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If you're doing something with expensive wood, don't be afraid to make a cheap poplar/plywood prototype first. It can save money in the long run, you learn a whole lot about what can go wrong and get to troubleshoot it before you're loving around with your bocote or whatever.
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Dec 13, 2016 02:41
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Just got a spindle sander, and a job that used to take me upwards of 2 hours is now 30 minutes.
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Dec 14, 2016 10:56
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I mostly build speaker boxes and I'm going to try to build a frame for some spare drawers I've got. I'm sick of not being able to make decent precision cuts. So I went to Menards last night and bought a stick of hickory and a piece of plywood. I'm going to try to build a nice table saw cross cut sled or two, maybe a big one and a small one, and a sawboard. Wish me luck. I'll try to post a picture. Does anyone have any advice on making a sled? I've watched Matthais Wandel's video, but he's starting with nice tools combined with his supernatural ability to make the craziest poo poo out of wood. Everybody else to either just buy miter bars. I'm using an old cast iron top Cratsman that's missing almost all of it's accessories, wings, rip fence, everything. So I've got to build my way up to better tools from bad tools. Hopefully I can clamp down a piece of board, cut a nicely fitting miter bar from hickory, build a sled, then use that to build a cabinet for the saw, then a new rip fence and whatever else I need.
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Dec 14, 2016 20:25
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Ya it might be tricky to make the pieces that fit in the grooves. I had some close enough that I hand planed to just right. Then I used some pennies to push them up a little past the table surface and glued the base on. I cleaned the glue and tuned the fit with a chisel then lubed with wheel bearing grease until it slid like I wanted. Then I clamped the base to the table and plunged the saw from below and used the blade as a reference to glue on the back piece. I think I screwed one end in so I had a pivot to set the angle. My front piece is probably not square and is there for structure only.
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Dec 14, 2016 20:40
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Gonna be a wet blanket and say that you shouldn't be cutting at all with a table saw that has no mitre gauge or rip fence, even if it is to create a jig to let you cut more safely.
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Dec 14, 2016 21:50
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evilskillit posted:Does anyone have any advice on making a sled? I've watched Matthais Wandel's video, but he's starting with nice tools combined with his supernatural ability to make the craziest poo poo out of wood. Everybody else to either just buy miter bars. I'm using an old cast iron top Cratsman that's missing almost all of it's accessories, wings, rip fence, everything. So I've got to build my way up to better tools from bad tools. Hopefully I can clamp down a piece of board, cut a nicely fitting miter bar from hickory, build a sled, then use that to build a cabinet for the saw, then a new rip fence and whatever else I need. I have this same old Craftsman saw. It'll throw a sheet of plywood through a garage door. If you value your fingers or just general well being, dont use it without a fence or miter gauge.
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Dec 14, 2016 21:55
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GEMorris posted:Gonna be a wet blanket and say that you shouldn't be cutting at all with a table saw that has no mitre gauge or rip fence, even if it is to create a jig to let you cut more safely. That's not wet blanket, that's sensible. Evilskillit, get your TS model # and plug it into ebay and buy at least a rip fence. Especially with older Craftsman, you should be able to find one cheap. Hell, my table saw is from 1952-ish and I've been able to find every part I could ever want/need. Once you have that, you can safely rip down some hardwood to make runners for a miter sled and go from there.
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Dec 14, 2016 22:57
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He's going to clamp a temporary fence to the saw. It will be fine if clamped well and usual safety precautions are observed.
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Dec 15, 2016 02:39
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Thanks for thinking of my safety guys, I'm sure not. Tho wormil is right I was going to clamp a piece of wood to the table saw to use as a rip fence. Tho I've also got a piece of crap plastic & aluminum Delta that my friend left over here that still has all it's accessories. So I used it, my chop saw, and some care and made this piece of crap! It's not as square as I'd like, it's out 0.8 milimeters about every 12cm or so. But this was mostly a test run. It's obvious I need to build a cabinet for that poor saw tho. That stamped steel frame it's on and missing wings is for the birds. Here's an album. https://goo.gl/photos/AZoypHPr8HoCzj1V7 Does anyone know how to post google photos directly to SA? evilskillit fucked around with this message at 03:48 on Dec 15, 2016 |
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Dec 15, 2016 03:44
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I have a crosscut sled I made in the last century and hadn't used in years. Pulled it out the other day and it is still dead square. It's just a 2x4 screwed to a piece of 3/8 plywood with a wood runner. I stopped using it because the edge has worn so much it's about 1/8" from the blade. The missing wings are no problem, piece of scrap countertop, plywood, particleboard, whatever. I have a similar steel base on my saw and have been meaning to replace it for years but never got around to it. My idea was build a faux iron base out of MDF, styled after the older Unisaws.
