https://www.builtbybetts.com/woodworking daily 0.75 2013-08-30 https://www.builtbybetts.com/featured-projects daily 0.75 2018-09-06 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b863aa2aa4a99e19d366521/1535262458611/IMG_4007.JPG Featured Projects The vacuum pump was turned on and once we verified that the pressure had stabilized near -12 psig, we unhooked the pump and let the board set over night. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b863aa2aa4a99e19d36651d/1534706107963/IMG_3685.JPG Featured Projects We designed holes for alignment pins in the mold, but because the pins we were using were too small, relative to the holes, we ended up stacking the cardboard layers with a slight skew. The skew created an asymmetry to the board that was just noticeable. Not enough to scrap the mold, but enough to lament not being more careful. Anyways, we let the glue dry overnight and in the morning it was ready for pressing. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b863aa2aa4a99e19d36651f/1534706107966/IMG_3995+%281%29.JPG Featured Projects Standard construction fro a street deck is 7 layers of 1/16" maple veneers. The layers alternate in grain direction (along the length of the board, then across the width) so there is isotopic strength and stiffness. Glue is rolled out on a face sheet (its a little thicker and has very few visual defects) and the next layer is laid out on top. Glue is spread on that veneer and a layer is placed on top of that, and so on and so forth. Before the gluing, Vince laser welded a 4" long polyethylene bag with a hose port and an end that could be sealed with Butyl rubber sealing tape. The mold was placed in the bag, with the seven layer glued wood construction on top. A breather mesh ( a plastic mesh that stops the bag from sealing off areas that haven't been fully evactuated) was placed in the bag as well. Finally, the press bag was sealed. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b863aa2aa4a99e19d366525/1535523216932/IMG_4028.JPG Featured Projects I spent an additional hour at home with the orbital sander, smoothing out the raised grain and rounding out the profile bevel. I have to say, it looked pretty professional when it was all said and done. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b863aa2aa4a99e19d366517/1534706107957/IMG_5168.JPG Featured Projects https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b863aa2aa4a99e19d36652b/1534706107980/IMG_5170.JPG Featured Projects We slapped some street trucks and wheels on the board and it was ready to ride. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b863aa2aa4a99e19d366519/1534706107959/image+%284%29.png Featured Projects Vince and I spent a while going back and forth on the shape of the board. There are many considerations when it comes to the design of a skateboard. There is the "camber", which is the longitudinal curvature of a board. A positive camber gives the board more pop during carves, and a negative camber (rocker) gives the board more stability at speed. Then there is "concavity" which is the shape of the board across it's width. A U-shape gives the rider more control at the toe, but less stability on the heel. Mounting styles for the trucks/wheels include drop through (more stable), top mount , and lifted configurations. Board length determines ride performance where a longer board is more stable at speed and a short board is more agile. There's board profile shape, bevel style, flex and 101 other design decisions that go into a board's design. I could go on for a while. Anyways, after days of mulling it over, Vince and I settled on a design. Since Vince was leaning towards a street deck (traditional skateboard) while I was leaning towards a drop down long board. We ended up on a design for a drop down long board that if you cut the ends off of, would have the same geometry of a standard street deck. This way we could vacuum press 2 boards with the same mold and each get the deck we were looking for. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b863aa2aa4a99e19d36651b/1534706107961/IMG_3684.JPG Featured Projects The next step was to make the form. People often carve a form out of a block of foam, but we wanted to try something different. First we used a free program from AutoDesk called 123DMake. After importing the board geometry and setting the slice width, 123DMake created vector files that when laser cut out of cardboard and stacked would create the shape of the board we were going for, We used some cardboard we had laying around the shop. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b863aa2aa4a99e19d366527/1534706107975/IMG_4043.JPG Featured Projects With some design help from Alexa, we laser cut a custom grip at work. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b863aa2aa4a99e19d36652d/1534706107981/IMG_5176.JPG Featured Projects Although I like to make skateboards, I'm not very good at riding them; particularly street decks. I spent many hours on this board trying to perfect an ollie, and then a kick flip. If you zoom in you can see how beat up the nose and tail are. Still haven't quite gotten there. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b863aa2aa4a99e19d36652f/1534706107983/IMG_5161.JPG Featured Projects My favorite part of the whole piece might be the grip tape. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b863aa2aa4a99e19d366523/1534706107970/IMG_4018.JPG Featured Projects In the morning, we realized that bag had leaked to some degree and we no longer had a strong press. Regardless, the blank seemed to have set in close to the right shape. We printed out a profile of a street deck and attached it to the blank with some spray adhesive. We drilled out the mounting holes and countersunk the top face. Then we changed the blade on the band saw at work to a wood cutting tooth set and went to town. Finally, we used the standing belt sander to bring the edge up to the profile line and lock in the shape of the board. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b863aa2aa4a99e19d366529/1534706107977/IMG_4047.JPG Featured Projects Again, Alexa provided the art for the laser etching on the bottom of the board to cement the sea monster theme. I stained the board purple to evoke the ocean depths (also because its the color I had laying around). A couple coats of poly and the board was complete! https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b83a3b66d2a73bb5c20ec91/5b83a3b66d2a73bb5c20ec9a/1535332750693/IMG_5369.JPG Featured Projects https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b83a3b66d2a73bb5c20ec91/5b83a3b66d2a73bb5c20ec98/1535332733744/IMG_5367.JPG Featured Projects https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b83a3b66d2a73bb5c20ec91/5b83a3b66d2a73bb5c20ec96/1535332714311/IMG_5353.JPG Featured Projects https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b83a3b66d2a73bb5c20ec91/5b83a3b66d2a73bb5c20ec94/1535332676171/IMG_5314.JPG Featured Projects https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b83a3b66d2a73bb5c20ec91/5b83a3b66d2a73bb5c20ec92/1535332604403/IMG_5337.JPG Featured Projects https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b83a3b66d2a73bb5c20ec7f/1534749411912/IMG_5936.JPG Featured Projects Mirror, Mirror - The blades came back from heat treatment with a grey, blotchy scale. This scale is called decarb and is the build up of carbon diffused to the surface of the metal. The decarb creates pits in the metal which may act as nucleation sites for rust or other corrosion. I used an ordinary orbital sander and progressively finer grit sanding discs to blast away the decarb. I left a few of the knives with a dull finish and only used sanding discs of grits 180 and 320. For 2 of the knives, however, I decided to strive for a mirror finish and used grits 180, 320, 400, 800, 1000, 1500, 2000, and 3000. Since the metal was hardened, the sanding discs wore out incredibly fast. The face of each knife consumed 1 or 2 discs of each grit. In all, I used around 80 sanding discs to finish 6 blades. The final step for the mirror finish knives was to polish with metal polishing compound and polishing wheel attachment for my cordless drill. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b83a3b66d2a73bb5c20ec81/1534749474651/IMG_6024.JPG Featured Projects Laser Engraving. - Once the finish had been set on the blades I decided they could use a little embellishment. Low power lasers don't etch on steel very well, but I had heard tell of a compound, Ceremark, that might do the trick. Ceremark can be applied to steel and lasered over to chemically etch a pattern. The problem is, Ceremark cost $100 per aerosol can, a bit beyond what I was willing to spend. Fortunately, a marking alternative exists. Dry Moly Lubricant, which only costs ~$10 for a similar sized can, creates similar markings on steel when lasered. I triple coated a patch of the steel blade, set it in my laser cutter at home, fiddled with some settings and crossed my fingers. After a quick rinse with isopropyl alcohol, the rest of the Moly lube washed off, leaving the crisp logo on the steel. Success! https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b83a3b66d2a73bb5c20ec79/1534749141332/IMG_5541.JPG Featured Projects Grinding the primary bevel - The primary bevel is the main taper on a knife. I use my belt sander with a 220 grit belt. In reality I probably should have gone with something more aggressive. Proper technique involves grinding the bevel with cutting edge forward and holding your bevel angle constant. For the kitchen knifes I tried to hold 10 degrees for the primary bevel. For the cleaver, the goal was a primary bevel less than 5 degrees. I decided to cut the knives with a double bevel, (distinct from secondary bevel) meaning I put a primary bevel on either side of the knife. Many Japanese knifes are single bevel (chisel cut) and only hold an edge on one side. Double bevel is the traditional style of western blades. This process took approximately 45 minutes per knife, mostly due to the limitations of my belt sander. A professional set up should be able to get a knife done in a couple minutes, although it would be less forgiving of mistakes. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b83a3b66d2a73bb5c20ec85/1534749624793/IMG_6045.JPG Featured Projects The wooden slabs glued to the handle are called the scales. I experimented with a couple different hardwoods for the scales (Cocobolo, Zebrawood, Indian Rosewood and Eucalyptus Burl). I also put decorative pins in the scales to add a little more flair. Traditionally, the pins would be structural, piercing both scales and the knife handle to fasten the assembly together. However, due to a miscalculation (I made the pin holes to small when I water jet the blanks) and the fact that steel was hardened (I destroyed a drill bit trying to open the holes up on the drill press) I had to cut pins stubs to set in the scales. The pins are purely decorative. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b83a3b66d2a73bb5c20ec8b/1535332376583/IMG_5338.JPG Featured Projects https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b83a3b66d2a73bb5c20ec83/1534749805260/IMG_6036.JPG Featured Projects The final look of the blade, complete with logo by Alexa! We also marked one of the kitchen knives with her logo for Chunk Belly Baking Company. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b83a3b66d2a73bb5c20ec7d/1534749303579/IMG_5929.JPG Featured Projects Secondary Bevel - A knife must only be rough ground (left with a dull edge of ~0.5 mm thickness at the apex) before heat treatment so that the thin edge doesn't develop micro cracks. The secondary bevel is ground into the blade after heat treatment with a whetting stone. The knife is run across (edge forward) a whetting stone at a fixed angle. The secondary bevel is much steeper than the primary bevel. I was shooting for 20 degrees. Proper technique involves traversing the stone with the entire edge of the blade on each pass to ensure an even erosion of a material. There are many different flavors of whetting stone, but mine is a water soaked stone with duel cutting faces; one at 1000 grit for primary material removal and the other at 6000 grit for deburring and honing. This is a rather time intensive process; each knife I made took about 1 hour. Frankly, I could have used another 30 minutes on the 6000 grit side to achieve ultimate sharpness. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b83a3b66d2a73bb5c20ec87/1535238445104/IMG_6084.JPG Featured Projects Gluing the scales onto the tang. I used a 2 part, quick setting epoxy (5 minute pot life) and clamped everything down with some springs clamps. It was a little tricky because the epoxy acts like a lubricant at first. The scales slide around relative to the knife and it is hard to get everything aligned. About 4 minutes in, the glue starts to get tacky and everything holds a little better. But only 3 minutes after that, the epoxy is set, so you better be confident in your work. Whatever you have at that point is final. It was a little nerve wracking, honestly. After a couple hours, the glue was completely cured and ready for a final shaping. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b83a3b66d2a73bb5c20ec75/1535232717986/IMG_5515+%281%29.JPG Featured Projects Water jetting the knife blanks out of a billet of AEB-L-Stainless Steel. AEB-L is a low (ish) Chromium content steel, common in knife making. AEB-L forms small carbides structures (as opposed to large ones) that make it easy to sharpen but good for edge retention once heat treatment. On this billet, the work piece slipped in the clamps and the first attempt at the cleaver came out a bit deformed. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b83a3b66d2a73bb5c20ec73/1535219358658/Cleaver.JPG Featured Projects Locking down the knife design took a lot longer than you'd think. It's easy to stress over the subtle details. Vince and I ended up sketching out a cleaver, a chef's knife, a steak knife, and a paring knife. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b83a3b66d2a73bb5c20ec8f/1535332562626/IMG_5310.JPG Featured Projects https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b83a3b66d2a73bb5c20ec71/1535332297535/IMG_5324.JPG Featured Projects https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b83a3b66d2a73bb5c20ec8d/1535332403809/IMG_5341.JPG Featured Projects https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b83a3b66d2a73bb5c20ec89/1535353044040/IMG_6068.JPG Featured Projects Finishing the handle is one of my favorite parts of the entire process. First, I used the band saw to rough the shape to the blade tang. Then I clamped the blade in a vise went at the handle with a belt sander. This constitutes the bulk of the material removal. After the coarse grit belt sanding, it was time for the random orbital with increasingly fine grits. By the end, I was up to a 1500 grit pad that has been fully caked, causing the sander to become a burnish tool. On average, it took me about an hour to shape each handle. With the knife essentially complete, it was ready for a coat of Tung oil. Tung oil will be applied every couple days for a month or until all the pits/ grooves from the wood grain have filled in and the handle has polished look. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b83a3b66d2a73bb5c20ec77/1535232667643/IMG_5516.JPG Featured Projects We tried to maximize the number of knives we could get out of each billet. We used 5 billets and made a total of `17 knives; including one novelty dagger (outline pictures above).. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b83a3b66d2a73bb5c20ec7b/1534749216096/IMG_5920.JPG Featured Projects Heat Treatment - Once the primary bevel is cut, the knifes were sent out to Byington Blades, a local heat treating shop. Heat treatment alters the structure of the steel crystals, allowing you to tailor the hardness (and associated brittleness) of the steel to the specific application. For these knives we chose a basic heat treatment option which involved treatment in a vacuum environment, This minimizes decarb, a scale formed when carbon leaches out of the steel and forms pits on the surface. We also specified a minimum of 59 Rockwell hardness and authorized a straightening procedure to fix the induced planar curvature in the knives after heat treatment. There's a rabbit hole you can find yourself travelling down when it comes to heat treatment, with multiple heats, quenching rates and media as well as cryo treatments. We'll see how well these blades hold up, but advanced heat treatment may be something to experiment with in the future. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b83bc054d7a9cb23e5e0c3b/1534670292483/IMG_3087.JPG Featured Projects To do the glass and epoxy inlay, I taped the top surface up with masking tape and flipped the piece over I then filled the tree cut out with tumbled glass I bought on Amazon. A two part casting epoxy, Easy Cast, was then poured over the glass. The fatal flaw here was that I didn't tape the top side up well enough and the epoxy began to leak before it set. When I flipped the part over in the morning, the epoxy and glass was proud of the decorative face by about a quarter of an inch! I was going to have to sand it down until the glass and epoxy was flush with the wood. Also known as, an eternity. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b83bc054d7a9cb23e5e0c45/5b83bc064d7a9cb23e5e0c4c/1534670292500/IMG_1169.JPG Featured Projects https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b83bc054d7a9cb23e5e0c45/5b83bc064d7a9cb23e5e0c4a/1534670292498/IMG_1167.JPG Featured Projects https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b83bc054d7a9cb23e5e0c45/5b83bc054d7a9cb23e5e0c48/1534670292496/IMG_1161.JPG Featured Projects https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b83bc054d7a9cb23e5e0c45/5b83bc054d7a9cb23e5e0c46/1534670292493/IMG_1160.JPG Featured Projects https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b83bc054d7a9cb23e5e0c41/1534670292489/IMG_1164.JPG Featured Projects Since the glass and epoxy was translucent I thought it might be interesting to shine a lamp up through the bottom. This isn't the most practical arrangement (keeping a lamp underneath the table instead of on top of it) but it sure did make for a cool picture. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b83bc054d7a9cb23e5e0c33/1534670292476/image+%2832%29.png Featured Projects The first course of action was to CAD up what I wanted the table to look like. I chose to cut out a stylized version of our college emblem, The Lone Pine, and the founding year. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b83bc054d7a9cb23e5e0c37/1535359255307/IMG_2857.JPG Featured Projects The soaked blank started to swell and the cut out piece, which should have just fallen out, was now lodged in place. I had to break out a punch and mallet and eventually a cordless drill to extricate the off cut from the table top. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b83bc054d7a9cb23e5e0c31/1534670292474/IMG_1158.JPG Featured Projects https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b83bc054d7a9cb23e5e0c3f/1534670292487/IMG_1156.JPG Featured Projects I bought hairpin legs for the table top to give it a modern/industrial look. My family squabbled over whether or not 3 legs of 4 legs looked better, but we eventually all settled on 4. The table legs are 20" high making this an ideal side table for next to a couch or an arm chair. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b83bc054d7a9cb23e5e0c43/1534670292491/IMG_1166.JPG Featured Projects Another close up of the glass inlay glowing above the back lighting. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b83bc054d7a9cb23e5e0c3d/1535359771024/IMG_3109.JPG Featured Projects 8 hours (yes, 8 hours), a new belt sander and about 8 coarse grit belts later, I finally had the top face cleaned up and looking like I wanted it. A little stain and a couple coats of poly and the table top was looking ready to ship. Finally. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b83bc054d7a9cb23e5e0c35/1535359214193/IMG_2847.JPG Featured Projects Given that the maple I used was 6/4 (~1.5 inches thick) I figured I'd better use the water jet rather than the laser cutter. If you try to laser hardwood that is too thick, your run the risk of charring the wood and ultimately catching your work piece, and sometimes even the laser bed, on fire. I lowered the water level on the water jet bed to minimize the splash back, but I couldn't get it to go quite low enough. The water ended soaking the piece as it was being cut. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b83bc054d7a9cb23e5e0c39/1535359506168/IMG_2886.JPG Featured Projects Seeing the issues the water jet caused with wood swelling, I decided to take my chances with the laser cutter and cut out the walnut numbering at full power and a glacial feed rate. While my worst fears didn't come true (it didn't catch fire) the part did come out a little charred and the poor cut quality necessitated the extensive use of a chisel to clean up he perimeter. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b83a9f82b6a282494e75b22/1534662338727/b1.PNG Featured Projects My first task was to find a suitable topographic map of Westport, CT. I also wanted to include water depth, so the map would ideally also have bathymetric isolines on it as well. I searched and searched to no avail. Finally, I found a repository of bathymetric/ topographic maps on the NOAA website and was fortunately able to find one for the area in question. The only problem was that it was split into 6 separate files. After another 45 minutes and some Photoshop magic, I finally had a "traceable" map. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b83a9f82b6a282494e75b20/1534660785106/IMG_1055.JPG Featured Projects https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b83a9f82b6a282494e75b2a/1534662679481/IMG_1773.JPG Featured Projects Adding on the frame was the final step. I had couple sticks of walnut that I planed down and cut to length. A real frame would have involved some form of clever jointery, but not for this project. Nope, I just glued the walnut pieces to the side of the assembled map. It actually looks pretty good, but I can't help but to look back now and feel a little ashamed I didn't try something more ambitious. I used some furniture polish to darken up the walnut and it was ready for gifting. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b83a9f82b6a282494e75b2e/5b83a9f82b6a282494e75b3d/1534662911253/IMG_1069.JPG Featured Projects https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b83a9f82b6a282494e75b2e/5b83a9f82b6a282494e75b39/1534662899988/IMG_1062.JPG Featured Projects https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b83a9f82b6a282494e75b2e/5b83a9f82b6a282494e75b3b/1534662901259/IMG_1054.JPG Featured Projects https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b83a9f82b6a282494e75b2e/5b83a9f82b6a282494e75b37/1534662875184/IMG_1067.JPG Featured Projects https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b83a9f82b6a282494e75b2e/5b83a9f82b6a282494e75b35/1534662861696/IMG_1060.JPG Featured Projects https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b83a9f82b6a282494e75b2e/5b83a9f82b6a282494e75b33/1534662860435/IMG_1058.JPG Featured Projects https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b83a9f82b6a282494e75b2e/5b83a9f82b6a282494e75b2f/1534662834967/IMG_1056.JPG Featured Projects https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b83a9f82b6a282494e75b2e/5b83a9f82b6a282494e75b31/1534662838175/IMG_1055.JPG Featured Projects https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b83a9f82b6a282494e75b26/1534662519709/IMG_1771.JPG Featured Projects Setting up the laser file was simple. After about 20 minutes of laser time, I had the flat pattern of the map ready for assembly. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b83a9f82b6a282494e75b28/1535354038305/IMG_1772.JPG Featured Projects Assembly was also not terribly difficult. The first step was to dye the water blue. Then, starting with the base plate (the lowest elevation piece) glue consecutive layers on top of one another, making sure to align the edge of the part with the etched isoline on the part below it. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b83a9f82b6a282494e75b24/1534662367880/topomap.JPG Featured Projects Solidworks does have an Autotrace function, but it's pretty bad at picking up anything that is not a black silhouette on a white background. I had to trace the topo lines from the NOAA maps by hand (well, manually with splines in Solidworks). The next step was to label all the landmarks, which was a fun bit of nostalgia for me. I threw in a quick compass rose and was ready to export to .dxf. Ready for lasering. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b83a9f82b6a282494e75b2c/1534662752373/IMG_1064.JPG Featured Projects I carried this back across the country with me on a plane (That was an ordeal) and presented it to my Dad. He loved it! Eventually he mounted in a place of high honor.... above the computer desk no one uses! It actually looks quite nice where it is. It's always nice when some one willingly displays your work at their house.... even if they have to becasue it's your parents. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b8393a388251bb51ffc749a/1534670651109/IMG_5448.JPG Featured Projects The easiest way to make the inlay inserts was to laser cut them. I knew what size they needed to be from the template. It was quick work to sketch up the shape in SolidWorks and laser them out from a piece of 0.25" walnut I had left over from another project. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b8393a388251bb51ffc749c/1534670785848/IMG_5445.JPG Featured Projects After a pass with the plunge router, the inlay pockets still had rounded corners. To fit the butterfly inserts, I hammered a sharp chisel with a rubberized mallet and carved out the sharp corners. I also used the chisel to tune up areas of the pocket that the router bit didn't cleanly hog out. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b8393a388251bb51ffc74a0/1535349222958/IMG_5490.JPG Featured Projects I went for an A-frame for the legs. Often times I buy legs for the table tops I make; however, I've come to realize that I'm merely eschewing an opportunity hone my jointery skills. On this project, I went for half lap joints that integrate the maple cross bars with the walnut table legs. I cut the interfacing slots/ cheeks by using the table saw as a dado cutter,. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b8393a388251bb51ffc74a6/1534671407377/IMG_5506.JPG Featured Projects The A-Frame legs after a couple coats of poly. I would end up attaching the legs with some stainless steel angle brackets. Not the most elegant solution, but it means that I can take the table apart to pack flat for transport in the future. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b8393a388251bb51ffc7496/1535348431753/IMG_5617.JPG Featured Projects https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b8393a388251bb51ffc74a2/1534671619438/IMG_5537.JPG Featured Projects The final result! If you get up close and personal, there are some larger than desirable gaps, and some excess glue stains here and there. Still, not half bad for a first attempt. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b8393a388251bb51ffc74a8/1535349353687/IMG_5529.JPG Featured Projects The final product with the large cutting board on top. As the largest contiguous surface area in our kitchen, this table has been getting a ton of use. The roommates seem to appreciate the addition and Alexa has made it her go-to baking station. The one addition I'd make is a shelf to span the cross bars on the legs. We could always use some extra storage... or at the very least a platform for the toaster and microwave... which as this posting, still relegated to the floor. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b8393a388251bb51ffc749e/1534670902492/IMG_5494.JPG Featured Projects After the butterfly inlay was pounded in, I sanded it flat with a belt sander. I cleaned up and belt sander scarring with the orbital sander. I made 8 total inlays and there was a marked improvement in quality when comparing the first one I made to the last. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b8393a388251bb51ffc74a4/1534671493409/IMG_5499.JPG Featured Projects After a coat of wipe on gel polyurethane. The walnut starts to darken and the figure of the maple starts to pop. I ended up applying 3 coats of the "The Good Stuff" with a light sanding step in between each coat. This allows for a flat and smooth finish surface, vital for a table top that will be used for meal prep. You don't want a pitted or grooved surface that will trap food residue and harbor bacteria. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b8393a388251bb51ffc7498/1534670547411/IMG_5450.JPG Featured Projects To cut the the butterfly inlay pockets, I used templates for a plunge router and a 3/8" straight bit. The collar that fit the bit I was using had a flange that was a little to long and I had to stack the inlay stencils in order to create the proper offset. I'm not sure the router bits I was using were terribly well made. After cutting several inlay pockets, the router started to chatter. After I was done cutting all the inlays I examined the cutting flutes of the bit and notices some chipping. You get what you pay for I guess. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b838847aa4a996cc7b038db/1534311999635/IMG_5677.JPG Featured Projects The steam box made of common pine board with internal dimensions of 10"X8"X48". The steamer is a bath with a heating element embeddded in the plastic. A corrugated hose pipes in the steam into the back of the box. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b838847aa4a996cc7b038e9/1534751099165/IMG_5982+%281%29.JPG Featured Projects Wood Burning - I wanted to try a new type of embellishment on this board; wood burning. If you take 1 TBSP of Ammonium Chloride (also know as Sal Ammoniac, a flavoring in some types of licorice) and dissolve it in 1/2 cup of water, it becomes an invisible ink of sorts. If you fill an empty pen with the liquid, draw a design on wood and then heat it with a hot air gun, the drawn design will selectively burn. You can control the color of the burn (from yellow/orange/ to dark brown) with the amount of heat applied to the design. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b838847aa4a996cc7b038e1/1534311999642/IMG_5675+%281%29.JPG Featured Projects A steam bending form made of pine lumber. The cleat on the front is meant to capture the leading edge of the steamed board. The board is then bent over the form and clamped along its length. In this case, the bend was too extreme and the cleat was abandoned. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b838847aa4a996cc7b038eb/1534751099167/IMG_5992.JPG Featured Projects I wrote my initials in with a filled pen and also used a rubber stamp to make the Yeti design. I messed up the stamping a couple times, sanding in between to "reset" the surface. It appears as though the solution had leached below the level in the wood that I sanded off. Thus, the yeti came out a little muddled but I kind of liked the look, so I kept it. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b838847aa4a996cc7b038dd/1534311999638/IMG_5704.JPG Featured Projects The front of the steam box is covered with a hinged lid. A padded tape is used on the box rim to seal the box when latched closed. Rods strung across the box create a rack for the material to be steamed. A meat thermometer is pushed through a port in the lid to monitor internal temperature. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b838847aa4a996cc7b038ef/1535332009618/IMG_5306.JPG Featured Projects The Yeti and initials wood burnings really pop with a little natural colored stain and poly. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b838847aa4a996cc7b038df/1534311999640/IMG_5706.JPG Featured Projects Blankets draped over the box to add insulation. In preliminary attempts to steam bend, the large volume of the box caused the the steamer to run out of water before the temperature reached operating temp (100 C). Insulation helps keep the energy in the box and allows the stasis temperature to reach 100 C. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b838847aa4a996cc7b038e7/1535345204651/IMG_5749.JPG Featured Projects The wood has the positive camber I was looking for, but the kick tail is not quite as defined as I hoped. I rough cut the board and marked the center line for trucks mounting hole alignment. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b838847aa4a996cc7b038d9/1535331864098/IMG_5298.JPG Featured Projects https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b838847aa4a996cc7b038e5/1534699606219/IMG_5708.JPG Featured Projects The steamed wood is immediately clamped to the form before it cools. The form over bends the material so that when the clamps are released the part springs back to the right shape. There is a bit of guess work and iteration to get the shape exactly right. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b838847aa4a996cc7b038f1/1535332022974/IMG_5303.JPG Featured Projects Notice the kick tail and the camber. It's subtle, but it works. I quite like the way this board rides. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b838847aa4a996cc7b038ed/1535332091743/IMG_5296.JPG Featured Projects The slender width of the board works well with the wide trucks. You can perform deep carves without the worry of wheel bite. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b838847aa4a996cc7b038e3/1534311999644/IMG_5697.JPG Featured Projects For most woods, general wisdom is 1 hour of steam per inch of thickness of material. Steam time starts when the internal temperature of the box reaches 100 C. For this build the material was ~0.75" thick, and as such was steamed for 45 minutes. Steam for too little time and the material is not pliable enough to bend. Steam for too long and the material is liable to wrinkle along the bend. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b83afe4352f53cbba3e7286/1534317503829/IMG_3290.JPG Featured Projects I spent some time thinking of new and intersting deck shapes for the 4 boards. I settles on a fish tail, a pintail, a twin tip and another pintail with wheel well cut outs. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b83afe4352f53cbba3e7282/1534317503826/IMG_3279.JPG Featured Projects Herringbone, a new pattern! I've done a bunch of straight line rips and I wanted to try something a little different for one of the boards. The glue up was a little more difficult than the average board I make, but the board turned out just as sturdy. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b83afe4352f53cbba3e728a/1534317503833/IMG_5193.JPG Featured Projects Finishing up the decks - The boards required a bit of planing, routing, sanding and polyurethane-ing to get them to a finished state. In all each board took about 90 minutes to complete these final steps. I was pretty pleased with the way they turned out.... and, also a little bummed that I wasn't going to get to ride them. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b83afe4352f53cbba3e7290/1534317503839/IMG_5766.JPG Featured Projects The finished shelf. It was a little wobbly at first, but it just required shimming of the feet on one side. We've started putting books and other trinkets on it and no structural issues yet! Each board was intended to hold a full grown adult, so if there was to be an issue, it would mean that we had far too may books on it (and probably a few chunks of lead). https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b83afe4352f53cbba3e7284/1534317503828/IMG_3289.JPG Featured Projects The blanks for the 4 boards I'd use for the book shelf. Now to decide which shape to cut out of them. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b83afe4352f53cbba3e728c/1534317503835/IMG_5759.JPG Featured Projects Steel pipe and pipe flanges I bought a Home Depot. These don't come cheap, but they are convenient and add a bit of an industrial aesthetic to a project. Just make sure to keep them dry to prevent rust. If you live in a damp/humid climate, a clear coat or biannual oiling should keep the rust at bey. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b83afe4352f53cbba3e7288/1535355848186/IMG_3296.JPG Featured Projects Just going for it. I set these up in the MetaBeam and let the laser do its thing. Within 3 minutes the board has been cut to shape (mounting holes and all) and I'm ready for the next one. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b83afe4352f53cbba3e728e/1534317503837/IMG_5761.JPG Featured Projects First couple shelves assembled! It was fortuitous that the hole spacing on the pipe flanges was nearly exactly the same for two of the holes as it was for a standard skateboard truck. I bolted everything together with skateboard hardware. The whole assembly went together like a dream. