More Locker Docker and a Drill Press Table
Last weekend I got the locker docker test assembled, and I used double stick tape to hold on the magnets to see how well it would hold to a magnetic surface.
It did pretty good and I took it down, took it back apart and sanded everything down while watching the wonder years on netflix. Sunday was a pretty nice day out so I set up an area outside and went to town with some good old fashioned spray paint. I got a few quick coats on, but the surface was getting rough from dust or whatever and I wanted to sand it up some but it wasn't dry enough so I brought everything inside to let it dry completely before sanding.
While sitting in my chair sanding away and watching the wonder years, my back started bothering me. I stood up and walked around a bit but eventually I tried a different chair. The chair I was using I liked because it had it's own built in cup holder, but I don't think it provides enough support that my back needs right now I don't know but it was bothering me.
I tried a very old lawn chair that I have, and it worked much better, felt very supportive and still comfortable. I didn't have any issues the rest of the afternoon as I was sanding. The poor chair is on it's last leg though, most of it's webbing is torn away. I'll most likely get another chair for my garage, either one like this or something better for my back I'm not sure but I'm certainly open to suggestions.
Since the week before I finished my bandsaw tuneup, I wanted to try my hands at a bandsaw box with some scrap I glued together a long time ago just for this purpose. I drew up the rough shape and went to town on the bandsaw.
Unfortunately it was pretty disastrous, that day I learned trying to cut rounded edges with a 1/2'' re-saw blade was idiotic, I couldn't get the design I wanted, with the blade I had, and I pretty much ruined that glue-up block. Lesson learned, I should get me a 1/8'' or 1/4'' blade for when I want to do curved stuff.
This weekend I sanded the paint smooth for the locker docker, but concern for rain prevented me from setting up outside and spraying a few more coats of paint. I will try and get that done this week, or at the latest next weekend.
Instead I worked on a drill press table that I've been wanting to make for a while now. It's made from a scrap piece of 3/4'' cabinet grade pine plywood (that's what HD calls it, it's about the same price as MDF and better than the BC plywood but not as expensive as the hardwood plywood). The edges are some scrap white pine that I had already jointed/planed to 1'' thick.
I used pocket screws to attach the sides, but since I knew I was going to be dadoing out sections down the middle of the table I was concerned that I might hit a screw so I opted just for glue for the front.
I took some time and used a small scrap piece to set up the dado blade in my table saw to cut out the dados for the t-track I bought a while ago (for making this table). I used my existing fence that came with my drill press to figure out where I wanted the 2 tracks since I planed on using the same fence. Once I got it all set I was able to cut the dados just right.
Using some t-bolts and nylon spacers and some nobs I was able to get the fence that came with my drill press to work with the table, I like the nylon spacers because it brings the tightening nobs above the fence and makes it easier to tighten down. That was something that always bugged me about how the the fence was originally set up.
Since my table saw was all set up for cutting out the dado needed for the t-track, I decided to cut a rabbet in some scrap I've been saving for a cross cut sled I've been wanting to build. I've been saving these pieces for a while, and eventually I'm going to make the darned thing.
My next step on my drill press table is to figure out what I'm going to do for inserts, and depth of the table. As it sits now, the table is too deep, it doesn't allow for rotation of the handle that's used to raise and lower the table. It also may cause problems when angling the table if/when I ever do that. I could simply just pull the table forward, keeping the depth, just having more space in front. I could also make it so the table is adjustable, so I can pull it forward and back as needed. Though this may be a problem if I add some attachments to the bottom of the table which I was planning on doing. My other option is to just trim the table down to size, which is what I originally planned on doing, but it's such a permanent thing that I wanted to think it over a little bit before doing so.
As for inserts, I'm not really sure about that either. I can use a dovetail bit and create a dovetailed dado in the table that an insert slides all the way down. but that seems like a lot of material when really you just need a small area. I was also thinking about just routing out a square section on the table that a piece of 1/2'' or 1/4'' MDF can slide into. I like this idea because it's easy to replace, just cut up some square or rectangle pieces of MDF and swap them out when needed. This method is a little tricker initially though I have to basically create a template for my router to follow, and I also have to decide how big I want these squares to really be.
For now I'll sit on it until I figure out what I want to do, maybe I'll know by next weekend so I'll be able to finish up the table. That pretty much sums up my past two woodworking weekends
-jeremy
Last weekend I got the locker docker test assembled, and I used double stick tape to hold on the magnets to see how well it would hold to a magnetic surface.
