What's This Thing?? :>)

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  • SARGE..g-47
    #1

    What's This Thing?? :>)

    Good morning and Happy New Year to everyone..

    Had a neighbor drop by this morning and he wanted to look at my shop. When I turned the lights on he did a quick scan and his eyes caught something laying on top of my work-bench. His first comment was "What's this thing"?

    Took a quick pic to initiate a little fun question to see how long it takes for someone to idenify the use and what it's called. Made from a piece of cut-off scrap birch ply in about 30 minutes. Simple design that delivers precision and serves a very important role in my shop.

    So... what is it.. what's it called.. and what benfits could be derived from it?

    I got a ton of work in the shop so I will leave it with you.. Some of you old timers have probably seen one or heard of it. BTW.. the DW biscuit jointer behind it in one pic is not related with what I use this for.. but in about a 10 minute set-up and cut with a plunge router.... it could be! :>)

    Ya'll have a good day.. catch ya on coffee break!

    Regards...
    Attached Files
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    • Slik Geek
      Senior Member
      • Dec 2006
      • 708
      • Lake County, Illinois
      • Ryobi BT-3000
      #2
      I'll start the guessing...

      Looks like a type of "finger board". The two slots allow positioning and fastening it in place, the cuts supply spring pressure to hold work in place as the work is passed by a cutting tool. The majority of the pressure is concentrated in the center of the piece.

        Comment

        • SARGE..g-47
          #3
          Slick work slik and before I could surface for a cup of coffee. "Spring-board" is the correct name from the spring action created by the slots. Finger board is same principal though as you picked up immediately it seems. Nice call!

          Here's a pic of it attached to my router table as I built it to use on with the aid of a sliding track that fits in the mitre insert.

          Have a good New Year...
          Attached Files

            Comment

            • ChrisD
              Senior Member
              • Dec 2004
              • 881
              • CHICAGO, IL, USA.
              #4
              Learned something new. Thanks for the quiz!
              The war against inferior and overpriced furniture continues!

              Chris

                Comment

                • TB Roye
                  Veteran Member
                  • Jan 2004
                  • 2969
                  • Sacramento, CA, USA.
                  • BT3100
                  #5
                  Very nice, a couple of questions. How wide are the 3 slots that provide the spring action? Thinking of building something very similar but a little smaller to fit my router table.

                  Tom

                    Comment

                    • Slik Geek
                      Senior Member
                      • Dec 2006
                      • 708
                      • Lake County, Illinois
                      • Ryobi BT-3000
                      #6
                      Originally posted by SARGE..g-47
                      Slick work slik and before I could surface for a cup of coffee. "Spring-board" is the correct name from the spring action created by the slots. Finger board is same principal though as you picked up immediately it seems. Nice call!
                      I had an unfair advantage... I was experimenting with a somewhat similar concept a few months ago, so it looked vaguely familiar. Thanks for the challenge!

                        Comment

                        • SARGE..g-47
                          #7
                          Evening all...

                          And that's why they call you slik I bet! ha.. ha...

                          Just passing on what got passed to me Chris, that's how things have been passed from craftsman to craftsman for 5000 years. One case where "the buck shouldn't stop here". :>)

                          Tom, the slots are 1/8" wide. As you can see the board is made from the main frame and two strips separated by wooden shims the same size as your slots. One shim between main and center that is centered. One on each end between the center strip and outer or which are shorter than the center shim. You can almost "wing it" with visual feel.

                          Even though those slots on mine are 1/8", if I were going to make the spring-board shorter as you mentioned I think I would make the slots 3/16" as shortening the board will stiffen the springs and not allow as much flex.

                          You can dry test before glueing by just backing the main board up to a stationary fence and placing the shims and two forward boards in place. Put forward pressure on them and if you don't get enough spring with 1/8" on the shorter, it won't take but a couple of minutes to cut some 3/16" to size and try them. Not enough with the 3/16", then bump up in 1/16" increments till you "pass go and collect the $200". :>)

                          I think 3/16" to begin with would do it nicely though even though a guess?

                          Well... back down to the "slave shop" to sweat over a hot work-bench as scheduled by the "First Lady" ( cheif labor administrator ). No rest for the weary! .. and she's staring over my shoulder shaking her head as I type. heeee............

                          Regards...

                            Comment

                            • leehljp
                              The Full Monte
                              • Dec 2002
                              • 8779
                              • Tunica, MS
                              • BT3000/3100
                              #8
                              I made one of those about 5 or 6 years ago and use it when I have lots of routing to do. Very helpful. Yours is nicer looking than mine, which is unfinished oak.
                              Hank Lee

                              Experience is what you get when you don't get what you wanted!

                                Comment

                                • SARGE..g-47
                                  #9
                                  Early morning Lee..

                                  That's exactly whey I built this one. My company was moving to a new 300,000 sq. ft. facility and the cabinet makers wanted $36,000 to do a custom 100" showroom counter with a semi-circles at the ends. They ask me if I would do it at my shop and I accepted to save them money. Instead of purchasing around 300' of pre-cut molding, I just decided to cut it myself using those Rigid flip top stands for front and rear support with my router table as a one man show.

                                  300 linear feeet approxiamate in 12' to 16' lenghts got cut without a hiccup and that spring-board and flip-tops played a big role in keeping it tight to fence on the way through as I did it alone.

                                  It was a big job.. but they purchased at my request 6 48" Cabinet-masters.. a Bosch barrel gip jig-saw, a new PC mag circular, 2 Tru-grips, 2 Rigid flip tops and several Freud 24 T rip blades as I cut all the framing from rough stock to save money.

                                  I worked on it 7 days a week, 14 hours a day for 3 weeks to get it installed before a grand opening and I did. Along with the goodies they paid me $40 and hour, so I came out OK and so did they as I did it all for around $14,000 which included the tools they purchased and my pay. I kept the tools as part of the deal.

                                  So.. the story of how the spring-board helped save the day.. ha.. ha....

                                  Regards...

                                    Comment

                                    • eezlock
                                      Senior Member
                                      • Feb 2006
                                      • 997
                                      • Charlotte,N.C.
                                      • BT3100
                                      #10
                                      what is it?

                                      Originally posted by SARGE..g-47
                                      Early morning Lee..

                                      That's exactly whey I built this one. My company was moving to a new 300,000 sq. ft. facility and the cabinet makers wanted $36,000 to do a custom 100" showroom counter with a semi-circles at the ends. They ask me if I would do it at my shop and I accepted to save them money. Instead of purchasing around 300' of pre-cut molding, I just decided to cut it myself using those Rigid flip top stands for front and rear support with my router table as a one man show.

                                      300 linear feeet approxiamate in 12' to 16' lenghts got cut without a hiccup and that spring-board and flip-tops played a big role in keeping it tight to fence on the way through as I did it alone.

                                      It was a big job.. but they purchased at my request 6 48" Cabinet-masters.. a Bosch barrel gip jig-saw, a new PC mag circular, 2 Tru-grips, 2 Rigid flip tops and several Freud 24 T rip blades as I cut all the framing from rough stock to save money.

                                      I worked on it 7 days a week, 14 hours a day for 3 weeks to get it installed before a grand opening and I did. Along with the goodies they paid me $40 and hour, so I came out OK and so did they as I did it all for around $14,000 which included the tools they purchased and my pay. I kept the tools as part of the deal.

                                      So.. the story of how the spring-board helped save the day.. ha.. ha....

                                      Regards...
                                      Sarge, looks real good..still don't have a clue at this time...but anyway..
                                      Sounds like you did one heck of a NICE job there, good profit and some
                                      good toys...uh tools to boot! eezlock

                                        Comment

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