A gift for the baristas

[Packard]

The baristas at the local Starbucks shop treat me like the grandpa that they never had.  I like that. 

So I used a small piece of scrap red oak and made a lid for their tip jar.  I've seen tips "accidentally" fall out of the jar and "accidentally" end up in customers' pockets.  I never saw it happen at this location, but I'm sure it is an issue.  I did call out the thief one time and she said, "Oh, I  meant to put in a dollar and I accidentally put in a ten dollar bill."  She went to put the ten in her wallet and replace it with a single. 

I knew she was lying and the barista knew it too.  But...

I surreptitiously measured the size of the container.  The inside dimension is the only critical one.  I left a 1/4" thick lip that overhangs the container and 1/2" bit that drops inside.  I cut the hole with a hole saw that I use for installing locksets (2-1/8")  I used a router to round over the hole.  I sanded, stained and added a couple of coats of poly. 

My cost was $0.00.  (A 5" x 5" piece would normally go in the scrap bin.)

They claim that they love it.  They could be just saying that to flatter me, but I think they do actually appreciate the function.  In order to steal the bills, someone would have to first remove the lid and then pluck the bill and replace the lid.  It seems far less likely than reaching for the low-lying fruit that was exposed before.  (And I got a free cup of coffee to boot.  So a profit already. [big grin])

I have no idea how to make this using a track saw.  I did it entirely on a table saw.  But a chop saw and a router table would work fine. 

How would you make this with a track saw?

 

[bertv]

The only safe way to do this with a tracksaw IMO is to plungecut it in the center of a larger board (so no scrap, I guess).

 

[squall_line]

Depending on how big the scrap started and how your track saw is set up, you could use dogs or the low-profile clamping elements to hold the piece in place while you trim it to size.  If you're free-handing it, you would need scrap of a similar thickness to help support the rail to keep things safe.

 

[Michael Kellough]

Like squall_line said, you need scrap of the same thickness to surround the piece on three sides to support the rail.

Then you can tape the piece to the scrap and cut as usual. You can even cut the dado on the underside by making multiple passes.

With tape and same height scrap you can work safely with very small stuff. I've used the track saw to cut cut a patch plug as small as 1/4" x 1/4" x 1/2" to patch a mistake when I ran a router too far. Thanks to being able to place the guide rail anywhere you want on the stock (unlike with a tablesaw that only cuts parallel to the edge) I was able to match the grain exactly. The plug was to match exposed white oak end grain so the grain was clearly seen.

 

[Packard]

This was too easy on the tables saw.  I won't be getting rid of it anytime soon.  But for sheet goods, I am happy with the track saw.

I set the fence once for the rip and cut to length.

I set the fence once for the trim for the underside of the piece and made four cuts, rotating the piece 90 degrees for each cut.

I set the fence for 1/4" and held the piece against the fence and trimmed off under the lip.

The rest was drilling and round-overs on the router.

A chop saw and a router would be almost just easy.  Chop to size. 

Router on the table to cut the rabbet, and round-over the hole.  And done. 

 

[Crazyraceguy]

I have no idea how to make this using a track saw.  I did it entirely on a table saw.  But a chop saw and a router table would work fine. 

How would you make this with a track saw?

Well, you can't do the hole in the middle  , but the rest wouldn't be that hard, assuming that you have some way to secure the rail.  MFT or at least dog holes in a work top
A fixture to hold onto the piece would be helpful, but probably only worth the time/trouble when making multiples. Otherwise just trap the piece between some other scraps of the same thickness to support the rail.

 

[Lbob131]

Here  in  Ireland  almost no one  gives  tips  and  no one  expects  them.
I visited  the  USA  once  and  found  giving  tips  to  be  a real  chore. Especially  when  the person  just stood  there  waiting  for  a tip.
It  seemed  like  they  were  begging.

