Housebuilding in Finland

[His Divine Shadow]

I am thinking around 190-200cm long and maybe 50-60cm wide. I was thinking a split top roubo but I think it'll be a single top but with a few longer slits in the middle. It should be easy to fix, just laminate shorter bits with suitable spacing, same system I was thinking of for the bench dogs, which I want to be square rather than round. This guy had some good tips if you want the traditional dovetail too, I am not sure, I might just make a big single tenon and mortise, this definitely looks nicer though.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBPxhIjJy7o

It's a future project, perhaps I can get started on it in 2015, I will build some rougher benches in the meanwhile that will be permanently placed up against a wall, so I have somewhere to put the drill press and put cabinets in them for tool storing. I have a big OSB board I plan to make a french cleat system for as well.

I need to build the tools I need to make the bench first, mainly big enough bar clamps for laminating the top, they are just too expensive to buy and I have seen good plans for various wooden ones. And the timber itself is another cost...

[Elheru Aran]

Dovetails for what exactly? The stretchers? Some drawbore pegs should do the job there and be a little less tricky to set up.

I know what you're talking about with the laminated top, that's pretty much the way I plan to do it unless I can luck out and find a big slab somewhere. Nice thing about the laminated top-- if you laminate the legs too, you can cut some pieces of the top carefully before you laminate to make the mortises for the legs. Should not be too difficult.

For laminating the top-- yeah, bar clamps help, but there's an old school solution... Make a level surface, put one board, down, glue, put the other board on top, and put some rocks on that sucker. Put gravity to work I may do this, although I would use concrete blocks rather than rocks...

I am thinking we should start a woodworking thread

[His Divine Shadow]

I was referring to the double tenons on the front legs that join to the top, the front tenon looks like a dovetail, very pretty and decorative, not that functional afaik. I'm gonna make the bar clamps because they will come in handy for all kinds of stuff later on too.

[His Divine Shadow]

Been putting up drywall for the roof over the weekend with my dad, thank god for the drywall lift we rented. Got a wall done on sunday by myself and last night I started feeling pretty sick at work so I just spent the whole rest of the day in bed.

No pictures taken of that due to a dead battery and then I was too sick to care. Took some of the boys though since I know LadyTevar seems to like seeing them:









I'd like to cut their hair, just a little to even out the tops, Daniels is getting out of control, but my fiance says no I can't touch their beautiful long hair.

[His Divine Shadow]

Painted the ceiling and walls in the garage today, feels much brighter and more spacious with a coat of white, it'll help protect the walls too. Also got the garage port assembled and installed. Next up is to put up an interior wall, then I can put french cleats all along the entire left wall for hanging tools and shelves. Probably put them on the right wall too, can't have too many really. Some simple crown molding in the ceiling too I think.

[Borgholio]

Planning a garage door opener? I see the wiring hanging down in the center.

[His Divine Shadow]

No that's just unfinished electrics hanging down from the ceiling. The garage electris aren't hooked up yet so I have to get all power there via an extension cable from the central cabinet, which fortunately is placed on the garage wall outside. Once I got the final interior wall up I'm letting the electrician know he can come and finish hooking up the lights and power.

[LadyTevar]

I'd like to cut their hair, just a little to even out the tops, Daniels is getting out of control, but my fiance says no I can't touch their beautiful long hair.

Every mom I kow takes a long time before she'll agree to the first haircut. They just don't want to cut the long soft baby-hair.

[His Divine Shadow]

Yeah, it does look nice, I am quite surprised at how light skinned and haired they are, I figured given my dark hair and the mothers black hair they'd have black hair too, but it's lighter than mine. Their cousin who is 8 months younger is much darker and really raven black.

In other news. Just bought this for 200 euros. 24" cast iron bandsaw:











3-phase motor of unknown power. I wonder if I will need Y-D starting, or if it has it already. It's made in sweden most likely, there where no identifying marks the seller (a boat building company that renewed its machine park) could find. But I will have a lookaround when it arrives. I have shown it to someone who said it is likely a Göteneds and is probably worth 600 euros minimum and if I did not buy it he would on the spot.

It is 2100mm tall, 1100mm wide, table is 700x700mm.

The alternative saw was a small 1200w scheppach for 300 euros, not a hard choice!

[Borgholio]

Only 200 euros for that thing? I say it's a good deal, despite needing a bit of work. Those old cast-iron saws are built like tanks.

[Elheru Aran]

That is heavy duty, man. Nice buy.

Is that radical-harm saw I see behind it in one picture yours? Or did you take the shots at the store?

[His Divine Shadow]

Nah it's the sellers pictures I am reposting, it's taken in their warehouse. RAS'es are quite rare here actually so I was surprised to see it in the photos.

