Tweaking the Leigh Dovetail jig for my shop (DR4)- upgraded

I have had this Leigh dovetail jig for more than a year and have yet to tune it so I can use it.

From wood stuff 2010

When I first got it it was an old D4R so I upgraded the clamp mechanism and added a bit of adhesive sandpaper to the clamp bars.
The first couple times that I tried this machine I found that the wood wanted to slide under the clamp bars so I put sandpaper strips to control that .
I also had difficulty the 1/4 inch shank bits that I had on hand were sliding out of the collet adapter and spoiling the joints.
I replaced the collet with a new one from Lee Valley and purchased *8mm shank* bits as well as an *8mm adapter*.
I'm surprised how much better this combination seems to work in my router.
It makes me wonder why the industry ever produced quarter inch bits as they have been a pain in the ass since I started woodworking.
My "go to" router has become a Triton three and a quarter horsepower machine which has all the right features but of course, with a large motor, becomes a bit of a behemoth to move back and forth on the job.

From wood stuff 2010

"So I decided to treat myself and purchased sliding vacuum system and extension table from Lee industries.":http://www.leighjigs.com/vrs.php

From wood stuff 2010

Essentially, it's a long smooth sheet of aluminum fixed in place by 4 rare earth magnets. On the underside they have attached a vacuum that slides along as you route. The end result is no more sawdust in my socks a convenient table to rest my router on and keep it level during the machining process. the two wire arms adjust to fit any router and the entire mechanism slides like silk with the addition of a bit of wax to the surfaces.

While setting the jig up to do a few test pieces I noticed that the fingers had several small imperfections from the casting process that made my router stall and catch in places in places making movements back-and-forth a bit jerky. I put a fresh piece of 180 grit sandpaper in my palm sander and gave all the mating surfaces a light buff. Just enough to remove imperfections.
I then gave the entire mating surfaces a light coat of Johnson paste wax to the base of my router.
The router slides on the table with one hand now!

From future projects 2010

Next I cut some pieces pine 1 x 4 and ran a couple of test joints shown here.

From wood stuff 2010

From wood stuff 2010

These joints are not perfect but they do show me that I'm on the right track.
The attached vacuum makes it extremely simple to rest the router between passes. I used to have to lift it over top of the jig and set it down between each pass.

From wood stuff 2010

From wood stuff 2010

Rather than try to hook up the Vacuum line to my central dust collection system from a 1 inch intake line I chose to use a small shop shopvac located on my storage shelf and operate the on/off switch with this auto switch so that each time I turn the router on the vacuum automatically goes on and runs for an a additional 10 seconds after I switch it off

From wood stuff 2010

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Finishing the handles and mounting the blades

