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Do your Band Clamps look like a spider
web?
Click Here to see an easy to make solution!
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Find the center of a round piece of
wood
You'll need 2 squares... a carpenters type and a combination... and a
pencil.
Click on the Pic to see how it's done :)
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 Dado Blade Grooves
The pic at left shows how a dado blade is configured,
and why a dado blade makes those tiny grooves in the corner of the dado
it cut... Those tiny grooves give the glue a place to squeeze out...
otherwise the glue would be trapped and the piece that was going to be
glued into the dado might not seat all the way down into the dado. This
also demonstrates why a dado blade is not the best choice for making box
joints, as the glue channels would make a visible gap in the box joint.
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This
is the drawing plans for making the featherboards shown here...
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Setting the Infeed and Outfeed
Tables on a Planer
I have found that setting a couple of nickels on the planer bed, and
then setting a straight edge on top of the nickels, and using the bottom
of the straight edge as a guide to adjust the infeed and outfeed tables
just slightly higher on the ends of the tables works best for reducing
snipe.
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Climb Cutting on a Router Table
This shows the difference between regular cutting and
climb cutting on a router table... The "advantage" of climb cutting is
that as the cutting edge enters the wood, the wood fibers are supported
by the wood behind it so there's no tear out... as in regular cutting
where the cutting edge exits the wood and since there is no support the
wood fibers tear out. The problem with climb cutting is that it is very
dangerous, and the cutter will grab and throw the wood violently. Do not
attempt climb cutting unless the wood is prevented from being thrown by
a stock feeder and/or featherboards, and you are only cutting a tiny
amount at a time, like about 1/64" or so. In regular cutting, if the
stock is kicked back, your hand will also tend to be kicked away from
the spinning bit... In climb cutting, your hand will be dragged into the
bit. Something to keep in mind... climb cutting is not for the novice!
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Simple Chip Collector for a DC
System
This shows a simple and inexpensive chip collector that can be made
for a dust collector with PVC pipe and plywood. The chips enter at an
angle, and the rotation of the air make the chips fall to the side and
only the tiny lightweight dust particles are drawn into the dust
collector bag... and this means less emptying and more efficient
collecting... not to mention that the impeller is now safe from a large
chuck hitting it. Metal trash cans leak air, are heavy, and rust... use
a plastic can with a DC, but if you are making one for your shop vac you
will need to use something besides a plastic can... the increased
suction of a shop vac collapses the sides of a plastic can, but a DC
wont do that.
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Click the pic to see where quartersawn, plain or
flatsawn boards come from in a log
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Make a few of these "clamp strap
holders" and end that mess!
You'll need a lathe and a Forstner, spade or brad point bit, a couple of
dowels and a rubber band. |
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Chuck a piece of 3/4" dowel into the lathe and mark
the dowel with a mark in the middle and the size of the straps on your
band clamps, plus 1/16" on each side of middle... these marks represent
where the strap will sit on the dowel. |
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... then turn the slots as shown using a parting
tool. The slots need to be about 1/4" X 1/4", but the exact size isn't
critical... these slots just keep the rubber band from slipping. |
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Now you can make the part of the jig that holds the
straps in place... this is just a piece of dowel the same length as the
straps on the band clamps are wide, plus about an 1/8" wider than the
strap to allow some clearance between the rubber band and the side of
the strap. You now need to drill a hole down the center of the dowel...
which is a Tip in itself! |
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To drill a centered hole in the
end of a dowel
First drill a hole in a scrap piece of wood the same size as the dowel
you need to drill the center on... Use a Forstner, spade, or brad point
bit and drill just far enough to leave a tiny hole through the other
side as shown in the photo on the right.
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Insert the dowel to be drilled into the hole in the
scrap, and mark the center
of the dowel as shown using an awl... |
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Clamp the dowel as shown, and make sure that the
drill press table is square with the drill bit and that the dowel is
clamped square to the table....Drill through the center of the dowel
with a bit that's about 1/3 (or smaller) than the size of the dowel
you're using... If you used a 3/4" dowel, drill a 1/4" hole... |
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Now roll the strap on the band clamp around the dowel
with the slots cut into it, and thread a large rubber band through the
hole and secure the strap as shown. This keeps the clamp in place and
also lets you pull just the amount of strap you need so there's not
miles of strap trying to trip you! It's easy to roll up too, as the
roller-dowel keeps tension on the strap and also helps keep the strap
aligned. You will also need to replace the rubber band occasionally...
