# Question Of The Week... (2021 week 21)



## ripjack13 (May 23, 2021)

*What tool, jig, or setup, has been the biggest game-changer for you?*




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**Rules**
There is no minimum post requirement,
primates, woodticks, wood spinners, and leprechauns are welcome to post an answer.
And of course the  and the doc too....
"You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough." -_Mae West_


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## Jonkou (May 23, 2021)

CBN wheels with a Wolverine system on the 8” slow speed grinder for sharpening turning tools. Sharpened by hand for many years using a ceramic abrasive wheels (blue ) and about ten years ago got the Wolverine, game changer for ease and consistency. Years ago got the CBN wheels and game changer again, they are far superior to abrasive wheels, size stays consistent and no more truing. Still doing a few tools by hand, parting, beading, scrapers but can’t beat the combo for the more complex grinds.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 2 | Way Cool 1 | Informative 1


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## Nubsnstubs (May 23, 2021)

A pin router. Now they are pretty much obsolete. 


Picture is from the internet, but it looks identical to the one I learned on in '78. 

This is not mine, but it is the same thing I have. Mine is more rusty and has several mods done to it.



.............. Jerry (in Tucson)

Reactions: Like 5


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## woodtickgreg (May 23, 2021)

For me I would say it was when I purchased my granberg alaskan chain saw mill. It paid for itself with the first hardwood log I milled. I already had a large chainsaw powerhead so all I needed was the attachment. Why was it a game changer? Well because it allowed me to source hardwoods that I normally couldn't afford to buy. It got me out of the pine game. I now have so much hardwood lumber stashed that I almost never buy wood except for sheet goods. It has provided me wood that allows me to do my hobby on the cheap! Now I look for logs, not so much for wood. With my csm I dont have to move logs, I can mill them up on the spot and remove the log a board at a time.
The pros are, low initial cost verses a band mill, easy to store and requires little space to do so, I just hang it up in the garage. It's very portable and I can mill a log where it lays, I just carry it to the log. I can run it all day with about 2 gallons of fuel. I can cut boards or cants to any thickness I want and up to 38" wide.
The cons, it is very physical to use, you will get a workout running a csm, and as I get older I can't cut as long as I used to. You loose 1/4" per cut because of the saw kerf, so for every 4/4 board I cut loose a board to saw dust, and there is a lot of saw dust.
Without wood there is no wood working! This has provided me tons of wood with a very low investment and ome physical effort that I find very fun to do anyways. Milling has become a part of wood working that I really enjoy. Nothing like flippin over that first slab to see what you got inside the log!
The set up for the first cut on a maple crotch log.



Pushing hard making the cut at full throttle



A really thick maple slab for turning blanks!



Slabbing an ambrosia maple log, a big one!



A poor pic because of the light. But you get the idea, my garage and shop are filled with wood of all widths and thicknesses.

Reactions: Like 3 | Agree 1 | Great Post 1 | Way Cool 5


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## Lou Currier (May 23, 2021)

I'm still waiting to find it

Reactions: Agree 1 | Funny 3


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## Nubsnstubs (May 23, 2021)

woodtickgreg said:


> For me I would say it was when I purchased my granberg alaskan chain saw mill. It paid for itself with the first hardwood log I milled. I already had a large chainsaw showerhead so all I needed was the attachment. Why was it a game changer? Well because it allowed me to source hardwoods that I normally couldn't afford to buy. It got me out of the pine game. I now have so much hardwood lumber stashed that I almost never buy wood except for sheet goods. It has provided me wood that allows me to do my hobby on the cheap! Now I look for logs, not so much for wood. With my csm I dont have to move logs, I can mill them up on the spot and remove the log a board at a time.
> The pros are, low initial cost verses a band mill, easy to store and requires little space to do so, I just hang it up in the garage. It's very portable and I can mill a log where it lays, I just carry it to the log. I can run it all day with about 2 gallons of fuel. I can cut boards or cants to any thickness I want and up to 38" wide.
> The cons, it is very physical to use, you will get a workout running a csm, and as I get older I can't cut as long as I used to. You loose 1/4" per cut because of the saw kerf, so for every 4/4 board I cut loose a board to saw dust, and there is a lot of saw dust.
> Without wood there is no wood working! This has provided me tons of wood with a very low investment and ome physical effort that I find very fun to do anyways. Milling has become a part of wood working that I really enjoy. Nothing like flippin over that first slab to see what you got inside the log!
> ...


Greg, how long are the bars on that mill. I have the 36" Granberg mill. Didn't have the 41" bar for my saw yet, and was restricted to 18"wide pieces..... Jerry (in Tucson)


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## woodtickgreg (May 23, 2021)

Nubsnstubs said:


> Greg, how long are the bars on that mill. I have the 36" Granberg mill. Didn't have the 41" bar for my saw yet, and was restricted to 18"wide pieces..... Jerry (in Tucson)


I cant actually remember off the top of my head but it's a double ended bar that allows me to make a 38" cut. I run a roller bearing helper handle on the opposite end of the power head and I run an auxiliary oiler, that's why there is some loss of cut width.


