GET INLAID

So yesterday was the day.  I made my very first sawdust, and I’m so proud.  I bought this Black & Decker multitool setup well over a year ago, so long ago I cannot remember when I actually bought it.  I had big plans regarding redoing the bench in the back yard that has become warped and is basically a wreck.  Ultimately, though, I’ve used the sander and screwdriver attachments, and I think Scott has used the drill.  As you can see, the circular saw blade, and other stuff, are still in the original plastic.

Saturday, I decided to chop up some pieces of what I think is MDF to practice with my Dremel router.  It’s got a white outside, and is marked up with pencil marks, but I don’t care.  I’m just starting there to get used to using the tool itself since I’ve never routed anything before.  Neither had I used a circular saw before.  I spent the morning RTFM, and by the time I’d finished, I was properly scared.  While it is the men in my family who seem to be cursed by self-inflicted power tool injuries, my general klutziness makes me wary and careful.  I’m rather fond of my hands and fingers, for many reasons.  I decided I’d take it slow, make no sudden moves, and I’d probably be safe.  Respect the power tools, and no one will get hurt.

While I was digging around in Scott’s (unused) toolbox, in which he keeps a few tools that were his grandfather’s, I found an old 12" carpenter’s square, which was more handy than my big 24" framing square I bought for adjusting my guitar necks, which was very cool.  It’s pretty beat up, rusted all to hell, and hard to read unless my nose is pressed against it, but I’m going to try to make it work.  If I decide not being able to read the measurements is a real problem, I’ll get a new one, but I was pleased to be able to put a tool that hasn’t seen daylight in years to work.  Tools are magic, in that they have been held, and used, and that matters to me.  That’s why I don’t mind letting people play my guitars; all their energy and mojo leaves its mark on my guitar, and that can only be a good thing.  If I had known I was going to do this, I would’ve asked for some of Antiguo’s hand tools that were donated to the local high school.  Ah well.

Anyway, I used that carpenter’s square and marked my line.  Get me! Measuring!  I have disenrolled from the "measure once, cut twice, and use a lot of putty to hide the evidence" school of thought.

I quickly realized that my makeshift sawtable was going to flip up with any pressure put on one end, so I braced the other end under the workbench with other pieces of lumber.  Safety first!

I even clamped the wood down so it wouldn’t get away from me while I was cutting, just like I’m supposed to.  I’m too old to be half-assing shit anymore.

I lined it up, started the tool up, and started cutting, slowly.  It shook a little in my hand while it did, and I wasn’t expecting that, but I was able to control it and make a reasonably straight cut.  You will notice, however, that the piece I’m cutting off is still attached to the board.  Oops.

I ended up breaking it off, and it left a chunk behind.  Bad cut.

The second attempt was much the same, so I took a look at the saw itself.  It’s not a big blade, and the cutting depth is not adjustable, but it seems the right size for most of the stock I have collected, and that’s all bigger than anything I would ever use for actual projects, which I won’t be cutting anyway.  They will be existing guitars or hardwood boxes or some such.  If I ever get to the point where this is a going concern, I’ll give my brother a ring and see if he wants to collaborate.  He turns salad tongs and spoons and stuff for craft shows on the side of his contracting work already.  He could make the boxes, I’d do the inlay, and we’ll see what happens from there, but that is well down the road.

So I tried a third cut, this time continuing to run the saw past when I thought it was done and see if that helped anything.  I was rewarded when the piece actually fell this time.  Clean cut–third time was the charm.

Of course, I had to drag Scott out to see my handiwork, and assure him that I finished the cutting with the same 10 fingers I started with.  We talked about the workbench, and he volunteered his half of the bench, which was more crap-collector than workbench, so I could have a bench I could actually put my legs under once I started working on the pearl.

So I started cleaning.  Below are the before and after shots.  I’ll need to get more lights if I want to make the most of the space.

I cleaned up my sawdust (I cannot abide a messy workspace), and went in to make the annual batch of Christmas peanut butter balls.  I’m an Enjoli commercial.