Signals From The Bunker

[Gill]

Gonna Splice the Mainbrace to celebrate? ccasion5:

You betcha!



Come on then... who's going to be the first to tell me they spotted that the portrait is cut from two boards edge laminated in the centre? I didn't just splice the mainbrace!

Gill

PS Whilst we're splicing all and sundry, how about celebrating the first UK Workshop thread to manage a hundred posts?
\/ ccasion5: \/

 

[dedee]

One hundred and one.

And I can't see the join.

Andy

 

[Anonymous]

PS Whilst we're splicing all and sundry, how about celebrating the first UK Workshop thread to manage a hundred posts?
\/ ccasion5: \/

Not all on topic though :lol:

Lovely work Gill, truly wonderful!!

 

[Alf]

PS Whilst we're splicing all and sundry, how about celebrating the first UK Workshop thread to manage a hundred posts?
\/ ccasion5: \/

No coconut :wink:

Cheers, Alf

 

[Rosco]

Hi Gill,
you started this thread by showing us some pics of your nice new orange shed. But no updates for a while have you managed to move into it yet with your new kity table saw, lets keep this thread going and hit the magical heights of 150 posts.

All the best,

Rosco ( Chris ).

p.s. have you got any patterns for siamesse and ragdoll cats as swmbo is getting me a scroll saw for my birthday and I would like to be able to strive for something like your doggy in the future.

 

[Gill]

Hi Chris

I've been meaning to post a comprehensive tour of the Bunker for a few weeks now, but I decided to wait until the Kity 419 was delivered. Guess what :roll: :x ?! If it isn't here soon NMA will be getting the sharp end of my tongue. I've phoned them a couple of times already and been nice but it would seem that being nice doesn't work.

It's amazing how quickly you can fill up a workshop. When the new TS arrives, I'll actually be struggling for space. I haven't been terribly productive since the Nelson portrait; my energies have been diverted towards a computer illiterate Other Half who decided that his hand writing was so bad he should fill out job applications on the computer. Every 5 minutes I'd hear, "Giiiiiilllll ..... the program's crashed again. It must have a bug in it. What do you mean? I've dropped the mouse loads of times before and it hasn't broken."

Such woodworking time as I've been able to find has been taken up designing a portrait of the Beatles. I had hoped to have it finished in time for his birthday (he's a Beatles nut) but it wasn't to be . Oh well, at least our efforts hunting for a job on the computer seem to have borne fruit .

Unfortunately I don't have a ragdoll or Siamese cat pattern as such . Indeed, I don't think I'd recognise a ragdoll cat if I saw one. However, I'll see what I can come up with - Googling "ragdoll cat" seems to produce plenty of piccies that might be suitable for conversion into patterns.

Now - the important question... When's your birthday and what sort of scrollsaw is in the offing? Today I found out that the elusive J D Woodward company (manufacturer of the Diamond scroll saw that is so highly prized in the US) is still in business despite rumours to the contrary; it is just adopting a low profile because it has as much business as it can handle. There are overtones of DureEdge here, methinks. Anyway, the address is:

J.D.Woodward
Power Tool Engineer
7 Higham Way,
Burbridge
Hinckley,
LE10 2PU

That's not too far from me so I think I'll be going for a drive in the very near future .

By the way - my avatar was actually cut with a scalpel, not a scrollsaw - it's marquetry. Thanks for the compliment though . The good news is that you should still be able to produce something comparable on a scrollsaw quite quickly once you get used to very basic techniques.

Gill

Edit: Chris, if you've got your eye on a SIP scrollsaw - beware. Although I've never seen one myself, I've been reading a very critical account of these machines on a 'Murrican forum. Their blade changing mechanism apparently leaves a lot to be desired when using flat blades.

If anyone here has experience of SIP scrollsaws, I'd love to hear from you.

 

[Gill]

The Kity 419 has now been assembled and installed, although I'm sure I'll have to do some tweaking over the next few days. For one thing, my Trend vacuum doesn't fit the dust extraction port - yet.

I did promise some updated shots of my workshop when the table saw was installed, so here they are. Apologies for dust on the camera lens :lol: ! My 8' x 18' workshop is now looking decidedly cramped and I'm going to have to rationalise it as we approach the autumn. Assuming His Lordship remains in employment, some insulation will be one of the first improvements that'll get carried out. After that, I'll install more shelving; I could do with some quite desperately.

Bear in mind that this is just my woodworking area. His Lordship has a separate area where he keeps his lathe and the Tormek (both of which are gathering dust :roll plus there's an area in our scullery which has a rather solid workbench and vice.

On with the show:

This is an overview seen from the doorway. I think it shows most things, except what is hidden in the corner next to the door.

This is where I spend most of my time when I'm woodworking, either at the scroll saw or cutting out marquetry. The CD/radio is an absolute essential.

This is the area next to the doorway, with router tables drill press, storage rack, veneers and Workmate bench plus some tool guide clamps.

That's about it. There's not much else to say, except I've actually got space to squeeze in one last power tool that I've been drooling over for a while now.

Gill

 

[Chris Knight]

Gill,
Many thanks for the tour. It's shocking how quickly the space disappears isn't it?

I continue to moan about my lack of space but I visited a carver on Monday who does some of the best work I have ever seen (and lots of it) and his space is (I kid you not!) about 4 feet by 5 feet. With the stuff around the perimeter of his space, he has an area not more than 3 feet by 2 foot six in which he stands and carves.

In any case, I am sure you feel great about your new workshop and I hope it brings you much pleasure.

 

[wizer]

it's great to see this space filled Gill. I am very envious! The new TS looks like good fun. have you had much of a play yet?

 

[SammyQ]

As the great Alan Coren once wrote "Facknell!!! That is some place." One query.....don't you find kneeling to use the pillar drill a bit sore on the patellae?

Yours ribaldly and deep sea green with coveting, Sam

 

[Gill]

Thanks for the comments guys .

Chris -

The place seemed so big when it was first constructed; where's the space gone? It's surprising how much time I spend at the desk using the scroll saw and the cutting board. I'm beginning to think of that area as 'the cockpit' because what happens in that small space drives the rest of the workshop.

Having windows directly in front and to the side of that area has proven to be a wise move because the natural light is so important. The angle-poise magnifying lens has a natural light bulb which I reckon will come into use more as the nights draw in and I have to rely on overhead fluorescent lighting.

It's great having the other machines around, especially the bandsaw, because when I need them I really need them. Nevertheless, it's the Hegner scroll saw that's the workhorse of my workshop.

Wizer -

I've not used the TS much yet because I want make sure His Lordship is around whilst I'm getting used to it for safety reasons. To be honest, TSs scare me. Anyway, he's got a day off tomorrow, so I should be able to make a start on producing a picture frame that I need.

Sam -

Kneeling isn't a problem for me - straightening the back afterwards can be!

As you can see, I don't have a workbench. It's not unknown for me to place a piece of timber I'm working with on the floor, kneel or sit on it, and then plane away or do whatever.

Gill

 

[Anonymous]

Lovely workshop Gill. Wish I had that much space

Your kity TS lookls to be yellow and green? New colour scheme perhaps since the buy out

 

[dedee]

Trend vacuum doesn't fit the dust extraction port - yet.

Gill, this was my solution to get my 35mm extraction hose to fit the extraction port at the rear of the saw.

The white piece is the collar from a baby feeding bottle (Avent) the screw threads on the inside of the collar provide a tight push fit on the extraction port at the rear.
This does a good job of clearing the dust etc from around the blade but does not keep the inside of the cabinet totally clear.
Tony tried to box in the base of the cabinet and extract from underneath but it appears he was not successful :- https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/view ... t=419+dust

Any other Kity users cracked this problem?

Andy

 

[Gill]

That's interesting, Andy. What I was actually thinking of doing was cutting a cone on the scrollsaw to fit the extraction port. This would mean cutting a circle in some thick timber with the table tilted to about 12 degrees. It would also mean either making a circle cutting jig or doing some very accurate cutting by hand ! I could then cut a similar but smaller cone in the middle of this larger one to accept the vacuum cleaner. If I apply some sort of sealant, it should be airtight (in theory ).

Do you reckon that solution might work?

Gill

 

[dedee]

Gill,
my visual imagination is not great . The principle sounds fine although I am not sure I could carry it out.

If your vac hose is 35mm I could send you one of the baby bottlle collars as we have a cupboard full of them.

Andy

 

[Gill]

Hi Andy

Basically, I'm describing a big bung with a plug hole in the middle of it ! I don't know how successful it will be so I may well take you up on the offer of those bottle collars - thanks.

Gill

 

[MikeW]

Hi Gill,

Nice work space! And I really like all the windows.

btw, just how do you keep it so tidy?

 

[Gill]

how do you keep it so tidy?

Hmmmm... you should see the amount of sawdust that Kity 419 produces when the shop vac isn't attached :shock: !

One of my tidiness techniques is to keep His Lordship out :wink: . The other is to keep the brush and pan busy.

Gill

 

[DaveL]

Gill,

Good to see your new shop, complete with new saw.

Looking forward to seeing more of your work. 8)

 

[Gill]

Apologies for a rotten photo - no matter where I hung it, the light reflected in the glazing to obscure the picture.

Anyway, it's quite an important piece for me, being the first time that I've taken a photograph, converted it to a pattern, and seen it all the way through to completion. For those who are interested, the frame is lime and the main portrait is sycamore.