10 Comments
Mar 20, 2023Liked by Gareth Branwyn

One caveat with the sawdust. Laminated wood has adhesives in them, hence their sawdust it is not appropriate for composting in ones garden.

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Are those adhesives inherently toxic, or unable to be broken down by soil organisms?

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Mar 23, 2023Liked by Gareth Branwyn

Drill press sander: I haven't used it as a sander, but my 8" Craftsman benchtop drill press can handle light duty with a Wagner Saf-T-Planer which I'm sure puts more side load on the quill than a sanding disc. I have had the chuck come loose in use, so be aware of that possibility. I second the recommendation for locking the vertical adjustment if possible.

MAShelley

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Mar 20, 2023·edited Mar 20, 2023Liked by Gareth Branwyn

The drill press sanding disc question: Like the picture above, the mandrel is running a 1/8" shaft on a (Roughly) 3/4" JT-3 Chuck body. If the 1/8" or even 1/4" shaft fails before the Jacob's Chuck then Houston, we have a problem. Most of the time if too much laterally force is applied the shaft of the mandrel bends causing a bigger problem. I have used a Drill Press with several laterally force attachments, especially sanding and run-out is not an issue. I also try to make sure the sanding apparatus doesn't require the quill to be lowered, keeping it seated more securely. Hope that Helps. -Mike Z

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Mar 19, 2023Liked by Gareth Branwyn

I especially liked to learn the wide variety of "Things to Do with Sawdust."

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"Mix it with birdseed: Sawdust can be mixed with birdseed to make it go further and provide a more natural habitat for birds."

You must be kidding. How does putting an inedible filler into birdseed "make it go further"? All you are doing is putting out less food for the birds and making them work harder for it.

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author

I actually thought I had deleted that entry. Several places where I had researched the re-use of sawdust had recommended this and I did not understand it. I don't know anything about birds. I will post a correction in the next issue. Thanks for the comment.

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Sawdust is the preferred material for stuffing a tailor's ham, a useful tool when pressing/ironing.

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Formaldehyde is a major component of adhesives for laminated wood. I believe it is also a known carcinogen. Perhaps bioremediation with fungi might break it down. Better not to use it at all.

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Some how reply did not attach to @Greg Hooper.

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