Begin With the End in Mind

And ... so starts the actual construction of the disc sander.  As I start, I am reminded of something I learned clear back in the days when I did “Face to Face” training for Payless Cashways.  One of the earliest things my boss taught was to “Begin with the end in mind.”  This has always served me well in the business world and, as I think about it now, my most successful shop projects typically hold to this maxim as well.  To this, I re-read the plans just before starting the project so I could visualize the assembly as well as exactly how things would work when I put the sander to use.  And with that, I dove in.

The base of the project is just a tall narrow box with several interior blocks adding stability for the moving parts once the project is complete.  This is attached to a very heavy base which adds more strength and stability.  I did make one change to this part of the plan.  The plan called for rubber feet to keep the unit from moving around, but I have had more than one shop where the floors were uneven, so I added leveling feet (the kind you find on a washing machine) in threaded inserts so they are fully adjustable.   A wobbly piece of equipment is worse than a table at the restaurant which keeps moving around on you.

Construction technique is relatively straight forward.  The interior blocks are attached in dados on all sides of the box to give strength. Two of the sides have rabbets along their length for the adjoining sides to sit in, again for strength and support.  Many times the sign of a good project that lasts the test of time is that a majority of parts are installed in so they can’t move.

There are a couple of tricky parts to this section and I just want to talk for a minute about them.  The first is the use of brass threaded inserts.  These amazing pieces of hardware actually thread into wood and then provide threads to receive other threaded items.  They come with a slot in them, which implies you could drive them in with a screwdriver, but don’t get sucked in by that.  I've read many discussions about these going in crooked and ruining the insert as well as the wood.  To avert any problems, insert a bolt in the threaded insert first, and then drive with a socket or a wrench.  You will be much happier with the installation.  Plus, at $2.20 per piece, these things are a little pricey, and I didn't want to screw any of those up.

The other challenge in this part of the construction is the pivot blocks which require a 4-1/2” hole in all of them and a curved ½” slot in a couple.  The instructions did a great job of showing how to cut the slot using a router and auxiliary base with a straightforward setup.  The biggest thing to remember is to cut the slot first since the needed center point will be removed when drilling the large hole.  As for the hole, there are probably other ways to do it, but I cut them with a large hole cutter on the drill press.  From a safety standpoint, you need to remember that this is a LOT of spinning steel and a lot of force, so take time and figure out how to clamp the thing down.  I created a jig to hold the pieces one at a time in perfect alignment to allow drilling the hole.

If you are building this project while reading my thoughts, the base column is finished and you’re ready to build the head of the unit.  This is where all of the action really takes place, and it is time to ensure all of the hardware is purchased.  And don’t forget, when you have the end in mind, know your instructions and can see each of the pieces and how they work together, you will be able to make better decisions about the items you purchase.  I found really good alternatives for the aluminum knobs at Menards for less than half the price of those suggested in the article.

As this article finishes, I have some final assembly to do on the base.  The joy however continues.  This project is going together very well.  Will I save a lot of money by building rather than buying this piece? No, I won’t.  But, how cool to have a piece of stationary power equipment in my shop that I built myself!

Maybe that was the “end” I had in mind when I began.

Accuracy and Joy

Well, I started building my Multi-purpose Disc Sander last weekend, and the joy and excitement I shared with you concerning the journey of the idea has continued into working on the project.

I've shared some of the things I have done in the shop, from layout to tools, but other things I have just done as a matter of course.  One of the ongoing processes has been to check and match the accuracy of all of my shop equipment so when I cut something on one machine; it accurately matches work done on another.  This is basic “blocking and tackling” in a commercial operation, but I think those of us in the hobbyist ranks don’t often take time to do this. It is one of the most important things you can spend time on in order to produce items quickly, efficiently and accurately.

Another woodworker once told me the most enjoyable part of any project for him was doing the rough cutting of all of the parts for a project.  The only true rough cut I do is to cut initial strips from a 4x8 sheet of whatever type of panel goods I use.  In the case of the Disc Sander, I’m using MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard).  After the initial cutting of strips, every other cut I make is a finish cut to the final size of the needed part.  Because I use tools such as Turbo-Cad and Cut List I know these parts will go together flawlessly to produce the results that I want.  As I finished cutting parts on the first day of this project, I knew I had created a pile of parts that over the next few weeks would go together without issue to create my end product.  I won’t need to fine tune and fiddle with every part to get them to fit right.

