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Kind of a shame transitionals have gone up in price so much. Used to if you had access to a well tuned power jointer and $20 for the plane you could have a flat bottomed jointer plane for little effort.
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Dec 21, 2020 03:59
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The Locator posted:My current saw is this Wen: I have this saw. Its fine for curves with a 1/8" blade but I snapped a Starret 1/2" blade trying to resaw 4" of ash <  >
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Dec 21, 2020 04:00
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bobua posted:Wife's side table request. poplar, bb, black walnut. This looks fantastic, I love the detail on the leg attachments
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Dec 21, 2020 04:02
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Bouillon Rube posted:Is oil-based polyurethane food safe? I was playing with the little battery operated router that I got from HD the other day and made a salt cellar from some scrap 4x4 posts that I have laying around- was thinking about giving some away for holidays (literally took like 30 mins) First looks at food-safe wood treatments like this article: https://www.finewoodworking.com/2006/08/01/food-safe-finishes are very focused on cutting boards and butcher blocks, because the knife will carve up any other sealant and it'll wind up in the food, so you needs something that is actually safe to consume a little bit of. What you're doing doesn't necessarily require that level of safeness, you're not hacking at it; but on the other hand, salt absorbs moisture and sucks it right out of the wood and I would guess that your salt is going to taste like pine tree if you store it in unsealed pine. So your instinct to seal it tight with polyurethane isn't a bad one but I don't think anyone claims that polyurethane is safe for extended food contact. I would honestly go with some kind of thin epoxy. There are epoxies marketed as food safe, for things like wooden drinking cups and salad bowls, bar tops, etc. You want a completely non-porous finish that won't let the natural wood flavors taint your salt. And I'd also say, although maybe this sucks to hear: even a small can of your food grade epoxy is going to cost a lot more than the cutoff of a pine 4x4, so, might be worth considering a different wood, like it's a lot more palatable to put ten bucks of epoxy or whatever onto a hunk of maple or poplar or cherry vs. a ten cent offcut of soft yellow pine.
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Dec 21, 2020 04:34
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Super Waffle posted:I have this saw. Its fine for curves with a 1/8" blade but I snapped a Starret 1/2" blade trying to resaw 4" of ash < I have a 1/8" blade for sawing curves, but mostly I use the scroll saw for that. The reason I got the band saw, and it's primary purpose in life is to slice off pieces of wood to create the stock I need to cut parts out of or make planks with (very small ones of course), and it seems to work just fine for that. I can see 4" thick stock being really slow, given how it jams up on my slightly less than 3" stock if I push the speed at all, but I think I need to tighten up the belt, as the motor isn't getting bogged down, the belt just starts slipping. Do you use it on the slower or faster rpm for resawing wood? It comes factory set at the slower speed, and I've never actually tried it at the higher speed. Maybe I should do that when I go to adjust the belt.
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Dec 21, 2020 04:48
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Leperflesh posted:First looks at food-safe wood treatments like this article: Would shellac work?
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Dec 21, 2020 05:03
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Bouillon Rube posted:Is oil-based polyurethane food safe? I was playing with the little battery operated router that I got from HD the other day and made a salt cellar from some scrap 4x4 posts that I have laying around- was thinking about giving some away for holidays (literally took like 30 mins) Most finishes should be food-safe once fully cured. If you want something that's guaranteed food safe though, then find pure tung oil, which IIRC is technically edible even when not cured. But watch out; a lot of finishes sold as "tung oil" aren't actually pure tung oil.
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Dec 21, 2020 05:08
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Many oil finishes that don't include metallic driers are food safe, stick with things that are clearly marketed as food safe rather than rolling the dice testing a hypothesis about what might be safe or not.
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Dec 21, 2020 05:13
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Bouillon Rube posted:Would shellac work? GEMorris posted:WEN is definitely in the lower end of the market, which doesn't always tell you if the tool is bad or not, usually its more indicative of the frequency of defects and the level of service you're going to get. Here’s some complicated planer guts from replacing a bearing last week (do NOT decide to tear your planer apart!!!!): 
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Dec 21, 2020 05:31
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im sure this is answered earlier in the thread but: anyone have good beginner plans for an inexpensive workbench? i cant get poo poo done with the ikea kitchen island ive been using. i know absolutely nothing but want to learn, and i fogure a bench is a good place to start
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Dec 21, 2020 05:34
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SEX HAVER 40000 posted:im sure this is answered earlier in the thread but: build the $30 workbench then use it to build the english joiners bench: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rOHuC_yuV4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcq1LQq08lk
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Dec 21, 2020 05:50
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SEX HAVER 40000 posted:im sure this is answered earlier in the thread but: Go read The Anarchist's Workbench first. It's amazingly free and will help you know what you need to look for in the bench that is ultimately right for you.
