kmmcrafts

I like the way the hardware store organizes the small bolts / screws / washers etc.. I think I just need to buy a hardware store... but the ideal one won't move stuff to a different part of the building every 6 months.. I have a mess of a couple drawers in an old desk that I keep stuff in.. problem is I through all small stuff in one drawer and big stuff in another.. I know two years ago I put a certain screw r whatever in there but I can't find it until I make a trip to the hardware.. where I go to that certain isle that is no longer there.. When I finally find what part of the store they moved the stuff too and get it.. when I get home I see the one I was looking for right on top of the big mess of a drawer... I think I need a better system.. LOL

Apparently not... Too bad to because we all enjoy seeing your projects.. and we are all having withdraws from not seeing your projects.. Hopefully you'll get it resolved soon..

Wow, that's a nice step up.. I never did try the arm lifter for my DeWalt.. I used what was called the Jim Dandy easy lift.. which I believe came out before the lifter did.. Don't hear much about the easy lift these days.. maybe he's not selling them anymore.. Have fun making lots of projects and sawdust..

The two screws that hold the upper portion to the lower portion.. they are right on top on either side of where the WEN sits.. Probably not enough tension on the springs but if the screws came all the way out the springs might go flying into space, never to be return.. Mine came loose and made the whole plunge portion very wobbly..

Great patterns, Thank you for sharing them.. Good luck with your show!

I got really mad and then depressed yesterday while drilling holes for a puzzle order I was making I noticed the Dremel plunge router base was getting really sloppy and loose.. Thinking about how I disagreed with JT about the plastic plunge router being more accurate than he was giving it credit for.. While drilling a couple more holes later I noticed one of the screws for the uprights turning on it's own... shut it down.. went to the tool box for a screw driver and tighten the screws up.. goes pretty straight up and down now.. I do see where this set up isn't going to stay super accurate for very long... and really it's not as accurate as i first thought but it is doable... and it taught me that I like the little systems of this style / design without spending a good fortune on one not really knowing what to expect.. Don't think it'd be all that hard to build a nice accurate set up similar out of steel.. Be a lot less time consuming to just buy the plunge router from the same place you bought this.. $150 seems steep.. and it's still not make to be used as a drill press.. but I'm almost certain that it'd last much longer than the plastic $30 Dremel one too..

I read it's good until it goes bad, Not really a time line.. I think it'd make a huge difference in how long it'd last as to how you store it... airtight container etc etc...

That seems like a pretty good deal... I pay more than that for my landline / DSL/ Dish Network and we have a crappy DN package.. and the DSL is not great as you can see.. I do have the 8/1 speed package... mostly because it handles the load better for when all 5 of us are on our devices / computers..

Now that talk sounds like a teen talking tech... LOL I don't find too many folks older than 30 years old that really understands that info.. BTW. For me.. it's the slow internet I have DSL and it's slow.. I have three speed packages to choose from 4/512 , 8/1 or 16/1 Then on top of that.. we are bogged down based on load of their server system.. Unless we pay for a business plan which puts us on a different system than everyone else which supposedly isn't bogged down, LOL.. Got a friend on the business one and only difference is he has a higher speed during the busiest times where mine bogs down.. fortunately the time is typically during a time I don't really have a "Need" for it.. The price of these are crazy for the business one and it really only enhances the speed in a 5-6 hour window... usually when I'm busy with family things anyway. so no real reason for me to upgrade.. I'd do it in a heartbeat if it were getting higher speeds etc.. but since I'm still limited and only enhanced during a 5ish hour window.. It's not worth the extra $20-30 a month to me..

I ran across this a ear or so ago ( I think it was ) and I had issues watching it as Paul said.. tried again yesterday and same deal.. I did make it to around 18-20 minutes before I gave up, LOL then later I came back and it worked great.. maybe the server for his video was over loaded with everyone watching, LOL.. I do agree.. I look for videos rather than books... for one I learn better by seeing it or actually hearing it than the written word.. secondly.. most times you can find a free video.. books cost money and then when you're done either take up space in your bookcase or you have to get rid of it.. LOL It was very informational I enjoyed it a great deal.. thank you for reminding me of this.. since I tried watching a long time ago and gave up.. then since forgot, lol

Hopefully Les bought the right tool or knows what he is getting since he said he ordered one..

Watch the video Ray on the link JT posted. it shows them raising and lowering it with the thumb wheels on the uprights.. The one I linked to is the plunge router base they sell at $152..

I'm not spending that kind of money on a tool that I plan to mis-use.. It's a router base made for routing... not made to use as a drill press EDIT To Add After looking closer at it and also watching the video.. it appears this is a fixed router base.. not a plunge router base.. They do have a plunge router base as well.. https://www.stewmac.com/Luthier_Tools/Types_of_Tools/Routers_and_Bits/Routers/StewMac_Plunge_Router_Base.html At $152 I can buy several Dremel router bases.. LOL

Yeah I read about HD having them right after I ordered mine off eBay, LOL... But then my HD is about 40 mile away too so.. Guessing it was cheaper just to pay a little more for the one I got..

