Day One With A Jig Saw

  I've always said that the jig saw was a versatile  tool for a small shop with limited tools.  The band saw is quicker and maybe more user friendly than the jig saw but space and expense are issue. 

  In my shop today I am making a couple of bean bag boards for Saturday's out door celebration..

   I 

  To cut the hole in the board I drilled a hole and then used my Jig Saw to cut the 5 inch hole.  Kieran is here for the week and was helping me in the shop this morning was  first time he saw a jig saw in action. I cut the boards for the party.   

    I showed K how the saw worked and  encouraged him to make some practise cuts to get used to the noise and vibration.  After he got comfortable with the saw,

  he cut out initials.   The 'c' contained his first curved cuts. Since the letters are cut from scrap they needed lots of sanding.  This morning was also his first time working with a random orbital sander.   Those two tools will open up a world of possible projects he can do with limited supervision. 

  Notably, with my grandson using a sander I insisted that he wear a dust mask, he put on his safety glasses without prompting.  I began wood working before woodworkers regularly wore dust masks and safety glasses, so I don't automatically outfit myself in safety gear.  I have no doubt that years of fine wood dust has not done my lungs any good.  I am trying to remember masks, aprons and gloves when I begin work all the time now. I want to be able to work for years to come with my grand children.

  Our current challenge  project is making a sail boat that can be made into a remote controlled unit.

Footy - Bobalong

  These are the plans for a Footy - Bobalong. Footy is the twelve inch class of R.C. boats.  The first challenge we faced was my lack of computer skills, meaning the plans printed about 2 1/2 times too small.  I had  to 'loft' the plans to life size.

  

  I drew out the plans,  then glued the drawings to foam board and cut out the patterns for the bottom, two sides and deck.

  The compound curves of the little boat are much more complex that I had imaged when we embarked on the project.  Thus far we have the transom glued to the bottom and have experimented with taping the sides to the bottom, with limited success.  This is my first real boat, there are skills unique to this type of project I had not anticipated. 

  I am having serious doubts about successfully attaching the sides.  This may not be a project for a nine year old and a first time builder.

  Lastly I thought I would add a photo of my vise jaws.

   The rubber jaws that were on my vise protected things from being crushed but did not expend above the the jaws.  I have been using the vise to hold my carving projects and decided that wooden jaws would hold the work and protect my edges tools, chisels, draw knives etc. 

  Anyway, there are several projects in the works, a couple drying and who knows what brain wave will happen tomorrow.  As long as my back holds out, life with grandchildren is good.

cheers, ianw