next day.

Feel free to message me if you have any questions.

Rich



> This weekend I'm setting up my vacuum chamber and toaster oven, and am planning to stabilize my first batch of wood over thanksgiving weekend. Any suggestions from about things I should or shouldn't do? For the first batch, I've got some spalted elm, birch, and box elder, some apple (heart and sap wood), walnut, and a few as-yet-undetermined pieces from a buddy s shop. Planning to do a batch of knife-scale-sized pieces. No dye, just plain cactus juice.
> 
> My coworkers who make stuff have started making knives, and have told me they'd like a steady supply of knife scales. I figure it's worth giving it a try.
> 
> - Dave Polaschek


----------



## Bluenote38

> This weekend I'm setting up my vacuum chamber and toaster oven, and am planning to stabilize my first batch of wood over thanksgiving weekend. Any suggestions from about things I should or shouldn't do? For the first batch, I've got some spalted elm, birch, and box elder, some apple (heart and sap wood), walnut, and a few as-yet-undetermined pieces from a buddy s shop. Planning to do a batch of knife-scale-sized pieces. No dye, just plain cactus juice.
> 
> My coworkers who make stuff have started making knives, and have told me they'd like a steady supply of knife scales. I figure it's worth giving it a try.
> 
> - Dave Polaschek


Ok - question from the under-informed. What's "Cactus Juice" (I assume epoxy)? And I was just getting ready to slap a couple of pieces of Osage on to a pocketknife. I assume you are doing it because the wood is soft? Just wondering.


----------



## EarlS

Brandon - I just did what Dave told me. I think his exact words were "Don't send Brandon or Kenny free stuff…send it to me" or something like that…..... Of course that might have been one of the other voices in my head.

At any rate, I will keep you in mind when it comes time to enter an e-mail address in the "You've won a free vacation" emails that I keep getting. I already sent Kenny's email address to Charise who wants to send me pictures of her and meet me.

Just helping out a couple of my buddies because that's what friends do.

It's white outside - 2" of snow and still falling. Guess that means more shop time.


----------



## RichBolduc

Cactus juice is a stabilizing resin. You use it with a vacuum chamber to impregnate wood. By using the vacuum chamber, you pull all of the air out of the wood and replace it with this resin. After the air has been removed and replaced with resin you let it sit in the chamber for a while. I usually do 24 hours but they recommend at least 3x the amount of time it took to remove the air. After this time is up, you remove the wood or material (i've seen people stabilize a ton of stuff) from the excess resin, wrap it in foil then put it in a toaster oven at 200 for a few hours. The resin is heat activated and increases the hardness of the wood and stabilizes it from taking in moisture and moving. There's a video on Youtube of the before and after hardness of a piece of wood. The wood went form a 30 on the Shore D scale (hardness of a shoe sole) to a 70 on the scale (hardness of a hard hat)

Rich



> This weekend I'm setting up my vacuum chamber and toaster oven, and am planning to stabilize my first batch of wood over thanksgiving weekend. Any suggestions from about things I should or shouldn't do? For the first batch, I've got some spalted elm, birch, and box elder, some apple (heart and sap wood), walnut, and a few as-yet-undetermined pieces from a buddy s shop. Planning to do a batch of knife-scale-sized pieces. No dye, just plain cactus juice.
> 
> My coworkers who make stuff have started making knives, and have told me they'd like a steady supply of knife scales. I figure it's worth giving it a try.
> 
> - Dave Polaschek
> 
> Ok - question from the under-informed. What s "Cactus Juice" (I assume epoxy)? And I was just getting ready to slap a couple of pieces of Osage on to a pocketknife. I assume you are doing it because the wood is soft? Just wondering.
> 
> - Bluenote38


----------



## KelleyCrafts

Wow, great job Rich. Explained well.

Think of Cactus Juice as a liquid acrylic. That's essentially what it is.

Otherwise, go to Rich for questions.


----------



## BMichs75

I'm just playing. It's all in fun.

Earl you can keep your free vacations. I get enough spam as it is.


----------



## Bluenote38

Ok - so the Osage should work for the first time out of the gate.


----------



## RichBolduc

Should be fine. Could always do a thin CA soak on them though.

Rich



> Ok - so the Osage should work for the first time out of the gate.
> 
> - Bluenote38


----------



## HokieKen

Bill - I use wood for knife scales a lot. The only reson to stabilize is if it's soft, punky, burly or has some other characteristics that make it unstable. OO should make nice scales in its natural state.


----------



## GrantA




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## EarlS

Here's a little post swap gloat - my new bar gauge in action on a 74" diagonal. Pretty awesome work Grant!!!!