In the process of turning a big piece of MDF into many small pieces of MDF, there were also a couple of other things I learned, or maybe relearned.  First, the product cuts and mills beautifully.  There is no grain to cause any type of deviation or movement of blade or bit. All holes and cuts are very crisp.  This is the good news.  The bad news is that the amount of fine dust created from working with MDF is absolutely amazing.  For those of us with some type of rudimentary dust collection system, MDF is overwhelming and leaves you with a larger than normal mess to clean up.  If I balancing the pros and the cons for this type of project I think it is overall a win, though.  I get a durable and heavy end product which will accept paint like a dream and will serve me well as a stationary machine.

On another topic, I learned something AGAIN last week.  Always search for all any possible sourcing you might have at your disposal. My drill index has been missing several sizes for a long time now.  Every time I looked into replacing those individual bits at Lowes, Home Depot, or Ace, the price scared me into not making a decision.  Last week, I finally made a list and brought it into work and ended up buying everything I needed for about the price of 1 or 2 bits in any of the large box stores.  I continue to learn to look at places that handle large quantities of what I need.  Look to Amazon.com (my “go to” shopping location), but also places like Grainger, McMaster-Carr, or other industrial supply houses like DMB Supply.  These companies handle industrial products daily, not as accessories for hobbyists who need to purchase them once or twice in a lifetime.  A little investigation might save a lot of money and build new supply relationships.

Just thoughts for the day.  Construction starts next…

The Long and Winding Journey

I told you a couple of weeks ago I would begin a new project at the Toybox and that I wanted to share the process with you. That starts today and I hope that it will only take a month or so. It seems important, though, for me to talk about the journey the idea has taken to get to this point. I am sure all of you who are woodworkers or hobbyists could recount stories where you faced the same thing.

This project first presented itself in November of 2007 in Issue #96 of ShopNotes. If you haven’t subscribed to this publication, I would recommend checking it out. It has good articles and tips in an easily understood format. On page sixteen of the issue, I read an article about building a multi-purpose disk sander. It was a thing of beauty. I remember being transported back to the day when reading the Sears Roebuck catalog offered all the possibilities in the universe. That’s how I felt when I read the article about this project. This item would change my shop and give me capabilities I only dreamed of, AND I could build it myself.

I couldn't wait to get started on this project in 2007. The first thing I needed was to understand how I would cut the pieces out and what materials would cost. I took the cutting list from the article and loaded it into a software package I use called Cutlist, a fantastic tool to decide how to minimize waste and make correct cuts first. So, I got that work finished and saved, and the project stalled. My world, with all of its requirements, stepped in and other things were more important.

Now, I kept thinking and dreaming about this project. In January of 2010, when I started working on the Toybox in earnest, it was one of the first projects that came to mind. I remember sitting at my computer and pulling up the Cutlist document thinking it would be really easy. The tough part - in the move to Des Moines, I had packed away the prized Issue 96, and I couldn't find it. You might ask why I didn't just go to the Internet and download a copy, or order a back issue from the publisher? Truthfully, I am a bit of a cheapskate (use whatever phrase you are comfortable with). I couldn't spend good money for something I knew I already owned. So started one of the most intense scavenger hunts of my life. I continued to open boxes from the move, hoping that I would find Issue 96.

Finally, about a year ago, I opened a box to find several ShopNotes, and lo and behold, Issue 96 was included. I was moved to actually let out a little yelp of joy. This wasn't the end of the journey though, there were two more stops for Issue 96. The first happened when I read the article again and put it on the coffee table, only to have the rest of the items on the table swallow it for a few months. Then, when I finally got the magazine to the Toybox, I put it in a safe place and forgot where that safe place was.

But now I have Issue 96 in place at the Toybox ready to get to work building a multi-purpose disk sander. This Saturday morning I will buy a sheet of ¾” MDF, and begin turning one big piece of material into several small pieces. I will start ordering the accessories so I have them when I need them. I am sure to get harassed at home a bit when all of the Amazon boxes begin showing up, but let’s be real…I have waited to start on this project for more than 5 years.

It is time. I hope you enjoy the project with me.