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Just got the bandsaw attachment for my ShopSmith. It seems pretty good, but needs a good cleaning, and presumably a set-up or something. Thing is, I've neer owned or maintained a bandsaw. They've been in shops I use, but I never do anything other than use them and occasionally sweep up after. In short, is there a good 101 course on what stuff like blade tensioning and drift angle is? Which blade I should use for what and what parts should be clean and squeak-free? When to use fences and what kinds are good/bad/useless? Oh and what about blade sharpness? thanks!
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Feb 2, 2011 08:50
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GEMorris posted:And if you are looking for used tools that someone has done a basic clean up and fettle on, I can't recommend Walt at Brass City Records enough, he will ship internationally as well. I have always been happy with anything I have bought from him. http://www.brasscityrecords.com/toolworks/new%20tools.html That site looks like it could be what I'm after, much appreciated. I just shot him off an email with some questions, I'm looking forward to his response.
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Feb 2, 2011 11:13
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Cobalt60 posted:Just got the bandsaw attachment for my ShopSmith. It seems pretty good, but needs a good cleaning, and presumably a set-up or something. This is a good reference, even if he does repeat himself a bit in the book. http://www.amazon.com/New-Complete-Guide-Band-Saw/dp/1565233182/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1296655908&sr=8-1 It's mostly geared towards 14" saws, I'm not sure what your Shopsmith is.
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Feb 2, 2011 15:12
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LordOfThePants posted:This is a good reference, even if he does repeat himself a bit in the book. I have and would recommend this book too for bandsaw users. I'm not familiar enough with the shopsmith to know that it'd all apply for you as well though. It does go over usage, and how to select blades, what various blades do in certain situations. It's been a pretty helpful reference.
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Feb 2, 2011 17:19
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Thanks for the book recommendation, I'll probably see if it's at a local Woodcraft, and pick it up. I'll... also read the actual manual, I guess. One more question. I was looking for router accuracy upgrades, especially for running thin, precise, smooth, and flat-bottomed channels in "very" hard woods like cocobolo. I think my PC 690 has some deflection/runout that causes just a tiny bit of imperfection. For stuff like a guitar bridge, imperfection isn't an option. Anyone have any tips/advice/parts to recommend? Has anyone tried this cool-looking collet/nut combo? http://www.precisebits.com/products/equipment/pc_collets_nuts.asp Caveat: Over-engineered for precision is up my alley.
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Feb 3, 2011 00:39
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Alright guys, so this weekend I'm hoping to put together the beginning of a new desk for my room. I live in a duplex and have a good sized backyard (15'x20'). To make things simple, I'm planning on buying a few cheap saw horses from Home Depot and using them as my table for the time being. Since I'll be making do with what I have so far, I'm OK with some imperfections. My saw will just be a standard Jig Saw. I've also been eying a Router Table from Home Depot and am wondering what you guys think of the Ryobi brand. Are they pretty reliable, what have you guys found? Here is a picture of the Router Table:  I was planning on making the desk from some standard 3/4" ply wood supported by 2 metal filing cabinets, but have a feeling that would bend horribly. How hard are solid wood doors to find, generally?. Another question I have is about finishes. Should an oil based Polyurethane coating be enough, and how much would it change the color of pine plywood? Or should I look into going a veneer route? Thanks for all suggestions and advise. jvick fucked around with this message at 08:30 on Feb 3, 2011 |
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Feb 3, 2011 07:54
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Cobalt60 posted:One more question. I was looking for router accuracy upgrades, especially for running thin, precise, smooth, and flat-bottomed channels in "very" hard woods like cocobolo. I think my PC 690 has some deflection/runout that causes just a tiny bit of imperfection. For stuff like a guitar bridge, imperfection isn't an option. The slight imperfections are likely caused by the bit not being perfectly centered in a round base. If you are rotating the base while running it along a fence or guide, the bit will move closer and farther from the fence/guide. Easiest way to fix that problem is to make a base with a flat edge on it. If you put the flat edge against your guide/fence, the router will not pivot, and your bit will stay a constant distance from the fence.
