|
Parallelogram is a neat idea to check layout I haven't done dovetails before but wow that seems like a lot of setup time and fiddling around (especially if you try to minimize tearout). This is straying into woodworking conversation but what do you reckon is the best joinery method in terms of strength to "time to create" ratio?
|
#
?
Sep 2, 2012 18:00
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 22, 2024 12:29 |
|
|
dwoloz posted:This is straying into woodworking conversation but what do you reckon is the best joinery method in terms of strength to "time to create" ratio? Depends really, locking miters are quick with a special router bits or simple enough on a tablesaw and strong enough for drawers. Box joints are strong and relatively quick with a dedicated router bit, a little more time on a saw or router table with a jig. Last year I made a butt jointed cabinet with screws and liquid nails glue. The cabinet wasn't used so I decided to disasemble it and reuse the plywood. I thought the butt joints would just snap but I couldn't break them without splintering the wood so I ended up cutting them apart, made me a believer in construction adhesive. Dovetails look really nice but I don't believe they are stronger than glued box joints. The drawers in my shop are just screwed rabbets and after a dozen years are still rock solid. Also, never thought to look in the Woodrat store for that parallelogram. Now I feel stupid.
|
|
#
?
Sep 2, 2012 21:27
|
|
|
dwoloz posted:Parallelogram is a neat idea to check layout Dowel joints compare pretty well to mortise and tenon and they are fairly easy to make. I wish I'd gotten one of these when I started gardening and landscaping last year. 
|
|
#
?
Sep 3, 2012 00:23
|
|
|
Thanks, going to look more into dowel joints, seem the best bang for the proverbial buck. Mattock is quite the handy tool indeed. Can dig narrow trenches, bust up hard soil and roots, lever out large stones, etc
|
|
#
?
Sep 3, 2012 02:31
|
|
|
I'm still brainstorming on building a router table and have been thinking, what if you built a horizontal router with a tilting table, then I found this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBxyPdBZVR8&feature=share&list=ULEBxyPdBZVR8 I've decided to build a table with a pivoting fence but a tilting horizontal table is too cool to forget about. Maybe if I ever get back into building furniture I'll have another think on it.
|
|
#
?
Sep 6, 2012 05:40
|
|
|
I have a question about learning machining basics, specifically if someone could point me in the right direction for someone completely new to machining beyond a drill press. I am a graduate student and my adviser purchased a small Grizzly mill (G0619 if you're interested) along with a Grizzly lathe (G0602), and I am tasked with getting up to speed for performing basic machining operations. From my very brief research on milling I have found that I need to buy a clamping system (or multiple pieces) to hold the work piece, a bit set, and some dials and other tools to ensure accuracy. For the lathe I know I need to get 3 cutting tools for turning, facing, and boring. The obvious question is what do you plan on machining? His response is that we should have capabilities for as much as we can, within a reasonable budget (that he hasn't set yet). There are two machine shops on campus that can we hire out for advanced jobs or jobs requiring expensive tools. So I am mainly looking for the most bang for the buck for tooling capabilities, while still getting quality products. I am not hoping to learn all of this overnight, and I have to check in and explain what I plan to do with my adviser before I do anything. This goes without saying but I also realize that machining is dangerous, and we are constantly reminded of the graduate student at Yale that got their hair caught in the lathe and died while doing work similar to what I might do. So if anyone could point me in the right direction for quality equipment vendors or resources for learning (web or print mainly) I would appreciate it. Also if anyone has any specific equipment they could recommend that would be great. edit: After doing more reading I am going to recommend https://www.littlemachineshop.com they have some useful documentation for beginners. Hollis Brown fucked around with this message at 06:17 on Sep 7, 2012 |
|
#
?
Sep 7, 2012 02:50
|
|
|
Watching Craigslist for tools. Anyone know anything about a Ryobi 6 1/18" portable jointer? Is it worth picking up?
|
|
#
?
