Working Levels, various benches

   In my shop there are basically four levels of work station.  The lowest of the levels is my new saw bench (21 inches) and my old "Box".  The Box was build a years ago as multi-use item.  The Box is 9 1/2 x 16 x 19, I made the box to stand upon while working in the basement.  I also made the box tight enough to use as a dust collector, there is a vacuum port in one side and many holes drilled in the top.  The Box very nearly matches the height of the saw bench to support longer boards when I am cutting.  

   I made the saw bench two weeks ago and have used it several times, when I have a small job and don't feel like all the noise and dust.  

dust collection port, fits my big shop vacuum

holes in the top of the Box

  The second level of work space is my heavy duty work table (34 inches).  I have talked about it before, it is on locking casters, very heavy and equipped with a vise and clamping points for KREG Clamps 

   The next work space is my KREG Clamping table, ( 36 inches)  I have raised the table to its full height and put storage underneath.  The Klamp table is used for assembly of small work and painting.  I covered the top of the clamp table with 3/8 plywood to protect the top from stains and glue.

    The tallest work space is my carving bench.  I added this second section to my small bench recently to raise it to 44 inches.   I find that I have less back pain when I stand up very straight as I work at a bench or my desk. 

    I keep my Dremel tool on the corner of the bench and reach for it often, there is also a small clamp-on vise that fits on this bench. Raising the bench to this height allows me to get close to my carving and work longer without back pain. 

  It has been almost one year since I was felled by a herniated disk in my lower back and I have been doing everything I can think of to make my work space 'back' friendly.  Having various levels upon which to work and being flexible about how long I work has enabled me to keep making sawdust, which makes me a happy guy.

cheers, ianw

Tray Molds

  I have a friend that is a potter. and the other day she asked me to make her a couple of moulds for making trays.  Generally pottery is thrown on a wheel, ( a mud lathe?!) but another way to shape the clay is moulding it and wood makes the best moulds, I was told.  

mould with the mud on it

8 x 16 mould

square mould 8 x 8

  Making these moulds is not high art and it was nice to find purpose for some of the bits of wood that are still laying around in piles.  This imagining oneself as the most primitive of pattern makers. One day I will have to buy more wood, but 'not today'. 

   Making the moulds was an exercise in 45 degree angles.  A sliding mitre saw makes short work of a project like this.  I bought my 'slider' quite a few years ago and have been working it hard. Bosch has continued to develop their saws, and I would certainly look to Bosch for my next saw too.

My only complaint with this saw is the dust.  It maybe the biggest mess maker in my shop, it is almost a messy as a lathe.

  After I made the two moulds I got a brain wave.  What about an eight sided mould?  And, why not just make inserts that fit inside the square mould?

  

   Why not?  Because you end up having to cut a whole bunch of 45 degree angles on very small pieces.  If anyone decides that they want to try something like this I suggest you make a larger mould so that you have bigger pieces with which to work. Since some of the pieces were too small for me to cut on the sliding mitre saw I used hand tools to cut the angles, even at that  the pieces were so small that they were very hard to hold on to while cutting.

  If you were to make a dedicated 8 sides mould it would be like cutting crown moulding for a tiny, tiny room.  If my friend is interested I would give it a try.

cheers,