You'll know when it's time because there'll be a broken rubber band on
the floor next to a mile of canvas strapping :)
Sure hope this works for ya! |
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Basic Tablesaw Safety and Use |
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One
thing to keep in mind when ripping on the tablesaw is to always be in
control of the piece between the fence and blade.
Force is applied towards the fence and down on the table at the same
time, and the piece being cut is advanced through and completely beyond
the blade in one smooth motion. Both the offcut and the piece that was
cut are not touched after the cut has been made until the saw has been
shut off and the blade has completely stopped. |
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The
illustration to the left is one of the most common errors new tablesaw
users make.
In this illustration both the rip fence and the miter gauge are being
used at the same time and when the piece being cut is completely severed
it will be uncontrolled and will most likely be shot back at the
operator... known as "kickback"... and is very hazardous. |
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Situations that can cause kickback during ripping operations are:
(1) The piece being cut will move away from the fence, catch the
rear of the blade... which will lift and throw the piece towards the
operator.
(2) The Kerf (the slot the blade makes in the wood) will close due
to internal stresses in the wood being relieved as it's cut and
pinch the blade which results in the piece being lifted and thrown.
To prevent this, a Splitter or riving knife is used. The Splitter
prevents the Kerf from closing, and also prevents the piece being
cut from "rotating" away from the fence and catching the rear of the
blade.
This splitter is simply a piece of Oak glued into the kerf made
in a Zero Clearance Throat Plate, with the leading edge filed
into a blade shape, and then it's sanded to "fine tune" the fit
so that, when a piece is ripped, there is a very slight amount
of
friction between the piece and the splitter.
These are very easy to make, cost nothing, and can make the
difference between a dangerous kickback and a safe ripping
operation.
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Push Sticks are also essential to safe ripping on the
tablesaw, and should be used any time there is a piece being ripped that
is narrower than the width of your hand. This is just a guideline of
course, but hopefully this image will stick in your mind when you
rip a piece of wood and you see that the distance between the fence and
the blade are less than the width of your hand. This is one of my
favorite push sticks, and I reach for it more than the others... it's
comfortable, feels secure in my hands, and allows me to apply pressure
forward and down, keeping the front of the stock being ripped from
raising up due to the rotation of the blade, and it's tall enough so
that, if I let my fingers hang down accidentally, they can't reach the
blade... all of these factors should be taken into account when you make
your push stick. Here's a quick sequence of the push stick pushing the
stock through the cutting area.
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dangerous... as are most tools, and knowing these these safety items
will go a long way towards keeping you safe... but there's no better
safety tool than the one that sits on your shoulders ... If it feels
wrong, then it's wrong! Stop, and find a safe way to perform the task
you want to do.
I also recommend a "dry run" be performed with any
new cutting operation.. you do this by lowering the blade below the
table surface, and practice making the cut with the saw shut off.
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Basic Tablesaw Safety
Wear safety glasses or a face shield at all times while using the saw.
If the cutting operation is dusty, wear a dust mask.
Do not wear gloves while operating a table saw.
Avoid long sleeves, ties, dangling jewelry or any other loose fitting
clothing while operating a table saw. The clothing could get caught in
the blade.
Wear non-slip footwear.
Use a push stick to cut stock that is less than the width of your hand
wide...
Position your body so that it is NOT in line with the blade. This is to
avoid being injured by flying sawdust, woodchips or the work.
The height of the blade should be set just slightly higher than the
stock being cut.
Always stand firmly on the floor and avoid any awkward operations. This
is to avoid falling into the blade by slipping or losing your balance.
Pay attention to the work being performed.
Do not reach behind or over the blade unless it has stopped turning.
Do not leave the saw until the blade has come to a complete stop.
Always disconnect the power prior to changing the blade or performing
any other maintenance operation.
Make sure that the blade has stopped turning before you adjust the table
saw.
Make sure that the blade is free before you turn on the power.
Make sure the tabletop is smooth and polished. An unclean or rough table
requires you to use more force to push the stock through the blade. The
more force that you are required to use the more chance that you may
slip or lose your balance.
Maintain the rip fence parallel to the blade so the stock will not bind
on the blade and be thrown.
Check the throat plate to ensure that it fits exactly and has a slot
just slightly larger that the blade. Never operate a table saw with the
throat plate removed.
