mickyd's Woodworking Projects

[heathicus]

When my son was in cub scouts, one of our projects was a pine wood derby car. This was before my Shopsmith days and the only tool I had at the time to cut the basic shape was... my table saw. A bandsaw would have been ideal, but you can't use what you don't have.

What I ended up doing was building a holder for the small block of wood. It was in the shape of a lower case "h" and stradled the fence (fitting snug) with the tall leg of the "h" toward the blade. Then, I clamped the block of wood to that taller leg. I adjusted the blade for the angle and depth I needed, adjusted the fence the correct distance, then slid the "h" holder and block down the fence and through the blade. I was able to make complex cuts on a small piece of wood and keep my hands clear of any danger.

Would something similar to this work with MickyD's originally proposed resawing operation? After cutting the first side and flipping it over, the kerf might need to be filled with something at the clamp point to keep it from pinching together and breaking or causing other problems.

[mickyd]

Hi,

Gee I hate to get to "evolved" with this as I'm thinking this might not be the best first project to try. Small parts can be trouble some even to experienced woodworkers.

I was an experienced woodworker when I got my shopsmith, yet my first shopsmith projects were making jigs out of the PTWFE. I would think this might be a good place to go for you or anyone who is newer to hobby.

If I was King I would say this is how it is going to be but of course I'm only a knight so do as you will. Step one is to learn how to make a zci. Working with wood this small pretty much requires one.

If you are interested I can walk you through some of this stuff keeping it to simple tools and processes.

BTW the method you first described with the vertical cuts is not a bad way to go but needs a few refinements. I've done this lots of time and it works just fine. You will need a tall fence, the zci, a rip blade and the shopsmith safety kit (I you don't have the shopsmith safety kit then I get working on finding one) See:
http://www.shopsmith.com/ownersite/catalog/mvsafety_safetykit.htm

And you will need some smaller items like shims, and a hand saw (rip), coping saw...

Ed

I needed this post!!! Your comment about it being a tough first project was reassuring to how I was feeling about it. Prior to me even deciding to post the details of this project, I was thinking "They are defineately going to see a rookie struggle through the obvious." I see now that the obvious may not be all that obvious. That's a great reason in itself to have posted. I've already learned a lot!!

I know I can do this project and do it safely, even though it may not be simple. It's because I'm comforatble with my abilities. I know when to tread lightly and actually even enjoy that approach. The brain exercise is calming. If I am at all out of my comfort zone, I am pretty good at recognizing it and will post for comments. I appreciate your comments and value your opinion.

I am going to make a zci first. I was going to thread search zci tonight but would also appreciate any other direction you could give to help me out.

The only thing in the ShopSmith safety kit I don't have is the featherboard. I saw Heaths homemade one and thought of tackling that if I needed it for this project. I guess I may slide skirt around it though. Now, I just don't feel comfortable with the first method I posted. That little guy in the head won't have anything to do with it now.

[pennview]

Here I am again.....thinking I understand but again, as with jpg's, off by a factor. I only see this method giving 2 pieces if flipped on it's horizontal plane after the first cut, and at most 3, if flipped on it's vertical plane then back onto it horizontal plane.....sketchup view shown below.
.

Mike, sorry for the confusion.

I was expecting there to be some stock left (1/8") in the middle of the workpiece after finishing the first two cuts on one edge (1/4" (wood) + 3/32" (saw kerf) + 1/8" (wood) + 3/32" (saw kerf) + 1/4" (wood)). What you show in your drawings (a gap in middle of the workpiece) makes what I said unworkable.

[robinson46176]

I needed this post!!! Your comment about it being a tough first project was reassuring to how I was feeling about it. Prior to me even deciding to post the details of this project, I was thinking "They are defineately going to see a rookie struggle through the obvious." I see now that the obvious may not be all that obvious. That's a great in itself to have posted. I've already learned a lot!!

I know I can do this project and do it safely, even though it may not be simple. It's because I'm comforatble with my abilities. I know when to tread lightly and actually even enjoy that approach. The brain exercise is calming. If I am at all out of my comfort zone, I am pretty good at recognizing it and will post for comments. I appreciate your comments and value your opinion.

I am going to make a zci first. I was going to thread search zci tonight but would also appreciate any other direction you could give to help me out.

The only thing in the ShopSmith safety kit I don't have is the featherboard. I saw Heaths homemade one and thought of tackling that if I needed it for this project. I guess I may slide skirt around it though. Now, I just don't feel comfortable with the first method I posted. That little guy in the head won't have anything to do with it now.

My father was very fond of these first two lines of an old proverb (lots of minor variations and attributed to several sources)
"He who knows not and knows not that he knows not is a fool; avoid him.
He who knows not and knows that he knows not is a student; teach him."
-
I have known a lot of nice guys that simply do not have that little voice in their heads saying "look closely at what you are doing". I have known several of them that have bled profusely at times.
One was a very good neighbor who was mounting his first bush-hog on his first tractor having never done anything with either one of them before. I had allowed him to store them in my barn while his was being built. My son who was maybe 26 then happened by as he was trying to figure it all out and tried to tell him what needed doing. After a while my son gave up and came to the field and stopped me. He said "you have to go help him or he is going to kill himself..." I stopped and spent about a half an hour explaining each part and its function to him and what the inherent dangers were. His main problem was that he was not listening to my actually very wise son I believe just because he was so much younger than he. He had no problem listening to an old geezer but it bothered him to be taught by a much younger man (he didn't listen to his wife well either).
Note: I always listen to much younger men and I can also learn from children... I figure that about everybody on this planet (men and women both) knows something that I do not... If I can share with them then maybe they will share with me.
While I will take many "calculated" risks (I refuse to be afraid of "everything") my own little voice has saved me a lot of bleeding.

