Smitty
SEPT/OCT
2003
Volume 46/Issue 5
IN
THIS ISSUE
Project
Articles
•
Queen Anne Living Room Tables
• Covered Wagon Toy Box
• Tilting Shelf Sewing Thread Holder
DEPARTMENTS
•
Ask Smitty
• Owner’s Gallery
• Letters from Owners
Academy Notes
Clean
Cuts - Pt. 2 - Lathe Tool Sharpening
Service Pointers
MARK
V Miter Gauge
Safety Tips
Safety First!
What's
New
42"
Filter Hood for DC3300
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
ASK
SMITTY!
Here
are the questions . . .
and SMITTY’S answers for this issue!
Air
Drying Lumber In A Garage
From "Patrick", via e-mail:
I'm planning to try air drying some lumber for the first time and
would like to know if it's OK to dry it in an unheated garage?
Yes, it's OK to dry it in a garage. However, keep in mind that it will require about twice as much time to do so in a garage as it would to do so outdoors. For example, with 1" thick lumber, it would take about a year outdoors...two years in an enclosed garage.That's because you will get much better air circulation in an outdoor environment than in an enclosed garage.
Here are some important points for consideration:
1): Be sure to paint both ends of your boards to prevent checking.
2): Place 1" square “stickers” between each layer of boards to allow better air circulation...one “sticker” for every two-feet of board length
3): A disadvantage to indoor air drying is that you could experience a build-up of mold and humidity in your garage from the wet lumber.
4): Using a dehumidifier in the garage will cut the garage drying time in half. Running a fan (without a dehumidifier) will only move the damp air around. Running a dehumidifier AND a fan will cut your time in half again...however, it could easily speed things up too much, resulting in surface cracks and checks.
5): It's a good idea to stack a fair amount of weight on top of your pile...to keep the top two layers of boards from warping. On a 4' x 8' stack, about 24 concrete blocks, spaced evenly will do the trick.
6): If you decide to do the job outdoors... ...Keep your first layer of boards off the ground by about a foot ...Stack (with stickers) as described in point #2 above
...Cover the top of your stack with OSB (oriented strand board...because it's “cheap”), so it hangs over all edges by about 2-feet, forming a “roof” over your stack...don't forget the concrete blocks on top.
Alignment
Consistency With MARK V Set-Ups
From Drew Kelley, via email:
I have had my Mark V for 19 years and it still runs like new. Is
there any way to consistently have the Sawblade and Worktable line up
in the same relationship so the splitter and Saw Guard will line up.
Also, is there a way to do this so that homemade jigs that ride in the slots have the same distance from the slot to the blade, allowing the use of jigs such a panel cutters and the jigs in the "Power Tool Woodworking for Everyone" text?
If your machine has been set-up and aligned properly (which I'm sure it has been, after 19 years), everything should line-up consistently from set-up to set-up. There are three reasons why this may not be happening as it should:
1): Your Carriage Stop Ring (the o-ring like “rubber bumper” that fits around the operator-side upper Way Tube between the Table Carriage and Headstock) may be missing. This helps maintain the proper distance between these two components. If it's missing, you need to replace it.
2): You're not retracting the quill fully (and locking it into position at the retracted location) with each set-up.
3): You're not being sure the blade (or cutter) is bottomed-out all the way against the MARK V spindle before tightening it in position.
