MILLING AROUND THE SHOP Having a Bridgewood Mill makes these jobs easier. SHOP OWNER: Alan Young LOCATION: Ypsilanti, MI     The cast blade guide on my Grizzly bandsaw cracked at the point of the tension bolt. I could have ordered a new one, but since I have a Bridgeport Mill with a 49" bed and three-axis Acu-Rite DRO at work, I decided to make my own.       I started with a 5" x 2" x2" block of solid 6061 Extruded Aluminum. I drilled the large through holes first. The largest hole is 7/8", which allows the block to mount to a vertical post on the saw. Next, I drilled a horizontal hole for the blade tensioner, and a squared hole for the blade guide.     After the long through holes were drilled/milled, I simply milled each surface down to appropriate size. The last step was to drill and tap the holes for the screws.     Here are some shots of the new blade guide installed.     My Grizzly combination 24"belt and 12" disk sander came with the switch mounted on the right side of the disk and the backside of the belt. I always felt this was awkward and unsafe to reach, especially from the belt side.         This photo shows the original location for the switch. I removed the mounting plate, which bolted over the open space of the green base.     I made a new mounting box for the switch from a plate of aluminum, and some acrylic and polycarbonate.     I mounted the box and switch, which I rewired, on the other side of the machine. However, I located the box on the leg assembly rather than the base of the machine, as was the case of the original.     The polycarbonate/acrylic housing protects the switch from dust and debris accumulation. More importantly, I can now easily reach down and switch the machine on and off from either working position without having to reach over or across a moving part. . . . Alan Young   CLICK HERE TO RETURN TO THE    INDEX!   SEND US YOUR "SHOP SHOTS" This is the place to share views of your shop, woodworking tips and methods, mug shots, special tools or machines, finished work--you name it!     We prefer digital images via e-mail, but prints or transparencies will do. Include your name, address, phone number and a paragraph or two explaining the photo(s). Not every entry will be used, we reserve the right to edit for length and clarity, and we will not return photos. WoodCentral P.O. Box 493 Springtown, PA 18081