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Serenade posted:How long of a span can dowels support? I made a TV/stereo stand out of glued up Home Depot 1x boards using pine dowels and it's held up really well for 5 years or so. It's 36" wide and has a 38" TV on top, a stereo receiver and CD changer on the shelf below, and DVDs on the bottom.
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Jan 8, 2022 18:57
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Stultus Maximus posted:I made a TV/stereo stand out of glued up Home Depot 1x boards using pine dowels and it's held up really well for 5 years or so. It's 36" wide and has a 38" TV on top, a stereo receiver and CD changer on the shelf below, and DVDs on the bottom. Does it use dowels vertically like pillars or horizontally? And I assume they're the same width as the boards?
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Jan 8, 2022 19:55
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Serenade posted:Does it use dowels vertically like pillars or horizontally? And I assume they're the same width as the boards? The whole thing is held together by dowels and glue. Vertically securing the top and bottom to the sides, horizontally for the shelf. I don't remember what size I used, probably 3/8"
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Jan 8, 2022 20:00
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Huxley posted:We painted our own cabinets last Christmas with Sherwin Williams Emerald Urethane Trim/Cab paint, the most expensive stuff in the store (like, $75/80 a gal I think?). We did good primer under, that over, and nothing else. Have had zero complaints or noticeable wear so far, and I've had to seriously scrub some spots down this year. Just what I was looking for, thanks!
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Jan 8, 2022 20:25
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Serenade posted:How long of a span can dowels support? Can you make a drawing or diagram of what you want to do? You're right that its a complicated problem and its hard to tell what you're doing based on your description. The right answer is probably to build a test piece to evaluate the design's strength. Chairs see way more load than you'd think so its important to make sure you've built it strong enough.
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Jan 8, 2022 20:27
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oXDemosthenesXo posted:Can you make a drawing or diagram of what you want to do? You're right that its a complicated problem and its hard to tell what you're doing based on your description. There will definitely be multiple test pieces. Not just to figure out strength but to figure out what angles and measurements I want. Drawing and drafting is not my forte, but  No legs in the drawing because those aren't the part I'm trying to figure out or demonstrate right now. And ideally the dowels would be of consistent length and spacing rather than... free handed.
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Jan 8, 2022 21:16
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Anyone have thoughts on shop/tool/hardware organization? Or article/video/book/blog recommendations? I really need to get better organized and closer to ‘a place for everything’ but I get overwhelmed with decision paralysis every time I start to draw something. Do I make a nice fitted spot in a big tool cabinet for each and every tool? What if I get a new circ saw or plane or whatever and it doesn’t fit? Just build a big cabinet with some drawers and make it all fit? My old shop just kind of had a wall we screwed stuff to and that worked sort of okay-at least stuff had a place to live-but I really want something enclosed to help keep the dust and rust off. I like to have tools with all their wrenches and accessories, which individual tool cases do well, but I hate having to take commonly used stuff out and put it back in a case all the time. One giant cabinet to rule them all or a hand tool cabinet and a power tool cabinet? Serenade posted:There will definitely be multiple test pieces. Not just to figure out strength but to figure out what angles and measurements I want. Drawing and drafting is not my forte, but Why are you using dowels? Aesthetics? Ease of use? Dowels are just as strong as anything else with their basic cross sectional area, but….there’s a whole lot less area wood in a 1” circle than a 1” square. Straight grain can make a huge difference too. If the grain runs straight along those dowels in oak, yea that’s strong as heck, but if they have a lot of grain runout they might not be very strong at all. That makes it complicated to give a real answer. I just sat my 180lb self on a 1” poplar dowel crossing a 24” span and it definitely bent, but didn’t break, so I would think that many oak dowels would be more than plenty? Especially if they are connected somehow to share the strain a bit? Idk if rope or cord would really do that or not, but a plywood or w/e seat on top definitely would. Kaiser Schnitzel fucked around with this message at 22:46 on Jan 8, 2022 |
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Jan 8, 2022 21:50
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I built an Anarchist's Toolchest a while ago, and for keeping your hand tools in one organized place it works well. The most used tools like jack/smoother & marking & measuring tools basically live on my bench, but the rest goes back when I'm done with it. Because it sits to the right of my bench it only takes a moment to grab/put back something, which definitely lessens the threshold to keeping things tidy. Apart from the saw rack in the front, and a batten to keep my molding planes from spilling out, there isn't anything specifically cubbied in. Just undifferentiated space. Rolls neatly under my bench when not in use (because I dimensioned it precisely to be able to do so), but that's more of a small workshop concern. Power tools are a different story. Those live in my basement storage unit because I use them rarely (and produce too much dust for my regular workspace anyway) and haven't been able to come up with a satisfactory organisation system for them anyway so they get stuffed haphazardly in whatever spot they can fit. Which is not ideal, because when I do want to use them I often spend as much time finding the bits I need as I'm using it, so I'm no help here.
