Article
JAN/FEB
2003
Volume 46/Issue 1
IN
THIS ISSUE
Project
Articles
•
Classic Rolltop Desk
• 16-Drawer Apothecary Chest
• First Class Letter Box
DEPARTMENTS
•
Ask Smitty
• Owner’s Gallery
• Letters from Owners
Academy Notes
Should
you have a Thickness Planer in your shop?
Service Pointers
MARK
V Service Pointers
Safety Tips
Hearing
Protection
What's
New
When
accuracy counts Incra Rules
EDUCATION
• Find
A Shopsmith Woodworking Academy Near You
• National
Woodworking Academy in Dayton, OH
ONLINE
CATALOGS
• Online Accessory Catalog
• Request
Printed Accessory Catalog
• Online
Replacement Parts Catalog
MARK
V INFORMATION
• Find
A Shopsmith
MARK V Demo Near You
• Request
MARK V Information Package
LINKS
•
Links Worth Visiting
•
Free Woodworking
Tips
FEEDBACK
Contacting
Shopsmith
Copyright
2003.
Shopsmith, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
Making
Multiples
Here
are several time-honored “secrets” used by the Old-Timers
to save hours of work when making several of the same project.
Printer
friendly PDF copy of article
The Letter Box “Money-Makers” project presented elsewhere in this issue makes use of several techniques that will save your time and help you make more than one of a project faster and with far greater repeatability and accuracy than you could hope to achieve without using these techniques. This article will provide some great tips for doing this.
Before you start making anything in your shop, there is one simple ground rule that you should always follow to make your work easier and more efficient...and this rule is especially worthy of consideration if your objective is to make money. That rule is to always keep your shop area uncluttered and well organized. A cluttered, disorganized shop not only slows you down, it makes your work more dangerous, as well.
Tools, fasteners, glue, wood and other important shop items should all be stored in the proper place...wherever you decide that should be. Cabinets, pegboard, parts drawers and convenient storage bins can help you see to it that you spend your time using your tools and supplies rather than looking for them.
If you have a number of Shopsmith Special Purpose Tools (Bandsaw, Jointer, Belt Sander, etc.), the Shopsmith Storage Station will give you a place to keep them out of the way until they're needed -- then roll them over to your MARK V for easier mounting and use.
Once you've chosen a project to build, start by making a set of master patterns that you can use to mark out your project components. This eliminates the time-consuming process required to mark out each individual piece separately. Take the time to measure everything very carefully and precisely. If your pattern isn't accurate, your project will be a disappointment.
When making multiples, never make each one individually from start-to-finish. Instead, start by cutting all the parts for your entire “run” at the same time - using the same machine set-ups, then proceed with the remaining steps in a logical sequence. For example, first bandsaw all the pieces for your project at the same time. Then, sand all the pieces, drill all the pieces, rout all the pieces, etc. By using this technique, you'll cut down on your set-up times, have more productive hours in your shop and actually be able to make all the parts for your entire run of projects in just a little more time than it would take you to make just one. It's true!
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| Fig 1: When resawing with an older Shopsmith Bandsaw (cast iron table), use a wooden, shop- made Miter Gauge Extension and remember that it must be exactly parallel to the 5/8" wide blade. If you have a newer Shopsmith Bandsaw (aluminum table) use the Bandsaw Rip Fence. Always use a push stick for the last few inches of your cuts to prevent injury. |
So, now that we've laid the groundwork, what are the other secrets you can use? Let's start with the fact that many gift and craft projects require stock that's less than a standard 3/4" thickness. These days, many Home Centers and lumberyards carry thinned stock...perhaps even in the thicknesses you need. But beware! The prices they ask for this thinned stock can be astronomical. If you have a Bandsaw, you can resaw 3/4" stock to the exact thickness you need...often getting two or three component pieces out of a single piece of wood...and save a bundle in the process (See Fig 1)! A 5/8" Resawing Blade helps you keep your cuts straight and true when performing this operation.
