Mountain Makers

SpeTool sent me their High-Precision Router Plate to try out. It comes with a quick release dust collection port to tame a huge problem with routers, the mess. It’s made from anodized aluminum to drop into most standard router tables or you can make your own. The kit includes mounting screws and multiple configurations to support a range of routers and bits.

I decided to use this plate for a dedicated table for freehand cuts, like roundovers. So I made a table with a pocket for the router plate out of some MDF on the CNC. Having good dust collection makes a huge difference and the shroud helps to suck away a lot of the mess. For its permanent home, I framed out the left side of my table saw for the new router table. Since this is just a plate without a built in lift it’s important to have a router with an adjustable base.

It's a reasonably priced, basic router plate and the dust collection capability is what sets it apart. I can recommend it for a basic router table, or if you’re looking for a way to add another router table like I did, without taking up a lot of space.

You can get the router plate and other great SpeTool products here: https://spetools.com/?ref=qj15ulok

And you can use the code MOUNTAINMAKERS to get 10% off your purchase.

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It wasn't what we were expecting but we're grateful to have some "safe" snow compared to other parts of the country that experienced the storm. So it was time to take the drone up to see how the neighborhood fared.

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Testing the Sirui Aurora 85mm 1.4 on my Sony A7IV. So far, it's an impressive lens for the fraction of the price of the native options and others in this class. Well built, focuses quickly and the image quality is excellent.

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I've switched to using laser engraved cutting templates when possible instead of the conventional paper and adhesive method. It makes for quicker and easier templates and you don't have to worry about the template falling off when you're cutting away small sections.

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In the past, I’ve made my own router sleds to handle small slices of wood or huge 10’ long slabs. SpeTool sent me what they call their “Cratos S01001 PRO Machinist-Grade Router Sled – Wood Slab Flattening Mill”, in exchange for trying it out and making this video. In this video, I’ll go through the assembly process and test it on a slice of Ash I’ve been wanting to use. I’m using an ad hoc table for a quick and rough trial of the sled, just a pair of sawhorses, plywood and 2×4’s. At some point I’ll need to set up a better work table but this worked out surprisingly well. The kit also included their new dust collection option, but that’s for another video.

You can get the router sled and other great SpeTool products here: https://spetools.com/?ref=qj15ulok

And you can use the code MOUNTAINMAKERS to get 10% off your purchase.

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After applying @cleanarmor exterior clear coat to this wonderfully figured maple slab bench we left it outside a few days for its first test against some of the elements it will be facing: sunlight and storms. Water beads on the surface like an automotive finish while the beauty of the maple shines through, fully UV protected. It’s now planted at its home, in front of @gracehillfineartandbasketry.

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Originally posted on our Instagram channel: https://www.instagram.com/p/C7ZL166AV-U/

This is the last of the owner’s maple slabs we’ve been working with for her art gallery projects, with some of the most incredible character we’ve ever seen: spalting, curl, worm holes, birdseye, you name it, it’s in there!

It will be an outdoor bench, exposed to the elements. So we decided to use the new @cleanarmor UV curing resin finish we discovered*. This time, their Wood 705 exterior satin clear coat. Compared to the interior 700 finish we first tried, both are free of dangerous VOC (volatile organic compounds) & HAP (hazardous air pollutants), provide a completely waterproof and durable finish but this one has additional protection against constant UV exposure and its damaging effects, like wood discoloration. We want all that beautiful figuring to be well preserved!

*This is completely unsponsored content. We discovered @cleanarmor on our own and purchased the products ourselves to determine if they are a good fit for our finishing workflow.

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I recently stumbled on a new wood finish that is supposed to provide the beautiful natural-looking & satiny clear coat that we love in the hard wax oil finishes we’ve been using. It’s a product from @cleanarmor that is easily applied, has NO VOC (volatile organic compounds), HAP (hazardous air pollutants) and no hazardous disposal requirements and is much more durable. What really got my attention was its ability to cure in minutes under UV light, either from artificial lights or sunlight. We’re used to “accelerators” with hard wax finishes, that speed up their curing process to about a week. This was worth checking out!

I wasn’t able to get samples (the quart minimum size isn’t cheap) but I decided to spring for a bottle of the 700 Interior Clear Coat in Satin to see how it would compare. I ordered from mywoodcutters.com (incidentally, the same place I previously bought some helical heads for our planer & jointer) and got my order in a few days. We were excited to try things out and this our first ever experience with it. We had to use the guest room up at the house since it was the only place where we could easily prevent sunlight from creeping in. As hoped, we got a great first impression. We’ll be putting it through its paces in the shop and with some projects. So expect more details as we get ourselves familiar with this promising new finish!

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I’m a huge fan of spiral carbide cutters ever since I upgraded the cutters for our planer and jointer. I’ve also been using a variety of @spetool_cnc bits for a while now (unsponsored 😉) and when I saw that SpeTool released this beast of a 5” long, 65mm (~ 2.6”) cutting height flush trim bit, what happened next is obvious. I made a video on my Instagram channel: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CwppmCqLCOC

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