Author Topic: DIY Hand Holds (Read 57071 times)

Perry · « **on:** December 05, 2013, 07:19:27 pm »

I really like the idea of cleats on boxes, but given that most of my gear didn't have them and used the traditional hand hold I figured to go with the flow. It also helps not to have cleats if you have to wrap your hives for winter.
I opted for regular dado hand holds and I made myself a simple jig to put on my table saw to speed up the process. I stacked up as many dado blades on my saw as my manual allows, usually 3/4" to 7/8" depending on the make/model of your saw and blades.
First, cut a piece of 3/4" plywood so that it hangs over all 4 sides of your table saw around a couple of inches. Using some scrap wood, screw 1 piece on each of the 4 under sides right up tight against the sides of your saw. Make sure it is secure and can't move around.

Then I raised up my dado blades all the way though the plywood, essentially creating my own built in throat plate. I then measured over 3" (personal preference here, what works best for you) and screwed down a long piece of scrap to act as my "fence". I have 2 different markings in the picture, one for deeps and one for mediums.

I then calculated how long I wanted my hand holds (again, personal preference) and screwed down start and stop blocks. Again, I have 2 different markings, one for sides (long) and one for ends (short).

I then just take my assembled box, butt it up against the start block, lower it onto the blade and push forward to the stop block, and lift off!It takes seconds per cut.

Done....now off to the paint shop!

robo · « **Reply #1 on:** December 06, 2013, 10:44:17 am »

I use a similar method, but with a moulding head cutter instead of a dado blade.
http://http://robo.bushkillfarms.com/building-honey-supers/

Perry · « **Reply #2 on:** December 06, 2013, 12:38:20 pm »

I really like the pro look of your hand holds. Where did you find that cutter?

robo · « **Reply #3 on:** December 06, 2013, 01:27:14 pm »

It's a Craftsman 9-32003 moulding head cutter. I don't believe Sears still sells them, but they seem to be readily available on eBay.

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odkw=cr ... 3&_sacat=0

apisbees · « **Reply #4 on:** December 06, 2013, 02:56:04 pm »

I have used the molding cutter in the past but I place a 6" saw blade against the 3 wing cutter. it gives a nicer cut to the top of the hand holes and slows controls the speed the box drops down on the table and blade.

G3farms · « **Reply #5 on:** December 07, 2013, 06:12:09 pm »

Apis that is a dandy idea. Would have never thought of combing the two blades.

blueblood · « **Reply #6 on:** December 07, 2013, 06:28:42 pm »

There is the Perry I remember! Oh, nice handholds by the way....

LazyBkpr · « **Reply #7 on:** December 08, 2013, 12:01:14 am »

7/8 boxes.. I bet those are rugged!! I like the handholds too!!! MUCH nicer than the skill saw method and faster than Mine..
I use the router and a 5/8 flat bit set to 3/8.. i made two jigs.. when the glue is good and dry I drop the jig on, run the router around.. flip the box, drop the jig on etc...

Before

After

and painted ready to go

Not as fast as Perrys but Router bits are CHEAP kinda like me :mrgreen:

robo · « **Reply #8 on:** December 08, 2013, 09:45:48 am »

Quote from: "LazyBkpr"

7/8 boxes.. I bet those are rugged!! I like the handholds too!!! MUCH nicer than the skill saw method and faster than Mine..
I use the router and a 5/8 flat bit set to 3/8.. i made two jigs.. when the glue is good and dry I drop the jig on, run the router around.. flip the box, drop the jig on etc...

They look very nice. With a little bit more elaborate jig (similar to the skill saw jig), you can get a tapered handle using a router.

Jim Hensel was kind enough to provide me information about his method. Here is his method and an example. He demonstrated on a piece of plywood, so the glue lines between the laminate show and distract from the actual cut. I believe it would look much better on solid lumber.

http://robo.bushkillfarms.com/hensel-ha ... ive-boxes/

LazyBkpr · « **Reply #9 on:** December 08, 2013, 11:03:05 am »

WELL now!!!

I HAD considered making the handholds tapered for the water reasons.. but didnt want the top of the hand hold slanted.. it NEVER occurred to me to use a tapered bit... Now that I see this... the possibilities abound! Making the tapered jig with a bracket that will drop over the side of the box one for long and one for short sides it would be just as fast and look better.
Thanks for the Post!!!

DLMKA · « **Reply #10 on:** January 07, 2014, 05:34:46 am »

Quote from: Robo on December 06, 2013, 01:27:14 pm

It's a Craftsman 9-32003 moulding head cutter. I don't believe Sears still sells them, but they seem to be readily available on eBay.

