Inside The Secret Underground Laboratory

[NKBassman]

It's fairly short stroke; 1 1/4". But the frame clearance and plunger adjustment will allow it to cut up to about 3" thick wood. And it has the power and strength to do it. The little tabletop scroll saws can't do that.

I have two of the tabletop scroll saws, a Ryobi and a Delta. Both are decent machines...for small thin work. Not much horsepower, frames that flex, skinny little blades. Not much good for cutting thicker than 1/2" wood. I have the Ryobi over in Unit 2, and Jeremy uses it sometimes for trimming spots on headstocks. The Powermatic is on wheels, so he may borrow it fairly often. We'll see.

Do bandsaw blades cut in both directions of the stroke? While I haven't stepped foot in a proper woodshop in 10+ years, my engineer brain tells me that there's a chance the teeth may be purposefully designed for uni-directional cutting. Compared to something like a jigsaw or saws-all blade which would be purposefully designed to cut on both directions of the stroke. I also assume, since you've already declared success, that this isn't a big issue.
Just curious.

 

[Lo-E]

Do bandsaw blades cut in both directions of the stroke? While I haven't stepped foot in a proper woodshop in 10+ years, my engineer brain tells me that there's a chance the teeth may be purposefully designed for uni-directional cutting. Compared to something like a jigsaw or saws-all blade which would be purposefully designed to cut on both directions of the stroke. I also assume, since you've already declared success, that this isn't a big issue.
Just curious.

I can’t speak to what Bruce loaded in that machine, specifically, but I can say that, yes, band saw blades are uni-directional. In fact, jigsaw, sawzall and most scroll saw blades are uni-directional as well. There are some scroll saw blades that are designed to cut in both directions but they are a special-purpose item - and, to be honest, I’m not really sure what that special purpose would be other than greater cutting speed at the expense of a slightly higher risk of tearout. I’ve never actually seen a bi-directional scroll saw blade in person.

 

[NKBassman]

In fact, jigsaw, sawzall and most scroll saw blades are uni-directional as well.

I stand corrected, thanks!

 

[Bruce Johnson]

Do bandsaw blades cut in both directions of the stroke? While I haven't stepped foot in a proper woodshop in 10+ years, my engineer brain tells me that there's a chance the teeth may be purposefully designed for uni-directional cutting. Compared to something like a jigsaw or saws-all blade which would be purposefully designed to cut on both directions of the stroke. I also assume, since you've already declared success, that this isn't a big issue.
Just curious.

Lo-E answered for me, above (thanks!). Yes, bandsaw blades and scroll saw blades have normal saw teeth which cut in one direction: on the down stroke. You want them to cut in the down direction only, so the force on the workpiece is pushing it down against the table.

The only place I've seen bi-directional saw blades is on some Japanese hand saws.

 

[Lo-E]

The only place I've seen bi-directional saw blades is on some Japanese hand saws.

Bi-directional scroll saw blades are a thing (reverse skip-tooth and crown tooth) but I can’t really think of an application for them and I don’t know anyone who’s ever used them. They’re manufactured, though, so I guess somebody must be buying them for something!

 

[MPU]

One of my colleagues asked me to have a look at scroll saw on our crafts class. She said it was impossible to saw with it after she changed a new blade on it. You can guess the rest… Yes, the blade was upside down. Instead of pushing aganst the table it was pulling up.

 

[NKBassman]

Thanks for the masterclass on saw blades, everyone! Silly me thinking bi-directional would be better.

 

[TerribleTim68]

I feel like Mr. Bruce is a masterclass in any large machine tool. We need to protect him, he's a national treasure.

 

[Matt Liebenau]

I feel like Mr. Bruce is a masterclass in any large machine tool. We need to protect him, he's a national treasure.

“Welcome to Bruce Johnson national Lutherie Park. If you look to your right you’ll see some free range bandsaws roaming about. Look slightly to your left and you’ll see a herd of vintage drill presses grazing near the walnut stacks.”


I’m joking, obviously, but I very much appreciate all you contribute here Bruce and I’m only occasionally insanely jealous of all the vintage tools.

 

[Bruce Johnson]

Actually, I'm more like a shelter for homeless machine tools. I nurse them back to health and give them easy jobs building basses. To extend their lives and keep them healthy and happy. They are my friends.

 

[RichterScale]

I'm pretty close to being an old, beat up, homeless tool.
Any chance you could fix me up and give me an easy job, building basses?
I can probably scrounge up enough change for gas to make it to Fillmore. And I could mostly live in my van.