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Dec 21, 2020 06:04
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^^^^^ ivebeen reading it! it's fantastic info, but kinda a lot to take in as a beginner--i don't have the tools to cut a mortise and tenon (except like, a chisel and dovetail saw). but the plans and ideas in it have been inspiring me a lot. i'm glad that dude is writing these guides.
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Dec 21, 2020 06:13
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I've been using the $30 workbench for over a year now, it's good.
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Dec 21, 2020 06:18
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$30 workbench is a low roman bench, and yeah, if I was starting from nothing that would be where I'd begin now as well. (I had access to a full power tool shop when I was starting out so I got to jump straight to Roubo). In his video he uses whitewood 2x4's which I am not wild about. In some of his other materials he mentions SYP which is definitely the direction I'd go if I were building one, which I may, as I have two weeks off and only a few things to do. GEMorris fucked around with this message at 06:43 on Dec 21, 2020 |
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Dec 21, 2020 06:29
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SEX HAVER 40000 posted:i don't have the tools to cut a mortise and tenon (except like, a chisel and dovetail saw) Grandpa Amu says thats good enough! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pk6sEyyAmfU
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Dec 21, 2020 06:44
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Ah pretty lovely quality on these photos, but got the throwing arm and "spoon" done. Basically done now, finishing remains. Maybe some kinda feet.  Edit: Oh yeah I might need some kinda soft catcher for the arm so it doesn't go break itself when firing.
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Dec 21, 2020 08:19
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SEX HAVER 40000 posted:im sure this is answered earlier in the thread but: Paul Sellers’ plywood workbench might be cheaper than rex’s english joiners bench, bit more labor though
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Dec 21, 2020 15:01
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The lady at the paint store tells me that drug store grade mineral oil is a decent food safe finish.
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Dec 21, 2020 15:20
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Yeah just make sure you don't get the kind the smells like a baby
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Dec 21, 2020 15:23
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For a first workbench, I think something put together fast and cheap with construction screws and straight/flat 2x4/2x6's with a solid core door or a couple layers of ply/mdf works well enough until you have a good idea of what you want down the road (if you even want to upgrade from that). Building a bench when you don't have a bench is not very fun, and you don't want to spend a lot of time and material to make something only to find out it doesn't work out so well in your space (like what if you make the bench 8 feet long and can only realistically fit 6' in your space?). Put a vise on it. That English joiner's bench looks pretty good too and doesn't seem too hard to make as a first bench, as long as you can get the boards flat
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Dec 21, 2020 15:44
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I started with a door on sawhorses, built the $30 low roman bench, and am working on an Anarchist’s bench. The Roman bench is an especially nice starter bench because it’s still useful even when you have a high bench. Ripping a long board for example is a lot more comfortable in the low bench.
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Dec 21, 2020 16:12
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I bought the ultimate workbench plans from Third Coast Craftsmen and it was a very nice package of plans and videos. It even starts out with a nice set of stackable sawhorses to build your top on and then use as a bench for the rest of the build. They suggest maple but for what would be like over a grand in materials was only a couple hundred in dimensional southern yellow pine. It's a hefty bastard in SYP, the weight would be crazy in hard maple. Some people build benches that are like works of art. I'm not there yet skill-wise or in access to materials, but I don't know if I would even if I could. A bench is made to be worked and I think you probably want it softer than most of the materials you are working with so SYP isn't bad Rufio fucked around with this message at 16:41 on Dec 21, 2020 |
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Dec 21, 2020 16:39
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It was already mentioned but I'm gonna nth it: read the anarchists workbench it's great. I doubt anyone knows as much about workbenches as Chris at this point
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Dec 21, 2020 16:44
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Rufio posted:I bought the ultimate workbench plans from Third Coast Craftsmen and it was a very nice package of plans and videos. It even starts out with a nice set of stackable sawhorses to build your top on and then use as a bench for the rest of the build. SYP is my favorite material for a bench. It's super easy to work, it's a fairly hard material but softer than 90% of hardwoods so it won't mess up workpiece. It's a great material for learning because the grain is obvious and it isn't hard on your tools or your arms to saw/plane it. It's cheap (well not right now but usually) and there are great plans for many types of benches available everywhere. Building a workbench and a stool to sit on out of SYP are basically the ideal wood projects to start with and they make all future projects easier. There's only one problem. Nearly every bench design you need a hand plane to really make it nice and proper and for whatever reason, a good handplane costs a fortune unless you want to physically fix one yourself which is very non-ideal for a beginner. I genuinely do not understand the cost of handplanes. You can kit out every other hand tool you need plus a sharpening setup for the cost of a single good handplane.
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Dec 21, 2020 17:13
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I built Schwarz's knockdown Nicholson bench as literally my first-ever woodworking project and it came out generally fine, it just took a while. I clamped boards to a cheap pair of sawhorses to surface/joint them. The top isn't as flat as it could/should be, but I actually didn't bother to fasten it to the base (it just sits in the opening) so I can redo/replace it down the road if I want. Miraculously the whole thing doesn't move or shift around at all. It doesn't have a vise built in to the design, but I don't think adding a leg vise would be too difficult. I just haven't done it yet.
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Dec 21, 2020 17:20
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Ash makes a great workbench and is fairly cheap atm. I have an unreasonable aversion to SYP because I hate the pitch, but if I ever made an English style bench I’d use it for sure. I worked for a long time on a screwed together 2x4 framed bench with a plywood top and a vice on one end. It’s not the best bench in the world, but it’s easy to make with minimal tools and it basically works fine. Glue some 2x on flat to the bottom of the plywood top to beef it up for dog holes and do your morticing over a leg and it’s perfectly serviceable. That being said, my big roubo bench is my favorite and most used tool in my shop. I made a sliding deadman for it when I built it that I thought I wouldn’t use much, but it actually gets a ton of use and is super handy. I like the leg vice in theory, but in reality it (and the big wooden screw) are a little underwhelming and I would do that differently in future. I haven’t read the latest iteration of Schwarz’s workbenchanalia to know if he still recommends those or not. His other workbench book is what got me going on mine and has tons of great insights. E: much as a love my big roubo, I can’t imagine doing it by hand unless you can get a huge chunk of tree for the top. Mine is like 16 ash 3.5”x2”x9’ boards laminated to make a thick 3.5” thick, 30” wide top, and that would be a serious chore to glue up and surface by hand. The legs at laminated SYP to be 5.5” sq and again-lots of gluing unless you can find some big timbers. Kaiser Schnitzel fucked around with this message at 17:32 on Dec 21, 2020 |
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Dec 21, 2020 17:25
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Schwarz is all in on benchcrafted hardware now. Seconding love for the sliding deadman, Schwarz says they aren't needed with the benchcrafted stuff but my leg vise, which I do love, is just a german made metal screw and parallel guide. I can imagine building a Roubo without a complete shop but I can't imagine making one without at least a lunchbox planer and a circle/track/band saw.
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Dec 21, 2020 17:49
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I hear people say that once you own a tracksaw that you'll wonder how you did without it but I just don't see it. What makes them so useful? I use either my table saw or my circular saw+fence for everything. Is it just setup time and ease of use? Help me see the light
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Dec 21, 2020 17:54
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Its speed and repeatability of setup (your cut line is literally the edge of the rail splinter guard) and then being able to leverage accessories like rail mounted squares or more notably MFT table style work surfaces and work/rail registration accessories like parfdogs.
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Dec 21, 2020 18:07
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Rufio posted:They suggest maple but for what would be like over a grand in materials was only a couple hundred in dimensional southern yellow pine. It's a hefty bastard in SYP, the weight would be crazy in hard maple. God drat that's a lot. My bench is covered in chisel and saw marks, paint, stain, pen.. I'd feel horrible doing that to a thousand dollars of maple.
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Dec 21, 2020 18:31
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Rufio posted:On the topic of portable tools, are Festool really that amazing? They sure are proud of them price-wise but I've never actually seen any in the flesh to play with. Festool's dust collection tends to be amazing. Their tools usually ~feel~ better in different ways depending on the tools(soft start motors, power feedback, grip design). They come with really good blades, instead of the trash often included with everything else. The features you tend to find on all tools are better in small ways that make a huge difference. Definitely not a situation where you are just paying for a brand name, but that doesn't mean its worth it for you\your situation.