Sep 7, 2012 04:58
|
|
|
I would recommend reading How to Run a Lathe by South Bend Lathe Works. It isn't entirely relevant, being almost 100 years old, but it was written to teach John Q. Public how to go from knowing nothing about lathes to being able to turn out parts reliably. You can skim over the antiquated parts about line shafts and stuff if you want, but pay careful attention to the sections on grinding tools, calculating feeds and speeds, and cutting threads. You may be tempted to go with carbide insert tooling, which is ok if you pick the right kinds, but the right kinds for this size of machine are expensive. Learning to grind High Speed Steel tools by hand will teach you more about what the tool is doing in relation to the metal, and it's much, much cheaper. Better to start off with cheap, easily reground cutters until you get a feel for what the machine can handle, and you get more comfortable with running the controls. Carbide is easily broken if you bump it into the metal, for instance, or make an interrupted cut. For the mill you want a variety of clamping devices. No matter what you're cutting, you can always find a better way to hold it. That mill is pretty flimsy, relatively speaking, so you won't be able to take deep, fast cuts. Start slow and work your way up. Pushing it too hard is going to make it flex and vibrate, and that will break cutters. Good end mills are kind of expensive, and almost impossible for the average beginner to sharpen, so again, start out with cheap ones to practice with, and replace them with better ones when you get more confident. And make sure you Tram your mill before you do anything critical. I don't do this for a living, so take my advice with a grain of salt, but I've been playing around for 15 years or so, and I've broken a lot of cutters. Most of those have been oops moments, when I turned the dial the wrong way, or didn't disengage the carriage feed or something.
|
|
#
?
Sep 7, 2012 13:10
|
|
|
Anyone try this Kreg rip guide? It's got good reviews, and I know Kreg is a well-regarded brand. I'd be interested to hear some first-hand experiences if anybody has them.
|
|
#
?
Sep 8, 2012 10:01
|
|
|
Hollis Brown posted:...Learning machining basics... I am still teaching myself machining on a bench-top mill (just converted to CNC) with zero prior experience, so I have a few educational links that may help: MIT TechTV series for Machine Shop (http://techtv.mit.edu/videos/142-machine-shop-1) Total of 10 videos, most are 30-60 minutes long, and cover what you would encounter in a machine shop. The majority of the videos focus on mill or lathe work. Dan Kemp aka "Hoss" (http://www.g0704.com/reference.html) All of his sites are ridiculously good for info but this link has a bunch of CNC & machining books. Frank Ford's Home Shop Tech articles (http://www.frets.com/HomeShopTech/hstpages.html) Tons of articles with clear pictures and descriptions, for both mill and lathe. Vendors I've used: Little Machine Shop Enco (https://www.use-enco.com) MSC Industrial Supply Co (http://www1.mscdirect.com/cgi/nnsrhm) One Legged Ninja nailed it regarding HSS tooling so the only thing I can really add is don't buy it until you know you need it! You can easily spend thousands on tooling, work holding and accessories so figure out what you are likely to be doing and go from there. My first mill project was surfacing some old extruded heatsinks so the bases were flat, not concave. Then I milled pockets for some power transistors and added a drilled/tapped hole. Keep it small and simple!
|
|
#
?
Sep 8, 2012 23:43
|
|
|
stubblyhead posted:Anyone try this Kreg rip guide? It's got good reviews, and I know Kreg is a well-regarded brand. I'd be interested to hear some first-hand experiences if anybody has them. Just bought that on a whim actually. I only have a small table saw and don't trust myself to be all that accurate with a circular saw. Used it on one project cutting up some plywood and MDF. I can see it being occasionally useful, but honestly I think the money would have been better spent making myself a saw guide. Doubt I will use the rip cut much. e: Should add, the problem was that I found the thing rather awkward to use. Additionally, the guide looses all effectiveness right before the end of your cut, so you basically freehand the last inch or two. Raised by Hamsters fucked around with this message at 14:41 on Sep 9, 2012 |
|
#
?
