Tool Review: Milescraft SignCrafter

I bought the Milescraft SignCrafter at Keim Lumber and waited until this week to assemble and test it. I immediately discovered that one nut in the end assemblies was missing. This allowed the aluminum bars to flex enough that, no matter how tightly the clamps were set, the bars flexed and allowed letters to drop out of the channels and ruin the work. I called the factory (the most negative comment about this product really relates to the lousy phone system at Milescraft when calling for a replacement part. Better to write them at P O Box 737, 270 N State Street, Hampshire IL 60140).

Once I received the missing part I was able to place letters in the aluminum bars and they stayed rigid throughout the routing process. The instructions are complete enough to assemble the unit and to set up the router. There could have been more instructions or suggestions relating to using the unit and adjusting it to different work needs.

My first project was routing initials onto the end panels of beer carriers. The carriers are only 10" wide while the shortest aluminum bars are 18" long. As the picture above shows, I needed to use filler strips on each side in order to fill in the width difference. I completed a placement jig by installing a filler strip above the unit so that the letters were centered right-left and top-bottom. The picture shows the initials "SS" for routing. You have to use other letters to fill in the space on the aluminum bars. A little bit of forethought and practice are essential.

The number of pieces that come with this kit creates a need for extra storage. You get two sets of large and two sets of small letters and numbers, two bushings, a router bit, a centering tool, bar extensions, four aluminum bars, a router base, and two end units. I moved all the smaller items to a small plastic tool box. The top section houses all the smaller items and the bottom section houses all the letters and numbers. I put in a couple hardboard dividers to help keep the letters and numbers in order. Hopefully, this organization will make it easier to keep track of parts and find the letters I need. I still use the original packing box for the aluminum bars, router base plate, and the two end units.

I have no experience with any similar product so I cannot compare the SignCrafter to any other system. It seems as though the product is well-made and performs simple letter/number routing quite adequately. At a little under $40 it becomes a rather expensive investment for just one project. I hope to find other uses for it.

One hint I found on the Amazon.com web page for this item suggested blackening in the letters to create a starker contrast with the wood. I tried this and liked the results. It added to the clarity of the letters and also covered up the router bit burns in the cherry wood.

A really thorough tool review is available at OnLine Tool Reviews.com. It is full of pictures which help in the learning process.

Eight months between posts?

I have to admit that my woodworking has taken a back seat to almost everything else in my life. A few weeks ago my wife and I had a heart-to-heart talk about how much other life situations were depressing me and how I had gradually just stopped doing any woodworking. It was an eye-opening conversation for me: I was neglecting one activity that would help relax me and put thing back in balance.
So for the last few weeks I have gradually resumed working in my shop. I have made great strides in organizing my workshop at the lake and moving some smaller tools and accessories from the Wooster house to the lake. As my wood working activities have increased, my spirits have improved. What a dunce I was to not see this myself.
Anyway, I will start posting some of my activities and projects. I am working on more beer carriers to be part of Christmas presents. Also in the mill are some really elegant looking chopping blocks from a pattern on the Wood Whisperer. Two other projects that will be finished quickly are a set of outside steps for the Wooster porch and an auxillary fence for my table saw. As I finish each project I will post pictures and information.
It is really nice to be back in the shop.

One is never enough

This year I made Mary Lou a bread board for Christmas. It comes from a 1996 issue of Wood magazine and involves laminating many thin layers of cherry and maple into a board sized for French bread loaves or baguettes.

Each project I do is an opportunity to learn a new skill or to practice using a piece of equipment. For this board I needed to cut very thin pieces of cherry and maple - from 5/4 stock I cut 1-1/16th inch maple, 8-1/8th inch maple, 4-5/8th inch maple, 4-1/16 inch cherry, 4-1/8th inch cherry, and 4-1/4 inch cherry. I used a combination of a zero clearance insert with a Micro-Jig splitter and a home-made jig to set the width of cut on the cut-off side of the blade. After gluing, the ends are rounded and handles are created by removing some of the underside of the prominent end curves.