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Dec 21, 2020 18:39
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As a mostly power tool user who dabbles in hand tools, I opted for Rob Cosman's basic bench. If you have a table saw and a hatchback you can make this bench. The top is 4 layers of 3/4 mdf and the legs are 18mm baltic birch laminated. I kitted mine out with matchfit dovetail clamp tracks. Tons of great work holding options for planing, routing, and sanding. Was one of the cheapest bench designs I came across when I was researching (in covid times, sheet goods haven't gone up nearly as much as lumber) 
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Dec 21, 2020 18:49
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NomNomNom posted:As a mostly power tool user who dabbles in hand tools, I opted for Rob Cosman's basic bench. If you have a table saw and a hatchback you can make this bench. The top is 4 layers of 3/4 mdf and the legs are 18mm baltic birch laminated. I kitted mine out with matchfit dovetail clamp tracks. Tons of great work holding options for planing, routing, and sanding. I'm planning to make the Cosman workbench over the holidays as well. Do you happen to know why he uses a stapler when laminating the plywood? Would brad nails work as well?
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Dec 21, 2020 19:08
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revtoiletduck posted:I'm planning to make the Cosman workbench over the holidays as well. I wish I had an answer for you. I used brad nails  I'll also say that laminating the mdf was a giant pain and didn't come out as flat as I had wanted, I think I used too much glue and it created a pocket that couldn't squeeze out. I made a terrible mess. NomNomNom fucked around with this message at 20:01 on Dec 21, 2020 |
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Dec 21, 2020 19:58
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The junk collector posted:SYP is my favorite material for a bench. It's super easy to work, it's a fairly hard material but softer than 90% of hardwoods so it won't mess up workpiece. It's a great material for learning because the grain is obvious and it isn't hard on your tools or your arms to saw/plane it. It's cheap (well not right now but usually) and there are great plans for many types of benches available everywhere. Building a workbench and a stool to sit on out of SYP are basically the ideal wood projects to start with and they make all future projects easier. There's only one problem. Nearly every bench design you need a hand plane to really make it nice and proper and for whatever reason, a good handplane costs a fortune unless you want to physically fix one yourself which is very non-ideal for a beginner. I genuinely do not understand the cost of handplanes. You can kit out every other hand tool you need plus a sharpening setup for the cost of a single good handplane. Honestly, restoring an old hand plane isn’t ideal, but it’s not difficult and doesn’t have to require any woodworking-specific skills. Mineral spirits and scotchbrite pads make quick work of surface rust, and flattening the sole only requires a flat surface and some sandpaper.
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Dec 21, 2020 20:06
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Are the bench dog (rockler house brand) or woodriver (woodcraft house brand) planes any good?
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Dec 21, 2020 20:12
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I dunno about bench dog. Wood River has consistently good reviews but is a small step below veritas and lie nielsen when it comes to fit and finish. Stanley Sweetheart planes are really the quality control lottery. You have to ask yourself if the 20% you save is worth it or not when going with a non-top-shelf handplane. My take on WoodRiver is if I'm gonna spend that much then I may as well spend a little more and never have to think about upgrading ever again.
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Dec 21, 2020 20:26
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Baronash posted:Honestly, restoring an old hand plane isn’t ideal, but it’s not difficult and doesn’t have to require any woodworking-specific skills. Mineral spirits and scotchbrite pads make quick work of surface rust, and flattening the sole only requires a flat surface and some sandpaper. I mean, I highly recommend restoring old handplanes and that describes my entire set but for someone just getting into working with their hands it could be pretty overwhelming. The won't know what to look for and there's always a chance they'll get a lemon or one that's way worse than expected or one that was restored incorrectly and is now out of square. Or one like I got the other day that turned out to be a pile of trash, it didn't even have an iron but instead it had 2 chip breakers shoved in the throat, one of which was poorly sharpened. I just don't get why new planes are as expensive as they are for 
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Dec 21, 2020 20:29
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I mean to be fair both Lee Valley and Lie Nielsen pay good wages to western workers, have high quality control, and use premium materials.
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Dec 21, 2020 20:56
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