Day 85: Felt and Machines

Well, I went and did it. The day job gave me an unexpectedly large bonus, so I went ahead and picked up a new table saw. A real table saw. One that won't push wood over a little sideways because the throat plate doesn't fit perfectly. One with a rock-solid rip fence. One with an enclosed case for better dust collection. One with an adjustable riving knife. One with a switch that won't threaten my life using it. One that will cut straight every, single time.

Yep, it's a Grizzly 10" hybrid; it's light, yet sturdy and it's all mine. I ordered it on Friday and it will be here Tuesday. Holy cow, how fast things change at Tortuga Early Instruments Worldwide Headquarters!

Remember when I had to cut the riving knife I purchased for the BT3000 for it to fit with the crosscut sled I built? That was quite a pain, though it was entertaining watching the sparks fly on Big Bertha's old saw blade. The new saw comes with an adjustable riving knife that will save me such trouble in the future.

Before

After

This gives me no reason to not use the safety guard when I'm not using the crosscut sled. Good stuff.

I also found a great deal on a Delta 1hp dust collector on Craigslist for $100. Another cool Craigslist dude met me at the Woodcraft in Tigard to deliver it to me. Now, I just have to get all of my tools outfitted with attachments and I'm all set.

Oh, and I was able to start cutting the felt for the distal ends of the keys. This is the material that the jacks will rest on. More to come on this as I build out the jacks.

So, yeah, I did get a little work done on the instrument this week.

Until next time...