A few useful things in my workshop

[Fredo]

I thought I'd share a few things that I find useful in my shop.
Pics below

1. Cloth sandpaper holder. Liberated from an Australian Woodworker article. Works really well and doesn't take up a lot of space. Tear off what you need. It was made from whatever size I had, about two inch pipe I think. There are two simple plywood compasses to the right. They are easy to make and very useful.

2. Once I have the paper needed I store it in plastic cups screwed to a board. I take the whole thing to the lathe bed when sanding.

3. Second version is for an angle drill with velcro sanding discs. Again, I take the whole thing to the lathe when sanding (plastic dessert dishes, 50c each from Bunnings screwed to a board).

4. Tool caddie on the lathe bed, most of the shavings and dust fall straight through.

5. Three wheel steady. Most of you have already seen or would have one. I find it very useful for hollowing long vases etc.

Fredo

[Caveman]

Hey Fredo - good one - thanks for sharing.

[Cliff Rogers]

Yeap, some good ideas there. :2tsup:

[ticklingmedusa]

I just read a current Woodturning Design Magazine that ran a similar article. While I always find this type of thing very useful and interesting
it almost always means another trip to a tool store and more money spent.
Here are the listed accessories from the magazine.
1. spring-loaded punch (for marking centres, rubber capped to avoid hand injury)
2. centre finder
3. dead blow mallet
4. compass
5. pizza cutouts (for use as templates when cutting bowl blanks) I'd rather have the pizza :D
6. CA glue
7. various calipers
8.WD-40 or equivalent
9. water spray bottle (for raising grain, green turning, etc.)
10. morse taper jacobs chuck

My list would include
1. blue masking tape (a multitude of uses)
2. box fan (for dust & heat )
3. long hemostats (internal hollow form sanding & ever drop something under the ways and cannot reach?)
4. task lighting ( I'm still waiting for someone to invent one thats indestructable as well as practical)
5. paper towels
6. japanese flush cut saw (for removing tenons)
8. plunger type lotion dispensers ( i like these for oil finishes )
9. divided office inbox (for storing sandpaper)
10. magnetic tool holding strip
11. magnet reacher ( I used stiff wire and a large speaker magnet see #3)
12. mechanical grabber type reacher ( by now you may correctly surmise that I tend to drop things often)
13. shop & woody vices
14. magnifier ( i hate missing scratches only to find them too late)
15. shop made bowl depth gauge ( Bill Grumbine style)
16. cordless drill (life as i know it would end without this one)

[scooter]

15. shop made bowl depth gauge ( Bill Grumbine style)


Checked (http://www.enter.net/%7Eultradad/bowlgauge.html)it out, good idea :2tsup:

[RETIRED]

Sorry:wink:

[Christopha]

MAN! That red, grey and blue thing is one heck of an ugly lathe accessory!

I couldn't resist either! ;)

[ticklingmedusa]

I went for a ride tonight and thought about something I read once.
Sign hung outside a New England planemakers shop: The the finest tool ever created is the human hand, but it is weak and fallible.
tm

[rsser]

'MAN! That red, grey and blue thing is one heck of an ugly lathe accessory!'

Time for a cuppa and a biscuit? ;-}

Thanks Fredo.

How would a bit of hacksaw blade go attached to the overlapping edge of the PVC tube dispensers?

[Christopha]

Excuse me but I may just ruin my rep here.....I am going to say summat sensible (ish)
When it comes to using velcro backed "stuff" at the lathe I have a strip of the hooky bit stuck along the front of the lathe bed, I slap my bitsagrit onto it in order of grit size. They are easy to find, they don't disappear into the shavings and they don'rt fall on the floor either. It's simple and it works for me.
I also have a magnet from an old speaker on the headstock for chuck keys and 'tommy" bars. Another magnet lives on the head of my drill press for the chuck key.

[thefixer]

Excuse me but I may just ruin my rep here.....I am going to say summat sensible (ish)
When it comes to using velcro backed "stuff" at the lathe I have a strip of the hooky bit stuck along the front of the lathe bed, I slap my bitsagrit onto it in order of grit size. They are easy to find, they don't disappear into the shavings and they don'rt fall on the floor either. It's simple and it works for me.
I also have a magnet from an old speaker on the headstock for chuck keys and 'tommy" bars. Another magnet lives on the head of my drill press for the chuck key.


You seem to be attracted to magnets:D

[hughie]

Fredo,
Good to see how some body else sets up thier workshop

[Fredo]

Thanks guys.

Ern: I see a minor technical hitch with the hacksaw blade, if you cut the cloth off flush with the pipe you can't pull a new piece through. You need to leave some exposed. It's fairly easy to tear off with your fingers.

Christopha: the velcro strip sounds like a good idea. I too have a magnet on the headstock for levers and keys.

Hughie & TM: as I'm a tinkerer my shop seems to be a never-ending work in progress.


