Fabrique aux E.U. is an abbreviated way of saying Fabrique aux Etats-Unis, which is French for Made in USA.

Similarly, Hecho en EE. UU. is short for Hecho en Estados Unidos, or Hecho en Estados Unidos de America, which is Spanish for Made in USA. In Spanish, plural phrases are often represented by double abbreviations, meaning that Estados Unidos (United States) is abbreviated as EE. UU. instead of just E.U.

In this recent video, Chris Schwarz demonstrates his nibbling method, where he establishes a kerf at workpiece corners before “swallowing the whole giraffe.”

This nibbling technique seems built upon the sawing technique most people already find natural – to start at corner where two faces meet.

Explanation via Popular Woodworking

Earlier today I watched a Mere Mortals clip that passed on another’s suggestion to use O-rings as router bit insert stop or spacer. The idea was that the fillet between a router bit shank and cutting head affects collet clamping, leading to walk-out or excessive vibrations, and that an O-ring prevents this from being an issue.

The reasoning behind this is right, but the O-ring trick is only effective when working with shorter router bits whose heads would otherwise connect with a collet upon full insertion. Relying on this tip by itself can lead to complacency and frustration. What happens if you have a long bit that bottoms-out and with its fillet well out of the collet, and you still encounter bit walking, vibration, or uneven cuts?

Inserting a Router Bit

1. Ensure that there is no grime or debris on the router bit shank and check the collet as well. Make sure that the collet is open and the nut loosened.
2. Insert the router bit all the way into the collet as far as it will go.
3. Retract the router bit by 1/8″ or so (some manufacturers recommend 1/16″), and then hand-tighten the collet nut to hold the bit’s slightly elevated position.
4. Fully tighten the collet nut with the appropriate wrench.

Note: for solid carbide router bits, step 2 is modified – try to minimize the length of the cutting edges that are covered by the collet. I try to insert such bits into the collet by at least 1″, or more than half-way if possible. Always double check with your router’s manual or the bit manufacturer’s guidelines.

Why?

If you were to stop at step 2 and then tighten the collet, there is the strong possibility that you will achieve less than optimal collet clamping. Bottoming out a router bit – or any collet-fixed bit, impedes the tightening mechanism of the collet. Then when you try to tighten the collet nut, you may get the false feeling that the nut and collet are fully tightened.

If you have a shorter router bit and insert it until the bottom of the cutting head is close to the collet, and leave it as-is, the fillet at the interface between the bit’s shank and cutting head may affect the grip of the collet. Even if there is no fillet, there will likely be a small segment that is coated. If the collet grips onto this coated area, its grip on the rest of the bare-metal shank may be looser and potentially less than ideal.

With a loose collet, even if it is almost imperceptibly loose, a router bit can “walk” and rise up out of the collet. At the very least, this can cause excessive vibration or inconsistent cutting performance. At worst, this can pose a safety hazard with the potential to cause grievous bodily harm.

This bit-insertion technique can also be applied to other tools that hold bits and burs with collets, such as rotary tools and mills.

Even with these tips in mind, it is always recommended to refer to the tool’s user manual before use and then again periodically as a refresher.

If any of this is unclear, please let me know and I’ll try my best to show this with close-up photographs.

One Project Closer recently put up a few table saw safety tips that are definitely worth reviewing. Most of these tips are common sense, but then again many woodworking accidents are avoidable.

There’s also a rather comprehensive list of safety tips over at Woodcraft that covers everything from proper attire to saw and accessory setup and use.

Wilbur posted a very nice tutorial over at Giant Cypress about how to set the hoop to the handle of a Japanese woodworking chisel. This isn’t something I see myself needing to do anytime soon, but you never know…

The tutorial features bashing, glancing blows, and mushrooming. Wilbur does a great job of simplifying what would otherwise seem like a daunting task.

Photo Credit: Wilbur/Giant Cypress

A few months ago we briefly discussed a great tutorial on how to make a 5 gallon fine particle dust separator. The tutorial has since been taken down from the now-defunct ShopNGarage forum, but luckily Goodfellow was able to post it up at the new Garage Gazette forum.

The great thing about this simple design is that it can be adapted for use on sawdust and other types of debris, not just blasting media. Without a layer of water at the bottom, the trap will separate out larger debris before it takes up space in the shop vacuum.

This separator probably won’t function as well for sawdust applications as a cyclone separator, but it should hold its own against other conventional separator designs.

Fine Particle Dust Collection Separator via the Garage Gazette

Photo Credit: Goodfellow

Right now my work area is in a state of extreme disarray, but I tend to be very particular about how I organize and store my tools. A tool that I cannot find is a tool I may as well not even own.

To help get myself reorganized, I’ve come up with a logical 5-step process to serve as an organizational framework. These aren’t exactly rules, they’re more like guidelines that I try to follow as much as possible. How do you organize your tools and equipment?

1. Lay out all tools & categorize according to function
2. Separate specialty tools & group according to applications
3. Determine how and where tools will be stored, setting aside a few go-to tools for pegboard or workbench placement
4. Designate rough drawer/cabinet/shelf locations for each tool group
5. Refine the organization of each drawer or other storage location after all tools have a designated place

I usually go through this process every few months after new tool purchases start accumulating or when I buy a new storage unit.

Here is what one of my tool drawers looked like a few years ago before I reorganized:

As you can see, there are too many things that don’t belong grouped together. Screwdrivers, electrical test equipment, wire strippers, a pop riveter, and vise grip locking clamps.

Over at the ShopNGarage forum, Steve posted a project log and tutorial on how to build a blast cabinet dust separator. The separator is designed to prolong the life of a shop vacuum and increase its efficiency by filtering out fine abrasive dust that can damage the motor. Steve’s design is built with a 2 gallon bucket, PVC pipes, plywood, and ordinary hardware.

