Completing these cuts required a tool change to a 1/8" (3.2mm) bit so I could shape the bodies.
When cutting with a CNC, you always want to leave "tabs" between the items you're cutting so the spinning router doesn't send material flying across the room if the endmill touches it. In this case, I didn't cut quite all the way through the material, so I had to clear some of it using a razor knife.
It all worked remarkably well. The only thing I'm worried about is how to line up the axle holes with the mounting holes in the jack bodies at a later date. Owen Daly's voice is running on a loop in the back of my mind admonishing me to drill the holes with the tongue wedged into the jack tongue slot. I guess we'll see if I can pull it off.
As a means of diversion, I recently made a bookcase (a honeydo model). I only post it to partly explain the holdup in jack production. Because the Tennessee red cedar was in a pretty raw state when I purchased it from Crosscut Hardwoods in Portland, it took days longer than it should have to complete the project because I basically had to mill my own lumber to dimension.
It's a nice, little bookcase, but I'd really rather make instruments.
In a few tangentially related shop matters, I recently replaced the old radial drill press with a newer, larger, version. I must admit it was hard letting the old fella go, but I persisted.
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| Old Fella |
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| New Fella |
After wrestling the Tennessee red through the table saw and having visions of a horrible mishap, I replaced the crappy Grizzly aluminum table saw fence with a Delta T3. It has made all the difference and the blade now goes through wood like a hot knife through butter.
I also picked up a dial gauge to use for setting jointer blades, checking CNC wasteboards for flatness, etc. It was time I stepped up the level of accuracy at Tortuga Early Instruments Worldwide Headquarters.
Finally, as I was working on the Tennesse red, I ran across this fellow:
He surprised the heck out of me, but I went with it and he ended up part of the bookcase. Feel free to help me name him - I'm thinking something like Tennessee Red would work.
Until next time...
