Engineer On The Loose

Here is the original blog post over at Lumberjocks.com

Router Table 3

Not a lot of progress since the last entry but I have decided to go with simple box drawers with lock rabbeted joints.

I watched a video from Wood Magazine where they conducted strength tests on various joints.

They concluded that the half lap, finger, and rabbeted joints were the strongest, stronger apparently than a dovetail for a drawer box. And it’s a lot simpler. So it may not be as cool as dovetails but I think it will be more than strong enough and will be quite a bit faster and easier to execute.

Here’s another quick video from Wood Magazine on creating lock rabbet drawers.

In this video they say explicitly that their tests show the lock rabbet is stronger than half blind dovetails. This video shows a pretty dirt simple method to setup and cut lock rabbet joints.

The drawers are all the same foot print and only vary in the height. All of the joinery can be cut with a single setup. Basically it’s a series of quarter inch grooves and dados in some half inch material. The joints can be cut on either the table saw with a 1/4 inch dado stack or on the router table with a 1/4 inch bit.

All of the drawer bottoms are identical. All can be cut at the same time with the same setup.

Here is the original blog post over at Lumberjocks.com

Router Table 1

I’ve been wanting to upgrade my router table and over time I’ve been accumulating the pieces. I’m building my table around the Incra LS 17 Router Fence and a Woodpecker PRL Router Lift

I ended up ordering the 27 x 43 Woodpecker table top already drilled with a cutout for the LS 17 and the PRL.

I haven’t picked a router yet but I’m leaning toward one of the big PCs.

I’m basing my design loosely on Blake’s Router Table.

My table top is not as wide as Blake’s so the drawers wont be as deep. I figure I’ll plug it into my big dust collector so I can use the space under the table router for storage.

I’m leaning toward typical face frame on a plywood carcass, dados, rabbets, and biscuits. I’ll probably half lap the face frame, at least that’s how I’ve got it drawn up so far.

Here are some early concepts with layout lines where I’m thinking I want drawers.

The white box in the upper left compartment is a keep out volume for the router. There wont be a box there that is just roughly the space needed for the router.

Here’s the Sketchup model at this stage.

Transparent view of internal construction

Internal Construction

Here is the original blog post over at Lumberjocks.com

Loft Bed 2

I put together some concept drawings to solicit some feedback from my kids. Here’s one concept with a desk shelf, cork board, and cubby shelf. I had other ideas with no desk just a bean bag and a small table, others with whiteboards on all back sides and the desk across the front, another with a corner desk only. Using sketchup works well, I can rotate, add, subtract, all pretty painlessly, and get real time feedback as to what looks good, and what gets no interest.

I think I’ve decided to go for a wedged half dovetail to connect the rails the posts.

I still have not settled on a good way to attach the end rails to the posts. Right now I’m showing them notched and glued and screwed. Not my first choice but I’m having a hard time coming up with a better answer.

Here is the original blog post over at Lumberjocks.com

Coat Locker 1

The box is made out of 1/2 inch plywood throughout with 1/4 by 3/4 hardwood edging. The similar colored pieces are either identical or mirrors. All of the joinery is either dados for the box or half lap for the edging.

The edging is 1/4 inch thick hardwood edging instead of veneer edge banding. The hardwood will stand up to much more abuse as shoes are thrown in on a daily basis and it will give a small bit of stiffness to the 1/2 inch ply of the box.

I liked the rounded top on the original design but since I’m using 1/4 inch thick edge banding I would need to steam bend the edging to curve around the rounded top. In this case mitered corners serve and are much easier to create.

And again here is the sketchup model so far to date. I will be adding final dimension and a cutlist and layout.

Here is the original blog post over at Lumberjocks.com

Spring (blade) cleaning

Spring is here and the itch to get back in the shop is biting. First things first though and the first of the first things is cleaning up. It’s a wonder how much a mess the shop can get in even when I’m not actively working in it. One of the many things due to be cleaned are my table saw blades. Here’s how I do it:

First get some Simple Green Pro HD, not the regular green stuff, the purple stuff. Rumor has it the green stuff is hard on the brazing but the purple is ok. I don’t have proof of this other than what I “read on the internet” so take it with a grain of salt. I don’t know if Simple Green hurts the blade or not but it does get the crud off. Another advantage of Simple Green is that is doesn’t smell horrible. I cleaned my blades in the house in the kitchen without choking out everyone in the house like some cleaners can do.

Next get a brass bristle brush. I use the cheap kind from Harbor Freight.

You’ll need a container to soak the blades in cleaner. I used the tupperware lid from one of my sweethearts serving bowls.

Finally gather up your dirty blades.

Next comes time and elbow grease. I place each blade in the cleaner for maybe a minute and then start scrubbing gently with the brass brush.

After scrubbing gently until all of the crud is gone rinse the blade well. After rinsing make sure to dry the blade and double dry it. You don’t want to leave any water to end up rusting.

After your blades are clean and shiny now is a good time to check the teeth for missing or chipped carbide. You can see on this ripper a couple of chipped teeth. Probably time got get this one sharpened.

After cleaning my blades I usually put each one in my saw and spin it up to speed and let it run for 30 seconds. On the off chance any teeth are loose now is a good time to find out. I stand to the side and spin each blade listening for anything out of place. Running them up to speed also makes sure any remaining water is spun off.