plane torque - kalamunda mens shed inc. · printing presses, storage of newsprint, ink - 10,000kgs...
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Kalamunda Men’s Shed is a registered charity and all donations are fully tax deductable. Page 1
Joint foundation sponsors: The Rotary Club of Kalamunda and the Forrestfield Community Bank.
Proudly supported by the Shire of Kalamunda. PO Box 1359 Kalamunda 6926
www.kalamundamensshed.org.au
NOTES FOR YOUR DIARY 30 May at 1400: General Meeting, Guest Speaker Gerald Ashcroft, “Your Life Stories are your Legacy”,
followed by the usual BYO Sundowner and
BBQ.
8 June: Plants for residents’ parking duties
12 June at 1145: Tour of Parliament House
18 June at 1300: Computer Group Meeting 27 June at 1400: General Meeting: Steam
Engines demonstration, followed by the
usual BYO Sundowner and BBQ.
3 July at 1300: Howard’s Bull Session. “How to
protect yourself from unwanted calls and
scams”
FROM CHAIRMAN MORRIS
Gents,
As the month of May rushes
past, we on the COM turn
our attention to all the “end
of year” activities, that is:
portfolio reports
reviews of the past 12 months
annual general meeting
election of officer bearers
It’s also time to look at the Shed and all the
members and to ask ourselves the question
“Is our Shed fulfilling the needs of
members? “
If we judge ourselves from the number of men
who:
regularly turn up at the Shed each
week
go on the excursions that John
Schoen organises
volunteer their time to help build toys
for sale
bring their partners to our mixed
functions (Valentine’s Day, Restaurant
night)
crawl out of bed to assist with the
Rotary parking and Shire plant day
drive the buses during the Zig Zag
walk
volunteer to be on the Committee of
Management
very quietly assist another member to
complete a project
pick up a rake and shovel and spend
the morning cleaning up around the
shed,
take time out to weld up the ticket
boxes,
Plane Torque The Kalamunda Men’s Shed Newsletter
Issue No: 59 ABN 76 391 304 870 Date: June 2014
Kalamunda Men’s Shed is a registered charity and all donations are fully tax deductable. Page 2
build the wooden boxes that the local
hotel asked us to produce,
do all those jobs I don’t see being
done
Then I believe we can give ourselves a
positive YES.
Isn’t marvellous to be involved with a fabulous
group of men who just seem to come together
to enjoy themselves but in doing so, assist
others to also enjoy themselves.
Well done.
Morris
2014/2015
SUBSCRIPTIONS
ARE NOW DUE
Membership
subscriptions are due
on 1 July 2014 and
remain at $60.00.
Payments can be
made as follows :-
Direct per cash or cheque to Treasurer
Graeme or Shed Boss Jim.
Alternatively, payment can be made by
electronic bank transfer (pay anyone facility)
Bendigo Bank
Account name. Kalamunda Men’s Shed Inc.
BSB 633000
Account No. 136575198
Anyone having concerns about paying the
subscription in full, can discuss with Graeme to
make part payments in confidence
OUR NEXT GUEST SPEAKER,
GERALD ASHCROFT
Gerald is a
Lighting/Cameraman/Direct
or & Editor, with an
extensive background in
Video Production, both here & in the UK.
Throughout his career he has incorporated his
talents as a digital cinematographer visualiser,
artist & musician, into all aspects of his work.
Creating programs for Industry & Commerce,
has presented him with many opportunities to
work in a diverse range of environments, from
heavy to light Industry, through to Science &
Technology.
Gerald has a passion for helping clients, to find
the story they need to tell. He uses digital
media solutions to add value and work with
clients from the initial concept of a project,
through to completion and delivery.
He is currently producing a 3D IMAX
documentary drama for the Giant Screen
Industry, for global distribution.
OUR LAST GUEST SPEAKER
KMS member Mal Roberts gave us a
fascinating talk titled:
“ARE YOU TAKING TOO MANY
PILLS?
MEDICATION MANAGEMENT
AND YOU”
Mal emphasised the need to monitor your
medications with regular checkups by your GP
and also being aware of any side effects. He
posed the question are you taking medications
regularly and in the proper manner?
A service, free for most of us, is the Home
Medicines Review (HMR). It can be
recommended by your GP and enables an
accredited Pharmacist to meet with you and
determine:
whether all your medicines are the best
choice for YOU,
if doses appropriate,
if any may be causing problems, now or
may in the future,
Kalamunda Men’s Shed is a registered charity and all donations are fully tax deductable. Page 3
whether some can be stopped or others
need starting.
if pathology tests or other monitoring is
required
OUR LAST
EXCURSION
(Article by John S)
While awesome is a word much used by
younger generations to describe not very
much at all, it truly describes the scale of
operations at "The West Australian"
.A sample-
200,000 copies of "The West" are printed
daily, Monday to Friday and around 300,000
on the weekend, just one part of the 2 million(!)
newspapers printed each week including
the regionals and even a couple of foreign
language newspapers.