Sep 9, 2012 06:00
|
|
|
One Legged Ninja, Wandering Orange thank you for the advice. I have picked out some basic tools and will be submitting them to my adviser. Hopefully I will update the post your projects thread with some small progress later.
|
|
#
?
Sep 9, 2012 06:38
|
|
|
Raised by Hamsters posted:Just bought that on a whim actually. I only have a small table saw and don't trust myself to be all that accurate with a circular saw. Used it on one project cutting up some plywood and MDF. Not only that, but you can't count on the factory edge always being straight. I've been working with a bunch of sheetgoods lately and have taken to doing an initial trim to get a nice flat edge to work with when on the tablesaw. There's a number of saw guide tutorials out there for making your own out of hardboard or MDF. My buddy made a couple suggestions to me:
In other news, for those who are interested - My workspace tends to be pretty humid given Kentucky's weather, so as a result I've been battling corrosion on my cast iron table saw top since I've gotten it. I've been applying heavy coats of Johnson's Paste Wax and it hasn't worked well at all in preventing rust. I mentioned this to one of my customers and he told me that he believes Johnson's is water based and could be part of the problem. Sawmill Creek recommended using Barkeeper's friend on the table top, along with a green scotchbrite pad. I have to tell you, I'm super impressed with how well this work. I attached the green scotchbrite to my random orbital sander, and just let it glide over the tabletop, using the barkeeper's friend slurry as a lubricant / abrasive. In under a minute all the corrosion was gone, and after rinsing the table clean it looked fantastic. I then applied a coating of CRC Industries 3-36 lubricant & corrosion inhibitor to the top and haven't seen any rust since. Great stuff, table feels very smooth and workpieces slide extremely well now. sky shark fucked around with this message at 04:30 on Sep 10, 2012 |
|
#
?
Sep 10, 2012 04:28
|
|
|
Any suggestions for good impact driver bits? I don't own one and neither does my Dad, but his birthday is coming up so I thought it'd be a good opportunity to buy him one (that I could then borrow). I've heard you shouldn't use standard screwdriver bits in them like you would with a drill because the impact action will twist them off. I see a lot of them on Amazon, but I suspect a lot of it just standard bits that are black oxide coated. I looked at some Wera bits, but they seem a little pricy for something that might tend to get lost or misplaced. Any other quality options?
|
|
#
?
Sep 11, 2012 00:38
|
|
|
LordOfThePants posted:Any suggestions for good impact driver bits? I don't own one and neither does my Dad, but his birthday is coming up so I thought it'd be a good opportunity to buy him one (that I could then borrow). Milwaukee shockwave bits are great. Regular bits will snap. Wera is great and all, but too spendy for regular use.
|
|
#
?
Sep 11, 2012 01:54
|
|
|
LordOfThePants posted:Any suggestions for good impact driver bits? I don't own one and neither does my Dad, but his birthday is coming up so I thought it'd be a good opportunity to buy him one (that I could then borrow). I just buy the cheapest multipack of bits I can get. I think for the price of two good bits, I ended up with 100 cheap bits that still lasted me a good 1000+ screws per bit with a Ridgid impact driver.
|
|
#
?
Sep 12, 2012 14:37
|
|
|
Ahz posted:I just buy the cheapest multipack of bits I can get. I think for the price of two good bits, I ended up with 100 cheap bits that still lasted me a good 1000+ screws per bit with a Ridgid impact driver. I was going to post the same. The cheap ones do break eventually but they get a lot of good use prior. I don't think it's worth it especially for something so easily lost
|
|
#
?
Sep 12, 2012 17:44
|
|
|
Ahz posted:I just buy the cheapest multipack of bits I can get. I think for the price of two good bits, I ended up with 100 cheap bits that still lasted me a good 1000+ screws per bit with a Ridgid impact driver. You have to remember to toss the cheap ones faster though, you can ruin screws because your bit slips. The good ones don't slip near as much. I found the ones that look like they have a little insert are the best. The cheap ones that are just cut to a square don't last near as long. In canada, so robertson bits, not phillips. Can't imagine trying to do a deck with phillips.
|
|
#
?
