I use these. They may be cheaper elsewhere, the link was the first one I found in a google search. You can get a lot of use out of them too. Can you sand the chip out and refinish?

Bob

That was very cool. Followed the link onto youTube to see him actually manage to paddle it around, albeit with an outrigger, as the CG was way too high.

Thanks for posting that. Makes you realize that even scrap wood COULD have a use..... he he.

I have the Earlex prior to the 5500 and like it a lot. I mainly spray shellac and waterborne; they are great. I have sprayed latex with it but that is a big pain and required flotrol. I haven't sprayed lacquer with it but suspect that you may want to thin it a little. Earlex customer service is great (I managed to loose a part, don't ask). I've never used Fuji but a couple friends have them and like the a lot. I realize that this isn't much help but I feel that they are pretty much same same.

Nice save.

This what I used for a similar roof design. They can be adjusted to nearly any roof pitch within reason. Yes, it introduces a weak point to the equation but after research it is the best I came up with and it passed the hurricane code here.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Simpson-Stron...SU26Z/100375313

Here is what the roof looks like that I am talking about. I think these rafters were 5/12 roof pitch.

Ooh, that is one purdy coffee scoop. Nice design and well executed. And I like the steampunk grinding mechanisms, too. Where did you get them?

I don't have much experience making them, but I grew up with wooden cars and trucks, and now my kids are growing up with a few. For the most part, they've worn well. Wooden trucks/cars are pretty easy to make, especially if you make the body out of a solid piece of wood 1 1/2" or 2" thick. Bandsaw out the profile, bore holes for windows and axles, put the wheels on dowels, and you're done!

Hard maple seem like the best-wearing wood, though I have an old toy car with a SYP body. Soft maple would be fine, too. Use straight-grained dowels for the axles. Wheels can be bought by the bag-full online.

Don't bother finishing them. Kids' fingers will destroy any finish in short order.

Very nice and kudos to you and new woodworker.

Semco is based locally. They did a Popular Woodworking night a while back, and were pretty pumped about a few new products that were made in Cinci. In the past they had sourced a lot of product (those with a sticker), instead of the casted SENCO name. Possibly the Home Cheapo and Blowes people don't want to pay for American made product because they can get a better deal from Chiner. Not having cheap Chinese to sell, they got dropped?

Crystalac or any of the GF except for EnduroVar are waterborne finishes and do not change the color at all. EnduroVar is designed to mimic the yellowing of a traditional finish. If he wants to look at it he could try a 1# cut coat of Garnet shellac on scrap and see if he likes it. Otherwise the quality waterborne are just fine. They are easy to apply with a rag, foam brush and spray very easily.