New Wenzloff Website

A while back I made a saw using a kit I purchased from Wenzloff and Sons.  While I had no problems getting exactly what I wanted, Wenzloff and Sons has a new and improved website, and I am very impressed with the information, and options available.  I think that every small tool company should have a site as good as theirs (hear me St. James Bay tools?).  Without this being a shameless plug for a quality sawmaker, they are also offering $20 off of all shipping until December 15.

Folding Knife Kit

For a gift, I made my sister a folding knife.  I bought the kit from KnifeKits.com, which was $25 plus shipping.  Here is a pictorial of the assembly process:

Small Update

As you may have noticed, I haven't posted very much lately.  This is due to the fact that unfortunately I have had barely any time in the shop recently.  Today I am recovering from oral surgery and cannot do much.  But I have taken some pictures for your perusal- enjoy.

 Newly turned on heater that makes woodworking in upstate Ny winters possible.

 Wood that I have cut.

 Almost finished butternut music bookshelf.

 New Grizzly grinder ($35 including shipping!).

 

 Left end of bench.

 Right end of bench.

 Drill chuck I cut out of an old cordless drill that wouldn't hold a charge.

Allows me to use small diameter bits with my drill press.

Better Drift Adjuster

I know that you're probably all tired of more bandsaw stuff, but I thought that I would share my method of improving my fence.  Before I had used washers to shim the fence, but I began to find those annoying and coarse to use.  So I tapped a hole for a thumbscrew into the t track.  I can now correct for drift with almost infinite angles.

Homemade Log Milling Tutorial

Due to popular demand I have videoed my process of how I go about turning a small log into lumber.  In this sequence I am using a 6" diameter sycamore log, which is smaller than I usually do, but honestly it was the best log that was at the dump.  First I drive two screws into the side of the log to hold the log to the sled.  Note that I am using a scrap piece of wood as a spacer to lift the log up above the clamps that are holding the jig to the bandsaw table. 

When I build a new and improved version I will build the auxiliary fence wide enough so the clamps will not interfere.  This jig is made from old particleboard drawer, and the frame of a old screen door.  The sled (which also doubles as a resaw fence) slides along a track. The base can be adjusted for drift and the log's size.

The blade I am using is Highland Woodworking's Woodturner's 3/8" Bandsaw Blade (105" length).  The jig is aligned with the blade to cut where I want it to and is squared to the fence bar which has been adjusted for drift. 

I have a video of the first cut, I apoligize about the quality, I was having problems uploading the non-condensed version.  It's not the most scintillating, so I understand if you skip to the end. 

After a flat face has been established I reference the newly cut face off a fence, in this case my regular bandsaw fence because this log isn't wide enough to need a tall resaw fence.  Note how in the beginning the log bucks a little.  This is caused by the log not resting securely on the table.  I should have flipped it around to cut from the other side, which would've been more stable.

With the lumber cut I paint the ends with latex paint and sticker them for drying.  Also I was sure to clean most of the sawdust out of my saw because the wet sawdust will cause rust on unprotected parts.  Even from this small of a log quite a bit of sawdust was made.

Home-milled Wood

In case anyone's curious I have posted pictures of some wood I have cut so far on my bandsaw.  I'm hoping to go get some more logs later today.

Wood 

 I also have a picture with the new guide post installed.

Nicer Photos

I decided that I should take some nice photos of my side table.  They turned out okay, not bad for the first time with a bedsheet in the doorway.

Bandsaw Fence Drift Adjustment

Edit: I have now posted my improved way of drift adjustment here.

When I posted about my homemade bandsaw fence, I neglected to show how I compensate for drift.  In order to slightly adjust the angle of the fence to the table I add (or subtract) shims, in this case washers, in between the table and the t-track.

Homemade Bandsaw Fence

I made this rip fence for my bandsaw using 5/16" T-slot track (2'), T-bolts (2"), cam clamp, thumbscrew thingies, and T-nuts.  The T-track is screwed to the front of the table using existing tapped holes.  Edit: Later I posted about how I adjust for blade drift here.  The fence has a detachable auxiliary fence (the white part) so at some point I can make a low profile fence, and maybe a high profile fence.  The white fence pictured here is about 4" tall.  As you can see I use the cam clamp, and a knob to secure the fence.  In the future I will replace the knob with another cam because I find that the knob's rotational movement occasionally causes the fence to shift when I am tightening down.  The wooden bar on the far end of the table is to support the fence when it is off the table.  Later I added the miter slot cut-out to the T-track. 

Next I added a brush to the wheel.  it is made from a old nylon brush.  Everything is epoxied together.

Wenzloff Saw Kit Completed

I finally completed the handle for the Wenzloff tenon saw kit. It's bubinga with some coats of Watco's oil/varnish mixture. I am very pleased with the results. Bob Rozaieski made a great video of making a handle for a Wenzloff kit on his podcast. These kits are a great way to buy quality saws at a great price, provided that you are willing to make the handle.

Man vs. Log

Edit: later I built a better log sled here

With the riser block installed and the bandsaw's height capacity increased to 12", I did what I probably shouldn't: actually use the full capacity. I wanted to take a log and turn it into usable lumber. So I went down to the local log dump and took (stole?) a maple log that was about 3' long and 11" diameter. After I took it home I realized that it was way too heavy to maneuver onto my bandsaw. So I had to cut it in half. The only problem is that since it was too heavy for the bandsaw, I was going to saw it by hand. Did I mention that it is 11" and maple? To add to that, the only saw that was coarse enough is a 12" long saw we use to cut down our Christmas tree with. So after getting shirtless and flexing my muscles for the neighbors, I began to cut. It took a really long time. Eventually I got to a point where all was cut except for a 4" diameter core section. So I bashed it with a rock and broke the core section. Before I started milling I painted the ends with latex paint to reduce moisture loss through the end grain.

To begin milling lumber, there must be one flat face. This can be achieved by a number of ways. I chose to make a jig that rides in the miter slot and is screwed into the log. Once the log is split in half, a high resaw fence can be used to make the slabbing cuts. Make sure your fence is correctly adjusted for drift. My resaw fence is part of my log sled. The blade I used is Highland Woodworking's Woodtrner's Bandsaw Blade, which is specially designed for cutting green lumber.

After the lumber is cut I weigh it and write the date and weight on the end. Every couple of months I will weigh them again. When the weight stops dropping I will move them inside where I will continue to weigh them. One they stop losing weight inside they can be used for some projects. Right now they are stacked and stickered under my porch with a cinder block on top to try to resist warping. This was not a total victory over the log however. Even though the log was reduced to slabs, it got in some good hits. While slabbing the second half one of the bearings in the middle pulley (the bottom one in this photo) seized up. After ordering some replacements from McMaster, the saw was up and running again. Here are some of the boards I cut: