TooMuchAbstraction posted:

Oh sure, my skill level is not remotely near that of the professional carpenter with decades of hand-crafting experience, regardless of when they were born. I'm just saying that it maybe makes sense to adjust the height of your bench to take into account how tall you yourself are.

The saw does spew sawdust all over, but I've plugged the gaps between the studs behind it, so the sawdust just remains on the table until I vacuum it. Doggo stays clean. More importantly, doggo does not have easy access to sawdust, because he will not stop trying to eat it.

That Works posted:

Word words words

Wasabi the J posted:

One thing I wish I reconsidered was just spending up front for hardwood for the carcasses of my bookshelves.

They wouldn't be as straight as plywood without working, but I get the feeling they would have been more structurally sound, and easier to work with.

Mr. Mambold posted:

How about no. Don't 2nd guess this one.

z0331 posted:

I'm looking to get into hand tools. Power tools are more or less out because of space (super old, stone-wall basement is my workspace), cost, and I don't want to deal with dust collection.

I started by looking for some old Stanley planes, but prices are way higher than they were when this thread was started. There's a huge weekly flea market near here that I tried and didn't really find anything. I went back a week later and saw an old wooden plane, but wasn't sure if I wanted that as a first one. After wandering around a bit, I came across a table covered in planes and vintage tools. Apparently the guy is a collector who finds and restores them. Bought a beautiful Stanley No. 5 for $50. It took a couple days of adjusting and figuring it out/watching videos, but after that and sharpening with some sandpaper taped to the kitchen counter, it works like a dream.



(Bonus shot of some of the shavings I was getting off a douglas fir plank.)

My dad has been woodworking for years and has put together an impressive workshop. He typically uses power tools but I asked him if he happened to have any hand tools he didn't use anymore and he said he'd get back to me. I was hoping he'd maybe have a couple chisels or a plane, and maybe a saw. A few weeks later my parents visited and he brought me this:



A 6-piece Robert Sorby chisel set, a Lie Nielsen brass no. 4, a Tormek water-cooled grinder/sharpener (he included several jigs as well), and some other goodies.

He also made me a pair of light sawhorses.



I still need clamps and a mallet. I ordered Schwarz's workbench book and am nervously looking forward to really trying to make a bench. After that, my first project in mind is a little firewood rack. I figured it'd be some good mortise and tenon practice.

Huxley posted:

Before you go all-in on a Roubo, look into the Nicholson benches. I'm about 80% done building this one:

mds2 posted:

loving sweet! That is really nice set of tools and Krenov saw horses. Your dad is setting you up for success.

z0331 posted:

I'm looking to get into hand tools. Power tools are more or less out because of space (super old, stone-wall basement is my workspace), cost, and I don't want to deal with dust collection.

I started by looking for some old Stanley planes, but prices are way higher than they were when this thread was started. There's a huge weekly flea market near here that I tried and didn't really find anything. I went back a week later and saw an old wooden plane, but wasn't sure if I wanted that as a first one. After wandering around a bit, I came across a table covered in planes and vintage tools. Apparently the guy is a collector who finds and restores them. Bought a beautiful Stanley No. 5 for $50. It took a couple days of adjusting and figuring it out/watching videos, but after that and sharpening with some sandpaper taped to the kitchen counter, it works like a dream.



(Bonus shot of some of the shavings I was getting off a douglas fir plank.)

My dad has been woodworking for years and has put together an impressive workshop. He typically uses power tools but I asked him if he happened to have any hand tools he didn't use anymore and he said he'd get back to me. I was hoping he'd maybe have a couple chisels or a plane, and maybe a saw. A few weeks later my parents visited and he brought me this:



A 6-piece Robert Sorby chisel set, a Lie Nielsen brass no. 4, a Tormek water-cooled grinder/sharpener (he included several jigs as well), and some other goodies.

He also made me a pair of light sawhorses.



I still need clamps and a mallet. I ordered Schwarz's workbench book and am nervously looking forward to really trying to make a bench. After that, my first project in mind is a little firewood rack. I figured it'd be some good mortise and tenon practice.

z0331 posted:

I'm planning on trying the knockdown Nicholson. I like the idea of using holdfasts, and it just seems like an easier build.

z0331 posted:

ColdPie posted:

Congrats, keep posting lots of pictures I'll also recommend the Nicholson from that book, but skip the crochet and just stick a vise on there, trust me.

Huxley posted:

I'm going to have about $60 in SYP invested in mine by the time it's over.

I was also planning on going with a cleat over a vise just for simplicity sake, but honestly it's just because I can't find a good reference picture of a vise attached to a flat-faced bench. All the ones I see online are undermounted on slab tops. I assume I'm just looking at the wrong type of hardware.

ColdPie posted:

Search "leg vise".

Huxley posted:

Before you go all-in on a Roubo, look into the Nicholson benches. I'm about 80% done building this one:

https://blog.lostartpress.com/2014/09/08/download-free-plans-for-the-knockdown-nicholson-workbench/

I became convinced it would be plenty after a year or so working exclusively on a saw bench that was basically just a mini Nicholson.





Holdfasts rule, and I'll bend over backward to use them over clamps where I can.