 

[Bobo]

I'm pretty close to being and old, beat up, homeless tool.
Any chance you could fix me up and give me an easy job, building basses?
I can probably scrounge up enough change for gas to make it to Fillmore. And I could mostly live in my van.

Down by the river?

 

[Wood and Wire]

Down by the river?

Tom Sawyer seems to be a bassists staple around here...

 

[Lo-E]

“Welcome to Bruce Johnson national Lutherie Park. If you look to your right you’ll see some free range bandsaws roaming about. Look slightly to your left and you’ll see a herd of vintage drill presses grazing near the walnut stacks.”


I’m joking, obviously, but I very much appreciate all you contribute here Bruce and I’m only occasionally insanely jealous of all the vintage tools.

Machinery in its natural habitat.

 

[Bruce Johnson]

Machinery in its natural habitat.

Yep. Covered with dust and oil, in a grimy basement of a 110 year old building. In a little run-down town in California. Where the exodus of industry has abandoned them, and the climate has protected them. And some greasy old guy with long grey hair services them and keeps them safe. That's the natural habitat of old machinery.

 

[BTL]

Yep. Covered with dust and oil, in a grimy basement of a 110 year old building. In a little run-down town in California. Where the exodus of industry has abandoned them, and the climate has protected them. And some greasy old guy with long grey hair services them and keeps them safe. That's the natural habitat of old machinery.

Sounds like heaven.

 

[Crawforde]

It sounds like an amazing place to spend some time.

 

[Bruce Johnson]

I can feel some gentle rumbling in the floor.....no, it's not an earthquake....it's just me moving machines around. Shifting tonnage from one place to another. Here's my 1936 LeBlond Tool & Cutter Grinder, maneuvering down the 1st hall in my shop, on a pallet jack....

Where's it going? I've expanded my shop space here in the Secret Underground Lab, adding Unit 16 to my lease. This is the shop that my late friend Mike Lipe was in, 2015-2018. Since then, there have been two other tenants in there. But I'd been thinking that I'd like to have it. When Cliff, who was in there, decided to move across the hall into Unit 6, I grabbed the chance and signed up for Unit 16.

It's a nice working shop space, about 700 sq ft. A good smooth floor, all walled in, a long workbench down one side. And good dust-tight power wiring, including 220 and 3-phase. I wired it myself back in 2015, for Mike. And, it's just two doors down the hall. My main big shop is Unit 14, and Unit 15 is my clean warehouse. Unit 16 is just beyond that.

Initially, I'm sub-renting half of it to a new tenant, Chris Hoover. He's a carpenter by trade but he's starting up a side business sewing up custom outdoor backpacks. He's starting to move in his equipment and get set up. I don't know how long he'll be here, whether he'll succeed and eventually move to a larger space, or fizzle out. Eventually I'll have Unit 16 all to myself.

Unit 16 is going to be my machine rebuilding & service shop. This is where I'll be bringing in machines that need restoration, repair or modifications. A place where I can tear them apart and work on them, and test them. And it will be the home for some of my specialty metalworking machines that I need, but don't use often.

Here it is. I'm starting to move machines in there. Many of these machines were clogging up the main shop, just in the way.

Some examples of machines that are very useful, but I don't need them very often. My 18" Kidder sheet metal shear, and my sandblaster. Here in Unit 16, they'll stay cleaner and be more easily accessible when I need them.

More: A rare 1937 Savage sheet metal nibbler, a 1920's Oliver die filer and a 1940's Butterfly die filer. These machines are running and useable, but could use a few upgrades.

Some real old benchtop drill presses. At the left rear is a 1915 Cannedy-Otto that I found recently. The other three are 1905-1930's Buffalo Forge 10" Drills. And I have two more not moved in yet. I'm going to restore them all and mount them on a long wooden bench frame. Flat leather belt drives and hidden motors. A historic showpiece, but functional.

On the right is my engraving machine. It's permanent home will now be here in Unit 16. On the left is a sweet 1930's Buffalo Forge 20" Drill that I picked up a few years back, for $100. It's been painted green, but it's actually in good running condition. It needs a new leather belt and a motor hooked up to it. I plan to get it running soon and move it into my main woodworking shop. I'll be setting it up to run at slow speed (about 170 rpm), and it'll be the big woodworking drill press.

Other machines parked in here, awaiting work: The 1936 LeBlond T & C grinder. This is an amazing machine that can grind and sharpen almost any cutting tool: saw blades, planer knives, drill bits, end mills, taper reamers, etc. It's basically in running condition, but needs a few more modifications. There's five boxes of fixtures and parts that go with it. Its permanent home will be here in Unit 16.