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odkw=cr ... 3&_sacat=0

http://corobcutters.com/mhkhd50moldingknifeheaddelta.aspx

I have this one from Corob. Works pretty well but I get a decent amount of tear-out on one side. Thinking knives need sharpened and make sure they are all at same height.

Perry · « **Reply #11 on:** January 07, 2014, 04:15:54 pm »

Wish I could see one of these at work so I would better under stand how they work.

DLMKA · « **Reply #12 on:** January 07, 2014, 04:30:18 pm »

I'll try to take some quick video if I can get the ballast on the florescent fixture in the garge warmed up enough to light off all the way tonight. The set-up isn't all together different than what you use with the dado stack and having stops clamped to the table of your saw. The shaper cutters just cut a profile instead of flat top and bottom.

Perry · « **Reply #13 on:** January 15, 2014, 07:59:43 am »

Bump.
I've got 20 deeps built and am probably going to be finishing the next 10 today. After that it's only a matter of the hand holds and them primer. Instead of just the straight dado cuts for the handholds I'd really like to try one of these molding head cutters to get the nice bottom slope, but am not familiar with how they work or set up. I see 3 blades that stick into a wheel, are they factory set or do you have to fit them in and adjust? What controls the shape of the arch?

DLMKA · « **Reply #14 on:** January 15, 2014, 11:02:37 pm »

It's just a shaper knife holder that goes on tablesaw arbor. The knife profile determines the shape of the cut. A 5/8" (16mm) radius cove molding knife leaves a nice hand hold 1" (25mm) high and you control the depth to how you want, I try to go between 3/8" and 1/2" deep. I'll make to cuts, rough at about 5/16"-3/8" and then make a lighter finish cut but not sure it's really necessary. The knives are ground and held in place with a ball bearing with a setscrew behind it so the cutting edges are all the same height. Mine has one knife a few thousandths higher than the other two and it's apparent from the buildup on that knife.

DLMKA · « **Reply #15 on:** January 17, 2014, 09:19:10 am »

Here is the jig I made for setting the distance from the top of the box and limits travel to keep hand hold centered and the right length. I set the base jig for the 19 7/8" long sides and have a set of blocks to adjust travel for 16 1/4" front/back and the 8 1/8" wide nuc boxes I just made. If I ever needed to make 8 frame equipment I'd just have to cut a set of blocks to the right width to get the handhold width I wanted.

Profile of the cutter with 5/8" cove molding knives installed. Corob makes a bunch of different profile knives for cutting just about any profile.

This is how the knives are held in the cutter. The set screw pushes the ball bearing into the chamfered hole in the knife and held firmly in place. If one knife is too high or too low you could use steel shim stock under the knife to adjust the height or use a surface grinder to take a few thousands off the front edge of the knife to lower a high cutting edge.

Perry · « **Reply #16 on:** January 21, 2014, 08:40:24 am »

Quote from: apisbees on December 06, 2013, 02:56:04 pm

I have used the molding cutter in the past but I place a 6" saw blade against the 3 wing cutter. it gives a nicer cut to the top of the hand holes and slows controls the speed the box drops down on the table and blade.

How would you do that Apis, would you use spacers to keep the saw blade off the cutters?

Perry · « **Reply #17 on:** January 21, 2014, 04:42:55 pm »

DLMKA.
I just ordered one of those Corob cutters and 2 sets of the #44 Delta 5/8 cove set of knives. I went with the MHK HD75 (5.7") Delta Style Molding Head, but I'm thinking yours is the MHKHD50 · Molding Knife Head (Delta) (3 5/8")? Is that correct?

DLMKA · « **Reply #18 on:** January 21, 2014, 05:14:25 pm »

Quote from: Perry on January 21, 2014, 04:42:55 pm

DLMKA.
I just ordered one of those Corob cutters and 2 sets of the #44 Delta 5/8 cove set of knives. I went with the MHK HD75 (5.7") Delta Style Molding Head, but I'm thinking yours is the MHKHD50 · Molding Knife Head (Delta) (3 5/8")? Is that correct?

Yeah, mine is the MHKHD50. Your tip speed will be higher and the radius at the ends of the handholds larger but should work just fine. It took me a little while to figure out at what depth and distance between stops got me the handhold width I wanted. I think you'll be happy with it. Make a wooden zero clearance throat plate for your saw, it helps with tear-out a lot.

DLMKA · « **Reply #19 on:** February 02, 2014, 08:35:06 am »

Perry, have you tried your cutter out yet?