[Elheru Aran]

Yeah, I wonder if they're rare because of European safety regulations. They aren't called 'radical harm' saws for nothing.

I'd much rather have a bandsaw anyway. You can do a little more with those and a few blade changes.

[His Divine Shadow]

I think it's that they're just becoming obsolete on their own, you can do a lot of the things they did with other machines, like table saws and miter saws and whatnot.

I got the bandsaw home last night but I was unable to get it inside the garage. Too tall, too heavy.

I removed the covers that encapsulated the wheels and blades, they are made from wood and are painted metallic green. I think they are an addition due to safety rgulations, this saw is likely old enough that it was made when those things where not required. I found the company that used to make this saw and they stopped making them in 1960, so this saw is no younger than 54 years old, but likely a bit older.

I then took of the upper wheel, I was told it'd be easier to remove the whole housing with bearings and all than remove the wheel itself but I probably got it wrong and I removed the shaft with bearings, and it wouldn't come out, So I had to put it back but couldn't get it back in, the bearing on the far side is supposed to fit into this "holder" which goes up and down via a screw, this allows you to tilt the blade.

I took the wheel itself off instead using one of those 3-pronged pulling things. Still need to figure out how to get the shaft and bearings back in later though. Then I took the table off, it was easy with just 4 bolts, but it's heavy as heck! Also found the saw did have a cast iron fence to use with the table so that's nice.

I was unable to get the saw in though so I've had to hire help, on saturday morning they'll be there with a tractor forklift and some round logs so we can roll it off the pallet and put it in position. then I can tackle re-asssembly, cleaning of rust and testing the motor.

[His Divine Shadow]

This has turned more into a "my workshop" than house thread but the house is basically finished anyway. Next spring it'll probably be the "gardening in finland" thread.

Anyway last saturday I got the help I needed, two old guys, one with a big tractor came to help me. We lifted the saw into the garage and once inside we simply dragged it into place.

I finally got the upper wheel shaft assembly reassembled today, a matter of proper alignment was all it was, sleeping on the issue and taking the time to mull it over helped, I have a tendency to go rampant and try and force things and maybe break thm in the process.

Anyway then I got the upper wheel back on, which was real easy just tapped it back on with a rubber mallet. There's some sideways wobble on the upper wheel I noticed. I'm not sure what the reason is or what can be done about it, or if it's even a big deal? The wheel itself has no bearings on this design, there are two double row ball bearings on the shaft, which allows the shaft to tilt. I feel no play in it, but I am getting a dial indicator so I can test if its the wheel or shaft that wobbles.

Here it is with the wheel back on:


And here's the blade, I think it's a write off.


Closeup of the blade guide, brass piece on one side, wood on the other, strange:


Lower blade guide, seems to be some kind of plastic:


Upper wheel closeup:


Closeup of the upper tire, it appears to be full of shavings, there was also a track in the middle which I think where made from the rusty teeth on this blade. I tried sanding it down and then recrowning but it's slow going, this was after I had sanded and turned the wheel by hand for some time.


I then decided to reassemble the table, it's insanely heavy but I got it up, also the fence mounted:


Pretty darn rusty but half an hour later and lots of elbow grease it looks like this:




Not perfect but good enough for half an hours work.

What I am going to try and do is keep on with my recrowning attempts and see if the blade will track any better, need to make a better jig to hold it steady so I can turn the wheel with both arms.

[LadyTevar]

The last time I saw something like that was 1983-84, when I was in school and required to take Shop Class (woodworking, metalworking, etc). One girl had the blade break on her, hit her face, and it left a nice cut on her cheek. I used it to make several different wooden items, which amazingly are still being used by those I gifted them too. Not bad for items made by a 13yr old, 30yrs ago.

[His Divine Shadow]

Did that saw have blade guards / an enclosure or was it open like this one is currently? Should be unlikely that you get hit by a snapping blade if you have those and stand infront of the saw blades sharp side, as when they break they wanna fly sideways.

Haven't gotten anywhere with the bandsaw yet, just waiting for the stuff I ordered (new blade, dial indicator with stand) so I can diagnose it a bit. Still keeping busy, they've finally started building our terrace and porch. Last night my parents where babysitters and the boys learned they can play with each other for real:


They took turns pushing each other around

[SCRawl]

I was looking at that bandsaw blade, and it might not be a write-off. It looks like it might be one of these.

Of course, if it's worn it's still of no use, but I wouldn't use the complete lack of sharp teeth to mean that it's useless.

