nobotch

To many to sit down and count them.  Every thing from 4" C clamps and 12" brass bar clamps to tiny cloths pins about 3/64" across.  I keep them in bins on my work table.

Lost count years ago.
 
Vince P. 

Do not worry about blade changing That is a fact of life and WHATS the rush 
The quality of blade makes all the difference A very big differance good money is NOT wasted on good blades  
As for the rest I have had to make a good cutting surface as mine had a very large hole by the blade and suck through was not good
the upper arm keeps the top arm so high vibration not good the better base you can bolt it down too the better
I have spent a lot of time improving mine but still not a $1000 tool, $1000 is a very big nut to swallow to think that the next thing you will be doing will be running up against a $200 Dermal sander!!!!!! Some saw a 1/64 from the pencil line some saw a 1/32 what ever is said you still end up sanding 
Up down up down the blade goes 
Andy

I can feel with you Boyd.
Three weeks ago I asked myself the same question and my answer was "yes I can live without a Byrnes saw, but I don't want to".
The parcel tracking system says that it should arrive today - the door bell could ring at any moment now.
 
Of course there are other saws that can serve the same purpose, but in the end it comes down to what makes you feel good. My take on this issue is not so much if I probably would not use that saw so often that it would "pay off" but rather if my budget still will allow me to buy things that actually are more important but not so "sexy" like this nifty tool.
 
Cheers,
Markus
 
P.S.
Now, 57 minutes later: door bell rang, it's here!

My Byrnes saw arrived today.  Early Christmas!

May I ask why you only rarely use it? Although I am very happy with the use and results of my sharpening equipment (water stones, diamond plates, guides, truing plates - for that money I almost could have bought the Tormek! LOL) I still would like to know more about the strong and weak points of this WS3000 machine (after all, it "only" costs about the price of another two very nice waterstones or diamond plates, haha).

To me is a bit cumbersome to use. I get better results using my grinder and diamond stones. Somebody else may have different results.

I have had a few people asking about the thickness sander I made a couple of years ago, so I thought I would put up a few photos and details to help others if they want to make their own. I spent quite a bit of time searching the net and looking at different sizes and types and this is what i came up with. It has had a couple of changes since it was first built.
The idea was to fit half a standard sheet of sandpaper around the drum and to take up to 100mm wide board by 50mm thick. I haven't used anything that size through it, mostly the timber for my Triton build.
 

 
The shaft that goes through the centre is 10mm, only because I had a short length that size handy and it had a couple of bearings that fitted on nicely.
 
The wood used for the drum was 20mm thick and the circles were cut with a hole saw. I drilled about 1/3 of the way through, turned the board over and drilled the same from the other side. Changed drill bits and enlarged centre hole to 10mm to fit onto the shaft, then finished cutting through with the hole saw bit. By doing this it was easier to hold the block than trying to drill the centre once the circles had been cut out.
 

 
The shaft then had four holes drilled through. These were measured and marked when I had the circles cut so they were the right distance from each other. One hole at each end for the split pin to hold the shaft in place and a hole at where the last join between the blocks would be. The short threaded end in the photo was cut off before the sander was put together.
 

 

 
Blocks were then glued in place. Each of the end blocks have a small notch cut into them to fit a pin or in this case a nail with its head cut off through the shaft. This is put in to prevent the wood breaking of the shaft and spinning freely. Epoxy glue was used to fix everything in place then clamped and left to dry overnight.
 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

The box was then built to enclose the sanding drum from melamine and particle board. I made this with about 5mm wider than the length on the drum, the sides are 150mm square. 10mm holes were drilled through both sides to fit the shaft.Then I widened the outside holes to 18mm wide to a depth of 8mm so the bearings were held in place without any movement. I made the holes so they would need a light tap with a hammer to get them in place, and there is asolutley no wobble in the shaft. A square washer was fixed over the bearing both to keep it in place and to keep dust out. There is less than 0.5mm gap around the shaft.
 

 

 
At this stage I then had a height to work with so I could make the stand for the drill to fit in place. The two vee shaped uprights had been cut to fit the drill into were fixed in place so the drill chuck fits perfectly over the shaft. The smaller piece at the back of the drill is screwed in place to stop the drill slipping backwards, but can be removed to get the drill out if needed.
 

