Weekly "bog"

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reible
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Weekly "bog"

Post by reible »

I really don't want to bog you down but some of you might be interested in one of my on going projects.

This project is called "CLIMBING BEAR 2.0".

Just a short history and then you can go look at the pictures. For me this all started in May of 1979. The issue of Popular Mechanics had a grouping of 5 old-time toys that you could make. If you have the issue it is on page134. (It is really an excerpt from American Folk Toys by Dick Schnacke.)

That Christmas or the following one (1980) I built a bunch of these, one for my family, some for friends, and for all the familys with kids at the start up church we were attending. To be honest I have no idea how many, but I do know I was sanding for a long while.

I had my shopsmith jig saw and used that to cut the bears out. Now remember this is 27 or 28 years ago and the blades and older model jig saw are NOT any where as nice at the new stuff and the edges required a lot of hand sanding.

We still have our bear but I have not been able to find him but he went to school for show and tell with all three of my kids, he even stayed at the school several times..... he went to church nurseries, he was played with by all of my kids friends and our house was the hang-out spot. One of my kids was in to wearing black clothes for a while and it was so funny when one or more of his heavy metal friends would stop by and I would hear the unique sound of the bear climbing.... We ended up putting him at the top of the stairs for our kids high school years and even the teenagers had to play with it.

OK so about 10-12 years ago I wanted to make a new one using the router, and that is when I got an overhead pin attachment to my router table. It was a major disapointment but the company let me return it and the used bits for a full refund. Then when I got my shopsmith version I knew someday I was going to go for it again. Now is that time.

The orginal pattern was for cutting with a jig saw or coping saw so it had to change. I got that done and went from there. I was going to make only one but before I got to the project the count was 3. Since then a forth was added and that may be come five before I ever get the orginial one finished.

Non-profit efforts can use my design as it is... if you plan to sell them then please do your own design.

OK now go to see the pictures at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/12199425@N02/sets/72157602338130436/

If you have questions feel free to ask.

Ed
{Knight of the Shopsmith} [Hero's don't wear capes, they wear dog tags]
charlese
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Post by charlese »

No questions! Just a great big Atta Boy, ED! Nice story, interesting, nice photography, Great slide show!
Octogenarian's have an earned right to be a curmudgeon.
Chuck in Lancaster, CA
greitz
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Hands On Magazine bear

Post by greitz »

Great pictures, Ed! I always think projects are much easier to do if you have pix of all of the intermediate stages as well as the schematics, cut lists, etc.

Having limited experience with routers, I'm always amazed at seeing what they can do. And anything that reduces sanding time is a great thing in my book.

Just an addition to the Bear history- When I bought my SS 3 or 4 years ago, it came with a book called "Woodworking Projects I", which is a compilation of 60 projects from Shopsmith's HANDS ON Magazine. That book has the Climbing Bear pattern, and references the July/Aug 1980 edition of HANDS ON. Those instructions use a bandsaw and strip sander.

I've never seen it in a catalog, but maybe that book is still available from Shopsmith? If you want it, I'd try calling customer service. The book has the usual copyright warnings, so I don't think I can post the Climbing Bear pattern from the book without Shopsmith's written permission.

The book also has the patterns for the Bandsaw Deer and Bandsaw Chess Set which Nick showed in his Compound Cuts Sawdust Session.

I'm in the middle of making a bunch of Bandsaw Reindeer for Christmas presents, so that's my contribution to the Weekly Blog for a while.

Gary
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reible
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Post by reible »

greitz wrote:Great pictures, Ed! I always think projects are much easier to do if you have pix of all of the intermediate stages as well as the schematics, cut lists, etc.

Having limited experience with routers, I'm always amazed at seeing what they can do. And anything that reduces sanding time is a great thing in my book.

Just an addition to the Bear history- When I bought my SS 3 or 4 years ago, it came with a book called "Woodworking Projects I", which is a compilation of 60 projects from Shopsmith's HANDS ON Magazine. That book has the Climbing Bear pattern, and references the July/Aug 1980 edition of HANDS ON. Those instructions use a bandsaw and strip sander.

I've never seen it in a catalog, but maybe that book is still available from Shopsmith? If you want it, I'd try calling customer service. The book has the usual copyright warnings, so I don't think I can post the Climbing Bear pattern from the book without Shopsmith's written permission.

The book also has the patterns for the Bandsaw Deer and Bandsaw Chess Set which Nick showed in his Compound Cuts Sawdust Session.

I'm in the middle of making a bunch of Bandsaw Reindeer for Christmas presents, so that's my contribution to the Weekly Blog for a while.

Gary
Hi Gary,

Thanks for the information on the Hands On! I dug in my box and sure enough on page 10 is shopsmiths version. This one looks like it could be routed as shown. Perhaps I will pull my collection of Hands ON out and look through them, maybe I'll find some more interesting things to work on.

I have a complete or very nearly complete set and a couple of copies of the Shavings... In fact what was on top was the final issue, July - August 1979 issue of that. On page 3 Nick becomes the new Editor and thus started the Hands On editions...... also a picture of a very young looking Nick and the previous editor Vince.

It's interesting I was just thinking about the toy Mark V they had plans for back in that same time frame. I wanted to build one but never had the free time to do so.... I guess now it should be updated to a 520 hey??

Ed
{Knight of the Shopsmith} [Hero's don't wear capes, they wear dog tags]
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nuhobby
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Post by nuhobby »

Hey All,

Today's highlight for me was not the commuting, the office-work, the yard-work, nor the coordinating 2 genius(es) to figure out a mysterious furnace-flue "constipation."

The highlight was finding, at the local library Used Book Sale, one of the SS Hands-On books showing this Climbing Bear among other projects...

I also recently had found a very old PTWFE to complement my very new PTWFE.

Ed, as usual, a fine job and excellent photojournalism!

Chris
Shopsmith 510, Bandsaw & other accessories
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