It did pretty good and I took it down, took it back apart and sanded everything down while watching the wonder years on netflix. Sunday was a pretty nice day out so I set up an area outside and went to town with some good old fashioned spray paint. I got a few quick coats on, but the surface was getting rough from dust or whatever and I wanted to sand it up some but it wasn't dry enough so I brought everything inside to let it dry completely before sanding.
While sitting in my chair sanding away and watching the wonder years, my back started bothering me. I stood up and walked around a bit but eventually I tried a different chair. The chair I was using I liked because it had it's own built in cup holder, but I don't think it provides enough support that my back needs right now I don't know but it was bothering me.
I tried a very old lawn chair that I have, and it worked much better, felt very supportive and still comfortable. I didn't have any issues the rest of the afternoon as I was sanding. The poor chair is on it's last leg though, most of it's webbing is torn away. I'll most likely get another chair for my garage, either one like this or something better for my back I'm not sure but I'm certainly open to suggestions.
Since the week before I finished my bandsaw tuneup, I wanted to try my hands at a bandsaw box with some scrap I glued together a long time ago just for this purpose. I drew up the rough shape and went to town on the bandsaw.
Unfortunately it was pretty disastrous, that day I learned trying to cut rounded edges with a 1/2'' re-saw blade was idiotic, I couldn't get the design I wanted, with the blade I had, and I pretty much ruined that glue-up block. Lesson learned, I should get me a 1/8'' or 1/4'' blade for when I want to do curved stuff.
This weekend I sanded the paint smooth for the locker docker, but concern for rain prevented me from setting up outside and spraying a few more coats of paint. I will try and get that done this week, or at the latest next weekend.
Instead I worked on a drill press table that I've been wanting to make for a while now. It's made from a scrap piece of 3/4'' cabinet grade pine plywood (that's what HD calls it, it's about the same price as MDF and better than the BC plywood but not as expensive as the hardwood plywood). The edges are some scrap white pine that I had already jointed/planed to 1'' thick.
I used pocket screws to attach the sides, but since I knew I was going to be dadoing out sections down the middle of the table I was concerned that I might hit a screw so I opted just for glue for the front.
I took some time and used a small scrap piece to set up the dado blade in my table saw to cut out the dados for the t-track I bought a while ago (for making this table). I used my existing fence that came with my drill press to figure out where I wanted the 2 tracks since I planed on using the same fence. Once I got it all set I was able to cut the dados just right.
Using some t-bolts and nylon spacers and some nobs I was able to get the fence that came with my drill press to work with the table, I like the nylon spacers because it brings the tightening nobs above the fence and makes it easier to tighten down. That was something that always bugged me about how the the fence was originally set up.
Since my table saw was all set up for cutting out the dado needed for the t-track, I decided to cut a rabbet in some scrap I've been saving for a cross cut sled I've been wanting to build. I've been saving these pieces for a while, and eventually I'm going to make the darned thing.
My next step on my drill press table is to figure out what I'm going to do for inserts, and depth of the table. As it sits now, the table is too deep, it doesn't allow for rotation of the handle that's used to raise and lower the table. It also may cause problems when angling the table if/when I ever do that. I could simply just pull the table forward, keeping the depth, just having more space in front. I could also make it so the table is adjustable, so I can pull it forward and back as needed. Though this may be a problem if I add some attachments to the bottom of the table which I was planning on doing. My other option is to just trim the table down to size, which is what I originally planned on doing, but it's such a permanent thing that I wanted to think it over a little bit before doing so.
As for inserts, I'm not really sure about that either. I can use a dovetail bit and create a dovetailed dado in the table that an insert slides all the way down. but that seems like a lot of material when really you just need a small area. I was also thinking about just routing out a square section on the table that a piece of 1/2'' or 1/4'' MDF can slide into. I like this idea because it's easy to replace, just cut up some square or rectangle pieces of MDF and swap them out when needed. This method is a little tricker initially though I have to basically create a template for my router to follow, and I also have to decide how big I want these squares to really be.
For now I'll sit on it until I figure out what I want to do, maybe I'll know by next weekend so I'll be able to finish up the table. That pretty much sums up my past two woodworking weekends
-jeremy