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HopeHoops

(47,675 posts)
1. I've worked on a real 3' lathe - wood, mind you, not metal - they aren't tools to fuck around with.
Fri Sep 7, 2012, 02:00 PM
Sep 2012

I don't currently own one larger than a 12", but I do have a scroll saw, 96" band saw, full-size drill press, disk/belt sander (bench), grinder (bench), 24" radial arm saw, routers (table and hand-held), a miter saw (bench), and a shop vac I call "R4" because it looks like Obi-Wan's droid in Star Wars II. Oh, and a small 6"-disk table saw that's dangerous as hell - scares the bejeesus out of me.

I likes me some tools.

I got a foot pedal for the scroll saw (sort of like you use on a sewing machine) and that makes it a SHITLOAD easier to deal with the situation where the blade gets stuck and the wood wants to go "FLAPPEDY-FLAPPEDY-FLAPPEDY-FLAPPEDY". It's a lot easier to just release the pedal than it is to smack the kill switch while you're freaking out.

I also have a leather apron that has saved me more than once and I require safety goggles at all times for anyone in the shop. With the grinder, I use both safety goggles and a full face mask. Metal fragments are nasty. Same's true if I'm cutting metal on the scroll saw or drilling it on the drill press.

The radial arm saw is one hell of a piece of work. I had to trim about 1/4" off of a board once and at the end it fired it across the room like an arrow and embedded it in the wall. That freaked me out. Now I put a barrier up when I do stuff that fine.



Ptah

(32,983 posts)
2. I envy your shop. Sounds like a well-equipped 'mancave'..
Fri Sep 7, 2012, 03:36 PM
Sep 2012

Safe practice is, without any doubt, the most important skill a craftsperson can have.

I've worked in many metal shops over the last mumble-ty two years.
Large structural steel to precision machine shop.
Several small burns and cut so far.

I am frightened by power woodworking tools.
I can't even watch someone using a power saw.

Kudos to you for building such a fun workspace!

Here's another video I made of other steps of that component.
That's not me, it's a talented shop-mate from a place I no longer work.
You can see more clearly the size of the piece.

In the shop the other day {3:56} - - - - ->




 

HopeHoops

(47,675 posts)
3. That fun place is what I FORMERLY called "a garage". I get my fingers withing an inch of blades.
Fri Sep 7, 2012, 05:08 PM
Sep 2012

On the scroll saw I actually run my finger along the back of the blade for stability. The NASTIEST thing to deal with is the band saw blade slipping off the wheels. That's a PUNCH THE FUCKING RED BUTTON DAMMIT moment. It's even worse when you're aligning a blade with both covers off. I've had them fly off at me and have caught them in my hands a couple of times. No serious injuries, but better scratches on my hands than on my face. The leather apron helps protect the unit and his two friends.

I don't know if you've ever used a band saw, but, while counter-intuitive, the blade runs on the ridge of the "tire" of the wheels, sort of like a bicycle racing tire on pavement. You have to adjust the tension and alignment and there are about 20 different alignment things to fuck with before you can start cutting. Not only are there the adjustments for the flywheels, but there are four "brushes", and four small wheels that keep the blade from pushing back too far. There are other things to mess with, but those are the main ones.

Ptah

(32,983 posts)
5. Yes, band saws and belt sanders ride the crown.
Fri Sep 7, 2012, 05:31 PM
Sep 2012

The largest band saw I ever operated had a blade width of 2 inches.
Made quick work of I and WF beams of considerable size.


 

HopeHoops

(47,675 posts)
8. I think my widest blade is 3/4", maybe 1". My dad came up with a great storage solution...
Sat Sep 8, 2012, 09:22 AM
Sep 2012

He took a paint bucket (the kind you can get at any hardware store), took off the handle, drilled a series of holes along the length, and put mollies in the holes. Hang it on a garage stud with the pegs pointing up, and BINGO - band saw blade storage!!! It makes it really easy to swap out blades without having to figure out where to keep the others. Changing blades for a specific reason usually takes longer than the cut you swapped for, but it's worth it. I've got about 8 that I tend to use and a few spares. I usually just keep the 3/8" on. It takes care of the majority of the work.

Ptah

(32,983 posts)
6. It's part of a medium sized scientific instrument; The One Degree Imager.
Fri Sep 7, 2012, 05:35 PM
Sep 2012

The One Degree Imager (ODI) is the flagship of the WIYN Consortium's new instrument initiatives.
The combination of its large size and ability for electronic image stabilization make ODI a unique
and very competitive instrument. ODI is sensitive to visible light and features a one thousand
mega-pixel camera
, an impressive number compared to the average digital camera at eight mega-pixels.

http://www.noao.edu/wiyn/ODI/
---------------------

ODI Update - July 31, 2012

ODI is now on the telescope! The ODI team has been blogging progress at
podideployment.blogspot.com for the last few weeks. So far, everything - packing up,
shipping, installation, cabling - has gone smoothly. With continued luck, we will be
turning things on in the next few days and opening the dome next week.

-----------------

 

HopeHoops

(47,675 posts)
9. Wow. The large wood lathe I used was in 8th grade - I made a Nautilus submarine.
Sat Sep 8, 2012, 09:25 AM
Sep 2012

Actually, the hardest part was the acrylic dome. I spent HOURS sanding it with 400 grit wet to get it clear after the cuts. I still have that project somewhere. But the lathe scared the shit out of me at the time. I'd love to have one now, and have the cutting tools, but I just don't have the room for another floor tool. Hell, I don't even have the room for the tools I have NOW! I need a shed.

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