Regarding  the  hole  I'd  just have  cut that  with a  jig saw. [cool]

 

[Crazyraceguy]

Here  in  Ireland  almost no one  gives  tips  and  no one  expects  them.
I visited  the  USA  once  and  found  giving  tips  to  be  a real  chore. Especially  when  the person  just stood  there  waiting  for  a tip.
It  seemed  like  they  were  begging.

Regarding  the  hole  I'd  just have  cut that  with a  jig saw. [cool]

It's a very screwy (antiquated) system that just won't go away. It started out as offering extra to show appreciation of a job well done. It was personal. Now it seems to have become an expectation  to bridge the gap of poor paying employers. It varies by state, but some places allow tipped workers to be paid a sub-minimum wage. Then if the employee doesn't get enough in tips, they have to pay the difference to get it up to that point. I guess that this is, at least in part, why the tips are expected.
Personally the part that I totally hate about this is that it is percentage based Why?
That server does absolutely nothing different whether I am eating a $30 steak or a $5 hamburger, so why should the tip be different?
Some places do it automatically with larger groups, but I don't really know the legality of that? I know as an individual, it's not required (legally)but as you said, expected.

 

[Packard]

I grew up buying coffee from a deli.  No one ever tipped at a deli. 

I drink black coffee.  It is cafeteria-style at Starbucks, so it does not feel like a tipping situation. 

But it is customary, and customers do steal from the tip jar.  And apparently from their reaction to the lid, the baristas know that customers steal.  An uneasy relationship, I would imagine.

 

[AstroKeith]

Given that  the centre is to be drilled out, you could drill a smaller hole first and use that to fix the piece down to the bench. Then use the track saw safely.

 

[Packard]

That would probably work, but a chop saw would probably be easier. 

I originally considered making on the chop saw + router table. 

But I was ripping the board to width and I was already on the table saw so I stuck with it. 

 

[Sparktrician]

I'd use a hole saw with a pilot bit followed by a router, then use some Granat foam-backed sanding pads.  [smile]

 

[Packard]

That’s exactly what I did.  I used the same 2-1/8” hole saw that I use for lock sets.

Luckily I recorded all the fence settings for this.  The store manager asked if I could make two more.

No cost to me (I am only using drop off scrap), and no thinking required this time around because I have the fence settings (just three required, but 4 repeat cuts each).

I got a free coffee the last time, so a profit after a fashion.  [big grin]

 

[afish]

I grew up buying coffee from a deli.  No one ever tipped at a deli. 

I drink black coffee.  It is cafeteria-style at Starbucks, so it does not feel like a tipping situation. 

But it is customary, and customers do steal from the tip jar.  And apparently from their reaction to the lid, the baristas know that customers steal.  An uneasy relationship, I would imagine.

I think its more of a "times era" than a location thing.  Growing up I never saw tip jars out.  Nowadays they are everywhere and I mean everywhere including the deli's.  It has gotten to be a little over the top for me. 

 

[Packard]

After the store manager told me how much they appreciated the lid, I made two more for the other tip jars. 

The other day I noticed that they were only using the lids on two of the three tip jars.  I asked if there was some problem with the other lid.  The reply was unexpected.

A drive-through customer, frustrated that he could not steal a couple of bills from the tip jar with the lid in place, instead stole the entire tip jar and drove off with the barista yelling after him.

An unintended consequence and some really bad behavior.

 

[bertv]

After the store manager told me how much they appreciated the lid, I made two more for the other tip jars. 

The other day I noticed that they were only using the lids on two of the three tip jars.  I asked if there was some problem with the other lid.  The reply was unexpected.

A drive-through customer, frustrated that he could not steal a couple of bills from the tip jar with the lid in place, instead stole the entire tip jar and drove off with the barista yelling after him.

An unintended consequence and some really bad behavior.

So your next batch of lids will have AirTags embedded in them? : )

 

[Packard]

This may be a problem that cannot be solved by my woodworking skills. 

Even if I figured a way to anchor the tip cup, it is just styrene plastic and will perish under the assault of a determined thief. 

I think this is an issue that is best addressed with a .357 magnum. [eek]