Transparent Zero Clearance Table Saw Insert- Maker Freak

For a while, I've wanted to make this insert and finally took the time to get it out.

I like the results of the build, though it has a tendency to get dusty.   A little more playing with it and it may be a regular feature in my videos.   As you'll see, I played with a few camera angles from both above and below. I think I like the shots from below best as you can see the wood pass over the blade.

There are a few notes on the build below that you may want to check out if you're going to try this.

I hope you enjoy it and like, share and subscribe. 


 Notes on the build

• I used a very fine blade on the bandsaw to cut the plexiglass, then sanded to get final fit. 
• When cutting the slot in the insert I used a plywood blade on backwards. I got the idea from when I did some vinyl siding, and that was the recommended way to cut that on the saw and worked great on the plexiglass. 
• The board I used to hold down the insert had a slot cut in it, through which I raised the blade. What's not on the video, is that when I first started raising the blade, it wasn't aligned correctly and started cutting the wood (poorly). Rather than cutting it was more burning the wood because the blade was on backwards.   Once I realigned it, it was fine. 

Maker Freak 10 Minute Harry Potter Wizard Hat

There's a (relatively) new video up on my Maker Freak You Tube channel.  The 10 Minute Harry Potter Wizard came about because a few days before Halloween, my son informed me that he needed a hat to round out his Ron Weasley costume.

I prototyped it with some paper, playing initially with wrapping it into a cone.  I didn't like that approach because it left a lot of waste once I'd have cut off the bottom to make an even brim.   It occurred to me that I could just do two relative triangles (slight curve at the bottom).  Once I figured that out, it was a very quick built.  

For the outer material, I'd wanted a furry red material, but didn't have any luck finding red hairy material.  I did have some red fur from inside an old swimming deck coat of mine from college.  It's a little ratty looking but served the purpose.  I really enjoyed the super tall hats, foolishly tall and impractical.   I have yet to find a good excuse to wear them, maybe next time at the sledding hill.

The full instructions are over at Instructables.  I hope you enjoy the project. I'd appreciate it if you'd like, share and subscribe. 

Cribbage Board Build

I’ve wanted to do something for the last 10 years with scraps of mahogany I’d salvaged from our house.   It was wainscoting from the dining room, though didn’t appear to be original from the house, so I didn’t feel too bad about not returning it to the dining room once the room was redone.   So, instead, it’s been sitting in my basement.  I’ve used small scraps over the years, but haven’t made a substantial dent in it.  You’ll see a little of the disassembly in the video.  Even after all of these years, those rails and stiles were very tight and I ended up using a circular saw to separate some of them because I couldn’t get the bond to break.
So, when I’d decided I wanted to make a couple cribbage boards as Christmas gifts, the magohany seemed like a good option.   I coupled it with some scraps of oak left over from redoing the stairs in the old house and used some old nails I’ve recovered from flooring removed from the house as well.   I painted the tips of the nails to differentiate the players, and gave them three colored sets and one natural. 
This was my first try at finger joints.  After getting the basics from YouTube, I’d decided I didn’t want to make a complex jig (one for adjustability and reuse), I needed only to get the job at hand done.   So, I built a small finger joint jig.  My first pass at the joints left them too tight to assemble and the second a little loose, but nothing which glue couldn’t fix. 
I’d thought about using a wood burner to draw the lines and other markings on the boards.   My past experience (as a kid) using  a wood burner  weren’t great.  I remember it being hard to achieve a consistent line thickness as well as a straight line.  I decided that keeping a clean board without the lines and without the risk was the best way to go.  (I did get a new wood burning tool for Christmas, so plan on replacing those old memories with some new skills.)
All and all, I’m pleased with the project.  It took far more time than I’d anticipated (when doesn’t it), but that’s fine as they were gifts.   I am glad to know a bit of our home is in their homes.

Cribbage Board closed

Cribbage Board open