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b83afe4352f53cbba3e727e/1535360220293/IMG_6009.JPG Featured Projects https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b83afe4352f53cbba3e7280/1534317503824/IMG_3214+%281%29.JPG Featured Projects About 12 board feet of various woods I would use to make the boards. Pictured, from left to right: Wenge, Hard Maple, Padauk, Zebrawood, Yellowheart, Curly Maple, Purpleheart, Lacewood and Walnut. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b83afe4352f53cbba3e7292/5b83afe4352f53cbba3e7297/1534664406534/IMG_3250.JPG Featured Projects https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b83afe4352f53cbba3e7292/5b83afe4352f53cbba3e7299/1534664410064/IMG_3269.JPG Featured Projects https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b83afe4352f53cbba3e7292/5b83afe4352f53cbba3e7295/1534664387486/IMG_3279.JPG Featured Projects https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b83afe4352f53cbba3e7292/5b83afe4352f53cbba3e7293/1534664387055/IMG_3282.JPG Featured Projects https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b864fa503ce6446292c6797/1532939715819/IMG_1816.JPG Featured Projects https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b864fa503ce6446292c679b/5b864fa503ce6446292c67a4/1532939715831/IMG_1517.JPG Featured Projects https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b864fa503ce6446292c679b/5b864fa503ce6446292c67a2/1532939715828/IMG_1645.JPG Featured Projects https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b864fa503ce6446292c679b/5b864fa503ce6446292c67a0/1532939715827/IMG_1650.JPG Featured Projects https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b864fa503ce6446292c679b/5b864fa503ce6446292c679e/1532939715825/IMG_1814.JPG Featured Projects https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b864fa503ce6446292c679b/5b864fa503ce6446292c679c/1532939715822/IMG_1820.JPG Featured Projects https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b864fa503ce6446292c6799/1532939715821/IMG_1621.JPG Featured Projects Old School Planar at the Organ Factory https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b8636cf032be4dd9896ef6f/1534751694482/image+%289%29.png Featured Projects It's a deceptively simple image, but the design delineated in this image took around 25 hours. Well, maybe not 25 hours just in design implementation. There was an incredible amount of background information I had to get a handle on before I could even start on the design. First was motor choice. There are a lot of parameters to nail down when specing out a motor: Brushed or brushless, inrunner or outrunner, sensored or unsensored, output power, efficiency, operating voltage range, speed controller compatibility, voltage constant, mounting style, etc., etc. etc. I actually ended up reading a book, Motors for Makers, which gave me enough of a base to confidently choose the motor I ended up going using, a 50mm BLDC Outrunner with a max 2kW output and a 270 kV voltage constant. I completely understand if this is all gibberish to you. Before this, it was to me as well. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b8636cf032be4dd9896ef7b/1534752292477/image+%2810%29.png Featured Projects An electric skateboard needs a power source and a way to control the energized motor. Battery choice was another area where there was myriad options: LiPo vs NiMH, cell count, voltage, discharge constant, energy density, lifetime and volatility. I ended up settling for a 6s LiPo battery because of it's superior energy density (Joules/kgs), its quick discharge rate and its relative low price (~$40). The draw backs of LiPo batteries are that they are prone to off gassing hydrogen if not properly maintained. The gas accumulates in the battery husk and if punctured or the cells within the battery shorted, the battery might catch fire or explode. If you've heard news stories about cell phones or hoverboards catching on fire, it's probably because of a problem with a LiPo battery. I also bought a NiMH, which are more stable, but the diminished voltage didn't give the board enough oopmh. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b8636cf032be4dd9896ef7d/1535517017174/IMG_5254.JPG Featured Projects An electronic speed controller (ESC) is necessary to drive a brushless DC (BLDC) motor. Again, I won't get into details about how it works, but essentially an ESC takes an input from a wireless control source and then modulates current from the batteries to the 3 output terminals. Changing electrical currents + magnets = spinning motor. After some serious research, I chose the Trackstar 150A Gen II, ESC. Its meant for 1/8 scale RC cars, but did a decent job of providing enough burst current to accelerate the board up to speed. To control the Speed Controller I bought an off the shelf trigger remote, which I hold in my hand while riding. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b8636cf032be4dd9896ef75/1535311503790/IMG_1105.JPG Featured Projects In retrospect, I should have documented this project a little more thoroughly, This is about the best picture I have of the board before the battery housing was installed. The board is made of two pieces of bamboo ply wood, glued together face to face. I then laser cut the profile of the board and the mounting holes. While the board was on the laser I added a decorative engraving. I used a mounted router with an 1/8" round over bit to fillet the bevels of the board and sanded everything smooth. I finished the board with some natural colored stain and several coats of polyurethane spray. The board is around 36 inches long and 10 inches wide. If I were to design it again, I'd only make the board 8.5 inches wide. The 10 inch board was far too heavy and the wide foot patch meant it was hard to estimate the center of the board when riding. Another addition to the board was truck mounting spacers. In order to leave clearance for the motor relative to the back of the board, as well as the battery housing relative to the ground, I had to raise the board 1/2". While this may seem like a small amount, raising the board that high above the king pin pivot made for very sensitive board control (instability). The board was quite prone to speed wobbles at any speed above 10 mph. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b8636cf032be4dd9896ef79/1534752231287/IMG_1101.JPG Featured Projects Grip tape on, wheels mounted and ready to ride. Well, un-powered at least. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b8636cf032be4dd9896ef73/1534751922095/IMG_5259.JPG Featured Projects The last action to complete the mechanical drive assembly was to modify the wheel with a custom pulley gear. I chose to use Orangatang's "IN HEAT" wheels because there was a lot of room in the body of the wheel to drill attachment holes. Also, I was quite fond of the color. Attached to the inner wall of the wheel, I designed and water jet a large pulley that would be driven by a pulley belt. That 2 part pulley gear was bolted through the wheel and secured on the outer face of the wheel with bolts through a retaining clamp. I made a jig to drill the through holes for the mounting hardware as it was critical to get the pulley as close to centered as possible. Otherwise, the pulley would be eccentric and the belt would gain and lose tension as it rotated at hundreds of RPM. This would not only be bad for the long term durability of the belt, but would also risk complete de-tensioning and the belt jumping with a rider on board. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b8636cf032be4dd9896ef7f/1535516978378/IMG_5252.JPG Featured Projects With the battery and ESC picked out, I had to design a housing to mount and protect the electrical system while riding. I water jet a flat pattern and and then bent it into shape on a pan brake. I used blind rivets to fasten the tabs together. I also laser etched the Bamboo Bandit logo into the anodization. I then designed a secondary mount that attached to the board and featured a slide that the housing flanges would slide into. When pushed all the way back, spring tabs on the mount would lock in to housing cutouts, keeping the assembly securely closed. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b8636cf032be4dd9896ef83/1534752988676/IMG_5247.JPG Featured Projects All in, the board cost me ~$300. While not nearly as professional as a Boosted Board, it got me to and from work reliably, and left me with an extra $900. Most importantly, I had a lot of fun making it. So yeah. Win, Win. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b8636cf032be4dd9896ef81/1534752941952/IMG_5243.JPG Featured Projects The board complete! I used to ride it to and from work, but eventually switched over to an un-powered board to get a little more exercise. It can get going pretty fast, 20+ mph, and that was with a 6S battery. I can only imagine how this would ride with a 10s and twin motors, which is what I had originally planned for. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b8636cf032be4dd9896ef6d/1534751657787/IMG_5245.JPG Featured Projects https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b8636cf032be4dd9896ef77/1534752044449/IMG_1089.JPG Featured Projects I spent a long time, "branding" this board, and eventually came up with the "Bamboo Bandit" concept. Looking back on it now, it seems a little hokey; but, I still think the execution of the laser cut grip tape was pretty good. I used Jessup grip tape and cut it out on the Metabeam Laser at work. Laser cutting grip tape is pretty exciting because when the grit is lasered, it glows brightly and shoots off in all directions; like low budget fireworks. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b8636cf032be4dd9896ef71/1534751815509/IMG_5261.JPG Featured Projects The next part of the design was the motor mount. Once I had chosen the motor, I modeled it in CAD and started to fit it into a truck/wheel assembly. I chose Caliper II long board trucks because the hanger (the axle mount) had a square profile. This would make a good clamping location for a mount. I designed a two piece clamp that fit snugly around the hanger profile and fastened with 2 SHCSs. Attached to this mount I designed an adjustable bracket that would mount the motor. The bracket had to have a minimum amount of adjustability to accommodate for belt tensioning. Finally, I chose and ordered a pulley pinion that mounted to the motor shaft. The size of the pinion I chose was determined by calculating the appropriate gearing ratio between the motor output and the wheel. The calculation took into account input/output power, rider weight and the range of desired speeds. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b864f3e0ebbe8d001dd9c80/5b864f3e0ebbe8d001dd9c89/1533518570655/IMG_1010.JPG Featured Projects https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b864f3e0ebbe8d001dd9c80/5b864f3e0ebbe8d001dd9c87/1531240875198/IMG_3112.JPG Featured Projects https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b864f3e0ebbe8d001dd9c80/5b864f3e0ebbe8d001dd9c85/1531240875189/IMG_3165.JPG Featured Projects https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b864f3e0ebbe8d001dd9c80/5b864f3e0ebbe8d001dd9c83/1531240875184/IMG_3168.JPG Featured Projects https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b864f3e0ebbe8d001dd9c80/5b864f3e0ebbe8d001dd9c81/1531240875176/IMG_3196.JPG Featured Projects https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b864f3e0ebbe8d001dd9c7e/1533518862182/IMG_1004.JPG Featured Projects https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b864f3e0ebbe8d001dd9c7c/1533518747008/IMG_1007.JPG Featured Projects https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b838dec4d7a9cb23e5ce951/1534706848745/IMG_1351.JPG Featured Projects The two end grain blanks after glue up. Both of these boards could have been converted into quality cutting boards on their own. But... you got to go big or go home. Right? https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b838ded4d7a9cb23e5ce957/1534707223512/IMG_1454.JPG Featured Projects I filled the recess on the back of the board with some glow powder infused casting resin. The process was pretty straight forward and the clean up I did with the orbital sander was far easier the clean up on the front face. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b838ded4d7a9cb23e5ce953/1534706886694/IMG_1386.JPG Featured Projects Cutting the blanks on the water jet. With the water level as low as it could go,there was still splashing which soaked the board and caused the grain to swell. Obviously, this was not ideal given that I was trying to precision fit an inlay. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b838ded4d7a9cb23e5ce959/1534707024385/IMG_5123.JPG Featured Projects An image of the board in the dark. The Glow feature came out a lot crisper than I had anticipated. I am really quite pleased with it. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b838dec4d7a9cb23e5ce94b/1534706601739/IMG_1327.JPG Featured Projects All the "unit slabs" that I need to complete this project. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b838dec4d7a9cb23e5ce943/1534706236621/IMG_5110.JPG Featured Projects https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b838dec4d7a9cb23e5ce949/1534706561875/IMG_1318.JPG Featured Projects The first "unit slab". This glued assembly is cross cut to reveal the end grain. In many cutting board projects, the "unit slab" is quite long and can be cross cut into a dozen or more slices. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b838dec4d7a9cb23e5ce94f/1535349815146/IMG_1364.JPG Featured Projects With all the slices cut, it was time for a glue up. One of the major takeaways from this project was that as a woodworker, you can never have too many clamps. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b838dec4d7a9cb23e5ce945/1534706464829/IMG_1289.JPG Featured Projects As this was a rather complicated design with a high level of risk, I took the time to CAD and render the board so I knew exactly what I was getting in to. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b838ded4d7a9cb23e5ce955/1534706924040/IMG_1416.JPG Featured Projects The moment of truth.... Drum Roll Please! And it fit. With a little coaxing with a mallet, the Dolphin's logo inlay was a tight fit into the base board relief. A couple hours of sanding later, and the board was ready for the final stage. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b838ded4d7a9cb23e5ce95b/1534707145535/IMG_5114.JPG Featured Projects I ended up buying a light box to take product photos and the cutting board was my first photo shoot. I am still working out my process post-process, but I do think that even with the remedial methods I employ now, the professionalism of my photos has been stepped up. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b838dec4d7a9cb23e5ce947/1534706508156/IMG_1290.JPG Featured Projects This was before I had my own planer, jointer, or even belt sander at home, so I bought pre-milled, turning blanks from McBeath's Hardwoods. I bought sticks of walnut, maple and cherry, the 3 most common cutting board woods on account of their tight grain structure and durability. They did not come cheap, however, as pre-milled lumber in small quantities garners a steep premium. For 3 board feet of material, I ended up paying ~$70. Now that I have the appropriate tools to mill blanks like these in my basement and the space to buy in bulk, this amount of wood typically runs about $22. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b838dec4d7a9cb23e5ce94d/1534706738988/IMG_4007.JPG Featured Projects Crosscutting the unit slab on the table saw to reveal the end grain. In order to maximize cutting area of the board, I decided to cut the unit slab into 1 inch slices. Typically I prefer to go for 1.5" as the extra thickness gives the board a sturdier look/ feel. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b652f9b758d46d342482f3d/1533521018750/IMG_5110.JPG Featured Projects https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b3c8a21758d464359853411/5b3c96de70a6ad4a13757884/1530697872197/IMG_1454.JPG Featured Projects https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b3c8a21758d464359853411/5b3c96d770a6ad4a137577c7/1530697872193/IMG_1439.JPG Featured Projects https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b3c8a21758d464359853411/5b3c96d4aa4a9983df5844bd/1530697872195/IMG_1391.JPG Featured Projects https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b3c8a21758d464359853411/5b3c96ca70a6ad4a137576dd/1530697872184/IMG_1289.JPG Featured Projects https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b3c8a21758d464359853411/5b3c96ca2b6a28173349e906/1530697872188/IMG_1383.JPG Featured Projects https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b652f45352f53d381172769/1533521018755/IMG_1454.JPG Featured Projects https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b652ec58a922d4284ec3ba7/1533521018752/IMG_5123.JPG Featured Projects https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b83b21903ce64a5a9b85e0e/1534663883024/cornhole.JPG Featured Projects After Alexa's art (a stylized owl and whale) were etched on to the boards, I assembled the pieces and sanded flat any protrusions.. Easy! And with that, the bulk of the mechanicals were done. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b83b21903ce64a5a9b85e08/1534663541674/Corny.JPG Featured Projects I've done a fair amount of of "mortise and tenon" lasered box design in the past, so this cornhole was right in my wheel house. A total of 5 piece construction assembled with press fit joints. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b83b21903ce64a5a9b85e06/1534317630476/cornhole.JPG Featured Projects https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b83b21903ce64a5a9b85e0a/1534663561524/Cornholesdf.JPG Featured Projects Orthographic projection of the cornhole design. Notice the "Crewvier" inscription. We lived on Cuvier street. A ha, a pun. Ok, maybe not that clever. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b83b21903ce64a5a9b85e10/1535357020785/IMG_5512.JPG Featured Projects Alexa and I finished the boards with 3 coats of Spar Polyurethane, an outdoor, UV resistant varietal of poly. After painting the poly on for the last coat, we had to sand the surface to ensure evenness /flatness of the playing surface. We then stepped up the grit number (higher number = finer grit) on the sanding discs until we achieved the right surface finish (and thus coefficient of friction) for game play. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b83b21903ce64a5a9b85e0c/1534663598184/cornholes.JPG Featured Projects A portion of the layout for the laser cutter . We bought one 4' x 8' sheet of plywood and had to be exceptionally space efficient with the layout. The laser made quick work of the 0.75" ply; cutting without any charring nor having the wood catch on fire. Kind of a miracle, honestly. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b652e870e2e72aae867e265/1533521018747/IMG_5110.JPG Featured Projects https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b838847aa4a996cc7b038d7/1535331733639/IMG_5303.JPG Featured Projects https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b838dec4d7a9cb23e5ce941/1534708804749/IMG_5110.JPG Featured Projects https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b8393a388251bb51ffc7494/1534671686363/IMG_5617.JPG Featured Projects https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b83a3b66d2a73bb5c20ec6f/1535529239714/IMG_5324.JPG Featured Projects https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b83a9f82b6a282494e75b1e/1534660785104/IMG_1055.JPG Featured Projects https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b83afe4352f53cbba3e727c/1534665770788/IMG_6009.JPG Featured Projects https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b83b21903ce64a5a9b85e04/1534318209613/cornhole.JPG Featured Projects https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b83bc054d7a9cb23e5e0c2f/1534670292472/IMG_1158.JPG Featured Projects https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b8636cf032be4dd9896ef6b/1534754159720/IMG_5243.JPG Featured Projects https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b863aa2aa4a99e19d366515/1534706107954/IMG_5173.JPG Featured Projects https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b864f3e0ebbe8d001dd9c7a/1533524329393/IMG_1007.JPG Featured Projects https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b864fa503ce6446292c6795/1533521501867/IMG_1820.JPG Featured Projects https://www.builtbybetts.com/tables daily 0.75 2018-08-28 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b6533a1562fa7f5d52de50a/1533359048932/IMG_5265.JPG Tables https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b4ee154f950b79e7da4a8c5/5b653481352f53d3811799fa/1533359347013/IMG_5264.JPG Tables https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b4ee154f950b79e7da4a8c5/5b65347d0e2e72aae868634b/1533359347001/IMG_5266.JPG Tables https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b4ee154f950b79e7da4a8c5/5b6533ce6d2a73ce52da3398/1533359346702/IMG_5267.JPG Tables https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b4ee154f950b79e7da4a8c5/5b6533ce8a922d4284eca6db/1533359113040/IMG_5273.JPG Tables https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b65333f352f53d381177ef0/1533358957414/IMG_5272.JPG Tables It's covered in flour but that means it's being used! https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b65312d0e2e72aae8681d7d/1533409303583/IMG_5151.JPG Tables https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b65317f0e2e72aae8682424/1533409303585/IMG_5145.JPG Tables https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b6530ea0e2e72aae86817a7/1533409303580/IMG_5157.JPG Tables https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b6531ee562fa7f5d52dc1af/1533409303588/IMG_5141.JPG Tables https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b7936bec2241b4f57b512bc/1535349667450/IMG_5450.JPG Tables To cut the the butterfly inlay pockets, I used templates for a plunge router and a 3/8" straight bit. The collar that fit the bit I was using had a flange that was a little to long and I had to stack the inlay stencils in order to create the proper offset. I'm not sure the router bits I was using were terribly well made. After cutting several inlay pockets, the router started to chatter. After I was done cutting all the inlays I examined the cutting flutes of the bit and notices some chipping. You get what you pay for I guess. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b793a700e2e72ace0e706c3/1535349667462/IMG_5499.JPG Tables After a coat of wipe on gel polyurethane. The walnut starts to darken and the figure of the maple starts to pop. I ended up applying 3 coats of the "The Good Stuff" with a light sanding step in between each coat. This allows for a flat and smooth finish surface, vital for a table top that will be used for meal prep. You don't want a pitted or grooved surface that will trap food residue and harbor bacteria. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b793a14352f53632c8fbbee/1535349667464/IMG_5506.JPG Tables The A-Frame legs after a couple coats of poly. I would end up attaching the legs with some stainless steel angle brackets. Not the most elegant solution, but it means that I can take the table apart to pack flat for transport in the future. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b793727aa4a99fdf3a13feb/1535349667452/IMG_5448.JPG Tables The easiest way to make the inlay inserts was to laser cut them. I knew what size they needed to be from the template. It was quick work to sketch up the shape in SolidWorks and laser them out from a piece of 0.25" walnut I had left over from another project. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b793adc575d1fcc4918d271/1535349667460/IMG_5537.JPG Tables The final result! If you get up close and personal, there are some larger than desirable gaps, and some excess glue stains here and there. Still, not half bad for a first attempt. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b793823c2241b4f57b5185f/1535349667456/IMG_5494.JPG Tables After the butterfly inlay was pounded in, I sanded it flat with a belt sander. I cleaned up and belt sander scarring with the orbital sander. I made 8 total inlays and there was a marked improvement in quality when comparing the first one I made to the last. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b793859758d46b6ff866296/1535349667458/IMG_5490.JPG Tables I went for an A-frame for the legs. Often times I buy legs for the table tops I make; however, I've come to realize that I'm merely eschewing an opportunity hone my jointery skills. On this project, I went for half lap joints that integrate the maple cross bars with the walnut table legs. I cut the interfacing slots/ cheeks by using the table saw as a dado cutter,. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b7937ae4ae2377ea91b2ea4/1535349667454/IMG_5445.JPG Tables After a pass with the plunge router, the inlay pockets still had rounded corners. To fit the butterfly inserts, I hammered a sharp chisel with a rubberized mallet and carved out the sharp corners. I also used the chisel to tune up areas of the pocket that the router bit didn't cleanly hog out. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b793a49575d1fcc4918d056/1535349667465/IMG_5529.JPG Tables The final product with the large cutting board on top. As the largest contiguous surface area in our kitchen, this table has been getting a ton of use. The roommates seem to appreciate the addition and Alexa has made it her go-to baking station. The one addition I'd make is a shelf to span the cross bars on the legs. We could always use some extra storage... or at the very least a platform for the toaster and microwave... which as this posting, still relegated to the floor. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b79366e03ce646d8c6af951/1535349667449/IMG_5617.JPG Tables https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b73b50b352f53754adb687f/1534309661315/IMG_5938.JPG Tables https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b67a98a2b6a286b624720c4/5b73b587f950b701c031e2d9/1534309780718/IMG_5941.JPG Tables https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b73b53521c67c83f64a71f6/1534309742811/IMG_5939.JPG Tables https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b44e1aa88251bb11137c797/5b45b7071ae6cf4b5cad64cd/1535441471137/IMG_4079.JPG Tables https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b44e1aa88251bb11137c797/5b45b6f6aa4a99336fbad1bd/1531295748230/IMG_4079.JPG Tables https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b45b6d388251bfe9f3aea43/1531295748228/IMG_4076.JPG Tables https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b45b69b562fa72ebf11cfb3/1531295748226/IMG_4089.JPG Tables https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b7912ee4ae2377ea91a8996/1535360006032/IMG_3109.JPG Tables 8 hours (yes, 8 hours), a new belt sander and about 8 coarse grit belts later, I finally had the top face cleaned up and looking like I wanted it. A little stain and a couple coats of poly and the table top was looking ready to ship. Finally. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b79128caa4a99fdf3a09ab6/1535360006030/IMG_2886.JPG Tables Seeing the issues the water jet caused with wood swelling, I decided to take my chances with the laser cutter and cut out the walnut numbering at full power and a glacial feed rate. While my worst fears didn't come true (it didn't catch fire) the part did come out a little charred and the poor cut quality necessitated the extensive use of a chisel to clean up he perimeter. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b791246b8a0455bb1edd5d8/1535360006028/IMG_2857.JPG Tables The soaked blank started to swell and the cut out piece, which should have just fallen out, was now lodged in place. I had to break out a punch and mallet and eventually a cordless drill to extricate the off cut from the table top. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b7913898985837439601785/1534670292487/IMG_1156.JPG Tables I bought hairpin legs for the table top to give it a modern/industrial look. My family squabbled over whether or not 3 legs of 4 legs looked better, but we eventually all settled on 4. The table legs are 20" high making this an ideal side table for next to a couch or an arm chair. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b7911531ae6cf55a0a2fb58/1534670292474/IMG_1158.JPG Tables https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b7912c12b6a28a662054f44/1534670292483/IMG_3087.JPG Tables To do the glass and epoxy inlay, I taped the top surface up with masking tape and flipped the piece over I then filled the tree cut out with tumbled glass I bought on Amazon. A two part casting epoxy, Easy Cast, was then poured over the glass. The fatal flaw here was that I didn't tape the top side up well enough and the epoxy began to leak before it set. When I flipped the part over in the morning, the epoxy and glass was proud of the decorative face by about a quarter of an inch! I was going to have to sand it down until the glass and epoxy was flush with the wood. Also known as, an eternity. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b791218352f53632c8f06a1/1535360006026/IMG_2847.JPG Tables Given that the maple I used was 6/4 (~1.5 inches thick) I figured I'd better use the water jet rather than the laser cutter. If you try to laser hardwood that is too thick, your run the risk of charring the wood and ultimately catching your work piece, and sometimes even the laser bed, on fire. I lowered the water level on the water jet bed to minimize the splash back, but I couldn't get it to go quite low enough. The water ended soaking the piece as it was being cut. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b7911c58985837439600fe1/1534670292476/image+%2832%29.png Tables The first course of action was to CAD up what I wanted the table to look like. I chose to cut out a stylized version of our college emblem, The Lone Pine, and the founding year. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b79144c0ebbe83e5efa02bb/5b7914930ebbe83e5efa0404/1534670292500/IMG_1169.JPG Tables https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b79144c0ebbe83e5efa02bb/5b791482032be447994714ff/1534670292498/IMG_1167.JPG Tables https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b79144c0ebbe83e5efa02bb/5b79146aaa4a99fdf3a0a32d/1534670292496/IMG_1161.JPG Tables https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b79144c0ebbe83e5efa02bb/5b79146a2b6a28a662055631/1534670292493/IMG_1160.JPG Tables https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b7913d121c67c1954120fe3/1534670292489/IMG_1164.JPG Tables Since the glass and epoxy was translucent I thought it might be interesting to shine a lamp up through the bottom. This isn't the most practical arrangement (keeping a lamp underneath the table instead of on top of it) but it sure did make for a cool picture. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b7913fd352f53632c8f0e89/1534670292491/IMG_1166.JPG Tables Another close up of the glass inlay glowing above the back lighting. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b45b804758d46f721c0b42b/5b45b804758d46f721c0b42e/1531295514871/IMG_4079.JPG Tables https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b45b804758d46f721c0b42b/5b45b804758d46f721c0b42c/1531295499751/IMG_4079.JPG Tables https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b79358a1ae6cf55a0a3a15b/1534670240228/IMG_5617.JPG Tables https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b45b804758d46f721c0b429/1531295463987/IMG_4076.JPG Tables https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b77ce6b575d1fcc490e819a/1534578293677/IMG_5979.JPG Tables https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b77ce51758d46b6ff7bfc9c/1534578273814/IMG_5976.JPG Tables https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b56e011f950b7329f32934c/5b77ce9df950b7d1192cc458/1534578342897/IMG_5977.JPG Tables https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b56e011f950b7329f32934c/5b77ce9040ec9a9bc882916e/1534578337187/IMG_5978.JPG Tables https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b56e011f950b7329f32934c/5b77ce900ebbe83e5ef0702a/1534578336853/IMG_5980.JPG Tables https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b68c6766d2a73cbec27a834/1533593350340/IMG_5727.JPG Tables https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b4461886d2a73cc9b3e4c56/5b4469a0575d1f575c2e8229/1531211560941/IMG_2552.JPG Tables https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b4461886d2a73cc9b3e4c56/5b4469901ae6cf14d35cfce7/1531211560939/IMG_2556.JPG Tables https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b4461886d2a73cc9b3e4c56/5b44698c2b6a28965adc927c/1531211560934/IMG_2553.JPG Tables https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b4461886d2a73cc9b3e4c56/5b44698c88251bce12908866/1531211560937/IMG_2558.JPG Tables https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b44647f758d46c38662df52/1531211560931/IMG_2562.JPG Tables Shop Rule #4: Always where close toed shoes in the shop. Shop Rule #5: Do as I say, not as I do. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b446f2803ce64f8b98a9616/5b67a2c52b6a286b62461861/1535528766859/IMG_1010.JPG Tables https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b446f2803ce64f8b98a9616/5b44e06d6d2a73a9707b8db3/1531240875198/IMG_3112.JPG Tables https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b446f2803ce64f8b98a9616/5b44e05a575d1f3762b22b33/1531240875189/IMG_3165.JPG Tables https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b446f2803ce64f8b98a9616/5b44e04caa4a99db4999796b/1531240875184/IMG_3168.JPG Tables https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b446f2803ce64f8b98a9616/5b44e0418a922d1877545d24/1531240875176/IMG_3196.JPG Tables https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b67a3251ae6cf34102855d7/1535528766855/IMG_1007.JPG Tables 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https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b7a52ae562fa7c4f8e864a4/5b7a5892b8a0455bb1f85954/1534744736157/IMG_5972.JPG Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b7a52ae562fa7c4f8e864a4/5b7a574f21c67c19541c791a/1534744420684/IMG_5731.JPG Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b7a52ae562fa7c4f8e864a4/5b7a574f562fa7c4f8e88122/1534744430244/IMG_5738+%281%29.JPG Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b7a56dc1ae6cf55a0ad6ada/1534744302891/IMG_5730.JPG Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b7a582baa4a99fdf3ab1e0a/1534744711700/IMG_5971.JPG Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b67c7a5758d46d342900174/1533528543668/IMG_5200.JPG Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b67c4bd562fa7f5d57517af/5b67c84e352f53d3815f18ad/1533528543670/IMG_5202.JPG Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b67c4bd562fa7f5d57517af/5b67c84e6d2a73ce5221c21d/1533528543672/IMG_5218.JPG Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b67c6bef950b7f277055af9/1533528543666/IMG_5216.JPG Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b79aebb0e2e72ace0ea83c3/1534706107983/IMG_5161.JPG Boards My favorite part of the whole piece might be the grip tape. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b79abe1352f53632c9316fc/1534706107966/IMG_3995+%281%29.JPG Boards Standard construction fro a street deck is 7 layers of 1/16" maple veneers. The layers alternate in grain direction (along the length of the board, then across the width) so there is isotopic strength and stiffness. Glue is rolled out on a face sheet (its a little thicker and has very few visual defects) and the next layer is laid out on top. Glue is spread on that veneer and a layer is placed on top of that, and so on and so forth. Before the gluing, Vince laser welded a 4" long polyethylene bag with a hose port and an end that could be sealed with Butyl rubber sealing tape. The mold was placed in the bag, with the seven layer glued wood construction on top. A breather mesh ( a plastic mesh that stops the bag from sealing off areas that haven't been fully evactuated) was placed in the bag as well. Finally, the press bag was sealed. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b79bf230ebbe83e5efec1fe/1535523490226/IMG_4028.JPG Boards I spent an additional hour at home with the orbital sander, smoothing out the raised grain and rounding out the profile bevel. I have to say, it looked pretty professional when it was all said and done. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b79ac406d2a7356c601a7a5/1534706107970/IMG_4018.JPG Boards In the morning, we realized that bag had leaked to some degree and we no longer had a strong press. Regardless, the blank seemed to have set in close to the right shape. We printed out a profile of a street deck and attached it to the blank with some spray adhesive. We drilled out the mounting holes and countersunk the top face. Then we changed the blade on the band saw at work to a wood cutting tooth set and went to town. Finally, we used the standing belt sander to bring the edge up to the profile line and lock in the shape of the board. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b79c03b032be447994be1f5/1534706107957/IMG_5168.JPG Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b79ae60b8a0455bb1f1fea7/1534706107981/IMG_5176.JPG Boards Although I like to make skateboards, I'm not very good at riding them; particularly street decks. I spent many hours on this board trying to perfect an ollie, and then a kick flip. If you zoom in you can see how beat up the nose and tail are. Still haven't quite gotten there. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b79aa4eaa4a99fdf3a49718/1534706107961/IMG_3684.JPG Boards The next step was to make the form. People often carve a form out of a block of foam, but we wanted to try something different. First we used a free program from AutoDesk called 123DMake. After importing the board geometry and setting the slice width, 123DMake created vector files that when laser cut out of cardboard and stacked would create the shape of the board we were going for, We used some cardboard we had laying around the shop. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b79aacc4d7a9c3a95950ea6/1534706107963/IMG_3685.JPG Boards We designed holes for alignment pins in the mold, but because the pins we were using were too small, relative to the holes, we ended up stacking the cardboard layers with a slight skew. The skew created an asymmetry to the board that was just noticeable. Not enough to scrap the mold, but enough to lament not being more careful. Anyways, we let the glue dry overnight and in the morning it was ready for pressing. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b79acfa70a6adf887397e77/1534706107977/IMG_4047.JPG Boards Again, Alexa provided the art for the laser etching on the bottom of the board to cement the sea monster theme. I stained the board purple to evoke the ocean depths (also because its the color I had laying around). A couple coats of poly and the board was complete! https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b79ac0a21c67c19541616fe/1535262458611/IMG_4007.JPG Boards The vacuum pump was turned on and once we verified that the pressure had stabilized near -12 psig, we unhooked the pump and let the board set over night. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b79a9920e2e72ace0ea4a9a/1534706107959/image+%284%29.png Boards Vince and I spent a while going back and forth on the shape of the board. There are many considerations when it comes to the design of a skateboard. There is the "camber", which is the longitudinal curvature of a board. A positive camber gives the board more pop during carves, and a negative camber (rocker) gives the board more stability at speed. Then there is "concavity" which is the shape of the board across it's width. A U-shape gives the rider more control at the toe, but less stability on the heel. Mounting styles for the trucks/wheels include drop through (more stable), top mount , and lifted configurations. Board length determines ride performance where a longer board is more stable at speed and a short board is more agile. There's board profile shape, bevel style, flex and 101 other design decisions that go into a board's design. I could go on for a while. Anyways, after days of mulling it over, Vince and I settled on a design. Since Vince was leaning towards a street deck (traditional skateboard) while I was leaning towards a drop down long board. We ended up on a design for a drop down long board that if you cut the ends off of, would have the same geometry of a standard street deck. This way we could vacuum press 2 boards with the same mold and each get the deck we were looking for. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b79adecaa4a99fdf3a4bd35/1534706107980/IMG_5170.JPG Boards We slapped some street trucks and wheels on the board and it was ready to ride. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b79acd0f950b7d1193a72d9/1534706107975/IMG_4043.JPG Boards With some design help from Alexa, we laser cut a custom grip at work. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b388a370e2e725973763029/5b389a03758d4623ef354153/1530436214849/IMG_2640.JPG Boards - Finish applied! https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b388a370e2e725973763029/5b3899de352f5378b7b2ed6d/1530436179238/IMG_2641.JPG Boards - Laser engraving the_imposter.kdb https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b388a370e2e725973763029/5b3899d26d2a7342d2d5a246/1530436066167/IMG_2631.JPG Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b67bbe20e2e72aae8ae51af/1533525053924/IMG_5232.JPG Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b67bb5e88251b17547a6426/1533524939634/IMG_5231.JPG Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b686163aa4a9945b515150e/1533567407564/IMG_3918.JPG Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b45baaa0e2e72b22156ff17/5b6862471ae6cf92b3cd5e2e/1533567594006/IMG_3919.JPG Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b45baaa0e2e72b22156ff17/5b686241f950b758256cc2d8/1533567584057/IMG_3922.JPG Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b45baaa0e2e72b22156ff17/5b6862080e2e720cd629e003/1533567563966/IMG_3923.JPG Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b45baaa0e2e72b22156ff17/5b6862088a922db3bb7fd491/1533567558676/IMG_3924.JPG Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b68c46b88251b17e76b0ebd/1533592703997/IMG_3922.JPG Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b67ddc38a922d42843699c3/1533533708946/IMG_5161.JPG Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b67dd6f562fa7f5d577d38c/1533533613121/IMG_5173.JPG Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b67dcba575d1f9e8ad52eaa/5b67deee88251b17547e6d43/1533534060461/IMG_5160.JPG Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b67dcba575d1f9e8ad52eaa/5b67dee770a6adef3b22c3ff/1533534027173/IMG_5168.JPG Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b67dcba575d1f9e8ad52eaa/5b67de8770a6adef3b22ba3a/1533533938804/IMG_5176.JPG Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b67dcba575d1f9e8ad52eaa/5b67de872b6a286b624d9ac5/1533533933389/IMG_5172.JPG Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b3c9890f950b77f517198de/5b67c3f80e2e72aae8af5d44/1533527229431/IMG_5179.JPG Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b3c9890f950b77f517198de/5b67c3f88a922d428433c86a/1533527229435/IMG_5178.JPG Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b67c23c03ce647540285ee2/1533527229430/IMG_5182.JPG Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b67c18f562fa7f5d574b2c1/1533527229427/IMG_5181.JPG Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b834ed86d2a73bb5c1e3d33/1535346759711/IMG_5296.JPG Boards The slender width of the board works well with the wide trucks. You can perform deep carves without the worry of wheel bite. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b834e8baa4a996cc7ae2eb5/1535346759714/IMG_5306.JPG Boards The Yeti and initials wood burnings really pop with a little natural colored stain and poly. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b6909620e2e729ed66a4c3e/1534699606219/IMG_5708.JPG Boards The steamed wood is immediately clamped to the form before it cools. The form over bends the material so that when the clamps are released the part springs back to the right shape. There is a bit of guess work and iteration to get the shape exactly right. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b7a701b562fa7c4f8e90f25/1534751099167/IMG_5992.JPG Boards I wrote my initials in with a filled pen and also used a rubber stamp to make the Yeti design. I messed up the stamping a couple times, sanding in between to "reset" the surface. It appears as though the solution had leached below the level in the wood that I sanded off. Thus, the yeti came out a little muddled but I kind of liked the look, so I kept it. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b690463562fa70562c82f40/1534311999640/IMG_5706.JPG Boards Blankets draped over the box to add insulation. In preliminary attempts to steam bend, the large volume of the box caused the the steamer to run out of water before the temperature reached operating temp (100 C). Insulation helps keep the energy in the box and allows the stasis temperature to reach 100 C. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b6907fe562fa70562c8d152/1534311999642/IMG_5675+%281%29.JPG Boards A steam bending form made of pine lumber. The cleat on the front is meant to capture the leading edge of the steamed board. The board is then bent over the form and clamped along its length. In this case, the bend was too extreme and the cleat was abandoned. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b834e9c758d46345de7652a/1535346759716/IMG_5303.JPG Boards Notice the kick tail and the camber. It's subtle, but it works. I quite like the way this board rides. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b834df740ec9a197952cc14/1535346759707/IMG_5298.JPG Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b6908342b6a28624c08bc35/1534311999644/IMG_5697.JPG Boards For most woods, general wisdom is 1 hour of steam per inch of thickness of material. Steam time starts when the internal temperature of the box reaches 100 C. For this build the material was ~0.75" thick, and as such was steamed for 45 minutes. Steam for too little time and the material is not pliable enough to bend. Steam for too long and the material is liable to wrinkle along the bend. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b690207aa4a99da3bd130f2/1534311999635/IMG_5677.JPG Boards The steam box made of common pine board with internal dimensions of 10"X8"X48". The steamer is a bath with a heating element embeddded in the plastic. A corrugated hose pipes in the steam into the back of the box. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b7a6fb1cd8366741a8ebb98/1535346759709/IMG_5749.JPG Boards The wood has the positive camber I was looking for, but the kick tail is not quite as defined as I hoped. I rough cut the board and marked the center line for trucks mounting hole alignment. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b7a6ffa70a6adf8874069a9/1534751099165/IMG_5982+%281%29.JPG Boards Wood Burning - I wanted to try a new type of embellishment on this board; wood burning. If you take 1 TBSP of Ammonium Chloride (also know as Sal Ammoniac, a flavoring in some types of licorice) and dissolve it in 1/2 cup of water, it becomes an invisible ink of sorts. If you fill an empty pen with the liquid, draw a design on wood and then heat it with a hot air gun, the drawn design will selectively burn. You can control the color of the burn (from yellow/orange/ to dark brown) with the amount of heat applied to the design. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b69034e562fa70562c7ff99/1534311999638/IMG_5704.JPG Boards The front of the steam box is covered with a hinged lid. A padded tape is used on the box rim to seal the box when latched closed. Rods strung across the box create a rack for the material to be steamed. A meat thermometer is pushed through a port in the lid to monitor internal temperature. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b67d8966d2a73ce522392eb/1533533370457/IMG_5221.JPG Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b67d5c170a6adef3b21dafa/5b67db90f950b7f27707a362/1533533370461/IMG_5198.JPG Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b67d5c170a6adef3b21dafa/5b67db90aa4a99f211dcc319/1533533370464/IMG_5223.JPG Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b67d955758d46d34291f8a6/1533533370459/IMG_5198.JPG Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b67be06352f53d3815dcff2/1533525625688/IMG_5225.JPG Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b388939575d1fcdb1f0d8ed/5b67bf0f1ae6cf34102c465a/1533525873765/IMG_5227+%281%29.JPG Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b388939575d1fcdb1f0d8ed/5b67bea8aa4a99f211d97352/1533525817898/IMG_5240.JPG Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b388939575d1fcdb1f0d8ed/5b67bea82b6a286b624a04c8/1533525780067/IMG_5241.JPG Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b67bd1d6d2a73ce52205836/1533525397527/IMG_5238.JPG Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b67d18603ce6475402a32e6/5b67d4f06d2a73ce522334af/1533531585226/IMG_5209.JPG Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b67d18603ce6475402a32e6/5b67d4ef1ae6cf34102edd6f/1533531585230/IMG_5211.JPG Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b67d35cf950b7f27706d008/1533531585221/IMG_5210.JPG Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b67d3e2aa4a99f211dbfc2e/1533531585225/IMG_5207.JPG Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b67cf1eaa4a99f211db78a1/1533530502533/IMG_5212.JPG Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b67cf900e2e72aae8b0bbaa/1533530502535/IMG_5203.JPG Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b67c9df2b6a286b624b6493/5b67cfe4758d46d34290fbc0/1533530502537/IMG_5204.JPG Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b67c9df2b6a286b624b6493/5b67cfe4aa4a99f211db8d4b/1533530502540/IMG_5214.JPG Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b3884fa70a6ad2e8abf150e/1530431801432/SkateboardZebra.png Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b3884ac1ae6cf79099222ad/5b3887bef950b774333ef4fd/1530431801437/IMG_3614.JPG Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b3884ac1ae6cf79099222ad/5b3887be575d1fcdb1f0c246/1530431801439/IMG_3620.JPG Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b3884ac1ae6cf79099222ad/5b3884b01ae6cf79099222fc/1530431801434/SkateboardZebra.png Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b7a78bcb8a0455bb1f90a8b/1535522511447/IMG_5247.JPG Boards All in, the board cost me ~$300. While not nearly as professional as a Boosted Board, it got me to and from work reliably, and left me with an extra $900. Most importantly, I had a lot of fun making it. So yeah. Win, Win. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b7a73c5b8a0455bb1f8efec/1535522511429/image+%289%29.png Boards It's a deceptively simple image, but the design delineated in this image took around 25 hours. Well, maybe not 25 hours just in design implementation. There was an incredible amount of background information I had to get a handle on before I could even start on the design. First was motor choice. There are a lot of parameters to nail down when specing out a motor: Brushed or brushless, inrunner or outrunner, sensored or unsensored, output power, efficiency, operating voltage range, speed controller compatibility, voltage constant, mounting style, etc., etc. etc. I actually ended up reading a book, Motors for Makers, which gave me enough of a base to confidently choose the motor I ended up going using, a 50mm BLDC Outrunner with a max 2kW output and a 270 kV voltage constant. I completely understand if this is all gibberish to you. Before this, it was to me as well. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b82fe551ae6cfab3d1d99b4/1535522511435/IMG_1105.JPG Boards In retrospect, I should have documented this project a little more thoroughly, This is about the best picture I have of the board before the battery housing was installed. The board is made of two pieces of bamboo ply wood, glued together face to face. I then laser cut the profile of the board and the mounting holes. While the board was on the laser I added a decorative engraving. I used a mounted router with an 1/8" round over bit to fillet the bevels of the board and sanded everything smooth. I finished the board with some natural colored stain and several coats of polyurethane spray. The board is around 36 inches long and 10 inches wide. If I were to design it again, I'd only make the board 8.5 inches wide. The 10 inch board was far too heavy and the wide foot patch meant it was hard to estimate the center of the board when riding. Another addition to the board was truck mounting spacers. In order to leave clearance for the motor relative to the back of the board, as well as the battery housing relative to the ground, I had to raise the board 1/2". While this may seem like a small amount, raising the board that high above the king pin pivot made for very sensitive board control (instability). The board was quite prone to speed wobbles at any speed above 10 mph. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b7a750f89858374396b33e2/1535522511437/IMG_1089.JPG Boards I spent a long time, "branding" this board, and eventually came up with the "Bamboo Bandit" concept. Looking back on it now, it seems a little hokey; but, I still think the execution of the laser cut grip tape was pretty good. I used Jessup grip tape and cut it out on the Metabeam Laser at work. Laser cutting grip tape is pretty exciting because when the grit is lasered, it glows brightly and shoots off in all directions; like low budget fireworks. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b7a7849758d46b6ff90db40/1535522511445/IMG_5243.JPG Boards The board complete! I used to ride it to and from work, but eventually switched over to an un-powered board to get a little more exercise. It can get going pretty fast, 20+ mph, and that was with a 6S battery. I can only imagine how this would ride with a 10s and twin motors, which is what I had originally planned for. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b7a742d6d2a7356c608a98a/1535522511431/IMG_5261.JPG Boards The next part of the design was the motor mount. Once I had chosen the motor, I modeled it in CAD and started to fit it into a truck/wheel assembly. I chose Caliper II long board trucks because the hanger (the axle mount) had a square profile. This would make a good clamping location for a mount. I designed a two piece clamp that fit snugly around the hanger profile and fastened with 2 SHCSs. Attached to this mount I designed an adjustable bracket that would mount the motor. The bracket had to have a minimum amount of adjustability to accommodate for belt tensioning. Finally, I chose and ordered a pulley pinion that mounted to the motor shaft. The size of the pinion I chose was determined by calculating the appropriate gearing ratio between the motor output and the wheel. The calculation took into account input/output power, rider weight and the range of desired speeds. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b7a7379575d1fcc49233c56/1535522511428/IMG_5245.JPG Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b7a761af950b7d119418cdd/1535522511440/image+%2810%29.png Boards An electric skateboard needs a power source and a way to control the energized motor. Battery choice was another area where there was myriad options: LiPo vs NiMH, cell count, voltage, discharge constant, energy density, lifetime and volatility. I ended up settling for a 6s LiPo battery because of it's superior energy density (Joules/kgs), its quick discharge rate and its relative low price (~$40). The draw backs of LiPo batteries are that they are prone to off gassing hydrogen if not properly maintained. The gas accumulates in the battery husk and if punctured or the cells within the battery shorted, the battery might catch fire or explode. If you've heard news stories about cell phones or hoverboards catching on fire, it's probably because of a problem with a LiPo battery. I also bought a NiMH, which are more stable, but the diminished voltage didn't give the board enough oopmh. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b7a76fb352f53632c9a24c6/1535522511444/IMG_5252.JPG Boards With the battery and ESC picked out, I had to design a housing to mount and protect the electrical system while riding. I water jet a flat pattern and and then bent it into shape on a pan brake. I used blind rivets to fasten the tabs together. I also laser etched the Bamboo Bandit logo into the anodization. I then designed a secondary mount that attached to the board and featured a slide that the housing flanges would slide into. When pushed all the way back, spring tabs on the mount would lock in to housing cutouts, keeping the assembly securely closed. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b7a7473b8a0455bb1f8f380/1535522511433/IMG_5259.JPG Boards The last action to complete the mechanical drive assembly was to modify the wheel with a custom pulley gear. I chose to use Orangatang's "IN HEAT" wheels because there was a lot of room in the body of the wheel to drill attachment holes. Also, I was quite fond of the color. Attached to the inner wall of the wheel, I designed and water jet a large pulley that would be driven by a pulley belt. That 2 part pulley gear was bolted through the wheel and secured on the outer face of the wheel with bolts through a retaining clamp. I made a jig to drill the through holes for the mounting hardware as it was critical to get the pulley as close to centered as possible. Otherwise, the pulley would be eccentric and the belt would gain and lose tension as it rotated at hundreds of RPM. This would not only be bad for the long term durability of the belt, but would also risk complete de-tensioning and the belt jumping with a rider on board. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b7a76926d2a7356c608b5c1/1535522511442/IMG_5254.JPG Boards An electronic speed controller (ESC) is necessary to drive a brushless DC (BLDC) motor. Again, I won't get into details about how it works, but essentially an ESC takes an input from a wireless control source and then modulates current from the batteries to the 3 output terminals. Changing electrical currents + magnets = spinning motor. After some serious research, I chose the Trackstar 150A Gen II, ESC. Its meant for 1/8 scale RC cars, but did a decent job of providing enough burst current to accelerate the board up to speed. To control the Speed Controller I bought an off the shelf trigger remote, which I hold in my hand while riding. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b7a75cf40ec9a9bc8975f68/1535522511438/IMG_1101.JPG Boards Grip tape on, wheels mounted and ready to ride. Well, un-powered at least. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b835fae03ce64a5a9b5f5d9/1535336389971/IMG_5675+%281%29.JPG Boards After shaping the board, I sprayed the bottom of the board with a spray adhesive. Then I took a sheet of carbon fiber twill and applied it to adhesive covered board. I made sure to lay down the fabric as flat and straight as possible to avoid wrinkles and warping of the twill pattern. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b835d57b8a045cacc8f0ed0/1535335801173/IMG_5281.JPG Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b835fe98a922d080025f5d5/1535336443548/IMG_5697.JPG Boards After laying out the fabric, I applied a coat of 2-part epoxy and let it dry overnight. I then applied a carbon fiber skin to the top side of the board. I applied a second coat to the top face to get a glossier finish, As you can see, the top was applied with bubbles in it which detract from the aesthetic. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b8360bc6d2a73bb5c1ef035/1535336657899/IMG_5278.JPG Boards Countersunk screw holes. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b835e1b4fa51af3fa024ee4/1535335977415/IMG_5677.JPG Boards Starting with the veneers. The goal of this board is be lightweight, so I went with only 4 alternating layers. The carbon fiber should strengthen the board significantly. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b835f076d2a73bb5c1eddb4/1535336223898/IMG_5706.JPG Boards The finished blank. It didn’t exactly take the drop down long board shape I was going for. I’d end up switching directions towards a kicktail instead. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b83612b0e2e72fa7800d29b/1535336788029/IMG_5287.JPG Boards The board is very light, but also very flexible. Next time, I might opt for one more layer of veneer in the core to provide a more controlled ride. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b835edaf950b729a34a835d/1535336173713/IMG_5704.JPG Boards Pressing with the vacuum bag setup. Unfortunately the bags we made were made of polyethylene and prone to inadvertent damage. This bag developed several small leaks. I had to “top off” the pump every 5 minutes for the first hour of the press. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b83602540ec9a197953844e/1535336517091/IMG_5708.JPG Boards To cover up the unsightly bubbles on the top of the board , I applied Jessup grip tape. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b8360698a922d080025fa74/1535336604258/IMG_5284.JPG Boards The finished board.; fit up with Gull Wing II double acting trucks. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b38898b8a922dbccf91e591/1530432055517/SkateboardZebra.png Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b67bac22b6a286b624984fc/1533524783932/IMG_5231.JPG Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b67c00d562fa7f5d574828c/1533526095784/IMG_5238.JPG Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b67c0ea0e2e72aae8aef8e3/1533527229425/IMG_5181.JPG Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b67c4fb8a922d428433e7d3/1533528543664/IMG_5216.JPG Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b67d1c7f950b7f27706a4f5/1533530646067/IMG_5214.JPG Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b67d27f03ce6475402a4db2/1533531585219/IMG_5210.JPG Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b67d7f2575d1f9e8ad4b830/1533533370455/IMG_5221.JPG Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b67dd090e2e72aae8b21b0f/1533533498395/IMG_5173.JPG Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b68cfbc8a922d4579cc1828/1533595595098/IMG_3918.JPG Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b79c0b31ae6cf55a0a7e471/1534706107954/IMG_5173.JPG Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b7a59070e2e72ace0f0d02c/1534744852426/IMG_5730.JPG Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b7a7d52cd8366741a8f03ac/1535522511425/IMG_5243.JPG Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b834d63c2241ba1811fc952/1535346759705/IMG_5303.JPG Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5ba2030c4d7a9c88ca6121ac/1537344331822/IMG_5284.JPG Boards https://www.builtbybetts.com/cutting-boards daily 0.75 2018-09-16 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b9edb5240ec9abc47777f35/1537137506164/IMG_6198.JPG Cutting Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b9edb410e2e72b096953060/1537137489574/IMG_6197.JPG Cutting Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b6a44c90e2e72497ac3cc55/1533691113590/IMG_5854.JPG Cutting Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b6a450270a6ad2f21c238cc/1533691165935/IMG_5856.JPG Cutting Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b5ecdc3575d1fa8d6564727/5b5ed3ea575d1fa8d656d112/1532941742407/IMG_1475.JPG Cutting Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b5ecdc3575d1fa8d6564727/5b5ed3e788251bab88aad8f0/1532941742405/IMG_1478.JPG Cutting Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b5ecdc3575d1fa8d6564727/5b5ed3d56d2a73ec3d47dadf/1532941742403/IMG_1482.JPG Cutting Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b5ecdc3575d1fa8d6564727/5b5ed3d1758d46f72c0d60a3/1532941742401/IMG_1501.JPG Cutting Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b5ecdc3575d1fa8d6564727/5b5ed3c470a6addd33f5b109/1532941742400/IMG_1505.JPG Cutting Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b5ecdc3575d1fa8d6564727/5b5ed3c488251bab88aad563/1532941742396/IMG_1508.JPG Cutting Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b5ed00e2b6a28400355d5f8/1532941742392/IMG_1511.JPG Cutting Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b5ed3196d2a73ec3d47cace/1532941742394/IMG_1491.JPG Cutting Boards The "unit slab". It's a term I made up..... It's the assembled unit that is then cross cut and flipped to expose the end grain, and then reglued to from the board. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b79c47ccd8366741a88c730/1535348205044/IMG_1351.JPG Cutting Boards The two end grain blanks after glue up. Both of these boards could have been converted into quality cutting boards on their own. But... you got to go big or go home. Right? https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b79c60088251b5c02225e24/1535348205050/IMG_1454.JPG Cutting Boards I filled the recess on the back of the board with some glow powder infused casting resin. The process was pretty straight forward and the clean up I did with the orbital sander was far easier the clean up on the front face. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b79c4b540ec9a9bc8915031/1535348205046/IMG_1386.JPG Cutting Boards Cutting the blanks on the water jet. With the water level as low as it could go,there was still splashing which soaked the board and caused the grain to swell. Obviously, this was not ideal given that I was trying to precision fit an inlay. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b79c311562fa7c4f8e30929/1535348205034/IMG_1289.JPG Cutting Boards As this was a rather complicated design with a high level of risk, I took the time to CAD and render the board so I knew exactly what I was getting in to. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b79c39521c67c1954170b60/1535348205039/IMG_1327.JPG Cutting Boards All the "unit slabs" that I need to complete this project. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b79c536b8a0455bb1f2efa1/1535348205052/IMG_5123.JPG Cutting Boards An image of the board in the dark. The Glow feature came out a lot crisper than I had anticipated. I am really quite pleased with it. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b79c36acd8366741a88ba94/1535348205038/IMG_1318.JPG Cutting Boards The first "unit slab". This glued assembly is cross cut to reveal the end grain. In many cutting board projects, the "unit slab" is quite long and can be cross cut into a dozen or more slices. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b79c41ec2241b4f57b97a5b/1535348205041/IMG_4007.JPG Cutting Boards Crosscutting the unit slab on the table saw to reveal the end grain. In order to maximize cutting area of the board, I decided to cut the unit slab into 1 inch slices. Typically I prefer to go for 1.5" as the extra thickness gives the board a sturdier look/ feel. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b79c5ab1ae6cf55a0a81be1/1535348205053/IMG_5114.JPG Cutting Boards I ended up buying a light box to take product photos and the cutting board was my first photo shoot. I am still working out my process post-process, but I do think that even with the remedial methods I employ now, the professionalism of my photos has been stepped up. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b79c4da4d7a9c3a9596198b/1535348205048/IMG_1416.JPG Cutting Boards The moment of truth.... Drum Roll Please! And it fit. With a little coaxing with a mallet, the Dolphin's logo inlay was a tight fit into the base board relief. A couple hours of sanding later, and the board was ready for the final stage. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b79c4511ae6cf55a0a80bdd/1535348205043/IMG_1364.JPG Cutting Boards With all the slices cut, it was time for a glue up. One of the major takeaways from this project was that as a woodworker, you can never have too many clamps. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b79c21d40ec9a9bc89132f7/1535348205032/IMG_5110.JPG Cutting Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b79c33ef950b7d1193b60e3/1535348205036/IMG_1290.JPG Cutting Boards This was before I had my own planer, jointer, or even belt sander at home, so I bought pre-milled, turning blanks from McBeath's Hardwoods. I bought sticks of walnut, maple and cherry, the 3 most common cutting board woods on account of their tight grain structure and durability. They did not come cheap, however, as pre-milled lumber in small quantities garners a steep premium. For 3 board feet of material, I ended up paying ~$70. Now that I have the appropriate tools to mill blanks like these in my basement and the space to buy in bulk, this amount of wood typically runs about $22. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b5ecc4770a6addd33f50d95/1532939715821/IMG_1621.JPG Cutting Boards Old School Planar at the Organ Factory https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b5eca44352f53124f91fb7b/5b5eccdc758d46f72c0cc3e8/1532939715831/IMG_1517.JPG Cutting Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b5eca44352f53124f91fb7b/5b5eccbf6d2a73ec3d473f4a/1532939715828/IMG_1645.JPG Cutting Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b5eca44352f53124f91fb7b/5b5eccbef950b7feeb9190bd/1532939715827/IMG_1650.JPG Cutting Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b5eca44352f53124f91fb7b/5b5ecca9758d46f72c0cbf68/1532939715825/IMG_1814.JPG Cutting Boards 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https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b5ed72170a6addd33f600e4/1532942135817/IMG_1690.JPG Cutting Boards Pre-oil https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b5ed6a68a922d8f9e5e791d/1532942045239/IMG_1804.JPG Cutting Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b73d60f88251b7d489d5d85/1535361147916/IMG_1775.JPG Cutting Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b83c0a8aa4a996cc7b19e1c/1535361208490/IMG_5386.JPG Cutting Boards Same Board, 3 years later. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b6a59f9352f53508346222e/1533697052206/IMG_5875.JPG Cutting Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b6a5c322b6a28bb21885c6f/1533697110760/IMG_5881.JPG Cutting Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b67aae288251b17547821f2/5b67aae288251b17547821fb/1532939715831/IMG_1517.JPG Cutting Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b67aae288251b17547821f2/5b67aae288251b17547821f9/1532939715828/IMG_1645.JPG Cutting Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b67aae288251b17547821f2/5b67aae288251b17547821f7/1532939715827/IMG_1650.JPG Cutting Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b67aae288251b17547821f2/5b67aae288251b17547821f5/1532939715825/IMG_1814.JPG Cutting Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b67aae288251b17547821f2/5b67aae288251b17547821f3/1532939715822/IMG_1820.JPG Cutting Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b83c16dcd8366d1f2d74fb3/1535361407642/IMG_5310.JPG Cutting Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b67abc988251b1754784260/1533520984355/IMG_5101.JPG Cutting Boards 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https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b67ac7a562fa7f5d571d9fc/5b67ac7a562fa7f5d571d9ff/1530697872188/IMG_1383.JPG Cutting Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b67ac7a562fa7f5d571d9f7/1533521018752/IMG_5123.JPG Cutting Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b5ecf6f6d2a73ec3d477b27/1532941742390/IMG_1510.JPG Cutting Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b5ed5f1aa4a99bb719e00ea/1532941825894/IMG_1810.JPG Cutting Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b67ac7a562fa7f5d571d9f3/1533521018747/IMG_5110.JPG Cutting Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b67ae0c758d46d3428ca321/1533521501867/IMG_1820.JPG Cutting Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b67b7da03ce647540270623/1533523963786/IMG_1775.JPG Cutting Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b6a4965562fa77529bd729b/1533692288138/IMG_5854+%281%29.JPG Cutting Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b6a5ed51ae6cfd4010a131d/1533697770714/IMG_5884.JPG Cutting Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b79cc2b758d46b6ff8b1159/1535348205030/IMG_5110.JPG Cutting Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b83c368562fa70992f1ff49/1535361924116/IMG_5310.JPG Cutting Boards https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b9edc246d2a73605fb567f3/1537137713872/IMG_6197.JPG Cutting Boards https://www.builtbybetts.com/other-projects daily 0.75 2018-07-06 https://www.builtbybetts.com/embellishments daily 0.75 2018-07-06 https://www.builtbybetts.com/jointery daily 0.75 2018-07-06 https://www.builtbybetts.com/wood-selection daily 0.75 2018-07-06 https://www.builtbybetts.com/compact-workshop-an-evolution daily 0.75 2018-07-25 https://www.builtbybetts.com/in-memoriam daily 0.75 2018-07-29 https://www.builtbybetts.com/frames-and-games daily 0.75 2018-07-29 https://www.builtbybetts.com/in-memoriam-1 daily 0.75 2018-07-29 https://www.builtbybetts.com/odds-and-ends daily 0.75 2018-07-29 https://www.builtbybetts.com/cutlery-1 daily 0.75 2018-09-06 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b90d888c2241b85ea9a0ece/1536219306407/IMG_5334.JPG Cutlery https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b7a5d156d2a7356c6082b3a/1534746163579/IMG_6027.JPG Cutlery https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b7a5c90352f53632c999482/5b835435c2241ba181200a61/1535333450101/IMG_5338.JPG Cutlery https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b7a5c90352f53632c999482/5b7a5e068a922da692533a8a/1535333420600/IMG_6048.JPG Cutlery https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b7a5c90352f53632c999482/5b7a5df1758d46b6ff9047d2/1534746163581/IMG_5541+%281%29.JPG Cutlery https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b8359fd0ebbe8b9b8ddaf33/1535334967667/IMG_5355.JPG Cutlery https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b835a6f032be4d68a4d28e3/1535335059252/IMG_5358.JPG Cutlery https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b7a614aaa4a99fdf3ab4f9a/5b7a614aaa4a99fdf3ab4f9b/1534746735851/IMG_6060.JPG Cutlery https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b7a614aaa4a99fdf3ab4f9a/5b7a614aaa4a99fdf3ab4f9d/1534746737904/IMG_6064.JPG Cutlery https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b834ffc032be4d68a4cc03e/1535353782858/IMG_5338.JPG Cutlery https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b7a6a68575d1fcc492306f7/1535353782843/IMG_5929.JPG Cutlery Secondary Bevel - A knife must only be rough ground (left with a dull edge of ~0.5 mm thickness at the apex) before heat treatment so that the thin edge doesn't develop micro cracks. The secondary bevel is ground into the blade after heat treatment with a whetting stone. The knife is run across (edge forward) a whetting stone at a fixed angle. The secondary bevel is much steeper than the primary bevel. I was shooting for 20 degrees. Proper technique involves traversing the stone with the entire edge of the blade on each pass to ensure an even erosion of a material. There are many different flavors of whetting stone, but mine is a water soaked stone with duel cutting faces; one at 1000 grit for primary material removal and the other at 6000 grit for deburring and honing. This is a rather time intensive process; each knife I made took about 1 hour. Frankly, I could have used another 30 minutes on the 6000 grit side to achieve ultimate sharpness. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b7a689d352f53632c99d3ee/1535353782835/Cleaver.JPG Cutlery Locking down the knife design took a lot longer than you'd think. It's easy to stress over the subtle details. Vince and I ended up sketching out a cleaver, a chef's knife, a steak knife, and a paring knife. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b7a6a014fa51a76f368fa55/1535353782842/IMG_5920.JPG Cutlery Heat Treatment - Once the primary bevel is cut, the knifes were sent out to Byington Blades, a local heat treating shop. Heat treatment alters the structure of the steel crystals, allowing you to tailor the hardness (and associated brittleness) of the steel to the specific application. For these knives we chose a basic heat treatment option which involved treatment in a vacuum environment, This minimizes decarb, a scale formed when carbon leaches out of the steel and forms pits on the surface. We also specified a minimum of 59 Rockwell hardness and authorized a straightening procedure to fix the induced planar curvature in the knives after heat treatment. There's a rabbit hole you can find yourself travelling down when it comes to heat treatment, with multiple heats, quenching rates and media as well as cryo treatments. We'll see how well these blades hold up, but advanced heat treatment may be something to experiment with in the future. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b81e138aa4a996cc7a2d8d9/1535353782857/IMG_6068.JPG Cutlery Finishing the handle is one of my favorite parts of the entire process. First, I used the band saw to rough the shape to the blade tang. Then I clamped the blade in a vise went at the handle with a belt sander. This constitutes the bulk of the material removal. After the coarse grit belt sanding, it was time for the random orbital with increasingly fine grits. By the end, I was up to a 1500 grit pad that has been fully caked, causing the sander to become a burnish tool. On average, it took me about an hour to shape each handle. With the knife essentially complete, it was ready for a coat of Tung oil. Tung oil will be applied every couple days for a month or until all the pits/ grooves from the wood grain have filled in and the handle has polished look. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b83508d032be4d68a4cc613/1535353782862/IMG_5310.JPG Cutlery https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b7a6b5103ce646d8c7530e2/1535353782850/IMG_6036.JPG Cutlery The final look of the blade, complete with logo by Alexa! We also marked one of the kitchen knives with her logo for Chunk Belly Baking Company. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b834fb00e2e72fa7800228a/1535353782833/IMG_5324.JPG Cutlery https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b7a6aca4ae2377ea925a607/1535353782845/IMG_5936.JPG Cutlery Mirror, Mirror - The blades came back from heat treatment with a grey, blotchy scale. This scale is called decarb and is the build up of carbon diffused to the surface of the metal. The decarb creates pits in the metal which may act as nucleation sites for rust or other corrosion. I used an ordinary orbital sander and progressively finer grit sanding discs to blast away the decarb. I left a few of the knives with a dull finish and only used sanding discs of grits 180 and 320. For 2 of the knives, however, I decided to strive for a mirror finish and used grits 180, 320, 400, 800, 1000, 1500, 2000, and 3000. Since the metal was hardened, the sanding discs wore out incredibly fast. The face of each knife consumed 1 or 2 discs of each grit. In all, I used around 80 sanding discs to finish 6 blades. The final step for the mirror finish knives was to polish with metal polishing compound and polishing wheel attachment for my cordless drill. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b7a69c40ebbe83e5e04c76a/1535353782840/IMG_5541.JPG Cutlery Grinding the primary bevel - The primary bevel is the main taper on a knife. I use my belt sander with a 220 grit belt. In reality I probably should have gone with something more aggressive. Proper technique involves grinding the bevel with cutting edge forward and holding your bevel angle constant. For the kitchen knifes I tried to hold 10 degrees for the primary bevel. For the cleaver, the goal was a primary bevel less than 5 degrees. I decided to cut the knives with a double bevel, (distinct from secondary bevel) meaning I put a primary bevel on either side of the knife. Many Japanese knifes are single bevel (chisel cut) and only hold an edge on one side. Double bevel is the traditional style of western blades. This process took approximately 45 minutes per knife, mostly due to the limitations of my belt sander. A professional set up should be able to get a knife done in a couple minutes, although it would be less forgiving of mistakes. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b7a6ba5b8a0455bb1f8c20c/1535353782852/IMG_6045.JPG Cutlery The wooden slabs glued to the handle are called the scales. I experimented with a couple different hardwoods for the scales (Cocobolo, Zebrawood, Indian Rosewood and Eucalyptus Burl). I also put decorative pins in the scales to add a little more flair. Traditionally, the pins would be structural, piercing both scales and the knife handle to fasten the assembly together. However, due to a miscalculation (I made the pin holes to small when I water jet the blanks) and the fact that steel was hardened (I destroyed a drill bit trying to open the holes up on the drill press) I had to cut pins stubs to set in the scales. The pins are purely decorative. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b83501af950b729a349ec08/1535353782861/IMG_5341.JPG Cutlery https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b7a6b116d2a7356c6087384/1535353782847/IMG_6024.JPG Cutlery Laser Engraving. - Once the finish had been set on the blades I decided they could use a little embellishment. Low power lasers don't etch on steel very well, but I had heard tell of a compound, Ceremark, that might do the trick. Ceremark can be applied to steel and lasered over to chemically etch a pattern. The problem is, Ceremark cost $100 per aerosol can, a bit beyond what I was willing to spend. Fortunately, a marking alternative exists. Dry Moly Lubricant, which only costs ~$10 for a similar sized can, creates similar markings on steel when lasered. I triple coated a patch of the steel blade, set it in my laser cutter at home, fiddled with some settings and crossed my fingers. After a quick rinse with isopropyl alcohol, the rest of the Moly lube washed off, leaving the crisp logo on the steel. Success! https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b7a692d352f53632c99d78f/1535353782838/IMG_5516.JPG Cutlery We tried to maximize the number of knives we could get out of each billet. We used 5 billets and made a total of `17 knives; including one novelty dagger (outline pictures above).. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b7a68fa032be4479951d64e/1535353782837/IMG_5515+%281%29.JPG Cutlery Water jetting the knife blanks out of a billet of AEB-L-Stainless Steel. AEB-L is a low (ish) Chromium content steel, common in knife making. AEB-L forms small carbides structures (as opposed to large ones) that make it easy to sharpen but good for edge retention once heat treatment. On this billet, the work piece slipped in the clamps and the first attempt at the cleaver came out a bit deformed. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b8350e54d7a9cb23e5ad1e7/5b835165758d46345de77ec5/1535353782873/IMG_5369.JPG Cutlery https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b8350e54d7a9cb23e5ad1e7/5b83513f40ec9a197952ea55/1535353782871/IMG_5367.JPG Cutlery https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b8350e54d7a9cb23e5ad1e7/5b8351336d2a73bb5c1e5255/1535353782870/IMG_5353.JPG Cutlery https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b8350e54d7a9cb23e5ad1e7/5b835110aa4a996cc7ae4854/1535353782868/IMG_5314.JPG Cutlery https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b8350e54d7a9cb23e5ad1e7/5b8350e5898583e9f6e65ed9/1535353782865/IMG_5337.JPG Cutlery https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b81e11c898583e9f6dafc04/1535353782854/IMG_6084.JPG Cutlery Gluing the scales onto the tang. I used a 2 part, quick setting epoxy (5 minute pot life) and clamped everything down with some springs clamps. It was a little tricky because the epoxy acts like a lubricant at first. The scales slide around relative to the knife and it is hard to get everything aligned. About 4 minutes in, the glue starts to get tacky and everything holds a little better. But only 3 minutes after that, the epoxy is set, so you better be confident in your work. Whatever you have at that point is final. It was a little nerve wracking, honestly. After a couple hours, the glue was completely cured and ready for a final shaping. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b7a5b9c352f53632c998eff/1534745744726/IMG_6036.JPG Cutlery https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b7a59d74fa51a76f368a55d/5b7a5c12352f53632c9991ff/1534745744733/IMG_5515+%281%29.JPG Cutlery https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b7a59d74fa51a76f368a55d/5b7a5c0dcd8366741a8e4aee/1534745744731/IMG_6020.JPG Cutlery https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b7a59d74fa51a76f368a55d/5b7a5c0103ce646d8c74de95/1534745744728/IMG_6070.JPG Cutlery https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b8353542b6a282494e4a4b8/1535333222139/IMG_5341.JPG Cutlery https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b8357a5352f53cbba3bbd54/1535334343047/IMG_5367.JPG Cutlery 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https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b83584203ce64a5a9b5a4fc/1535334491533/IMG_5367.JPG Cutlery https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b835ac021c67c8d1fb82e18/1535335133967/IMG_5369.JPG Cutlery https://www.builtbybetts.com/frames-games-and-automobiles daily 0.75 2018-08-29 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b792efb70a6adf88735e531/1534668566967/IMG_6053.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b792f548985837439609675/1534668649873/IMG_6054.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b791f7e1ae6cf55a0a33dec/5b7920cccd8366741a83ee57/1534664968652/image+%2815%29.png Frames, Games and Automobiles https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b791f7e1ae6cf55a0a33dec/5b79209970a6adf88735a4ff/1534664968649/IMG_1121.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b7920124ae2377ea91ac64f/1534664968645/IMG_5772.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b7920384fa51a76f35e4f7e/1534664968647/IMG_5719+%281%29.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b73c4152b6a28ecc0992a62/1534317503829/IMG_3290.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles I spent some time thinking of new and intersting deck shapes for the 4 boards. I settles on a fish tail, a pintail, a twin tip and another pintail with wheel well cut outs. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b791e30cd8366741a83e23f/5b791ebf0e2e72ace0e68a00/1535356900460/IMG_3250.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b791e30cd8366741a83e23f/5b791ebfaa4a99fdf3a0d33e/1535356900462/IMG_3269.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b791e30cd8366741a83e23f/5b791eae032be44799474377/1535356900458/IMG_3279.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b791e30cd8366741a83e23f/5b791eae4d7a9c3a959146bd/1535356900455/IMG_3282.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b73c3271ae6cfa14c9fa2b5/1534317503824/IMG_3214+%281%29.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles About 12 board feet of various woods I would use to make the boards. Pictured, from left to right: Wenge, Hard Maple, Padauk, Zebrawood, Yellowheart, Curly Maple, Purpleheart, Lacewood and Walnut. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b73c49c8a922ddaec94281f/1535356900453/IMG_3296.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles Just going for it. I set these up in the MetaBeam and let the laser do its thing. Within 3 minutes the board has been cut to shape (mounting holes and all) and I'm ready for the next one. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b73c5fecd8366c54969b8a0/1534317503837/IMG_5761.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles First couple shelves assembled! It was fortuitous that the hole spacing on the pipe flanges was nearly exactly the same for two of the holes as it was for a standard skateboard truck. I bolted everything together with skateboard hardware. The whole assembly went together like a dream. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b73c37a8a922ddaec942093/1534317503828/IMG_3289.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles The blanks for the 4 boards I'd use for the book shelf. Now to decide which shape to cut out of them. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b791df7575d1fcc4918561b/1535356900451/IMG_6009.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b73c5a70ebbe8c1d763b3db/1534317503835/IMG_5759.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles Steel pipe and pipe flanges I bought a Home Depot. These don't come cheap, but they are convenient and add a bit of an industrial aesthetic to a project. Just make sure to keep them dry to prevent rust. If you live in a damp/humid climate, a clear coat or biannual oiling should keep the rust at bey. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b73c62003ce64ed1e7ac5e8/1534317503839/IMG_5766.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles The finished shelf. It was a little wobbly at first, but it just required shimming of the feet on one side. We've started putting books and other trinkets on it and no structural issues yet! Each board was intended to hold a full grown adult, so if there was to be an issue, it would mean that we had far too may books on it (and probably a few chunks of lead). https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b73c4eb70a6ad3cbc3cbfa3/1534317503833/IMG_5193.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles Finishing up the decks - The boards required a bit of planing, routing, sanding and polyurethane-ing to get them to a finished state. In all each board took about 90 minutes to complete these final steps. I was pretty pleased with the way they turned out.... and, also a little bummed that I wasn't going to get to ride them. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b73c355575d1feb352cd067/1534317503826/IMG_3279.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles Herringbone, a new pattern! I've done a bunch of straight line rips and I wanted to try something a little different for one of the boards. The glue up was a little more difficult than the average board I make, but the board turned out just as sturdy. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b6a6b0d88251b729333de04/5b73bbe7032be4b0c2fc1e44/1534311401694/image+%287%29.png Frames, Games and Automobiles https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b6a6b0d88251b729333de04/5b73bbda1ae6cfa14c9f6ed9/1534311390592/image+%289%29.png Frames, Games and Automobiles https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b6a6b9703ce64348eb46e1b/1533737701697/IMG_5869.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b73bbbe03ce64ed1e7a7ec4/1534311363692/image+%288%29.png Frames, Games and Automobiles https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b73d74340ec9afbc6304867/1534318417263/IMG_2481.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b792cac0ebbe83e5efa71ba/1534668266254/IMG_5437.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b792ce0758d46b6ff863033/1534668266256/IMG_5420.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b792b9c2b6a28a66205c012/5b792d74c2241b4f57b4ea5d/1534668266260/IMG_5424.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b792b9c2b6a28a66205c012/5b792d74cd8366741a842628/1534668266258/IMG_5427.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b79303b562fa7c4f8de90ee/5b7931e7575d1fcc4918acfc/1534669312241/IMG_6055.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b79303b562fa7c4f8de90ee/5b7931e7758d46b6ff8644eb/1534669305496/IMG_6056.