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…