Woodworking

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[M004] Double Edge Router Assembled!

One evening of CAD.  One evening of CAM.  One evening of CNC.  And it fit together (quite well).  This is just held together with precisely located wooden dowel pins.  We will add screws tomorrow.

The only missing piece is the actual guide for running the blocks through.  That is separate so that it can be “dialed in” to the perfect cutting depth.

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[M004] Double Edge Router

Working on another machine to speed up yet another tedious workshop process.  Think of it as a special router table that takes 2 routers set to 45 degree angles.  The guide (not shown) will allow precise alignment of the work piece AND cover the cutters to prevent injury.

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Barrel Sander (M002) Progress

The Barrel Sander is coming along again, after a small detour to build the (M003) Auto Loading jig.  Here is the nine sides bolted inside the barrel.  They do three things:

  1. Make the barrel stronger so the wheels that it turns on have more support than just thin metal.
  2. Provide a disrupted circle which will cause the materials to actually turn instead of sliding.
  3. Protect the inside of the barrel from the sanding action.

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Stain Dipper

We’ve been doing some research into air knives and considering ways to make staining of thousands of small parts faster.  Dip it into the stain, and have a captive air knife blow the excess off (dripping back into the bucket) as the part is pulled out.

The PVC tube will be hinged so it can be opened for cleaning.  The air knife assembly will be near the top of the tube.

Did some checking on PVC compatibility with stain and it seems to be acceptable: https://www.berlinpackaging.com/insights/chemical-guidelines-for-plastic/

Here is a possible air knife kit. http://www.exair.com/index.php/products/air-wipes/super-air-wipe/saw-kit.html

Now just need to design the servo motor mounts, air knife mount, and misc. other structural components.

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Prototyping In Woodworking
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Prototyping In Woodworking

Years ago the kids and I small spice rack that we had very much outgrown.  One day over the weekend I decided to organize our baking goods (which of course turned into a multi-day project of organizing the kitchen!)
 
With all of the kitchen counters and table covered in various containers of spices and baking goods, and it being already 9:00 PM, I took one of the kids over to the shop to put our skills to use.
 
Much to my dismay I found that we had a high-voltage condition on our utility power (133V), and my Phase Perfect 3-Phase converter would not start. This ruled out using the table saw, jointer, planer, and CNC router.
 
I thought for a couple of minutes and decided that one way or another, a spice rack was coming out of that shop without further delay. So we went into “prototype mode”. I grabbed a box of screws, a drill, an impact driver, and a bunch of OSB scraps off the rack. We used the Makita compound miter saw (fortunately not 3-phase) and a good old tape measure to whip together an (awful looking) but quite functional spice rack. We installed it, along with the iPad for recipes, and loaded it up all by 11:00 pm or so.
 
I am so glad it worked out this way. The concept of “prototyping” is something that is often overlooked in woodworking. But most of what we woodworkers do ends up being functional as well as gorgeous. Prototyping allows us to verify and refine the functionality prior to putting all of the effort into the real thing.
 
I also know from personal experience this applies to writing, software, cooking, building, inventing, sewing, and many other disciplines.
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A new part for an old Bentley restoration

At Sinking Valley Woodworks, we take on odd jobs from time to time.  One of these odd jobs was some car parts for an old Bentley restoration.  Wood was a much more common material in cars in that era.

This particular piece is what goes at the top of the windshield and connects to the roof.  It has curves on all faces, and compound curves on most.  The new part was made out of Ash, carved on a CNC router, and finished by hand.

Below is some before and after pictures.20151002_141251 bentley part

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Wood working + 3D printing = Chess

Here is a closeup of a 3D printed chess piece.  We designed them in solidworks and printed them using a MakerBox Replicator 2 with PLA plastic.  It’s on the chess board dining room table.

Chess Piece 3D Printed

Here is the chess “board”

chess board table

Here are the ceramic tiles going into the chess table before the bar top was applied:

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