 
Melamine was used as the table as it is flat and slides easily. The size was as wide as I could get in and as long as the base board. From memory it is 450mm long. Two hinges fix this in place to the front of the base. A length of timer is fixed under the back with a nut epoxied in place and an eye bolt is used to set the height. 1 full turn on the bolt gives 1mm of adjustment. I do sometimes use a couple of lock nuts to keep it all in place when I am sanding a lot of timber to the same thickness so nothing moves.
 

 
Now the drill is in plase and there is a flat area to work from the drum is trued to round. I fixed a fairly coarse length of sandpaper to a flat board and turned on the sander. The table was raised while the sandpaper kept mooving side to side made short work of any lumps and bumps. The photo shows the drum with sandpaper already on it, but this is just to show how it was done. As you can probably tell a lot of these photos have been taken recently.
 

 
The drum then had a groove cut along the length to fit the aluminium strip that holds the sandpaper in place. When this is pushed into the slot it pulls the sandpaper tight. Three screws hold it in place and this is recessed about 2mm below the surface of the drum.
 

 
 
 
 
 

The block on top was added after a month or so of using the sander as by then I was sick of the dust that it blew out. The hole is just the right size to fit the vac hose. With the vacuum attached all the dust is taken away, I don't even need to wear a dust mask while it is operating. The round cap is used to block the hole and also to check the condition of the sandpaper during use without removing the front cover.  Here are a couple of extra pictures showing some of the details.
 

 

 

 

 

 
 

That's absolutely amazing! There's nothing like a sharp pencil.
 
Thanks for sharing the link to that website, Michael!

I can feel with you Boyd.
Three weeks ago I asked myself the same question and my answer was "yes I can live without a Byrnes saw, but I don't want to".
The parcel tracking system says that it should arrive today - the door bell could ring at any moment now.
 
Of course there are other saws that can serve the same purpose, but in the end it comes down to what makes you feel good. My take on this issue is not so much if I probably would not use that saw so often that it would "pay off" but rather if my budget still will allow me to buy things that actually are more important but not so "sexy" like this nifty tool.
 
Cheers,
Markus
 
P.S.
Now, 57 minutes later: door bell rang, it's here!

Whilst still thinking about the carriages, and being unsatisfied with the first attempt, I thought forward to the need for making breeching and other rope for the cannon as well as the anchors. So I decided to make a vertical ropewalk using the basic design shown in Ken’s (BRGreen)  posting (which is now lost unless he re-posts it!).
 
The only differences in my ropewalk were
 
1. using an old 35mm film canister to house the reversing switch;
 
2. keeping the old head of the shaver and screwing it direct to the faceplate so that it would be very easy to pull the shaver off the machine.
 
3. keeping the back of the shaver on and drilling holes for the wires from the power source and to the motor.
 
I soon found out that the fishing swivel I was using was useless, so bought a ball-bearing swivel which improved rope-making considerably. I also found that the weight I had to use was far less than first expected. 10gm seemed to do the trick for the thread I was using.
 
The breeching rope should be 4.25” circumference. This translates to 0.54mm diameter at scale. I achieved this using some old thread of my mothers. However, I have so far only been able to make left-handed thread from the right-handed thread that I have. I know I should be able to unwind the right-handed thread in order to make right-handed rope, but so far I have failed to manage it.
 
Tony

The carriages then had their eyebolts put in. At first I tried to make the eyebolts myself, using 0.4mm copper wire, but the results were too big and too rough. So I resorted to buying a pack of 0.3mm brass etched eyelets after a hint from Dirk/Dubz who did the same. These are really great! All I then had to do was to make the rings – which I did as so many have done, by winding 0.4mm copper wire round a 1mm drill bit, then cutting off the rings using the side-cutting pliers.
 
I used brass blackener, as usual, for all the rings and eyebolts.
 
This now leaves me with the rest of the gun tackle to make and the blocks to hold the ropes. That’s going to take me quite some time as new skills are required!
 
Tony

Echoing earlier comments, I have few regrets in life other than buying cheap tools, and then soon after buying better tools. They make all the difference in the world to your confidence and quality, and I could have saved a lot of money over the years buying once to last a lifetime, rather than thinking I could make do and then replacing....