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b793217f950b7d11936ec8d/1534669387401/IMG_6057.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b73dd1303ce64ed1e7b5495/1534319905222/IMG_3147.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b73dcf58a922ddaec94bfab/1534319876383/IMG_3150.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles Kim creepin' in the corner. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b6a647af950b70e700d62c0/1533699694975/IMG_5850.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b6853fe2b6a286b62598eee/1533699694971/IMG_5852.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b792108c2241b4f57b4b236/5b7922ecaa4a99fdf3a0e606/1534665469242/IMG_1089.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b792108c2241b4f57b4b236/5b7922d76d2a7356c6fde796/1534665457691/IMG_1088.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b792108c2241b4f57b4b236/5b7922d5cd8366741a83f6a6/1534665456841/IMG_1086.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b792108c2241b4f57b4b236/5b7922c0352f53632c8f51ee/1534665434824/IMG_1082.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b792108c2241b4f57b4b236/5b7922c06d2a7356c6fde720/1534665435671/IMG_1085.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b7921cc032be447994752db/1534665170387/image+%2812%29.png Frames, Games and Automobiles https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b79220270a6adf88735abee/1534665244607/IMG_1091.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b7917651ae6cf55a0a31722/1535355384311/IMG_1771.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles Setting up the laser file was simple. After about 20 minutes of laser time, I had the flat pattern of the map ready for assembly. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b73e070c2241bb65f0bb459/1534660785106/IMG_1055.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b79180603ce646d8c6a7069/1535355384315/IMG_1773.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles Adding on the frame was the final step. I had couple sticks of walnut that I planed down and cut to length. A real frame would have involved some form of clever jointery, but not for this project. Nope, I just glued the walnut pieces to the side of the assembled map. It actually looks pretty good, but I can't help but to look back now and feel a little ashamed I didn't try something more ambitious. I used some furniture polish to darken up the walnut and it was ready for gifting. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b79184a0ebbe83e5efa1563/1535355384317/IMG_1064.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles I carried this back across the country with me on a plane (That was an ordeal) and presented it to my Dad. He loved it! Eventually he mounted in a place of high honor.... above the computer desk no one uses! It actually looks quite nice where it is. It's always nice when some one willingly displays your work at their house.... even if they have to becasue it's your parents. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b7916d60ebbe83e5efa0e95/1535355384309/topomap.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles Solidworks does have an Autotrace function, but it's pretty bad at picking up anything that is not a black silhouette on a white background. I had to trace the topo lines from the NOAA maps by hand (well, manually with splines in Solidworks). The next step was to label all the landmarks, which was a fun bit of nostalgia for me. I threw in a quick compass rose and was ready to export to .dxf. Ready for lasering. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b79189a758d46b6ff85d351/5b7918ef70a6adf887357fc2/1535355384333/IMG_1069.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b79189a758d46b6ff85d351/5b7918d64d7a9c3a95912c31/1535355384329/IMG_1062.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b79189a758d46b6ff85d351/5b7918d64ae2377ea91aa40a/1535355384332/IMG_1054.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b79189a758d46b6ff85d351/5b7918c8575d1fcc49183e53/1535355384328/IMG_1067.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b79189a758d46b6ff85d351/5b7918b24ae2377ea91aa369/1535355384326/IMG_1060.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b79189a758d46b6ff85d351/5b7918af4ae2377ea91aa35c/1535355384324/IMG_1058.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b79189a758d46b6ff85d351/5b79189a6d2a7356c6fdba80/1535355384319/IMG_1056.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b79189a758d46b6ff85d351/5b79189a1ae6cf55a0a31d92/1535355384322/IMG_1055.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b79163221c67c1954121aca/1535355384306/b1.PNG Frames, Games and Automobiles My first task was to find a suitable topographic map of Westport, CT. I also wanted to include water depth, so the map would ideally also have bathymetric isolines on it as well. I searched and searched to no avail. Finally, I found a repository of bathymetric/ topographic maps on the NOAA website and was fortunately able to find one for the area in question. The only problem was that it was split into 6 separate files. After another 45 minutes and some Photoshop magic, I finally had a "traceable" map. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b7917a521c67c19541220c9/1535355384313/IMG_1772.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles Assembly was also not terribly difficult. The first step was to dye the water blue. Then, starting with the base plate (the lowest elevation piece) glue consecutive layers on top of one another, making sure to align the edge of the part with the etched isoline on the part below it. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b6b0638758d46bc62e95a14/1533741876574/IMG_1018.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b6b045c03ce6411f8ed655e/5b6b06de88251b22ed745e85/1533741876582/IMG_5804.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b6b045c03ce6411f8ed655e/5b6b068faa4a99d240eb4c88/1533741876580/IMG_1021.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b6b045c03ce6411f8ed655e/5b6b068f758d46bc62e9629f/1533741876576/IMG_1023.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b6b0579aa4a99d240eb2f34/1533741876571/IMG_1015.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b6a68978a922df70e3c5f1f/1533700877971/IMG_5895.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b6a690588251b729333954e/5b6a69141ae6cfd4010b8f27/1533700877979/IMG_5890.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b6a690588251b729333954e/5b6a69142b6a28bb218a3dea/1533700877977/IMG_5893.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b6a690588251b729333954e/5b6a6905f950b70e700e011c/1533700877974/IMG_5896.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b6a68dc88251b7293338f14/1533700877973/IMG_5889.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b73b9d4758d46f865483871/1534310893054/IMG_1028.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles 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https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b791b6e4ae2377ea91aafbc/1535357465253/Corny.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles I've done a fair amount of of "mortise and tenon" lasered box design in the past, so this cornhole was right in my wheel house. A total of 5 piece construction assembled with press fit joints. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b791cc940ec9a9bc88c69b3/1535357465259/cornhole.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles After Alexa's art (a stylized owl and whale) were etched on to the boards, I assembled the pieces and sanded flat any protrusions.. Easy! And with that, the bulk of the mechanicals were done. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b791ba68985837439603dd0/1535357465257/cornholes.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles A portion of the layout for the laser cutter . We bought one 4' x 8' sheet of plywood and had to be exceptionally space efficient with the layout. The laser made quick work of the 0.75" ply; cutting without any charring nor having the wood catch on fire. Kind of a miracle, honestly. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b73d4356d2a73783a3d5f9a/1535357465251/cornhole.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b791b832b6a28a66205779e/1535357465255/Cornholesdf.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles Orthographic projection of the cornhole design. Notice the "Crewvier" inscription. We lived on Cuvier street. A ha, a pun. Ok, maybe not that clever. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b791ca070a6adf88735919a/1535357465261/IMG_5512.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles Alexa and I finished the boards with 3 coats of Spar Polyurethane, an outdoor, UV resistant varietal of poly. After painting the poly on for the last coat, we had to sand the surface to ensure evenness /flatness of the playing surface. We then stepped up the grit number (higher number = finer grit) on the sanding discs until we achieved the right surface finish (and thus coefficient of friction) for game play. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b6b0c18352f530261e1715b/1534309973067/IMG_1048.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b6b0bd80e2e72ed507f476e/1534309973066/IMG_1042.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b6b0b346d2a732c0d53ea2d/5b6b0db71ae6cf8924b5589b/1534309973074/IMG_5783.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b6b0b346d2a732c0d53ea2d/5b6b0d0b70a6ad1cba58c87c/1534309973072/IMG_1050.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5b6b0b346d2a732c0d53ea2d/5b6b0d09352f530261e19915/1534309973069/IMG_1044.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b6a66e9758d4610025b9dab/1533700009182/IMG_5900.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b6a67132b6a28bb2189f7db/1533700009185/IMG_5902.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b6854870e2e72aae8be4f25/1533699694969/IMG_5852.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b6a675b562fa77529c21b5b/1533700009180/IMG_5900.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b6a68560e2e72497ac94f0d/1533700877969/IMG_5895.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b6a6b6d2b6a28bb218a8d24/1533737701694/IMG_5869.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b6b07fbaa4a99d240eb6de7/1533741876568/IMG_1015.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b6b0fad758d46fd9589af76/1534309973063/IMG_1042.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b73b8a270a6ad3cbc3c6528/1534310777812/IMG_5909.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b73bb02898583d1bafc93c6/1534311187704/IMG_1034.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b73d67f21c67c83f64b5697/1535357465248/cornhole.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b73d81ab8a045bca1d0afbf/1534318626934/IMG_2481.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b73dd6470a6ad3cbc3d5846/1534319983686/IMG_3150.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b77cf43cd8366741a7a224b/1534660785104/IMG_1055.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b7921898a922da69248f1f9/1534665114340/IMG_1089.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b7923ddf950b7d11936acaa/1534665720745/IMG_1121.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b79241e8985837439606453/1535356900448/IMG_6009.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b792e980ebbe83e5efa7909/1534668859225/IMG_5437.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b792ed24d7a9c3a95919143/1534668515299/IMG_6053.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b793279352f53632c8f98cf/1534669445320/IMG_6056.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b7932cbb8a0455bb1ee6327/1534669532516/IMG_1694.JPG Frames, Games and Automobiles https://www.builtbybetts.com/about daily 0.75 2018-09-06 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5ac45efdaa4a99f8e162d3a5/1522818825624/Fieldofflowers.jpg About https://www.builtbybetts.com/new-page daily 0.75 2018-06-30 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5ac464cbf950b72a52453c5a/5b81096003ce64a5a9a383d0/1535183298344/bison.jpg Photography - The Herd Grazing Bison on the edge of the Tetons. Jackson, Wyoming https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5ac464cbf950b72a52453c5a/5ac470810e2e72d53c24a2e1/1532847497942/yellowstonefalls.jpg Photography - The falls Yellowstone Falls, Yellowstone, WY. I bumped up the saturation a little too high on this edit, but I think the effect is kind of cool. Almost looks like a painting. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5ac464cbf950b72a52453c5a/5ac4707f70a6adfc8c7e8dd7/1532847497941/steadyhand.jpg Photography - Flume Glacier National Park, Whitefish, MT. The whole river looked like this. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5ac464cbf950b72a52453c5a/5ac4707ff950b72a52466353/1532847497939/springs.jpg Photography - Thermal Bath Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone, WY. I took some many pictures here Hard to just choose one. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5ac464cbf950b72a52453c5a/5ac4707e03ce64f9d0b76c09/1532847497937/spaceneedle.jpg Photography - Space Needle A view from a friends home in Seattle, taken my first week in town. When it’s not misty, the sunsets are unreal in the PNW. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5ac464cbf950b72a52453c5a/5ac4707eaa4a99f8e164aa02/1532847497936/saturation.jpg Photography - Glacial Ripple Leaving Glacier National Park, we pulled over to watch the sun turn an brilliant shade of orange, then red, then purple. Once of the most stunning sunsets I’ve witnessed to date. I threw some rock in the water to add a little foreground texture. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5ac464cbf950b72a52453c5a/5ac4707d88251b86bcb97564/1532847497934/Ropeswing.jpg Photography - Gilman Plunge A composite photo of a tree jump on the Connecticut river, across from Gilman Island. A short canoe trip from Dartmouth’s Campus, this tree was a weekly pilgrimage site for the summer’s I spent on campus. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5ac464cbf950b72a52453c5a/5ac4707caa4a99f8e164a9f3/1532847497932/Rialtocakerock.jpg Photography - Slice of Cake Cake Rock off the coast of Washington’s Olympic National Park. We visited for Perseid’s Meteor Shower, but the suset was almost as spectacular. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5ac464cbf950b72a52453c5a/5ac4707b352f53ce4203d613/1532847497931/rainerlog.jpg Photography - Inveral Inversion Lake reflection. At this point I’m no longer sure which way was actually up. Mount Rainier National Park, Washington State. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5ac464cbf950b72a52453c5a/5ac4707baa4a99f8e164a99a/1532847497927/olympicreflection.jpg Photography - Olympic Reflections Played hookie on my birthday…. to kneel in a puddle to get this shot of Puget Sound and the Olympic Range. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5ac464cbf950b72a52453c5a/5ac4707b70a6adfc8c7e8d54/1532847497929/mirrorselfie.jpg Photography - Objects in the Mirror Hanging out of the window, camera leveled. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5ac464cbf950b72a52453c5a/5ac4707988251b86bcb974e7/1532847497926/fromthemist.jpg Photography - Venting A walk through a steaming mire. Yellowstone, WY https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5ac464cbf950b72a52453c5a/5ac47078f950b72a524662cb/1532847497924/dogsplash.jpg Photography - Leading the Camera Dog. Whidbey Island, Washington State https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5ac464cbf950b72a52453c5a/5ac4707788251b86bcb974d8/1532847497923/bonfire.jpg Photography - 3 Gallons of Gasoline A New Year’s Eve bonfire with a little fuel as a catalyst. Whidbey Island, Washington State. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5ac464cbf950b72a52453c5a/5ac47076352f53ce4203d5a2/1532847497919/banffpuddle.jpg Photography - Roadside Attraction A puddle in pull off parking lot. Banff, Alberta, CA. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5ac464cbf950b72a52453c5a/5ac470766d2a7353644b08bd/1532847497921/banffoutcrop.jpg Photography - Fairview Fair View Vista atop Fairview Mountain above Lake Louise, Alberta, CA https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5ac464cbf950b72a52453c5a/5ac46cc3562fa70b5ee6bb28/1532847497917/Drewonarock.jpg Photography - Tanganyika Respite A colleague reading a top a rocky outcropping along the shores of Lake Tanganyika, Tanzania. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5ac464cbf950b72a52453c5a/5ac464d8562fa70b5ee5eda7/1532847497916/StoveinAction.jpg Photography - After Burner An efficient and clean burning rocket stove, installed in the kitchen area of a Tanzanian home. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5ac464cbf950b72a52453c5a/5ac464d72b6a28217e163487/1532847497914/GulaiovertheStove.jpg Photography - Spectating Specters A group of children admiring our Rocket Stove in action. Mwamgongo, Tanzania. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/5ac464cbf950b72a52453c5a/5ac464d72b6a28217e163486/1532847497911/goodallgolden.jpg Photography - A Golden Opportunity Working with a neighboring community, it was a treat to be able to visit Jane Goodall’s Gombe National Park and chimpanzee reserve. Our first encounter was with a curious chimp name Golden. Lagging behind the group, I was effectively separated when Golden playfully bent over a sapling in the middle of the trail just ahead of me. Our guide told me not to move; so with my camera already leveled to my eye, I took this photo of Golden contemplating the mysteries of life… along with about 100 others over the course of the next 15, very still, minutes. https://www.builtbybetts.com/new-page-2 daily 0.75 2018-07-06 https://www.builtbybetts.com/wood-selection-2 daily 0.75 2018-07-25 https://www.builtbybetts.com/home daily 1.0 2018-09-20 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b8510384ae23726e2dd89b9/1535447123944/IMG_5324.JPG Home https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b67b10f575d1f9e8acff355/1533522299617/IMG_1055.JPG Home https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac41c514611a03e049bcd0f/t/5b67b2ae562fa7f5d572c242/1533522774934/IMG_5161.JPG Home https://www.builtbybetts.com/new-page-3 daily 0.75 2018-07-06 https://www.builtbybetts.com/new-page-4 daily 0.75 2018-07-25 https://www.builtbybetts.com/the-compact-workshop-top-10 daily 0.75 2018-07-25 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