Sunday, January 3, 2010

You still have to learn by "DOING"

So I've watched countless episodes of the Router Workshop and WoodWorks, but in the end, I still have to figure it out myself....I'm talking about my template and router/bushing combination. So I trace on the design I want, cut it out with the scroll saw, then make sure that small imperfections are smoothed out. I even make the template slightly larger than the eventual material that will be routed out. But in the end, my results are not as perfect as I would have liked. A couple of things I "figured out" in the process. ONE my template is NOT 1/4 inch in depth like they told me at the store! It is actually slightly ( really slightly!) thinner. This causes the bushing to rub on the work piece instead of gently gliding along the edge of the template like it is supposed to do. SECOND is that my template is just not very straight. There simply MUST be a way to create a template that does NOT require me to use "Kentucky windage" in its design. That is the whole reason for making the template in the first place! So after about 2 hours of "fussing" with the template, and making multiple test cuts on scrap, I still have a slightly strange looking gift card sized hole! Well, I'm done wrestling with it at the moment, I"m off to see if the web has any ideas that I have not yet explored. As for other things. I have been working on some Origami ideas. Basically exploring certain papers and their thicknesses. This horse may look OK, but his back split open on the final folds. The thick paper, when wet folded, was not strong enough to take the stress of folding so many layers. Next I'll try folding slightly finer paper. We'll see how it goes.

1 comment:

Handi said...

Ethan,

what you ougt to try is make 4 pieces of scraps 2 the length of the long side and 2 the length of the small sides.

Then tack 1 down scrap Rhenish another at a 90 degree, then slide your card in there and cage it in with the other 2 scraps.

Once you got the card squared in, take it out then route it out with one of the spacers. This hould give you the true sides you are looking for. This is also the method used to make a router plate resess for a table.

Hope this helps

handi

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