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.

The Wave

When you read the two words in the title, it’s likely the first thing you think of is a stadium filled with people, rhythmically rising and falling, causing a wave of hands around the stadium.  But, that’s not what I am talking about here at all.  I am talking about the classic rural Iowa wave, two fingers raised over the steering wheel as you meet oncoming traffic.

The phenomenon is amazing.  When you get off the Interstate and onto county roads throughout the state, you see this.  And part of the amazement is that when you put those of us who were born and raised here back in our own territory, it starts to happen without you even thinking about it.  My kids laugh at me because we no more than cross the county line into Keokuk County and I reposition my hands so I am able to raise two fingers to oncoming vehicles.  I never really thought about it until a week or so ago, when a person I respect talked at Rotary about going home to Creston and that the minute he gets close, he starts waving at people.

I spent time wondering where this began, and quickly gave up on that.  It is obviously a colloquialism that probably has been around as long as people were meeting on the road driving teams of horses.  But when I really started mulling it over, my question became more about why than when.  As I have thought about it and replayed the action in my mind, I think I have it figured out.  When any of us do the wave, what we are really saying is that although I may not know the person I’m waving at, I am in a small enough geographical area that I probably know someone who knows them.  This may sound a little crazy to those of you from other areas, but that is really the way we think about it.  A cousin and I look a lot alike and I remember years ago being chastised by that cousin for not waving at a friend of his who’d met me on the road. I didn’t wave because it was not someone that I knew, but we are a waving group.

My hometown refers to itself as “Just Naturally Friendlier,” but I really think this holds true for much of Iowa. Just like stories you hear of people at Starbucks who begin a chain of paying it forward by purchasing coffee for the person behind them, waving at strangers has a tendency to brighten a day.  You realize that someone took the time to wave at you and then your mind goes through the exercise of who they are or how you might know them.  More than likely there is some biological response our system has for this which helps us feel a little better about our day.

Now, with all that said, my encouragement for you is to take the time and the chance to wave at someone.  Not that special wave which happens when one driver cuts another off in traffic, but a friendly wave that tells others to enjoy the day.  People might look at you funny, but if enough of us do it long enough, we could make a difference.  Remember the parable about the mustard seed and plant a wave today.

Fragility

The world has really pointed out how fragile we are as human beings these last few weeks.  My mother-in-law spent several days in the hospital because she was dehydrated.  Think about that.  Hospitalized because she was low on water. What is so amazing to me is that this happened while she lives in a facility where she should be cared for by qualified personnel.  I attended a funeral yesterday for the wife of a friend of mine from Rotary.  Chemotherapy drugs damaged her system so badly it was run over by normal bacteria living in our bodies.  As my sister said, medicine has reached a point where chemotherapy is so good we forget the knife-edge that people walk who are going through.  Amen sister.

Then I was talking to someone about how many people turn one hundred years old each day.  I’m not sure if this is correct or not, but I was told that Al Roker from Good Morning America had been forced to quit announcing those celebrations because we had reached a point where there were just too many of them.  Isn’t that a fascinating dichotomy?  There are more people turning one hundred than ever before, but the very medicine that helps people to get there can be the most deadly thing anyone ever faces.  Wow.

So, what does this have to do with the Toybox? Or woodworking? 

Several years ago, I used the following quote to end my Christmas letter, “The purpose of life’s journey is not to arrive at the grave with a well-preserved body, but rather to slide in sideways, completely used up, yelling and screaming, wow-what a ride!”-Author Unknown. 

This is what woodworking and spending time at the Toybox do for me.  This has been a long and not overly uplifting week and I said to someone this morning that I needed to re-boot, to take some time and get back to a better place and be ready for next week.   Woodworking helps me re-boot, and fight the fragility that comes on over time.

I have to find a way to shed things that happen to me throughout any given week and prepare for the next one.  Those times in my life when I didn’t have a shop were the times I felt the most fragile, like there was no reserve for me to reach down into and find the strength to do it all over again.  Years ago, when I was deciding what to do with my life, I considered two options: teaching Industrial Arts or going to business school. A very wise person counseled me to leave something I loved for my life outside of work.  This has been tremendous advice as woodworking/working in the shop has always given me an anchor to help steady the course in turbulent times.

It is my sincere hope that you have something have something like this in your life and that you recognize it for what it is.  Life is fragile and fleeting and having an activity that helps us handle it is important.  For those of you who are woodworkers, share your projects, successes, and failures here so we can join in your excitement.  On the other hand, if your passion is cooking, find a woodworker and you will probably find someone who appreciates your creations.  If you can’t, give me a call, I will help.  If you have other hobbies or activities that will send you sliding in sideways, share those here as well. I look forward to sharing the ride with you!

OK, something kind of exciting.  In two weeks I am going to begin creating a tool that I will use in the shop.  I have never taken on a project like this and can’t wait to get started and share the process with you. Check back with me then for pictures and progress. 

Anticipation

There has been a whirlwind of emotions around the Toybox over the last few days.  It struck me that this isn’t unusual in woodworking, or anything else which holds our passions.  We hope that same type of passionate emotion is found in work.  Anticipation has been the prevailing emotion, though, this week,   most notably with the addition of a new member to the Toybox family. 

