Recent content by Alan Bain

Copy ordered - looks really useful. I am indeed very ignorant of this whole subject having previously thought it was for "industrial" workshops only!

Quiet is definitely important and appreciate the pointers to the book. As you say what started as “I need a giant vacuum cleaner” quickly became rather more sophisticated and yes my machines are super at what they do but also at making dust!!

The moment has finally come when I realise I need to sort out dust extraction in my workshop (serious, but non-professional use only) before the hamsters move in! Can anyone give me any suggestions on what I should be looking for; I'll probably look to buy something second hand - but it's not...

Well been following your advice and have one of those plastic component boxes filled with sand shaded petals. And indeed they did get better as time went by! I also found the need for a tiny chisel for the points. I really like the buffet. The doors seem to fit the shape perfectly - it looks as...

Thank you for a very good suggestion! WIll have to keep a look at - and thanks for that restoration story, it helped encourage me to "need" a PK

Hi, I'm looking for a crown guard (or a restoration project that once was a crown guard) for a Wadkin PK (ideally) or PP (maybe more realistic) dimension saw. I'm missing the whole assembly (vertical pillar, horizontal arm, and guard). I have a reasonably equipped workshop so can easily make...

Having finished more or less making all the parts of a table that has been vaguely based on Federal styles I thought with some extra time I could add some inalyed bell flowers which is something I have never tried. Illustration shows one leg after inlaying the boxwood lines.There's a clear...

What an excellent idea to have the axis of the spindle at 90 degres to the axis of the work and use a high speed cutter. My attempts at cutting threads have had them aligned which makes for a much rougher cutting action I suspect. The pictures shows me cutting a test piece in box wood. The...

I'm intrigued.... please do tell what you use them for.

I've been chopping lots of half blind dovetails by hand and suspect a chisel for getting into the corners would help make this faster. I think what I need is a "fish tail chisel" but it seems that they aren't that available (as in even the mouth wateringly expensive Lie Nielsen ones seem "out...

It’s time to build a new heavier work bench - my old Sjoberg one is too small, too light and has had years of use which has taken its toll (not abuse - but many of the joints are loose which could be fixed but the other problems remain). I have a planer thicknesser (12 in) and definitely prefer...

Well here's the jig for setting the knives on the BAO/S that I finally made. In case anyone else wants to do this the main diameter is 3.875" measured off the cutter block and the knife cutting circle is designed to be 4" so the additional depth is 62.5 thou which I ran in over an arc of 30...

Thank you!

Sadly I wasn’t quick enough here! Was hoping the listing still existed to let me grab the photo but seems like it doesn’t!

Yes, this is a 3 phase one as well. Worked nicely after a quick reversal of a pair of wires to make it run the right way, the joys of having a 3 phase supply to the house! It is actually my first PT; unsurprisingly I have used them before, but tended to rely on using other people's machines in...