To the left is a cute little Swiss machine that's made specifically for slotting the heads of small bolts. It'll cut slots or hex heads, in fast production. It was given to me for free. How could I refuse? I believe it's in full running condition, but I haven't tested it yet.

In the back corner is a rare 1915 Rhodes metal shaper. In surprisingly good condition, almost ready to run with a motor hookup.

This is the "hobby" side of my shop. What I do when I'm not building Scroll Basses. Or building fixtures to build Scroll Basses.

 

[Bobo]

I can feel some gentle rumbling in the floor.....no, it's not an earthquake....it's just me moving machines around. Shifting tonnage from one place to another. Here's my 1936 LeBlond Tool & Cutter Grinder, maneuvering down the 1st hall in my shop, on a pallet jack....

View attachment 4787947

Where's it going? I've expanded my shop space here in the Secret Underground Lab, adding Unit 16 to my lease. This is the shop that my late friend Mike Lipe was in, 2015-2018. Since then, there have been two other tenants in there. But I'd been thinking that I'd like to have it. When Cliff, who was in there, decided to move across the hall into Unit 6, I grabbed the chance and signed up for Unit 16.

It's a nice working shop space, about 700 sq ft. A good smooth floor, all walled in, a long workbench down one side. And good dust-tight power wiring, including 220 and 3-phase. I wired it myself back in 2015, for Mike. And, it's just two doors down the hall. My main big shop is Unit 14, and Unit 15 is my clean warehouse. Unit 16 is just beyond that.

Initially, I'm sub-renting half of it to a new tenant, Chris Hoover. He's a carpenter by trade but he's starting up a side business sewing up custom outdoor backpacks. He's starting to move in his equipment and get set up. I don't know how long he'll be here, whether he'll succeed and eventually move to a larger space, or fizzle out. Eventually I'll have Unit 16 all to myself.

Unit 16 is going to be my machine rebuilding & service shop. This is where I'll be bringing in machines that need restoration, repair or modifications. A place where I can tear them apart and work on them, and test them. And it will be the home for some of my specialty metalworking machines that I need, but don't use often.

Here it is. I'm starting to move machines in there. Many of these machines were clogging up the main shop, just in the way.

View attachment 4787948

Some examples of machines that are very useful, but I don't need them very often. My 18" Kidder sheet metal shear, and my sandblaster. Here in Unit 16, they'll stay cleaner and be more easily accessible when I need them.

View attachment 4787949

More: A rare 1937 Savage sheet metal nibbler, a 1920's Oliver die filer and a 1940's Butterfly die filer. These machines are running and useable, but could use a few upgrades.

View attachment 4787950

Some real old benchtop drill presses. At the left rear is a 1915 Cannedy-Otto that I found recently. The other three are 1905-1930's Buffalo Forge 10" Drills. And I have two more not moved in yet. I'm going to restore them all and mount them on a long wooden bench frame. Flat leather belt drives and hidden motors. A historic showpiece, but functional.

View attachment 4787951

On the right is my engraving machine. It's permanent home will now be here in Unit 16. On the left is a sweet 1930's Buffalo Forge 20" Drill that I picked up a few years back, for $100. It's been painted green, but it's actually in good running condition. It needs a new leather belt and a motor hooked up to it. I plan to get it running soon and move it into my main woodworking shop. I'll be setting it up to run at slow speed (about 170 rpm), and it'll be the big woodworking drill press.

View attachment 4787952

Other machines parked in here, awaiting work: The 1936 LeBlond T & C grinder. This is an amazing machine that can grind and sharpen almost any cutting tool: saw blades, planer knives, drill bits, end mills, taper reamers, etc. It's basically in running condition, but needs a few more modifications. There's five boxes of fixtures and parts that go with it. Its permanent home will be here in Unit 16.

To the left is a cute little Swiss machine that's made specifically for slotting the heads of small bolts. It'll cut slots or hex heads, in fast production. It was given to me for free. How could I refuse? I believe it's in full running condition, but I haven't tested it yet.

In the back corner is a rare 1915 Rhodes metal shaper. In surprisingly good condition, almost ready to run with a motor hookup.


View attachment 4787953

This is the "hobby" side of my shop. What I do when I'm not building Scroll Basses. Or building fixtures to build Scroll Basses.

This is so cool, Bruce! It means a lot to be able to see where the magic happens!

 

[ardgedee]

View attachment 4787951

On the right is my engraving machine. It's permanent home will now be here in Unit 16.

Oh wow. Can you cut guilloché? Or is it not that kind of engraver?