MiniMax Chuck Guard
The guard on my
Running the machine without the guard would have been too dangerous for my liking. The jointer function of the machine would have been asking for an accident. It’s the last thing I want to have my fingers near when it’s spinning at a couple of thousand RPM.
My enquiries to the local suppliers didn’t go anywhere so I …
Corner Clamp for CNC Router
Corner clamps are a great way to hold
I designed (Fusion360) and 3D printed a version that uses replaceable jaws of any shaped. Four screw points are provided on the inside of the clamp body.
The wooden jaws must be 12mm or higher. If needed you can bevel or cut into them when working with thinner stock.
The 3D printed section of the …
WW2 Armoured Plate Glass
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I recently came across a person selling what he claimed was Armoured plate glass from a World War 2 aeroplane. I was sceptical but saved the listing out of curiosity.
A few weeks went by an I re-visited the listing and it was still available at an even cheaper price. When I questioned the seller about its authenticity, he said it was just what he was told when he bought it over ten years ago.
I still thought it …
Task Light
I’ve often found a low raking light really helps my woodworking. Its a handy little project that will pay dividends for years to come.
Finessing a joint, sanding, paring or removing machine marks is always easier. The older I get the more I value my raking light 🙂
Daylight and overhead lighting is always a good thing, but it can tend to wash out the surface details. Details you can barely feel become easily visible with a raking light placed …
Machinist Vise Parallels
A set of 3D printable Parallels and holder to aid in clamping on a Vise. I use a metalworking vise mainly for woodworking, traditionally these are metal, but for my purposes plastic is just fine.
Parallels are all 5mm wide and very from 10mm to 30mm in Height. You need to print 2 of each to complete the set as pictured but you can just print the ones you need or as needed.
I found printing the holder +3% in …
CNC DREMEL
A couple of months ago I came across a youtube video by Nikodem Bartnik on building a basic little CNC machine. He also shared his STL files allowing you to 3D print your own components and build a machine.
Nickodems STL files and instructions can be found here on Thingiverse:
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3004773?
PLA+ from 3DFillies
In recent times I have fallen in love with 3D printing. It complements woodworking and making in many ways. I’ve used it for stand-alone projects, jigs, drill and alignment guides even to repair my Microwave.
Its the perfect way to get the creative juices flowing when it’s too late to go out into the workshop. I love the process of seeing my designs come to life and how easy it is to tweak the design with the click of a …
MicroWave Oven Repair
Last night whilst trying to make myself some popcorn the microwave refused to open. I quickly resigned myself to buying a new machine. After googling away and eyeing off 100’s of microwaves, I realised the fault actually seemed mechanical and I might actually be able to fix it myself.
I quickly removed the cover and discovered the problem, a hinged component of the locking/unlocking mechanism had failed.
Now the microwave was probably 10 years old so I knew trying to …
I’m Back!
After a long hiatus, I am back, whilst my woodworking slowed I didn’t really stop. For the last few months, I’ve been tinkering more with steel which has been an interesting change. Make a mistake and you can fix it, no waiting for glues to cure and sanding etc.
My next project is going to be a hybrid of woodworking and metalworking. See we foster and socialise a number of cats, dealing with kitty litter etc is a pain. So …