http://www.getwoodworking.com October 2019 The Woodworker & Good Woodworking 73of course ‘made by granddad’. The wheels were
cut on the CNC so they are all exactly the same.
One point to note is that I decided to remove the
rope handle from the box as it could have been
a danger to a small child.
One of my hobbies is windsurf racing and
I organise events in the North West. One of the
regular competitors, who normally wins the
annual series, was unable to compete due to
ill health so I made the trophy shown in photo 21
to honour his contribution to the sport.
What’s next?
I have several more clocks under construction
and am considering some smaller clocks that I
can make in larger numbers to sell – I would like
to do a craft fair, not because I think I can make
any money but just for the experience of it. I also
have a cheap 0.5W laser engraver and use it to
make small signs and these could also be an
option to sell.
Automata is an area I would like to explore and
I can see my daughter having to find homes for
even more wooden toys – she has already asked if
my next project could be a larger house to contain
all the items I’ve made for my granddaughter.
There is an option to upgrade the 200W
spindle motor with a more powerful unit. There
are 400 and 700W units available that will fit in
the existing mount, but the downside of this is it
might be pushing the rest of the machine too far.
My box making friend has asked for some more
Perspex templates for making production runs
of chopping boards. This is an interesting task
as there has to be male and female templates
which fit very closely to one another – a clearance
of less than 0.25mm is required.
While CNC has added greatly to the range of
things I can make, I don’t see it as an end in itself.
It has been an interesting adventure to master
the process but I also make furniture, boxes, and
turn (I’m a member of Merseyside Woodturning
Club) and see CNC as just another tool in the box.Safety
Small-scale CNC machines don’t pose any
unusual risks but, like any machine with moving
parts, there is the potential for injuries. Fingers
and loose clothing must be kept away from
the cutting bit and there is also the risk of a
crush injury if you put a finger in the way when
the cutting head is moving around the table.
Workpieces must be securely attached to the
table as they could be ejected. Eye protection is
sensible as there is a risk of small offcuts being
ejected or, if a tool should break, metal fragments.
Depending on what you are cutting, noise can
sometimes be an issue so ear defenders might be
required. Dust is produced in varying amounts and
my solution (see photo 1) was to make an adaptor
to hold a hose connected to my vacuum cleaner.
Working with resins also requires a reminder
to follow the advice provided with the kits as
well as working in well-ventilated areas.
Finally, I would like to say a few words
about electrical safety. As an electrical engineer
with 46 years’ experience, I spent the last eight
as a self-employed electrical safety consultant.
I also help to run a charity shop and one of my
tasks is to carry out Portable Appliance Testing
on all the electrical items we sell. I am constantly
amazed by the dangerous condition of the
appliances I inspect and one of the main issues
is the condition of the plug. I find many exampleswhere the cable sheath is not captive in the
cord grip and this causes the wires to pull loose.
Some years ago a member of my family was killed
by a twin tub washing machine when the frame
became live – the cause was attributed to a badly
fitted plug. Other problems include wrong fuse
size or even the fuse replaced with a paperclip
or other metallic object, which is very dangerous.
Only replace a blown fuse with one of the correct
size – 3, 5, or 13amp as appropriate. Most
modern appliances now have a moulded plug
fitted, which has helped reduce the number of
fatalities both at work and in the home. The
introduction of Residual Current Devices (RCDs)
has also helped make installations safer – if you
don’t have one on your system, then get a quote
for one. However, an RCD is like an ambulance
at the bottom of the cliff and not the fence at
the top, so please take a few moments to check
your equipment before you plug it in – if you
find a problem and are not competent to deal
with it yourself, then ensure to ask a suitable
professional.15 The finished ‘Lambretta’ clock21 Windsurfing award18 Bubbles in resin20 Toy box on wheels17 Nursery clock19 Blackboard self-portrait16 Gilly the Giraffe rocker detailing