# A disabled woodworking Vet needs us



## lilredweldingrod (Nov 23, 2009)

Mike at pvwood introduced me to a disabled Vet this evening. He has the same saw as mine and needs it lowered for him to use in a wheelchair. His Name is Arlin Eastman and lives in Council Bluffs, Iowa. He loves to make boxes for parents of still born children and victims of SIDS in hopes he can make them feel just a bit better.
He was severely injured in a bombing overseas. and cannot modify his own equipment by him self. I can not travel there or I would be on my way.
You can see how I made my saw safer for me and so the engineering is done. I am available to consult if needed. I invited him to join us here on LJ and he has agreed to. So watch for Arlin Eastman as he does not use a nickname.He is also looking for mentors to help him improve his skills, So let's show him a great welcome tomorrow when he joins us. Rand


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## patron (Apr 2, 2009)

it is my pleasure
to welcome arlin
to LJ's
anything i can do just ask


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## WayneC (Mar 8, 2007)

Welcome Arlin.


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## LeeJ (Jul 4, 2007)

Welcome aboard, Arlin.

Very nice, Rand.

Lee


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## Billp (Nov 25, 2006)

Thanks for your service and welcome.


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## ArlinEastman (May 22, 2011)

Thank You Rand
I am still getting aquainted with the website. A little confusing now, but it will get better the more I use it.
Right now I have never used woodworking handtools and a friend sent me a Lee Valley catalog. I guess I did not know how much I was missing.
All the Best
Arlin


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## Dennisgrosen (Nov 14, 2009)

welcome Arlin 
enjoy and have fun 

Dennis


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## scottv11 (May 20, 2011)

welcome Arlin,
If you really want to see some good tools.

http://www.lie-nielsen.com/


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## lilredweldingrod (Nov 23, 2009)

Arlin, welcome to LJ..I just gotta say it… You ain't seen nothing yet. lol Now, Arlin, let us know what you need and I know there are some LJ in your area that are willing to help.

OK LJ's…Arlin has the exact same saw as mine, and he needs it lowered and placed on the same Shop Fox mobile base. My blog show's how easy it is.


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## Edwin (Mar 11, 2010)

*Welcome Arlin to LJ. You will be amazed how much info is on this site. I am also a disababled Vet. Remenber this, keep smiling…
Ed In Port Republic, 08241 *


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## Bertha (Jan 10, 2011)

I welcome Arlin and his has my respect. Alas, I'm a good distance from Iowa but I have no doubt that someone will come to his aid.


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## ArlinEastman (May 22, 2011)

Well Rand
I think until I get my new wood equipment taylored to my level, I will have to learn how to use and get handtools. SO, if anyone has some good hand tools fpr sale like saws, planes, carving tools, marking tools, and I do not know what else, I would like to buy. I have a paypal account so I can transfer money that way.
I am sure with lots of practice and patience I can make my boxes with hand tools. However, before I will buy the tool, I will ask what it is used for first.

All the Best
Arlin Eastman


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## JoeLyddon (Apr 22, 2007)

Welcome Aboard Arlin!

May you get all the help you need from people on LumberJocks!

Thank you for honoring us with your presence.

If I can help you, I will.


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## superdav721 (Aug 16, 2010)

Welcome to LJ's Arlin. We are glad to have you. Enjoy its very addictive and there are lots of great woodworkers on this site that are happy to answer your questions.


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

Welcome Arilin

Thank

you

for your

Service and sacrifice

Wish I was loser to help


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## GregInMaryland (Mar 11, 2010)

Arilin,

Thank you for your service to our country and your generous gifts to grieving parents.

When you can, please send me a PM with your address. If you are interested, I would like to send you some chisels, lapping plate, sand paper and box making books. The chisels I use are a serviceable starter set and can be found on ebay and are called "Marples 5pc Pro Touch Chisel With Striking Cap" If the link is allowed here it is on ebay

The glass lapping plate and sandpaper is for the Scary-Sharp method. Do a google search for "Scary-Sharp" or check out this link in Wikipedia or Finewoodworking

As a parent who lost two children, I can tell you that your efforts have great meaning.

Best wishes
Greg


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## lilredweldingrod (Nov 23, 2009)

OK LJ's, we need someone in the Council Bluffs area to assist Arlin to lower his Grizzly G0690. Also his bandsaw table is way to high for him too. If some one has the ability to help, I would be grateful and I know Arlin will be too. He is not asking for a hand out, he is asking for a hand up. 
I am available to help in way I can. I'm just to far away(Southern California) or I would be there yesterday. 
To lower the table saw, you can look at my blog on how I did mine with out messing with the structural integrity.
The hard part is removing the wings and fence components, just because they are heavy.