Handed an" Interesting Facts" sheet at the
end brought together all of the mass of detail
mentioned during our tour of the premises,
actually two separate buildings, one,
Newspaper House with all of the office staff,
editorial, reporters, photographers, IT,
advertising, HR, Management etc, the other,
the Herdsman Print Centre housing the
printing presses, storage of newsprint, ink -
10,000kgs of black and 8,000kgs of coloured
ink are used each week-
Distribution, with all that this covers and
there's more.
Impressions were overwhelming; size of the
operation probably ranks "The West" in the top
4 or 5 industrial plants in the West. Robots,it
looked like about 18 running around, made in
Finland and costing $210,000 ea. One of the
more agile members of our party was
challenged to go and stand in front of one to
see if it would stop (it does, but, bearing down
on you at maybe 8km/hr, it stops a mere 10-12
cms in front of your face ) .
Our guide Anthony Alborn was amazing,
starting the tour a little early just on 5
and finishing after 10 he never paused once,
enthusiastically leading us through the whole
process and although he was probably not
much younger than most of us, never showed
signs of flagging, nor paused for a sip of water.
Keeping up with him was a tough call for more
than a few of us.
Oh and yes, we met Alston the cartoonist and
also, the Editor who held up printing of the
front page to get a photo of Baby George in,
scooping the rest of Australia, the man who
presses the big red button when he approves
the printing of the paper and there's more still.
In all---------------------------------------------
AWESOME!
Our guide, Anthony Alborn, Group Tour Manager
for The West Australian presenting John Schoen
with the black printing plate used to produce the
front and back page of that day's paper, just one of
the approximately 10,000 plates produced each
week.
HOWARD’S LAST BULL SESSION
Once again an interesting and informative Bull
Session was conducted by Howard. The subject
was “Leaving the family home and downsizing”.
Questions were raised as to when to make the
decision about selling up and the costs involved.
Members related experiences, both good and bad,
of loved ones who had moved into smaller
accommodation. Howard also referenced an
excellent 37 page publication from the Department
of Commerce,
which will be
circulated to
members.
The last Bull Session about downsizing
Kalamunda Men’s Shed is a registered charity and all donations are fully tax deductable. Page 4
Aware of dust (This article contributed by Eddie Van R, extracted from American Woodturner Magazine April 2010 Vol 25 Number 2) There are two aspects to fine dust that determine risk, first the size of the particles and second, the concentration of them in the air. Sawdust is generally in the area of less than 1 micron to 600 microns. A micron is one millionth of a meter in diameter – to put it into perspective, Particles smaller than 40 microns cannot be seen with the naked eye. The diagram below may take a few minutes to get a handle on, with the shaded area, the range of dust particles not visible to the naked eye, yet the most dangerous to our lungs. Our lungs deal fairly well with foreign bodies that are more than 7 microns in size. When a ray of light reveals floating dust in the workshop, we’re only seeing particles that are five to six times larger than the ones that are harmful. For the Wood turner, the two most common problems are- Nuisance dusts – small particles that at high concentrations clog up the airways of the lungs and create discomfort and breathing difficulty. Toxic dusts – particles that are toxic to the body after being inhaled into the lungs – asbestos, silica, be careful with MDF material and the emery wheel. After all is said and done, common sense tells us to take precautions against any dangerous practice, including inhaling wood dust.
Eddie demonstrating an “antique” dust
mask
Dust Masks: a Word of caution One of the great misconceptions of dust control is that inexpensive white fabric or paper nuisance masks offer some protection while turning. It's
worth noting that reputable companies such as 3M place a warning label on their version of these, and it literally reads: "This mask will not protect your lungs." (Less scrupulous manufacturers print the label in small print on the package rather than the mask, or not at all.) Nuisance masks not only allow almost all of the dangerous small particles through, they also impart a false sense of security. People using them for wood dust filtration feel as though they are doing something to protect themselves (which, of course, is completely false), so they don't bother taking any other real steps such as installing an air scrubber, hooking up to a dust collector, or investing in a powered respirator. Beyond the cheap, disposable versions, there are some nuisance masks such as the Dust Bee Gone that, although not NIOSH or OSHA approved, still filter down to 3 microns. The mask accommodates to most faces, even those with beards, has two straps to help close gaps around the edges, won't fog up glasses, and is actually made in America. For more information, visit dustbeegone.com/dustmask.html. After all is said and done, woodturners who take precautions against inhaling wood dust will be able to enjoy their time at the lathe without fearing respiratory health hazards. The consequences of exposure are just too risky to take casually.
INTRODUCTION TO HAND ROUTERS
(Article by Rod Jones)
The purpose of this paper is to introduce and
familiarise participants with a brief history and
use of this versatile tool.
Kalamunda Men’s Shed is a registered charity and all donations are fully tax deductable. Page 5
Modern day routers evolved from 19th century
hand planes, in particular one called the “old
women’s tooth”. There are still hand planes
around called router planes. History tells us
that the modern router started around 1915
with the “Jet Motor Hand Router”; apparently
the inventor modified an end mill (cutter) and
increased the speed from 3000 rpm to around
30,000 by using compressed air.
This was refined in the 1940’s with electric
drive motors replacing compressed air. In the
1960’s the modern router started to evolve.