[------------------------]

Okay Mike here is "THE" set-up with photos:

*Wood screwed onto mitre gauge/with notch to clear small strip

*Small strip (mine is a piece of paint stirrer) 2 sided taped to cleaned table at 1/4" from "blood" line / red line on table

*Blade guard splitter installed to pull wood strip from blade

*I cut mine at 1/4" with Diablo blade on medium speed.

*Make minor adjustments by sliding table or headstock

This worked like a champ on the strips I cut
Mark
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[mickyd]

Mike, sorry for the confusion.

I was expecting there to be some stock left (1/8") in the middle of the workpiece after finishing the first two cuts on one edge (1/4" (wood) + 3/32" (saw kerf) + 1/8" (wood) + 3/32" (saw kerf) + 1/4" (wood)). What you show in your drawings (a gap in middle of the workpiece) makes what I said unworkable.

Art, assuming the 3/32" kerf, I would have 1/8" of material in the center. Board thickness is 13/16" (26/32"). My sketch was crude and didn't show stock left in the center.

Going from 1 face of the board to the other face:

8/32 (1/4) wood + 3/32 kerf + stock in center + 3/32 kerf + 8/32 (1/4)wood = 26/32 total thickness
so....
stock in center = 26/32 (13/16) total thickness - 22/32 wood and kerf total = 4/32 = 1/8

I still see a max of 3 cuts possible before having to move the fence, cut the last 1/4x1/2x8 strip and start the whole process setup again. Correct?

Going through this stuff really makes you appreciate metric world....I think I am going to become the METRIC WOODWORKER!!!

[JPG]

Art, assuming the 3/32" kerf, I would have 1/8" of material in the center. Board thickness is 13/16" (26/32"). My sketch was crude and didn't show stock left in the center.

Going from 1 face of the board to the other face:

8/32 (1/4) wood + 3/32 kerf + stock in center + 3/32 kerf + 8/32 (1/4)wood = 26/32 total thickness
so....
stock in center = 26/32 (13/16) total thickness - 22/32 wood and kerf total = 4/32 = 1/8

I still see a max of 3 (Methinks 2) cuts possible before having to move the fence, cut the last 1/4x1/2x8 strip and start the whole process setup again. Correct?

Going through this stuff really makes you appreciate metric world....I think I am going to become the METRIC WOODWORKER!!!

If you do not like 'fractions', just go decimal! No need to multiply by '254'(put the decimal wherever you want so that you get mm/cm/dm).
/
BTW where did you get the '5/16' dimension in your last 'sketch'? Also I think a 1/2" initial cut would work more gooder than 7/16"!

Ed suggested the 'safety kit'. A good 'first' project would be to MAKE a fence straddler pusher, then the ZCI.

[reible]

Hi,

This is what I was referring to as a few tweaks to the process. I have posted my jig like you described at:
https://forum.shopsmith.com/viewtopic.php?t=5125

I have used this method to make splines and to do some re-sawing. I've even taken some 2x8 cedar and made it into (actual) 1-1/4" x 7-1/4" workpieces by leaving a small uncut area in the middle then using a hand saw to cut that away. A couple of passes with a plane and it was ready to go. I've also managed to cut similar pieces for the smaller thickness I needed. I don't have a tall bandsaw, just the 6" like the shopsmith and sometimes you need or at least want wider wood...

Ed

When my son was in cub scouts, one of our projects was a pine wood derby car. This was before my Shopsmith days and the only tool I had at the time to cut the basic shape was... my table saw. A bandsaw would have been ideal, but you can't use what you don't have.

What I ended up doing was building a holder for the small block of wood. It was in the shape of a lower case "h" and stradled the fence (fitting snug) with the tall leg of the "h" toward the blade. Then, I clamped the block of wood to that taller leg. I adjusted the blade for the angle and depth I needed, adjusted the fence the correct distance, then slid the "h" holder and block down the fence and through the blade. I was able to make complex cuts on a small piece of wood and keep my hands clear of any danger.

Would something similar to this work with MickyD's originally proposed resawing operation? After cutting the first side and flipping it over, the kerf might need to be filled with something at the clamp point to keep it from pinching together and breaking or causing other problems.

[mickyd]

If you do not like 'fractions', just go decimal! No need to multiply by '254'(put the decimal wherever you want so that you get mm/cm/dm).

Ya your right considering most plans and woodworking 'stuff' will be in the inch system. I am getting so accustom to metric, when I work on my own, I find myself working in metric units.

BTW where did you get the '5/16' dimension in your last 'sketch'? Also I think a 1/2" initial cut would work more gooder than 7/16"!

5/16 comes from penniview post 65. 5/16 would just break through the 1/4 cut shown in my post 69 sketch. Also, I see your point on the initial cut dimension. This is the first time I looked at the at the numbers from a content standpoint vs. just making sure I got the concept down.

Ed suggested the 'safety kit'. A good 'first' project would be to MAKE a fence straddler pusher, then the ZCI.

Based on you description, you are talking about Ed's plan from the post above?

[heathicus]

Hi,

This is what I was referring to as a few tweaks to the process. I have posted my jig like you described at:
https://forum.shopsmith.com/viewtopic.php?t=5125

And I think you explained it MUCH better than I did!