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Aw, thanks.  And to be clear, I'm not unhappy with it. I'm pleased, given that it's the first nontrivial thing I've ever put together that doesn't have screws and nails in it (home remodeling is one thing, building poo poo like this is quite another). It's not that it's not perfect, it's that tracecomplete fucked around with this message at 16:51 on Jul 9, 2021 |
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Jul 9, 2021 16:49
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Nice workbench! Seeing that made me think about my own workbench project again which is on haiatus to lumber costs so I checked home depot to see where they are... ...and a 2x4x8 has dropped in price 20% in the last few weeks!  if my memory serves me correctly of what it cost last time I lookedI might start assembling materials to make a bench!
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Jul 9, 2021 16:53
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^ No, you're right that the prices are dropping on construction lumber. It was all the talk at the lumber yard this week. Plywood prices aren't dropping yet though. Pictures of my coffee table that only took 2 years and 2 moves to complete.  
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Jul 9, 2021 16:58
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The 2x6s I just got for the top are about 25% off the 2x6s I got for the legs, which is nice.Jhet posted:Pictures of my coffee table that only took 2 years and 2 moves to complete. That looks nice. I am digging the legs.
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Jul 9, 2021 17:07
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Woodworking-adjacent question! My wife and I are looking at a walnut dining table that we really like. It's... a bit spendy (sale price of just over 3 grand), and crucially, we have a toddler. But we also kind of want to buy once cry once and get a nice table to enjoy for a while, instead of getting a lovely sacrificial table for the next 10 years and then getting a nicer one. I mean I grew up with a table that had been around when my mom was a kid, clearly a good table can last more than a lifetime even with kids around. The risk of course is that toddler will bang silverware and stuff on it and cause some major denting. Who knows, maybe even color on it (hopefully with washable markers). There could also be a 2nd toddler at some point. Please help me think through potential mitigating factors to toddler. Thoughts I've had so far: Walnut is a pretty hard wood and will resist scratching and denting We could put a mat down in her spot We could even cover the whole table until she's a little older (not ideal as it's very pretty as it is) Another thought I had is that worst case scenario, if it ends up badly scratched, the top surface could probably be refinished post-toddlerdom and still be a good lifelong table. As far as I can tell, it would just take some sanding and re-coating. I know sanding can be quite a task but it doesn't seem too bad - am I right that it wouldn't be too hard to refinish the top later on?
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Jul 9, 2021 17:49
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You're not gonna keep that table pristine. Even adults will dent or scratch it just through regular use. But yes, it is in principle straightforward to sand and refinish wood. The "in principle" is because sanding is easiest when the surface is flat or smoothly curved. If it has a lot of tight corners or detail work, then sanding gets significantly harder.
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Jul 9, 2021 17:54
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alnilam posted:Woodworking-adjacent question! You'll be way ahead in money and aggravation if you just wait a few years. Buying nice stuff with toddlers around is always a mistake. A similar table will be available later. Put up with everything being made of cast iron and concrete until then.
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Jul 9, 2021 17:57
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"You can sand it down" is technically true, but other pieces in the same collection mention a "pre-catalyzed lacquer finish", which kinda makes me wonder if you will not be opening a can of worms later when you seek to match the finish (either partial matching or redoing the whole table but getting the same look you paid for). I'd wait, IMO.
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Jul 9, 2021 18:01
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tracecomplete posted:"You can sand it down" is technically true, but other pieces in the same collection mention a "pre-catalyzed lacquer finish", which kinda makes me wonder if you will not be opening a can of worms later when you seek to match the finish (either partial matching or redoing the whole table but getting the same look you paid for). Ah drat, yeah the coating has a really nice matte look that I was wondering what it was.
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Jul 9, 2021 18:03
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SouthShoreSamurai posted:This is more construction related than fine woodworking, but hopefully someone here can answer my question before I delve into the Fix It Fast thread (or worse, the Crappy Contruction Had a chat with the building inspector today, turns out I'm taking down the joists anyways. The rim joists are no longer allowed to be through-bolted, and also now need to be doubled-up. Code requires them to be resting on top of the 4x4 posts. So that's pretty  . Wish he'd told me when he signed off on my plans. I can now fix my other mistake since I have to make some new rim joists.But hopefully this helps anyone else before they run into the same mistake.
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Jul 9, 2021 19:04
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SouthShoreSamurai posted:Had a chat with the building inspector today, turns out I'm taking down the joists anyways. The rim joists are no longer allowed to be through-bolted, and also now need to be doubled-up. Code requires them to be resting on top of the 4x4 posts. So that's pretty "We do the job right because we do it three times."
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Jul 9, 2021 19:10
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SouthShoreSamurai posted:Had a chat with the building inspector today, turns out I'm taking down the joists anyways. The rim joists are no longer allowed to be through-bolted, and also now need to be doubled-up. Code requires them to be resting on top of the 4x4 posts. So that's pretty That's pretty rear end-picky for a non-residence structure. I bet making a kids' clubhouse would be a real treat. Can you notch the joists into the posts? I'd surely hope they'd allow that. alnilam posted:Woodworking-adjacent question! Doesn't matter how hard the lumber is, the finish on it will scratch. My question, since it's in the woodworking thread after all, is for 3k, can you not....oh hell, I won't go there. Scratches on most hardwood finishes are easily repaired with an oil based finish lightly dabbed into the scratched area. It's magic.
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Jul 9, 2021 19:26
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Mr. Mambold posted:Doesn't matter how hard the lumber is, the finish on it will scratch. My question, since it's in the woodworking thread after all, is for 3k, can you not....oh hell, I won't go there. Scratches on most hardwood finishes are easily repaired with an oil based finish lightly dabbed into the scratched area. It's magic. Old English ftw. I mean, it's basically just mineral oil anyway and I can get my wife to actually use it, but if I brought in something from the finish shelf she'd make me do it.
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Jul 9, 2021 19:33
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I'll say it: get a table at the thrift store and make your own walnut table. By the time you finish it, no more toddler.
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Jul 9, 2021 19:36
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Jhet posted:Old English ftw. I mean, it's basically just mineral oil anyway and I can get my wife to actually use it, but if I brought in something from the finish shelf she'd make me do it. Seems fair.
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Jul 9, 2021 19:36
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Mr. Mambold posted:My question, since it's in the woodworking thread after all, is for 3k, can you not....oh hell, I won't go there. lol I definitely thought about just building one. Thing is, I know enough to make functional things, but not really nice things. A dining table seems like an ambitious place to start. Also while it could perhaps technically be done with a handsaw, mediocre block plane, palm sander, and 1" chisel... I'd probably be looking at 3k anyway after wood and tools lol
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Jul 9, 2021 20:16
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alnilam posted:lol I definitely thought about just building one. Thing is, I know enough to make functional things, but not really nice things. A dining table seems like an ambitious place to start. Also while it could perhaps technically be done with a handsaw, mediocre block plane, palm sander, and 1" chisel... I'd probably be looking at 3k anyway after wood and tools lol And also have a new skill and a ton of satisfaction. (I know you were only kidding, but man it feels great to make something.)
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Jul 9, 2021 21:01
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And a bunch of tools for when you decide to make a matching buffet.
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Jul 9, 2021 21:15
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I liked anarchists design book because everything in it is forgiving for when I make dumb mistakes, the designs are easily modified, and can generally be done with a pretty limited toolset
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Jul 9, 2021 23:09
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I mean $800 of walnut and a sawstop will get you pretty close to that table. There are worse ideas....
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Jul 10, 2021 01:37
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NomNomNom posted:I mean $800 of walnut and a sawstop will get you pretty close to that table. There are worse ideas.... I think you could do it with $600 worth of walnut, a good used contractor table saw, clamps, planes, a good router & bits. Get $100 worth of #2 pine to practice technique on. Hell....
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Jul 10, 2021 01:44
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Mr. Mambold posted:I think you could do it with $600 worth of walnut, a good used contractor table saw, clamps, planes, a good router & bits. Get $100 worth of #2 pine to practice technique on. Hell.... If the goal is to have it done by the time the kids are no longer destructive toddlers, skip the router and get a good set of chisels and a spokeshave...