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Feb 3, 2011 09:00
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Finished it:
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Feb 3, 2011 16:08
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I like it. I've wanted to build a clock for a while, but if it makes any noise what so ever my girlfriend will rip it off the wall and throw it in the wood stove..
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Feb 3, 2011 16:51
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MarshallX posted:Finished it: Very Nice! What kind of wood and stain did you use?
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Feb 3, 2011 17:07
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jvick posted:Very Nice! What kind of wood and stain did you use? Cherry and Amber Shellac with a few coats of Wax. It should darken significantly as it is a sunny spot in my living room. Carta posted:I like it. I've wanted to build a clock for a while, but if it makes any noise what so ever my girlfriend will rip it off the wall and throw it in the wood stove.. How much do you love me? http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=52297&cat=1,42405 This is the movement my clock has. It is silent.
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Feb 3, 2011 19:57
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Carta posted:I like it. I've wanted to build a clock for a while, but if it makes any noise what so ever my girlfriend will rip it off the wall and throw it in the wood stove.. This is kind of the bane of my existence. I love those big, fancy old clocks, but I hate the sproing and tickticktick tickCLICKtickCLICKtickCLICK so many of them have. I've thought about trying to find one that did the bells on the quarter hours, but can be silenced by something more subtle than a mallet. I think it's time to go shopping for clock actions. Oh, hey -- Thanks for that heads-up on the silent action, Marshall!
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Feb 4, 2011 01:35
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hey chaps, anyone have something bad to say about DeWalt DW320 radial arm saws? browsing ebay at 2am is probably not the smartest thing to do, I've come across this near me and darn it I'm tempted!
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Feb 4, 2011 15:43
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MrPete posted:hey chaps, anyone have something bad to say about DeWalt DW320 radial arm saws? The cheapest RAS I can possibly get will set me back 500$. Used tools are a lot more expensive around these parts.
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Feb 4, 2011 21:44
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MrPete posted:hey chaps, anyone have something bad to say about DeWalt DW320 radial arm saws? Well since it isn't in Queensland there is a good chance that it hasn't recently been a submarine.  The table is made to be adjusted parallel to the arm, if the arm leans more than you are comfortable with (probably due to someone putting too much pressure on the end of the arm and bending the sheet metal that the base mounts to) you can easily shim the mount or just shim underneath the base. 2850 RPM? I take it AU runs on 50hz electricity? Looks like a good deal, several physical traits remind me of a 7790, but overall it looks a good bit beefier. The external ribbing is a new one for me, and I do like the looks of it. It has the auto-retract reel on it as well, which is a nice bonus. At triple the current price, it would probably be a deal, just make sure it works. Good description of the basic cleanup and adjustment you would need to do: http://www.woodcentral.com/bparticles/dewaltrebuild.pdf EDIT: After revisiting the listing, I'm really inclined to say that there is a distinct possibility that that saw is a rebranded european radial arm saw like a Maggi or a Stromab. That is in fact, a very good thing. I would be jumping all over it at that price. GEMorris fucked around with this message at 03:49 on Feb 5, 2011 |
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Feb 4, 2011 23:15
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Net dropped out and I got outbid on the saw  Shall just have to keep looking! Thanks for the info Iskariot and GEMorris, much appreciated. Also yes, Australia does use 50hz
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Feb 5, 2011 12:37
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First question: GEMorris: What vintage Craftsman RAS is worth having? I've heard there was a certain time period where they cranked out horrible cheap saws that are a lot of the reason people consider the RAS to be unsafe. I ask because my great uncle is likely done with woodworking forever and his kids are talking about seeing if he wants to sell his house now that he's in assisted living and likely will not be moving home . I was talking with one of his sons last weekend and it doesn't sound like the kids really want the Craftsman RAS he has, so I might consider buying it for a dedicated crosscut workstation so long as it's not one of the crappy ones. Anything to look at model number wise? I have no idea how old the saw is at the moment - I know it's probably at least 30 years. Second: I finally got around to sharpening my new bevel edge chisels this afternoon. I have the Veritas Mk II jig and was following the scary sharp method. It seemed to work OK, but I'm wondering about waterstones instead of sandpaper. Has anyone used both methods? Which do you prefer? I was thinking about picking up some Norton stones, but before I drop the ~$200 on a 220, 1000, 4000, and 8000 stone set, I'd like to hear some opinions from people who used both methods. I also had a hell of a time setting the angle on the honing guide (something that on paper, seems rather easy). None of the suggested angles matched the factory angle on the chisels however, so I tried to match it as best as I could. Should I just bite the bullet and set it to a common angle and hog off a bunch of material to get it there?
