47 - Build Your Own Mortising Machine , страница 5

TIPS & TECHNIQUES

£ Scroll Saw Tip

With Tape►

A Without Tape

■ Whenever I use a scroll saw, I find that some types of wood are just about impossible to cut without burning the edges. (Cherry seems to be the worst culprit of all.) And the problem gets progressively worse as the blade gets dull.

Fortunately, there's an easy solution. I just cover the cutting line with a strip of cellophane tape, see inset photo. (I use 2"-wide packing tape.)

With the tape in place, it practically eliminates the burn marks on the edges, see photos in margin.

What makes the tape work? I'm not sure, but my guess is it lubricates the blade just enough to reduce the heat that's produced. As a result, I end up with a nice clean edge that requires little (if any) sanding.

Rick Hutcheson Grimes, Iowa

Knock-Down Work Support

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■ When cutting sheet goods or assembling a large project, an extra worksurface sure comes in handy. But I don't have room in my shop for a permanent "fixture."

So instead, I use a worksurface that "knocks down" in seconds. The key is a pair of metal joist hangers attached to each of my sawhorses, see photo above. (Joist hangers are available at most home centers.)

The hangers act as "pockets" that hold a couple of 2x4 stretchers, see drawing. Fitting the ends of the stretchers down into the joist hangers creates a sturdy work support.

With the stretchers in place, you don't have to worry about them accidentally slipping out of the hangers.

Sanding Disk Organizer

■ Here's a simple way to organize the sanding disks for your random orbit sander. It's a plywood tray with three separate "bays" to hold the disks.

Each bay (one for each grit size) is formed by three dowels that surround a stack of disks. Placing a round, hardwood plate on each stack keeps the edges of the disks from curling.

Robert Page Rochester, New York

That's because the stretchers fit onto a metal pin in each hanger that "locks" them in place. The pin is just a bolt that passes through a hole drilled in the joist hanger, see detail. Tightening a nut on the end of each bolt holds

it in place. Also, you'll need to drill a counterbore near the end of each stretcher to fit over the bolt.

John Mappus Charleston, South Carolina

hanger

No. 47

ShopNotes

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