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## David Hill (May 23, 2021)

Not something that I’ll use everyday, but was definitely a games changer. 
I made a jig to set distance and height of the 60 odd footers for our deck project (is there a prize for biggest jig?)
It’s just 16 ft straight 2x6 fitted with a lip that hung it on patio edge at the height That I wanted and the far end had an adjustable leg that set on the pool sidewalk. I used a level to make sure all was square . The 2 x6 was marked at 24 inch intervals to mark where the posts should go. Also used the jig to mark where the bottom edge of the shoulder for the 3x6 joists would be cut. Worked like a charm!
Wood is on now—— and it’s bubble level!!
1s pic is jig, then end result— just need to trim ends.h

Reactions: Like 2 | Way Cool 4


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## 2feathers Creative Making (May 23, 2021)

woodtickgreg said:


> . I already had a large chainsaw" showerhead "so all I needed was the attachment.


They really are cool!

Reactions: Funny 1


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## 2feathers Creative Making (May 23, 2021)

Stihl 660 clone with a 42 inch bar running a granberg mill. Was a great intro to milling. The hudson sawyer 18 inch bandmill was a true game changer for me. Cut half a day on a tank of gas. Unlike Gregg, I dont have a shop full of lumber. It's still sitting in my yard waiting for me to build a shop. My wood storage is full... about 4 to 5 thousand board feet on my property by my best guesstimate. Am just now venturing down the turning wood rabbit hole so most of mine is cut for flatwork and live edge stuff.

Reactions: Like 3 | Way Cool 1


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## Mike1950 (May 23, 2021)

bandsaws and tractor- both workhorses that I could not do without.

Reactions: Like 3


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## Herb G. (May 23, 2021)

Carbide tipped turning tools I bought from a guy I know. 1/3 the price of the big name tools, and they work every bit as good.
I'm looking to sell off the last of my steel tools ASAP.

Reactions: Like 3


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## DLJeffs (May 23, 2021)

woodtickgreg said:


> I cant actually remember off the top of my head but it's a double ended bar that allows me to make a 38" cut. I run a roller bearing helper handle on the opposite end of the power head and I run an auxiliary oiler, that's why there is some loss of cut width.


Greg - From the pics I guess that's a one man operation? Do you have to insert a wedge as the saw moves along the log so it doesn't close up on saw blade?

I don't know that I can call it a game changer but when I got my table saw it certainly allowed me to do a lot of wood projects that would have been nearly impossible and very time consuming to do before I got that saw. Same goes for the lathe - I could buy reel seat spacers but once I got the lathe I could make my own out of whatever wood I wanted.

Reactions: Like 2


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## woodtickgreg (May 23, 2021)

2feathers Creative Making said:


> They really are cool!



Damn auto correct!

Reactions: Agree 1 | Funny 1


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## woodtickgreg (May 23, 2021)

DLJeffs said:


> Greg - From the pics I guess that's a one man operation? Do you have to insert a wedge as the saw moves along the log so it doesn't close up on saw blade?


Some guys use wedges as they cut, I don't find it to make much difference actually. At the exit of the cut I get some snipe from the board dropping down onto the chain and bar once it is freed. But I always cut my wood at least 5/4 so it's not an issue when I run it through the planer and jointer. I usually end up trimming the ends off too. So I don't waste my time with wedges.
It is a one man operation, but it does help to have someone flip the boards off and sweep the surface off so you can just carry the mill back to the other end and get right back into another cut.

Reactions: Like 2 | Agree 1 | Useful 1


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## 2feathers Creative Making (May 23, 2021)

I never use wedges either. I use a single ended bar. Have thought about a second oiler but never did it yet. Often use winter oil all year round to make sure it's getting plenty. Gregg has me beat by an inch. I have squeezed 37 out of my set up. Because I had a 37 inch log...
And yes, off bearer is awesome! How much fuel per cut @woodtickgreg ? My tank on my 660 clone will mill about 8 feet at full width. About 12 feet under 24 inch wide. Doesnt seem to matter that much what species. I have milled poplar, walnut, oak, and willow without much noticeable change in fuel consumption.

Reactions: Like 2


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## woodtickgreg (May 24, 2021)

@2feathers Creative Making I get 2 passes and then I have to refuel. But that was with my old 100cc McCullough, that saw finly grenaded and the crank bearings gave out, sent metal through the whole saw. I have recently acquired a 125cc Husqvarna, so we'll see how that does on fuel, lol.

Reactions: Like 3


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