Episode 9 - What I Learned This Week - 2008. 07.01
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Episode 9 - What I Learned This Week - 2008.07.01
Music in this episode by:
Kelly Dean
Zoe Keating
Rubber Band Banjo
The Jointer Has Landed!
Notes on Jointer setup:
1) I've heard the jointer referred to, in the reviews section of HD's website, as mislabeled as jointer, when it should have been labeled 'Box of grease. Jointer included.' Well, I would label it as 'Hernia in a box' or 'Be-careful-not-to-break-your-back-or-crush-your-hands-or-feet-while-offloading-this-from-your-car'
2) The instructions were written by someone who meant well. But they really should have done some proof-reading. The instructions often include 'as shown in illustration' when it was definitely not shown in the illustration provided.
3) The setup, at least when dealing with the motor installation, should be simplified - drastically. There's not much worse than to install a heavy motor on an angled piece of metal, strap a heavy belt to it, then told to pull the motor along the angled mount until the belt it tight enough, then tighten the bolts. Picture this for a minute. That's about the most idiotic thing in the world. I had to rig up a system of clamps to get the motor to stay in position while I tightened the bolts. Truly not an ideal setup. To Ridgid's credit, there was an optional way to do it. The way I did it was to have the assembly upside down. Which is how the assembly already was positioned from the previous steps. The other option was to upright the assembly and have gravity pull the motor into place. The last thing I wanted was to have the motor fall into place, and then land on my face when I was under the thing trying to pull on it and tighten the bolts!
4) I think it's just absolutely awesome that they included two angle mounts that, when used together, form a cross that sits on the bed and helps you to angle the fence for beveled cuts. What I think is just down right lame is that there are two of these guides and only room to store one of them on the jointer's frame!
Woodworking in America
Woohoo! Woodworking in America is coming! Woodworking in America is coming! Aww, crap! I'm booked solid in November! JK 
Surprisingly enough, I'm not kidding when I say that I'm trying to schedule going golfing with my friend, but we're already looking at the middle of August! Sheesh! My schedule never used to get filled up that fast before I was married...
Alas, not going. I do have a very special announcement to make right that will take place right around that time. But I won't be making that announcement for a few weeks. (Muhahaha, let the anticipation build!) It'll keep me away from joining everyone this year, but I hope to go to some large woodworking events next year. Just like I joined my local Woodworkers Club (Fox Valley Wood Workers Club), but haven't been able to make it to a single meeting yet (I've missed 2 and will miss a third tonight), mostly due to the woodworking class I'm taking.
But anyway, I just wanted to let you all know that I'd love to join you all and meet you face to face, but I think it's going to have to wait. Shame to, it's in Kentucky. Though I can't stand Kentucky (no offense to you Kentuckyans, I've just had a lot of bad experiences there), it's not that far of a drive...
Class This Week
OK, this was the first REAL week for my woodworking class. The first two weeks were familiarity with the machines, the third week we had no class because the instructor was out of town. Now this week, we started our projects.
Remember the first junior high dance you went to? Where all of the guys were on one side of the gym and the girls on the other. A lot of people standing around looking at each other, the floor, their hands, waiting to see who would be the first one to 'make a move'. Remember that? That was tonight at class. At least, that was the first 5 minutes of class. Then everyone jumped into action.
Sorry, but it wasn't me that made the first move. It was the captain of the football team. Damn! He always has more guts than me. No, no, it wasn't like that. I was, um... sorting... out... my wood! Yeah, that's it, I was lining it all up so that it looked like I knew what I was doing. Aww, what do I care? No one's looking at me. Well, except the cute girl in class. Sheesh! Who am I kidding? She's not that cute.
OK, let's ditch the high school mental reunion! I jumped right in jointing the edges of my boards, then thickness planing them as well as I could. It turns out that most of the boards have cupped and twisted in the past 7 weeks, or so, since they've been sitting in the garage. Go figure.
Hey Rick.........quick thanks for watching my blog. I see the link on your page. Hope you dug part 1 of the Castle interview.