There are also a number of plans out there if you want to make your own. I know everyone who has one of Alexi's machines loves them, there is a certain amount of satisfaction building your own.
 
Serving is just wrapping a line with other line. This is done to protect the line against chafing. SO for shrouds, the forward most shroud on many ships was served full length. Another area is where the should pairs wrap the mast, this is also served. There are many areas of line that can be served. However, it is your choice whether to serve the line or not. At some scales, it would be difficult to see.

Agreed. I learned my lesson years ago cutting Cocobolo without proper dust and respiratory protection. Now I can't use that wood at all. Luckily the Hardwood store bought back the wood I had not used yet. This was my old house shop so my partner had to actually clean and wipe everything down before I could go back into it. I had become highly allergic to it.
 
So when I was building this shop out I actually had engineers at Penn State Industries  design the dust collection system. You are absolutely correct that too large of ducting with an underpowered motor would not work. There are also losses of suction at every bend and fitting due to friction within the system, so I looked to the professionals to help me with my system. They called my shop the bowling alley because it is long and narrow. 
 
Since the system is fully ducted throughout my shop, I also have drops that are sweeps so I can sweep the dust on the floor into them. I also have 4" flexible hose that connects to rolling sweeps and handheld to assist in cleaning around the benches and under saws where the dust still manages to slip by.
 
Penn Industries was great to work with and their design has worked well. I just installed the Sawstop with their under and overhead dust collection. They claim the high 90's  in collection. I will know once I start cutting the wood for the Eagle but that is a bit out since I am working on the rigging on my Connie now.

Bill, it looks like you have a very reasonable dustcollection setup. Bigger ducting cross section is goos as long as the blower can keep up delivering a high enough airflow speed in the "fat tubes". I don't think that you can have any overkill at all on dust collection. The big problem with dust is that we only really discover protection is not good enough when it is already too late. Those ambient air filters are a great addition, but they can not replace dust collection right at the machine or even better "at the blade".

Interesting on the PVC. I actually have a fine dust filter that filters the air leaving my cyclone to .5 Micron. When I installed my system ( well over 10 years now) I decided to put spiral metal ductwork in. Primarily because of the throughput since it is a larger circumference, but also because it was stronger than standard metal ducting.Outside of the Cyclone, I have Delta air handlers that filter ambient air down to 1 Micron. I have two hanging in the workshop since it is long and narrow. Each is set to change the air in a 20x20' room up to 18 times per hour. 
 
Also, since sanding is one of the worst culprits for dust, I have a 4'x3' sanding table that I can hook into the dust control system that pulls a strong downdraft on the top. So I can place the object I am sanding on the table and the dust is all sucked downward and into the cyclone.
 
My biggest concern with my shop was it is in deep the basement of our house so any dust that escapes would find itself throughout the house. I way overbuild the dust collection system so I could counter that. So far it has worked like a charm.

Moving along slowly with the Quarter Badges. Between "Fully Framed" and Chucks log as well as others I am muddling through it. There has been minor progress on carriages, nothing worth showing, a few bolsters is all, maybe this weekend. I am generally pleased with the direction I am going with the badges, the lower portion needs more shaping and a ball at the bottom. Then I can start on the top.......and do it all over on the starboard side.  feel free to mark up my photos if yo usee something that need addressing.
 

 

 

 

 
Thats all the news thats fit for print today.
Sam
 

Sometime before I did the gunports I noticed a slight situation. The instructions called for the cap rail to be made from three pieces of 2x2mm manzonia laid edge to edge to create a 2x6mm rail. Unfortunately the material they supplied was so mismatched that i really felt that I would not be happy with the result. I ordered some manzonia to make a more traditional scarfed joint cap rail. (I also had to order some boxwood to line the gun ports with since I had kind of screwed up my hull thickness and curve.)
 
Cap rails were formed and installed

 
I built the transom but was not happy with the way the band of mahogany looked laid over the boxwood stern ring. As of right now I have stripped that and am in the process of rebuilding the stern ring. Pictures to follow
 
I have also stated in on the poop rails. I was having problems making the little tiny tennons required for the stanchions out of mahogany by hand, just couldnt keep them consistent. I think with a finer grain wood I could do it. since I am somewhat stuck with mahogany I bought a router base for my dremmel tool, we will see how that works out.
 