Sep 12, 2012 23:44
|
|
|
http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc...51#BVRRWidgetID I'm trying to decide between getting a corded drill driver or a cordless. This is just about the only corded model with a clutch that I can find, and it's way cheaper than a good lithium cordless drill driver. I already have a good corded drill so I only need it for driving screws. I'm trying to think of why a cordless driver would be better and I can't come up with anything. I'm only going to use it around the house where there's plenty of outlets around. Thoughts?
|
|
#
?
Oct 5, 2012 16:09
|
|
|
King Nothing posted:http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc...51#BVRRWidgetID I can't say anything bad about that drill, I have one that I did most of the framing in my basement with, and it's held up very well. Since you've already got one corded drill, I'd be hesitant to recommend another, I'd probably go with something like this M12 Milwaukee: http://www.homedepot.com/Tools-Hard...e&storeId=10051 And if you're only driving screws the M12 impact driver is pretty awesome but it's loud as hell.
|
|
#
?
Oct 5, 2012 18:41
|
|
|
SolidElectronics posted:I can't say anything bad about that drill, I have one that I did most of the framing in my basement with, and it's held up very well. Since you've already got one corded drill, I'd be hesitant to recommend another, I'd probably go with something like this M12 Milwaukee: http://www.homedepot.com/Tools-Hard...e&storeId=10051 My friends made the point that a cordless drill is nice if you're on a ladder or on your roof too. I ended up getting this: http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-203266851/h_d2/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&keyword=ridgid+cordless+drill&storeId=10051 Lifetime service including lifetime battery replacement so that's pretty cool.
|
|
#
?
Oct 6, 2012 00:13
|
|
|
If you have a brick house, spend the extra money for a hammer drill. You'll appreciate it when you inevitably put wildlife covers over bathroom exhausts, add an outlet or faucet, whatever. Otherwise you end up spending the money later and buying a hammer drill. e: ^^^ I recently got this (note the hammer drill, since my corded workhorse wasn't) and it owns. let it mellow fucked around with this message at 00:35 on Oct 6, 2012 |
|
#
?
Oct 6, 2012 00:32
|
|
|
King Nothing posted:My friends made the point that a cordless drill is nice if you're on a ladder or on your roof too. I ended up getting this: Good choice. Always nice to have both a drill and an impact driver Cordless is good for most work, corded for certain tasks (mixing paint or drywall mud, wire brush use, drilling into concrete, etc)
|
|
#
?
Oct 6, 2012 00:39
|
|
|
jackyl posted:If you have a brick house, spend the extra money for a hammer drill. You'll appreciate it when you inevitably put wildlife covers over bathroom exhausts, add an outlet or faucet, whatever. Otherwise you end up spending the money later and buying a hammer drill. Not that theres anything wrong with the hammer drill, it's just bulkier.
|
|
#
?
Oct 6, 2012 04:16
|
|
|
dyne posted:I have both a brick house and the ridgid hammer drill/impact driver combo (I bought it months before the regular drill and impact driver combo was available). I would much rather have gotten the regular drill and spent the $100 saved on a corded hammer drill. I agree, that's why I recommended spending the extra money upfront on a corded hammer drill. My main corded drill wasn't a hammer drill and it saved, what, $30? And then I needed one and scope creep crept in, so I ended up with that kickass set. But there was no reason to buy it if I spent the extra $30 or whatever it was when I bought the corded workhorse drill.
|
|
#
?
