A fabulous red gum eucalyptus floor for the fabulous Darlene

[mesquite buckeye]

Will you pattern the run widths or will that be random?

More or less random, but I have more 3 and 4 inch than 5 or 6 inch. Probably double of each or so, so there will be more narrower stuff.

[mesquite buckeye]

Starting to edge the flooring to even 1/2" widths starting with 6".

 
Fancy combination holddown and against the rail tool.


 
In use with equally fancy anti-kickback into your face/push stick.

And an even fancier mesquite buckeye original board catching device. ;D 8) 8) 8)


 

[beenthere]

No comment on the push sticks other than keep a bandaid or two handy.

[mesquite buckeye]

They actually work better than they look. The left one is long enough to hold with my hand and armpit, the right just moves the piece forward nice and steady and keeps the piece from catching and launching. Used together and with practice, they work pretty not bad and the cost is low. ;D

I do try to keep the right stick near the blade, as getting too far to the right can cause a punch in the stomach from a rather fast moving chunk of floor, etc. : :( :'(

Even a funky push stick is better than no push stick. I still have all my fingers. ;D

[LeeB]

Wedging that side stick in your armpit scares me to shivers. Any kind of kick back at all could drive it right into your body in a soft area. Please come up with something else.

[mesquite buckeye]

It's just under the armpit and sticks out the back. Worst case is some slivers. The right stick would be the one that gets the kickback anyway. The left one would just get knocked to the side as it flew by.

Sure nice to hear you guys are worried about me.

I am touched. smiley_tom_dizzyguy02  (It has been said.)

Seriously, I've never had a problem with this "system" and have cut thousands of board feet this way. All my kickback surprises have happened when I tried to cut off stuff, usually with the miter guide and no follower stick to the right of the blade. That's when the free piece can rotate just enough to catch a tooth and start on its merry helicopter flight of fancy. Ouch. :-\

[hackberry jake]

With pieces that wide, I would just run them through by hand. The hand pressure pushing toward the fence. Kickbacked push-sticks hurt too. Also, a true ripping blade would make the cuts go much smoother.

Im not saying you are doing it the wrong way. Just how I would do it differently. Do what you feel most comfortable doing.

[tule peak timber]

twisted interlocking grain, short pieces, hard wood , ......Russ, when you visited here did you notice I wasn't maimed ?????? Take care.....

[mesquite buckeye]

Got the 5" and 6" all edged. The really hard ones want to ride up and get exciting, but I don't let them get away with it. Just back up a bit and don't let the piece move away from the fence, then more downward pressure with the left stick and slower forward. The shorties are scarier for sure, but they go through fine if I am patient and attentive. The hardest ones are the worst.

Jake- Thanks for the thought, but no way is my hand going anywhere near that blade. The boards are slick as well and I don't think I would even want to attempt to simultaneously cut off a finger and catch a board in the belly. They have a bit of a greasy feel to them, and very smooth.

I did notice that Rob. ;D

There were only 3 boards that would have made a 5.5" board, so now they are all 5's.

The 4.5 pile is growing and may or may not be worth doing. Have to wait and see. :-\

[hackberry jake]

Ya know what they say. Different table saw techniques for different folks. I feel like I have a lot more control when I hand feed pieces past the blade. The pressure of my hand is always toward the fence so if something slips my hand goes away from the blade. Think about using push sticks that are too long. You would have very little control and it would be more dangerous. At least thats how I see it. But then again ive been bit by a push stick before too.


 
Make sure the back side of the push sticks have rounded corners. I use push sticks with anything narrower than 3 inches or so as well.

[mesquite buckeye]

Hack, you are a gross guy. ;D

My left push stick is about 3 feet long. Maybe hard to see, but there is an ugly v notch in the tip. I can push it down and right about in the middle, with half the pressure on the board and half against my side. It actually gives a surprising amount of pressure control on the board. I only use that stick as a hold down and right like you would a fingerboard. I use the right stick almost entirely for pushing and down pressure if needed. The right stick is a 1 X 2 so the board doesn't lift over it even if it starts to lift a bit. That would be bad. :(

Try it sometime if you dare. franken-smiley

It actually works better than it looks.

[tule peak timber]

Russ , this is a photo of the cover of a catalog I received today. A new product that has a direct application for what you are doing. Cheaper than stitches or a false eye.  Rob

 

[hackberry jake]

I try to avoid little gadgets like that. I don't know what that system costs, but I bet your money would be better spent on a power feeder. Even though my power feeder is one of the most expensive tools that I have bought.

[tule peak timber]

Jake, I use 9 power feeders in my little shop and I agree they are a better choice................but if you don't have a power feeder.........

[hackberry jake]

Tule Peak, I have seen some of your feeders... I think a couple of em could probably pull gooseneck trailers. 

[tule peak timber]

 :D :D :D :D :D :D Have a good Christmas ..

[mesquite buckeye]

Edging. Turns out there were only 3- 5 1/2" boards, so they became 5" I did get enough 3.5 and 4.5 boards that I cut them that way.

 

Ended up with a pile of sawdust/chips 10 ft across and 3 ft tall.

 

And they are all done. ;D

So you guys can stop worrying. Did get a few zingers flying around, but all from the edgings. :-\

Some of the pieces were so hard it was hard to keep them down, even with pressure right next to the blade. I did shave my wooden "fingers" slightly. ;D


 

All ready for squaring the ends. ;D 8) 8) 8)

Still have 560 sq ft of wood going into the shaper. ;D

[beenthere]

Some of the pieces were so hard it was hard to keep them down, even with pressure right next to the blade.

I'd suggest time for a blade sharpening if the piece is raising up against teeth cutting down. Shouldn't happen.  ;)

[mesquite buckeye]

It's a pretty sharp blade. Seems like grain oriented ramped to the teeth on knot hard pieces. Other ones with the impact more on the end grain went right through. Some of these pieces are so hard they come off the planer polished.

[hackberry jake]

Thats going to be a spectacular floor! You prolly cant but that flooring species can you?

[mesquite buckeye]

I would say if you were doing it the hard way like me with the material I used you would be looking at a $25,000 floor. I bet Rob could quote you what it would actually cost.

I could get all the red gum eucalyptus I could ever use or sell right here in Tucson or pretty much any city in the warmer parts of the desert SW just from residential tree removals. The trick is cutting and drying it and still having lumber at the end. Very susceptible to collapse, warp, twist, checking etc etc. Sure is pretty though.

I would cut it all the time if a market would develop. I'm sure I could get all the trees I want from tree service people for free. ;D

It cuts like butter when it is green. ;D

[mesquite buckeye]

Still have my chop saw sitting out at the ranch, but I started to set up the wood shaper for tongue and groove. Lots of fiddling to get it all square and adjusted so the boards will go through properly. Here is my fancy pusher for doing the ends.

  

 
Just long enough to catch the groove cutter but not to rub on the fence. Keeps the boards from tearing out. Tested and works slick.


 

;D ;D ;D

[mesquite buckeye]

On to end trimming. Got the chop saw back from the ranch. Here is my very fancy setup.

 

Also a slooooow step.  :(

[Magicman]

But maybe your feet and back appreciate the rubber mat.   ;D

[mesquite buckeye]

There's that. I had the mat placed so my left foot was off of it. Amazing how quickly that side starts to get sore. I moved the mat so both feet are happy.