----------



## GrantA

Also, I assume most of you guys can appreciate bringing old tools back to life, I couldn't resist snapping a picture while I was getting ready for a black tie event yesterday, I get to do that a couple times a year or so and enjoy it. 
I made the strop,naturally, I also made the studs & cufflinks (50bmg & 308/7.62×51 LC brass with mother of pearl in the primer pockets)
The razor is about 100 yrs old, a Torrey from about 1920 that I cleaned up and honed into shape. 
And in case anyone cares the soap is grassfed beef tallow from White Oak Pastures in South Georgia (local to me)
I figured yall might enjoy seeing it


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## GrantA

Whoa! That's pretty cool Earl!! Thanks for the action shots!


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## Bluenote38

That's some great stuff Grant - Black Tie too!


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## EarlS

Grant - haven't been able to sample the brew you sent yet. I still have a couple of days to go until I'm off the meds. Good news is that I can have one on Turkey Day. Hopefully, I can pre-taste one Monday while I'm working in the shop. That means I need to work up a sweat which shouldn't be a problem since I have lots of sanding to do. I'll post some action pics.


----------



## HokieKen

Cool impellers and razor Grant. Nice work on the bar gauge too. Looks like Earl drew the right package!

Whatcha makin' Earl?


----------



## DavePolaschek

Thanks, Rich. I've got a 2 gallon pot. I like the idea of using a pop bottle for really little stuff, but I think I'll have enough to have a layer across the bottom of the pot.

Got everything put together, and it holds vacuum, so that's good. I also spent some time on bandsaw rehab (finished cleaning it, new guides are on the way, and the new tires are on). I'm trying to figure out what to buy for a resaw blade. It's a 14" Rockwell.

And I (hand) resawed some more birch for scales. Got a nice piece of birch with a big old knot that came down this summer. It's still not completely dry, but there's some gorgeous twisty grain there that I'd love to be able to use. So I'm cutting off slices and crossing my fingers.

Bill, I'm doing it because we've got a bunch of very pretty spalted wood, which is too soft to make knife scales (or much anything) out of, but once stabilized it should be good. Plus at some point I'll probably start fiddling with dyes. But I'm also looking at making stabilized saw handles and I've got a piece of elm that might make a nice infill for a plane… I'm also pondering whether I can make molding planes out of stabilized wood, since I haven't found a good source of wood blanks around here yet. I'll probably run an experiment and see what I can find out.


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## RichBolduc

No prob Dave. Just saves resin and cleanup  I've used Tupperware, Pyrex containers, old pickle jars and mason jars too. Just really depends on the size of the stuff and how much I'm filling the pot.

Rich


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## GrantA

Dave I've been very happy with my Timberwolf blades, I got a variety 3-pack from them, I think it was right at $100 shipped for 105". That got me a 2/3 tpi resaw plus I think 1/2&1/4" blades


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## DavePolaschek

Thanks, Grant. I'll give them a look. Don't think I need anything but a resaw blade, though.


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## EarlS

Kenny - I'm making a shelf for my daughter to go with her desk and chair.










I'm using mostly loose tenons to hold the shelves on the vertical supports. The base and top shelf will have knockdown bolts to keep everything tight. Shelves are 6/4 walnut and the vertical supports are 8/4 walnut. Everything will be ebonized using iron acetate (vinegar and steel wool solution).

Last night I was disassembling the frame prior to gluing it up and I couldn't get the loose tenons out of the stiles. After pulling on the tenon, trying to knock it out, and anything else I could think of I realized that I had made tenons in the ends of the stiles so they were never going to come out. Duhhhhh?????


----------



## jeffswildwood

> Dave I ve been very happy with my Timberwolf blades, I got a variety 3-pack from them, I think it was right at $100 shipped for 105". That got me a 2/3 tpi resaw plus I think 1/2&1/4" blades
> 
> - GrantA


I could really use that set. Those craftsman blades I been buying just don't last and break just at the wrong time. Like yesterday, I had 20 sled runners to cut and it broke on the first one. :-( Luckily I did have a spare.


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## HokieKen

I've become a believer in the bandsaw blades from Highland WW. Especially the Woodslicer.

I never could get any consistency with the Timberwolf blades on my 14" saw with riser. They worked well on my little 10" benchtop when I had it though.


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## HokieKen

Little custom hardware made over the weekend for the butt gauge. Now just gotta wait for the brass flat stock I ordered to be delivered today and I can wrap this puppy up.


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## EarlS

Kenny - Yours already looks better than the ones I made. The best part of mine were the 6" Starrett rulers. My guess is Dave and Bill ditched the rest and just kept the ruler.

Are the pieces 1/2" thick? They look like they might be 5/8".


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## HokieKen

Nope, they're 1/2" thick. I'm using a Starrett scale too ;-)


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## duckmilk

> I've become a believer in the bandsaw blades from Highland WW. Especially the Woodslicer.
> 
> I never could get any consistency with the Timberwolf blades on my 14" saw with riser. They worked well on my little 10" benchtop when I had it though.
> 
> - HokieKen


I believe the woodslicer is what my son was most happy with cutting veneer for making guitars.


----------



## DavePolaschek

Well, I ordered a timberwolf resaw blade. 1/2", 2/3 tooth. I'll put the Highland Woodslicer on the list if that doesn't work out. Thanks for the comments, guys!