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Feb 5, 2011 21:44
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LordOfThePants posted:I also had a hell of a time setting the angle on the honing guide (something that on paper, seems rather easy). None of the suggested angles matched the factory angle on the chisels however, so I tried to match it as best as I could. Should I just bite the bullet and set it to a common angle and hog off a bunch of material to get it there? Can you clarify exactly what you have? Chisel maker, but also which exact Veritas items you have on-hand? http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?p=51868&cat=1,43072,43078&ap=1 Like, do you have item A and B from this link? A is what sets the angle, and doing so without that piece is much less exact. For example, I use: http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?p=33001&cat=1,43072,43078&ap=1 And it's great and I've never felt like I needed the MK2 version, but without the "angle jig" piece, it's really not that great. Veritas also sells a simple brass angle gauge, if you just want to check what the bevel angle is easily (it's really only useful to own if you have several different tools with different angles). If you have the full set, not sure what the issue is, so feel free to post more detail or pics. There's endless debate on Scary Sharp vs. stones, best to not even open the box. Seeme like the general consensus includes: -- Stones will hone to a slightly better edge, though this is disputed (by me, for example, since I do a 5-stage process where my final grit is WAY past any stones, but most folks don't) -- Stones are more expensive up-front, but -- Stones are annoying to OCD folks like be, because they're never "really flat," and you need to occasionally re-flatten the stone on some other flat surface. -- If you're doing scary sharp anyway, why not just buy a WorkSharp (which is the argument I'm working against currently)?
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Feb 5, 2011 22:07
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Impressive bowl turning skills on a treadle powered turner and hand forged chisels http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIgElQwMJpY
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Feb 5, 2011 22:30
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dwoloz posted:Impressive bowl turning skills on a treadle powered turner and hand forged chisels http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIgElQwMJpY Amazing. Getting the first bowl especially looked like bloody hard work.
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Feb 6, 2011 00:07
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I was browsing through some antique stores today and found a few old Craftsman hand planes. How do these compare in quality to the old Stanleys?
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Feb 6, 2011 00:10
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Cobalt60 posted:Can you clarify exactly what you have? Chisel maker, but also which exact Veritas items you have on-hand? These are the chisels I have: http://www.grizzly.com/products/Deluxe-Bevel-Edge-Chisel-8-Pc-Set/H7755 I have the complete Mk2 honing guide. I just went down to the shop to take some photos, but I think I figured out what the problem was while I was down there. I gave the instructions a quick read-through before I started earlier today and missed the part about making sure the roller is in the correct position for honing the primary bevel angle. There's also a position for the micro-bevel - which is where my guide was set from the factory. I dialed it to the primary bevel and everything looks good - the primary bevel sits flat when in the guide, which is what it should be like. I'll give it another shot tomorrow and see how it goes. As far as sandpaper vs stones - I'm more curious as to which method people find easier. I don't have a lot invested in my current setup, so it wouldn't be a big deal to switch to stones. I'm probably going to buy a couple planes from Lee Valley sometime shortly so maybe I'll pick up one of their combo stones to give it a try before I dump a bunch of money into a full set of Norton waterstones.
