Micro Jig GRR-RIPPER
Well this is the coolest birthday present i ever got. On of my friend gave me this for may birthday. The GRR-Ripper, this lets you feed both sides of a workpiece parallel through the tool(saw, router) and it is adjustable to push a very narrow peace thru the saw blade and eliminates bare hand feeding. This results in a perfectly straight cut and keeps your hands safe from the cutting elements. The non-slip pads on bottom has very good gripping ability.
I think Eleanor Everet said it best – For safety is not a gadget but a state of mind. This saw-stop is a great and useful invention that came to the table saws, but shoving it down someone one throat just to make any sense, now what would make sense if the manufacturer could offer you the saw with or without this technology. This will allow the consumer to make a chose to spend the extra money or not.
I think if the California government is going to force the California residence to get rid of their table saws and replace it with a saw-stop, I guess that says to much government interference to me. I love my Laguna table saw that is not going anywhere. If you use all you safety equipment – riving knife, guards,push sticks and follow the 3 inch rule you are cant go wrong. The gripper is also a very unique tools that is very helpful in the shop and keeps your hands away from the blade. I have read a interesting article on HandymanClub.com and this a portion of the article, feel free to read the whole article at the link bellow. An then the business week article is also interesting to read.
From Handymanclub.com:
This saw is also a good choice for DIYers who want an extra margin of safety and can afford to pay for it. But the development of this safety feature has created a controversy: Because of a persuasive lobbying effort by the owners of SawStop, the patented technology that the company owns could become mandatory for all table saws. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is currently reviewing whether to make SawStop’s technology a requirement, a ruling that, depending on licensing fees, manufacturing costs and other factors, could make table saws restrictively expensive.
After researching the facts of the case, I think mandating SawStop’s technology across the board is unnecessary and counterproductive. Table saws are only part of the power-tool safety problem. Almost any tool can cause a serious injury when used improperly. I’d like to see technology address the hazards of using shapers, circular saws, routers, planers and other high-risk tools. Even so, I know that technology alone can’t eliminate risk. There’s no substitute for staying alert and focused and strictly adhering to safe work practices.
From Business Week:
A saw brake requirement would amount to a government-granted monopoly for Gass, the companies argue. Although in theory saw makers could develop their own versions, they say Gass has so effectively locked up the process with patents that they would be forced to license the system from him or risk getting sued for infringement. “He wants to make sure the only option is his technology,” says Edward D. Krenik, the Power Tool Institute’s lobbyist in Washington.
Gass says he approached major saw manufacturers a decade ago and tried to sell them on his product. When they turned him away, he took his case to the government. “The rulemaking should be about protecting customers,” Gass says. “Whether SawStop has a windfall or goes broke shouldn’t make any difference.”
My Son was asking if a can make him a puzzle. I have never even considered making a puzzle as a project. He gets a Lego magazine every 3 and he really like on of the pages. After giving this some consideration I have started on this little project. My material list was doted down and now i was ready to start.
Material List: I got this from the local Home Depot 
1. Spray on glue ( I used Loctite)
2. Shellac spray on finish. ( I used Zinsser)
3. Piece of plywood.(Scrap piece in the shop)
4. a Picture that you want to use.
Step 1.
Spray on the glue on the piece of wood and the back of the page. Wait until it gets tacky and the press the two together. I let it stand for another 5 minute to dry.
Step 2.
After you let it day for 5 min give it a light coat with the shellac. This will protect the paper somewhat from scratches and oily fingerprints.
Step 3.
Trim the wood to be true to the edges of the picture. Then just get creative on you band saw or scroll saw with some random patterns. If you search Google you can find some jigsaw puzzle patterns also.
This is a relatively easy little project and it it one of those can do project even for a novice woodworker like my self. One side note, If you child is small don’t use Loctite, find some non toxic glue to use. Small children has the tendency to put stuff in there mouth. The Shellac that i used is non toxic since i use it for all my wooden toys. Just a Side note on my Band Saw. I have the Laguna 1400 SUV. This band saw is just fantastic. It has a lot of power and it has not disappointed me yet.
