Q & A

Router Bit Removal Difficulties

I have a router that requires two wrenches to remove a bit. My other new Sears router has a spring-loaded shaft lock button and needs only one wrench. The problem is it takes one hand to push and hold the shaft lock, one to hold down the router and one to use the wrench. I only have two of the required three hands, so I put the router in a vise. Any suggestions? This is so flustering I have considered “brushing” (throwing it in the brush pile) this router and buying a better design.

Chris Marshall: Sounds like you’ve got a router with a design challenge there! Not all spindle locks are as difficult to work with two hands, but I’ve had to deal with some tough ones myself. If a two-wrench design works better for you, stick with that instead. A feature is only a convenience if it does right by you. Many new routers still have two-wrench collet designs.

Rob Johnstone: Sometimes you can push in the shaft lock button, start to apply a bit of rotational pressure to the shaft using the wrench and, at that point in time, you can take your finger off of the shaft lock button and the lock will remain engaged. I hope that works for you. But if you are still determined to “brush” your router — I’ve got a really great brush pile right behind my workshop. It’s just a suggestion …

 

Table Saw Blade Height

Somewhere along my pathway of woodworking, I was told that a table saw blade should be limited to 1/8th inch above the wood being cut. In pictures in different magazines, I have seen saw blades raised as much as 2 inches above the wood. Is there a rule for this? And if so, why?

Chris Marshall: Our own master woodworker Ian Kirby sums up the issue of how high to set your blade quite well in his book The Accurate Table Saw (Cambium Press, 1998) p. 70:

“Everybody wants to know the correct blade height, but there isn’t any. Test it for yourself. Start with the gullets a little above the surface of the workpiece and make a cut. Then raise the blade to full height and cut again. Compare the two cuts and decide which is better … The cleanest and most efficient cutting occurs with the blade raised to its maximum height. However, having that much blade exposed above the workpiece might make you nervous. The correct blade height is somewhere in between. For the cleanest cut, raise the blade; if it rattles you, lower it.”

Spontaneous Combustion?

I just finished my first real woodworking project. During finishing, I noticed the warnings of spontaneous combustion on my cans of stain and poly topcoat. The warnings got to me, and I checked my garage every few hours to make sure my house wasn't burning down. Is this a real threat? Should I be worried? How should I throw out used rags?

Chris Marshall: Finishes that contain solvents or oil are potential fire hazards. But, the warning about spontaneous combustion actually concerns how you treat your rags that get soaked with finish. What you DON’T want to do is leave varnish-soaked or oily rags wadded up when they’re still wet. As the finishes cure, they absorb oxygen and generate heat. If the finish gets hot enough in a crumpled rag, it can catch fire—and yes, it really happens. The simplest way to stay safe is to spread your rags out flat where they won’t be disturbed until they fully cure and get hard. Then you can toss them in the trash.