Things to Do

We have vice clamps mounted to some of our tables in the shop.  They are supposed to have a wooden pad inside of the steel plates.  You need to cut wooden pads to replace the missing ones.

• The pads should be sized to fit the clamps well.

• The edges of the pads should be chamfered slightly to prevent marring the pieces being clamped.

• You'll need to plan for the correct screws and screw placement to mount the wooden pads.

• The pads should be sanded smooth.

• Follow this video guide as you create your own, wooden, tri-square.

• https://woodgears.ca/squares/old.html 

• https://ibuildit.ca/projects/wooden-try-square/

• https://www.instructables.com/Wooden-Try-Square/ 

https://www.lumberjocks.com/showcase/a-great-cutting-board-gluing-jig-just-in-time-for-the-christmas-rush.40910/ 

Instructables

• The bit holder/organizer should hold drill bit sizes from 1/8" - 1/2", increasing in size in 1/16" increments

• It should hold two of each size bit.

• The bits should be held in such a way that they can be identified easily by size.

• It should fit securely onto the drill press table (even if you need to modify the table), but should also be designed to hang from a French cleat storage system.

• You must receive instructor approval to begin this process.

• This is a BIG job.  You'll be removing the entire cabinet area above the sanding counters and disassembling the cabinets to be used in constructing the French cleat system.

• The first task is removal and disassembly of the cabinets.

• Next, create a flat wooden surface on the wall which is lined with cleats.  This will need to be attached to the wall where the cabinets were previously.

• Now, design individual storage racks for the different sanding tools and accessories.  Each storage piece should be designed in such a way that it both hangs from the cleats securely and can be set on a flat work surface.

• Our current clamp storage system is nice, but when I need more than two clamps, I find myself running back and forth from the clamps to my workstation.  Lets make a stand that can be easily moved from it's secured position and taken to a workstation to unload or load clamps.

• The new clamp system must hold all of our bar clamps.  It does NOT have to be a one piece system.  It would be better if it was designed with room for additional clamps to be added in the future.

• It must include a space for all of our clamp sizes.

• The clamps must set securely so that they will not slide or tumble off of the rack during transportation.

• The rack must be stable enough that a 6th grader could move it across a shop floor, possibly rolling over extension cords or other obstacles, without tipping over or losing clamps.

• Choose a worktable that appears to have no finish or which has excessive paint or stains on its surface.

• Sand the surface of the table with a belt sander.  Be sure to sand with the grain of the wood and never across.  This means that the belt of the sander should be running the same directions as the individual boards that make up the table.  Be sure to move the sander side to side and forward and backward; do not let it set in one spot for long as it will make a gouge in the table.  Sand until all stains and paint have been removed.

• Fill any gaps, cracks, gouges, or cuts with wood putty.  Allow the putty to dry completely.  You may need to apply multiple layers of putty to large defects.

• Sand the surface of the table with a palm sander.  Begin with a lower grit, probably around 120, and gradually increase to higher grit papers.  Be sure to wipe the dust off the table before the next step.

• Apply 2-4 coats of polyurethane to the table; sand lightly between each coat.

• Finished.

Take some time to design and build a pencil holder that can go on a desk (maybe your parent's or your favorite teacher's) or even in your locker.

• Pencil Holder 1

• Crayon/Marker Organizer

• Polygon Pencil Holder (great for math teachers)