Fredo

[Richard Findley]

Hi Guys,

I use the velcro backed stuff the same way only mine is on a seperate piece of wood. Works really well as long as you don't move the piece of wood and put it back the wrong way round... I've tried starting sanding with 600 grit but didn't get very far :doh: !!!

I have also fixed a small table to the end of my lathe where the bed extension would go. Its great for putting the tools I'm using on as well as all the other stuff I need to hand. In this picture I've only just started this bowl which is why it's quite empty!!!:;

Richard

[hughie]

as I'm a tinkerer my shop seems to be a never-ending work in progress. .Ho Ho, yes I totally know what you mean. SWMBO thinks I am tinkering-fiddling bower bird...lol

[scooter]

I also have a magnet from an old speaker on the headstock for chuck keys and 'tommy" bars. Another magnet lives on the head of my drill press for the chuck key.


Yeah, me too, old microwave magnets are good for this too. (Extreme care apparently if performing open heart surgery on an old buggered microwave, lethal voltages may still be present inside. I got the magnets from a local appliance repairer.)

Another good spot is a couple stuck under the BBQ hood, good spot to hang the tongs & barbie-mate when cooking :)

[Cliff Rogers]

Sorry:wink:
Looks like a planing cut, what were you turning (planing.) :D

[RETIRED]

Actually sanding with normal type sandpaper.:D

Christopha: Doncha know that this is what the turners are wearing this season?:wink: :D

[Wild Dingo]

Come on enough of the fashion guru stuff :; Me I just reckon that damned jacket would be hot enough to cook a roast in... wouldnt be seen dead in it... but hey I dont need to loose weight either :U :q

Ahem... back to the hints if you please!

I am becoming a soak when it comes to hints tips and jigs at present... the more the merrier! :2tsup:

I was thinking of buying one of those steadies when I head up to Carbetex on Monday but mmmm seeing that one and the ol mushy stuff began thinking... have welder have metal have KIDS whos rollerblades drive me knuts and were about to disappear into the recycling bin... mmmm methinks they should take on a new lifeform as a steady eh! :;

So... aside from the inthetoilet fashion guru stuff what tips hints you got snuffled around that shed of yours ol son? mmmm? :2tsup:

[RETIRED]

This may interest some that have to use calipers a lot for sizing work.

Get a carpenters rule and drill out the hinge in the centre (or cut it in half) and fix it to a board. It beats chasing a rule all over the bench trying to get sizes


Me I just reckon that damned jacket would be hot enough to cook a roast inThat photo was taken at 1:00 AM in the morning. It was 2.5 degrees in the workshop and under that jacket I had on a thermal singlet, T shirt, 2 heavy jumpers and turners smock. I was still cold.

I just about had to have the chisels warmed by a blow torch so they didn't stick to my hands and I couldn't have a smoke because the lighter flame froze.:wink: :D

[Calm]

....and the kettle????:U :U

[ticklingmedusa]

This may interest some that have to use calipers a lot for sizing work.

Get a carpenters rule and drill out the hinge in the centre (or cut it in half) and fix it to a board. It beats chasing a rule all over the bench trying to get sizes

That photo was taken at 1:00 AM in the morning. It was 2.5 degrees in the workshop and under that jacket I had on a thermal singlet, T shirt, 2 heavy jumpers and turners smock. I was still cold.

I just about had to have the chisels warmed by a blow torch so they didn't stick to my hands and I couldn't have a smoke because the lighter flame froze.:wink: :D


The carpenters rule is a good one .
Last winter was a record breaker for cold temps here.
I used those "Blue Ice" packs . Microwaved them until warm
and stuffed one into each jacket pocket. I tried cats but they
don't stay.
tm

[Christopha]

I tried cats but they
don't stay.
tm
Mike 'em a bit longer and they will stay and they are quite tasty come smoko .....

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

Last winter was a record breaker for cold temps here.
I used those "Blue Ice" packs . Microwaved them until warm
and stuffed one into each jacket pocket. I tried cats but they
don't stay.

I've done the same with old socks filled with budgie seed & tied off. (Too tight to go out and buy a wheat pack. :- ) It's surprising how long they stay warm... but not as surprising as when you "over-nuke" one and start some embers off in the middle, but don't discover it until you shove yer hand in the pocket some ten minutes later... :(

Another thing I find handy to have around the shed is a simple, homemade "breaker bar" to help remove chucks/faceplates from my lathe. Even with teflon/ply/whatever spacers on the headstock shaft I still get the occasional stubborn bind, dammit!

23952 - basic view
23951 - showing the cutout to fit around spindle (for remioving faceplates)
23953 - how it mounts to a small faceplate (other bolts are for when I've used the "inside" holes for mounting)
23954 - removing a chuck

[scooter]

Good ones, Andy & :2tsup: