Band Saws/shopsmith

[Jon Page]

At 10:57 AM 12/17/98 -0600, you wrote:
>>         I'll second the Shopsmith idea, it's a great tool for cutting.
>>horizontal boreing, and drilling, compound angles. I know a few tech's on
>>the list are very proud owners,
>Ja, sure... you betcha...
>> maybe we should start a jig and use thread.
>You can set up the disc sander to do a great job on tapering hammers.
>Roger

On hammer jobs I have this system:
disc sander: correct tail arc
	shop made arcing jig, but will order Spurlock soon
drill press w/ drum sander: file hammers
	riser secured to table, squared or angled for hammer tapers
table saw: taper hammers
	proto-type jig for tapering hammer between 'just below' surface
	to current tail taper, this removes the bulk of the moulding in the 
	shank area. An old player vac motor helps to hold the hammer
	against the jig while holding the shank. I'm thinking of a jig which
	stradles the fence.

I weigh samples across the set first to know about how much needs to be
removed and again after filing. Tapering is done next to the degree the
hammer will allow and/or amount needed to bring it to a desired SW range.

Final SW graduation is done on the belt sander.


>Some pinblocks get a bit too wide to drill from one side. I have to use
>wedges, etc. to angle them for the pin angle, so I recently got (at an
>auction) a bench drill press which I will use for my next block. The head
>and motor can be moved up and down the shaft so I can rig a plank across
>the case, slide the press along and drill them through the plate. No
>possibility of alignment screwups from wandering drillbits.
>Conrad

After fitting the block to the plate and screwing it in place, I center punch
the tuning pin holes, remove the block and drill the holes on the Shopsmith
in drill press mode. No problem with wandering bits.

When I start the job, I drill two small index holes (5/64or3/32)through the
plate
into the block on each end. With the plate removed I mark the holes on heavy
paper by first setting the edge of the paper along the front stretcher. Useing
a straight-edge as a guide, I draw a line on the paper off the side and cut
the
paper on the line. Now I have a pattern of that corner (6-8" sq). Once it
is fitted
into the corner, I locate and punch the index holes. 

After the new block is fitted and secured with screws in place, I drill
through my
index holes into the block. With the block removed, I place the pattern on the
block and place drill bits in the index holes to secure. I trace the
pattern corners
on the block on each end. I connect the front lines with a straight-edge.
The band saw trims the excess and the jointer finishes the front.

The block fits very snug and with a little hand filing, it is eased in
place.  whew.

I make the block from a thicker stock so I can run the bottom through the
planer
to get nice clean holes underneath because the bit coming through makes a
ragged
edge on exitting and I can match the old block's height.

All for now,

Jon Page
Harwich Port, Cape Cod, Mass. (jpage@capecod.net)
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