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Jan 8, 2022 22:40
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Kaiser Schnitzel posted:Anyone have thoughts on shop/tool/hardware organization? Or article/video/book/blog recommendations? I really need to get better organized and closer to ‘a place for everything’ but I get overwhelmed with decision paralysis every time I start to draw something. Kinda depends on your personality and space. Adam Savage famously likes "first order retrivability" (everything can be accessed without moving another thing to get to it) and likes having his tools in the open so he can see them and be inspired when thinking about a problem. I'd watch some of the videos on this channel to see his (overwhelming) shop organization. https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJtitKU0CAegGi2QUH6ywt4EkjcR0jVam Peg walls seem to achieve that to some degree. I, personally, like drawers. I find them easy to organize and work well with my brain sorting things and remembering where they go. I don't do cutouts for the reason you state: it's annoying when you add or change something. Cutouts work best when you have a standard load out that will not change and tools need to be returned, things like working on the same engines day in and day out. In my drawers, at most I keep basic dividers. But I'm also pretty good at not just tossing everything into a drawer and forgetting about it. My stuff has its own place and I return/organize it when I'm done. I've seen other people whose drawers are just a pile of everything and you need to dig through each one to find what you are looking for. I also do "kits" to a certain extent. In addition to my big tool box for mechanics stuff, I have a tool chest for woodworking and a tool box for electrical stuff. Right now my power tools live in another toolbox in my apartment just cause I don't have a dedicated work space anymore. Within there, I have, say, all my "making holes" tools in the same drawer, my cutting tools, my marking tools, etc. I generally keep the most used stuff closest at hand and go deeper and deeper into storage depending on how often I need something. Probably the best way to think about it is that your shop isn't going to be "finished". It will evolve as you change how you do things, as your tools change, as your interests change. Tackle one problem at a time, keep it flexible, be willing to undo. Think about how you work and think. Think about where you reach for the things you want. Maybe lay your stuff out in temporary settings and adjust as you go.
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Jan 8, 2022 23:36
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Just Winging It posted:I built an Anarchist's Toolchest a while ago, and for keeping your hand tools in one organized place it works well. I really like this design and was going to adapt it for my more power tool oriented work, but I also needed a place to keep a miter saw, so I built a chest of drawers instead. I just happened to be a lot like Tamar's router table in design. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfhPC6qIuNU
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Jan 8, 2022 23:38
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Kaiser Schnitzel posted:Why are you using dowels? Aesthetics? Ease of use? Dowels are just as strong as anything else with their basic cross sectional area, but….there’s a whole lot less area wood in a 1” circle than a 1” square. Straight grain can make a huge difference too. If the grain runs straight along those dowels in oak, yea that’s strong as heck, but if they have a lot of grain runout they might not be very strong at all. That makes it complicated to give a real answer. I just sat my 180lb self on a 1” poplar dowel crossing a 24” span and it definitely bent, but didn’t break, so I would think that many oak dowels would be more than plenty? Especially if they are connected somehow to share the strain a bit? Idk if rope or cord would really do that or not, but a plywood or w/e seat on top definitely would. These are good points. Although I do want to see how the dowel approach looks and feels in person, the ease of use is definitely the bigger factor. I'd like to make prototypes somewhat quickly to find out exactly the dimensions I want for a given room or set up, but I also want those prototypes to last more than a single day so I can actually feel how they'd work living with them. The very first prototype I made was just plywood, 2x4s, and screws and didn't last long, so I want to take a little more time to plan things out. However I did not consider the simple fact that a circle of a given diameter has less area of a square of the same height and thus, would have more strength. I also did not consider how big an impact the grain would have on such thin stock, but yeah that makes sense. Factoring in dowel stock selection, plain dados and 2x4s might be the better path.
