The final step to get the Baldor up and running was creating a proper base/stand. For years I’ve used the Harbor Fright model shown below. I’d love to make a stand like Doc made, but I just don’t have the time for that right now, maybe in the fall. Thus, to get by till I have time to make a more proper one, I made some upgrades to the Harbor Fright stand earlier this week.
The first step in the process, was to pick up a nice Douglas Fir 4×4 at the local big box store to make the top. I found a really nice 8 footer at Menard’s, that I cut into 4 pieces and then rough milled to size before laminating them together.
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I started this bowl before Christmas, and I was finally able to finish it up Wednesday night, after three and a half months of drying. I could say a ton of stuff about this bowl, but the most important thing I want to say, is thank god it’s done. Seriously this bowl is possessed or something, as it tried to kill me twice Wednesday night. Both times it came out of the chuck at speed barely missing me, yet showed almost no signs of damage.
It was even temperamental during the finishing process. I used Doctors high build friction polish, which is usually easy to apply. However I had to apply and strip the finish three times to get it to my satisfaction. Thankfully Jillian loves it, and that’s all that really matters.
I love my little Jansjo work lights, as they are small and easy to move from machine to machine. However, they don’t produce a lot of light, and thus aren’t overly useful when recording video. This is really only a problem on my mill, because the head blocks most of my overhead lighting, because of how big it is.
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Table covers have been on my projects list since I purchased my mill, but for one reason or another I kept putting off making them. I don’t know if it was the alignment of the planets or what, but today I magically had some free time to make them. I must confess I originally got the idea from Tom Lipton.
The design is pretty simple, It’s nothing more than 5/8″ Baltic Birch plywood shaped to fit the table, and around the vise. The covers are held in place by ash blocks that fit down into the middle t-slot. In the picture below you can see the screws holding the blocks fast. Finishing them was probably a waste of time, but but nonetheless I gave each cover a heavy slathering of mineral oil.
I didn’t get a lot of shop time over the last week, but I was able to finally make some storage boxes for the chucks I purchase late last year. I used the same technique that I used in my simple plywood box video.
