Had some fun in the shop learning to make chain....

[Bill Huber]

It was a great day for the shop, it was in the 70s and things were just really nice for a January day.

So I have no real projects going today so I decided to try and make some wood chain ( I have no idea why). I had a lot of fun and now have a good underdtanding of how to make wood chain.

I made a small jig to rout the center out and then a template to do the outside to get the round corners. This is where the top and bottom bearing on the trim bit was really nice, half on the top and then the other half on the bottom bearing, never grabbed or screwed up one part.

Then a round over on the outside and the inside and there was a link. Now I don't know what I will do with them but it was a fun learning things and I just may find a project to use them in some day.

This is just 5 links, I still have 5 more about done and ready to join with these. The links are 1 3/4" wide and 3" long, made of scrap walnut.

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[Grant Wilkinson]

It looks great, Bill. Really smooth. Are these all made together, or separately, then joined? How will you join the others to these?

[Bill Huber]

It looks great, Bill. Really smooth. Are these all made together, or separately, then joined? How will you join the others to these?

Each link is made by itself and then I just bust every other one and glue it back together. By busting them you can not really see where they are glued. there is no kerf of any type or broken grain.

[Wil Limanen]

Very nice! They'd be great hanging on the wall at the camp. I'll have to try it out myself, Bill.

Wil

[Van Huskey]

Very neat Bill. I wouldn't have thought to break them but it makes perfect sense in terms of mating back.

[Pat Barry]

Bill, the chain looks cool and I like your tip of busting them and re-gluing, however it looks to be a pretty dangerous router task to do the roundovers. You mentioned that you did make a jig to hold the parts. Could you post a picture of that?

[Jim Rimmer]

I've got a set of 3 I whittled out of one piece. When I was reading your OP I was wondering how you did it with a router then you spilled the beans that they weren't made already linked. You had me there for a minute.

[Will Blick]

Where did you cut them? what did u cut them with? Great project!

[Van Huskey]

Where did you cut them? what did u cut them with? Great project!

I think the key is he didn't cut them so there is no kerf width missing. He actually broke them so they would glue back together without any tell tale signs. I am curious how he accomplished breaking them.

[Bill Huber]

I do feel kind of bad, I left out the credits in my first post, I didn't come up with all of this on my own. I saw this video on You tube awhile back and that is where I got stated on this. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pHCfXtRYCA

I did change some of the things he was doing and to me found better ways.

Here is the answer to all......

1. Cut the 5/8" thick blocks on the table saw.
2. Tape the template to the block and do the first cut on the band saw to get the corners close.
3. With the top and bottom bearing trim bit on the router table, rout to the template, only about 1/32" to remove.
4. Drill a 5/8" hole in the middle of the block.
5. Place the block in the well designed and awesome looking jig and clamp.
6. With a 1/2" trim bit rout out the center.
7. With a round over bit in the route table, do the round over on the outside.
8. Place the block over the round over bit and do the inside.
9. Sand and get it ready to link.

The link, I put one link half way in my vise horizontal and with a highly calibrated wrack with a dead blow hammer break the link in half. Now put 2 links on one half and glue the other half on, that's about it.


The well designed and awesome jig was made on the router table with a 3/4" straight bit.



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[Van Huskey]

Thanks Bill! Before I try it though I will need to ship my Harbor Freight deadblow hammer off to NIST to get it calibrated.

[Ryan Mooney]

Heh, so if you can figure out how to use the router to do a trapped ball... that would be something

Pretty neat trick though.

[Jim Summers]

Each link is made by itself and then I just bust every other one and glue it back together. By busting them you can not really see where they are glued. there is no kerf of any type or broken grain.

What do you mean by bust them? Taken literally it seems that it would be hard to glue back together.

TIA

[Bill Huber]

What do you mean by bust them? Taken literally it seems that it would be hard to glue back together.

TIA

That is just what I mean, if you cut them with a saw, no matter how thin the kerf is you are removing wood. If you break them then you have not removed any wood and the parts will go right back together with out making the link smaller. The grain is running the length of the link so they are real easy to break and go right back together.

[Marty Paulus]

That is just what I mean, if you cut them with a saw, no matter how thin the kerf is you are removing wood. If you break them then you have not removed any wood and the parts will go right back together with out making the link smaller. The grain is running the length of the link so they are real easy to break and go right back together.

Briggs and Straton used to (not sure if they still do) break the connecting rod at the crankshaft end instead of casting two pieces or cutting them. The strength of the joint when re-assembled was higher then two machined surfaces. Same concept Bill is using here. Surface contact is increased and alignment is a breeze so the joint is almost invisible. Great project Bill!