Back in February I picked up a new saw for the shop. I already have two portable circulars, a miter / chop, saber, reciprocating, scroll…the list goes on. But let me say this: I should have gotten a band saw a LOT sooner.

It has quickly turned into my second most used power saw in the shop — it’s that handy. Need to rip through boards? Done. Re-sawing a board or rough lumber? Done. Curves. Done.

I especially like that I can do finer work — that I used to do on the scroll saw — without the frequent blade breaks or “flapping” caused by the scroll mechanism. And this is REALLY important if you want to cut plastics like acrylic. For any of you out there looking for the best way to cut small pieces of acrylic, I say this: Get a small band saw.

Now, remember that you’re not going to be able to do really fine work, like on the scroll. And you are limited in capacity, based on the “throat” of the tool — don’t think you can cut sheets of plywood with it. And it’s not good for sharp angled edges, like the miter saw, but it’s a fantastic utility saw that I go to all the time.

Since I was dipping my feet into the land of the Band Saw, and am limited in space, I wanted to get the smallest good quality one I could find. I ended up getting a 10″ Rikon (also branded as a Craftsman model) from Highland Woodworking. I like Highland (based out of Atlanta) because their prices are good and they ship quickly.

Rikon 10″ 10-305 Band Saw from Highland Woodworking

Stuff I like:

• An import, but well made.
• Heavy cast iron table.
• Easy to clean
• Ball bearings on blade guides.
• Good sized table.
• Does what you need it to to — quick cuts.
• Very nice looking.
• Heavyweight — doesn’t move much.

Stuff I don’t like:

• Underpowered at times. It has a smaller motor that gets bogged down at times. Slow feeds on wet wood are a requirement.
• Fence doesn’t get close enough in (for small rips) — I had to make an add-on fence.
• Miter gauge not included, but I bought one for some work. Handy to have, but not very useful. Too far from blade.
• Assembly guide a little confusing, but not too bad.
• Non standard blades harder to find locally, buy easy to get mail ordered.

Would I get another Rikon? Absolutely. If you are getting into Band Saws and don’t have a ton of space, this little bench top model is a great starter — or can augment your larger saws. In many ways I treat it like a scroll saw on steroids. Do I regret getting the smaller one? Nope. It fits in my shop great. Would I get a bigger (14″) one if I had the space? No question.

I have a little (4″) stamped Oxo “Chef’s” knife. I use it quite a lot, since it’s short and easy to handle. Good for working with small stuff, while still allowing you to chop (unlike a paring knife).

Like most cheaper knives, this one doesn’t have a full tang in the handle Here it what it looks like with the Oxo rubber grip yanked off:

Can you guess where the fatal design flaw is? If you guess “the hole” then you would be correct.

That hole is there for the Oxo red logo, and it is what holds the plastic tang to the rubber grip. It’s also a disaster waiting to happen, as it weakens the handle and allows water to seep in.

My best guess is that there has been a hairline crack in there a while, and water has gradually been eating away at the tiny bit of metal in there. Finally it gave way, resulting in a break — and a knife that felt like the handle was made of a hotdog.

My first thought was to drill out a hole and try using a cut-off aluminium nail as a replacement tang.

Well, I tried drilling the hole, but did it freehand. Meaning that the two didn’t line up, would never line up, and would result in no strength improvement. Oh well, time for more drastic measures.

Time to make my own handle:

Off to the mini lathe I went. I use this lathe for small scale wood turning. Stuff like pens, candle sticks, and — in this case — a round handle for a knife.

The first piece of wood was pretty, and smelled very nice, but was very prone to chipping out. It was also very short, meaning I didn’t have enough stock on either end to cut off once the rounding was complete. (Long story short: it’s a pain working with very short stock.)

After a while, and many wood chips later, I gave up and started with another type of (again, unknown) wood.

This one turned a lot better. Very little chipping. And it was longer, so I could cut off any excess once the lathe work was complete.  Here’s a closer shot, with some wax applied:

I also tapered down one end, which is not shown in the photos. Once the lathe work was complete, I cut off the ends and then drilled a hole for the blade (what remained of the tang). I then press-fit the knife blade into the new handle.

I’ve applied an oil based stain to the handle to protect it, and am now giving it a couple of layers of Johnson’s wax to help protect the wood from drying (from detergent). I’m not sure how long the press-fit will keep the blade tight. If it gets loose, I’ll probably fill the center with epoxy and see how that holds.

Why all this work for a cheap (<$10) knife? Well, like I said, it’s one of my favorite and most useful knives. And I’ve become a big fan of good stamped knives. Frankly, I’ve given up on expensive forged knives. I get better cuts out of $30 utility stamped knives than any of my forged stuff. Heresy, I know, but it’s the truth. Plus, I don’t feel quite so bad if I screw up a $30 knife. They are meant to be used, after all.