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Dec 15, 2016 06:12
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evilskillit posted:Thanks for thinking of my safety guys, I'm sure not. Tho wormil is right I was going to clamp a piece of wood to the table saw to use as a rip fence. Tho I've also got a piece of crap plastic & aluminum Delta that my friend left over here that still has all it's accessories. So I used it, my chop saw, and some care and made this piece of crap! I have that same cheap Delta table saw that I inherited from my father in law. I would love to upgrade as it seems silly to build things like crosscut sleds for it, but I have a hard time justifying the cost of a new saw.
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Dec 15, 2016 07:21
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Woodworking chump question: I'm building a base for some rear car seats, with the goal being a cubicle-friendly couch:  I was going to slap something together using some simple 2x4's and join it with mortise & tenon joints, glue and some corner braces; but unfortunately the only power tool I have access to is a drill and an (old, busted) circular saw, so I am doubting my ability to make a decent mortise for the tenon to fit into. My alternative idea is to get some planks cut to size, sandwich 3 or 4 of them together and glue/screw them in a manner so that there is a mortise gap that I can fit a similarly sandwiched & glued tenon crossbar into. In other words, rather than one piece of 2x4 wood with a mortise on one side and another 2x4 with tenon on the other, four 0.75x4 sandwiched and glued together with a gap partway up (where the outer boards only are present) making the mortise. Into this gap will go another four 0.75x4 sandwich beam with the tenon formed by simply having the outer two planks being a couple inches shorter, so that the inner two will fit into the mortise. Again, all sandwiched boards will be glued & screwed to ensure they don't come apart. The overall base would look something like a weird hollow box; with 4" crossbars on all top edges and 2" crossbars on the bottom. Basically imagine shipping container made of wood turned on its side, with no walls. Is this a sane idea? Will it support several hundred pounds of the co-workers who come to my cube to steal my food? I have barely any woodworking experience other than your ordinary home repair style stuff.
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Dec 15, 2016 15:29
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sarcastx posted:Woodworking chump question: This is a sane and relatively common approach to that exact problem. It will be plenty strong provided you glue/clamp properly when laminating the 3/4 boards together.
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Dec 15, 2016 15:48
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Falco posted:I have that same cheap Delta table saw that I inherited from my father in law. I would love to upgrade as it seems silly to build things like crosscut sleds for it, but I have a hard time justifying the cost of a new saw. If the condition of the saw is discouraging you from woodworking, then make inexpensive jigs for it! A) that will get you back in business, even if it's for that single project B) you now have quality of life improvement that may encourage you to make something else
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Dec 15, 2016 15:49
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evilskillit posted:Thanks for thinking of my safety guys, I'm sure not. Tho wormil is right I was going to clamp a piece of wood to the table saw to use as a rip fence. Tho I've also got a piece of crap plastic & aluminum Delta that my friend left over here that still has all it's accessories. So I used it, my chop saw, and some care and made this piece of crap! If I ever make another crosscut sled I'd probably make this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbG-n--LFgQ
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Dec 15, 2016 16:17
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That's how I made my crosscut sled. Definitely recommend the 5 cut method. I really need to make a new one. Since my runners are spaced differently on each side of the blade I had the brilliant idea of making one side for dados and one for normal saw blades. Turns out this just weakened the sled too much. The wood in between the 2 cuts likes to bend a lot.
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Dec 15, 2016 16:29
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sarcastx posted:Woodworking chump question: As an alternative to your proposed solution, you could also use dowel tenons with your drill. This would require you to be able to drill perpendicular to the surface though.
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Dec 15, 2016 16:41
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sarcastx posted:
Your solution is fine but there is a simpler option, use 2x4s and join the ends with pegged half laps. It will be just as strong and a lot less work. And you can do half laps with just a saw, although a chisel will help. The pegs are easy, drill a 3/8" hole and drive a dowel through.
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Dec 15, 2016 18:19
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TooMuchAbstraction posted:As an alternative to your proposed solution, you could also use dowel tenons with your drill. This would require you to be able to drill perpendicular to the surface though. If you clamp the pieces together and then drill the hole it doesn't matter if it's off a little. Screw together with clearance holes first if you don't have clamps. Two scraps screwed together to make a right angle can be a drill guide too. I think it's a good opportunity to learn to make mortise and tenon joints with hand tools. All you really need is a chisel and handsaw, but it depends on how much time you want to invest.
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Dec 15, 2016 18:30
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TooMuchAbstraction posted:As an alternative to your proposed solution, you could also use dowel tenons with your drill. This would require you to be able to drill perpendicular to the surface though. I've seen a technique where you screw/glue the boards together, then remove the screws and drill out dowel holes in their place. I would still half-lap them together though.
