nobotch

Cheers Mike. I don't know if it makes a difference, but I always have used plain cardboard, not corrugated. However, I'm glad you could achieve some noise reduction with the cardboard fix. I see that you damped the aluminium(?) housing, which certainly is not wrong (I guess you did the same with the door which I believe is made of some kind of plasic).
 
- Markus

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

Maybe the following is more useful for most of you than precision measurments on a precision saw.
Of course, it is not confined to the Byrnes saw, hence a bit off-topic.
 
I usuallyy cut such tiny pieces using a chisel (a mirror sheen on its flat side makes cutting 90° and 45° angles really easy).
But when the Byrnes saw is already on the bench and in use it is very tempting doing such cuts with the new toy...
 
Hence, using "hinged chopsticks" instead of chopping off a fingertip may be a good idea (you may want to click on the pictures to enlarge).
Or simply use a chisel.
 
Cheers,
Markus

Markus, followed your advice. Thanks!
 
Before:

 
After: 

 
It is 2-3 layers of a thick corrugated fibreboard, glued with a thick double sided sticky tape.
Plus some foam-style packaging material between the case and wheel mounts.
 
It does make a difference. It is not dramatically silent, but definitely less noisy then before. The method is very cheap and has no drawbacks, so why not
To make it really silent I am probably need to make it from a massive wood piece. But that is an overkill. At least now I can use the bandsaw without worrying about my neighbours

I couldn't agree more. A friend of mine had a near miss using his accu drill.
 
This, and the fact that it bothered me to always had to make two or three steps to grab my goggles when working with another tool were the driving factors for me to do a relatively cheap but very effective upgrade: every stationary powertool has now "its own" goggles, strategically placed in a way that I can't use the tool without moving the goggles "out of the way - onto my nose".
 
I got used to this system very quickly and shed live is now much easier (and a fair bit safer). When using an electric hand drill or a hand powered handdrill with very thin drill bits I reach for the goggles of the next powertool and put them back to their place when done.

I couldn't agree more. A friend of mine had a near miss using his accu drill.
 
This, and the fact that it bothered me to always had to make two or three steps to grab my goggles when working with another tool were the driving factors for me to do a relatively cheap but very effective upgrade: every stationary powertool has now "its own" goggles, strategically placed in a way that I can't use the tool without moving the goggles "out of the way - onto my nose".
 
I got used to this system very quickly and shed live is now much easier (and a fair bit safer). When using an electric hand drill or a hand powered handdrill with very thin drill bits I reach for the goggles of the next powertool and put them back to their place when done.

I hook up a self built cyclone separator between the dust/chip prodiuction site and the vacuum. This saves me dust bags (none at all needed) and keeps fine dust filters (if present) from clogging up too quickly.
 
I built my cyclone according to the scaleable plans of Bill Pentz's model (for those interested in building one: it helps a lot to read Bill's build-instructions on his website here and here).  Its geometry is well calculated and the cyclone is very effective. But there are also simpler models of separators (less effective, let more fine particles through to the filter), like for example the Thien baffle Matthias Wandel shows here.
 
I took this picture of my cyclone a few years ago. Now the cyclone and the shop vac sit on a plywood board with 4 small swiveling wheels

Maple wins on all accounts. 

I hook up a self built cyclone separator between the dust/chip prodiuction site and the vacuum. This saves me dust bags (none at all needed) and keeps fine dust filters (if present) from clogging up too quickly.
 
I built my cyclone according to the scaleable plans of Bill Pentz's model (for those interested in building one: it helps a lot to read Bill's build-instructions on his website here and here).  Its geometry is well calculated and the cyclone is very effective. But there are also simpler models of separators (less effective, let more fine particles through to the filter), like for example the Thien baffle Matthias Wandel shows here.
 
I took this picture of my cyclone a few years ago. Now the cyclone and the shop vac sit on a plywood board with 4 small swiveling wheels

I couldn't agree more. A friend of mine had a near miss using his accu drill.
 
This, and the fact that it bothered me to always had to make two or three steps to grab my goggles when working with another tool were the driving factors for me to do a relatively cheap but very effective upgrade: every stationary powertool has now "its own" goggles, strategically placed in a way that I can't use the tool without moving the goggles "out of the way - onto my nose".
 
I got used to this system very quickly and shed live is now much easier (and a fair bit safer). When using an electric hand drill or a hand powered handdrill with very thin drill bits I reach for the goggles of the next powertool and put them back to their place when done.

Safety Glasses is a big item that shouldn't be overlooked, but it seems most of us do. I been lucky over the years but no one is ever going to be lucky all the time, without your eyes you can't build.

Like robnbill I also have a woodworking shop. A Sawstop is next on my list. It is an exceptionally well made saw and cost about the same as a comparable cabinet saw. Contrary to popular belief, the saw does not have to be rebuilt if the cartridge is activated. One other point to remember is to avoid ripping short pieces. I do my jointing, planing, and ripping before crosscutting to length. As several other members said...trust your gut. If you feel uneasy about a proceedure, find an alternative method.
 
Dave

A piece of safety equipment that I haven't seen mentioned is "hearing protection"; Table saws and similar machines are very noisy and can damage your hearing over time. Safety glasses whether they are goggles, side shields or prescription safety glasses are also very important.