I finished resawing my six different kinds of wood to knife-scale size for this weekend's stabilizing run by hand, though. My co-worker is running a little behind, but assured me he'll come to work tomorrow with a half-dozen sets of scales to stabilize as well. And I'll still cut a couple butternut scales tonight or tomorrow morning.

Current woods I'll be trying: birch, spalted elm, hickory, hackberry, holly, apple, maple, spalted flame box elder, butternut, and a couple more yet-to-be-determined. I'm planning to do a batch of walnut after, but wanted to make sure if the cactus juice picks up some color from the walnut, I don't unintentionally dye any lighter woods.


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## KelleyCrafts

Nope Earl, that guage will get plenty of use.

Great work Kenny!

Dave, the Timberwolf blades are good too. I have used both on several occasions but mostly the Timberwolf since I can get those locally or on Amazon and they are just about as good as the woodslicer from highland IMO. You'll be fine with those. Just setup the saw well and go to work with it.


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## HokieKen

You gotta go easy on the tension on the Timberwof blades too. I think that's why I had such a hard time on the bigger bandsaw. Too loose and the blade is sloppy and you get vibrations and just a crappy cut but too tight threw my tracking way out of whack. Like I spent several days trying to figure out why I couldn't get my cut to track to the table and fence out of whack. I just couldn't find that fine line between the two so I switched to the Woodslicer and haven't looked back. Since I have to pay shipping anyway for the Woodslicer I also ordered some of their thinner blades for different cuts and have been pretty impressed with those too. I will say the Woodslicer doesn't seem to have as long of a life as I would expect but I've shoved a lot of really hard exotics past it too so it may not be fair to make that judgement just yet.


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## GrantA

Yeah the Timberwolf is marketed as a low tension blade, perfect for guys like me who have a riser block and 3/4" resaw blade on a hobbyist grade 14" craftsman saw. Set it by watching it flutter with the guides backed off and maybe go a half turn tighter, you'll be good to go


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## DavePolaschek

I'm not particularly worried. Heck, it was only last weekend that I got things cleaned up enough that I could tell that the bearings on the wheels were still pretty good, and that the guides definitely needed to be replaced. Reminds me that I need to budget time this weekend for emptying the shop-vac.  In any case, the new parts won't be here until next week, so the bandsaw won't be up and running before December.

This weekend's plan is wood stabilizing. Got a dozen sets of knife scales cut. Need to take the "before" picture tonight and pop them in the toaster oven at 220F overnight to get them bone dry. Thursday evening they go under vacuum, and sit in the cactus juice overnight, and Friday they get wrapped in foil and cured. I've even got a spare roll of aluminum foil in case there are too many leftovers and I have to use some of it for *food.*

Have a great Thanksgiving, boys! Remember to wear your Thanksgiving Pants under your cape.


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## EarlS

Grant - I finally was able to sample the Skywater pale ale last night after spending the day in the shop. It was really refreshing with a light and crisp and slightly grassy taste. My wife had a taste and promptly decided she needed one too.

Tonight I'm going for the stout.


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## GrantA

Glad you enjoyed it Earl! And it's a good thing I sent doubles since your wife liked it too!

Dave, check out this video on dust collection. I had extra shop vac extensions so just used one of those, plugged the end with a piece of dowel and it's secured with zip ties, works great!


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## HokieKen

> Glad you enjoyed it Earl! And it s a good thing I sent doubles since your wife liked it too!
> 
> Dave, check out this video on dust collection. I had extra shop vac extensions so just used one of those, plugged the end with a piece of dowel and it s secured with zip ties, works great!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> - GrantA


Huh. Hadn't seen that before Grant. That's pretty slick! And basically free so I might give it a shot


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## DavePolaschek

Thanks a ton, Grant! Looks incredibly slick, and I've got the table off the bandsaw while I'm waiting for the new guides, so this is a great time to put something like that together.


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## HokieKen

Go Dave! Then come put something like that together on mine. I'll save you some Turkey! ;-)


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## DavePolaschek

I'll mail you one, Kenny. As long as you've got a 14" Rockwell, it should fit just fine!


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## GrantA

Happy Thanksgiving yall! I'm pretty proud of this (first ever half blind dovetail) so had to show it off, along with Fridge's marking gauge in action. Earl's dice mallet got some light use too (it's too pretty to beat on chisels!)
Hopefully they get better or faster, both would be great lol time to get ready for turkey now though


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## jeffswildwood

Here's hoping everyone has a *great* thanksgiving! Hope everyone gets stuffed to the gills on turkey and ham!


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## theoldfart

That is a fine looking piece of dovetailing. One small correction, it's a half blind dovetail! The problem with full blind dovetails is nobody can see them when they are well done.

Again you did a great job and I'm jealous of those marking tools.


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## GrantA

Oops thanks I fixed that, thanks for the kind words!


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## HokieKen

Happy turkey day boys! Nice saw and chisel work Grant!