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Jul 10, 2021 01:51
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alnilam posted:Woodworking-adjacent question! Stickly makes nice stuff and makes it in the USA. There’s some chance that won’t be true in 5 years, but you could definitely still get someone to make you that table in 5 years. Pre-cat lacquers are harder to strip, but they are also very durable. It’s what’s on plenty of restaurant tables. The top also wouldn’t necessarily need to be stripped-stripping is usually a last resort for only very badly damaged surfaces. It could be french polished over any damage and the sheen knocked down to match the original. Or hard fill sticks get burned into really deep scratches. There’s lots of ways to fix dinged and dented furniture, but over time that also adds to the character of it. The original Stickley stuff from 100 years ago definitely has a few dings in it by now. Keeping the top waxed (and a definitely a placemat) will help mitigate the inevitable toddler damage. E: 3K is a good price for that too imo. I’d expect something that size in solid walnut to be closer to 5 Kaiser Schnitzel fucked around with this message at 02:39 on Jul 10, 2021 |
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Jul 10, 2021 02:30
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Looks like I'm going to be making some wood screen inserts and wood single pane storm windows for my basement windows because it's either that or replacement with vinyl (which will be hard because the window sizes are not standard). A few questions: 1) Can anyone point me towards a wood framed screen design I might be able to use as.the basis for this project? 2) What kind of wood should I use for the frame of the storm window insert? I'll be painting it with exterior paint, with primer. Will pine work or should I use a hardwood of some sort?
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Jul 13, 2021 01:35
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The Slack Lagoon posted:Looks like I'm going to be making some wood screen inserts and wood single pane storm windows for my basement windows because it's either that or replacement with vinyl (which will be hard because the window sizes are not standard). I use pine with exterior paint and primer. I use bridle joints at the corners and just staple the screen on to the inside. For my storms, I rout a groove and caulk plexiglass to it.
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Jul 13, 2021 01:44
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Stultus Maximus posted:I use pine with exterior paint and primer. I use bridle joints at the corners and just staple the screen on to the inside. For my storms, I rout a groove and caulk plexiglass to it. Any particular caulk you use?
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Jul 13, 2021 01:59
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The Slack Lagoon posted:Any particular caulk you use? Just the DAP exterior window stuff. White, because I put it on before I paint.
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Jul 13, 2021 02:02
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Kaiser Schnitzel posted:Step 1: don’t let babby turn into a little hellion. Thanks for your input. Yeah it's normally 4.4k here but the local store that has it is going 35% off next month. Can you elaborate on keeping the top waxed?
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Jul 13, 2021 03:32
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alnilam posted:Thanks for your input. Yeah it's normally 4.4k here but the local store that has it is going 35% off next month. Wax will make the surface slicker and that helps with abrasion resistance and maybe turns some of those dings into glancing blows. It’ll also make it much easier to clean off any crayons or markers or whatever. Depending on how much it gets used and how it looks, maybe rewax it once a month if you feel like it?
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Jul 13, 2021 16:38
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I started this summer with a goal of building a spice cabinet. Not shelf, not rack, but cabinet. One where each spice jar has its own slot and is not behind any other spice. One where I can see exactly what I have at a glance. This thing was going to have to be tall but shallow. So now, weeks later I have built... the doors.  The frames (and the future carcass) are sycamore. The panels (and future lower drawer) are spalted sweet gum. Frames are using bridle joints, panels are floating in slots. Somewhere along the lines I decided to do as much as I can with hand tools and only use power tools when I have to. I cut the mortises by hand. The tenon faces were cut on a bandsaw because my technique and/or tenon saw need a lot of improving still. Shoulders were cut by hand and cleaned by chisel. All parts were dimensioned on a table saw and hand planed to final size; I'm still trying to figure out how to properly sharpen my ancient rip saw which currently can't cut anything more challenging than pine. Slots were cut on the router table since I don't have any sort of grooving plane. Chamfered the edges with a hand plane. I love the way the sycamore looks, but the interlocking grain is a huge pain. I'll be getting a card scraper in the near future because even with a razor sharp smooth plane set to the lightest possible shavings I get spots of awful tearout. Oh, and sweetgum has interlocking grain too.  Plus, the spalting looks really cool but there are some punky spots which are also not great when in contact with edged tools. So I continue. Stultus Maximus fucked around with this message at 15:21 on Jul 14, 2021 |
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Jul 14, 2021 15:18
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Stultus Maximus posted:I started this summer with a goal of building a spice cabinet. Not shelf, not rack, but cabinet. One where each spice jar has its own slot and is not behind any other spice. One where I can see exactly what I have at a glance. This thing was going to have to be tall but shallow. Those look beautiful. I use a lot of red / soft maple and it is also super prone to tearout. Not a ton I can do about it other than be careful and I like to keep the most exposed surfaces slightly oversized so I can sand them down a lot to fix tearout.
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Jul 14, 2021 15:51
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Stultus Maximus posted:I'll say it: get a table at the thrift store and make your own walnut table. By the time you finish it, no more toddler. Because he'll have run into the circular saw?
