Today I managed to make the basics for the mechanism to adjust the blade/grinding wheel height. It consists of a bracket with a slot in it that holds the brass adjusting wheel. This bracket will be secured to the back plate of the saw table and because the wheel is trapped between the forks of the bracket by turning the knurled wheel the studding will advance or retract accordingly.

What remains to be sorted out is a linkage between the end of the studding and the fulcrum lever.

Since the fulcrum lever moves at an angle to the vertical position, this will not allow a direct fixing method to the studding. So either I make a pin in the upright with a slot in the fulcrum arm allowing the pin to slide, or a linkage not locked at either end, has yet to be decided. I will make up some drawings tonight (as per last nights bracket design) before making up the part(s) in the next session.

Ignore the finish as the 'bling' will be added when the saw table is completed.

I thought that it would be best to put the Fowler to one side since I had achieved more than I thought I would and concentrate on finishing the Saw table. So the experiment of revolving 3 projects didn’t work for me. Although I have not had very many workshop sessions since deciding to trial the 3 project system it is obvious to me I don’t like the system.

So the time I spent this morning was to concentrate on finishing the belt tensioning part of the saw table project. I was looking for a scrap piece to thread for the studding to pass through and saw just the thing which even had the right size slot cut in it! All I had to do is drill then thread the piece. I marked out the position for the threaded hole by sanding the end of the studding to a point. Assembling the parts it was a simple case of tapping the position then followed up with the optical centre tool.

After cleaning up the slot in the piece all was assembled and the studding threaded through. Before I can cut the studding to size I need to make the handle so after using several different Myford gears to get to a size I like that would fit within the space available (and stock material) a start was made on turning and it was nice to use the lathe again!

The next session should see the tensioning system completed including the rear holding requirement to lock up the pulley. A short but sweet session………

Today I decided to start work on the height adjustment mechanism for the blades or diamond cutting disc.  The start or which was sourcing some suitable steel to make the quadrant. I seem to be well stocked when it comes to non ferrous materials but poor for steel and the like. I eventually came upon a piece of angle iron that was just under size but would do so using the bandsaw one side was quickly removed and the remaining piece cleaned up.

To cut the radius required for the teeth the rotary table was used on the milling machine.  The only cutter I have matches the Myford gear profile and will be used to create the teeth both on the saw arm and the quadrant. The radius for the quadrant was decided upon by matching a Myford gear to the profile that will fit the available space. This method has the benefit of defining the number of teeth although I will only cut 90° worth I need to have the right dividing plate on the Vertex indexing tool. In this case the divisions need to allow for 55 teeth.

The saw arm will however require only division to be found for 28 teeth (again only 90° worth will be cut). To calculate the gearing I made use of two publications namely “Model Engineer’s Handbook by Tubal Cain” (3^rd Edition) and Ivan laws useful book “Gears and Gear cutting” in the Workshop Practice Series (number 17).

As a side issue I have been putting together a spreadsheet using the formula in both books for my future use covering various situations such as number of gears, their size, and number of teeth etc that can fit within a given space. When the bugs have been ironed out I will put it on my website for downloading if anyone wants it.

Managed to get into the workshop this morning so I carried on with the saw table build. I decided that the saw blade pulley would be my area to concentrate on. It needs to be small because I don't want it to affect the maximum height of the blades and diamond stone.

I decided to go the brass route again and started by boring out the space for the bearing. Next the cut out for the rubber drive belt was made using the previously ground tool steel profiled to match the belt. When I had completed the bearing housing the pulley was reversed in the chuck and the front turned down to match the larger saw blade first. The next job was to turn down the shaft to match the smaller saw blade and diamond wheel. When coming to trial fit them though the diamond wheel is actually a few 'thou' smaller so whilst it may no be obvious to the eye in the photos the front part of the shaft is actually smaller.

The diamond wheel situated on the drive pulley

Tomorrow I hope to make it two days in a row that I can get into the workshop where I will carry on with the saw pulley's holding stud. the first one I made for the driving gear pulley I turned down from solid 1" diameter bar and created a lot of swarf! This time however I made use of the end of the bar I used last time which is still tapped 8mm. I parted off two sections that I will then thread onto a shaft I will thread to match then solder together. At least it will mean less swarf and maybe even faster! We shall see.