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## swirt (Apr 6, 2010)

Arlin, welcome to LumberJocks and the prospect of handtool woodworking. Probably best to avoid too much time scanning through the pages of Lee Valley. Don't get me wrong, the tools are awesome but at first it can give you the impression that you need lots and lots and lots to get started. Some of those tools are pretty specialized, and it is easy to fall into the trap of "I need one of those" for every single one of them.

I wish I were closer to you, I would gladly follow Rand's great directions to get your equipment lowered. I appreciate your service, and like Greg, your mission for your boxes touches close to home for me too.


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## huntter2022 (Mar 29, 2011)

Welcome to LJ !
I did share this with my facebook friends and also contacted a few friends from iowa but one is like 6-7 hours away the others I have not heard from them . hope fully someone will be able to help you out .
I would suggest contact your local vet's club they just might have someone able to help you out


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## lilredweldingrod (Nov 23, 2009)

Arlin, That's great point by hunter2022. Check with the local VFW and DAV.


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## GregInMaryland (Mar 11, 2010)

Arlin,

The editorial offices for both Woodsmith/Shopnotes and Wood Magazine are in Iowa. I have contacted their editors to see if they, some of their workers, colleagues, vendors, subscribers could help. If they comeback with something, I will forward it to you.

Unfortunately, Council Bluffs, Iowa is 19 hours + drive from Maryland and I am not sure how I would explain a road trip like that to my wife! Also, I am not sure that I have the technical skills to cut down the saw so that it sets level ….

I though I would share this blog from neighbors/friends of our who lost their daughter at six weeks or so.

Reaching out to acknowledge the grief and loss of miscarriage, a still born or a SIDS death, whether from friends or strangers is powerfully comforting and healing. My wife and I were blessed to have warm and caring people in our lives as we grieved our two children who were lost to us.

With any luck, I will have some down time this summer/fall and I would like to build some boxes for your club to distribute. When it is time some general dimensions or guidelines would be helpful.

Warmest regards,

Greg


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## bubinga (Feb 5, 2011)

Greg in Maryland
I think Contacting those editors was a Great idea, great job


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## lilredweldingrod (Nov 23, 2009)

I knew there was someone smarter than me out there, Thanks Greg. Lord knows we need all the good ideas we can get.


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## GregInMaryland (Mar 11, 2010)

Arlin

It was suggested to me by one of the editors to contact the Des Moines Woodworkers Association. Their url is http://www.dmwoodworkers.com/

Greg


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## ArlinEastman (May 22, 2011)

Greg
Thank You for contacting all the individuals you did. I will most certainly contact anyone that you point me to.
To everyone else you are all most wonderful and an inspiration to me.
Arlin


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## YanktonSD (Jun 21, 2011)

Arlin 
I am in Yankton SD and get to the Omaha area, but I am new to woodworking and would love to exchange tips and advice.
Jay


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## GSwoodworker (May 22, 2009)

Arlin thank you for you service! I live in the DesMoines area, I am a machinist for a living and a woodworker by hobby. I have looked online at your table saw to see if it could be lowered. I my opinion I would not recommend cutting the base of your cabint style table saw. I believe it would weaked the structual integrity of the saw and may conflict with the internal workings of the saw, We could contact someone at grizzly to confirm my opinion. My 1st solution would be to raise the floor in the shop cutting around the tablesaw. Or maybe downgrade to a contractor style saw with a lowered base. Please let me know if I can help. I will do some thinking of other ideas and research.

Thanks again 
Greg


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## lilredweldingrod (Nov 23, 2009)

Greg, You might want to take a look inside my Grizzly as i have cut mine down. By leaving the top leg of the 4" channel on the bottom and not moving the dust chute, the base is very sturdy and does not rack or twist. I did a blog on lowering the cabinet saw. After mine was completed, three days later, the info I requested from Grizzly arrived. lol 
The cabinet is made from 13 gauge steel and the dust chute inside, adds extra strength and stability. The door for the clean out is the only thing preventing more that 4" being removed. With 29" being the optimal table height for use by a wheelchair woodworker, you can get the saw to 30" with no trouble or damage to the saw at all.


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## GSwoodworker (May 22, 2009)

lilredweldingrod, OK your blog makes that look easy, I'm glad that there is a reinforcement lip inside of the saw.

Alrin do you have a moble base that needs to be installed? Do you still want to lower your saw? And when would you needs this done?

Greg


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## Dennisgrosen (Nov 14, 2009)

spam


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## smokey1945 (Feb 20, 2009)

Welcome Arlen! Thank you for your service and sacrifice! I too am a vet and disabled, though they are not connected.
I have been a "lurker" for several years and there is a lot of wonderful knowledge and help to be found here.


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