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Jul 14, 2021 16:43
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Arsenic Lupin posted:Because he'll have run into the circular saw? I'm sorry, but the correct question was "what is circular logic?" So close. Go again, Arsenic Lupin, there is one minute remaining in double Jeopardy.
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Jul 14, 2021 18:29
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My partner's father recently passed away and I've inherited a load of tools and am trying to get into woodworking. I have quite a bit of stuff now, and after getting a Bosch 4100 (which seems great for the price - I spent hours calibrating and it was dead on from the factory) I just need a few more things. First project was a quick workbench to get started - some saw horses, a solid core door and some scrap I ripped to raise it up clamped with c-clamps so I don't use too many of my rapidly growing clamp collection) and I'd like to build a proper workbench soon. I'm leaning towards a slightly modified Asa Christensen design with hardboard on top and bottom so the bench dog holes don't wallow out the MDF. But I've also read The Anarchist's Workbench so I'm still reading and considering - I don't think I have the skills (or the clamps!) at the moment to pull it off. Anyways, what I am missing is a way to face joint. I have a DeWalt lunchbox planer, and a Porter Cable 6900 series router installed in a router table for edge jointing, and after researching benchtop jointers I've been successfully scared off of them. That said, I rent and my space is not huge - perhaps 25'x8'x8', so a stand model is not in the cards. I'm interested in doing a mix of power and hand tools, but is it me or have even used prices gone a little nuts lately? I keep seeing posts on reddit from less than 2 years ago where prices are 30% cheaper than they are now. I've been trying to find deals using common advice - a nearby flea market had nothing but beat up construction tools, an antique store had only a chisel set, and craigslist and FB marketplace are moving slow or seem overpriced. There's another flea market that may be a better option since it's near the north suburbs of Chicago (which is where drat near all the used stuff shows up, I'm assuming because it's all old guys in the suburbs with lots of room and it's rare to have the shop space in the city where I am) but so far I have not had much luck. I'm leaning towards getting a vintage jack plane and a jointer. Paul Sellers is all Go on ebay and get a jack plane for $25-30! But that seems unlikely nowadays - rust buckets are at $50 and I don't have the eye to tell if it's worth it or not. There's a guy reposting his ad every day (and beyond that, there's very slim pickings) that restores vintage Stanleys but it's a bit pricy. https://chicago.craigslist.org/nwc/tls/d/stanley-vintage-hand-woodworking-tools/7346154328.html So. I'm wondering if I should ask him to help out a newbie and sell me a (higher-end - he has a range of prices for each type) #7 jointer and a #5 for, say $200. Does that seem like a smart move? Then I'll figure out sharpening, seems like a useful life skill to have though it's a bit frustrating there's so many suggested ways to go about it. Scary sharp! No, sandpaper adds up. Bench grinder to start! I don't have one nor the space... Do it by hand! Jesus Christ, I'm just starting I don't even truly know sharp. Get these cheap stones! No those are crap get these pricy ones...
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Jul 14, 2021 20:44
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You could use your planer to face joint by adding an MDF sled jig under the work piece and shimming it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWOB-WIDkOs IMO an eBay plane of questionable quality is going to be a lot of headache for somebody new to hand planes.
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Jul 14, 2021 20:47
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Enderzero posted:plane stuff I like to recommend newbies get a premium plane before getting in to buying vintage. A Lie-Nielson or Veritas comes sharp and won't have any problems, so you know what a proper sharp plane should feel like. But there are plenty here that started into the vintage route and it all works out in the end. Another benefit of a new plane is you won't need to regrind your iron any time soon so you can get away with just a fine stone before having to get anything courser or go the grinder route. Here's a sneak peek of the beginnings of my next marquetry panel, this will be some drawer fronts on a bookshelf. I'll share more progress pics as I get more into it. 
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Jul 14, 2021 21:45
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Other than some of the personal stuff, this is pretty much me (I'm also in Chicago and have like 20' x 9' of space). I also have the Dewalt planer, and I have done the sled and shim technique to face joint. It works pretty well, but it's somewhat time consuming. I'm leaning towards spending the extra money and getting a set of WoodRiver or Veritas planes so that I can have a good fore plane/jack plane and a good smoother. I still haven't figured out what I'm gonna do about sharpening - I got a cheap set of diamond stones and they're not really wide enough to be super effective. I've gotten to the point where I can get my cheap block plane tuned enough to do quick chamfers, trim proud joinery, etc.
