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My new Porter Cable #309 laminate trimmer just arrived to be used in my Williams Bindinng jig. Geeeze, I just love to get new toys delivered. 309 looks like a beauty. Can anyone tell me what phenolic is (I assume a form of plastic) and can it be purchased at local outlets. I visited Rockler and Home depot and received some quizical looks when I requested. Also, for the jig, do need only the little doughnut of UHM something. Is this part for the jig also available locally?
Thanks,
Bob

Highland hardware sells phenolic sheetstock.

Woodcraft sells grab bags of the uhmw high density poly for the doughnut.

Michael McClain

You might want to check your local Yellow Pages for plastic dealers.

I went to mine the other day and got a fairly sizable piece of HDPE (high density Polyethylene) for 5 bucks.
It is every bit as slippery as UHMW. They had both, but the guy told me the HDPE was quite a bit less than half the price of the UHMW.

Thay have a lot of other cool stuff too....

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Dave Rector
Rector Guitars

Thanks much for leads.

Calling around the various plastic dealers listed in the Yellow Pages will probably get you the best deal. A lot of them will have a minimum. I found they range from about $25 to $75, but you'll get alot more for your money than if you go to a Woodcraft or similar store. Also, sometimes they will have an odd piece that is not use to them and they'll practically give it away and waive the minimum. Its good stuff and can be used for alot of different jig projects.

Joe

Aren't kitchen cutting boards made of this stuff? I bought three nice ones at walmart for 9.99

Couple of thoughts....

Harbor freight from time to time sells UHMW cutting boards for cheap... $0.99 if I recall. I bought a bunch last time I saw those..

AND... the industrial plastic suppliers will sell their cut offs for practically nothing... that is another good source of cheap jig material.

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

phenolic is actually a composite of paper or cloth and resin. Doubt that cutting boards would be made it because it scars much too easily. I've had some plastic cutting boards that were made of some great plastic though.

I think the cutting boards are actually made of HDPE and not UHMW. The UHMW is quite a bit more expensive, according to my supplier.

That said, I can't tell the difference between the two.

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Dave Rector
Rector Guitars

Ok... I didn't do a chemical analysis on it... so you might be right... but here is how I reached this conclusion.

There is a plastics supplier 1/2 mile down the street from my office and every month or so I go in and buy a big box of cut offs for $5. According to them it is all UHMW.

I was cruising Harbor Freight one day when I saw a whole shopping cart full of these cutting boards and they look, feel, and weigh about the same as the stuff I am getting from the plastics dealer.

They cut the same way and seem totally impervious to solvent, and CA won't stick to them.

So... maybe they aren't UHMW... but they are really nice and 8" x 10" each.

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

I remember the listing at Harbor Freight as UHMW plastic. The material used for cutting boards is High Density Polyethylene. I'm think it is basically the same thing and either should work just fine for jigs and routing templates.Don A38425.6951388889

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Don Atwood
Arlington, VA

The guy at the plastic place told me the only difference was who made it and the price. I'm not sure how you would go about telling the difference.

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Dave Rector
Rector Guitars

The stuff on either side of my Powermatic fence looks and feels just like the cutting boards in my wife's kitchen. She hasn't even noticed her boards getting smaller.

If you are looking for UHMW nylon I can sell you a piece. if you send me the specs I can mill you the base.
John Hall
http://www.bluescreekguitars.com

tippie@epix.net
$5 plus shipping should cover it

Since we are on the subject of this binding jig, can anyone tell me where to get the plans for Don's binding jig? I know this came up a few months ago and some guy was selling them on ebay, but does anyone here have them? Thanks!
Tracy

Forgot this:
Bob J mentions the following "Also, for the jig, do need only the little doughnut of UHM something. Is this part for the jig also available locally?"

Can someone clarify this for me? Do you only need the little doughnut if you don't have the rabbet/bearing set in your lam trimmer? Or is this a must for this jig to work?
TIA
Tracy

Yes, you need the doughnut. It is the part that rides against the top or back and sets the depth of the cut. The bearing sets the width of the rabet (sp?)

Tracy, the doughnut allows for the very minimum amount of surface to be riding on the back/top. If you just used the base of the router, the depth of the cut would be uneven as base would hang up on the high spots of the dome. Does that make any sense?

If she does notice you can say it is a special board for cutting oranges.

Anyone have approximate dimensions of the doughnut?

It's not critical. The one in my setup is about three inches across, maybe four. It's no taller than 3/4 inch dome and has a larger than one inch hole in it, but the hole, should be sized to the cutter, fairly close.

The dome seems to be a slice off a globe close to the size of a soccer ball. But I've seen one which looked like puckered lips, not domed, but rather lipped near the center. The whole idea is a good rub edge, with the rest of the donut falling away, out of the way.

You won't get a better offer than the one from John Hall above.Dickey38427.0287037037

McMaster Carr sells a UHMW Flange Bearing that will do the trick nicely. The guy who was selling plans to the jig is Rick Micheletti

Don

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