Do not make free-hand cuts on the table saw. The stock must be guided
through the blade either by the rip fence or the miter gauge.
Keep the blades' guards, splitters and anti-kickback devices in place
and operating properly. The splitter must be in alignment with the blade
and the anti-kickback device must be in place and operating properly.
Their action must be checked before cutting.
Only seasoned, dry, flat wood should be cut.
Work should be released only when it has gone past the blade.
Whenever the stock is lifted or tilted above the surface of the table,
the saw can shake the stock, causing you to lose your grip.
Losing your grip on a piece means that your hand can slip toward the saw
blade or the work can be forcefully kicked back towards you.
Check that the stock has no nails, knots screw, stones etc. in it prior
to cutting into the wood. These items can become projectiles and cause
injury. |
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Quick
check to see if the fence is aligned with the blade
It is absolutely essential that the blade be aligned with the miter slot
for crosscutting, and that the fence be aligned parallel to the blade
for ripping. There are lots of gadgets out there for getting these
crucial alignments correct, but I use the actual cut to see if
everything is aligned correctly... the old "proof is in the pudding"
theory :) To get a quick idea whether the fence is aligned with
the blade, use this quick check....
Place a straight edge between the fence and blade, and move the fence
within 1/32" of the straight edge. Now, LOOK at the gap and see if it
looks exactly the same along the entire length of the straight edge. A
LONG straight edge works better than a short one in this alignment
check.
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Calculating Board Feet and Board Foot Chart
Basic formula for figuring out the board feet is Length" X Width" X
Thickness" Divided by 144 = Board feet. For example: A 6/4 (Termed
and said as "Six-Quarter") board (1 1/2" thick) that is 4" wide and 6
feet long would be 3 board feet, written as 3bf. Using the formula
above, and making sure that all numbers used are in inches, we get
Length ( 6ft X 12" in a foot = 72") 72" X 4" Times 1.5" = 432 divided by
144" (there are 144" in a board ft) = 3bf. Let's look at that again with
just the formula:
L" X W" X T" divided by 144 = bf, so in the example above you
would do 72 X 4 X 1.5 divided by 144 = bf.
Or just use the chart to the left!
I don't remember where I got that chart, but thanks to whoever posted in
on the web!
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Steambending
Here's the basic setup... I'll point out the important features you'll
need... you can change the setup based on what you have available.
PVC Pipe steambox - Must be supported along it's length... even a
2 X 4 strapped to it will work... It'll sag and droop otherwise... You
could just use a wooden box too... as long as it is reasonably steam
tight... The end needs to NOT be sealed... just stuff a rag in there.
Make sure the steambox slopes downward towards the opening with the rag
in it... if it slopes upward, too much steam escapes.
Fire - Must be HOT... VERY hot! I use one of those outdoor cooker
things, and it sounds like a 747 taking off....
Water - You'll need 5 gallons. I use a NEW metal gas can...
Radiator Hose - One of those flexible universal hoses from the local
auto parts store...
Steam - You need TONS and TONS of HOT, billowing steam. If you
look at the steam and say to yourself "gee, I think that's enough"
you're not even close.
Do not add the wood to the steambox until it's billowing steam like a
locomotive...
It would work better if you could support the wood off the bottom of the
steambox... you could drill through the PVC pipe and install dowels
running across. You can also stand the piece being steamed up on it's
edge if it'll balance...
When you bend a "U" shape, and you want the legs of the "U" to be
straight, and the curved part of the "U" uniformly smooth, DON'T grab
the wood by the ends and bend it around the form... Instead, grab the
wood in the middle, hands close together, and bend slightly, then slide
your hands a little farther apart, bend some more, etc., etc... Until
you've bent the piece all the way into the shape you want... DO NOT "overbend"
thinking this will help aleviate the springback... it doesn't... it just
makes the "U" larger in diameter.
Bending jig. Have everything in place, clamps, etc... There's NO
time to mess with anything... It's gotta be steambox to bending jig and
clamped in about 10 seconds... Do a dry run, kinda like a pit crew eh...
Wear heavy leather gloves, and be prepared for it to be very hot
anyway... If it's not WET and hot, it'll break.
Use wood that has a grain that you can follow the entire length of the
face of the board. If you follow a line of grain, and it runs off the
edge... well, now it's a maybe eh...
Let dry in the bending jig for a couple days... in the sun helps too. |