[His Divine Shadow]

Yeah I found out it was a diamond blade used to cut carbon fiber sheets for laminating. There's a guy who has been helping me with carpentry and woodworking stuff via the net, he lives pretty close so today he came to look at the saw and he mentioned that he'd been in physiotherapy for his back and in the same group met a guy from the company that operated the machine. He knew of this saw in particular and mentioned that, also that it was a good saw and the only reason they got rid of it was because of a perfectionist boss who replaced any machine that had the slightest issue, like in this case the dust collection system being a bit primitive. The blade though is probably a write off and i don't wanna use it because the wide teeth ground a track in the rubber crown that I have almost sanded down and recrowned.

Also I was told to remove the brake handle and using a gas mask and clothes I can throw away, remove the brake pads from it and tape them up good in a plastic bag and take them to recycling as asbestos.

[Elheru Aran]

That seems a bit extreme for the asbestos, but if it is that, well.

I could recommend the 'Wood Slicer' brand we have here in the States, it's supposed to be one of the better blades for bandsaws. Not sure you can obtain it in Finland though...

I hope you're going to cover up the wheels and the other side of the blade? Because I wouldn't want to get near to that much cast iron in movement...

[His Divine Shadow]

Yeah I dunno, I don't really wanna mess with it, I am not sure, do asbestos brake pads release asbestos dust when used, or is it only when they get really worn down? I removed the whole lever and I will wipe down the saw with a rage and water with dish soap to get rid of potential dust. I am hoping I can take the whole lever to a shop where they just replace the pad for me.

I got a blade from Tuff Saws in the UK, heard them being recommended on both uk and swedish forums. I also reassembled the enclosure which covers up the wheels and blade like a modern saw before running it with the blade on.

Bad news is it has an unacceptable amount of vibration with both wheels under power. Either the metal wheel itself is out of true due to some issue (axle, the way its fitted on the axle perhaps), or the rubber tire is out of true. I hope its only the tire. Still haven't gotten my dial indicator so testing will have to wait. But I plan to make a jig and flatten and recrown the tires.

[madd0ct0r]

re the asbestos - the brake pads will be being worn down in use, and the dust is thrown off whenever they are used. Just get rid of the feckers.

I'm surprised the local recycling center accepts it though. Pretty sure the ones in the UK don't - you need to be a trained specialist to remove it.

[His Divine Shadow]

Well someones gotta accept it, I haven't actually asked. I'd prefer to find some kind of shop where they can remove and replace it for me.

[LadyTevar]

1. There was no guard to it that I recall. I do recall that the blade faced towards us, and she was pushing a block of wood into the blade when it snapped. It may have caught on a knot in the wood. Either way when it snapped, it hit her face. Maybe she was standing off to the side, maybe the blade was trapped by the wood and went in the only way it could. I just know she was bleeding and the teacher rushed her to the school nurse, leaving no one in the shop to watch the rest of us students.

2. EEEEEEEE! BABIES!!!!
They even took turns without fussing? That's so adorable!

[Sea Skimmer]

That seems a bit extreme for the asbestos, but if it is that, well.

It really isn't. Just one good exposure to a cloud of that stuff wafting up is all you need to that shit to have a major spike in lung cancer risk. That probably won't happen here, but you know, why the hell risk it. That machine is old, and that mean the pads are probably 80% or more asbestos by weight.

Yeah I dunno, I don't really wanna mess with it, I am not sure, do asbestos brake pads release asbestos dust when used, or is it only when they get really worn down? I removed the whole lever and I will wipe down the saw with a rage and water with dish soap to get rid of potential dust. I am hoping I can take the whole lever to a shop where they just replace the pad for me.

The solid part of that pad can't hurt you, but its naturally going to have dust on it. Anything you can inhale is a threat. If the pad is crumbling then you have a bigger problem, but still the same problem. I'm going to assume it has a lot of dust on and around it? Like years of it?

What I'd do is get on of those paper painting suits that costs about 10 dollars USD and use that plus a good mask and gloves when removing it. Then wipe everything down, then remove the pad, put it into a bad, wipe down the area around where it was mounted, then walk right outside and talk the suit off and into a garbage bag with everything else. Then remove gloves and mask carefully and wipe your face down, dust will get trapped between the mask edge and your face. Old clothes are acceptable replacements for paper suit, but not as good since they'll get impregnated with dust. This wont ensure utter 0.0 exposure, but it will massively limit it, and the fact is aspestos was usually only a problem for people like shipyard workers who constantly inhaled it, or super high concentrations, in narrow spaces. At which point fiberglass is pretty damn bad too.

Getting someone else to do it would be nice, but that seems dependent on if you can remove the piece without dust exposure in the first place. If little dust is built up around the sucker then your probably not saving yourself any risk by not doing the whole job.