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Feb 6, 2011 01:11
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LordOfThePants posted:First question: Mid 60's are the last ones I would even consider, i.e. the ones that look like this: http://vintagemachinery.org/photoindex/detail.aspx?id=10819 Anything with a bunch of plastic on it, forget it. Also realize you will have to adjust it more often than you would with a DeWalt or a Delta. I'm honestly not very knowledgeable on the topic of Craftsman RAS's and just going by what I've read of people defending the older craftsman RAS's while still hating the more recent ones. LordOfThePants posted:I finally got around to sharpening my new bevel edge chisels this afternoon. I have the Veritas Mk II jig and was following the scary sharp method. It seemed to work OK, but I'm wondering about waterstones instead of sandpaper. Has anyone used both methods? Which do you prefer? I was thinking about picking up some Norton stones, but before I drop the ~$200 on a 220, 1000, 4000, and 8000 stone set, I'd like to hear some opinions from people who used both methods. I tried scary sharp, and then diamond pastes for awhile. I eventually went back to my waterstones. Alternate Version: Buy the 10" DMT Duo Sharp Extra Coarse/Coarse diamond stone (~$105) for grinding bevels and flattening your norton stones, then buy a Norton 1000/8000 combo stone for (~$55), When the 1000 wears out you will be maybe 1/5th through the 8000 stone, so at that point just buy a solid 1000 stone. In retrospect I wish I had done this instead of buying the Norton starter kit. LordOfThePants posted:I also had a hell of a time setting the angle on the honing guide (something that on paper, seems rather easy). None of the suggested angles matched the factory angle on the chisels however, so I tried to match it as best as I could. Should I just bite the bullet and set it to a common angle and hog off a bunch of material to get it there? I use an eclipse-style side clamping sharpening jig even though I own the Veritas MKII jig as well (I mainly use the veritas jig for sharpening skew angle chisel and plane blades). I just pick whatever angle I want to sharpen, and as long as it is the same or steeper than the angle ground on the blade, then there is no problem. The key part is having a way to register the blade back to that same setting when you want to freshen up the edge on a blade, which the Veritas MKII jig definitely has. Basic reading: http://www.popularwoodworking.com/article/Sharpening_Plane_Irons_and_Chisels/?print=1 http://blog.woodworking-magazine.com/blog/My+Embarrassing+Toolsetting+Jig.aspx stubblyhead posted:I was browsing through some antique stores today and found a few old Craftsman hand planes. How do these compare in quality to the old Stanleys? Lighter weight, more likely to have issues that require more fettling and flattening. Can be made to perform well, but it may take more work to get them there. Generally Stanley (Type 19 and older) are better to start with if you are new to planes, as they are less likely to have machining problems from the factory. If you are new to planes you might not know how a properly tuned plane is supposed to work/feel, in that case buying a plane from a respected tool restorer (like the ones I linked to previously) or buying a new Lie-Nielsen or Veritas plane can help you establish a proper performance expectation. GEMorris fucked around with this message at 09:34 on Feb 6, 2011 |
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Feb 6, 2011 07:41
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LordOfThePants posted:As far as sandpaper vs stones - I'm more curious as to which method people find easier. I have no idea. I do scary sharp and my chisels are literally sharper than the razor I shave my face with.
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Feb 6, 2011 09:36
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I haven't posted what has become of my guitar in progress in a long time, so I thought I'd share some images of it before the finish starts going on.  
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Feb 6, 2011 15:29
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anaemic posted:I haven't posted what has become of my guitar in progress in a long time, so I thought I'd share some images of it before the finish starts going on. Very nice, man! What method did you use for the striping?
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Feb 6, 2011 20:28
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anaemic posted:I haven't posted what has become of my guitar in progress in a long time, so I thought I'd share some images of it before the finish starts going on. Phenominal craftsmanship. Nice job.
