A Fein modification and a simple jig

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Quetzalsailor
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A Fein modification and a simple jig

Post by Quetzalsailor »

Those of you who have Fein Multimasters or one of the knockoffs may have found that the normal triangular pad is too big to get into places and that the little finger is too easily damaged to be of much use. Working on a new storm door this weekend, I found that the depressed area on the panel was too narrow, so I took a pad which had a damaged corner and simply ground it off, and then trimmed the paper with a Stanley knife. Piece of cake to do and certainly more robust than the finger. (3646 and 3647)
IMG_3646 Fein Idea-r.JPG
IMG_3647-r.JPG
Making raised panels is relatively easy and traditional. This 1850's style panel is flat with a raised area in the middle. The perimeter is decorated with added mouldings. It's captured within the stiles and rails. This panel and trim matches other work in my house. However, the moulding was too much like work to grind a bit for. I found that a standard white pine profile available at the Despot could be cut down for a near match to the original material. A simple jig controls the bandsaw blade against damage from the metal guide (3648).
IMG_3648-r.JPG
The panel complete, stock moulding, and original material (3650).
IMG_3650-r.JPG
The door is 8'-2 tall and 2'-10 wide, will be mounted on the interior and swing in. The muntins are beaded and mimic the sash of the gib door. (3652)
IMG_3652-r.JPG
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Rachel
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Re: A Fein modification and a simple jig

Post by Rachel »

What a great idea for a mod to a Fein triangular sanding pad. Now why didn't I think of that? Even with plenty of room, and trying to hold the tool flat, I always seem to wear the point away.

Thanks for the idea.

Rachel
Paulus
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Re: A Fein modification and a simple jig

Post by Paulus »

Elementary - if you don't have the tool or jig, make one...

That said, being a stickler on simmetry, I would have insisted on mounting that pad either point forward or reaward on the Multimaster and then shave an equal amount of the two side points to make it fit the job, thus creating a simmetric pad...

When I see yours, all I can think of is that one side will "see" more material than the other...

But I am probably nitpicking here...
Quetzalsailor
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Re: A Fein modification and a simple jig

Post by Quetzalsailor »

It's symmetrical like a proa.

The best orientation of the pad with respect to the tool has everything to do with the work, the comfort of your hands, and visibility, and less to do with symmetry. I often rotate the pad to suit the problem, which is a pain since you have to remove the paper to access the bolt on this old model. I've thought of punching a hole in the center of the paper to access the bolt since the center doesn't sand anything anyway.

A Fein's paper and triangular pad tends to wear more at the tips than the edges. And the tips of the pad are more often damaged by the heat of sanding. I therefore routinely try to use the tool flat and along one of the edges of the pad rather than the tips, so I did most of the sanding here with the one remaining complete edge. Removing the one damaged tip on an old pad left me with the two others. Removing the minimum of the pad left me with the largest possible area of paper attachment.

Bottom line here is that the reshaping of a Fein's pad and paper is pretty easy and potentially useful. I used one of my 12" disc sanders, which have 80 grit paper, and ground the same angle that the factory edges have to keep the aluminum backer away from the work.

How elementary a particular jig is is dependent upon your tolerance for taking the time to make one and how much time you save overall or improvement of quality you gain by making one. I made a jig for cutting panel edges years ago when I was making raised paneling, raised panel doors and a bunch of raised panel shutters with feathered edges; I did not bother even using it for this one panel.
Hirilondë
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Re: A Fein modification and a simple jig

Post by Hirilondë »

Paulus wrote: That said, being a stickler on simmetry, ..


Why?
Paulus wrote:When I see yours, all I can think of is that one side will "see" more material than the other...
Who cares? (besides you) Spending more time playing with the shape, when it does nothing to enhance the work being done is pointless. Better to get to work. On his next project he may be altering the shape some more to fit the new place he has to sand. The main point Quetzlsailor made was that the pad can be altered to fit the space.

Back when the Multimaster first came out it only had round blades. I used to use a die grinder to create D shaped blades and hour glass shaped for tight places. Necessity is the mother of invention.
Dave Finnegan
builder of Spindrift 9N #521 'Wingë'
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Paulus
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Re: A Fein modification and a simple jig

Post by Paulus »

Quetzalsailor wrote:It's symmetrical like a proa.
Image

Ha! I like it!
Quetzalsailor
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Re: A Fein modification and a simple jig

Post by Quetzalsailor »

Symmetrical in plan, and longitudinal elevation, not in section.

http://www.thecheappages.com/proa/alden ... _proa.html
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Quetzalsailor
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Re: A Fein modification and a simple jig

Post by Quetzalsailor »

Finished the door this morning as the storm stopped Philly with 12 or more inches of wet, packable snow. Rumor has it that there's a big stom a'comin' next week, too.

Unfortunately, not a single step beyond what was discussed earlier was amenable to jigging. Roughed out the hinge mortices with a router, but the antique cast iron 'open' hinges are tapered in thickness so hand finishing was required. Except for the panels and the glass, nothing is quite square, head and sill are sloping, the threshold is tapered, the frame opening and door edges are angled to match the splayed paneled window jambs. Modified the antique cast iron rim latch so that the Bennington knob is only on the inside and made a new keeper/strike out of fiberglass since an antique would not fit the narrow jamb.
Picture 007-r.jpg
Storm door closed.
Picture 008-r.jpg
Storm door open.
Picture 009-r.jpg
Storm door and gib door open. This is the same gib door that I presented last winter with the problem of cleaning up the rabbets for the parting strips.

This is as close to boating as I get in the winter; bear with me, many of the problems are the same.
Bill Reichert
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Re: A Fein modification and a simple jig

Post by Bill Reichert »

I can't believe that the molding is the same as the six panel interior doors I am making for my house! I cut and milled the lumber from an 80' ash tree on my property. The molding is mahogany with ash and cherry panels. The stiles and rails are joined with "floating" tenons. (double mortises)
Quetzalsailor
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Re: A Fein modification and a simple jig

Post by Quetzalsailor »

Bill,

Post some pictures. Despite this being the 'Plastic Classic' site, there are wood parts in our old boats and some awfully talented 'woodchucks' working on them.

That moulding is a pretty common shape, right out of Classical architecture and a tradition that goes back a couple millenia (not that Frank Gehry and most other 'starchitects' would understand). Entertainingly, the mouldings and doors in our 1857 house in Philly are very much the same as those in the 1857 Academy of Music in downtown Philly.

D
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