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## jeffswildwood

Happy Hokie day Ken!


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## DavePolaschek

Nice work, Grant.

Home from the turkey dinner. Ate at 2pm, and I'm pretty sure I'm skipping supper.

Discovered the shop toaster oven only goes to 2 hours maximum, so I'm using the kitchen toaster oven to dry the wood for my stabilizing experiment. 10h @ 220F should get things pretty dry. Hopefully breakfast won't taste too much like wood.


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## RichBolduc

Happy Thanksgiving you degenerates. I'm thankful I found this motley group.

Rich


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## duckmilk

Happy Thanksgiving to you all! Gonna build a fire for my wife now.


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## EarlS

A late Happy Thanksgiving to all. Yep - definitely over ate but that's OK. I did manage to get the first coat of finish on the shelf for my daughter before I stuffed myself so full I could only waddle to the chair.

Nice half blind Grant. I could use a couple of dozen drawers with just those kind of dovetails if you need some more practice. Let me know how the mallet holds up.

Dave - Is the shop toaster in the shop or kitchen?

Duck - I hope you aren't building a fire to cook her. All of the turkey is making thinking a bit fuzzy.


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## DavePolaschek

Earl, the shop toaster oven is, strangely enough, in the shop. The kitchen toaster oven happens to be in the kitchen. I know it sounds weird, but I'm from Minnesota, not Iowa. ;-)

The wood got ten hours of drying, and there was no oozing or anything, so I shouldn't have strange-tasting toast for breakfast. But I left out the downed birch from this summer. That would've made a mess. Look at the hardened sap on the piece below I cooked for 2 hours at 220 in the shop oven.










But the bits that are dry are now cooling off and will go into the resin once I'm awake enough that I feel safe operating a vacuum pump.


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## EarlS

Dave - I was wondering if it was serving double duty. A friend of mine used his oven to cure some powder coated engine parts. He also used the dishwasher to clean some of the engine parts. Apparently his wife wasn't overly thrilled to know he found some non traditional ways to use her kitchen. And NO it wasn't me, although all the guys at work gave him top marks for creativity and thinking out of the box.

That birch almost looks like some kind of smoked fish with all of the resin ooze.


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## DavePolaschek

The one in the shop will do the curing with the resin in the wood. I'm told that's stinky enough that I don't want it in my kitchen. But the shop one is old and has a knob that works poorly, plus apparently the timer maxes out at 2 hours, so I may need to acquire another.

My sweetie and I have separate houses though. It's how I manage to get serious shop time before 8am without suffering anything more than the usual shop injuries.

I've been pulling a vacuum on the pot for 20 minutes. Down to -27 inches, so it's getting there.










The sour cream tub is full of 230 grain .45 bullets. Mixing hobbies!

As for the birch, I was surprised how much ooze there was, and how nicely it solidifies up once removed from the heat. Then I remembered amber is just solidified tree ooze.


----------



## GrantA

Are you using the bullets for weight or am I missing something? I handload and use bullets or lead ingots to weigh things down a lot too


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## DavePolaschek

Yeah, the chunk of 1/4" steel plate I was using as weight wasn't quite holding the wood down, so I threw a handful of bullets into the sour cream tub and set that on top of the plate.

I'm always amazed at how a bunch of 230 grainers, properly applied, will solve a problem. ;-)

Two hours under vacuum, and the wood is still bubbling. People who told me that patience is the key to stabilizing wood sure weren't kidding.


----------



## EarlS

-27" WC? or in Hg? Big difference in how much vacuum you are pulling.


----------



## DavePolaschek

That's in Hg, Earl. I got a significant part of an atmosphere (-29, according to the gauge). Pulling a pretty good vacuum. Not lab-grade, but pretty good for a handful of stuff bought off the internet.

I started blogging about it.


----------



## EarlS

That is a really good vacuum. You could set a still and use your vacuum setup on the distillation column and make some fine moonshine.


----------



## DavePolaschek

If you look at the pump , it's one of the cheap Chinese rotary-vane pumps that's used for evacuating ACs and such. They're pretty good for as cheap as they are, and are rated for -29.9" of mercury at sea level. I probably could've pulled more if I'd waited, but I was getting tired of the noise.


----------



## DavePolaschek

Well, that was fun! I'm done with the first batch of stabilized wood, and I guess I'll be making more. Thanks to those who offered tips!


----------



## GrantA

Awesome Dave I'll have to checkout your blog

Lessons learned so far while cutting dovetails -
-Keep my damned pinky out of the way!
-Keep a bottle of liquid bandage nearby…
-I think I want to pickup a few duplicate chisels to grind as skew chisels!


----------



## TheFridge

Enjoy grant. Hope you like


----------



## HokieKen

Had me a lil late night party with my Work Sharp and a couple beers. Sharpened every plane in the till. Ready to rock now


----------



## Bluenote38

Awesome Kenny - That is another task on my "Winter List".