 
That is about where I am at the moment. There has been very little progress in the last few weeks cause of work. That should end in the next week or two and I can get back to work.
 
Comments, suggestions and constructive criticism alway welcome.
 
Sam
 
 

Carl,
Yes but I have the last laugh, them Dodgers just took their division!
 
Back to building. 
My Arch Enemy Mr Sciatica has paid me a visit and is interfering with my build time again. Not to mention work, I just spent the last two nights "wading with pirates" in a theme park attraction whose name I am not allowed to mention. 
Since Ole Mr Sciatica wont let me sit for long periods I have put my windows on hold. Instead I have been doing things that can be accomplished while standing.
 
On a positive note I am making progress on my carriages and cannons. I think I am finally getting the hang of this blackening process!
 
I started out soldering the trunnions in and filing them to a constant length. I just used soft solder - they were a press fit and wont be under any stress.
 
After a good going over with a purple scrubby pad and brass brush I cleaned everything up in soap and distilled water with a distilled rinse. Then into the ultra sonic cleaner. My little Harbor Freight cleaner works pretty well but I wish there was a way to run for more than a 3 minute cycle. I ran it for 10 cycles then rinsed in distilled water.
 
After that it was into a 50/50 solution of distilled water and muratic acid. I intended to leave them in for 30 minutes but the Better Half came home and we went to lunch. They ended up being in the acid till the next morning when I woke up and went "Oh NO!!" I ran outside and pulled them out afraid of what I would find. Other than being discolored they were fine.
 

 
A quick dip in a baking soda solution and a final rinse on distilled water, into the blackening solution they went for ten minutes. They looked good while wet but when they dried not so good. The top set are after cleaning but before the second soak.
 

 
I recalled Russ saying he blackens his parts several times so I took 1/2 of them and rubbed them down with a scrubby pad and back in they went for a bout 15 minutes. This second soak was much better so I did the other half.They look pretty good to me, a nice black with a satin sheen.
 

 
 
While all this has been going on I have finished staining the carriages and applied a coat of linseed oil with beeswax. Once that dried for a couple of days I buffed them up and finished drilling for my hardware. I felt they needed some more oil and wax but wasnt sure how to go about that with the hardware glued in. I noodeled on it for a bit and hit on my dremmel with a buffing wheel. I rubbed a bit of oiled with a q-tip and then buffed them on a low speed. It worked so well I am going to go back and re-do my other small parts, I was never really happy with the sheen, they just do not match the hull.
I still have to make cap squares as well as finish cleaning up the trucks and get some stain on them.  then I can start rigging these things. 
I think next build I will opt for lighter colored wood, all my hard work kind of disappears into the darker mahogany.
 

 
I am getting there, slowly!
 

Hi Mike,
 
I don't have the Proxxon bandsaw, but I have reduced noise on quite a few machines (computers, drill press, cheap scroll saw, and some others) by gluing cardboard sheets (as big as possible) to the inside of the housing or housing parts that act as a resonator. You need the dense variety of cardboard, and it should be thick or you can use two layers if possible. The additional mass of the cardboard is important because it reduces the "vibrational mobility" of the resonator. I normally use epoxy glue on metal and plastic parts. Of course it is also important that the saw's door is firmly closed, without any play. Reading your post you apparently already have hunted down the latter issue, but maybe you still can improve on that one.
 
Cheers,
Markus

Not sure where you are from but there is a large variety of maple here in the U.S. midwestern states. Maple is always included in the list of hardwoods. Good for furniture, cabinetry, and paneled doors. Silver Maple here is a very soft white wood, as trees were used extensively to line neighborhood streets in the 50's through the 70's because it grows relatively fast and provides alot of shade.
When I start my POF project, I will be using Maple. I love to work with it.
 
Sincere Regards,
 
Bill

I usually raid under the Christmas Tree at about 2am on Christmas morning. Not able to resist playing with any new toys that come my way Kevin. In the case of a new saw, I would probably test it by cutting the handle off the Admiral's broom or something equally inappropriate. Your restraint is admirable.