Shop Tools

[Greg Just]

I finally got around to making a couple of tool racks and a donut chuck. The tool racks were made from some leftover plywood and I painted them to improve the look. I copied a design posted a while back by Jeff Wright. It is simple and very funtional.

Question on the donut chuck - I was thinking of added a rubber pad to the base for a better hold. Those of you that have made them, what have you done?

Thanks for looking.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Greg - nice tool rack and chuck!

I have a piece of closed cell foam that I glued to the base of my donut chuck. Pretty sure I picked it up at Michael's Craft Store and used contact cement to adhere it. Been using it for a few years now and still is holding up well!

[Dolan Brown]

I used cork on mine. Used spray glue to stick it down.

[john l graham]

Use an old mouse pad from your computer stockpile. Just cut to the shape you wish and spray or contact cement.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Greg nice looking tool rack and donut chuck. I went to wally world and got some drawer liner. Works great and it is cheap.

[Doug W Swanson]

Nice stuff Greg!

I need build the same things for my shop. Mind if I borrow some ideas from you?

Doug

[Richard Madison]

Rubber-like mesh packing material, but don't know where I got it.

[Greg Just]

Nice stuff Greg!

I need build the same things for my shop. Mind if I borrow some ideas from you?

Doug

Feel free to copy - I got my ideas from other members here.

[Rob Cunningham]

Nice looking tool rack and donut chuck. I used 1/4" cork on the face of my chuck, attached with double sided tape.
Is that Tygon tubing around the donut hole?

[Thomas Canfield]

I would offer the following suggestions:

1. Foam on board with circles help positioning the bowl, and super soft foam tends to take a set and make repositioning hard.
2. Use 6 bolt pattern on different diameters for larger bowls and 3 bolt for smaller bowls. 3 bolts are easier to level than 4, and 3 normally work OK
3. Make extra donut plates when you make the chuck to allow for different size holes. Much easier to gang drill several plates the first time. I used carriage orbolts and drove the square shank into the holes prior to use to hold the bolts later in use.
4. Make a rack to hold bolts of different lenghts. My rack has 6 of 3" to 6" bolts, washers, and wing nuts plus some 6" all thread sections with coupling nuts for longer application.
5. Make the chuck as large as you can swing. Mine currently will only handle a 14" bowl due to the size of scrap I used and my swing is 20".
6. I saw Kelly Dunn's Straka Chuck when in Hawaii a couple of years ago and he had 3 holes near the center where he could shine a light to check thickness on his translucent bowls. You can use a Forstner bit drilling at an angle just outside the faceplate for the holes. You then need a strong light behind the plate.

[ROY DICK]

I also use the drawer liners, but I found a wet suit at a garage sale ($2.00), so I will probably change it out.

Roy