Magnus Praeda posted:

Do you have plans for that sawbench? It looks perfect for the kind of "nomadic" work I end up needing to do due to space constraints.

That Works posted:

I have some more general type questions about a few things for furniture building.

What is necessary for decent long-term joinery for furniture vs what is just expedient?

There's a ton of plans for dressers etc that are all just "Buy plywood, buy Kreg Jig, pocket screw every joint, done". Are pocket screw heavy designs going to hold up well over time? Where do I draw the line on what materials to use with a sensible budget?

Example, a dresser. I could build the entire thing out of oak boards, every last bit, frame, panels, drawers. Mortise and tenons throughout, and dovetails on the 1/2" resawn drawer interiors (cost - $$$ high). On the opposite end, I could do the entire thing with plywood and veneers and pocket screws only (cost - $ low). In the middle would be oak frame and plywood panels. Drawers made out of plywood and drawer fronts out of oak. Seems like a medium cost option and something I think I can build now.

For that middle way, if I made the drawers themselves out of plywood and was then abandoning the finer joinery for pocket screws or just butt joints and nails or screws between plywood pieces, how well does that hold up? I have the impression it's not going to be as good as dovetailed hardwood boxes and would expect those to last a lifetime, but is it going to matter? Would the plywood drawer using glue and screws hold up to moderate use for 25+ years as well? We're not having kids so my idea of wear and tear is fairly gentle FYI.

I've learned enough now to not be put off by doing joinery, so now I'm just trying to figure out where does it become important to use it in regards to materials and durability vs overall costs. This is all also helping me decide what power tools I eventually want to have in my currently unpowered shop.

Huxley posted:

I just built it out of my head, but I can walk you through it.

Need a 6' 2x12, a 6' 1x8, and about a dozen deck screws. Maybe $15 on a bad day.

Cut two 18s out of the 2x12 and notch them, those are your legs.

Cut two 36s from the 1x8, those are your aprons. Cut the angles however (but uniform) then attach them to your legs, set a thumb-width inside the apron angles.

Take that last 36 of 2x12 and rip it down the center. Align the edges to the outside of the aprons and there's your gap.

You can countersink your top screws but you can usually just drive on through pine to the same effect. The top is plenty thick for a holdfast to catch, too.

Plus it's a pretty good sitting bench when you are done.

Huxley posted:

I'm going to have about $60 in SYP invested in mine by the time it's over.

I was also planning on going with a cleat over a vise just for simplicity sake, but honestly it's just because I can't find a good reference picture of a vise attached to a flat-faced bench. All the ones I see online are undermounted on slab tops. I assume I'm just looking at the wrong type of hardware.

Spring Heeled Jack posted:

I have a handtool-focused shop in my garage and one in my basement, currently I operate out of my basement as its somewhat climate controlled and easy to get to. However as a person with a 1 year old i can't always be hammering and sawing when she is napping or after she goes to bed. So I'm looking for a toolbox that will let me easily move everything back and forth as the seasons permit, with fall and spring being the times I would be out in the garage.

Can anyone provide real feedback on the Dutch toolchest as far as usability goes? It sure as poo poo looks nice in pictures but that doesn't help me if it can barely fit my larger planes and ripsaws without having to create an unmovable monstrosity.

When the time comes to move it in or out, I'll need to be able to get it up like 5 steps from the basement and across the driveway.

Kaiser Schnitzel posted:

I�m working on a mock up of a Parson�s table in solid wood. It seemed like sort of a complicated joint that actually isn�t that complicated now that I figured out the right order to cut everything in. I�ve done some similar joints on Chinese sort of stuff, but getting a mitre that showed on all three faces meeting at the corner took some trial and error. I cut the mitres first on the table saw and then did all the rest with a big rear end spiral straight bit in the router. I learned I need to layout everything and do all the router work first, and then cut the mitres last to keep plenty of meat for the router fence to ride on. If I ever get around to building a slot mortiser it would be a whole lot easier. Seems much stronger than I thought it would be-not really sure the second short tenon is necessary, but it�s not much extra work and I�m worried about racking strength.

JEEVES420 posted:

Since I was not happy with the top after sleeping I decided to redo it. I need to realize sooner when I start to say "gently caress it" its time to stop and come back the next day.

TooMuchAbstraction posted:

Have a plan for your shop layout, at minimum for your bench and any hard-to-move tools with big space requirements like table saws.

I know you're finishing the walls, but IMO you should mark where the studs are for ease of attaching shelves, hooks, etc. because blank vertical space is screaming out to have some kind of storage attached to it. The easiest way to do this is to put up drywall but not bother mudding or painting it, so you can see where the drywall screws are.

TooMuchAbstraction posted:

Decide now whether you're going to want 220V tools. It's easier to run wires before you close up the walls. On a related note, now is a great time to install additional outlets, especially in the ceiling. Ceiling outlets make it a lot more pleasant to have tools in the middle of the shop floor.

TooMuchAbstraction posted:

Either decide not to do finishing work in the basement, or make sure you have good ventilation.

How are you going to get heavy tools into the basement? How are you going to get large finished pieces out? Do you need to consider widening stairs/doorways?