Turning the saw blade pulley for the saw tableThe three items that will be accomodated but not all at the same time!The three items that will be accomodated but not all at the same time!

The three items that will be accomodated but not all at the same time!

 

 

 

 

 

When checking eBay though I am not sure that it wouldn't have been better to buy a second hand unit and convert it! Too late for that now though and at least mine will unique! Even better if it works!

Digital Inclinometer Angle Gauge Meter Spirit Level 360    £16.37

Triton MK3 Work bench Saw Table with Router Table    £284.92

30 Teeth 20mm Inner Dia Wood Cutting Circular Saw Blade    £3.96

DIGITAL LEVEL ANGLE GAUGE INCLINOMETER PROTRACTOR ±180°    £18.90

6000 RPM Max Speed Wood Cutting Disc Circular Saw Blade    £12.07

CEL WS3 Power8 Workshop 18V Cordless Li Ion Workstation    £346.95

Hi Spec 27mm COPPER BRAIDS pk 30 SCALEXTRIC spares    £4.95

DIAMOND SAW Automatische Diamantsäge 700mm    £4,810.37

Inclinomètre Rapporteur Angle inclinaison Niveau Bulle    £18.23

Digital Angle Neigungsmesser Winkelmesser Wasserwaage    £18.23

First pulley for the gear and its bearing

Once the parts were milled to fit each other a series of 4mm countersunk screws were tapped in one plate with claerance holes and countersink heads. The back plate was milled 10 thou short on one edge as I am going to try and weld the aluminum together. Spacing out the 4mm screws at 0.5" though seems to have made it very firm but nevertheless it will be a usefull exercise. I also may have a weld with a few screw holes if the back works out ok, similar to spot welding on car panels.

Tapping the joining part between plates with 4mm countersunk screws

The next task was to turn the gear pulley shaft for the drive off the electric motor. To enabe me to use different gears and therefore speeds I decided to add a slot for the gear shaft to move into. Beacuse the backplate is soft aluminium and I want durability I decided to make a brass insert in the shape of a 'T' with a slot for the bolt part of the gear shaft to sit in. The size was determined by marking out the centres of various gear combinations. Once the slot was fitted it was pleasing to see that it worked as expected. makes a nice change.........

Brass slot insert for the gear holding shaft

Now seeing how well the slot method works I am reconsidering the use of a tensioner pulley. If setting up another slot fot the third pulley it may just be a case of making the adjustments for each set up and fixing them in place.

So the present position is I have the drive from the electric motor via gears to the fisrt pulley completed. The saw arm has been cut to shape and the length of the backplate finalised. The next jobs will be to produce the other pulleys and brass slots and cut the gearing onto the saw arm and the yet to be made quadrant. That will be followed by milling slots in the floor and saw table top to allow the uprights somewhere to sit. They will be secured by tapping and countersunk screws. The numbers will depend on how well the welding goes.

Progress to date with backplate to length

More to follow when I am fit enough to continue.

DRY CUT TCT SAW BLADE 305 X 254 X 60T FOR STEEL    £48.84

Lumber Cutting 7 Diameter 60 Toothed Circular Sawblade    £8.62

25 TUNGSTEN CARBIDE LARGE CIRCULAR SAW BLADE BLADES 64CM 640mm SAWBLADE RRP£656    £115.95

CARBIDE SAWBLADE 60 TEETH 15 1 2 OD 3 1 8 ID LOT 3    £14.37

CARBIDE SAWBLADE 60 TEETH 15 1 2 OD 3 1 8 ID    £5.34

CARBIDE SAWBLADE 60 TEETH 15 1 2 OD 3 1 8 ID N A    £5.34

CARBIDE SAWBLADE 60 TEETH 15 3 4 OD 3 1 8 ID    £5.34

CARBIDE SAWBLADE 60 TEETH 16 1 2 OD 3 1 8 ID LOT 3    £14.37

CARBIDE SAWBLADE 60 TEETH 16 1 4 OD 3 1 8 ID    £5.34

CARBIDE SAWBLADE 60 TEETH 16 7 8 OD 3 1 8 ID LOT 3    £14.37