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drying thin wood for coaster stock.

Started by doc henderson, August 12, 2021, 01:22:47 AM

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scsmith42

Quote from: ljohnsaw on August 29, 2021, 11:06:15 AM
Doc,
Another suggestion.  See about getting some "die springs" or maybe salvage some rocker springs off an old engine head.  Put those under the knobs and it will keep more even pressure as the stack shrinks.  Then maybe you would only have to visit it once a day to keep it tight.
John beat me too it, as I was also going to recommend stiff springs under your knobs. Due and valve springs are both great choices. Valve springs typically have 125-150 pounds of force each.
They will help to provide consistent clamping force in-between tightenings.
Peterson 10" WPF with 65' of track
Smith - Gallagher dedicated slabber
Tom's 3638D Baker band mill
and a mix of log handling heavy equipment.

doc henderson

or pneumatic cylinders or and air bag under the top. :o :o :o
Timber king 2000, 277c track loader, PJ 32 foot gooseneck, 1976 F700 state dump truck, JD 850 tractor.  2007 Chevy 3500HD dually, home built log splitter 18 horse 28 gpm with 5 inch cylinder and 32 inch split range with conveyor powered by a 12 volt tarp motor

doc henderson

work is going well,  the 7 inch spacing is good for 1/4 inch rough, but too far for 1/8th inch thick.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

so the thin sheets are working well,  24 coasters per sheet.  had to slow the vector stuff down to get all the way through.  moved the lines in to get a brown sear mark all the way around the edge.  a sheet takes an hour so I can set a timer and do stuff around the shop.  even some mistakes when the optical strip got smoky and were off a bit, can turn over and make a nice coaster on the backside.  
Timber king 2000, 277c track loader, PJ 32 foot gooseneck, 1976 F700 state dump truck, JD 850 tractor.  2007 Chevy 3500HD dually, home built log splitter 18 horse 28 gpm with 5 inch cylinder and 32 inch split range with conveyor powered by a 12 volt tarp motor

metalspinner

Doc Henderson
Did you mention what kind of laser you have?
I have an inexpensive Ortur and there's no way it will burn through 1/4". 
I do what the little voices in my wife's head tell me to do.

doc henderson

the first prototypes were 1/4 inch, and the "spinner" is 1/2 and took several passes.  species matters as well.  less dense requires less.  if there is a knot, it may not make it through all the way.  It is an epilog helix, with a 60 watt laser.  18 x 24 inch table.  has a rotary attachment and can do a good sized growler.
Timber king 2000, 277c track loader, PJ 32 foot gooseneck, 1976 F700 state dump truck, JD 850 tractor.  2007 Chevy 3500HD dually, home built log splitter 18 horse 28 gpm with 5 inch cylinder and 32 inch split range with conveyor powered by a 12 volt tarp motor

doc henderson

It is working well.  have about 350 in Q, and 100 done.  these are for my friends sons wedding.  



 

 

 

started working on some for a local winery.  yes a local winery.  keeping it simple.  he will have tastings and wants souvenirs for patrons of the tasting.  we will do glassware, charcuterie boards, coasters and wine glass hangers.



 

 

 

 

spalted maple, ERC, and walnut examples are mocked up for him to look at.  He is a local orthopedic Doc. about to retire and do the vineyard thing.
Timber king 2000, 277c track loader, PJ 32 foot gooseneck, 1976 F700 state dump truck, JD 850 tractor.  2007 Chevy 3500HD dually, home built log splitter 18 horse 28 gpm with 5 inch cylinder and 32 inch split range with conveyor powered by a 12 volt tarp motor

Don P

Reading this it kicked off memory from a small shop years ago. In small scale panel glueup the rig looks similar to yours. The cauls, your top and bottom bolsters, are slightly bowed so that they provide uniform contact to the center of the panels as well as the edges. The degree of curvature is black magic as far as I know. A torque wrench or impact wrench on controlled pressure is used to run the rods (nut on the biz end welded on), tight so they are clamping with uniform pressure.

doc henderson

I have thought about a center bolster perpendicular to add some pressure to the center line.  the knobs were hard to turn, but once they started, I could do 2 or 3 revolutions.  so I made the wrench and will try to use length of rod out the top.  I am getting ready to start the next batch, and one thing I want to do is stack them right off the mill.  I was recently given an old style rod type torque wrench, and I may try that.  thanks Don.
Timber king 2000, 277c track loader, PJ 32 foot gooseneck, 1976 F700 state dump truck, JD 850 tractor.  2007 Chevy 3500HD dually, home built log splitter 18 horse 28 gpm with 5 inch cylinder and 32 inch split range with conveyor powered by a 12 volt tarp motor

Old Greenhorn

Bryan, try putting some never seize on those threads to give you a more accurate torque reading, get the stuff with the copper in it. Restarting a nut already under load shows a false torque reading because of the existing load which is comprised of mostly friction. Never seize will minimize this quite a bit.
Tom Lindtveit, Woodsman Forest Products
Oscar 328 Band Mill, Husky 350, 450, 562, & 372 (Clone), Mule 3010, and too many hand tools. :) Retired and trying to make a living to stay that way. NYLT Certified.
OK, maybe I'm the woodcutter now.
I work with wood, There is a rumor I might be a woodworker.

doc henderson

Timber king 2000, 277c track loader, PJ 32 foot gooseneck, 1976 F700 state dump truck, JD 850 tractor.  2007 Chevy 3500HD dually, home built log splitter 18 horse 28 gpm with 5 inch cylinder and 32 inch split range with conveyor powered by a 12 volt tarp motor

JoshNZ

Are you sure you need that much pressure doc? Sounds like you're putting some serious force on them. Are they showing signs of cupping without it?

doc henderson

still experimental.  some still cup, but you need to flex them the other way for a bit if so.  I think the idea was not to force them so much as to make them uniform.  I can also do that with the number of threads and or length of all-thread showing.  I started at 0 or 1/4 inch and wound up in three days at 2 inches.  
Timber king 2000, 277c track loader, PJ 32 foot gooseneck, 1976 F700 state dump truck, JD 850 tractor.  2007 Chevy 3500HD dually, home built log splitter 18 horse 28 gpm with 5 inch cylinder and 32 inch split range with conveyor powered by a 12 volt tarp motor

JoshNZ

I haven't even looked at my clamps. You're being a lot more vigilant than me haha.

I ended up with a small slice off a quartered cant the other day and it was about the size of this coaster stock, and I just laid them in the handles of the clamps haha even they haven't cupped.

doc henderson

getting to the industrial scale I am looking for.  working with another doc that is about to retire from ortho and has a good start on his vineyard and wine business.  Wedding coasters are coming along nice.  about 200 done.  I can finish using the heater about 96 at a time.  I could add more shelves.



 

 

 

some charcuterie boards and a 2 foot sign with his font and some logo ideas.
Timber king 2000, 277c track loader, PJ 32 foot gooseneck, 1976 F700 state dump truck, JD 850 tractor.  2007 Chevy 3500HD dually, home built log splitter 18 horse 28 gpm with 5 inch cylinder and 32 inch split range with conveyor powered by a 12 volt tarp motor

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