Another thought: It’s about weight. When I’m in the shop I use my little Makita 10.8 V drivers all the time — they are light, so you don’t feel fatigued holding them all day long. Same thing goes for knives. Why hold a 12 oz knife all day long, when an 8 oz works just as well? After all, the edge of the knife should be doing the cutting — not its bulk.

And there is a personal reason why I want to keep this little knife around. Evelyn and I bought it when we lived with her parents — right when we had everything boxed and were waiting for their house to close before heading to Puerto Rico. So, it reminds me of those times. Trying to make little meals in their basement with only the fewest of supplies.

In preparation for the upcoming Austin Funky Chicken Coop Tour, Evelyn has been working on Stencil Screening some T-Shirts. Here is one of the prototypes:

Stencil Screening is similar to Silk Screening, but easier. You cut out a stencil from a thick piece of flexible plastic, then use a roller to roll on the paint. It’s not as accurate as silk screening, and it’s harder to do multiple colors, but it requires little or no equipment — though a good dose of patience is required to cut the stencil.

Here is Evelyn modeling her new shirt:

There are a number of tool surfaces in our shop made of cast iron. Our Scroll Saw, the Band Saw, and the Drill Press tables are all made of iron. While it makes for very strong and stable tables, the downside is rusting.

In particular, our Dremel Scroll Saw table was turning into a mess. It has some water stains — when I used it as a coaster. And it had some normal stains from where your palms rest. (The sweat and the oils get to the metal.)

I looked around for ways to clean up the tool tables. As usual, there is a LOT of conflicting information. So, let’s cut to the quick: These are the four things you need to keep your cast iron tool surfaces in great shape.

You need:

1. A 3M  Scotchbrite pad (the green ones).
2. A can of WD40.
3. Some Formula 409 All Purpose cleaner.
4. A one pound can of Johnson Paste Wax.

The Paste Wax is probably going to be the only item you’ll have a hard time finding. We could not find it at Target or Lowe’s. It was eventually found in a little 1960′s style mini grocery store near our house. It will set up back about $6.

Also have a good supply of paper towels on hand.

The process:

• Spray down the iron surface with the WD40. Scrub it with the Scotchbrite pad. You’ll start seeing a dark gray/black slurry of muck and WD40.
• Wipe down with clean paper towels.
• Repeat the above two steps until the cast iron surface is gleaming. It takes a couple of times, but you should see a dramatic improvement.

Once the surface is cleaned, it’s time to degrease and seal it.

• Spray down the cast iron surface with some 409.
• Wipe down with clean paper towels.
• Repeat the above two steps until the paper towels are clean. (Not picking up more WD40 / dirt.)

At this point the table is clean, but is unprotected. It must be treated or it will rust.

• Using a clean paper towel, apply some Johnson Paste Wax to the cast iron surface.
• Work the wax into the iron, gradually building up a nice layer of wax. Make sure you work it into the surface well. Don’t miss any spots.

Keep in mind that Paste Wax stinks of naptha. You’ll probably gag yourself after a short time, between the WD40 and the wax. It’s a good idea to wear an organic (activated charcoal) mask while doing this work.

You’re done. Depending on how often you use the tools, you may have to repeat the process once a month.

Important points: We use wax because it provides a smooth protective surface. Perhaps more importantly, it won’t damage the pieces you are working on. If any wax gets into your workpieces you can easily sand it off. This can not be said for silicon based products. Don’t use silicon on surfaces which will touch wood! It’s very difficult to sand it out of wood.

Additional uses: I use the wax all over. I coat the sole / base plate of my portable circular saw. I seal my wooden router table. I apply it to the tops of shop stools. It’s a great “old fashioned” material that still works wonders. Just get over the smell and you’ll be fine.

Important: This should ONLY be done to shop tables / tools. Do NOT clean cast iron cooking equipment this way! In an ideal situation, cast iron pans should never touch water. They should be cleaned with salt and paper towels. Again, do NOT use WD40 or Paste Wax on cooking surfaces! You WILL get sick!

I recently picked up a set of Incra rulers along with one of their protractors. These are very accurate measuring devices for woodworking. The protractor is in 1/2 degrees!

The problem is that they are thin and flexible, and need to be safely stowed away. My solution? A scrap wood Incra Ruler Holder:

I used a scrap piece of 3/8″ thick plywood, about 8 inches across and 20 inches tall. I put two scraps along the top part (held with screws) for the Protractor and T-Ruler. There is also a lip at the bottom to hold the other rulers.