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Dec 15, 2016 18:56
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Well I thought I'd give pen turning a go for this years Christmas presents. These are bloodwood blanks (though the color is in no way consistent!) and the cheapest pen kits I could get from pennstateind.com with a CA finish. I'm still having trouble not sanding through the glue (you can see the dull spots on a few of them), but they're getting better. The turning is definitely easier than the finishing, like 5 minutes turning to 25 minutes finishing. Anyone else working on xmas projects?
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Dec 15, 2016 19:05
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swampface posted:Anyone else working on xmas projects? I built my wife a boom box for her iPhone for Christmas 3 or 4 years ago, she got it some time this year. https://sites.google.com/site/undefinition/sprite I'm trying to finish a set of speakers that's supposed to look like this for Christmas this year, they were technically due several years ago.  So, not really. I'm bad at building Christmas gifts and if I want them to be on time I need to start 3-5 years in advance. I've learned this and until I feel like I can be better about it I'm sticking to cash and cards.
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Dec 15, 2016 19:32
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swampface posted:Well I thought I'd give pen turning a go for this years Christmas presents. These are bloodwood blanks (though the color is in no way consistent!) and the cheapest pen kits I could get from pennstateind.com with a CA finish. I'm still having trouble not sanding through the glue (you can see the dull spots on a few of them), but they're getting better. The turning is definitely easier than the finishing, like 5 minutes turning to 25 minutes finishing. Anyone else working on xmas projects? Those pens are both very cool and a reminder that I bought a pen mandrel and accessories and should really try it one of these days. And yes, I just made some gifts on the lathe too. Wanted to practice on the lathe, my wife made a joke about it to her dad, and next thing I know I'm making baseball bats for him and her brothers:   Maple, Danish oil, leather wraps, woodburning. I used dimension guides I found online and they're still horribly inconsistent from one bat to the next, but hey -- handmade! You can tell by the million scratches! I've never played any baseball in my life 
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Dec 15, 2016 20:36
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Trabant posted:Those pens are both very cool and a reminder that I bought a pen mandrel and accessories and should really try it one of these days. *Tony Soprano nods in appreciation.* "Very nice. Yeah, I've played some ball in my time too."
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Dec 15, 2016 20:56
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Trabant posted:Those pens are both very cool and a reminder that I bought a pen mandrel and accessories and should really try it one of these days. No cork?
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Dec 15, 2016 21:02
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Cannon_Fodder posted:If the condition of the saw is discouraging you from woodworking, then make inexpensive jigs for it! Thank you for the encouragement. Sometimes I get discouraged with mediocre equipment, but in the end it's better than not having a table saw and I can work with it for now.
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Dec 15, 2016 21:39
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So I've been contemplating buying some kind of power tool to make life easier. I have a project list in my head like this 1) Replace lovely plastic shelves 2) Make some kind or kitchen cart like this 3) Office desk / cabinets 4) Kitchen cabinets I figure if I start at "shop furniture" and work my way up I should have enough experience by the end to actually make a nice finished product. So two questions: Is this a reasonable progression / goal? Given the above projects, what power tool(s?) would I get the most bang / buck for? Probably a table saw of some kind?
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Dec 16, 2016 02:10
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Tres Burritos posted:So I've been contemplating buying some kind of power tool to make life easier. I have a project list in my head like this That's been my sort of approach as well. If I had to do it again, my power tool progression would be something like: 1) A nice circular saw with a track/rip-cut jig. It's probably worth the $50 for this and this. 2) A random orbit sander (I like the variable speed option on mine but I don't know if it's a necessary feature) 3) A router to let you do some edge finishing and try your hand at joinery. I've been pleased with the compact router I got -- you don't need to go overboard. The circular saw will get you through your shelf project. The sander will help finish something fancier like the cart, and the router will help if you want to get more complicated with the design.
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Dec 16, 2016 05:29
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Hubis posted:That's been my sort of approach as well. I have those two Kreg saw jigs and they're fantastic. The rip cut jig, especially, makes dealing with sheet goods stupidly easy. Another recommendation along those lines: I really like having a pocket hole jig. I know they're slightly controversial, but they are fast and simple.
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Dec 16, 2016 07:02
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Lessons that I really ought to have learned by example rather than by experience: 1) it's a lot easier to finish a piece before you assemble it than after. 2) shellac both colors the wood it goes onto, and dries fast, so you need to be extra careful not to leave any slightly thicker bits or else your finish will be blotchy.
