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Todd Clippinger

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Everything posted by Todd Clippinger

  1. Thanks John! I really hit the sweet spot with the size. While it is larger than many hobby shops, as a pro shop it is not very big at all (the wide angle lens makes it look bigger than it is.) But I exercise a lot of discipline and the shop is very efficient, effective, and economical to operate. I still need to get out a good shop tour video. Do to some unexpected events, I had to load up on more work than I had intended this year and that has dampened my plans for video production.
  2. I am from central Ohio and have been around the Amish quite a bit. When talking tools with other contractors, I often tell them about the selection of pneumatic tools that are available that we don't even see on the shelves at the normal tool suppliers. But that the many of the major manufacturers have a line of pneumatic tools.
  3. Did you go to Keim Lumber in Charm? I have spent a lot of money there in years past. http://www.keimlumber.com
  4. So does it still come with 100 & 150 grits installed with the strapping tape on the ends? My recommendation certainly is based on my work and others may have a different opinion. The 80 grit is still pretty aggressive. I am looking forward to hearing of your experience. When it comes to changing grits, the biggest issue is the cloth backing separating from the sandpaper. This may not happen and I think it will depend largely on how much you have use the sandpaper. Since I have only ever ordered my sandpaper from Grizzly, perhaps there are other manufacturers that will not have this problem, such as Klingspor. I still keep in mind, there are a variety of factors that may vary, and you may be able to change grits. But as I stated in the video, I just wouldn't count on it.
  5. Yep, 4" plumbing mates perfectly to ShopFox dust collection fittings! Although the fit does vary somewhat between brands of PVC pipe.
  6. That is the way it came from the factory so I have just continued to follow their example. The timing was coincidental but perfect since John just bought his sanding machine.
  7. Here is a shot of the dust collection off the top of my sander. I included shots from both the Grizzly (which is still used at my brothers shop as seen in image) and the ShopFox which is currently in my shop. This setup allows for easy opening of the top.
  8. In this video I show how I install velcro backed sandpaper on my dual drum sander. I know a lot of you don't have drum sanders, but this will be good information for new owners of drum sanders that have not had to replace the sandpaper yet. For those that are looking at getting a drum sander, this will give you a good idea of what it is like to replace velcro backed sandpaper and might help you make a decision for yourself if this is a feature that you want or not. I share a lot of gold nuggets on installation and things to look out for. I hope you find this video helpful and informative. Your friend in the shop, Todd A. Clippinger Share the Love - Share the Knowledge
  9. SU-WEET! I just released my video. I will post it here.
  10. Dang! Sorry to hear you got hit like that, hope you will be able to get everything taken care of without hassle. We had a storm like that move through Billings about 3 weeks ago. We were very lucky the south end of the storm that went over our place did not carry the hail. The north end of the storm carried the hail like you guys got and it was pretty devastating. Several people we know had the windows smashed out and siding stripped off or damaged on west side of the house and cars were totaled. We also got lucky because we were hiking on the southern edge of town and caught out in the open when it hit. I hate to think of how bad it would be to get pelted with hail like that. The high wind and driving rain alone was like getting sand-blasted.
  11. John - those are great upgrades for the shop! You will really appreciate those for sure!
  12. Been helping a friend do some landscape and steps and working on a new video showing how I install the sandpaper on my drum sander. I thought this was timely for John and his new purchase.
  13. Thanks for the update on Craig and the chair. Prayers for a quick and sure recovery!
  14. Audio Relaxer! I love that one! Just like an audio track of soothing sounds of nature, rainfall or ocean waves, you could sell soothing audio track of creaking rocking chair!
  15. It creaks a bit? I thought that was a feature that identified a good, heirloom quality chair. Awesome to see the chair make it's way out of the shop!
  16. Interesting and good information - Thanks!
  17. Thoughts are with your son. I have had pneumonia a few times, it is serious stuff. We'll certainly wait patiently for the chair to continue.
