Re: LNCC63's workshop

Not quite done but it is getting there

The fence is just there for show. I'm not really decided whether I want to use it or not ... seems flimsy and I often cut big pieces. Like this afternoon, I cut two pieces of Yakal measuring 40 mm x 200 mm x 2 m into 30 mm strips ... dang Yakal is heavy. The good news is the saw did very well ... as did my thicknesser and jointer. Now I have 8 pieces of Yakal about 38 mm x 30 mm x 2 m all S4S. I need to mill another set of these. These will all be laminated up to become the "fin" of the 18-foot sailboat I'm building.

I learned something the other day: a scroll saw blade may look like a coping saw blade but it is actually shorter! I went through pains about this. Thought my scroll saw was out of spec or something. As luck would have it, the fellows at Hans Tools thought I was looking for "scroll" saw blades with I was in fact looking for a "spiral" saw blade, when they showed me the scroll saw blades I the realized scroll saw blades are different from coping saw blades, Fantastic!

Thanks to Hans tools, I also got my belt sanders working. They have a nice selection of abrasive belts.

Re: LNCC63's workshop

Looks a lot sturdier than the original. Wider too if I am not mistaken.

Re: LNCC63's workshop

nice work Louis, will wait for completion... cheers.

Re: LNCC63's workshop

Well let's hope it is completed. Usually when I get something to do what I need it to do that's the way it will stay till the next time I need it to do more.

Yes, it is wider. No specific reason really, mostly because the 18 mm plywood piece I had efficiently divided this way.

Re: LNCC63's workshop

Louis

Are you planning to add miter slots? coz if you are i wanna see how you go about it

This is what i was planning for my TS too coz of the non-flat top

Re: LNCC63's workshop

Hi Bee. Yes, I'm planing too put miter slots but I'm still considering how to do it. The challenge is to cut the slots parallel to the blade but even more critical is to cut the two slots exactly parallel to one another. This is the procedure I have in mind:

1. Raise blade to full height (unplug the saw!)
2. Setup fence parallel to the blade then put the blade down.
3. Referenced against the fence, a slot a little wider and deeper.
4. Fill the slot with epoxy filled with milled fiberglass and graphite.
5. Once cured, flatten the epoxy and cut the final slot.
6. Referenced against the first slot, cut the second slot and steps 4 and 5 to it.

Epoxy filled with milled fiberglass and graphite is extremely hard, harder even than mild steel IIRC. Also the graphite make the slot self lubricating. This is how I made the bushing that hold the saw mechanism. I'll take picture of those when I get the chance so you guys can see.

Before I do all this, I need to laminate some fiberglass to the top. Originally was thinking of using some laminate I have but epoxy fiberglass appeals to me more right now.

I also plan to put foldout sides but I ran out of 3/4" plywood. Too bad it was just yesterday that I found some scrap 3/4" marine plywood (from crates). Each measures about 44" x 40" and cost P230. I bought all four of them even though I've don't have a project for them right now.

Re: LNCC63's workshop

hmmm ive never worked with fiberglass before. Where do you get graphite? is it t he same as the ones in pencils?

Well polymer philippines is along libis. 🙂

Re: LNCC63's workshop

Not really sure but I think you're right about pencil leads being graphite. I bought a whole sack of it for my still-to-be foundry. I only really needed a bit of it but one-sack is the smallest quantity the vendor sells. So if you guys need some ... Aside from using it as a filler in my epoxy mixes, I also use it as a dry lubricant. For example, yesterday I sprinkled some on the bed of the jointer as the wood I was working tended to stick.

Fiberglass is a great material however it does have its off-side. For one, its dust from sanding will make you itch like crazy if it gets in your pores.

Actually, there is an epoxy manufacturer right beside your office (I think): Ultracote.

Re: LNCC63's workshop

I've often found it inconvenient not being able to tilt my sliding compound miter saw both ways. Taking a cue from bro JayL, and finding an opportunity to get one of these:

for only P4,200 I closed the deal without a thought. It is brand new surplus of course so it is probably missing something and probably has something amiss but I'm sure I can work around that.

Will give my existing SCMS some TLC and then will sell it.

For those that work with mixing epoxy, a jeweler's scale is a must have. Got this one off eBay PH for P450:

Re: LNCC63's workshop

Need some 1/2" dowels for my boat. I could use my little lathe to make them but I've always wanted to try this dowel making jig so I spent a few hours yesterday making one.

The round piece in front I did make on the lathe which is used to align the jig. The larger diameter is 3/4" and the smaller one is 1/2". The entire jig is mounted on a router and a straight bit sticks out between the two square blocks.

To use the jig you push a spinning square stock with sides measuring 2 * SQRT( 0.75^2 / 2 ) through the big hole and out comes a nice round dowel through the smaller one ... well something like that. Like all jigs, it does take some tweaking here and there.

The most important thing is to spin the workpiece fast and feed it slowly. I did this with a cordless drill with a headless screw chucked and driven into the wood. Some kind of flexible coupling would be better ... I was thinking plastic house or maybe a piece of heavy gauge wire insulation but could not find any.

It does work ... need to take photos of the results.

Re: LNCC63's workshop

@Timber

You can see the dial gauge I mentioned earlier. As you can see the face is clouded. I used it to alight the x-y vise on the my drill press to make sure the holes for the jig's blocks were perfectly parallel to their base line.

Re: LNCC63's workshop

Here are the dowels I made:

Here is the drive point at the rear:

Also spent sometime fixing my bench grinder. The grinder itself has always been working except the wetstone - big stone with a bucket, never did. The problem was that a plastic gear had its teeth worn out I think because a bushing jammed.

To fix it, I got the bright idea to reposition the worn gear so that the bit of teeth remaining would engage. It works now and I was able to give a few of chisels a nice sharp edge. The bushing should be replaced but first I need to buy or make a boring bar.

Here's a picture of my beatup SCMS:

UGLY.

TTFN.

Re: LNCC63's workshop

Nice dowels.

Wanted to make that jig a looong time ago to make dowels for dog holes.. But then my plywood top cant handle bench dogs so i moved the jig to the bottom of my list.

Re: LNCC63's workshop

yup, saw the dial gauge Louis, can you post a picture on how this is made? a blade on the other side of the face?

Re: LNCC63's workshop

Nice dowels.

Wanted to make that jig a looong time ago to make dowels for dog holes.. But then my plywood top cant handle bench dogs so i moved the jig to the bottom of my list.

Thanks bee but they're not as nice as the pictures show. Some portions are wavy because I did not bother to adjust it more than I already did ... too hot and I only really need 30 mm lengths. Spinning the workpiece at a high rate while feeding it slowly improves the results a lot but you have to make sure you have good alignment with the drill spinning the workpiece or else the thing is going to wobble like crazy.

This is the basis of my jig: http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/dowelmakingjig.aspx

I also made the rear piece but did not attach it.

Bee, you could put hardwood bushing for your workbench dogs. The higher surface area bearing on the plywood will increase the load a dog will be able to take. Epoxy around the hardwood bushing would be perfect for this application.

@ Timber

Sorry bro but I'm not sure I understand your question. The jig is mounted on top of a router with a straight bit sticking through the plywood base between the hardwood guides.