I am the proud new papa of a Puma 60 gallon 3HP vertical air compressor.  Oh goodness, the joy. 

You may ask, why do I need so much air compressor as a simple woodworker?  It’s an easy answer - Anticipation.  I bought my first air compressor when I was 13 years old.  I have no memory of what brand it was but it was red and was a small horizontal model.  Even then, I had dreams of the day I would have a shop where I could plug in air just like I plug in electrical items. 

Anticipation.  I rebuilt that first compressor when the tank rusted out and then years later I bought a new Bostitch pancake compressor and retired old “Red” to a used tool sale my church was having.  Still, I anticipated the day I would be able to have lots of compressed air in my shop.  Last night about 9:00 when Andrew and I were pulling it off the truck, I realized that I was closer than ever before.  But, I’m not fully there yet.  Anticipation continues to hold my attention as I look forward to the moment  it is all plumbed and I can turn it on for the first time.

Part of the joy of woodworking is the anticipation.  The process of getting a new piece of equipment has been wonderful, but even more important is working to plan a project, get materials together, and watch as it moves toward completion. 

I have been working on a little step stool for my daughter.  It isn’t a big project … just something she can use to step up and get things off the high shelves in her dorm room.  But the great part of this project is that while I am working on that step for her, I think about her.  I think about how she will use the stool when I finish it and I wonder if she will think about her dad when she puts her foot up on it.  I wonder if it will be one of those things that moves forward through her life and if a day will come when Meg’s kids ask her where the little stool they use to get cereal out of the cabinet came from. Will it be repainted, modernized, or repaired.  How long will it be part of the ongoing fabric of time?

As many of you know, I have plans to drive the Toybox to a point when at least part of our total income is derived from work I do out there, but I know it will never be a production shop.  It is too important for me to know the person or family I am making something for, because it drives the anticipation of what they will think about it.  After I complete a project, I ask repeatedly how the piece is working and if there are changes that could be made to it.  It is all just part of the creation process for me.

I wonder if the process of creating things in other areas is the same.  Does a quilt maker have the same connection to the person who will use their quilt?  How about a painter? Does an author think about the people who will read the book? What is the level of anticipation for those who create as the complete a project and deliver it to the world?

This might be something magical that comes as part of the woodworking experience. I anticipate a connection that grows as we discuss things you need me to build. Creativity that flows back and forth from the creator to the end user allows each of us to know each other more completely. 

What do you anticipate as you create?

Failing Fast

I participate in a monthly roundtable with a group of executives from other industries. We meet once a month and typically one of the members presents a current problem they face. The group spends time helping them dig deeply into the issue and almost always offers solutions which had yet to surface.  The exercise is always enjoyable and offers an opportunity to stretch mental muscles in ways that aren’t possible in our daily activities.

This week our meeting was a little different.  A guest speaker spoke on innovation. Following his presentation, the members of the group talked about our own past innovation as well as that which we are currently involved in, and when we thought it might finally affect our daily lives.  This was really interesting for me on an introspective basis. I had to admit my life’s work hasn’t been as much about innovation as it has been about seeing how things are done in one environment and figuring out how to remold those processes to work elsewhere.  I often say that if you can find a really good idea and print it on your letterhead, it becomes yours.  As I look back over my career, that is one thing I excelled at as a District Manager - recognizing the strength in one location and seeding the knowledge to the rest of the organization.  I always figured I was “spreading the wealth” but I guess that some might consider that quite innovative.

In November 2011, I posted a blog entitled, “Tripod.”  I wrote about a person I met on a trip to China and the tripod he used to determine if the possibility of having fun when in his endeavors.  I feel fortunate to say he has become a friend and I continue to learn from him regularly.  What he has taught me in combination with my roundtable introspection is the concept of “failing fast.”  If you are attempting to penetrate a new market, open a new business, or really get anything done; you should charge forward so that in the event something goes wrong, you have time to try again before anyone else has an opportunity to try the first time.  This is a really bold form of moving ahead, but I will tell you I can see how it would work.  At the same time, I know that one thing which sets entrepreneurs apart is their ability to set failure aside as though it never happened.

I could use more of that confidence, and I bet there are times you could as well.  Seth Godin tells us that we have to “ship.” All of the good work or thought we have doesn’t count if we don’t send it out into the world. I must admit I am average at best because I FEAR failure so much.  So, as I continue to figure out how to get things done in my shop, I must embrace the concept of failing fast and getting things out. This is the only way the world can let me know if I have created a good product.  I must have the faith to let the world tell me whether I have hit the mark or not.  If I miss, then I have to find a way to use that information to try again and get it right the next time.  Interestingly enough, I’m pretty good at allowing the folks who work for me to move forward in this manner, but I have more difficulty accepting it in myself.

Now is the time to embrace the concept of “freedom to fail.” Go ahead and get something done. Release it to the world to see what happens.  The first step for me today is to post this blog.  Take a minute to shoot me a note and tell me what you think.  Thanks.