Yesterday during the local snow storm I was out in the garage working on a special order for a client. When I attend shows I take a special display setup with me that many people love and it is sturdy, almost wind proof (do gales count as wind?) and fairly light weight. In the past I have hand made each display using a hand held jig saw, circular saw, hand drill and a large plunge router. My eyes saw all the imperfections, gaps, odd angles, uneven sizes, etcetera. It would take me 2 days to complete the assembly of one three foot display, then another day for varnish.
This year the tax return went to some new tools. The table router made fast work of edges and it was a breeze to use on the 1x wood I use for these displays. The table saw, oh my, a quick rip and the wood was angled precisely and evenly all along the length, no more waves. Band saws are awesome for doing flat work several layers thick at once. Last but not least using a forstner bit in the drill press was magic, instant aligned holes thanks to a couple of clamps. Almost forgot a tiny but oh so useful tool, no electricity needed needed, a frame clamp to hold the material together while I drilled for the wooden dowel connecting pins (I like mine to show rather than being hidden).
I just about completed two full displays in about 5 hours! That was with much needed improvements in the design and having to think through using the new tools, ah, I am still alive, I learned something new.
