| Crafts |
This isn't the greatest saw, but it's not the worst either. I noticed the side table extension could be removed and a router table put in.
You'll need to remove the metal extension table (I chose the one on the right-hand side) and replace it with a wooden insert. I recommend it be reinforced from the underside to keep it as flat as possible.
For mine I used pre-drilled angle brackets along the 3 edges of the table that would get bolted to. You'll have to do alot of small modification to get the holes to line up right (at least I did).
The front fence-measuring bar will not support the weight of the table and router with the one screw that holds it to the steel table. I took one of the screws from the right-side end post and added it to the table section and it held up the weight.
(I'll be posting some photos of all this in the near future)
Well, I didn't exactly feel like paying the 20$+ that stores wanted for a premade booksafe (Not to mention the titles were silly), so I went about figuring out how to make my own.
Here are the instructions and details to make your own, enjoy.
Requirements:
One Book - (Duh)
White Glue
Wax Paper
Exacto Knives or Razor Blades (Several paper-cutting blades)
Felt
Sandpaper or a rough Wood Rasp/File
Go for a hardcover, they hold up alot better than a softcover once you cut them. I recommend heading to a local used bookstore and asking which books don't sell, most likely they'll have old textbooks, condensed Readers Digest books or hardback romances that aren't selling at all. I've also bought hardcover bibles pretty cheap. Bibles have the added bonus of not looking out of place on almost any bookshelf. (Most of my books cost me 1$-2$ ea.). These are good to test your skills on if nothing else, then you can go get a more expensive book that doesn't look out of place in your personal library.
You'll need to wrap both the front and back cover in the wax paper. (Some people also wrap the first 30-50 pages to make the book look more realistic). Whatever you don't wrap will be left as real turnable pages.
You'll wan't to dilute the white glue with water so it's more like the feel of milk. Go ahead and paint the page edges with the white glue. You can use a fine bristle brush to get between the pages, but it won't really be required. When the glue is dry you can take the wax paper covers off, but hang onto them, we'll be using them again soon.
The next step is to take an exacto knife or razor blade and cut the glued pages. Leave about 3/4 of an inch edge between the cutout area and the glued edge. This is the tedious part of the process, it takes awhile to cut out a 2-3 inch thick book. Remember that you can work from the back forward as well.
Don't worry about how rough your cutting looks. Go ahead and put the wax paper sleeves back on the covers. Then paint the inside cut edges with diluted glue. Once the glue dries you can use sandpaper or a file to easily finish off the rough edges (They don't need to be perfect). Next take a large piece of felt and close it in between the back cover and the cutout section. Mark the felt with a pen and cut it to fit. After that you can go ahead and glue the back cover onto the cut section.
After that dries (I know, all this exciting glue drying) you can glue in the felt you cut, and add in the felt to line the sides.
That's it. I suggest when you go to making your final bookshelf safe that you use a book with a cardboard sleeve so it can't fall open and spill it's contents if other books on the shelf are removed.