Perfect Octagons from Squares with the “Wallace Factor”

 

In geometry, a “Regular Polygon” is defined as a convex polygon (polygon is a closed figure formed by a finite number of coplanar segments) with all sides congruent and all angles congruent.  So, a star is not ‘regular’ because it does have concave and convex alternating at every vertex.  Generally, we deal with squares and equilateral triangles.

My last project was to make an Octagon, and I did want all the sides to be equal.  As I played with the measure of the angles and the length of the sides, I realized that it is much better to start with a square and then cut the corners off such that I am left with the octagon shape as I wanted it.  I thought that if I start with a square, then I will have the project under control.  I went to the table saw and cut a piece of plywood to be a square.  Next, I reset my miter to 45 degrees instead of 90.  Now the only thing was to measure from the fence to the saw blade, so that after I cut two of the corners off, I will have three sides of my octagon.  The problem was to determine just what the measure from the fence to the saw blade had to be.  So, I worked for a couple of days and came up with a constant number that calculates the measure I was needing (“e”) as it relates to the length of the side of the square that I was cutting.  I like to call this constant number the “Wallace Factor”.  Here is the work sheet that I developed with Microsoft Excel.

Since I used Excel, I was able to put the calculations within a cell, and that saves you from having to go through all the work for yourself.  Note that in the rectangle that contains ENTER “x”, all you have to do is enter the length of the side of the square and the measure of “e” will be calculated immediately for you.  At the bottom of the page, it automatically calculates ‘a’, ‘b’, and ‘e’, then it does double check the numbers by adding “a + b + a” which is the measure of the side of the square. 

NOTE OF CAUSION:  The measure from the fence to the blade must be made to the correct side of the blade which is the left side of the blade, since the blade width is also part of what you are removing.

The Wallace Factor equals “.207119737”.  If you multiply this .207119737 times the length of a side of the square, you will have the measure, perpendicular to the cut, to remove from the square’s corner. 

If you would like to have the “file” that I created (the photo worksheet shown above), then just email me (stirlingbay@gmail.com) and I will attach the worksheet in the reply back to you for you to have for future work.

 

BEST GLUE HOLDER EVER …

For a long time, I have been wanting to add this to my blog, but it is so simple that I just kept putting it off until I had nothing else to do.  Finally, I am going to share what has become the ultimate glue holder that I have ever had or used.  Most of my work is on single projects, and not mass production.  Kind of like one-time things that I need around the house, or for a friend.  I have always applied glue to BOTH surfaces when I am joining two pieces of my project together.  Some folks just nail it and let it be.  I know the glue will extend the life of the item, and after many years, I have realized the glue applied before nailing will help.  Then I noticed that spreading the glue on one area, then put the two pieces together, does not spread the glue properly to the second area of the second piece.  It is much better when I apply the glue to both surfaces that will be joined, then nail if that is the plan, or clamp the two pieces together.

Using the glue straight from the container from the store where I purchased it will work.  Pull the round cover on the top of the bottle, if it is not stuck from the last time I used it, hold the container upside down until the glue decides to gravitate down to the nozzle, and squirt through the nozzle as I put it on the surface.  Then I spread that with my finger.  Next, I have to wipe my finger before I pick up my nail gun or hammer, and hope I did get all the glue off my finger.

I have tried glue bottles that claim to be better than the original container, but they get clogged up worse than the original.  Those are also harder to clean out from the residue of dried glue that still coats the side of the container and clogs the point where the glue actually comes out.

I thought a long time as to what might be a much better idea for having the glue ready to apply in just a minute, no mess on my hands that transfers to everything I touch, and the easiest container to clean out when a long time goes past between uses. 

My daughter was cleaning out her room and throwing away everything she did not want to keep.  I noticed a small glass jar in the trash, so I picked it up.  My daughter said it had been a jar of skin lotion or face cream, or something like that and she did not need the empty jar.

I was impressed that it was heaver than I expected and the sides were thicker than I first thought.  The diameter of the jar was perfect, the lid was solid plastic without a liner, and the depth of the jar was also just as I thought I needed.  An extra about this jar is that the interior has a parabolic design which makes the lowest point in a bowl center.  This makes the last amount of glue grouped right in the middle.  The thick heavy bottom and the short height would prevent the chance of knocking it over.

I took it to my woodshop and began to think what I might do with it.  I realized that I would definitely need some sort of applicator to dip into the glue from the jar and spread it on the surface of the wood.  Also, I thought I might increase the usefulness of the jar if I had a place to rest what ever type of applicator I designed.  In my scrap of small pieces cut from other projects, I found two pieces short enough and shaped like a triangle on each end.  So, I glued the two together and then glued that to the top of the jar.

Now I wanted to figure what other type of applicators I might use.  Luckily, I had a package of small metal handle paint brushes with horse hair.  There were 36 brushes when I bought the package, and it was just for touchup jobs, then probably throw away instead of trying to clean out the horse hairs.

This worked perfectly.  The glue was open and ready to stick the brush in, then spread it on the surface.  Next a rest for the brush on the holder on top of the jar lid so my hands were free to work and no glue on my hands anywhere.  Over the next few months as I found this to be more and more useful, and I found different types of jobs that required different types of applicators. 

