Everything here is directly from the article just using the previously mentioned modifications.

The lift mounted to the table adapter.

The table top bolted to the adapter.…

Now that the mounting problem had been solved, the actual Lift build could proceed. It is very straight forward. Some of the specification/items were adjusted to local availability.

The brass bushing was changed to a home made copper bushing by using a 3/4" copper Street L. Cutting it to the correct length and then one cut lengthwise. File the lengthwise cut until the "bushing" fits into the hole.…

My shop is so small, so in order to save space the router/table combination is an add-on to the table saw. My Porter-Cable router was purchased as a set that included a small bench top table. It didn't take long to realize that this configuration wasn't going to work for me, but the purchase included so nice additions, so everything was modified to replace the right wing of the table saw.

The height adjustment on the standard PC router is OK but when mounted under the table it can be…

Let's start with pattern selection. Choose a pattern that you would like to cut and that you think is within your skill level.

Next you will need to choose your wood. Most patterns from magazines and professional designers come with recommendations of species, and thickness. Use these as a guideline. Also look at your stock…

Here is a very short video of how it works. The sound is natural- the sander and the dust collector in operation. A little over 1/64” of material was being removed.

For the astute observer, you will notice the addition of the broom like door sweeps to both sides of the dust hood. It seems to work but I’m not sure how much more effective it is.

Also, the…

Now let's talk about blades, this is a topic that can be debated to death as to which blades are the best, so I am just going to address the types of blades and which ones I use.

Blades come in two basic types – flat and spiral. There are several types of both styles of blades, with different teeth configurations.

Spiral blades are a round blade that when it is manufactured it is actually twisted causing to have teeth all the way around it, therefore cutting in…

 This is going to be just a general information blog about scroll saws, so anyone interested in buying one or choosing a new saw, can be armed with some knowledge.

Saws are generally divided into two categories : top feeders or bottom feeders. On top feeders the upper arm lifts up to allow the blade to be fed into the…

Better add some sort of dust collection to this thing before I do anymore testing!

This is what the finished “hood” looks like-…

Most of the photos used for this blog were taken “along the way.” As with everything made in my shop, there are always changes, modifications and “S**t! I should have….”. 

The first thing was when Mimi passed by and said, “it’s nice but where are you going to put it”? Anyone who has been in the shop knows you need a road map and a course in choreography to get around all of the stuff crammed in there. OK, we are gonna need some wheels to move this thing out of the way.…

It was finally time to add the sand paper to the drum. Having decided on a Velcro (hook and loop) system, it was off to Super Grit http://www.supergrit.com/ . Their store is only a half an hour drive from here. The hook portion required 5 feet of material. This PSA stuff is 4” wide and is $2/foot. Also bought 3 different grits of the 3” wide loop paper. Their minimum purchase is 3 yards but at between $1.50 to $2.00 a yard it is reasonable. It took…

The final major part of the assembly is the table. The piece of ¾” Melamine is from the scrap box at the local Vocational School and the piano hinges are pieces left from a project made for my brother in law. The top is reinforced with a frame of ¾” plywood on three sides and a 1” piece of oak on the hinge side.…

Time to mount the drum and motor to the frame. The choice of 2 x 6 sides was made to hopefully eliminate any flexing when work pieces were in contact with the sanding surface. However, that lead to difficulty in figuring out how to be able to mount the drum bearings to the sides. Long carriage bolts can be expensive!

The sides are counter bored about 3” and then drilled to match the bolt diameter. An area around the mounting surface was mortised for an aluminum plate. The pillow block…

Now that the drum runs true and the table lift works, it was time to start building the frame. My intention was to use mortise and tenon joinery but my choice of material was 2 x 6 for the top and bottom of the sides. This was larger than my mortiser could handle. I know, I could have chopped them out by hand. I opted for half lap joints.

The overall width of the frame is 23” and the table height is about 31”. The length, at the bottom, is about 36”. The table is 16” x 24”. The frame…

After researching many sander designs and knowing my tendency to over engineer everything, there was only one choice for the table adjusting/lifting mechanism.

The source of the lift came from this site and I give the author full credit- http://home.mchsi.com/~woodywrkng/DrumSander.html. The only change/addition I made was to add springs the help eliminate any “backlash” in the movement. The author of the site felt this…

After building the drum, a test was in order. After all, if this part didn’t run true there was no sense in moving forward.

Using a piece of Corian, the motor and drum were clamped down in position. The motor is a 120v 1/3 HP motor salvaged out of our old furnace. The belt is the one from my table saw- a link belt replaced it.…

When making my rolling pins, I use the thickness planer to bring the thin strips down to 1/8” thick. Unfortunately, if the grain in the wood is not uniform- or there are knots- the strips shatter. This wastes a lot of wood and doesn’t do the planer any good either. It seemed to me a thickness sander would be perfect for this process. Well, Craig’s List wasn’t producing any results and I couldn’t afford a new one. Time to take action!

Starting with what seemed to me to be the most…

THIS BLOG SERIES WAS CREATED A YEAR AGO, I HAVE BEEN WORKING ON GETTING IT TRANSFERRED FROM ANOTHER SITE TO OURS. THANK YOU FOR READING!

Sorry for not posting for sometime now, I have made much progress on the rocker.  There is so much to talk about, but not enough time to write so I will post the pics of what I have done thus far, and hopefully the pictures will stand on their own and you can see the progress made.  I must add though, the plans that I have…

THIS BLOG SERIES WAS CREATED A YEAR AGO, I HAVE BEEN WORKING ON GETTING IT TRANSFERRED FROM ANOTHER SITE TO OURS. THANK YOU FOR READING!

The back brace form was a nice little warm up to get in the rocking chair building mood.  It's been awhile since I had a chance to run some solid maple through my table saw and smell that wonderful aroma of wood in the air. While building the form I had a couple questions for Hal and as usual, his replies were literally…

Message of Christmas Within the Word Itself

All Bible verses

Behold, a virgin shall be with

Child, and shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his…

With holiday gift giving in full swing, Tommy MacDonald, host of the national public television series Rough Cut – Woodworking with Tommy Mac, shares his view of ideal gifts for the woodworking friends and family on your list. Rough Cut is produced by WGBH Boston.…