----------



## EarlS

12" of snow and still falling with 20-30 mph wind with blizzard warnings until 6 AM. I had to use the snow blower to clear the driveway so my daughter could get her car in the garage and the Yaris still couldn't make it up the hill until I dumped 40 lbs of ice melt on the driveway. Good thing we got it in the garage because there are 2 ft drifts across the entire driveway. Gonna be an early morning of snow removal so I can make it to work.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.


----------



## TheFridge

Nice Kenny. Full shop douche in effect. Ok. Maybe partial douche. You can walk from one side to the other without tripping now so that's a plus.


----------



## DavePolaschek

Grant, I had a similar experience with dovetails. My Lie-Nielsen chisels had such sharp sides that I ended up taking a file to them so I wouldn't keep cutting my fingers trying to guide a chisel into a dovetail.

Earl, I saw that storm on the weather forecast for here and hoped you were going to be ok. Maybe it's nature's way of telling you to take a five-day weekend.


----------



## Bluenote38

> 12" of snow and still falling with 20-30 mph wind with blizzard warnings until 6 AM. I had to use the snow blower to clear the driveway so my daughter could get her car in the garage and the Yaris still couldn t make it up the hill until I dumped 40 lbs of ice melt on the driveway. Good thing we got it in the garage because there are 2 ft drifts across the entire driveway. Gonna be an early morning of snow removal so I can make it to work.
> 
> It s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.
> 
> - EarlS


You sure you're not really in Alaska?


----------



## EarlS

I'll take a Midwest blizzard over the hurricanes and sweltering heat in the south. I spent a couple hours this morning getting the driveway cleared out. There were 2-3 ft drifts. The official tally was 14" of snow. After work I'll get to spend some quality time clearing the sidewalks. The city plows do a great job of dumping all of the snow from the street on the sidewalks.

On a bright note, after replacing the thermostat, the heater did a great job of keeping things at 65 deg in the shop. Now if I can just find some time to get out there tonight. The first coat of of finish is dry on the shelf.


----------



## HokieKen

No snow here! It was upper 50s and dead gorgeous yesterday  I enjoyed it while I tackied up the neighborhood.


----------



## GR8HUNTER

Earl please keep it out there we dont need it :<))

Kenny where is that guy in the cape ?


----------



## HokieKen

Somebody had to take the picture Tony ;-)


----------



## EarlS

Kenny - does your cape light up like the rest of the stuff in the yard? No huge Santa?

Thought of the day: Santa is Satan misspelled.


----------



## HokieKen

> Kenny - does your cape light up like the rest of the stuff in the yard? No huge Santa?
> 
> Thought of the day: Santa is Satan misspelled.
> 
> - EarlS


No Earl, the cape does not light up. That would look ridiculous. And no, I can't even have an inflatable Santa under the terms of the restraining order.

How do you know Satan isn't Santa misspelled?


----------



## EarlS

They might be brothers since both have a propensity to wear red. Or maybe Santa is actually the other guy in drag?

BTW - when does the ankle bracelet come off (officially)? Are you allowed to leave the state yet?


----------



## HokieKen

Ankle bracelet comes off a lot. They keep putting it back on. Virginia allows (encourages even) me to leave but the other 49 say I have to stay.


----------



## HokieKen

My granddaughter just watched Frosty for the first time at our house Saturday night and loved it. So I got the call to go to Lowes after work and pick this up ;-P


----------



## GR8HUNTER

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LOL :<))


----------



## jeffswildwood

Ken, whats that white stuff on the ground? We actually didn't get any in the mountains!


----------



## EarlS

Frosty needs a cape.


----------



## duckmilk

At least Kenny's house doesn't look like the Griswold's, close, but…

No snow here but below freezing in the mornings. Sunday had winds 25 - 30 mph with gusts around 35, high temp was around 40. Forged some steel stakes on Sat. to tie our small loafing shed (for horses) to the ground so it wouldn't blow over. First time using the forge and anvil here at home and lost the hair off my left hand lighting it 

I thought this thread was supposed to be over. Maybe Dave should change the name to Swap Nerds Fireside Chat.


----------



## HokieKen

> Ken, whats that white stuff on the ground? We actually didn t get any in the mountains!
> 
> - jeffswildwood


LOL that's a stock picture from Lowes Jeff. No white stuff down here either ;-)


----------



## HokieKen

Duck, be careful with that fire buddy!!

And I don't think a swap thread is ever truly dead until another one rises up to take its place. So this one shall live on until Earl fires up the first 2019 swap


----------



## TheFridge

Screw that white stuff. Gimme 90 degrees. Swamp rats can't survive the cold.


----------



## EarlS

I will post the 2019 swap forum next week. I thought I'd wait until December 1st so there is a little space between swap threads. I don't want Dave to think I'm pulling the plug on his swap too soon.

Plus I need to figure out how to make a gmail account so Kenny doesn't give my real email to the Russian dating sites (already have one wife, don't need a Russian bride too). Then I need to plagiarize the boiler plate stuff from this swap and make a forum and all. That's a lot of work for a lazy dude like me.