If the job requires a small area to have glue added, I used about an 8-inch piece of 3/16” wood dowel sanded both sides at one end as my applicator.  Then for glue joints that have, over the ages of time, pulled apart, I made a very thin piece of metal with a hole in the center and joined another wood dowel as a handle.  The hole is so the glue will stay on the applicator as I slide the metal into the very thin slit in the area where the old piece has separated.  This is also good for when a small piece might split under pressure when you are assembling a project.  Finally, there is a thin nail with another wood dowel as the handle that allows me to put glue in holes where I will insert dowels or other types of joining with plugs.

The difference between using the original container and the new open jar is easy to see.

Even if I only want to attach a small piece of cork to the bottom of a leg of something to prevent scratching and noise when sliding it across the floor, my jar is quick to open, the glue is there ready to dip my applicator, and when finished, I just screw the lid back on the jar and wipe the applicator off with a shop rag.

Now if I have the jar open for a long time, I just use a spray bottle like the ones used to mist plants, and put a thin layer of water over the glue surface before putting the top on and the jar back on the shelf. 

I hope some of you will try this idea.  I have found this to be so helpful and easy for most any glue jobs you might encounter.

Thanks for looking and good luck.

BellSouth Model 1188 ALL DIGITAL ANSWERING SYSTEM Manual

I bought a new call blocker and during my efforts to plug the phone line through the blocker, then to the answer machine, and finally to the phone, I was in need of the manual for the answer machine.  After about an hour of looking, I finally decided to “google” the machine and download the manual.   There were sites, but none of them had the manual.  Under all the reviews, there were many people that were aggravated that they also could not find the manual at any of these sites.  Even one site “ManualsOnline” did not have it. 

So, I searched my house for another 2 hours and finally found my manual for the “Bell South 1188 Answer Machine”, and here it is for anyone that needs it.  I hope I have helped at lease one person searching for answers to their machine.  It is one of the best answer machines a person can have.

Download and enjoy..... Good Luck, Bob

RABBET GAGE MAKES PERFECT SHOE SHELVES

I am embarrassed to admit that for so long, I have avoided cleaning the floor of my clothes closet.  Shirts I have grown out of, shoes I rarely ever wear, socks with holes, and other articles that I do not want to through away.  Then I began to notice the dust bunnies that have been there so long that they resemble link sausages.  I could not use the vacuum on the floor because I would suck items up the hose and clog the machine.  I finally removed everything.  After three loads of laundry and sorting those for donation to Sheltered Work Shop, material to use in another way, and finally some to burn, I put the shoes back in the closet. 

Then I realized that they are the bad guys.  They take so much of the floor that I never vacuum because I am lazy and do not want to remove them, vac, and then replace them.

The answer to my situation was to stack the shoes on shelves in a “shoe shelf” unit.  This will allow me to handle the entire group together as well as free up the amount of floor space being covered to only the area of one pair of shoes.

First was to measure the length, width, and height of the largest pair of shoes so I would know the length and width of each shelf, and the measure of distance between each shelf.

The length and width measures were increased by ½ inch.  That is the part of the shelf that will be inserted into the rabbets to be cut into the vertical uprights that are used for the sides and back.

My design was to leave it open rather than a box so the shoes would have air movement, and this also left the sides open which gave me the ability to lift the unit by sliding my fingers under the top shelf on both sides as a handle.  Then I measured the distance from the floor to the bottom of shirts that are hanging from the clothes rod.  That measure allowed me to determine if I needed a single stack unit, or possibly a width that will accommodate two pair of shoes on each shelf.

The pieces for my unit finally required:

   5    1 in. x 2 in. stock     cut 30 inches each

   6    ½ in. plywood  cut 11 ½ in. by 14 ½ in.

   1  self-developed “Rabbet Gauge”

This rabbet gauge ‘Jig’ is because I have always had a problem with adjustable dado blades and stack blades for my table saw.  They rarely ever cut the perfect rabbet, or need to be put on and then taken off for adjustment over and over.  In this unit the shelf-thickness is 7/16 inch and I wanted the vertical pieces to be the strength of the framework.  So, I needed to make rabbets that were not so loose they allowed movement, but not so tight that the back of the vertical piece might crack.  The perfect fit can be achieved with a few steps, and then put the Jig in your tool area to be used in the future whenever you need rabbets of that width again.

To start I realized that the gauge must include the consideration of the width of the cut of the current blade of my table saw, and still make a rabbet the same width as the thickness of the material to be inserted into that rabbet.  To do this I took a scrap piece of wood about 2 in. width, stood it on the side, and clamped it on the table saw fence so the blade will be beside the face when I move the fence closer to the blade.  I manually turned the blade until I knew the teeth were slightly touching the wood.                                  

Next, I had a narrow strip from the plywood of the thickness I would use for the shelves, placed it on its side so the top, or bottom, was against the piece clamped to the fence. 

Now I slide the piece forward about two inches while the blade cuts the thickness to a thinner measure.

