We developed the “U-Centerit” placement jig because, like many garment decorators, we struggled with consistent logo placement. We purchased and evaluated other placement aids but they were cumbersome and didn’t seem very accurate. The U-Centerit jig solved several common placement issues by providing a visual aid while simultaneously referencing typical garment location points. Embroiderers can…
I use a series of horizontal lines on my CNC spoil board to aid in placement of parts before clamping. In the past, I drew these lines by hand by connecting dots on the spoil board that were lightly dimpled by the machine. It took a long time and sometime the pen got stuck in…
When I decided to replace my old Craftsman bench top metalworking lathe, I researched many options taking into consideration my budget, space limitations, weight and features of the machine. I settled on a well known brand (hint – it’s green) and placed my order. I was told that there would be a two month delay…
My Hi-Torque Mini-Mill arrived from the Little Machine Shop! An 18 wheeler made it’s way through the subdivision and parked so the tail was at my driveway. The truck was equipped with a lift gate in order to get the pallet to street level. I was concerned about getting the pallet into my garage but…
I built my old sawhorses about 40 years ago using 2x4s and metal sawhorse kit brackets. They held up well but they were always wobbly. Over the years, the wobbliness (is that a word?) got worse so I decided to build new ones. Why? Because I’m retired and can spend some time on this sort…
Cutting circles using a bandsaw is easy with a jig designed for the task. There are commercial jigs available and many variations of home made jigs can be found on the Internet. As far as I can tell, my jig is unique in the way it is constructed and uses materials commonly found in lumber…
There are many ways to cut captive rings and specialty tools are sold to accomplish the task. I decided to make my own captive ring tool from an Allen wrench, the tricky part being the shape of the grind. I tried many different shapes without success before hitting one that worked. The various grinds were…
I have made various gluing jigs over the years but never one specifically for pipe clamps. I have several of these versatile clamps but sometimes they are unwieldly because the handles hit the table, they are hard to align and they like to tip over. I saw an article in a magazine about a guy…
Before I purchased the Tormek T7, I studied YouTube and manufacturer videos, read discussion forums, looked at PDF documents and the like to be certain that I wanted to make a significant investment to have sharp tools. I have enough experience with my wood lathe to know the importance of sharp, reproducible gouges, skews, parting…
My cabinet saw’s stock inserts are metal castings with 4 set screws used for leveling the insert with the top. I like to make my own Zero Clearance Inserts (ZCI) made from 1/2″ thick MDF which rests a tad below the surface of the table when resting on the tabs supporting the insert. I made…