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Jul 14, 2021 21:47
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Enderzero posted:My partner's father recently passed away and I've inherited a load of tools and am trying to get into woodworking. I have quite a bit of stuff now, and after getting a Bosch 4100 (which seems great for the price - I spent hours calibrating and it was dead on from the factory) I just need a few more things. First project was a quick workbench to get started - some saw horses, a solid core door and some scrap I ripped to raise it up clamped with c-clamps so I don't use too many of my rapidly growing clamp collection) and I'd like to build a proper workbench soon. I'm leaning towards a slightly modified Asa Christensen design with hardboard on top and bottom so the bench dog holes don't wallow out the MDF. But I've also read The Anarchist's Workbench so I'm still reading and considering - I don't think I have the skills (or the clamps!) at the moment to pull it off. I had a similar situation to yours. I have a nice old Stanley #5 and #4 which are great for flattening smaller stuff but for a jointer plane on large boards I use this: https://www.ebay.com/itm/114886358588?hash=item1abfc2b63c:g:Ht8AAOSwYBRg6eeU Or something similar to that I bought that has a 3" blade on it. I bought mine for like 50-60 USD. It's not going to be super dead perfect flat but it will be more than good enough for large boards imo. Getting used to adjusting one will take a bit but there are plenty of youtube guides on how to do it. Once you get it set up right its easy. I take my rough cut lumber (usually working with 8-9' long 1 or 2" thick planks of maple or cherry). Trim the checked ends off of the board with a chop saw and then if using the entire plank use winding sticks to figure out what needs to get flattened, or, cut the board to rough length of pieces for the project and lay them on my flat MDF top assembly table and rock them around to find the high spots etc. I mark the high spots with pencil, take it to my workbench and use the big wooden jointer to knock down the high spots. Take back to flat surface, rinse and repeat until one side is flat. Then send it through the lunchbox planer with the flat side down, once the opposite side is flat, flip it and send it through once or twice to smooth out the side I flattened by hand. I edge joint at the table saw with a jig I made. You can look through my post history here to see some of what I've made / some other discussions I've had with people here about this method. I've found that it's quite useful. I could be faster with a proper jointer, but I'm just building stuff for myself and not for a job so the time lost doing it this way is minimal. e: as for sharpening, discussion of it gets pretty bananas. I just bought a $30-40 set of stones a good while back and a cheap plane blade holder / jig for $12 and those work well enough for my chisels and plane blades. I have also just used a piece of glass and put different grades of sandpaper on it and used the same jig and honestly that works well. I still do that when I need a really coarse grit to dress a really old/nicked up blade then move it to the lower grit stones to polish it down further. That Works fucked around with this message at 21:54 on Jul 14, 2021 |
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Jul 14, 2021 21:51
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Things I've learned over the last couple months: For sharpening, a piece of flat tile and 120-240 grit sandpaper then a pair of Japanese water stones from Rockler got my planes and chisels razor sharp. Really, yesterday I was paring a tenon shoulder and noticed my finger was bleeding and I didn't feel a thing. If you listen to too much internet, you'll think that Stanley planes from a specific time in the early 20th century are the only ones worth thinking about. Nonsense. I got a 1930s no 5 and a 1950s no 3 from ebay for about $40 each and they are perfectly fine. I have a free no 4 with problems that I ground into a scrub plane too. You'll need to learn how to sharpen anyway so don't spend 3x what you need to on a Lie Nielsen just to delay that. Speaking of, I just spent an hour flattening one side of a rough sawn sycamore board that had an 1/4" bow and it sucks. I just don't want to gently caress with planer sleds or even worse, router flattening jigs. I also have a set of Narex bench chisels which are a great bargain. Good chisels are essential. e: almost forgot. A face vise has also been indispensable. Check out Paul Sellers clamp-in-a-vise method for not having to bother with dogs. Stultus Maximus fucked around with this message at 22:32 on Jul 14, 2021 |
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Jul 14, 2021 22:19
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Meow Meow Meow posted:I like to recommend newbies get a premium plane before getting in to buying vintage. A Lie-Nielson or Veritas comes sharp and won't have any problems, so you know what a proper sharp plane should feel like. But there are plenty here that started into the vintage route and it all works out in the end. Your other option is to go with a vintage dealer who’s trustworthy - and here I’m specifically thinking of Patrick Leach. (July list here.) You won’t be getting a plane that needs a huge amount of repair work, just some normal honing; it’ll cost a bit more but gives you an intermediate option.
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Jul 14, 2021 22:59
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