Oct 6, 2012 05:39
|
|
|
jackyl posted:I agree, that's why I recommended spending the extra money upfront on a corded hammer drill. My main corded drill wasn't a hammer drill and it saved, what, $30? And then I needed one and scope creep crept in, so I ended up with that kickass set. But there was no reason to buy it if I spent the extra $30 or whatever it was when I bought the corded workhorse drill. Yeah, if I'd known better I would have bought a corded hammer drill back when I bought a regular corded drill. My house is stucco so if I ever need to drill into it I might need a hammer drill but for now I don't. Maybe I'll just keep an eye on craigslist and buy one that way.
|
|
#
?
Oct 6, 2012 06:33
|
|
|
A winning combo is a cheap/light cordless for convenience and light-duty work, and a nice solid corded hammer drill for when you need to do real drilling.
|
|
#
?
Oct 6, 2012 14:52
|
|
|
I want to get some marking tools. I'd like to get these things: - thick straightedge/ruler - marking or cutting gauge (I think I want a cutting gauge, but could use some help deciding) - compass - engineer's square - knife for marking (what is the name of this?) Can anyone recommend one or more of these? I'd like to get stuff that is quality, but without spending more than I need to. For example, I'd like a square that is very accurately square and durable, but I don't need one made of brass and rosewood. Is a round shaft or square shaft marking gauge preferable? Round seems like it would be better, but David Charlesworth is using a square one in his handplane videos. e: Also, what is the difference between an engineers square, a machinists square and a try square? taqueso fucked around with this message at 19:59 on Oct 9, 2012 |
|
#
?
Oct 9, 2012 17:37
|
|
|
Combination squares are nice also and are easily found at garage sales or new
|
|
#
?
Oct 9, 2012 17:41
|
|
|
standardtoaster posted:
oh my god, I love mine. I've used it to suck up piles of horsehair plaster, old lime mortar, gravel, sand, nails, cement blocks, bricks, children... you get the idea. It's the honey badger of shopvacs. Hell, I left it sitting out in the yard for an entire winter while off in another city for work, and it still works (though the bearings are a bit loud now) just as well. It literally will suck up anything that will fit through the hose. ANYTHING. Some others: * Dewalt DW087 laser level - expensive, but worth it if you will be using it a lot. I got mine as a Christmas gift. * Delta 10" benchtop table saw - traded a homeowner grade air compressor I had no more need of for it. Does the job, though all I really do is rip 2x lumber down to the right size for fireblocks in my house. * MAASDAM 12 ton hydraulic bottle jack - I use it to jack up all manner of things, including corners of my house to replace sill plates, the axles on my 20 thousand pound surplus military truck to change the tires, etc. * Dead On framing hammer - don't buy. I use mine now that I have it, but they're not accurately ground, so they like to bend nails rather than driving them in (since the head face isn't perpendicular to the handle) and worse, the shank isn't tempered well enough to resist bending, so if you aren't careful it'll get more tweaked and you'll wonder why you suddenly suck at driving nails. Whacking it on something solid with the side of the head may straighten it back out. * Stanley "panel carrier" - the fluorescent orange plastic ones hanging on racks in the sheetrock/plywood aisles at Home Depot. Worth its weight in gold if you end up carrying around 4x8s of sheet goods a lot. * Milwaukee 0299-20 1/2" heavy duty corded drill. Gives not one single gently caress about anything. I've drilled 7/8" holes through century old 6" oak beams with nails in them without even really noticing. Comes with a second hand grip that can be attached at various angles so it won't sprain your wrist. * Speaking of which, Irwin Speedbor ship augurs are amazing. They go through anything and don't dull easily. * If you do a lot of electrical work, the Channel-Loc conduit/cable clamp ring nut tightening pliers are awesome. No more trying to drive those ring nuts onto the fitting with a hammer and a screwdriver. http://www.channellock.com/960-Locknut-Plier.aspx * Also good for electrical work - needle nose pliers that have a 12ga wire stripper built into the cutting jaw. I use them every time I do wiring in my house. http://www.amazon.com/Klein-Tools-D203-8N-8-Inch-Stripping/dp/B000CEORW6 e: Ryobi 4.5" angle grinders are good. I've been abusing two of them (I also have a Craftsman I made the mistake of buying a few years ago) for years and haven't killed them yet - including occasionally using them in the rain, outside, and/or forgetting them on the porch in the rain. Still work great. kastein fucked around with this message at 07:38 on Oct 11, 2012 |
|
#
?