Modern day use:
The router was traditionally used to machine
wood, however today this tool is used to
machine laminates composites, aluminium,
plastics and a vast range of materials. It can
also be used in a router table, computer
controlled machines, overhead (pin router) or
vertical modes.
The Hand Router
Basically the hand router is marketed in two
formats, fixed or plunge routers. A fixed router
shown in (fig 1) is not adjustable once the
cutting depth has been set. The operator
determines the depth of cut prior to machining,
it is then fixed, the router has to be lowered
into the work and then lifted off when the cut is
finished. This requires some skill and
experience and possibly a greater risk of
spoiling the work. However the fixed router still
enjoys great popularity in the US although
plunge routers are gradually growing more
popular with younger wood workers.
Manufacturers like Bosch and De Walt
produce models that are convertible from fixed
to plunge.
The router shown in figure 1 was purchased by
the author in 1981 and is an Australian
manufactured Black and Decker. It is fixed
base and fixed speed, probably around 20,000
+ rpm. Depth of cut is achieved by loosening
a wing nut and moving the drive part up or
down in relation to the base. There is a
threaded ring around the body to assist this
process.
The plunge router (fig 2) retracts the cutter
above the work, the operator then plunges the
bit into the work. With both routers the
operator pre determines the depth of cut.
Typically unless a cut is very shallow most
cuts require up to three increases in depth
during a cut so as not to overload the router
and spare the bit from overheating and basic
safety. With the fixed router this can be a
tedious task. The plunge router is fitted with a
turret, which is a depth stop and can be quickly
revolved in three stages to the next (deeper)
cut saving time. Each station is typically fitted
with a micro adjuster, giving you an exact
depth of cut. Also when the plunge mechanism
is released the bit immediately retracts from
the work preventing damage and usually
retracting the spinning cutter into the router
base, a far safer option.
Australian made 1981 B & D fixed base. 1
Dremel with after market plunge base. 2
Chucks and collets:
Typically smaller routers are fitted ¼”
(6.35mm) collets whilst larger models are fitted
with ½” (12.75). This is the universal standard
irrespective of where the router is
manufactured, US, UK or Europe. Some top
Kalamunda Men’s Shed is a registered charity and all donations are fully tax deductable. Page 6
end manufacturers such as Leigh are now
trending to 8mm as the ideal. They provide
reduction collets from ½” to 8mm with their
jigs. Most manufacturers of ½”routers supply
¼” reduction collets the exception being Triton
which supplies two chucks in both sizes.
Router cutters:
A separate sheet is available offering
guidelines to size and speed etc. It covers both
table mounted and hand held routers. This
paper however is aimed at hand held units.
Some bits are manufactured of high speed
steel (HSS) sometimes called tool steel. The
more durable, harder bits include tungsten
carbide cutting edges. Smaller diameter bits
are often solid carbide which is typically more
expensive. For light use or home wood
working HSS is fine and usually easier to
sharpen.
There are hundreds, possibly thousands of
different cutters, all shapes and sizes, some
are incredibly complex in design and
manufacture, with a price tag to match.
Cutters usually start at 3mm diameter
increasing to around 50mm, it’s advised that
hand held routers do not exceed 30mm
(Linbide NZ). The rule of thumb is ‘as the
diameter increases, the router speed
decreases’.
Many cutters are fitted with a rotating bearing
guide. Straight cutters are available with a
bearing at the top or bottom. The idea being
the bearing follows a template or guide and
replicates its shape on the work piece. This
operation can also be achieved by using a
‘guide bush’ fitted to the router base these are
available from the original manufacturer or
after market. The difference being, the guide
bush does reproduce the template, but it is
reduced in size due to the greater diameter of
the bush. This has to be allowed for when
designing your work. Most dovetail or finger jig
manufacturers allow for both and supply bits
accordingly.
Guide systems:
It would be safe to say there is no such thing
as a ‘free hand router’. Any woodworker that
has tried to follow a pencil line and ruined an
expensive piece of timber or board with a
router rotating at around 23,000 rpm will
understand.
The most basic guide would be a straight
piece of timber batten clamped to the work
piece. This can be used for edging a large
board, for example too big for the router table.
This setup can also be used for trenching
shelves or sliding dovetails. There are several
types of proprietary aluminium guides on the
market with different clamping mechanisms.
It’s worth the investment if you do a
reasonable amount of this work. There are
circle attachments which are usually included
in the router package together with a fence
and at least one guide bush.
The router fence is designed to guide the
router along a straight edge to provide a round
over or other modification. It is usually
recommended to modify or extend the face of
the fence with a piece of timber. This prevents
a disaster at the start or finish of the cut when
the fence wants to go its own way. Other
guides take the form of dovetail and finger jigs
which are commercially available. Lastly there
is the home made guide usually MDF or ply for
your own special project.
MERCHANDISE
We have a
selection of long
sleeve shirts
available for $28
each. See Elton
or in his absence,
Treasurer Graeme
to purchase one.
These will be
ideal for those
winter days in the
Shed.
IN THE NEXT EDITION of Plane Torque
Watch out for FINANCE and KNOCK DOWN
FITTINGS