The heatwave is still upon us, but in a slightly cooler moment, I took the opportunity to fit the UJK router elevator from Axminster. This comment is not intended as a review as such, suffice to say that it's a very well put together piece of kit. However, when I fitted it the first time I tried a long bearing cutter and was a bit put out to see that it was running off centre...in other words, there was distinct 'wobble' that could be seen when it slowed down.
Not good.
I initially thought the router cutter was bent (t'were a cheapie in the first place) but it wasn't the case. As per bloody usual it was my fault! What I'd done is to assemble the whole thing and somehow trap a bit of detritus which had the effect of throwing the whole shooting match slightly 'off', with the consequent alarming wobble. Assembly under operating theatre conditions sorted out the problem and it now runs true.
Thoroughly recommended, with the strict caveat that you need to be scrupulously clean in the assembly procedure...which initially I wasn't.
The next blinding bit of 'shop stuff was the repair of the AirPress vacuum bag. The pump itself is superb but the bags leave a lot to be desired as the welded seams need constant attention. The open end shown below...
...has actually got a layer of double sided tape on the inside as the seam was constantly developing leaks. During the course of a little bit of veneering last week there was a leak which I couldn't trace, so I took out the base board, dragged the bag into the garden and filled it up with water...
...to find, as I suspected, that the seam was broken along the bottom. You can see the water dribbling out if you squint hard enough! Pegging it out to dry over night on the washing line...
...drained off most of the wet, so that it could be dried off in the 'shop next day. The seam was easily fixed with a couple of bits of electrical tape.
This is the point in this entry where you need slap on the tricorn hat, find a stuffed parrot to perch on your shoulder, roll the eyes and adopt your very best Robert Newton voice.
We went for a little spin yesterday afternoon down to Yandles to find a small piece of stuff for a special turning project (a gift for one of SWIMBO's colleagues who's just had a serious operation). Cutting a long story sideways, we did indeed find a suitable lump of English Walnut, but a further delvation into the pile on the shelves revealed this obviously very old and quite dirty lump of stuff, which clearly, to their ultimate cost...
...all the other punters had missed.
As i turned it over to find out what it was, I was gobsmacked to see that it was a big blank of...
...Burr English Walnut!
Here indeed be treasure.......Aaaaaaargh!!