  18. Is it there yet? Is it there yet? Is it there yet? I couldn't help myself.
  19. Here is a little more info: Both of my machines came with the drums wrapped and ready to go with 100 and 150 grit. I would not normally skip from 100 to 150 on the random orbital, but this works with the drum sander. I have tried various combinations of grits and I always went back to the 100/150 grit combination. With hook & loop sandpaper on a random orbital, it is easy to change grits and reuse the sanding disk. As you can imagine, it does not work that way with the wrapped drum. Once you pull the sandpaper off, it is usually not reusable since the felt on the back tends to separate from the paper upon removal. So, switching grits is not something that is realistically feasible. There is still some finish sanding to do with the random orbital after the drum sander, but it makes a world of difference in both production and quality. I typically go 150 then 180 with the R.O. after the drum sander and that removes the lineal track lines. I have had local cabinet shops make passage and cabinet doors for me, and when I get them they still always have sanding lines in them as well, so the drum sander really isn't much worse. The big wide belt sanders oscillate which helps obscure the sanding lines, but that just means the cabinet shop guys often skimp on the finish sanding compared to what I like. The drum sander changed my work flow. For instance; if I am building cabinet doors, I leave them a fuzz thicker and assemble then run them through the sander on both sides to make sure the joints are flush. They come out PERFECT and only require a finish up with the random orbital or 1/2 sheet sander. The 1/2 sheet sander floats better over face frames as it stays flat and the edges don't catch. The drum sander will give snipe if you don't properly support the work. Both of my sanding machines arrived properly adjusted and I have never had to mess with them. But, if the material is not supported or fed properly, snipe will occur. I am sure you will get the hang of it. I have a lot of miles on my machine and my brother still uses my original machine back in his shop in Ohio and the only things we typically have had to do is replace the rub collars (cheap and easy to replace) or wrap the drum with new velcro (which happens if you cram a piece of wood in that is too thick.) I will say that we burnt out the feed belt motor on the Grizzly unit one time. When I was working back in Ohio I built several butcher block counter tops and we sent them through the sanding machine. They were heavy and it took both of us to handle them. It was clear we were pushing the limits of the machine and we continued. By the time we were done, we had burned up the feed motor. That cost me $368, I was going through some old receipts the other day and found that one. Did the machine disappoint me or let me down? Nope, going into it we knew we might be pushing the limits of the machine. We might have gotten away with it if we had just made one or two of the smaller butcher block counters. But we made 6 of them and most of them were pretty long. They were really heavy. I have used the sanding machine to thickness lumber with wild grain. It is slower and takes more passes than a planer, but produces no tear-out. In those situations where I was milling heavy lumber, it has never been a problem (compared to the counter tops that we made.) Even though you are not a business, I think you will find the drum sander to be a great asset in the shop.
  20. I don't know what your dust collection situation is, but after I got mine I immediately had to upgrade my dust collection filtration to 1 micron. A 2hp dust collector will do a decent job if it is not located too far from the sanding machine. Over time I modified my dust collection system from a single stage into a 2 stage which made significant difference in keeping the 1 micron filter clean. The sanding machine has definitely been an asset in my shop and has made me money. I have had good luck with the sandpaper stock from Grizzly. A roll of sandpaper will wrap the drum 3x. The sandpaper lasts a long time in my shop being used as a small pro shop but not as a production cabinet shop (trying to give a perspective on how it is used.) A roll will typically last me over a year. If you try sanding soft, pitchy wood, it won't last very long at all. It will clog horribly. Be sure to scrape any glue squeeze out so the glue does not melt onto the sandpaper. You will have to buy a cord for it. One of the less expensive options is to buy a generator cord for an RV from Walmart, cut it at a location that works for wiring one part into the machine and the other 1/2 into an electrical box. That allows you to unplug it and move if necessary. The RV cord costs less than the price of wire and plugs combined.
  21. The Grizzly sander is my first sanding machine, and it is in Ohio at my brother's shop and still being used. The close-up with the arrow points out the rub collar that wears out over time. They are very inexpensive and not difficult to replace. I think I spent a little over an hour, but I also ended up doing some other maintenance. I do that, if I am performing maintenance on a tool or machine for something specific, while I am at it I just go ahead and clean it up or perform other maintenance on it. The ShopFox sander is the one I currently have in my shop and I just re-branded it with the American Craftsman Workshop logo. I thought that was fun.
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