When I was testing it I found that the Protractor and T-Ruler (which both have big aluminium stops) held fine, but the straight ruler wanted to fall. So I did two things. First, I put a scrap toward the bottom back of the unit, so it is angled from the wall. The incline keeps things from falling off. Second, I cut up an old credit card sized magnet and glued it to where the rulers would be placed. Those are the black strips you see.

Here is the end result:

At the top you have the protractor, below it the T Rule. On the left is the standard marking rule and on the right is the bend rule (90 degree ruler). The rulers are 12″ long.

Now I have a nice, safe, easy to access place for my Incra Rulers. I think it’s a wise investment for $100 worth of American made measuring tools.

I’m working on V2 of a “magic box”. Its a little box that you open by pivoting and sliding different parts.

I think I have about seven 6″ clamps and three mini clamps on there. Plus another three for the top part. Thirteen clamps for a 5″ x 3.5″ box.

Today we went out and got the parts needed to fasten the wheels to the axles. The setup is pretty straightforward: Evelyn drilled holes into the end of each axle. This hole is where the cotter pin will go (the pin prevents the wheel from coming off the axle). A number of large (5/8″) washers are added between the frame and the wheel and between the wheel and the pin. Here is what the final result looks like:

The wheels themselves have integrated bearings, so the axle doesn’t need to rotate.

Here is a closer view of the front axle assembly. It gives you a complete picture of how it works:

You can see the “sandwich” of material. On the top is a 30″ piece of 2×4. Below are two 13″ pieces of 2×4 which have the dados / grooves cut into them. The 5/8″ steel rod which makes up the axle sits in that groove. To keep the axle in place, a 1×4 is screwed into place. This “traps” the axle — it can only get out from the ends, where the wheels are attached.

The front end is broken up into two 13″ pieces because we need to leave space for the big bolt which connects the front wheel assembly to the frame. We used a 5″ long 5/8″ bolt for this.

There are a number of washers to keep things smoothly moving (two at bottom, two at middle, two at top). Then two big 5/8″ #11 nuts are used to tighten everything together. Two nuts are used because I wanted to “jam” them together (making it more difficult to come loose). Once we have the frame done, I’ll probably come back and add some Loctite or similar to the threads.

For the frame we went with a triangular shape. A center 2×4 is the primary support, as the front axle assembly gets fixed to it (using the bolt shown above). The two side 2x4s were notched toward the front. You can see that they are held together with a short piece of 2×4 in the front (see above photo).

At the back the three 2×4 span is fastened directly to the rear axle assembly (which is also a “sandwich” of 2×4, slotted 2×4, and 1×4). that piece of gray 1×12 you see in the photo is our test seat.

Here is a view of the Kart from the side. We have about 4″ of ground clearance at the axles; about 8 at the center frame.

That’s a five foot ruler sitting on the cart. The wheels are about 38″ edge to edge (using 36″ axles, plus the overhand of the tires themselves).

Next up, putting stop blocks on the front axle assembly (to prevent jack-knifing) and probably some eyes and rope for steering. And, with the frame pretty much complete, we’re now able to brainstorm a seat and body for the kart.

I’m a sloppy painter, usually ending up with more paint on me than the piece I’m working on. Add to that a new sprayer system and we’re looking at paint everywhere.

So I decided to make a portable spray booth (actually more of a backdrop) to prevent spray from hitting the walls, the sides of the house (when spraying outside), and so on.

I dug up my 25 year old knowledge of making stage flats to come up with a simple folding design:

Each panel is about 6 feet tall and 3 feet wide and made out of cedar we have on hand. This keeps it light and a manageable size. Normally something like muslin would be used, but I didn’t want to try and source that, or cut up canvas drop cloths. Instead, I got a roll of this:

It’s called “One Tuff” and is used as floor protectors for painters. It comes in a 2′ x 50′ roll for about $15. It’s not as strong as Tyvek, but far stronger than paper. Kinda like a reinforced disposable shop towel (those blue ones). The fabric itself is called Sontara. (Being a Doctor Who fan, I think that’s a great name.)

Since the flats are about 36″ wide and the material is 24″, I needed to overlap. This was fine, as all of this was just going to be stapled into place on the back. Here is the view from behind. Not as pretty, but it gets the job done:

It was stapled because (a) that is easy and (b) I want to be able to replace the material once it gets too saturated. (If it absorbs too much stain it becomes a fire hazard.)

The two flats are tied together with a couple of hinges, so the unit folds flat. I folded over a strip of the Tuff material and stapled it in place along the edge, preventing leakage from that slot. (The “One Tuff” material is very easy to work with. I thought it would be a struggle, but it’s really nice to fold and move around.)

In the first photo you can see my three legged stool. This is the one I just made for painting and for WorkMate bench use. I decided to give it a proper top (a 1×12) and painted the whole thing white. I went with white because it’s visible and what I had on hand. The paint should also protect the stool from absorbing much over spray.