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Dec 16, 2016 15:35
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Finishing before assembly requires some pretty simple joinery methods. Often you are trimming after assembly (such as with a carcass corner using through dovetails) and thus preassembled finishing wouldn't make any sense. As for what order to buy tools in, I'd have half of the current hand tools I own before Id buy my first power tool, which would likely be a bandsaw or a lunchbox planer.
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Dec 16, 2016 16:20
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GEMorris posted:Finishing before assembly requires some pretty simple joinery methods. Often you are trimming after assembly (such as with a carcass corner using through dovetails) and thus preassembled finishing wouldn't make any sense. Maybe you can't do all of your finishing prior to assembly, but if you have e.g. shelves in a frame (as I did; I was finishing a bookshelf), being able to finish the shelves independently of the frame means you don't have a bunch of 90-degree corners to brush, less potential for finish to drip down from one shelf along the frame it rests in, etc. If you do have to do some trimming after assembly, why can't you just finish everything except for the parts that will be exposed prior to assembly? Then do your trimming and finish said exposed parts. Presumably the entirety of the interior of your piece won't require any trimming and can be finished ahead of time; then you just need to "paint" the outside, which won't have a lot of fussy angles to deal with.
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Dec 16, 2016 16:44
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I can't finish everything but the joints first because I want my finish to be even and look good and in my experience that isn't going to happen if I apply finishes in different stages to different areas, which results in uneven film thickness. With your shelves were they adjustable or in dadoes? If they were in dadoes did you finish them all the way to the ends?
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Dec 16, 2016 16:59
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GEMorris posted:I can't finish everything but the joints first because I want my finish to be even and look good and in my experience that isn't going to happen if I apply finishes in different stages to different areas, which results in uneven film thickness. In dadoes; this is a pretty simple bookshelf. I didn't finish them prior to assembly, which is why I said this was a situation where I should have learned by example rather than by experience. After gluing everything together I applied finish, so there's bits of shelf in the dadoes that isn't finished, because it's in the joint. If I were to finish prior to assembly, I'd leave the bits that are to be covered in a joint unfinished, or else sand the finish off, since it'd keep the glue from making a good joint.
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Dec 16, 2016 17:35
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Hubis posted:That's been my sort of approach as well. Oh my god those saw jigs  I know something that just shot to the top of my Christmas list. I'd kill for something like that, it'd help so much with so much stupid stuff I've messed up
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Dec 16, 2016 19:43
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You don't want the part of the shelf in the dado to have finish, because that's the joinery and you want the glue in your joinery to work. Had you finished them before assembly your joints would be weaker. You seem to have realized this, but what you probably haven't realized is that applying a finish precisely to "not the joint area" is also a huge pita and just trades one set of problems for another. Just because one method isn't the easiest doesn't mean doing it a different way is better, there are often really good reasons it's normally done one way (e.g. finish after assembly)
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Dec 16, 2016 19:45
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It doesn't have to be precise (at least in this case) because the joints are tight even without glue and the dado's nearly 1/2" deep, so there's plenty of surface area and only a nominal amount of glue is needed. So if I "paint over the lines" a bit, it's not a huge deal. If you have smaller joints then I could see that being a problem though. So I guess the lesson is "finishing before assembly is easier, but may not always make sense depending on the project". I definitely would have gotten a more consistent finish if I'd finished prior to assembly; as it stands there's a few noticeable areas where thick shellac dried on before I realized it was even present. For example, I started out by finishing the top of the bookshelf, and a little shellac spilled over the end on the side opposite from where I was standing. I didn't realize it was there until I worked my way around to that side, and by that point it was too late. I tried sanding it down, but I guess it penetrated into the wood fibers deep enough that I couldn't get it out without resorting to more wood removal than I was comfortable with.
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Dec 16, 2016 20:06
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Magres posted:Oh my god those saw jigs Word of caution on the jigs: the square jig does not fit under my circular saw, it ends up resting under the motor and lifting up a corner. Might be worth checking it out at lowes (where I found mine) to see if you've got the same issue.
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Dec 16, 2016 20:22
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TooMuchAbstraction posted:
Ok, so I'm not attacking you here, but you're changing your process just because you don't have a lot of experiencing applying finishes. You could get the same benefits by just getting better at applying finishes, without the downsides of finishing before assembly (which also includes vastly increasing your chances of damaging the finish, in addition to the previously mentioned issues).
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Dec 16, 2016 20:39
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GEMorris posted:Ok, so I'm not attacking you here, but you're changing your process just because you don't have a lot of experiencing applying finishes. Pre-assembly finishing has been a thing for decades, maybe longer, I don't know. He's not doing anything abnormal. It's smart in situations where finishing after assembly is more difficult and it makes removing glue squeeze-out easier.
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Dec 16, 2016 21:43
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