Forums

Thanks Mick!  Not sure how far I'll pursue this given the cost and complexity, but I will follow your leads another couple of steps at least.   To answer your question maybe 4 to 12 inches in length.  I am actually trying to make up a twisted block as a turning blank that would then go on the lathe.  If you want to see, I posted in the Digital Design section last week when I was just trying to "see" the shape.   So as much as I would like to venture into the adventure of CNC and do this and a lot of other things maybe what I should do for now is look for a company that already has a big CNC and would make me up some blanks for a fee?  Any ideas where I might find, or how I would search for, such a company?

Coop I will put the butternut and black walnut in the kiln Monday. Sure you don’t want a few 10” to 14” wide all black walnut boards too? They are alittle pricey. It just takes paper with numbers on it to buy them.  Three boards 48” wide.

So I understand you (and I don't think I did completely before), you plan to install the Portamate 3500 mobile base under the Hammer while it's crated on the pallet then roll this accross drive, grass and patio to your walk in shop?  Possibly with a temporary plywood pathway over the lawn. I have a Portamate 3550 mobile base which I just put under a drill press (chose this model because all the wheels retract).  Couple of concerns/questions. The Portamate is very robust, certainly for my application, but closer to its rated capacity I would expect a little sagging, particularly when the frame is at the upper limit of its size range.  I assume you've checked that the mobile base can expand to fit the pallet/crate for the Hammer, but the pallet and crate you were led to expect may not be the one it arrives with.  That's happened to me twice.   The wheels on these bases are still small diameter, only 3 inches.  Under load I wouldn't expect mine to roll over grass, a threshold or anything but smooth pavement.  I expect even an expansion joint would be a challenge.   A plywood path seems a must, but I am wondering how a single sheet of even 3/4 inch on soft ground might bend under the load.   Also if two adjacent sheets move creating a gap between the sheets I think that will be very difficult to negotiate with these wheels. Consider overlapping the plywood like shingles so it is always a step down as you move to the shop.  That will take more than two sheets. Much of the above would apply to a pallet jack, but to a lesser degree.  The front wheels are wide steel rollers and the back wheel is larger diameter.  The fact that you can lift the load a few inches is also going to be helpful (e.g. at the threshold).  Still a pallet jack is going to have its challenges. Just some things to consider.

A quick look at that Jet 14 SFX , it's real nice .  It's 2.5 hrs. away to touch one in person  , at Woodcraft in St. Louis .  I think  a  road trip is in order. A small factor in all this , I'm close enough to Grizzly in Mo. to pick it up and save the shipping . 

Before I talked to Liz, while the sale was still active, I added the machine to my cart and began the online checkout process just to check shipping prices. I'm pretty sure I made it to the credit card info and it was just like every other online checkout process.