Dust Collection Accessories

Where can I find that information?

Wednesday, July 7, 2010 by Dave Szpak

Working here at Eagle America one question I hear more than any other is" where can I get that information"? I hear it in our outlet store, I hear it on the phones and I see it in emails. No matter what the woodworker is trying to do, setting up dust collection, looking for band saw accessories, questions about shaper cutters, any woodworking accessories that is new to a woodworker them we get questions about that item. Another thing we hear a lot of is, I am interested in one of the Kreg pocket hole jigs which one should I get? Or I am building some cabinets which set of stile and rail bits should I use? Which one of your router bit sets is the best for me? We do our best to answer all the questions we receive within 24 hours.

Did you know we have tech support available where we will take your question sent to us via email to us at tech@eagleamerica.com and pass it to our one of our woodworkers that we have on staff?

Don't they look knowledgeable!

Well back to the question, where can I get this information?
You can find just about anything...

....ON THE INTERNET!

There are thousands of website dedicated to woodworking. Places where you can ask questions of your peers or ask professionals like The Wood Whisperer's website.

You can find just about anything you need right here. They have a community where you can access blogs and forums where you can ask questions that will be answered by many people that are just woodworkers like you that want to help their experience is there to help you. Also in their community they have photos of the member's projects. Not to mention many videos that Marc Spagnuolo (The Wood Whisper) does showing how to do certain things or projects start to finish. You can also find Marc's work on You tube talk about a video library that you don't have to buy! You can also find many different woodworking groups that have joined the community, maybe you belong in one of these groups? Do you?

And of coarse what true Wood Whisperer member doesn’t have a Wood Whisperer hat and T-shirt. Well don’t worry you can get these items and more at the store. I should get a free t-shirt for this blog don’t you think?

There is a live chat room where you can discuss your project or anything woodworking related. You can even watch projects being made because there are dozens of people/workshops that stream live video to the site for you to watch.

This is just one site of the thousands of woodworking sites out there on the world wide web. So if you have a specific question maybe we can help. Or if you are looking for a place to go to learn and pick up some tricks of the trade and meet some woodworkers maybe The Wood Whisperers website is where you want to go.

No matter what you are looking for, the Internet can be the best tool in your workshop.

How do you get rid of your wood chips?

Tuesday, May 18, 2010 by Betty Pomeroy

When I saw Robert Beam’s Isuzu Trooper this weekend at the Green Grand Prix, http://www.greengrandprix.com/index.htm , I couldn’t help but think of all the woodworkers I talk to everyday on the phone at Eagle America that have dust collection accessories filling up with wood chips.

His 1988 Isuzu Trooper runs on wood chips. Yes! Wood chips. He doesn’t use any gasoline in his SUV.

The process, which is called pyrolysis, is accomplished by cooking the wood (under low oxygen conditions) in a wood-gas generator and collecting the vapors, which are then directed to the vehicle's (ideally a truck or SUV with room to carry the gas generator) carburetor to be burned instead of gasoline.

Here I am checking out the gas generator.

What a great way to recycle sawdust from all the table saw blades, shaper cutters, and wood carving tools you are using every day!

This SUV is able to run 20 miles on 25 pounds of wood chips. How far do you think Robert could go each year just from the sawdust you make from your woodworking projects?

Maybe “making sawdust” someday will have a whole new meaning……..

Visit the Beaver Energy website to learn more about the Isuzu Trooper.

Wine Bottle Stopper Project

Monday, May 3, 2010 by Eric Reed

One of the great things about Eagle America is that our Outlet Store offers classes for woodworkers of all skill levels.

I had a chance to participate in a turning class where the group was turning wine bottle stoppers. Now I am not an expert turner by any means but I had turned a few projects in the past. The wine bottle stopper looked like a fun project that I could do in between larger projects so I signed up.

The class was very informative had the instructor was easy to understand.

The process is very simple. You can turn the stoppers from one piece of wood or if you want to get fancy, you can glue up different species for contrasting colors.

Grab a few band saw accessories and dust collection accessories and cut your piece to size. Find the center of one end of the material and use a premium drilling bit to drill a hole in the end for the threaded mandrel.

Chuck the mandrel up in your lathe and turn to your heart’s content. It is almost impossible to mess up. You can turn any design you want. Use a few sanding supplies to smooth your turned piece. Then you can burn in some wax and polish it to a nice sheen.

Remove the turned piece from the mandrel and thread the bottle stopper into the bottom.

This is a quick and easy project that makes a great gift for family and friends!

Woodworking, Wagons and Dollywood

Saturday, April 10, 2010 by Eric Reed

As any passionate woodworker knows, even when you are on vacation, you can’t resist spending some time inquiring about a great woodworking project when you run across one.

When I was on vacation in Tennessee, I spent the day at the Dollywood amusement park.

Not only are there great rides for the whole family but there are many arts & crafts displays.