What's this woodworking class you are taking??? What's the project???? Hey Rick, while in the re-union mentality, a friend of mine from Jr High, we still see each other, always jumped in first.....rarely did we come out unscathed, in 7th grade shop we had to make a shoe box and the parts were kinda pre-cut, some you had to measure and trim, it was mostly an assembly project. Well we were the first at the mitre box saw, cut it to short because we didn't waite and Ole.. Elmer Dickens wouldn't give us another (nice guy !#@%*). So we hit my olds man tools and built a kick-ass shoe box brought it into the class, and Elmer wouldn't acknowledge it, it was that good. OK now I'll ditch the jr high reunion.
Thanks again.........Neil
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Neil,
Thanks for stopping by!
The woodworking class I'm taking is a short, 8 week (total) summer school class at the community college. Basically, what the instructor told us, people in the area who don't have shops of their own pay for the class every semester and stop in on class nights and use the equipment. I think that's a great idea! In fact, I've always thought that a great idea for a business would be to have a giant shop with several duplicate stations for really heavy duty equipment. They could have storage rack lockers for people's wood and storage for people's projects, but ultimately it would be like a gym membership. You come in and 'rent' time in the shop...
Anyway (way off on a tangent there), The project that I'm doing for the class is the XLeg table. You can find the rough draft of plans for it a few posts down in the blog - between episodes 7 and 8. It's a design I came up with in January or February, and have really been anxious about making ever since then. I'll be revising the plans as I change the table. Kinda like design and you build.
I haven't watched the Castle interview yet, but it was on my plans for today (July 4th). Keep up the excellent work! I really enjoy your show.
Rick
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Hey Rick.......checked out the X-Leg Table. I'm intrigued. Looks like one of those designs that gets better as you build more of them. Your design has alot of flat surfaces to play with. IE: inlay, marquetry, laying up a herringbone for instance on the table apron. You got alot of life in that design Rick.....Sweet man!!!!
Neil
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Neil,
You hit the nail right on the head! I wasn't going to reveal my next move with the XLeg Table until I was able to get a working plan down and use more exotic woods with it. But what I really want to do with all of my designs is put a signature inlay in it. The inlays themselves would always resemble the silouhette of the piece itself. So, for this table, it would be an 'X' with a top crossbar. I want to do the top in Paduak (veneer probably) and the inlay in Lacewood for a shiny gold on dark wood contrast.
Rick
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Rick,
Man, I am sorry that you had such a time with the jointer. It looks like the same model I have, although mine is 4 years old and wasn't near as much "FUN" to set up but it is a great unit. When I bought mine, the only assembly I had to do (if I recall correctly) was putting the stand together. The motor and belts were already in place.
Luckily I had the help of my father-in-law and brother-in-law to offload it from the truck - you are right, it is heavy! Please just remember to not try and joint end-grain! It hurts way worse than a bad back!!!
I really enjoy the podcast and anxiously wait for it each week to see how you are progressing. I think I speak for all when I say it's good to have you here! Keep up the great work.
Pete
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Pete,
I thought it was pretty funny when you told me before I even got the jointer to not try passing eng grain over the knives. Funny, because I knew I'd do it just to see what it was like. I guess you have to know me to know how funny that is. The thing is, tell me why something is dangerous, but don't come right out and tell me not to do it. LOL!
Nah, I'm not that big of a dork! But, inevitably, I'll do the stupid thing... Just to prove it, I took some really thin scrap and ran the eng grain over the knives. Yup, the board splint in half in my hand and flew across the garage. Good thing it was just a 4"x4" piece of 1/4 poplar.
Well, it's not like I didn't have any help at all with assembling the jointer. I did have my 14 yr old son help, until he saw his dad struggling. Then he disappeared...
Seriously though, I really enjoy putting the episodes together. It's not hard coming up with content, yet. But I'm really glad someone likes it. Tomorrow night I'll be recording Episode 10, and I already have plenty of things to add. So episode 10 might be a long one...
Thanks for all the compliments and help!
Rick
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