Been buying mine a a local lumber / craft / tool sales place.. where I get a lot of my limber and where many of my tools come from.. It had been $22 a gallon right along.. but I used to always get the quarts because I never used it all that much until they raised the price.. LOL.. I think it's now $32 a gallon.. for the last one I bought.. A gallon goes a long way.. I only use a couple gallon a year.. but then the majority of my finishing is done with the beeswax mix that I make.. and I typically make about 4 batches of that a year too.. .. also make BLO / Mineral spirits and use a gallon of that a year too.. I topcoat the BLO mix with lacquer after a few weeks of drying. but only use it on a handful of certain type of projects.. Anyway.. the Danish oil runs me about $32 a gallon... if I get the quart at the local box stores its about $16-19 so a gallon is a much smarter buy, LOL.. The Quart at the wood place that I get the gallon at I think runs $15. When I first started using the stuff.. a quart was $7 - 8 at the big box stores.. That would have been around 2005 ish

Not sure how JT does it... but I use a throw away aluminum foil pan from the dollar store.. it's just a pan for like baking stuff in.. or.. I sometimes also use the plastic storage containers.. The foil pan is better for larger items though.. but the plastic container one could use the lid and just store the Danish oil in it.. But.. you'd need to use it fairly quick or it'd go bad.. Anyway I use these and just dip the project into the Danish oil.. depending on the wood type as to whether I let it soak up a while or just a quick dip.. I then pull out the project and set it on a pile of paper towels and drip for a few minutes.. then wipe off excess and set on another pile of paper towels... I have a fire pit and any towels that have oil on them.. I run them out and burn them so they won't catch fire... bet that make sense don't it..

Never thought to look in the hole, it appears there are several ways to fix the problem. I just went through my junk drawer and found this washer. I also found a nut to fit on it but I like the washer better as it keeps the knob closer to where it was. The space of the washer prevents it from locking the plunger part and allows me to tighten the knob down so it won’t spin freely. If I ever want to use the locking feature I just take the knob off and remove the washer.

Well then you'll lose it No seriously.. speaking for myself.. I use those knobs to hold and pull / push down on to drill the holes and use to hold the plunge router to move from one spot to the next.. I won't loose the knob.. but it has came off while holding the unit and made me drop it.. lucky for me it was only a couple inches off the bench.. so it wasn't a damaging drop.. I thought of all people that'd understand this it'd be you since you have so much router experience.. I'm not sure how to explain it any further.. maybe regular plunge routers aren't designed in this way.. since I've never used a real router I don't know.. Looking at this picture of my system.. The plunge router base has those two knobs.. one side is threaded in and tight.. the other one if you thread it all the way in and lock the knob tight prevents you from moving the plunging action.. so it locks it into a fixed base type router at a certain height. thus you cannot use as a drill press because it's locked into position and won't plunge.. When using the thing you hold those knobs and push the base downward to drill holes.. but one side the knob is loose and while handling it and over time that knob gets spun out and will fall off in your hand.. putting that nut on there allows you to tighten the knob down tight without locking the plunging action so the knob doesn't back out and fall off in your hand while using the machine.

JT, that knob on mine is a lock to set a certain height or depth.. otherwise the router will move freely up / or down.. in my case... I have to have that knob loose all the time in order to move the plunge portion freely to use as a drill press.. I have no need to screw the knob all the way in and lock it for drilling.. the issue is.. since it's loose you're always loosening and or tightening the knob and you'll be drilling and moving to other spots to drill etc and the knob either comes out so far it falls off in your hand or.. it locks down slightly and make the plunging motion to stiff to move easily.. a fix is that nut to lock the knob down tight while not interfering with the plunge motion..

Great tip.. Yeah.. mine backs out like this.. I had thought about loctite to make it not so easy to back out on it's own.. but I like this idea better.

Just to update.. I think the drill bit had a issue.. the new bit I put in it has been fine... Gotta say.. I love this set up... took a little time to get the hang of it.. but man.. I don't know how I did all these years without it.. LOL

Well the wife said the piece was the talk of the baby shower... sounds like i might have more to make now... Thanks everyone for all the comments..

This is a pattern I requested from Sue a few years ago.. My wife wanted to give to another expecting mom.. and the mom to be I made the wedding angel for a wedding gift..and we got the idea and had sue make up the design.. it's on her website somewhere.. so anyway.. that's the story behind that pattern of hers, LOL After the fact at the baby shower for the first one I made.. someone asked if i could make more but put the baby's name at the bottom.. sooo I modified the lower part to be a little wider and added the name.. sold quite a few of them with the name like that..

Thanks everyone for the nice comments.. they was all fun to make.. I'm really liking the non-puzzle clocks.. I may have to send Scott a few hundred dollars and buy a bunch of the non puzzle patterns.. These patterns are from the Woodimals collection.. I bought the big CD of like 450? patterns from Fox Chapel on sale a couple years ago.. not really big on the puzzle making so I thought about doing them like these clocks.. Not sure how well they'll sell.. but.. give it a shot is all I can do.. LOL Thanks again for the comments..

That'd be a fun road trip.. TN is my favorite state that I've been too.. If I were to ever move.. it'd probably be to TN..