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Jan 9, 2022 00:06
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Kaiser Schnitzel posted:Anyone have thoughts on shop/tool/hardware organization? Or article/video/book/blog recommendations? I really need to get better organized and closer to ‘a place for everything’ but I get overwhelmed with decision paralysis every time I start to draw something. I just make standalone shop cabinets/drawers near tools/workspaces and design their size to fit the area, design the drawers to fit what I think works best in them. Good organization is still a lot of iteration, but I've had the best luck by just starting something. You can't really know what works until you try a bunch of things and improve. I try and make everything somewhat logical and super easy to access. If I've got a pile of tools on the bench, my goal is to glance at the pile and know where everything lives. I also generally avoid tool cases, I'd rather have things organized inside a drawer that I can just open and grab. e: Hypnolobster posted:(snip)  Other side of the shop has a little cart for all my sharpening related stuff. Hypnolobster posted:(snip)  Bad picture, but it shows drill bits hanging out on the wall by the drill press, a shelf above for bulky power tools (again, I hate cases, but they're too big to be putting in drawers). Also under the big table I've got a bank of organizer boxes that have all my hardware and fasteners. There's also a cabinet of drawers under the wing of the table saw with all of my general marking stuff, sawblades, and some machinist-related tools. Hypnolobster fucked around with this message at 00:35 on Jan 9, 2022 |
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Jan 9, 2022 00:13
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Kaiser Schnitzel posted:Anyone have thoughts on shop/tool/hardware organization? Or article/video/book/blog recommendations? I really need to get better organized and closer to ‘a place for everything’ but I get overwhelmed with decision paralysis every time I start to draw something. ime people way overthink tool storage when the one really vital thing is that everything has a place you can plunk it down with absolutely zero thought or effort, nearly every piece of nice fitted enclosed tool storage that folds up like a transformer or whatever I've ever actually seen in a working shop has been perpetually empty while the tools live in a pile on a workbench somewhere Serenade posted:These are good points. Although I do want to see how the dowel approach looks and feels in person, the ease of use is definitely the bigger factor. I'd like to make prototypes somewhat quickly to find out exactly the dimensions I want for a given room or set up, but I also want those prototypes to last more than a single day so I can actually feel how they'd work living with them. The very first prototype I made was just plywood, 2x4s, and screws and didn't last long, so I want to take a little more time to plan things out. if it's not a crucial aesthetic thing that it be wooden dowels you'd be better off using some thin-gauge steel pipe for this application, it's not gonna be the most comfortable chair in the world either way but if you hunt around to find something people make a fuckload of it'll end up cheaper and lighter and stronger. A Wizard of Goatse fucked around with this message at 00:25 on Jan 9, 2022 |
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Jan 9, 2022 00:15
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I keep all of my power tools in bags on shelves. Some are Makita that came with them, some from harbor freight, others random brands I got from big box stores on sale. I had some patches custom made for $6 a pair off Amazon to put on the front/side to help me remember what's in each one but I haven't had a chance to sew them on yet. I ended up getting Velcro backed ones so I can just switch them to another bag if I move the tool because I've reorganized them a few times. Current setup is kind of temporary because we just moved and are renting but I'll build something more permanent once we buy a house. 
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Jan 9, 2022 01:19
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Serenade posted:These are good points. Although I do want to see how the dowel approach looks and feels in person, the ease of use is definitely the bigger factor. I'd like to make prototypes somewhat quickly to find out exactly the dimensions I want for a given room or set up, but I also want those prototypes to last more than a single day so I can actually feel how they'd work living with them. The very first prototype I made was just plywood, 2x4s, and screws and didn't last long, so I want to take a little more time to plan things out. The main failure point I'd be worried about is the dowels that make up the seat itself. You could prototype just that subassembly in no time if you have 2x4s for rails, dowels, and the right size forstner bit. You could even omit legs and just set the rail+dowel assembly on another surface if the dowels are offset to one side of the rails. If you're not already, use the forstner bit to create a pocket to put the dowels in. Screw in from the far side to pull them in tight. This way the load goes into the rail and doesn't put shear load on the screw. This simple prototype will let you test the strength and also let you sit on it to see if its even something you can even tolerate as a seating surface.
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Jan 9, 2022 02:24
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Any recommendations for laying out t track? Current is plan is put intersections at 6”x6” off each corner.
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Jan 9, 2022 17:23
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Decisions have been made. I'm going to use the mystery wood (perhaps buckeye) for a workbench. I've got tons of 10/4 x 8' boards, so I can build a super stonk bench with it. Legs are finishing out about 3 1/2"x4" and I'm going to keep all the framing thick. I continue to be chuffed with my cherry purchase -- over half of it is highly figured curly cherry and it is gorgeous. I don't have a plan for it yet, but it's crying to be tables.  I've got the workbench legs ready for gluing, that'll probably be tomorrow. I'll be going through a process with the workbench building and reconfiguring of my 3 car garage to a 2 car garage plus modular 2- bay workshop. Should I continue posting here, or just start a thread?
