A Stickler’s Workshop

Current side project is the last tool from Mario’s house that I haven’t put to use: an Armstrong pipe threader. Back when I did more pre-demolition building inspection, one of the houses we did had a pile of old plumbing tools and pasta making equipment among other things left behind and was dubbed ‘Mario’s house’

The dies were cleaned up using 400 grit sandpaper and penetrating oil on my ersatz lapping plate (the cast iron outfeed table from the old bridgewood jointer I stripped for parts). The set had 1/2”, 3/4”, 1”, and 1 1/4” thread dies. There was a fifth die that was a square monoblock that I haven’t yet identified.

Gave it a quick test threading 3/4” PVC, and it works decently well! I need to obtain a length of 1 1/4” iron pipe so I can mount and use my pipe vise with it.

Went to use my wobble dado on the table saw and realized that I didn’t have a throat plate for dado blades. I had one for my old table saw but I haven’t used the dado since then. This was the second throat plate I’ve made for this saw, so making the blank went quickly.

A board about the right size was found in the scrap bin, flattened and jointed on the jointer, thinned on the thickness planer, then ripped to width on the table saw. The round ends were traced, rough cut, then shaped on the bench sander until it fit snugly.

First draft for the backyard rain barrels!

Details below because I like details