A Learning Adventure in the Workshop

Baker's Pin Trick Works!

I've solved the problem of getting the diameter of my baker's pins to be consistent to within 1/16th of an inch across their entire length.  Free-hand turning was only getting me to within a 1/16th and a "sizing tool" left too much tear-out.  I could feel the 1/16th in difference with my hand, and for pastry, it was too much.

I came up with a method that gets the deviation to within one thousandth of an inch.  More than consistent enough...

Just turn the baker's pin to within a 1/16th free-hand, and then loosen the tool rest on the lathe (the longer the tool rest the better, I used a 12" rest).  Now take some coarse sandpaper (60 grit) and wrap it over the leading edge of the tool rest and attach with some spring clamps so that the entire front edge is covered.

Now, with the lathe running at about 3000 rpm and the tool rest loose(not tightened at all) push the tool rest forward into the wooden pin until it makes FLAT contact across its whole length.  Now slide the tool rest back-and-forth in a planing action until it is perfectly flat. Repeat until you see no light under a straight edge (with the lathe off!). Perfect!

The Ultimate Project

Like many woodworkers, I spend as much time working on my workshop and on my tools as I do working on actual projects.   Actually, sometimes I think that my real project is building and refining the workshop.   

 

 

As the workshop progresses it becomes like a single giant tool, enabling me to do progressively more complicated projects.  Knowing that my workshop is always available to me is a very empowering feeling...and adding a new capability to the shop feels like an investment in the future (no accountant would buy that!).  I imagine that as my woodshop becomes more complete the shop-time to project-time ratio will decline, but maybe it won't.  I think I enjoy it too much.

 

 

 

Very few places are as personal as a woodworker's shop.  After he has tuned every tool, built every jig, sharpened every blade, researched every purchase, and refined the layout (over and over) the woodshop becomes a customized tool configured to fit him better than it would fit anyone else.   Working in someone else's shop would just not be the same.

 

 

 

Sometimes its hard to drag myself away from working on "shop" project to work on "real" projects!  I wonder if most hobby woodworkers feel this way, or if working on the "shop" is a hassle to them?

My shop is my "ultimate" project...the other projects will come and go as they are completed.  The workshop will be the common thread that helps to produce all the rest, and it will improve with each one.  It will never be totally completed.

 

 

 

I guess this is one more reason that this is a hobby for me and not a profession.   A professional would not have this luxury.

 

Don't do anything stupid! Too late....

Well, I re-learned a lesson last night....over and over I go to the workshop at night to relieve stress from a stressful day at the office...and invariably I screw something up.   Woodworking relaxes me, but until I am sufficiently relaxed I am not focused enough for delicate or dangerous work.  This is why I am not good at golf.

If I am tense and tired, it is no time to try to do delicate work with power tools.   At best, I damage a project, at worst, I damage myself.

Last night I got lucky and only damaged a project.  I tired to "improve" the 1/16-inch diameter deviation on the French Baker's Pin that I made my wife (mentioned in an earlier post.)  Instead, I made the deviation significantly worse.   I was trying to use a "sizing tool" attached to a parting tool (sort of a "C" bracket that attaches to the parting tool with thumb screws).   I set the tool at the desired diameter and swept it back and forth across the length of the baker's pin.

While the sizing tool does help to create a piece of uniform size, it causes tons of tear-out.   Seems like this tool is only good for sizing grooves in a piece, and not rounding to a uniform diameter.

Back to the drawing board for other methods to create an "exact" uniform diameter spindle.

Rock Maple French Baker's Pin

I turned a French Baker's Pin out of Rock Maple for my wife this weekend.  It is a simple 2" diameter rod that is 20" long.  It must be perfectly straight to function properly for rolling pastry.   I completed it with no more than 1/16 inch deviation in diameter from end-to-end.  After finishing it, I think that the tolerance should have been even tighter.  Not sure how to do that though....may take some experimentation on my part to refine the method beyond free-hand turning.  After my wife uses this prototype, I will know if the 1/16" deviation is acceptable or not.  No finish, just sanding to 400 grit on the lathe.

Otherwise, it was a simple project that has a nice heavy feel.  I like it.

Display Booth Completed

I finished the display booth over the weekend.  It will be used this coming weekend at a show...I hope it is strong enough!   I am basically pleased with the design, although I wish the vertical poles were a bit more rigid. I have sacrificed a bit of rigidity and strength for the ability for it to easily disassemble and transport in a minivan.  It is 10'x10' by 6' tall when assembled.

Machine Surface Protective Sprays

I've now used both Boeshield's T-9 and Bostich's TopSaver sprays.  Both are supposed to lubricate and rust-protect cast iron tool top surfaces without staining wood or inhibiting finishes.  Both work well, but I think that T-9 is the slightly better product.  Looks like good-old WD-40 has been replaced with a new acronym.

Sharpening Station

I finally got around to building a sharpening box/station for my water stones and DMT plates.   Built it out of plywood and lined it with a plastic tub to contain the water and stones.  Works great.

Now I will always have my sharpening tools set up and ready to use.

A Side Project - Display Booth

Our neighbor has asked me to build a display stand for her.  She makes and sells women's hand bags at arts and crafts fairs, and she needs a self-standing L-shaped display wall that can be disassembled and put into a minivan for transport.  Each wall must be 10'x6' assembled and must be able to hold a lot of weight.   

I am making the unit out of 4x4 posts with black-iron gas pipe that screws together with flanges as the cross-bars.  She will paint the whole assembly.   Four 4'x4' beadboard panels will hang from the top cross-bars.   Each panel will have 4 hooks to display her merchandise.   

I assembled the basic frame last night and it is very strong vertically, but a bit wobbly in the horizontal.   My wife suggested putting each post in a bucket filled with sand, and I believe that will solve the problem (the unit must be able to be placed on pavement, so no support wires can be used).  Looks like the unit will cost about $125 in materials.

I will build the panels over the weekend, and then get back to the desks.

Edric Florence

Attend another gallery opening (Bird-in-Hand in Sewickley, PA) by my wood turning teacher, Edric Florence.  Edric has turned out some incredible new pieces (pun intended). 

Edric has developed a new method of stabilizing green turnings that have many natural voids (not sure he would want me to post it here!).  He had several new turning done in this manner with root-stock.  Click here to view them.

Amazing!

Wide-Board Surface Planing Jig

Made progress on the Greene and Greene desks over the weekend.   

Finished surface planing all of the mahogany for the desk tops.  Used my newly constructed wide-board planing jig.  The jig was shown in a recent article in Fine Woodworking magazine, and allowed the user to "joint" boards up to the full-width of the surface planer (about 11.5 inches).   I had a few boards that were too wide for my 6 inch jointer, so I built the jig. 

I was skeptical that the jig would work, but it worked like a charm.  I may make a few improvements to the jig before I use it again though.  The triangular height adjustment pieces slip on the plywood suface of the base when the planer's feed-roller engages.   Maybe put sandpaper strips on the plywood top of the jig to provide more friction.  I will also replace the plywood triangular pieces with another material.  They have a tendancy to split when the screws are engaged.  I will use either MDF (as the article suggested), or a plastic material.

Also finished tuning (fettling) the old #8 jointer hand plane over the weekend.  The 100-year old blade is laminated steel and sharpened to razor sharp with DMT and water stones.  I have the cuts on my fingers to prove it!  It needed to be reset to a 25-degree angle, as it was way off.   Took awhile to regrind it on the stones.  The sole was very flat already and just needed touching up.  The plane is now as good as it was 100 years ago.  I love it.

Hand Planes are addictive once you start to get good results.