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Jan 9, 2022 18:56
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EVERYWHERE 
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meatpimp posted:Decisions have been made. I'm going to use the mystery wood (perhaps buckeye) for a workbench. I've got tons of 10/4 x 8' boards, so I can build a super stonk bench with it. Legs are finishing out about 3 1/2"x4" and I'm going to keep all the framing thick. I like your wood pics and posts, hard to get traffic sometimes in individual threads. Plus who knows who you inspire. But if you're feelin it do it!
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Jan 9, 2022 19:03
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meatpimp posted:Decisions have been made. I'm going to use the mystery wood (perhaps buckeye) for a workbench. I've got tons of 10/4 x 8' boards, so I can build a super stonk bench with it. Legs are finishing out about 3 1/2"x4" and I'm going to keep all the framing thick. Make a thread if you want or post about it here! I think sometimes people are scared to post in a giant megathread and a smaller thread can get new people reading it, or not! I think project threads are great.
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Jan 9, 2022 19:31
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Kaiser Schnitzel posted:Anyone have thoughts on shop/tool/hardware organization? Or article/video/book/blog recommendations? I really need to get better organized and closer to ‘a place for everything’ but I get overwhelmed with decision paralysis every time I start to draw something. I went with a slightly smaller anarchists toolchest for the hand tools (a two-drawer model following the dimensions of the "traveling tool chest" but following ATC for the joinery). For the power tools, drill bits, and other random tools, I have a combination of a 5-drawer steel chest (under my workbench), and a wall of french cleats. I made the cleats beefy enough to support a good amount of weight, and ended up using the whole top row for a set of "cubbies", one for each power tool (router goes in the empty slot on the top).  My workroom is a 5x7 closet, so I was optimizing for density. I also did a row of french cleats along the long wall, and made a little lumber rack to hold all of my mid-size / usable scraps and offcuts. I also made a video tour for my father-in-law, who works on boats and really nerds out about dense tool storage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-Pqs1N6omg
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Jan 9, 2022 20:03
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benthic posted:I also made a video tour for my father-in-law, who works on boats and really nerds out about dense tool storage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-Pqs1N6omg How’s that Rockler Trim Router table?
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Jan 9, 2022 20:56
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Calidus posted:How’s that Rockler Trim Router table? It was one of the first things I bought when I got into woodworking, and it didn’t fit the (full size) ryobi router until I added a big MDF adapter, which took away some usable cut depth. When I got a trim router that actually fit, it also had a great fence attachment, which I ended up liking much more than the table. So the table hasn’t gotten much use. If my shop were big enough to have it permanently set up somewhere, it would probably get more use. But I don’t really do much that the router’s fence can’t handle. I could see the table being useful if you were doing a lot of small moldings, or as a permanent round over station.
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Jan 9, 2022 21:39
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Has anyone here made this?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKVwcdi15Fg Still looks like cost will be around $100(CAD), but that's also with enough tool steel to make 4 planes.
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Jan 9, 2022 23:06
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Thanks for the feedback, I'll keep posting here for now, maybe thread later. Is this the thread for CNC router discussion, too? I'm looking at buying a Shapeoko 4 XXL from someone that bought it and can't afford it. It's new-in-box and I'm looking at it for $2000. BUT... I could get a larger Workbee unit for about $800 and add my own table, router, controls and end up a lot less than $2000. Is it worth it to get a pre-packaged unit? Any other units I should be considering? meatpimp fucked around with this message at 23:11 on Jan 9, 2022 |
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Jan 9, 2022 23:09
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One joint down, three to go. Kill me.
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Jan 10, 2022 01:15
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Got an antiquish marble top dresser that has some doors on it. Didn't realize before I bought it that the doors don't have any knobs or anything just key holes. Besides the obvious 'just add a knob' any suggestions on what to do with this to make it useful? I can post some pictures if they'd be helpful. The drawers all also seem to have the same lock mechanisms if it makes a difference.
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Jan 10, 2022 20:49
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Would love to see some pics, and the wealth of knowledge in this thread can give you some insight for sure with that too. Suggestions for knobs and placement and the like.
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Jan 10, 2022 21:39
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Mederlock posted:Would love to see some pics, and the wealth of knowledge in this thread can give you some insight for sure with that too. Suggestions for knobs and placement and the like. I'd suggest the side opposite the hinge!