I have found the following charts quite useful over the years and so thought I'd share them
 
below are links to three charts
 
DRILL SIZES
http://www.accuratebushing.com/pdf/ENG-FractionalChart.pdf
 
AWG (WIRE GAUGE) SIZES
http://www.calmont.com/pdf/calmont-eng-wire-gauge.pdf
 
STEEL WIRE & SHEET METAL GAUGE SIZES
http://www.mesteel.com/cgi-bin/w3-msql/goto.htm?url=/info/carbon/thickness.htm

Hi Michael, Here is Mk1 of the jig. I didn't get around to making the specialized clamp around the table yet, and used a regular clamp temporarily to see how it would work. It is great. The micro-adjuster allowed me to sneak up on a perfect measure, and it was very fast and efficient to cut, move the fence and wood, cut again. It is safer, and the saw cuts more cleanly, making those small cuts on the left side of the sawblade rather than tight up against the fence. The nylon screw is gentle on the edge of the wood, and acts as a featherboard of sorts for holding the wood against the fence.
 
My original drawing shows the clamp a little out of proportion to the actual table top. There is actually less overhang, and so less area for the clamp to grip. I am not sure how sturdy this original idea will be. I'll work on it another time...
 
Thanks again for the elegant idea of the rod rather than the sliding wood stop.
 
Mark
 

A basis rule of safety when handling a table saw, mill, lathe etc.  Do not wear gloves or a ring. No loose sleeved shirts.  These tools can be dangerous. when you do not follow the rules and common sense.
David B

I have a fairly complete woodshop. One tool that has been in the shop for well over 20 years was a 10" Ryobi Table Saw. Recently I have been retooling getting ready for my next build which will be a scratch verison of the Brig Eagle. As a result I was left with either buying extensive parts to retune the old table saw or buy a new one. Looking at table saw reviews, I was drawn to the Sawstop saw. Not only was it a well made 10" table saw, but it also contained the safety stop.
 
I have been working with table saws all of my life yet it still is the machine I feel has the largest risk in my shop. I ALWAYS watch what and how I do around the saw yet I still have had my share of kickbacks and other near misses over the years. Anything I can do to make the saw safer is desirable. Having a saw that operates smoothly and accurately is paramount, but adding the safety of the blade stop makes this, for me, a no brainer.
 
As others have mentioned, there are many videos on YouTube of how the saw works and how quickly it reacts.
 
When a finger touches the blade, while under operation, a spring sends the aluminum block flying into the blade. This reacts quicker than your car's airbag. This stops the blades spinning and uses the spin of the blade to withdraw the blade below the table level. The blade makes a fraction of a revolution before it is over and the blade safely out of the way. There is actually a You Tube demonstration where a user slung a sausage into the blade quickly like a hand would in a kickback. The sausage was cut, but just barely. Certainly if it had been a real hand it would have saved the digits.
 
If the Sawstop is tripped it is an easy 5 minute replacement of the stop cartridge and a new blade. Woodcraft, where I bought the saw, said given the stress the stop puts on a blade, they would not recommend repairing the blades for reuse, which is theoretically possible. 
 
The saw itself is very solid, well made, and still has the normal cabinet saw safety featured such as the riving knife, and a normal blade protector, and efficient dust control system for both below and above the blade.  It comes with zero inserts and operates smoothly enough that it should allow very thin cuts to be done safely.
 
All of this in itself does not take the place of being extremely vigilant in using a table saw. However, this does greatly increase the likelihood that should an accident occur, it will be mitigated as much as possible. All of that said, the saw is still being put together in my shop but I am looking forward to working with it and reporting back.

Dremel Router table and all  tools together.
Thank you for your filoxenia M.S.W.
 
Gregory

Table saw and micro drill press. To be continued....

Hello everybody.
New start, new tools (OK, not all new), I hope you like them.
Thanks
 
Gregory
 
Spray both, plank forming jig, disc sander and paint mixer for start.........

I use a 9H lead in a mechanical pencil, sharpened every other time I use it. The finer the line the more precise the work. The best is to scribe lines with an exacto knife, or a marking knife used to mark out dovetails in full size construction. A scribed line lets you register a chisel precisely on the line for really precise work.
 
Mark

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

Markus I like the chopsticks device. however I would use a sled rather than the mitre gauge. I realize that you are using a very small saw. and understand the waste issue with regard to production methods. I find that sometimes we follow along a line of thinking that boxes us in, I have done this many times where because I have used a particular tool or method, I seem to be locked into that tool or method and attempt to do the next job or task using it instead of thinking about what the big picture actually requires.
 
As you pointed out using the chisel with the mirrored surface give a perfectly clean 90 degree cut exactly illustrates what I am saying.
 
I am fortunate to have a large number of good tools that I have acquired over many years, and like yourself they are used for much more than model ship building. It has been my personal preference to use larger tools that are capable of cutting small sizes to good tolerances that to attempt to use small tools that are pushed to their limit cutting large stock.
 
All that said I am enjoying seeing your innovative attachments and ideas for this very high quality small machine. 
 
Michael

Hi Stefon,
 
Good question!
The maximum distance between the blade and the rip fence is about 97 mm (with no micrometer mounted).
If this is not enough for your purposes you can ask Jim to make you one with a broader table to your specifications, for example like this one the amazing and charming team of Beatty Robotics uses.
 
 
Cheers,
Markus

Maybe the following is more useful for most of you than precision measurments on a precision saw.
Of course, it is not confined to the Byrnes saw, hence a bit off-topic.
 
I usuallyy cut such tiny pieces using a chisel (a mirror sheen on its flat side makes cutting 90° and 45° angles really easy).
But when the Byrnes saw is already on the bench and in use it is very tempting doing such cuts with the new toy...
 
Hence, using "hinged chopsticks" instead of chopping off a fingertip may be a good idea (you may want to click on the pictures to enlarge).
Or simply use a chisel.
 
Cheers,
Markus