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Feb 6, 2011 20:32
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anaemic posted:excellent. edit. I just noticed the dipthong on the back of the headstock. That's some really good stuff right there. Who do you order the spruce parts from? mcrandello fucked around with this message at 07:39 on Feb 7, 2011 |
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Feb 7, 2011 07:35
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Thanks a lot everyone I'm still learning but its coming out really well. The inlay is all boxwood, and the only spruce is on the front of the guitar which is all taped up in this picture, however I get my timber from a company called Surrey Tonewood Supplies here in the UK. Except the really fine stringing which I buy from Anita Marquetry (although I'd like to source somewhere better.) Everything is inlaid by hand with a scalpel, and a micro chisel I made by grinding down an old hacksaw blade. I draw it all on beforehand using a compass, and any other guides I can make to help get things symmetrical. anaemic fucked around with this message at 12:09 on Feb 7, 2011 |
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Feb 7, 2011 12:02
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LordOfThePants posted:First question: I'm not all that experienced. That being said, I kind of like using Emory paper. I like having a specific grit, that I know is that grit as long as its not super old and worn down. I like the fact that I can spray some lubricant on the paper and cut its effective grit by approx. 50%. I like that I can take very small steps between each grit, because I can get emory paper in a lot of different coarseness-es (I get mine at Ace hardware). I also intrinsically like metal sanding (which sounds weird, but I like how productive it can be, and how productive and gratifying it can feel to me). On "The Woodsmith Shop" television show (a weekly joint by the people who make the magazine) they gave this pretty cool tip of getting a sheet of glass, spraying it with some contact cement, and adhering different grits of sand paper onto it for an ultra flat surface for sharpening. Also, stones are expensiver 'en hail.
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Feb 7, 2011 17:15
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The Scientist posted:Also, stones are expensiver 'en hail. I can't find it right now, but I've seen some cost breakdowns that show how stones are cheaper over the long run than the sandpapers used for scary sharp. The initial outlay for stones is more expensive, of course. Either way, both methods are effective, and it doesn't cost much to give scary sharp a try, so if someone is new to sharpening it couldn't hurt for them to start there. anaemic posted:Look at this awesome thing you posted. I mean just look at it
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Feb 7, 2011 18:30
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Would you guys agree that a good way to test a chisel's sharpness is to shave off some end grain on a piece of scrap wood?
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Feb 7, 2011 22:29
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The Scientist posted:Would you guys agree that a good way to test a chisel's sharpness is to shave off some end grain on a piece of scrap wood? Either that or look at it under an electron microscope.
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Feb 7, 2011 22:41
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Or shave off your arm-hair. Or scrape your thumbnail (perpendicular to the nail) -- if it "catches" and pulls a shaving with zero pressure, it's pretty sharp, but if it smoothly glides, it' not so sharp.
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Feb 8, 2011 01:28
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The only reason I use sandpaper is because I don't want to worry about flattening stones. I use 2000 grit for my microbevel.The Scientist posted:Would you guys agree that a good way to test a chisel's sharpness is to shave off some end grain on a piece of scrap wood? I shave my arm hair. If there is any resistance, it isn't sharp enough.
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Feb 8, 2011 02:27
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My friend's dad used to have a kabar that he would keep that sharp. It just goes to show good of metal they were, to be able to hold such a keen edge like that. Especially for standard marine issue in WWII, they must have made millions of them. But when I try it with my little wood carving chisels, it just scrapes off skin but very little, if any, hair. They are, BTW, the very worst quality you can get ($6.99 at harbor freight). edit: oh but they pass the finger nail test alright. This is going from 80 grit all the way up to 1200 or 1500 grit emory paper in small increments.
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Feb 8, 2011 03:14
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The Scientist posted:edit: oh but they pass the finger nail test alright. This is going from 80 grit all the way up to 1200 or 1500 grit emory paper in small increments. And you really only need to do that once. I use a sharpening/honing guide like this:  Make sure you get the right microbevel and you're golden.
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Feb 8, 2011 04:40
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Does anyone have plans or any idea how I can build a stage for my bench grinder? It's got a slow turn wet stone as well as a normal bench grinder wheel, I'd like to build a stage that can be adapted to both. Right now I can't really sharpen anything on it because there is literally no support. http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/brow...252BGrinder.jsp Edit: Might just buy this some day: http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=32975&cat=1,43072,45938 MarshallX fucked around with this message at 16:45 on Feb 8, 2011 |
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Feb 8, 2011 16:35
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MarshallX posted:Edit: I have one of these, its a good product.
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Feb 8, 2011 18:12
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GEMorris posted:I have one of these, its a good product. Do you think I'd be able to build a stage for it and come over the top of my wet stone?
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Feb 8, 2011 18:15
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