one tip for your BS/ Get a blade stablizer from TWC (The Woodworkers
Choice) and be sure to use a low tension blade. If you install
everything like the instructions say, you will be using your BS like a
scroll saw. If you don;t have the stablizer, good luck on cutting a
straight line.

BTW, has it cost you more to build the love seat by spending the money
on tools or could you have spent less on just buying one?

--


SWMBO Gloat (and some questions)

Group: rec.woodworking Date: Fri, Dec 5, 2003, 5:18pm (MST+2) From:
(Ehvee8or)
Hi folks,
I've got some gloating to do, then I have a couple of questions.

GLOAT MODE ON

A couple of weeks ago, SWMBO and I were laying in bed one weekend
morning, drinking our coffee and watching Norm build an Adirondack love
seat. I suggested that it would make a nice replacement to the
delapidated bench sitting in front of the house that we got from the
Borg a few years ago. She agreed. As I watched the construction proceed,
I soon realized my current tool inventory was not up to the task.
There's a lot of curved pieces in this project, and I don't have a
bandsaw.

"I might be able to build it if I had a decent jigsaw, but the one I
have is a POS" I murmured between sips of coffee. It's a 20+ year old
teeny tiny Craftsman with a shoe that won't stay at a right angle to the
blade, and vibrates so badly that any tools laying on the workbench have
to be tied down to keep them from falling of the edge. Its ability to
actually *cut* anything, even with a new blade, also leaves a lot to be
desired. "Well you should get a new one" she said.

Having recently received a couple of HD gift cards as a result of some
hand tool purchases, I merrily invaded the Borg hive and picked up a
Bosch 1587AVSP. Oh baby. The difference between this thing and my old
POS is like the difference between driving a Cadillac and a ..... roller
skate. And, as luck would have it, it was packaged with a couple of
"free" clamps. As long as I was there, and since the jigsaw was almost
free (due to the gift cards) I was pretty easily able to talk myself
into a PC 333 ROS to complement/upgrade the B&D 1/4 sheet finish sander
I've been using for years. I haven't taken it out of the box yet, but it
won't be long.
Well, yesterday the plans and video for the love seat arrived in the
mail. After watching the video a bit more carefully, and looking at the
plans, I realized the jigsaw wasn't going to cut it (pun intended). "Hey
honey, I'm not going to be able to do this with a jigsaw. I need a
bandsaw......and a planer". "Okay, get what you need". Gawd, you gotta
love her.

About 15 minutes later, my new bandsaw was ordered. As I speak, a
Grizzly G0555 complete with riser kit and movable base is being picked,
packed, and readied for delivery to sunny Tampa Florida. I haven't quite
picked a planer yet, but I'm leaning heavily toward the Ryobi. The
consensus in the group seems to be that it is a pretty good machine for
the money, and I've spent a sh*t load of money lately on tools, so this
might be a good opportunity to save a few bucks. After all, I still have
to buy some good bandsaw blades, Duginske's book, and even though SWMBO
and I decided to forego exchanging Xmas gifts in favor of recarpeting
the house, I'm feeling the need to go to the jewelry store to show my
appreciation.

GLOAT MODE OFF

QUESTION MODE ON

I need some advice on bandsaw blades. By all accounts, it seems
Timberwolf blades are the way to go, but the selection seems a bit
overwhelming. Since this love seat is going to get painted, I plan to
make it out of PT pine instead of the Cypress Norm calls for. My
immediate need then is for a blade to cut fairly large radius curves in
1 to 1.5 inch PT. Future projects undoubtably will call for smaller
radius curves in harder wood and some resawing. I'm looking to buy two
or three blades, and I'd like some suggestions on blade width/tooth
count combinations to get me started.

On a somewhat unrelated note, I've got a Makita 3612BR router that's
about ten years old. Until recently, it sat unused in the garage for
about 6-7 years. When I put any kind of significant load on it, I can
see sparks through the vents in the top of the motor housing. With no or
very little load, I don't see them. I checked the brushes and they have
a good 3/8" left on them before they wear down to the little replacement
indicators. Are the sparks normal? Am I trying to remove too much
material too fast? My most recent experience was cutting a groove 3/8"
deep (in one pass) with a new 1/2" straight bit in PT pine.

QUESTION MODE OFF

If you made it this far, thanks for your kind attention.

--
Woody


Check out my Web Page at:

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Where you will find:

******** How My Shop Works ******** 5-21-03

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