I'm assuming all of you Swap Nerds will be joining the Spring Swap.


----------



## GR8HUNTER

> That s a lot of work for a lazy dude like me.
> 
> I m assuming all of you Swap Nerds will be joining the Spring Swap.
> 
> - EarlS


I see your lazy dude and I raise you a slacker :<))


----------



## DavePolaschek

> I'm assuming all of you Swap Nerds will be joining the Spring Swap.


Joining? Heck, I've already started procrastinating on the build!

Did get my new bandsaw guides and the blade yesterday, so that'll probably occupy this next weekend. Then there will be the second batch of wood stabilizing at some point. And I need to do something with the boards I cut for my plane till. Maybe actually plane them flat and assemble them or something crazy like that.

So I'd say I'm already in, Earl. ;-)


----------



## EarlS

Pace yourself Dave. There's a lot of procrastinating to be done between now and March 15 (approximate ship date). I wouldn't want anyone to over do it.

I'm already fretting over what I want to make and I have 5 different types in mind. So I'm right on schedule, or maybe even a little ahead of schedule. Oops - make that 6 - just found another cool idea.


----------



## RichBolduc

They literally do hayrides through my neighborhood starting this Friday… -_- The wife's had me putting up lights since Friday.. They call my street Candy Cane Lane

This is just one end of my street from last year










and my house from last year with an obnoxious 27' tall inflatable arch



















Rich



> At least Kenny s house doesn t look like the Griswold s, close, but…
> 
> No snow here but below freezing in the mornings. Sunday had winds 25 - 30 mph with gusts around 35, high temp was around 40. Forged some steel stakes on Sat. to tie our small loafing shed (for horses) to the ground so it wouldn t blow over. First time using the forge and anvil here at home and lost the hair off my left hand lighting it
> 
> I thought this thread was supposed to be over. Maybe Dave should change the name to Swap Nerds Fireside Chat.
> 
> - duckmilk


----------



## RichBolduc

Maybe Dave and I can get each other so we can just send each other stabilized chunks of rotten wood and call it a day.

Rich



> Pace yourself Dave. There s a lot of procrastinating to be done between now and March 15 (approximate ship date). I wouldn t want anyone to over do it.
> 
> I m already fretting over what I want to make and I have 5 different types in mind. So I m right on schedule, or maybe even a little ahead of schedule. Oops - make that 6 - just found another cool idea.
> 
> - EarlS


----------



## HokieKen

I dig it Rich )

My wife has been on my butt to put lights around the eaves and a Santa/sleigh/reindeer on the roof since we bought our house. It's 40' to the peak of the roof. Maybe her next husband will…


----------



## Lazyman

> I dig it Rich )
> 
> My wife has been on my butt to put lights around the eaves and a Santa/sleigh/reindeer on the roof since we bought our house. It s 40 to the peak of the roof. Maybe *her next husband* will…
> 
> - HokieKen


Maybe that is the why she keeps asking…cheaper than a lawyer.


----------



## HokieKen

> I dig it Rich )
> 
> My wife has been on my butt to put lights around the eaves and a Santa/sleigh/reindeer on the roof since we bought our house. It s 40 to the peak of the roof. Maybe *her next husband* will…
> 
> - HokieKen
> 
> Maybe that is the why she keeps asking…cheaper than a lawyer.
> 
> - Lazyman


Nah, couldn't be. She always offers to hold the ladder herself and wants to do it when no one is looking so I don't get distracted. She even suggests I have 6 or 8 beers before I climb up there to calm my nerves.


----------



## GR8HUNTER

> Pace yourself Dave. There s a lot of procrastinating to be done between now and March 15 (approximate ship date). I wouldn t want anyone to over do it.
> 
> I m already fretting over what I want to make and I have 5 different types in mind. So I m right on schedule, or maybe even a little ahead of schedule. Oops - make that 6 - just found another cool idea.
> 
> - EarlS


please send me 1 or 2 of your ideas Earl …. this is where I have my trouble always deciding what to do …. nothing with metal please unless its just a brass pin or 3 LOL :<)) 
very kewl Christmas lights Y'all :<)))))


----------



## EarlS

The blizzard eliminated any chance that I'm going to put any lights up outside this year. I'm also playing the surgery card so I got a pass from the wife and daughters.


----------



## GR8HUNTER

> The blizzard eliminated any chance that I m going to put any lights up outside this year. I m also playing the surgery card so I got a pass from the wife and daughters.
> 
> - EarlS


play that card as long as you can try and get doctor to tell them you need shop time LOL :<))


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## JohnMcClure

I couldn't participate in this or folllow it very closely, but I'd like to get in on the spring swap. Have you guys chosen a category or when signups are?


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## HokieKen

> I couldn t participate in this or folllow it very closely, but I d like to get in on the spring swap. Have you guys chosen a category or when signups are?
> 
> - JohnMcClure


EarlS said he'll post the thread for the next swap next week John. He'll start taking "registrations" then. I think we landed on a "surprise" theme so anything goes  Specific details and rules are up to Earl so watch for his post next week! Follow this thread if you aren't already and we'll link to the new thread in this one.


