Renk Workshop: The pursuit of perfection on a shoestring budget

Ohhh, freakin nice vice!
Good job on the Porter Cable, you will be happy with that model. I routed lap joints in well over 3000 cedar fence boards with mine and it still works like the day I bought it over 15 years ago.

 

Cool vise.
Btw, here's a little safety trick from FreddyG.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vl3l0iVFq9g[/ame]

 

Ohhhhh, thank you for that reminder! I had seen that a while ago and had forgotten.

 

Dude...I watched 4 episodes last night! This may be the best season yet!!! Fkn J-Roc's had me ROLLING this season so far. Brilliant writing.

 

Renk your pin router dude may be jerking you around, I finished this one sands paint and final tune while you'all been talking about it.

 

HOLY SHYIIIIT!!! Dan, you're AMAZING!

 

this is why i love this forum

 

Good people, man. Y'all are my buds for life!

 

Spent some time with my buddy Dan this weekend and picked up my pin router.





Put on a 2ply MDF top. I may get a counter top cutout or something and replace the top layer, or I may just dust it with some poly and leave it as-is.



Needed to build a base that's as sturdy as the tool itself, so I did a little drafting. It's been a while since I drafted by hand, and I went a little MC Escher there in the middle, but you get the gist.



Cut up some conifers.



Built the base for the machine to sit on. I planed the top surface flat so she'll be comfy.



Base done. Just like the draft...kinda.



She's all ready to rock!



I took it easy on her first run and used a flush trim bit to cut a binding rabbet. Effortless for this router.

 

It looks so much better there than here. Or what was the Porcupine tree line somewhere not here.

 

I'll bet it looks better here...you're done working on it! Haha

I got around to making the shield. I haven't used it yet, but I feel safer already!

 

Your suppose to wear a face shield and let the chips fly!!

JK, good job on the personal protection device

 

A face shield doesn't protect digits, or work as a flak jacket when that carbide goes flying, that's exactly why I went this route(rout?).

The shield material is craaaazy. It's what Dan was referring to as an alternative to acrylic when using with a router. Acrylic can shatter and splinter under the right(wrong?) conditions, but this stuff is different. We were able to bend it to shape with a metal brake, and the stuff didn't crack or flinch. It's kind of got a rubbery texture, if that makes sense.

It'll stop a broken bit, and when I lower it to the workpiece it will keep my fingers from getting pulled into the bit. Two things that are very important to me.

I have seen youtube vids of guys carving necks with these BIG roundover bits and only a face shield...I'm not that brave.

 

What material did you use for this shield? I need to make one, as well.

 

I am fully in favor of such things Renk, carbide shrapnel is bad enough.
Prevention of removing digits... Priority #1.
Unfortunately I had to learn a hard lesson to get it myself, my left index finger is missing an 1/8 of an inch courtesy of an old Craftsman table saw from the 70's with no guard on it...

 

Material is polycarbonate all the plastics people make it, or if you prefer a brand name Lexan.

 

I used a similar table saw in my dad's shop when I was a young'n. It was an older art-deco Craftsman from before the days of safety concerns. It never bit me, but Pop ALWAYS kept a watchful eye on me with that thing.

I had a couple close calls with a router, just in this last couple years. As I get more experience, I realize how many MORE close calls I had that I never even considered dangerous practice. When I got a chance to put this router up on the end of a fixed arm, I took it. Thankfully Dan helped me get there.

I've got some templates in the works now. I'm a bit distraught that it's sat idle in my shop, save for some binding routs. Her time will come though, there's no doubt.

Thanks for that. I couldn't remember the name.

 

I'll be using my old Craftsmen table saw with no guard on it later tonight. Putting the final pieces of window casing trim on my kids room. Baseboards tomorrow and the project is done (almost). Then I can finally get back to putting my shop together.