Good to know on the speed and cleanliness if the cuts, no arguement here it’s a better way to cut steel. Abrasive dust is dirty, and seems to find it’s way into everything. I love metal working, and highly advize everyone to give it a try, it’s different than working with wood, wood is pretty, metal not so much. I make a lot of tools with metal, a…[Read more]

Just like that, it’s amazing how much finish the board absorbs. I’m not sure what all is in salad bowl finish, the label said a blend but didn’t say of what. I couldn’t find straight mineral oil, but i imagine it’s pretty much identical to what i used

The local hardware store had both finishes, the salad bowl oil i’m assuming is just mineral oil, poured it on and let it absorb all it could, then the beeswax, just smeared it on and let it dry a bit, then buffed it off. There is no glueing small pieces together, just strips maybe 1 1/2″ wide, it’s rearranging the strips and cutting on a slight…[Read more]

That’s gotta be frustrating, after all, you paid for the property and you pay the taxes. The only time property value would be an issue would be if your neighbor was selling right now, and even then i’m sure a rational conversation between you and your neighbor could reassure him that you are improving your property value, it just takes some time.…[Read more]

Some salad bowl oil a final buff with some beeswax really brought out the colors, and a grapefruit and tequila shot is fitting i think!

Thanks for the review, a dry cut cut off saw is something i’ve been interested in, but not sure i’d use it enough to justify the cost. What’s your impression of cutting speed compared to an abrasive saw? Are cuts on steel significantly faster than an abrasive, or is the main advantage in cleaner, more accurate cuts? For aluminum work i generally…[Read more]

All done on the tablesaw. Just google “random pattern cutting boards” the russian guys video comes up, no explanation but just watch to get the idea, just wing it for measurements and angles. I made a router sled too, but the speed and precision of the thickness planer was just too tempting!

The pattern just happens, after glueing random colored strips together, cut them at whatever thickness you want the board, turn 90′ so end grain is up, and glue those strips together. After that dries, slice the board up again on a bit of an angle, 5 or 10 degrees maybe, then rearrange the strips and glue them back together. Repeat that process…[Read more]

Black walnut and maple for most of it, but there’s also a piece of mystery wood i had laying around, but it’s not nearly as hard as the other two, i think it will hold up ok, i’m down to just sanding now, the softer wood survived all the machining so should be ok now. Thanks again r-ice, it sounds like i benefited from some of your earlier…[Read more]

Well, i put on my ear muffs, safety glasses, turned my privates away from the machine, said a little prayer and let her rip….no tearout, and most importantly, no explosion! I rounded the leading edges with my belt sander, and took very light cuts, thanks for that input r-ice! Worked very well really, i tried as best i could to get flat glue ups,…[Read more]

I’m not sure how they catch you but they do, a couple years after i moved into my house i decided to close in my carport. I had it framed and sheeted with osb, came home frim work to find a notice stapled ti my wall to stop work and obtain a permit. In retrospect, was probably a good thing, since i had solidly framed 2×6 directly down to the…[Read more]

Lots of similar stories here, either learning through a shop class or a father figure. I hope the young generations can put down their phones long enough to take an interest in the trades, using their hands to create, but i’m skeptical. Our school system, here in canada anyway, treats the trades as somewhere for people to go if they’re not smart…[Read more]

I’ve used a non ferrous metal cutting blade on my makita circular saw to cut lots of aluminum plate .100″ to 1/4″, cuts very well, but very loud and lots of hot chips. Full face shield, ear muffs and long sleeves highly recomende, but cuts very well. Chios under the saw plate tends to scratch up the surface tho, so protect it if looks are…[Read more]

Had done lots of framing/wiring/plumbing projects around the house, worked as a framer for a time, have always been into metal working. While adding a suite to my basement, i needed a bathroom vanity 42″ long, only available were 36″ and 48″, so i thought how hard can it be? Took me a long time but was very pleased with the results, sparked an…[Read more]

I worked at a concrete pre cast plant several years ago, i built rebar cages and bent pins etc for various forms. I had to cut a lot of rebar and up to 1 1/4″ round bar with a big cut off saw, there actually was quite a difference in abrasive wheels. Some seemed like they work hardened or something, sparks just stopped flying, steel heated up…[Read more]

Probably best way to avoid damage to your impact is like was said above, carefully cut it away with a cut off wheel, that ring must be balled up to have the socket locked on there that tight.

Just curious if you used the same abrasive wheels on both saws when you did the test? There is a big difference between brands of discs as to how fast they cut, maybe that had some influence on the cutting speed of the two machines?

Lots of good info here, thank you, i will keep adding to my clamp collection! I find glue up to be one of the most stressful parts of any project, perfectly prepared and fitted parts can quickly turn to a messy, sticky, amateurish looking mess if this stage goes bad! The one thing i prefer of working with metal as opposed to wood, no glue! Weld it…[Read more]

Thanks MrFid, that’s a generous offer. I think i’ll go back and see the fella the router came from, like i said, my son picked it up for me while i was up north at work. The case has several empty spots for various accesories, he may have them lying around his shop, can’t hurt to ask!