I used my self-made fence to my band saw and adjusted it until the NEW thickness of the plywood strip is the distance between the blade and the fence on the band saw.

It might help to make the fence distance just a 1/16 in. closer, that way when you test it, you will be able to sand away the very slight amount for a micro adjustment when you test this gauge at the table saw.

I used another scrap of wood about 1 in. to 2 in. wide, turned it on its side, and cut into the piece about ½ to 1 in. 

The guide on the band saw was raised so I could cut that piece across the width and remove it without moving the fence. 

I did in fact need to micro adjust the fence and make a second gauge after I tested the first one at the table saw.  The first one was too loose. 

To test the gauge, set the table saw blade to cut a depth of ¼ in., clamp the gauge with the bottom face against the table saw fence and use a 6 in. scrape of wood for the test.  I made the first cut by sliding the scrap to butt against the “true thickness” of the piece clamped on the fence, and cut

Next butt the scrap to the “adjusted thickness” of the piece clamped to the fence and make the second cut

Now just slide the scrap with the table saw miter across the blade until you have the wood between the two cuts removed.

The test of the fit is for your judgment.  If loose, I make another gauge.  If too tight, I simply use sand paper to remove a micro layer and test again until it is just PERFECT.

I inspect each vertical piece to determine the inside face and the foot.  Next, I use my belt sander to chamfer the four edges of the foot as a marking of that end.

Now I’m ready for the first rabbet.  I place one of the vertical pieces against the miter with the foot towards the fence and inside face up to mark ¼ in. from the bottom of the foot.

Align this mark to the blade cut on the plywood face of the table miter so the cut will leave that full ¼ in. for the foot

and hold the piece to the miter while you move the fence closer until the foot makes contact to the rabbet gauge at the true thickness.  Lock the fence and flip the vertical piece over so the back face is down, then make the cut.

slide the vertical piece to the adjusted thickness of the gauge

and make the second cut, and then remove the wood between each cut.

Place this vertical piece aside and repeat the steps for the rest of the vertical pieces.  Now move the fence away from the blade so the next adjustment can be made for the second rabbet on each vertical piece. 

For the second rabbet on each vertical piece, I measure the desired height, for me it was 5 inches, of the shelf from the first rabbet and mark for the next cut.

Align this mark to the cut in the board on the miter, hold tight to the miter, and move the fence in until the foot contacts the true thickness. 

I now follow the same procedure.  Flip it over so the inside face is down, make the first cut with true thickness, set foot to gauge adjusted thickness, second cut, remove wood, go to next vertical piece, and so on until all rabbets are cut in all vertical pieces at each setting of the fence… except the cut for the rabbet for the top shelf.  I ran out of table saw railing for the fence because the vertical piece is 30 inches long.

I thought about this problem and suddenly my answer came to me.  I made the mark just as before, 5 inches, but I turned the vertical piece around so the top of the piece would butt to the gauge.  I realized this also needed to be aligned differently. 

The mark for the measure between shelves was now to be aligned to the opposite side of the cut in the wood mounted on the face of the table saw miter and the fence had to be moved gently to butt against the top of the vertical piece so that now the adjusted thickness, not the true thickness,  is making contact with the top of the vertical piece.

Now the same procedure is used for the two cuts and then removal of the wood between. 

BECAUSE OF THIS GAUGE, YOU WILL MAKE ACCURATE AND PRECISION CUTS ON ALL VERTICAL PIECES AND THEY WILL ALL BE PERFECT MATCHES TO EACH OTHER no matter how you place them side by side.

At this point I chamfer and sand to get ready for assembly. 

If you wish to paint the unit after completion, it is a good idea to paint all shelves on the faces, but leave thin sides so the glue will make better contact during assembly, and the inside face of each vertical, but not in the rabbets.

By placing two of the vertical pieces on my table, I use a third vertical on the top as I add each shelf to keep the measure between shelves correct. 

I lay the fourth vertical piece on the top of this assembly with the inside face up so I can put glue in each rabbet.

When that fourth piece is in place and flush to the shelf front, I secure it with 2 nails through each rabbet into the shelf.

The fourth vertical will hold the shelves, so I can now rotate the unit, place the back vertical for the application of glue and then nail.  My front vertical is placed flush to the front edge, but the back vertical is placed 4 inches towards the front from the back corner so it will act as a guard to prevent the side of the shoe from extending too far outside of the shelf.

Being very careful, I eased the assembly over to the other side as I held one of the bottom vertical pieces against the shelves to maintain the measure between shelves.  Now I can glue and nail the other side vertical pieces, then set the unit on the table with the front down on the table so I can glue and nail the back vertical.

With all the vertical pieces glued and nailed, I place the unit on a flat surface and make sure it does not wobble.  If it does, I slightly tab the top of the vertical piece that is not in contact with the surface.

I leave it there to allow the glue to set and cure.

I like to see the wood and its grain, so I often do not paint my work.  Since I do mostly use recycle wood, there is many times pieces are already primed so I usually just give a couple of coats of polyurethane.

Thanks for looking and I hope this helps you....