Marc Spagnuolo's Blog, page 56
January 25, 2017
Bartop Arcade w/ Raspberry Pi
Nicole and I are big gamers and we both have fond memories of early PC and console games. While our two kids and business prevent us from diving into games like we used to, we’ll always be gamers at heart. So when my buddy Brian Ibbot from Coverville asked me to help him build a bartop arcade w/ Raspberry Pi, I jumped on the opportunity.
Because I just moved to Colorado and my regular tools weren’t powered up yet, the challenge was to build this project with portable power tools only. Fortunately, that means the tools and techniques demonstrated here are much more approachable and hopefully you’ll be encouraged to build your own.
Originally, Brian sent me a link to this Instructables plan. I was planning on simply building that version but had trouble making complete sense of the measurements, technique, and details, so I decided to scrap it and go my own way. That said, the original inspiration came from that plan and the console layout was pretty much copied and incorporated into our design. So thanks to Rolfebox for his hard work. Download the FREE plans below and the resource links provided are linked to our Amazon affiliate account, so any purchases help support the show. And if you’re so inclined, feel free to help us out on Patreon so we can keep producing awesome free content like this Bartop Arcade! Wood Whisperer on Patreon
The Tools
Table Saw
Jig Saw
Miter Saw
Router
Sander
Brad Nailer
Hand Tools – Flush trim saw, chisels
Materials
One sheet of 3/4″ plywood or other sheetgood
(optional) One piece of solid face frame stock (1 1/2″ W x 8′ L x 3/4″ T) for edgebanding
(optional) 1pc of 1/8″ plexiglass for the marquee
Download the Plans
Sketchup Model
PDF Plan & Cut List
Sketchup Model (Metric)
PDF Plan & Cut List (Metric)
Control Panel Template
Resources
Everything you need to know about retro gaming on Raspberry Pi
The Raspberry PI
Marquee LED Lights
Speakers
Display
Buttons and Joysticks
USB Hub
USB Extension
Countersink Bit
Jigsaw Blades
Clamping Tool Guide
Wiping Poly
GRR-Ripper
Self-Centering Drill Bits
Flush Trim Bit
The Music
My buddy Andrew Allen does some amazing jazz renditions of classic video game music and he just release his new album JazzNES. Check it out here.
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January 23, 2017
Assembly of an Oneida Dust Gorilla Pro Cyclone Dust Collector
Before we get into this assembly video, let’s address the elephant in the room: what happened to the ClearVue? Just like my table saw, I took the move to Colorado as an opportunity to try something new. One less tool to move and work around as I get the new shop together and one more chance to gain perspective on a different brand. In addition, Oneida offers stands for their cyclones and that’s a feature I wanted in the new shop. So after a few pleasant phone calls with the folks at Oneida, we are now working with them directly on the dust collection solution for the new TWW shop. And just to clear the air, I have nothing negative to say about Clear Vue. Their cyclone served me well for over a decade and I am lucky to have gotten to know the kind folks that run the company. But now I also feel lucky to know some of the great people behind Oneida!
My sales guy Mark had a bunch of questions for me about my shop and after doing some smart people math, he determined that the 5HP Dust Gorilla Pro (single phase) was the right model for me. We added a 55-gallon drum and an extension to the filter stack that would further improve air flow. I realize it’s just dust collection but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t super excited to receive this delivery.
The pallet was packed well and I was especially impressed with the way they packaged the motor. In the past, I had to install the impeller myself. That usually involved some careful work to make sure the screws are torqued properly and I usually just hoped for the best. Oneida saved me the work and gave me peace of mind by doing this for me at the factory. By the way, the picture above was sent to me ahead of time as standard practice prior to shipping. Large shipments can be something of a mystery so it was awesome getting to see the pallet ahead of time so that I could prepare my space.
The installation was simple but somewhat labor-intensive. These are heavy-duty steel components so you have to expect them to be heavy. If you can get a helper, please do so. While a fairly strong person can do most of the work alone, there’s one part that absolutely requires assistance: the final motor installation. I don’t know how much the 5HP motor weighs exactly but even with two people, it’s going to be a little tricky to walk it up a ladder and drop it onto the blower housing. Take your time, exercise caution, and be sure to eat your Wheaties that day. Because I was alone and didn’t have someone to help me lift the motor, I employed some good old fashioned “Jersey ingenuity.” To be perfectly clear: I DO NOT RECOMMEND DOING WHAT I DID. Neither Oneida nor I endorse this method and we insist that you follow the instructions in the manual. In spite of the obvious hypocrisy and covering of my posterior, the video will show you how I used an appropriately weight-rated rope, pulley, hook and chain to hoist the motor above the cyclone and set it down into position with my truck.
Because the system isn’t powered up and I don’t have the ductwork installed, I can’t give you any feedback on its performance yet. But what I can tell you is that this cyclone is built like a tank and lives up to Oneida’s reputation for world-class quality. Everything about it is big, beefy, and well thought-out. The cyclone body is made from thick gauge steel. The blower housing is made from thick plastic as a single smooth mold. The HEPA filter is massive with tons of surface area. And the motor looks like it was taken off of a jet plane. To say the least, my expectations are high and at this point I would be inclined to keep small children and pets away from the inlet.
As with many of the products featured on The Wood Whisperer, the cyclone was provided by Oneida in exchange for exposure in a video. As always, my opinions are my own.
To learn more about the Dust Gorilla Pro models and features, click here.
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January 20, 2017
Free Gift
Congratulations! You’re entitled to a free gift from the Wood Whisperer! Get immediate access to the Greene & Greene Mirror Frame project for FREE! Simply go here, add the project to your cart, and use the coupon code wwshowsgift.
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January 18, 2017
Keith’s Multi-Purpose Game Board
A neighbor asked if I could build a marble game board to replace a very old version that had been in their family for years, but was deteriorating and becoming unusable. The request was fairly simple and inexpensive. It basically involved drilling multiple holes in the top of a 2-ft square board (1/2 inch plywood sufficient), finished with minimal paint and sealer to meet her expectations.
Although my “client’s” request was simple, in my mind I had a vision for something much more elaborate and sophisticated. At the time, I’d been wanting to experiment with customizing woodworking pieces with inlay techniques. I told my neighbor if she would allow me to upgrade her request by adding a checker board inlay on the reverse side of the game board, I would perform the work “gratis.” She accepted, my work began, and the results are illustrated in the accompanying photos.
To complete the checker board upgrade, I made custom checker pieces. And the result leveraged my new found skills for creating inlay solutions. Each checker included a shiny penny inlaid on each side (heads vs tails).
The overall result turned out very well. In fact, upon presenting the finished product to my neighbor, tears came to her eyes, followed by smiles and a hug! A happy customer…the true measure of success!
As part of this project, I learned an alternative for planing wood without investing in a conventional joiner, planer, or drum sander. Specifically, after inlaying the checker board pattern in the game board base, I had to plane the top of the completed checker board so that the wooden checker pattern was flush with the surrounding base. After doing some research, coincidentally, I watched a YouTube episode of the Wood Whisperer (thanks Marc!), and built a “sled” using birch plywood, which, when used in conjunction with a plunge router, met my needs. This nifty “sled” will come in handy on future projects.
Materials, Cost, Labor:
Game Board Base: White Pine
Inlay woods for checker board: Bubinga and Oak
Checker board pieces: Oak (12 pieces natural, 12 pieces stained w/ Antique Cherry)
Checker board pieces inlaid with pennies
Marble board stain: Antique Cherry
Marble board holes: Drilled with 1/2 inch Forstner bit, and painted w/acrylic enamel colors (red, blue, yellow, and green)
Overall finish coat: Shellac (clear)
Total material cost: Approx. $100
Hours spent: Approx. 40
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January 16, 2017
Assembly of a PM2000 Table Saw
I have been running a PM2000 in my shop for nearly 10 years and the move to Colorado afforded me the opportunity to sell the old one and replace it with a newer version that features a 50″ fence and the heavier duty workbench extension. 
For those wondering what happened to the old saw, it’s actually a cool story. We needed the cash to help with the move so we offered the saw up for sale. This was around the time we were running our Woodworkers Fighting Cancer charity auctions and our buddy Joseph Muench generously stepped up and bought the saw. But he didn’t actually want it for himself. Instead, he donated it to the charity auctions. The winner of the auction was Guild member Socheat Sou and the proceeds went to the 2016 WFC charity drive. So a big thank you to Joseph for his generosity and to Socheat for giving my saw a great new home.
So let’s talk about the new saw. The PM2000 comes in several configurations and variations including 3HP, 5HP, 30″ fence, 50″ fence, a router table extension, and a workbench extension. The model I have is the 3HP 50″ Workbench model.
This video is more or less an instruction manual for the assembly of the PM2000 table saw. As many times as I’ve assembled tools, I always find it easier to follow a video over a traditional manual so I thought this might be of use to new PM2000 owners. Even if you don’t have a PM2000, you might be interested in seeing the assembly process.
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January 13, 2017
Friday Live! – Farmhouse Table & Dust Gorilla
Today we’re talking about the new Farmhouse Table project as well as my new Oneida Dust Gorilla Pro. We’ll also tackle your questions from the chat room!
And don’t forget to check out our Patreon campaign to get some cool bonuses and help support the show. Wood Whisperer Patreon!
Here’s the topic rundown:
1:35 – Craftsy Visit
2:45 – Stickers from members
3:40 – Farmhouse Table Guild Build Starts Today
4:48 – Shop Update: Dust Collection
9:16 – What happened to the Clear Vue?
11:53 – What kind of spray tip should I use to spray paint?
13:03 – Is there a problem applying finishes in colder temperatures?
14:20 – Updates on the Kansas City Woodworking Show.
16:00 – What are the pros and cons of beeswax on tools for protection?
16:26 – Have you had rust on your tools since your move to Colorado?
17:00 – Should I let wood and tools acclimate to my garage temperature before I start working? (Shop heating)
17:54 – Is the dust collector one phase or three phase?
18:25 – What are your favorite wood to work with and why?
19:10 – What tools will I need for the farmhouse table?
21:19 – Are you going to any other Woodworking Show?
22:02 – How do I clamp acute angle joints on a flag shadowbox?
23:45 – When are you coming to X location?
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January 12, 2017
Brian’s Low Entertainment Center
I must have watched the videos on the Low Entertainment Center a half dozen times. It looked like a fun project using skills I had not tried before like making the dados with the router. It was a good experience to push my talents as a woodworker. First time cutting dados with the router, and making mortise and tenon style doors. Great detail and instruction in the videos!!
This was my spin on the project. Rather than the sliding doors, I went with the mortise and tenon cabinet style doors with 170 degree Euro style hinges. The whole project is made from 3/4″ Red Oak plywood for the top, bottom and vertical sides, the trim and door stiles and rails are solid Red Oak, and the door inserts and back are 1/4″ ply. I stained it with two coats of Minwax Espresso, and topped with 2-3 coats of Minwax wipe on Poly. Some of the dimensions were changed from the plan to fit the space.
I left out the angles on the trim top and bottom because I added the trim after the cabinet was assembled, since I did not trust my circular saw not to tip and ruin my work to that point. I think the squared up look fit the piece just fine, and gave it that modern look. I have not decided on hardware for the doors so they are still bare. I also moved the outer sides out to the edge of the top and bottom so the trim covers the joint of sides at the edges.
I really love the inset section of the back to allow room for a surge protector and get the furniture right up against the wall. Great addition to the plans! Thanks to Marc for being such a great resource for expanding woodworking knowledge! Keep up the good work!
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January 11, 2017
Win a Portacube MiterSaw Workstation or a WoodWonders Puzzle Book!
We have a great giveaway sponsored by Portamate and WoodWonders for the month of January! Learn about both of the prizes below and make sure you enter before January 31st to support these generous companies!
Congratulations to Stan P. from Royal Oaks, CA and Chris M. from Troy, IL! They are our winners from last month of the Arbortech Mini-Grinder and VerySuperCool Tools T-Square Fence! Click here for a consolidated list of all the past winners and prizes.
Thanks to our friends at PortaMate and Affinity Tool Works we have a Portacube PM-8000 STR Miter Saw Workstation to giveaway to one lucky reader! Released just last month, this revolutionary miter saw workstation has tons of features. Weather you need a portable miter saw stand or extra work surface, the compact Portacube STR is the perfect addition to your work space. It’s compact footprint of 31″ x 29″ stores easily in almost any workshop. And with it’s heavy duty 10″ wheels it can be easily moved around your shop or work area. When the built in extension wings are fully extended you get up to 7 feet of working surface when your miter is in the storage position. The extension wings also contain adjustable tool tables allowing you to adjust them to the height of your miter saw. One of the most unique features is the rotational table top. When using your miter saw it utilizes universal tool mounts allowing it to fit almost any miter saw up to 26 1/2″ wide. When you are done with your cuts it easily rotates your miter saw back into storage and gives you up to 7 feet of flat working surface for other projects you may have.
*NOTE – Miter Saw is not included
See a demo of the Portacube Miter Saw Workstation!
Our next prize is a book from Brian Menold over at WoodWonders. This new puzzle book is geared for beginner to moderate woodworkers interested in starting to make puzzles as a hobby and to any puzzle enthusiast interested in knowing how it’s done. It features simple designs from many of his favorite designers such as, Stewart Coffin, Jos Bergmans, Yavuz Demirhan, Tom Jolly, Primitivo F. Ramos, Stéphane Chomine and Ken Irvine. Enter today for your chance to win a signed copy!
Use the widget below to enter the giveaway. If you take advantage of every option, you’ll get as many as 9 entries! If you don’t see the widget below, you can also try the mobile version that lives on Facebook. If you are on a desktop computer and don’t see the widget, try the following: clear your cache, turn off pop-up blockers, turn off ad-blocking plugins, and/or try a different browser.
What’s up for grabs this month!
PortaMate and WoodWonders Giveaway
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January 6, 2017
Friday Live! – Sloping Floor & Floor Pads
Recorded LIVE 1-6-17. Want to support the show? Check us out on Patreon and get some sweet bonuses!
Today we’re talking about sloped shop floors and floor pads, as well as a bunch of other Q&A topics. Here’s the rundown!
0:38 – Intro to bad high fives
2:12 – Patreon Supporters/Rewards Updates
3:26 – Denver Meetup Information
Facebook Event Page
4:00 – Kansas City Woodworking Show Information
5:28 – Have you found the sloping floor in your shop to be an issue?
9:55 – Deeper look at floor mats
Shop Flooring Choices
Rubber Tiles for Shop Flooring
13:58 – Why are you moving more to the offcuts channel?
17:40 – How much longer do you see yourself woodworking?
20:40 – Should I buy Craftsman tools if Sears goes bankrupt?
23:20 – Do you have any experience with Wood River planes and how do they compare to Stanley?
24:00 – Can I build the Split Top Roubo in phases?
24:57 – What’s the best way to remove rust and protect a table saw top?
Rust Prevention
Looks Like I’m Rusty!
28:00 – Do you like April Wilkerson?
29:06 – What did you spray on your forstner bit in the poker chip tray build?
29:50 – How do I join the Guild?
Easy, go here!
30:50 – Would you ever upgrade to a 12” jointer?
33:00 – What is a good finish to keep walnut dark long term?
34:17 – Any advice on fixing a loose Mortise and Tenon?
36:20 – Is there a time where you had a breakthrough that made you the woodworker you are today?
37:56 – What was your latest “Ah-HA!” moment?
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