Alain's pantorouter and other projects

Alain Vaillancourt writes:

Hi Matthias,

I'm writing to thank you for your ingenuity. Last month I finished building the fourth machine I bought the plan from you. I'm including the pictures of the four machines I built: the advance box joint jig, the slot mortising machine, the tenoing machine and the pantorouter. I'm also including some projects I did with them: a toolbox, a box for my sander and the two pivoting stands for my tools.

(I love this shot. Like some classical still life fruit-bowl painting)

I noticed Alain used bronze sleeves instead of the modified drawer slides I used. I was curious about whether that could lead to racking problems and asked. Alain replies:

I knew you would ask about the bushing. And yes there is some binding, but there is no play though. I have a small amount of play in the slot mortising machine. For now, I'd rather use the slot mortising machine for mortises because it's easier to set up and I can do both tennons and mortises at the same time, at the same place by flipping the stand which supports both machines.

After building my first pivoting stand for my planer and drum sander, I built another one for the mortising machine and the pantorouter.

The flip locking pin of the stand.
Also corner joined with the screw advance box joint jig, and mortises with the slot mortiser.

I modified the pantorouter slightly by putting the handle on the other side. This allows me to switch tools and have both handles on the same side. I had to build those stands because my shop is ridiculously small. This way I can pack two tools in the same spot.

My original proof of concept also had the handle on the right side to match the slot mortiser, but because the pantorouter is operated with both hands, I figured it made more to use the right hand for the main handle, so I moved the handles to the left.

A month ago I decided to do some woodworking videos because I couldn't find any woodworking podcast in French. I put my first video on YouTube this week in French and English. My English version is more like a public humiliation but it's for a good cause. I've been working in a local English TV news station in Montreal for over 25 years, and believe me we've put worse English clip than that on air. I hope you won't be upset I plug your site in my video.

Love the video, the English is good. And the video flows nicely, I guess the experience shows. Looking forward to seeing more of your videos, so I subscribed to the YouTube channel.

Above is the English version. The French version is here: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL11B5EBD45EB25D9C&

Alain's screw advance box joint jig and quick set tenon jig

a box for my sander

On another subject, you once said something like "Old lawnmower engines are useless for most applications because they have to be run with the shaft in a vertical orientation." I disagree with you. As you will see in my pictures.

I use one at my cottage in the woods and I have to be very creative. So my old lawnmower is transformed into a washing machine motor, a concrete mixer motor, a water pump motor and on top of it, a power generator (though I have to admit it didn't perform like I wished for).

Matthias comments:

Yes, I said that in this article.

That looks like the armature and bevel gearing from an angle grinder!

I used to do a lot of electronic projects in the past. Now I use my electronic space for my shop. It's more rewarding for me. The only ongoing electronic project I still work on is my electrical panel for my cottage. Solar panels and a windmill charge a battery. I can see the charge and voltage of the panels and record on a sd card the stats when I'm not there.

Thanks again,
Alain Vaillancourt

Watch all epoisodes of the woodpecker at Thewoodpecker.net

See also:

Quick set
tenon jig

Slot mortiser

More reader projects on woodgears.ca