I’m Getting the hang of this. In the beginning it was a chalange because of the thin wall that you have to work with. Now that I have that piece down I can concentrate more on styles now. This is a picture of a older one I have shared before.
After my new window was installed this is the type of light I get . I am very happy with the results.
I never had any type of natural light in my shop. Granted these windows does not provide the same type of light that my CFL does, but it’s nice not to switch on the light now and then. In the past the only way I could get the day light was to open the door.
When it comes to Shop light there is a lot of different options available. The question is witch one is the right one?
It come down to selection between choosing fluorescent, CFL, incandescent or even metal halide lights. Now they all come in a wide variety of lumens and you should size it appropriately for your shop.
Coverage is also important sine each light has a focus area where it produces the most optimum results. This Table I found when I was researching my light requirements Lamp-Outputs-and-Coverage
So by spacing you light fixtures appropriately you can deliver the most optimum and equally distributed light thru out your shop.
For me I have achieved good coverage with My 12 CFL can lights that i installed, but still have some individual focus areas that I control light on like my work areas and i have a extra lamp on my Drill press also.I also painted my shop White so that i cam maximize my of the light that is available to me.
One more thing i did to my shop is to install top Garage door panels that has windows in them to deliver more daylight in the shop. There nothing that delivers light like the sun.
Optimizing Light in your wood Shop is the best thing in my opinion that you can do for yourself that will give you better results almost immediately, and installing light fixtures was not to hard and I’m pretty happy with the result that was achieved at the end of the day.
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Read one editor’s account of his day in the shop and on the set with the “Wild Hogs” star and bowl maker
by David Heim
LOS ANGELES–I spent the day here interviewing actor William H. Macy for an article scheduled to appear in Woodturning Basics, a newsstand-only publication from the editors of Fine Woodworking that’s due out in May 2007.
Macy, it turns out, is an avid amateur woodturner in addition to being a big movie star. He first discovered wood turning while filming his breakout film “Fargo.” He’s also a big fan of Fine Woodworking magazine, so he was pleased to accept my request for an interview when I contacted his representative.
| Woodturning Basics from the editors of Fine Woodworking Learn woodturning from the finest craftsman, including Richard Raffan, Ernie Conover, and Alan Lancer. Browse all Special Publications |
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For most of the day, Macy was just one of the guys, dressed in jeans and a denim work shirt, messing around in his woodshop making a bowl. But in the late afternoon, he went back to celebrity mode, changing into a patterned shirt and a light tan suit for an appearance on CBS’s “The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.”
I accompanied Macy to the taping at the CBS studios, watching the show on a monitor in the green room. Macy spent close to half of his 10 minute guest appearance talking about woodturning and paying Fine Woodworking a unique compliment.
Macy presents a bowl to Late Late Show host Craig Ferguson during a recent appearance. Photo: Courtesy CBS.
MACY: “…They’re doing an article on me. Fine Woodworking, which is the Penthouse for guys over 50.”
FERGUSON: “An article on you? Will you get the cover or the center-page spread.”
MACY: “I’m hoping to get the cover… There’s talk that it might go to a router, but I’m hoping I get the cover.”
FERGUSON: “And why would you be in Fine Woodworking? Are you a fine woodworker?”
MACY: “I. Turn. Bowls.”
FERGUSON: “You turn bowls? Is that some kind of euphemism for something?”
MACY: “That’s burning bowls… This is called turning bowls. I turned a bowl all day and they took pictures of me. It was one butt ugly bowl. I was going to make it and bring it to you but it was just the worst bowl. It didn’t know if it was a bowl or a plate. It was a plowl.”
William H. Macy turns a bowl in his home workshop during an interview with Fine Woodworking.
Macy, in fact, did get the cover. And he did bring a bowl with him to the show, presenting it to the host later during his interview. Ferguson gleefully accepted.
“You know what I’m going to use this for?” Ferguson said. “Cashews. I’m going to have it out here on the desk and when guests comes out I’ll say ‘have a cashew. Bill Macy made this bowl.’”
David Heim is an associate editor with Fine Woodworking magazine.
Photos: Dean DellaVentura Photography unless otherwise noted
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