The separator’s creative design is actually pretty simple to follow, and can be scaled up for use with a 5 gallon bucket as well. It functions like a gas bubbler and works very differently in contrast to the cyclone-action dust separator we discussed a few months ago.

Update: The Shop N Garage forum is defunct, so the broken link to the how-to has been removed. Sorry about that, this was done without warning and is out of our control.

Here is a new post on this topic.

Over at the ShopNGarage, Steve posted about a nifty tip pulled from his forum’s Shop Tips thread. Always keep a chip brush in your blasting cabinet to clean abrasive off of parts and the inside of the cabinet door. Such a simple practice can really help keep cleanup time and effort at a minimum.

Check out the ShopNGarage Shop Tips thread for more helpful tidbits or to provide your own. You can also check out previously discussed shop tips on ToolGuyd here.

Photo: Steve/ShopNGarage

Update: The Shop N Garage forum is defunct, so the broken links have been removed. Sorry about that, this was out of our control.

Need to brush up on your sheet metal hole-making skills ? Check out my how-to over at Popular Mechanics!

How do you use a Ridgid tube flaring tool? Check out Steve’s detailed HowTo over at the ShopNGarage Forum to find out!

Update: The Shop N Garage forum is defunct, so the broken links have been removed. Sorry about that, this was done without warning and is out of our control.

Goodfellow posted an excellent how-to over at the ShopNGarage forum showing how to build a dust collection separator and water trap using a 5 gallon bucket and a few PVC pipes and fittings.

In his post, Goodfellow also describes how to use the separator as a fine dust trap. When collecting very fine material, such as sand or bead blasting media, filling the separator with 2″ of water will trap much of the dust, preventing excessive wear and damage to a shop vac.

Here is a link to the full how-to over at the ShopNGarage forum.

Credit goes to Goodfellow for the photos and for the great tutorial.

Update: The Shop N Garage forum is defunct, so the broken links have been removed. Sorry about that, this was out of our control.

I came across a rather enlightening shop tip over at the ShopNGarage forum, that demonstrates the use of a wire stripper’s loop holes. Most of my wire strippers have similar holes, but they’re all unlabeled and I never stopped to think about what they could be used for. Well, now I know!

The Shop Tips thread over at the new ShopNGarage forum is choc-full of useful tips and suggestions.

Credit for the shop tip and photos goes to Stephen, and here is a direct link to the tip, with additional example photos.

In case you missed it, we previous mentioned another ShopNGarage tip that discussed the use of an Altoid tin to hold small parts for cleaning.

Update: The Shop N Garage forum is defunct, so the broken links have been removed. Sorry about that, this was out of our control.

Dremel recently announced the winners of their 30 Minute Miracles Contest. If you recall, contest entrants were asked to share home improvement and remodeling tips that could be completed with the use of a Dremel rotary tool in 30 minutes or less.

First place went to a homeowner who used a Dremel rotary tool with a detail abrasive brush to prepare his front door for a placement window pane. With time to spare, he then used polishing attachments to spruce up the door knobs.

Second place was awarded to another homeowner who used her Dremel to engrave her address into a large sandstone rock on her lawn, and third place went to a user who shared a tip about how to remove rusted fasteners from outdoor projects.

Congratulations to all the winners!

You can view and download the winning project tips via PDF at Dremel’s contest page.

Oh, and it’s not too late to download a brochure of Dremel’s 30 Minute Miracles (PDF – right click, “save as” to download).

Split rings, most commonly found on keychains, are typically used in craft projects, and in fishing lures and tackle. Most of the time, a lone split ring will be relatively easy to open - all you need is a finger nail or a makeshift prying tool, and the ring is open in a flash. However, what do you do if the split ring is very large? Very strong? The first of many? Let’s talk about split ring pliers.

What are split ring pliers?

As shown, split ring pliers typically look like stubby long nose or chain nose pliers, and feature a pointed jaw hooked over towards the opposite jaw.

How do I use split ring pliers?

Split Ring Pliers Shown Opening Small Ring

 Split ring pliers are very easy to use – simply open the pliers, place the ring against the straight jaw, and then close the pliers. The hooked perpendicular jaw will then wedge the split ring open. The pliers can be removed once the open end of the ring is slid through its intended attachment point.

To prevent a delicate object from being scraped or marred, a second pair of pliers can be used to help keep the split ring open while it is being attached. Once the split ring is attached, the pliers are detached to allow the ring to spring closed.

Split Ring Pliers Shown Opening Large Ring

Do I need more than one size of split ring pliers?

This depends on the size range of split rings you need to open. Personally, I use a one-size-fits-most model, and have never found a split ring that it couldn’t open quickly and easily.

Is there a particular model that you recommend?

The plier shown in this brief how-to is a Xuron split ring plier, model # 496. Other brands’ pliers may suit your needs, but we’re huge Xuron fans, and for good reason - their pliers are solidly built and of high quality, are comfortable to use, made in the USA, and the prices are right.

Xuron’s split ring pliers also have several features that make them comfortable and easy to use, most notably: soft ergonomic handles, a groove in the straight jaw to help grip rings, and a spring return that most people don’t appreciate until they try to use pliers that don’t have it.

Where can I buy a pair of split ring pliers?

Split ring pliers can usually be found at any store that offers a wide selection of split rings. Your best bet would be to check out craft or beading stores, sporting goods or fishing tackle shops, or any number of online vendors. A link to the Xuron pliers on Amazon can be found below (that’s where we bought ours from).

Xuron 496 Split Ring Pliers, via Amazon
Product Info via Xuron (scroll down to #496)