Once the first handle is finished I cut it free from the stock and re center the tailstock on the remaining blank.
I will now refine the handle shape except for the part in the jaws and fit the ferrule.
p.s. The tool mark BEDAN is actually a bead scraper - my bad . A bedan only has one side sharpened.
<a href="http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2770357930101907180iUVgsA%22%3E%3Cimg src="http://inlinethumb26.webshots.com/16281/2770357930101907180S600x600Q85.jpg" alt="handle 8"></a>
Once the ferrule is fitted, I wrap electrical tape around it about 4 times and remount the handle the other way around to finish the back end. I generally use a small skew to sneak up on the tail stock point then finish the remaining coat of lacquer over the entire handle. I use lacquer becausee it seems the most durable for this stuff and doesn't warm up in use and get sticky.
<a href="http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2619191580101907180jyauYt%22%3E%3Cimg src="http://inlinethumb49.webshots.com/16432/2619191580101907180S600x600Q85.jpg" alt="handle-9"></a>
<a href="http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2835188590101907180whEEJp%22%3E%3Cimg src="http://inlinethumb62.webshots.com/17085/2835188590101907180S600x600Q85.jpg" alt="handle-10"></a>
I will let everything dry for 24 hours then fit the shank of the tool on by placing the blade in my vise and tapping the handle home with a rubber mallet.
Here are the two tools finished except for some epoxy resin in the spacing left from drilling the handles.
<a href="http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2806315210101907180jayygc%22%3E%3Cimg src="http://inlinethumb63.webshots.com/16382/2806315210101907180S600x600Q85.jpg" alt="handle10"></a>
As the need presents I will quite often make up a tool in a hurry promising myself to remake it "cosmetically" in the future but that never seems to happen.
Here's a few that I have made for various tasks:
<a href="http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2740535450101907180MDgXUv%22%3E%3Cimg src="http://inlinethumb62.webshots.com/15293/2740535450101907180S600x600Q85.jpg" alt="handle-11"></a>
The top two are the ones just made and the others are scrapers and similar.
The bottom one is a file contoured to produce a continous shape on a bowl I was developing.
The one with the round shaft in the middle I used for cutting an ironwood box. I brazed on a carbide tip on that one.
Just to finish this segment, I grabbed a piece of Manitoba Maple (Box elder), fresh cut and mounted it on the lathe to try the skew/gouge.
<a href="http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2525765580101907180CXzHaK%22%3E%3Cimg src="http://inlinethumb03.webshots.com/14402/2525765580101907180S600x600Q85.jpg" alt="handle-12"></a>
Mountains of long curly ribbons of beautiful smelling wood shavings.
*I love turning this wood green!*
Next I grabbed the new skew gouge and it works well to make continous beads with the advantage of being able to top the beads with the same tool.
I must try it on dry wood to see how it planes the surface.
It wanted to take too much off on this wet stuff.
My bead technique needs some practice as the beads I made in my excitment look more like mushrooms!
<a href="http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2594619470101907180JGiEkD%22%3E%3Cimg src="http://inlinethumb03.webshots.com/14978/2594619470101907180S600x600Q85.jpg" alt="handle-13"></a>

Making up the handles

We have finished the hardening process and cleaned up the blades ready for handles.
The 2 tools in his blog are used with a lighter touch and so I went for a shorter handle that I could get a friim grip on an still control easily. As you can see I like big thick handles - my hands are quite large.
I had some dogwood blanks in my offcut bin so I used a 15-1/2 " piece for these handles and mounted the whole length to avoid loosing any during refining.
Here is the blank roughed out to start the hole for the tool shank.
<a href="http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2408707980101907180gFwyJB%22%3E%3Cimg src="http://inlinethumb32.webshots.com/15839/2408707980101907180S600x600Q85.jpg" alt="handle1"></a>!
Next step I put on my old spindle steady rest to hold the handle centered for drilling a hole to recieve the tool shank.
It's just four sealed bearings running on pieces of miter track in a piece of plywood. (baltic birch.)
Seems to do the trick but you have to watch for tracks from the metal bearings .
It's on my list for a remake as I cobbled this one together for this job. It was off and old 12" swing lathe I had for a few years and I just never got around to making a new one.
My new lathe is 16" swing so I needed to modify the base a bit.

<a href="http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2766268140101907180WQqkmu%22%3E%3Cimg src="http://inlinethumb12.webshots.com/16139/2766268140101907180S600x600Q85.jpg" alt="handle2"></a>

Heat treating the tool blanks (for 01 tool steel)