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Jan 10, 2022 21:45
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Sign posted:Got an antiquish marble top dresser that has some doors on it. Didn't realize before I bought it that the doors don't have any knobs or anything just key holes. Besides the obvious 'just add a knob' any suggestions on what to do with this to make it useful? I can post some pictures if they'd be helpful. The drawers all also seem to have the same lock mechanisms if it makes a difference. That's an actual style that was popular. You're supposed to insert the key and pull on it to open them. If it's at all valuable I'd advise against modifying it in any non-reversible fashion. There are pulls that hook over the top of the door you could try, and hold it with double-stick tape instead of screws is one work-around that won't devalue it.
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Jan 10, 2022 22:38
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 That's the door. In terms of value, I paid $60 for it so I wouldn't think it's valuable. I understand how the key should work in theory but I don't have the key. Is getting a replacement even an option? Edit: that image always to have failed, fixing Sign fucked around with this message at 23:13 on Jan 10, 2022 |
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Jan 10, 2022 23:06
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benthic posted:I went with a slightly smaller anarchists toolchest for the hand tools (a two-drawer model following the dimensions of the "traveling tool chest" but following ATC for the joinery). Very very nice job.
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Jan 10, 2022 23:17
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Sign posted:
You could try a brass skeleton key: https://www.charlestonhardware.com/product-page/our-most-common-brass-skeleton-key
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Jan 11, 2022 00:20
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Danhenge posted:You could try a brass skeleton key: If you have a Reuse store, they might even have a jar full of them for a dollar a piece.
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Jan 11, 2022 00:24
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Sign posted:
Can you take a picture of the backside and edge of the locks? Especially if there are any markings. There's a decent chance you can get replacement keys that may fit without modification. If you're at all mechanically inclined, those locks are usually very simple and not hard to file a blank key to. If your locks say 'Made in England' or 'Secure Lever' there's a decent chance one of the keys from these locks will fit: https://www.horton-brasses.com/furniture-locks.asp Call them, they are very nice and helpful and can probably help you find the right size/style key to try. You'll probably need to know how big the hole for the key is, and if you can carefully remove the lock, how big the post inside is. If you just want to add some hardware, something like these https://www.vandykes.com/octagonal-glass-knob-1-diam/p/204301/ or these https://www.vandykes.com/restorers-classic-2-inch-eastlake-drop-pull/p/225656/ is probably reasonably period/stylistically appropriate. That style of furniture is more or less called 'eastlake' and if you google around that will probably get you more options. It's kind of a transition between gothic and renaissance revival and 'arts & crafts' style stuff-those are also terms worth googling around for other hardware options.
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Jan 11, 2022 00:33
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if the locks aren't locked, can you put a pan-head screw on the back of a knob and slot it into the lock to act as a pull? If it were mine, I'd probably 3d print some kind of doodad to go on the back of a wooden pull.
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Jan 11, 2022 00:45
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Easiest might be finding some keys with an ornamental bow (the part you hold) that you like. More involved would be to get keys that fit the lock, chopping off the bow, then attaching a knob onto the stem. Putting threads on the stem so you can screw on a reproduction knob might even be possible with a good bit of figuring and/or a good measure of luck. (Thinking about that, I wouldn't be surprised if lock-to-knob or vise versa was a modification locksmiths did occasionally.)
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Jan 11, 2022 01:06
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firmly but reversibly attaching a post to a sheet metal blind hole you say? Sounds like a job for plastic automotive body & trim fasteners
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Jan 11, 2022 01:14
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It would be very easy to remove the locks and use the keyhole as a hole for hardware, but you run the risk of blowing out the keyhole because the drawer fronts are much thinner where the lock is mortised in. The have a flange wider than the lock body to distribute that force to the thicker part of the drawer front. If the drawers and doors work really smoothly it might work fine though.
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Jan 11, 2022 01:23
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No markings on any of the locks. Will look into the keys tomorrow. Need to deal with the fact that it has 3 wheels before I can do anything with it anyway Thanks everybody
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Jan 11, 2022 01:24
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Kaiser Schnitzel posted:It would be very easy to remove the locks and use the keyhole as a hole for hardware, but you run the risk of blowing out the keyhole because the drawer fronts are much thinner where the lock is mortised in. The have a flange wider than the lock body to distribute that force to the thicker part of the drawer front. If the drawers and doors work really smoothly it might work fine though. This is what someone did on a sideboard I have at some point in its life. The knobs look okay, but I would have preferred the key style.
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Jan 11, 2022 01:58
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