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## HokieKen

Used my sexy new level putting up some decor last night )


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## bndawgs

Anyone have a recommendation for a good set of budget friendly machinist squares?

wouldn't mind a set to help with tool setups and quick wood references.


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## ToddJB

I don't have them, but the reviews like this set: https://www.amazon.com/Woodstock-D4089-Machinist-Square-4-Piece/dp/B005W16YSO/ref=sr_1_17?s=hi&rps=1&ie=UTF8&qid=1543350625&sr=1-17&keywords=machinist+square&refinements=p_85%3A2470955011%2Cp_72%3A1248909011


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## HokieKen

Got Frosty added to the landscape


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## HokieKen

Todd! Quit posting full links. LJ mobile has a seizure when you do. I have to hold my phone at 37.5 degrees and gargle peanut butter in order to see the full posts and all of the buttons!


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## KelleyCrafts

Damn, emails stop working on LJs and I miss a ton!

Start whenever Earl, this one is in the books.

I don't think I'll be part of the next one though. I'm remodeling a kitchen and doing floors throughout the house, then adding AC to the shop and redoing a bunch in there. I'll probably be doing all this crap until this time next year unfortunately.

Well, the shop stuff will be cool for the most part and the house will be nicer so the wife will be happy….that's maybe a win. We will see.


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## HokieKen

Crap, I just got an email notification for this thread. That means I'll have like 8,000 emails tonight from LJnotifier…


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## GR8HUNTER

> Damn, emails stop working on LJs and I miss a ton!
> 
> Start whenever Earl, this one is in the books.
> 
> I don t think I ll be part of the next one though. I m remodeling a kitchen and doing floors throughout the house, then adding AC to the shop and redoing a bunch in there. I ll probably be doing all this crap until this time next year unfortunately.
> 
> Well, the shop stuff will be cool for the most part and the house will be nicer so the wife will be happy….that s maybe a win. We will see.
> 
> - KelleyCrafts


HAPPY WIFE HAPPY LIFE :<)) and even more tools for you LOL


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## bndawgs

> I don t have them, but the reviews like this set: https://www.amazon.com/Woodstock-D4089-Machinist-Square-4-Piece/dp/B005W16YSO/ref=sr_1_17?s=hi&rps=1&ie=UTF8&qid=1543350625&sr=1-17&keywords=machinist+square&refinements=p_85%3A2470955011%2Cp_72%3A1248909011
> 
> - ToddJB


Thanks, they look similar to ones I just saw over at grizzly.


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## HokieKen

Sunnnuva….. Steve! Don't quote Todd's link. Now I have to gargle peanut butter until both of you get bumped off the page!

Just razzin' ya Steve ;-)

Not you though Todd. You should know better.


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## TheFridge

(Todd hangs head in shame) (sniffles a tear back)


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## Bluenote38

Just under the wire with cold and snow. Finished up mantle and rock face just before it started snowing. Damn using the wetsaw was freezing.










I think it's the shadow lines but it really is square and level… I checked it with Earl's Brazilian Ebony Torpedo Level - two ways. ;-)


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## HokieKen

Only one piece of decor really warms my heart and puts me in the Christmas spirit.


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## HokieKen

Nice Bill! That looks awesome. I'm dreading the day my wife decides our fireplace needs a facelift…

Sorry if I was harsh Todd. I still love ya ;-)


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## Bluenote38

Kenny - lovin' the lamp. Very Christmas-y. My wife's been crackin' the whip. Granite countertops going in on Friday and then making Mission style doors to replace to ones in the master bathroom. Like Red Green says, "if the girls don't find you handsome they should at least find you handy."


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## EarlS

Kenny - I see you you won a major award!!!

Bill - great looking fireplace.

I might have to find some motivation after supper and get working on the swap stuff tonight while I watch The Santa Clause 2. I suppose I can make the forum post over a couple of days and edit it as I go. My daughter said she would help with the gmail account.


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## duckmilk

Kenny killed Todd 

We still have lights up on the porch from last year. I offered to take them down, but she said why bother. The only beings, besides us, that can see them is the neighbor's cows.

I'm up in the air about the next swap, I have an idea but don't know how my time will work out. Nothing extremely serious, but time consuming.
My mother in law had a stroke and my wife is going to help. We don't know how long or what will be needed. That leaves me here to take care of the animals and I may have to go up there (near KC) to help out as well.
The young horse that had surgery had a set-back which will be more time consuming than expected. I may have to cut back on my work hours to get stuff done, which doesn't hurt my feelings one bit.


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## DavePolaschek

Well, my co-worker took the wood I stabilized over the weekend. Some evening this week he's going to zap it all with his belt sander and some 60 grit to clean up the surfaces, and cut a few pieces in half to make sure I got the resin all the way through and such and whatnot. It sounds like he's going to want to take as many knife scales as I want to stabilize for him.

