Jim Finn

Voids?

I have a Floor lamp setting next to my saw with an $8 hair drier attached to the pole that blows the dust away from the wood as I cut. I use a" click on/ click off" foot switch because I sometimes want to move around as I saw. I have tried using a shop vac for dust removal but killed three of them running them that long.

I use a keyhole bit in my router to make a slot on the back ,but this requires a pertty thick piece to cut it in. (3/8" ) I pretty much mass produce everyting I make so this method is pretty cheap once you have the bit and router. For other items, I make my own hangers of galvanized sheet metal or old paint thinner cans. I cut 3/8" strips, drill or punch holes near each end and then bend with plyers to a "hat" shape and screw this to the item using 1/4" long #2 brass plated screws. I spend an hour and make a years supply. Also almost free. I know I can buy hangers pretty cheap but the whole idea of me being in my shop is to "make stuff".

Hegner is made in Germany so it may be available where you are. Not cheap but very durable, especially for cutting thicker material (3/4")

IF I had a pattern or design that I did not want copied I sure would not post it in any forum!

I do not know what their threshold is, but I exceeded it. I am a retired construction worker, not a professional, like a lawyer or doctor so it can't be very high. I applied on line, and in person at our local VA office. Declined at both. I do not need the service, I just wanted the card.

Zen Scroller: The VA refused me a card because I have an adiquit income and insurance. I wanted a card to get the discount at Home depot but they told me that I did not qualify for a card because my net worth was too high. ( I served in 1960- 64) I did get a card from a private organization but Home depot refuses to honor it.

I have found Home Depot to have more varity in most things ,like tools, but I shop a lowes because I get a vererans discount there that Home Depot refuses to give me.

I have two Hegners and a Jet. All are great saws. Made in 2008, 1988, and 1986 .The advantage of these saws is that they have induction motors.(no brushes). This type of motor will outlast a brushed (universal) motor. I once had a DeWalt that died after 20 months. A friend of mine had a DeWalt for five years that he had to replace the motor in, five times. He and I found that saws like this , when used to cut thicker woods all day long will not last. We cut 3/4" - 3" wood doing inlays and making toys. Many people like the cheaper saws and I think it is because they are doing fretwork using 1/4" material or less. I have had my Hegner for seven years now. Changing blades takes getting used to. I have a "quick clamp" from Hegner for the top clamp that I use on all three saws and it works just like a DeWalt this way. (bottom feeding) I do not do any fretwork but if I was to only cut thinner materials, I would opt for an Excalibur or a multi speed Hegner. My three saws are all single speed motors but one of the Hegners has a simple speed control by moving the drive belt on a multi sized pulley. Smaller Hegners with speed control have universal motors so I think they would not stand up to the heavy usage we put them to.

The vairable speed contoler from Harbor freight is inexpensive and I think it will work on any universial motor. (A motor that has brushes) I use one on my single speed router and it is still working after four years. If I were you, and had a brushed motor, I would try the harbor freight controller and monitor the motor to see that it does not get too hot. May work out well.

Yes a lot of folks really like these boxes. I had a lady tell me last week that when she gave one of my boxes to a friend, with her name inlaid into the lid she loved it so much she was in tears. I had another lady call me yesterday just to tell me how much the person that she gave one of my crosses to loved it. She wants me to make another box for her now. I get a lot of repeat business.

UPDATE! I sent the photo to the customer (Doctor) and she ordered another, even though she has not picked up the first one yet. This second one is her daughters' Chinese name. She has purchased about six boxes from me this summer.

I bought some stickers from Vista the same size as my business cards from them. Stick very well, look good but cost forty cents each! I like the idea of just gluing a business card to the item.

This is a special order I did for a local Doctor. I have no idea what it means. She did not say. Maple inlaid into cedar.

The long guns are 26" long and the short are 11". I made the patterns myself. Use your imagination here. I use a two cent clothespin (from the dollar store) and two cents worth of rubber bands (from staples) on each and try to use free wood or MDF. (What is needed is a one by four piece of wood for either of these guns). I can make four an hour and easily sell them for $5 each. Almost $20 an hour is pretty good around here, Wish I could sell them that fast. I do sell enough to pay my space rent at about 21 of 25 sales I do each year. I glue and pin nail the clothespins in place. I loop two rubber bands together for the long gun "ammo". They are not six shooters, but they make great "sister shooters". I once made a nice trigger mechanism for these but folks want one that looks like those they made as a kid, so I switched to using clothespins. Go with the flow.

I also make different things. These are just the boxes I make which account for over 2/3 of my total sales. I make larger items which I store differently. Almost all of my decorative boxes are the same size. I used to make many different sizes but found this size to sell best. Other items I make are wall hung stars for inside and out, plaques, crosses, toys, fireplace bellows, cedartrunks and necklaces.

A good friend of mine kept blowing fuses on his DeWalt and he had to replace the motor five times in five years. Last time it failed he tossed it and now uses an old saw that was made in the 80's that has an induction motor. This one will last. He and i both cut 3/4" stock and we have found the DeWalt saw is not up to that kind of use. I got rid of mine after 20 months when it literally fell apart. Great saw for light fretwork though.

Those are rubber band shooters. I sell over 200 of them a year. I also sell pistols that shoot rubber bands and they sell just as well. I designed them to be made from a 1"x4" s and a clothes pin although some are made of plywood and some of MDF. What ever I can get for free. The sales of these "sister shooters" pretty much pays my space rent.

I downloaded and installed windows ten and internet explorer eleven. I went from windows seven to windows ten. It took a few hours to install but seems to be running well now. I have had it over a week now. I had to manualy adjust old programs to work properly there, even some card games I use.

I continue to try to post photos there but the only one I got to work was my Avtar. I even tried to post that same avatar in the thread and still get the "invalid file" notice. So I am just lurking there a short while each day. I have found that forum to be very slow to navigate. They still have issues to deal with it seems.

Impressive!

I use this "upselling" technique when I make special order inlays. An recent example of this is: A guy ordered a special image that he liked and because I knew I could sell it to someone else if he decided not to buy it, I made two of them without prepayment. I brought him both and asked him to choose which one he wanted and he bought them both. I have done this many times. Works well for me. I do inlay so this does not involve stack cutting but I usually do make two or more of the same item at a time.

Still trying to work out how to post photos there. They are still working on this problem.

Here are images of how I store finished boxes I have made. There are about 170 less than I had there at the start of the season in June. I re-use these boxes. I do not give them away with the sale unless folks ask for them. I bought the boxes from "Uline" for 59 cents each. They work well for storage and transport. I can also ship finished projects in these boxes. I have a separate wooden, insulated, storage shed to keep these in.

Made four more of these. Wood is cedar box, maple Texas, poplar leaves, and Boisd'arc rose.