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HF
Last week I got an audio interface working between the Icom 756pro and my laptop ( Read more... ) -
speed kills forstner bits
I burnt up 2 forstner bits before I figured out you're supposed to run them at slow speed (<800 rpm).
(If any part of the bit turns blue, it's cooked; book says carbon has oxidized out of the steel and it's so much cornflakes now.)
Don't let this happen to you! -
Buck Jack Tuning
I haven't used the Buck Bros. jack plane from the borg since I got the Veritas fore plane, but I thought I'd see if I could make it usable. The blade was dull, and turned out it still had lacquer all over it! A dab of lacquer thinner took that off, but the blade ( Read more... ) -
The sharpest chisel in the roll
Finally, I managed to sharpen a chisel to a mirror finish and it cuts like a razor.
I gave up trying to do it freehand and used the Veritas Mark II honing guide. Sweet!
Waterstones are messy but effective. 220 grit, then 1000, then 4000.
then 0.5-micron diamond paste on a piece of leather for a strop.
Oops, yes, it cuts the strop just like a razor ( Read more... ) -
hardwood
Vise jaws, now. I wanted hard maple. I've never used anything but pine, and accidentally some oak.
Each jaw has to be at least 1-5/8" x 6" x 18". Nothing even close to that at the borg, or even Woodcraft.
Looked around on woodweb. Plenty of places to buy it, but none local. Found a list of cabinet shops and such.
Some in this state, at least, ( Read more... ) -
Veritas, truly
I thought I'd botched the workbench top I'm building (2x4s glued together ( Read more... ) -
You can tune a plane, but ...
I got a cheap block plane at Home Depot. I knew it wasn't the greatest, but I didn't realize how bad it was ( Read more... )