Rich, it sounds like we might have to arrange a swap at some point. We've got pretty spalted elm and box elder aplenty. My next batch is going to be mostly walnut, ash, and oak, though. I also ordered a 4" diameter by 28" long tube so I can stabilize longer pieces for tool handles.

Earl, I procrastinated again tonight. I can't stop myself! I'll try to put off procrastinating again tomorrow for a few days.


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## GrantA

So when's the next beer swap? I'm thirsty


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## HokieKen

> So when s the next beer swap? I m thirsty
> 
> - GrantA


You rang?


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## Bluenote38

Ok, in keeping with the season… An evening brew.


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## HokieKen

Vanilla Porters always sound delicious to me. Then I have one and remember I don't like Porters. I wish I did 'cause I love vanilla.


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## EarlS

Well while you slackers were talking beer, I was busy putting together the Spring Swap forum.

All - Please do me a favor and proofread it for me to make sure I didn't miss anything or mess up too bad. Also, send an email to the swap email so I know it works. Don't forget your details so I can add you to the list.

Yep, I am going to shamelessly cajole and harangue every one of you swap slackers into participating, and maybe even convince Duck to throw his 10 gallon hat in the ring…..


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## GrantA

So we go from fall to spring? No winter beer swap? Probably for the best, we've all got other things putting pressure on us til Christmas I suspect!


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## EarlS

Grant - group consensus was to wait until after the new year. In reality, it is more of a winter swap, but spring sounds so much better (and further away) than winter.

Gotta say, though, I'm always up for beer after trying the "ballast" that you sent with my layout tool. It went down way to easily.


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## HokieKen

If you fellas wanna throw some sixers around, I'll toss in! I just don't have time to make anything before well into the new year with all the Christmas presents and late Christmas presents…. But if so eone wants to head up a beer swap that's just beer, no projects for some Christmas cheer, count me in!


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## ToddJB

Merry Christmas, Kenny!



> I don t have them, but the reviews like this set: https://www.amazon.com/Woodstock-D4089-Machinist-Square-4-Piece/dp/B005W16YSO/ref=sr_1_17?s=hi&rps=1&ie=UTF8&qid=1543350625&sr=1-17&keywords=machinist+square&refinements=p_85%3A2470955011%2Cp_72%3A1248909011
> 
> - ToddJB


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## bndawgs

I liked this one









Oh and chunky > smooth peanut butter

Sorry about the Pic, on my phone.


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## TheFridge

> Merry Christmas, Kenny!
> 
> I don t have them, but the reviews like this set: https://www.amazon.com/Woodstock-D4089-Machinist-Square-4-Piece/dp/B005W16YSO/ref=sr_1_17?s=hi&rps=1&ie=UTF8&qid=1543350625&sr=1-17&keywords=machinist+square&refinements=p_85%3A2470955011%2Cp_72%3A1248909011
> 
> - ToddJB
> 
> - ToddJB


Hahahahaha

For the win


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## DavePolaschek

Woohoo! There's a new thread for nonsense!

Nice work, Todd!


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## HokieKen

That looks like a good one Steve. I'll have to keep my eye out. Elysian Space Dust is an excellent IPA but we get a very limited selection from Elysian around these parts.

Todd, you suck so bad. Fridge, Dave, don't encourage him.


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## GrantA

I'd head up a quick sixer swap BUT is it a bad idea with freezing temps? I didn't think of that til just now


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## HokieKen

Maybe you should just drive around and pick up everyone's packages and then deliver to the recipient Grant. Just keep your heat on in your car. I would suggest AZ Dave do it but he has a Mini Cooper so he can only carry one six pack at a time.


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## GR8HUNTER

> Maybe you should just drive around and pick up everyone s packages and then deliver to the recipient Grant. Just keep your heat on in your car. I would suggest AZ Dave do it but he has a Mini Cooper so he can only carry one six pack at a time.
> 
> - HokieKen


at least its not a smart car thats only 1 can at a time LOL :<))


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## KelleyCrafts

Awesome job Bluenote!


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## HokieKen

How can a package that's out for delivery today have an estimated delivery date of last Saturday?










USPS is kinda dropping the ball the last week or so for me. Packages are taking longer than usual to get here. The fact that they came to my house 3 different times to drop off 3 different packages on SUNDAY leads me to believe they may have some logistical inefficiencies…


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## EarlS

Maybe they just like coming by to see you standing out there in your cape freezing your extremities off.

Or maybe they aren't really USPS employees but the nice folks from the place with the padded rooms checking to see just how looney you are. Are they playing "Brain Damage" (Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon for you non music lovers) on the radio when they drop off your packages?


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## HokieKen

> Maybe they just like coming by to see you standing out there in your cape freezing your extremities off.
> 
> - EarlS


Well, duh.


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## HokieKen

Man, this dude sure is proud of his old Delta stuff huh?


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## TheFridge

No lie


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## HokieKen

Yummy


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