A note about safety here: Don’t spray oil based material in an enclosed environment. It can be dangerous if the vapors build up — you could get a flash fire. I haven’t been able to determine how often this actually happens (versus wives tales), but it’s better to be safe. For my purposes I’ll be doing my spraying near an open garage door, with this unit toward the opening and a fan behind me. I’d put an exhaust fan closer to the unit, but I want to avoid having spark sources too close the the spray.

Since Evelyn never knew about Go Karts as a kid, we decided to make her one as an adult. This is our initial version. It’s also a great way for Evelyn to get to know all of the shop power tools. Everything you see in this series will be cut by her. I’m just the mean boss (a role I’m good at).

We started working on the design of the adult-sized Go Kart (non-motorized) yesterday. We’d purchased the wheels a couple of weeks ago, but just got the rods for the axles recently.

We were going back and forth with the design. Use full length axles? Use Pillow Block bearings? In the end we went with full length axles fitting into a dado (slot) cut into 2×4 supports. The primary reason is that lumber is cheaper than bearings.

Here are some of the pieces on the bench:

In the back you see one of the 10″ pneumatic wheels. Got these at Harbor Freight for about $8 each. They take a 5/8″ axle, which we got at Lowe’s. (The axles are probably one of the most expensive parts — $10 for each 3′ piece.)

The rods are 36″ long, and each wheel assembly requires about 3″ of clearance, leaving 30″ of space in between.

For the rear axle we cut two pieces of 2×4 30″ long. In one piece we used a router to cut a dado (slot) along the entire length. I used a 3/4″ straight bit (didn’t have a 5/8″ on hand) and gradually made it to a depth of 5/8″. Do NOT try and cut this slot in one pass! We put the lumber through a couple of times, each time adjusting the bit to cut about 1/4″ more. You’re less likely to bog down to router that way.

The result is the piece second from the front. You can see the 30″ span with the 36″ rod slipped in.

For the front, we need clearance for the center pivot point (for steering — the whole length will tilt — this is unlike the way a car works). In this case, we cut two 13″ pieces of 2×4 and slotted them. This means 26″ for those two blocks + 4″ clear in the center for the pivot + 3″ left tire + 3″ right tire = 36″.

A 1×4 cut to length (30″ for rear, two 13″ for front) will be placed over the axle and screwed into place. This will encapsulate the axle rod. The whole thing will then be screwed into another 30″ 2×4 (for front and back) making the complete assembly. (We don’t have the 1x4s yet — they aren’t in the photo.)

We’re making a 2×4 sandwich: 2×4, 2×4 with slot, axle placed in slot, 1×4 to keep axle from coming out. The 2x4s are on the top. The 1×4 provides no structural support — it’s only there to keep the axle in the slot. I’ll take a photo when it’s put together, it will make more sense then.

There is a rule in kitchen gadgets: “one hit wonders” are bad. If all the thing does is slice onions for rings then you probably shouldn’t have it cluttering your kitchen. That is, unless it does that one thing very well and very often (ex. a garlic press). The same thing holds true in the shop. Those single-use gadgets are often more trouble then they are worth.

So when I build (or buy) something for shop-use I make sure that I can get more than one type of use out of it. Often this process is serendipitous. For example, I built a storage stand for my hardware cloth / poultry netting. Once it was built I realized that it was the perfect size for a router table stand. (That was a very lucky happenstance, as I have very little free floor space.)

In the current case I needed a table / stool for the portable spray booth I’m building. Basically, something I can stick in the booth that will hold the piece I’m spraying. Pretty simple. At the same time I realized that I really needed a cutoff stand for my WorkMate portable bench. Something that would “catch” the lumber I’m cutting (to keep it from falling on the floor — which is both dangerous and risks damage to the lumber).

So, I sized my spray booth table / stool to work as a cutoff stand / support. I had a 1×6 12″ box on hand (taken from a re-work of my Bucket Cart), and some 2x4s, so this is what I knocked together:

It’s a three legged stool of sorts. The two slanted legs are cut at 10 degrees. The third leg is straight. There are 1×4 and 2×4 braces to keep the legs from spreading.

Why three legs? Well, I didn’t want to use too much lumber — I only had enough for three. The other reason is that a three legged stool won’t wobble like its four legged cousin.

The unit is about 12″ square and 31″ high (the right height for the WorkMate bench see to its left). Its small size means that I can tuck it out of the way when I don’t need it. And, it’s probably strong enough to sit on (though a bit high).

I’m still messing with the top a big. I was going to use a solid top, but then wasn’t sure. The two slats you see are leftover from the box’s original purpose (base for Tool Bucket Cart — I streamline that cart). I might put some pipe foam insulation on top, to provide some protection for the cutoff lumber. We’ll see.