Dollywood has a working grain mill powered by a water wheel, glass blowing furnaces, a blacksmith shop and to my surprise, a woodworking shop dedicated to building authentic wagons and carriages.

I was like a kid in a candy store when I walked into the wooden framed barn that housed the old woodworking tools and woodworking accessories used to make the wagons and carriages.

All of the wood cutting tools in the shop are authentic to the mid to late 1800’s. The tablesaw, bandsaw, and drill press are powered by an overhead belt and pulley system just as it would have been during that time.

Suddenly, my mind was filled with all kinds of dreams about what it might have been like to change the wood bandsaw blades or table saw blades on that old equipment.

The wagons and carriages are made from yellow poplar, hickory and white ash so you know the woodworkers building the beautiful pieces on display have to be using premium drilling products in the old drill press to get through those hard woods.

The one tool I noticed was missing from the shop was the dust collector and dust collection accessories.

Aside from a broom and a dust pan, dust collection is the result of modern health concerns thanks to improvement in science.

If you are ever in the neighborhood or you are looking for a great place to take the family, Dollywood really has something for everyone.

By the way, for those who are interested in buying and wagon or carriage, the ones at Dollywood are for sale and they can make you almost any style you can think of!

From Wood Scraps to Fine Woodworking

Monday, March 1, 2010 by Eric Reed

he other day, my April 2010 #211 Fine Woodworking magazine showed up in the mail. As usual, there were lots of wonderful projects to admire or at least, be jealous of the amount of time these woodworkers have to work on their projects. I think I speak for most woodworkers with day jobs that wish we all had more time to commit to our projects.

On the last few pages of the magazine I ran across an article about turning scrap wood into small platters or bowls. I instantly thought of the ever increasing pile of scraps in my shop. In between all of my other projects this last weekend, I sorted though the scrap wood pile and found a piece of mahogany and a piece of black walnut to get me started.

I laid out a few basic profiles on the scrap pieces that resembled something close to the images of the projects in the magazine. I grabbed a few band saw accessories and headed over to my band saw where I attached all of my dust collection accessories. A few quick cuts with the band saw and I was ready to carve out the center of the little bowl.

Before I went to town with my wood carving tools, I used a premium drilling Forstner bit to hollow out the bulk of the material. After carving out the center, I took both pieces over to my spindle sander where I used sanding drums and sanding sleeves to finish the edges.
With a quick hand sanding, I was ready for finishing.

To finish my little bowl and platter, I used a food safe salad bowl oil just in case my wife decides to use them for serving snacks.

Overall, this project took a few hours and quickly turned a few scraps into some Fine Woodworking!

Too Cool to be Safe?

Saturday, January 16, 2010 by Tim Walter

I just read a great blog post at The Professional Power Tool Guide about The Ten Most Dangerous Tools. It made me think about all of the woodworkers over the years that I have met who have injured themselves while enjoying their craft. Yes, a fair share of those happened with many precautions in place, but more often than not the people who hurt themselves wound up telling me how stupid they were!

Are you TOO COOL to be safe?

Many of the "walking wounded" have told me that they were simply "too busy" or "too cool" to be properly safe in their shops when they were making the most simple of cuts. Are you too cool to be safe?

From the article referenced above, did you know that:

Over 37,000 people per year go to emergency rooms because of power nailers
39,000 ER visits per year are the result of chain saws
10,600 patients fell victim to their circular saws
5,800 people go to the hospital due to power drill injuries
3 people per year DIE using Wood Chippers

Those numbers are staggering and they don't even include injuries from some of the most common woodworking tools such as:

My personal opinion is that if people would only slow down and take their time they would prevent the vast majority of injuries. If they simply take the time to use the large assortment of woodworking accessories that have been designed to prevent injury they would live long, scar-free lives. Use woodworking clamps to secure your work, use dust collection accessories to protect your lungs, use one of the many saw blade accessories to help you prevent kickback and keep your hands away from the blade. Safety is serious business. We at Eagle America care deeply about your safety and always encourage you to think twice and cut once.

OK, ok...I know you are sick of hearing it. I know preaching safety can be boring, and scary, so what better way to lighten this post than to laugh at injuries! Here is a long clip of THE EXACT OPPOSITE of being safe, thank you Tim "The Tool Man" Taylor. Enjoy the laugh...but remember the real message.

"Please keep the house clean"...Festool to the rescue!

Monday, January 4, 2010 by Tim Walter

I have lived in my house for almost 10 years now and as you know, that seems to be the milestone when things begin to go wrong. One of my projects as of late has been to fix all shapes and sizes of drywall cracks that came about from the house settling. So who out there loves to use drywall mud and tape? Not me! It is always a chore that I take ZERO enjoyment from. Thankfully some of our Eagle woodworking tools and woodworking accessories made the project quick and painless this time around.

