This one is a favorite so far. Super handy in my tiny shop to know where the hearing protection is hanging. 
 

10 minutes ago, VPI said:

This one is a favorite so far. Super handy in my tiny shop to know where the hearing protection is hanging. 
 

I give it 48 hours before you break it. 

I know that guy! Buttplug and all!

Decided this is the week I break out the Leigh D4r Pro and figure out how to use this son of a bitch. Only had it for a year and a half now. 

Hoping to use the Festool 1400 router with it, another thing I thing might have taken out of the box once. 

Have some tea bag organizers to nail together with this crazy thing. 

Edited November 29, 20223 yr by VPI

Got everything put together and the VRS system running. My only issue was chip out on the edges and I forgot to lower the speed of the router so probably shortened its life a bit. 
 

Looks good, though I can only assume Doug is rolling over in his grave. 

At least I used Festool and clamped the system to a Festool MFT. 

I have not used the Leigh. Had a Porter Cable.

The Leigh is a bump up for sure. Nice!

I think I am more interested in learning to hand cut as the Leigh has issues staying locked in across cuts. The key bar keeps sliding which leads to super loose or tight fits periodically. The little brass thumb turn cannot tighten it enough to battle the vibration/router movement. 

Built a tray to go on the entry cabinet for all of Kasia’s mail that she never opens. 

 

Anyone used the 3M sand paper everyone on YouTube is so enamored with?

Got a box of 80 grit and it does seem to be better than the Festool and Mirka stuff I have. 

1 hour ago, VPI said:

Anyone used the 3M sand paper everyone on YouTube is so enamored with?

Got a box of 80 grit and it does seem to be better than the Festool and Mirka stuff I have. 

I’ve been using it as well, probably a little better than the Mirka. Wish they had it for finish sanders. I do not like the Festool stuff at all, way to thin and weak. 

I've been using the 3M Cubitron II lately. I like it a lot. 

I've heard great things about the 3M Xtract sander, but $1,200 doesn't make sense for a jobsite sander.

8 minutes ago, swt61 said:

I've been using the 3M Cubitron II lately. I like it a lot. 

I've heard great things about the 3M Xtract sander, but $1,200 doesn't make sense for a jobsite sander.

I’m 99% sure the 3M sanders are the same as the SurfPreps. Not sure which is the better price. 

I see the 3M is closer to $500. Not sure what I was looking at for $1,200. The Surfprep is about $50 higher.

https://taytools.com/products/3m-xtract-electric-random-orbital-sander-ergonomic-and-lightweight-central-vacuum-3-16-orbit-110v-350w-motor-metal-fabrication-woodworking-auto-body-finishing?variant=39786410639447
 

Taylor has the best deals on the 3M and the new dust extractor that is supposed to be great. 

Mocking up the heaviest bench in the world with the rough cut pieces to determine if it is even feasible and how to go about nailing unnailable sticks together. 

 

 

I've been trying to rehabilitate and revise the heaviest deck table in the world and in the process decided that the only thing I'm going to do with the leftover Ipe decking is make decking. Unreliable is a good summary. Annoyingly dense and brittle at the same time. Death to most screws. Resistant to finishes. 

2 minutes ago, Voltron said:

I've been trying to rehabilitate and revise the heaviest deck table in the world and in the process decided that the only thing I'm going to do with the leftover Ipe decking is make decking. Unreliable is a good summary. Annoyingly dense and brittle at the same time. Death to most screws. Resistant to finishes. 

Almost thought you were talking about MAGA republicans there at the end. 

Resistant to finishing second...

I have found any untreated ends will crack like crazy, but if you apply the sealant after cuts to stored sticks, they do not develop the cracks.
 

Simply gluing everything together with hardened Epoxy (Thixo) has worked well so far and the Penofin Hardwood penetrating oil makes a fantastic finish with minimal effort. 
 

Remains to be seen if any of it holds up over time though. I just want to go through this giant stack of Ipe in my driveway/under my deck. 

My experience is that no finishes really last on this stuff, but I saw Penofin Transparent Ipe at the hardware store this morning so I got a can. I reconfigured this table a bit, made stronger legs from the old ones, and bolted them on instead of using screws and glue. We'll see how it holds up all around.

Looks gorgeous. The wood is a bitch to work with. Processed 36 linear feet today and it was not enjoyable. 

My table and coasters have been outside for about a month with the Penofin and I cannot tell the difference from when I put them out. 
 

I wish I had a hardware store selling Penofin locally; I have to drive an hour each way. 

Looks like an excellent spot for Mary Ann Singleton and Mouse to put their beers.

Edited December 6, 20223 yr by swt61