We had a cabinet that we piled out tupperware in and it avalanched whenever it was opened so I made some large deep drawers that pull out on soft close full extension slides. The drawers are made from 1/2″ thick maple, half blind dovetails with plywood maple bottoms spray finished with water-based poly.
I have a General 260 reeves drive lathe I recently had to take apart in order to get it into my basement because it was so heavy. I was less than confident I would be able to put all of the pulleys, belts, motor, shafts etc and have it function let alone have the reeves drive work the way it should. I wondered what speed it might be actually rotating at the various speed settings.
I picked up this $12 (free shipping) digital tachometer from ebay and it arrived yesterday. It came with a roll of reflective tape so the laser would have something to register (reflect) against for each revolution and I have to say that it works great (the lathe and the tachomoter). On #1 it clocks in on average 400 rpm just the way it should.
I bought one of those 14″ metal cutting chop saws at 70% off today. For some reason I find myself cutting lots of bolts, brackets etc. – it should come in useful.
I wear many hats: woodworker, auto mechanic, electrician, plumber, construction.
I swapped out a couple tools I wasn’t using and picked up this new (to me) lathe from a local seller. It’s a General 260-1 10 speed reeves drive woodturning lathe. It’s much better than my old one as it weighs over 500lb so it’s plenty stable and won’t vibrate easily.
Features:
High quality ribbed cast-iron headstock, tailstock, and bed.
Precision-machined bed guideways allow the tailstock and tool rest to slide smoothly.
Hinged headstock cover features a convenient speed ratio table.
Tailstock is equipped with an eccentric quick locking lever system.
High quality steel base including a one-piece cabinet with shelving.
Powerful North American designed, totally enclosed, fan cooled industrial motor.
All models equipped with a push-button “on/off” switch and a magnetic safety switch.
Specifications:
Swing-over bed capacity 12” (305 mm)
Swing-over gap capacity 16 1⁄2” (419 mm)
Max. Distance between centers 38” (965.2 mm)
Max. Distance with 60” extension (optional) 98” (2489 mm)
Floor to spindle center 41” (1041.4 mm)
Nose-inboard (r.h. thread) 1 1⁄4” – 8 (31.7 mm)
Nose-outboard (l.h. thread) 1 1⁄8” – 8 (28.5 mm)
Spindle bore 5⁄8” (16 mm)
Headstock / tailstock taper Morse no. 2
Tailstock spindle travel 2” (50.8 mm)
Turning speeds (Variable) 375 TO 3300 RPM
Motor M2 – 1 HP, 230 V, 1 Ph, 12.8 A
Weight 564 LBS (256 kg)
I get some weird requests, someone wanted me to make them a few God boxes. The idea I’m told is you write something confidential down (wish, thought, evil doin’ and put it in the slot. The box can never be opened so it’s sent off to the spirits. Anywho, they liked it and ordered 10.
I never heard of them but they helped pay for my new lathe.
All made from solid birch, mitred sides, top and bottom are rabbetted. The logo was routed with a core box bit using a circle, then a square template. The slot was routed using a stopped guide.
Length 7″
Width 5″
Hight 3.5″
I decided (was ordered) to build a child’s table for our son. My wife was going to buy one at Ikea for $70 and like any true woodworker I will not be beat by the big box store. I made this for $20 from 3/4″ finger jointed pine boards from Home Depot and about 2 easy sessions in the shop. I used some antique stain I had sitting on my shelf and finished with a few coats of shellac – I figure it’s going to get killed by the kids anyway.
I’ve finished the dresser at long last, it only took 3 years 🙂
The carcass is made of red oak plywood sides and back, then solid wood frame and everything else. It was supposed to be a baby change table but I thought I would make it into a chest of drawers with a slide out tray to sit powders, creams etc.
The drawer boxes are made from cherry with dowel joints with false ebony dowel plugs for looks, then the oak drawer fronts were attached to the boxes. No drawer slide hardware, it’s hardwood runners.
I finished it by spraying aniline dye mixed with polyurethane until it darkened enough. Then a few coats of clear finish.
Another update on the speaker cabinet:
This is the start of a walnut cabinet I’m making, it’s also the first time (not including test pieces) that I’ve attempted dovetails with my Leigh jig.
