Rolf

Nice job Denny! I don't normally like Red Oak but it really pops on this piece! It is a fun one to cut. If I do another I will do some carving on it. When I did the testcut I couldn't get the backer color right and was running out time to send it to FC, so I found a piece of matt board with a color that worked for me. There will be a few more of recently found JGR fret designs in future issues that I am currently test cutting.

I would not use cardboard as a backer, it just wouldn't look right to me. That said I did use a piece of Matt board for the backer on the Heron in the spring issue of SSWWC . It had the exact color I was looking for. What I have used as backers is resawn logs that I cut to about 3/16" then run them through my drum sander to about 1/8". Free wood with some beautiful grain. I also get a lot of boxes between Amazon and Chewy. I cut many of them up and use the pieces for when I spray paint stuff. Also the Chewy can trays are perfect for keeping works in progress pieces together.

Love the frame! The bird house is really cool.

Actually they are not as delicate as they look. I do like a lot of details, but for years I have been using 1.5 mm (1/16) BB, Unfortunately my local supplier isn't carrying it anymore. So I will probably switch to 1/8 which seems clunky to me.

The first couple of years we would put a stack of each ornament out. We no longer do that, now it is one or two of each then replenish when sold. We also have to have something new every year, as we have several of our customers tell us they have a tree dedicated to our ornaments. Talk about humbling.!

With rare exception we don't box anything other than Ornaments. I hope to do a high end Artisan event this summer to sell Intarsia pieces and turnings. I will provide a box for the Intarsia pieces primarily to protect them for transport. I will get professional pricing help for this event.

Thanks for the nice comment @kmmcrafts Kevin. We have been selling Ornaments since 2005, not sure who's idea it was to box them. Probably my wife. They are clear topped boxes and we put sparkly felt under the ornament. It really makes them pop! It is a bit of additional work but my wife enjoys the process. The Jump in sales was dramatic! The boxes make it easy for someone to gift the ornament with just a bit of wrapping paper. I cut 6 at a time and charge 12-15 ea. I only do a couple of events a year. The image is from 2009.

I already had some Kreg clamps from the pocket hole Jig. I use those clamps on a lot of other stuff. But the inline clamps are super, When I first got them I was surprised that they were plastic. But they really work great especially when I sand stuff.

This video shows how it works and some things he didn't like which I have never had any problems with https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbgVJng7gy4

I use a Led light ring with a 5 diopter, I wear progressive glasses so that works perfectly for me. The magnification is perfect for me. But have a look at the focal length and Magnification number and decide which is best for you.

Great idea! Clamping is always an interesting challenge. I didn't know HF carried the cam clamps. I bought a Kreg Mobile project center several years ago, thinking I would fold it up when not in use. It has never been put away. Kreg has some interesting clamps that may give you some ideas. These are amazing and pop right into the holes, https://www.kregtool.com/shop/clamping/clamps/in-line-clamp/KBCIC.html I also made these. One is a metal electric box cover on a dowel that I use for a light with a magnetic base, The other block of wood with the slot, I made several of them and they hold my bar clamps when edge gluing.

Get yourself a foot pedal,

All the pin on the HF saw does is hold the arm up. Like the add on mechanism that people bought for the Dewalts. To lower the arm you have to reach all the way back and pull the spring loaded pin. A dumb design in my opinion. A lot of extra effort when top feeding. The blade tension keeps the arm down. The EX and other saws that have the ball spring, It is just friction that holds the arm up. No locking or releasing anything. The reason this damaged my friends saw is the one on the left (original) got tired so the prior owner over tightened it until it damaged the arm. The one on the right is the new replacement. As you can see the ball extends further. It doesn't take much to keep the arm up.

The person operating the saw in the video BadBob posted is clueless! That said, the pull pin in the back could possibly be replaced by one of these ball springs that are on the EX. Just as long as they are not over tightened. The wear in the other picture was on a friends saw. I TIG welded the groove and put in a new screw. Of course I filed the weld smooth. Worked great. He now has a Pegas.

Thank you JT for catching my mistake, I was wrong about Grizzly's table. It is a tilting arm saw.