One lesson I have learned from woodworking is always to assume you will make a mistake and need to redo or start a step over. I have begun to cut more wood than necessary for a project. In this project I actually cut two of each size to make sure I had good glue surfaces and even widths the entire length. As luck would have it I ended up with two breadboards. I gave them both to my wife and she in turn offered one to my son, Eric.

Down the home stretch

This last week has been spent finishing and waxing the Christmas Shaker oval boxes. I will be finishing the last three sets-of-five boxes this week. Hopefully, in enough time that the finish is not still tacky!

"99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall"

Another activity of mine, brewing beer, caused me to try to create wooden crates to replace the cardboard boxes the 22 oz beer bottles come in. We had been invited to The Brew Kettle in Strongsville, OH to join with a couple of friends, Jeff, John, and Tim, to brew beer on the premises. The first visit we brewed "Oktoberfest" and I brought home 2 cases in the cardboard boxes. By the time the bottling is done, the cardboard gets a little flimsy due to the moisture and I was fearful that one of the box bottoms would burst open.

In preparation for our next brewing when we bottled "Kolsch", I made two carriers out of white oak. Each would hold twelve 22 0z. bottles. The dimensions are roughly 10 1/2 inches wide by 12 inches high by 14 1/2 inches deep. I inset the side and bottom slats but I cut the spacing tolerances too close on the carriers and they would not hold the bottles in the cardboard box.

So I made two more carriers to take to our next brewing of "Belgian White Ale". As we were bottling I ended up giving one of the carriers to Jeff and one to Tim who joined me for the bottling. Taking a friend's suggestion, I used the cardboard dividers from the original cardboard boxes to separate the bottles in my smaller wood carriers. Two gifts for good friends, a lot of good beer, and two carriers for myself - not a bad deal.

Building stilts for my grandson

When I saw this project I just knew I had to make it. It was not only a project that would require learning some new things but one that would bring back good memories from my childhood.
This spring and summer I worked on a pair of stilts for my 10 year old grandson, Dylan. I found the project in a February, 1997, Wood Magazine. The stilt legs and foot brackets are laminated ash and mahogany. The footsteps are ash and the discs at the leg tops are mahogany. Rubber tips protect the leg bottoms and nonskid tape cover the footsteps to provide traction. The footsteps are adjustable over a 20 inch range using bolts and threaded inserts. This was the first time that I laminated wood. I was concerned that it be a good glue-up since very thin pieces of wood would be supporting Dylan's weight. It was also the first time that I used threaded inserts. The plan called for using brass bolts and inserts but I was unable to find the brass bolts in the size I needed so I used steel. There are two bolts for each footstep so the inserts needed to be accurately spaced in order to allow for the height adjustments. I used nonskid tape that my wife had found in a skate board store. I used polyurethane for a finish. Overall I liked the outcome. The stilts function well and look nice.

I can remember my dad making me several pairs of stilts with steps ranging from 6 inches off the ground to a scarey 2 feet in the air. They were simple dimensional lumber with triangle footpads nailed on, but I spent a lot of time enjoying those stilts. I learned to walk down the driveway, up and down inclines and steps, and around the neighborhood.

Dylan's stilts are certainly much fancier and more finished looking than my old stilts. But I can only hope though that he gets as much fun with them as I remember having with mine.

Where I shop

I have several really good sources for woodworking equipment and supplies. I often use Rockler and Woodcraft. Each is about an hour's drive away from Wooster but seeing the merchandise and talking with knowledgeable sales people make the cost and time of the trip worthwhile.

One of my favorite places to shop is Hartville Hardware. They are also about an hour's drive (just south of Akron) but they have the most complete selection of supplies and equipment plus they have fantastic sales on power equipment in November and February.

We have an excellent lumber source in Holmes County in Keim Lumber. They have an excellent variety of wood although limited in exotic woods.