Cutting circles

May 7, 2010
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The aluminum for the boilers comes in large, smooth sheets, which I promptly mark up and cut to pieces with this hand-held metal shear. The proper way to cut the circles is with a large tool called a circle shear but, you guessed it, this was cheaper. That’s been my M.O. with this project – […]

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Mandrel shaping

May 7, 2010
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I remember first being mesmerized by the process of wood turning by a manufacturing clip I saw as a child – I think it was through Picture Picture. The magically disappearing material and beautifully detailed, perfectly symmetrical shapes. It’s a skill – well, it’s something at which one can be skilled, not that I am […]

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Cheap tools

May 5, 2010
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Each part of the boiler is formed around a wooden form called a mandrel, and over time they can warp. So when the mandrels I used for my prototype were too far gone to fix, I picked up some 8/4 hard maple to cut into circles and laminate up for replacements. Maple is hard, with […]

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Workshop

May 4, 2010
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Final exams and term papers are fading, and I’ve been preparing my workshop for a summer in full swing. Checking my tools, buying a bird feeder. Stationed on the balcony of our third floor apartment, my shop gets an F (okay, D+) for weather protection, but an A for view and natural lighting. The open-air […]

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