One of the trickiest fixes this time around was on the wall that joins my kitchen and great room. That meant a lot of sanding in rooms where my wife didn't want to see any mess. Festool sanding supplies and dust collection accessories to the rescue! Thanks to their no-mess system I did not have to create a dust barrier or put down even one drop cloth.

Thanks to the suggestions of our Eagle Woodworking gurus I used the Festool ETS 125 Sander combined with the Festool CT Midi Dust Extractor to get the job done right the first time. As you can see in the photo above there was about a 5 foot drop from where I had to sand to a chair. There were also red curtains right next to where the sander would be operating. I didn't cover the chair and I didn't move the curtains...and there was no dust on them when I was done! It really is amazing to see the Festool system work...it is engineering at it's finest. They might cost more than other tools but you get what you pay for. To see our selection of Festool products, click here.

Demo Air Net - Filter the Air in Your Workshop For Less $!

Thursday, December 17, 2009 by Eric Reed

Eagle America added some more great woodworking tools to their dust collection accessories, just in time for the holidays!

The Demo Air Net makes any shop or work site that uses wood cutting tools cleaner while costing significantly less than a traditional air filtration system. Scientifically proven to remove airborne pollutants and carcinogens while you work, this device easily slips over the front of any fan and captures airborne particles down to 5 microns. After use, it will need to be washed. You can simply rinse it in a mop bucket but washing it on a gentle cycle in a machine and air drying works best. Now it is good as new and ready for your next project. (Fan not included)

Small: Fits 9" fans, ideal for tight spaces and desktops with an effective area is 20 cubic feet.

Medium: Fits up to 18" round fans, ideal for construction dust and pet hair with effective area is 3,200 cubic feet.

Large: Fits up to 24" round or 20" square fans, ideal for heavy demolition and sanding with an effective area of 4,800 cubic feet.

Monster: Fits up to 42" fans, ideal for the heaviest pollutants in large areas. Effective area is up to 30,000 cubic feet.

Refinishing a Picnic Table

Wednesday, December 16, 2009 by Tim Walter

Dan Walter, the founder and father of all things Eagle Woodworking, recently shared with us a success story that includes a number of woodworking tools and woodworking accessories that we thought you would find interesting.

"This heavy, quality made picnic table has been in the family for over 50 years. After many years of neglect and my wife complaining, I decided it was time to give it a new look. Rather than striping it all down , I decided to use sanding supplies to get the job done. This time around I used the Festool Rotex sander, which comes with some great dust collection accessories. Using the coarse sandpaper and putting the sander in the gear driven "rotex" postion, it quickly striped away the many years of polyurethane and other imperfections.

Once I was down to bare wood, I used 80 grit and then 120 grit to give it a final sanding. Then it was on to the Earlex sprayer where I used and exterior grade polyurethane giving it 4 coats and buff/sanding with 320 grit between the coats.

My mother in law could not believe it when we had her over for dinner. We eat out on the table in the gazebo which overlooks a river almost every night. Good quality redwood furniture is hard to find and expensive to make, so refinishing this piece was the right choice for me. Memories are hard to replace and we hope this piece will stay in the family for another 50 years."

The Top 3 Secrets to Getting Chip-Free Cuts in Sheet Goods

Wednesday, December 16, 2009 by Tim Walter

One of the things our Eagle Woodworking Gurus like to do most is share tips and tricks with all of their woodworking friends. Miki, our Eagle America Outlet Store Manager, recently shared these nuggets of wisdom in an online interview. Here is her take on "The Top 3 Secrets to Getting Chip-Free Cuts in Sheet Goods":

• The number one secret is to use the correct blade when looking at your collection of table saw blades. For particleboard or MDF, it is suggested to use a triple chip grind blade with 80 teeth. Man-made materials can quickly dull saw blades. With a triple chip grind, the corners of every other tooth are chamfered at 45°. The teeth between are either flat top rakers or alternate top bevel teeth. Each chamfered tooth creates a rough center cut, which is then cleaned up by the rakers. Along with the correct blade, a zero clearance insert is recommended. The insert is one of our most popular saw blade accessories and will provide a solid surface under and right up to the blade. This will give you a safer cut and because the wood fibers are fully supported, they are less likely to fray or tear out.

• Number two would have to be a properly tuned saw. Most importantly, your fence and miter slots in your saw must be aligned parallel to the blade. Your saw blade teeth should be raised so that half the carbide is showing over your stock. By using dust collection tools and the proper dust collection accessories, you will deter debris from collecting around your saw teeth and obscuring your cut. A respirator is advised when cutting MDF due to the urea-formaldehyde resin content.

• Number three — on to the actual cuts. For many materials, scoring is one way to assure a good cut. If using thin material, stack cut using double face tape to secure the stock. Masking tape is a good way to keep fibers in place as the cut is being made, but be careful when peeling the tape off after cut.

Well done Miki! With so many techinques and woodworking accessories to choose from, it's nice and simple to learn when you can boil it down to the Top 3 Secrets.