Oct 11, 2012 07:27
|
|
|
kastein posted:oh my god, I love mine. I've used it to suck up piles of horsehair plaster, old lime mortar, gravel, sand, nails, cement blocks, bricks, children... you get the idea. It's the honey badger of shopvacs. I've been looking for a vac, and it looks like Home Depot has the WD1280 for under $60 dollars. Is that the model you have, or do you have one of the higher end ones? I'm just looking for light home use, such as cleaning the car, cleaning the garage, and blowing grass clippings from the sidewalk.
|
|
#
?
Oct 20, 2012 17:23
|
|
|
I love the WD1450, which has their scroll noise reduction thingy. It's probably the quietest vacuum I've ever used--including regular household vacuums. Might sound like a small thing, but the quietness makes it much nicer to use for long periods.
|
|
#
?
Oct 20, 2012 19:50
|
|
|
I feel like this may be the best place to ask this question... I am converting a small barn on my property into a workshop for me to do various manly things in. One of the things I want to put in is a nice 8ft workbench, and I kinda want to get one with a metal top. Any suggestions as to where I should be looking? Home Depot has just the stainless steel top, 8 feet, for $250 and I don't mind building the base, but I feel like there has to be a better option.
|
|
#
?
Oct 20, 2012 22:00
|
|
|
JamSessionEin posted:I feel like this may be the best place to ask this question... Buy a piece of thick steel plate, and build a table top fit it. Or, buy two harbor freight 42" tool boxes and use them for the base.
|
|
#
?
Oct 20, 2012 22:05
|
|
|
I've always built my workbenches from 2x4s, 4x4s, carriage bolts, and 3/4 ply, though you could put any kind of top over it that you want to.
|
|
#
?
Oct 20, 2012 22:09
|
|
|
sharkytm posted:Buy a piece of thick steel plate, and build a table top fit it. Or, buy two harbor freight 42" tool boxes and use them for the base. I guess my question then would be where would you find a thick steel plate the right size up for sale? I don't know where to source that kind of thing as I have never done so before.
|
|
#
?
Oct 20, 2012 22:12
|
|
|
JamSessionEin posted:I guess my question then would be where would you find a thick steel plate the right size up for sale? I don't know where to source that kind of thing as I have never done so before. Search "metal sales" in your area. You could also check a scrap yard, many sell steel (or you could find a piece of scrap that'll work). I've got a piece of 3/8" plate on my welding bench. I'd like a piece of half, but it was to heavy top move alone... It was 36" by 42", and about seventy five bucks.
|
|
#
?
Oct 21, 2012 02:53
|
|
|
sharkytm posted:Search "metal sales" in your area. You could also check a scrap yard, many sell steel (or you could find a piece of scrap that'll work). I've got a piece of 3/8" plate on my welding bench. I'd like a piece of half, but it was to heavy top move alone... It was 36" by 42", and about seventy five bucks. Thanks, I'll check that out.
|
|
#
?
Oct 21, 2012 04:11
|
|
|
JamSessionEin posted:I feel like this may be the best place to ask this question... Another option, look for a used stainless steel table from a commercial kitchen. Around here I see them all the time at auctions or the state surplus store.
|
|
#
?
Oct 21, 2012 04:42
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 22, 2024 12:29 |
|
|
wormil posted:Another option, look for a used stainless steel table from a commercial kitchen. Around here I see them all the time at auctions or the state surplus store. This isn't a bad idea of you need something lighter duty. You can't bash on a stainless table with a hammer, but for many things, it'd be perfect.
|
|
#
?
Oct 21, 2012 14:18
|
|