Well, some disappointment for me this week:
After checking some metal heat treating companies here I find that they have (understandably) a $60.00 minimum for processing materials. The sort of leaves us little guys out unless we have a whole batch of tools to do at one time.
This has never been my good fortune.
So, luckily I had a casting furnace sitting around for years with nobody asking for one so it is now pressed into service as a heat treating unit.
<a href="http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2310570190101907180AnfvZB%22%3E%3Cimg src="http://inlinethumb02.webshots.com/14721/2310570190101907180S600x600Q85.jpg" alt="heat-treat-1"></a>
Showing here is the furnace with a stainless steel umbrella stand and small electric heater to preheat the  canola oil for quenching the red hot steel. You can use any oil wth a high flash point ( over 400° F and you should be O.K. . ( motor oil will work but I dont' like the smell ) Olive oil corn oil etc etc.
The umbrella stand was fluke that showed up at my local Princess Auto store this week.
I leaks a bit but I will sweat a bit of silver solder around the bottom seam when I have time. ( Another poorly made, great idea from China!)
I needed something taller than my tool steel to prevent spattering - with fiddling, this will work, the heat required is less than 300° F so melting the solder out is not a problem.
<a href="http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2715859860101907180JcZLWd%22%3E%3Cimg src="http://inlinethumb40.webshots.com/14695/2715859860101907180S600x600Q85.jpg" alt="heat-trea-3"></a>
This shot shows the two tools I'm making with monel wire leads through drilled holes to dip the hot iron in the canola oil . (This wire was scrounged from the old wire style heating elements from electric stoves.
I could do this with tongs but the wires make it easier to handle the pieces .
Were ready to go so I take the temperature up to 1450° F and let the tools soak at this temp for 20 minutes
<a href="http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2534509710101907180GzETTY%22%3E%3Cimg src="http://inlinethumb21.webshots.com/14164/2534509710101907180S600x600Q85.jpg" alt="heat-treat-4"></a>.
Now I take them out of the furnace and quickly into the hot oil  to quench the steel.
Next step is to clean off the thick black scale with a rag and rinse off the residual oil .
When the furnace drops to 350° I put the tools back in and hold that temperature or 2 more hours to take the brittleness out an give the steel some resilience.
<a href="http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2736934980101907180vmgTaE%22%3E%3Cimg src="http://inlinethumb31.webshots.com/13278/2736934980101907180S600x600Q85.jpg" alt="heat-treat-5"></a>
Here's the result , all mottled and looking like junk but hopefully a few minutes with some abrasive and they will be ready to recieve their handles then back to the wood lathe.
Before I get everybody thoroughly confused I should give you some definitions of the stages of metal we are interested in here:
*Annealing* - Softening the tool steel for working, by heating to the hardening temperature and cooling slowly. Slow cooling can be accomplished by burying the steel in an insulating medium such as lime or vermiculite and allowing it to cool to room temperature.
*Hardening* - Heating the steel to the hardening temperature and cooling suddenly by quenching in an oil bath.
*Tempering* - Reheating the hardened steel to the tempering temperature in order to relieve stress induced in the hardening process, and remove some of the hardness in exchange for toughness. Untempered, hardened tool steel is nearly as brittle as glass.

Phase 2 - refining the blanks

I am now at the stage where I am satisfied with the basic shape and can move on to the heat treating.
Because it is so labour intensive and messy for just 2 tools I am going to send these out.
Basicially the technique is to wrap the steel then slowly bring it up to a temperature where the metal becomes ductile and the grain structure can be re aligned. It is held at a specific temperature for 1-3 hours then slowly cooled and quenched in hot oil to give the metal the hardness and ductility required.
I am trying for a RH of about 6200.
Heres a shot of the tools ready for the heat bath:
<a href="http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2198020830101907180qnthyI%22%3E%3Cimg src="http://inlinethumb10.webshots.com/14665/2198020830101907180S600x600Q85.jpg" alt="lathe-tools-7"></a>
Here's a close up showing the shape of the tips: The more finishing I do now the less labour intensive it is after heat treatment.
<a href="http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2874987300101907180HmFHeu%22%3E%3Cimg src="http://inlinethumb48.webshots.com/12271/2874987300101907180S600x600Q85.jpg" alt="lathe-tools-6"></a>
Finally here is a close up showing the taper I ground into the steel to allow the tool to pass through the kerf as it penetrates into the depth of the wood without binding. I wanted a strong tool so I made the depth 1-1/4" and the back is 1/8". I don't want any chance of it  bending in the cut at 300-500 rpm.
<a href="http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2525227950101907180uihmQy%22%3E%3Cimg src="http://inlinethumb32.webshots.com/12511/2525227950101907180S600x600Q85.jpg" alt="parint-tool-1"></a>

Metal working for the wood lathe

I never seem to have the right tool for the job at hand and most are easy to make if you have a few tools.
I use a power hacksaw and or a dedicated Beaver table saw to cut/grind out a pattern then refine that on the bench with a power grinder.
The pieces are made from "01" tool steel and tempered after the refining process to keep a decent edge for turning
I will try to add pictures as I progress with these tools to show you all the steps.
The metal is prepacked in 3 foot lengths and usually gives me enough material for up to 4 tools with tangs.
I have been buying it at a franchise store called "Metal Supermarket":http://www.metalsupermarkets.com/s.
You can search the web for one nearest you if you get the bug.
<a href="http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2378144660101907180HGQiPp%22%3E%3Cimg src="http://inlinethumb59.webshots.com/11706/2378144660101907180S600x600Q85.jpg" alt="lathe-tool-fab1"></a>
Here is a picture of the cut off disk I prefer and a tang that was cut with on of them with my cut off saw.
Ask for these by name at a welding shop or similar. They are tougher and last longer than other brands I have used.
<a href="http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2076349780101907180xVuZkf%22%3E%3Cimg src="http://inlinethumb47.webshots.com/10670/2076349780101907180S600x600Q85.jpg" alt="zipcut3"></a>
*Dont use them in your tablesaw for fear of igniting the wood dust*.
I have a separate old saw I use just for this cutting and slicing
<a href="http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2094799250101907180qzhicV%22%3E%3Cimg src="http://inlinethumb51.webshots.com/12530/2094799250101907180S600x600Q85.jpg" alt="cutoff-saw"></a>
I recently aquired this little metal bandsaw which has really been a good investment for me.
I seem to use it more and more now that it's so handy. Bolts, bars, slots and all kinds of things that just come up around the house and shop and have no easy solutions.
<a href="http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2185692860101907180cbMISB%22%3E%3Cimg src="http://inlinethumb37.webshots.com/12004/2185692860101907180S600x600Q85.jpg" alt="m-bandsaw"></a>
Cost me about the same as a couple of batteries for my electric drill. (smile)
It has a small attachment that allows me to use it vertically for cutting stock like a conventional bandsaw.
p.s. that way I could have avoided the nicks at the ends of the cut on the tangs shown here.
Enjoy
Bob

Chain saws I have known and loved.- Don't leave home without one.

Currently I have 4 chain saws. A smart student of wood would probably have 2.
When I was tougher I used to carry the Pioneer 610 into the bush with a toboggan and some gas and fell and pull out a tree in a few hours.
As time progressed the saw became suddenly quite heavy and I yearned for a lighter machine.
Enter the Husky 353 - 18" with decompression button and easy start and much lighter.
It's a 3.2 hp (53 cc) engine but just barely enough power when hilted in a trunk. (11 lbs)
I could put a longer blade on it but why?
I would suggest nothing less than 75 cc next time like the Husqvarna 372XP (5.4 hp) at 15 lbs.
That was a trade off in that I have less power now to run a large blade but have the advantage of not lugging the big machine most of the time.
If I were buying it again I would opt for more power and at least a 22" blade.
The little electric is quite handy and works just fine on a good 14/2 cord that's not over 20 feet long.
After that the little motor starts getting grumpy
The last one not shown is a little 15" gas  that I reserve specifically for cutting roots etc where the blade contacts the dirt.
Nothing puts a chain to sleep faster than a bit of dirt.

<a href="http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2364966550101907180zQAkmx%22%3E%3Cimg src="http://inlinethumb01.webshots.com/31744/2364966550101907180S600x600Q85.jpg" alt="chain-saws"></a>