Woodworking 101--Tools and Tips

[turbowoodworker]

Jim,
concerning scratch beading, your collection is impressive. If you look at my long rifle pics, you may appreciate a bit of scratch beading done parallel to the ramrod channel. It was done using a homemade beader. I brazed a nail to a piece of 1/4" rod. The rod slides in the channel the length of the forestock and the nail cuts a groove that acts as relief once stained and finished.
Thanks for posting,
Rick

 

[ztorres]

I made another bench dog tonight, and I think this one may explain how I did it a little better. Same as with the first one the cuts are the same 15/16"X1-7/16" and I cut a 10° cut from 3/4" off the 15/16" length.
I screwed a piece of 1/8" hardboard on the angled face. A couple pictures of how it looks.


Then I push the dog into the hole a little

Notice that the 1/8" hardboard is still off from the dog.
Next I push it in a little further. See how the hardboard gets a little to the dog

Then I push the dog all the way in until the hardboard is flush with the main piece. This pressure holds the benchdog in place. It is relatively perpendicular to the top face.




Zach

 

[TerryH]

TH--awesome shop! And love the woodworking bench.

Thanks! I do love the bench. It a mixture of old and new school. The base is all solid white oak using mortise and tenon construction. The top is 3 layers of 3/4" mdf covered with a piece of white oak plywood. It's edge banded with solid white oak. Jorgensen vise. Drawer sides are Baltic birch ply and bottoms with solid white oak fronts all dovetail construction with 100lb full extension slides. Doors are solid white oak with raised panels as are the end panels. It weighs somewhere around 800 lbs. empty and it ain't empty.

Few more just for kicks.

 

[Craptain]

Craptain,
Thanks for sharing the story of the long rifle. Was it in your family? It truly looks like a conversion as there is some corrosive degrading of the flash hole area only seen with old flintlocks. The shape of the comb suggests a Bedford (PA) County heritage but not common to be half stocked from that area. Half stocks were less expensive and made common first in the Ohio Valley by makers like Leman.
There are lots of books on the topic, and I am no expert.
Thanks again. Rick

Not a family history. The gun came from an auction. The bid was right and my hand had a pavlovian reaction. I realized that I could/should not keep it. But being who I am I made some repairs and re-sold it at a significant profit. Honestly to me it was another antique to fix. Although most of my user guns are antique and most are black powder. I just like working with old stuff.


Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk

 

[TerryH]

Damn Terry I never realized you were such a woodworker. All I ever read was the dragster.

Thanks! Woodworking was well before dragstering. I started woodworking in 2000. Back then I had a $99 bench top table saw and a few hand tools. It kinda got out of hand from there.

 

[TerryH]

Man this thread moves so fast. Sitting down after work for the day and it is almost impossible to be able to reply or make comments on everything that was posted today.

Terry what a nice shop you have. I dream of having one that big some day maybe...have you been featured in any of the Wood Magazine Shop edition or any other woodworking magazine.

I am afraid to post anymore of my stuff after seeing yours.

Bret

lol.. Thanks Bret! Never been in any magazines or anything like that. I'm just a legend in my own mind. As far and the actual woodworking, I'm still learning. Everything I build uses very straightforward joinery and techniques. Basically I figured out how to do mortise and tenons, cope and stick router table joints, pocket holes and how to use a dovetail jig and went from there. I've made a lot of custom kindling along the way. Every piece I've done pretty much uses those joinery methods. Thankfully my wife likes plain and simple furniture.

 

[turbowoodworker]

Terry,
So glad you are on this thread. Love your shop.
Rick

 

[TerryH]

Terry,
So glad you are on this thread. Love your shop.
Rick

Hey Rick!! How have you been?

You know me. Always looking for a chance to talk shop and woodworking!! Drives invited me a while back. Just now getting around to joining in. Super thread with a ton of great info!!

 

[turbowoodworker]

Terry, and all, there is some really good stuff going on here.
I'll try to get some more on tomorrow, working nights this week.

 

[jimreed2160]

Turbo--If you still have your scratchstock, shoot us a picture. I showed off some "storebought" beaders, but your home made scratcher would beat them all. Sometimes all it takes is a nail in a stick.

 

[turbowoodworker]

Working nights, I'll try to get a picture when I get home in the morning.

 

[1Garageman]

Hello fellow wood workers! I am so glad this page has been started here. I am not an advanced wood worker, but love doing it! And my wife loves giving me projects to do. My most recent big project was a Christmas gift last year when I made a headboard for my brother in law's bed.
I wish my brother in law would of wanted it stained instead of painted.

 

[bj383ss]

Hello fellow wood workers! I am so glad this page has been started here. I am not an advanced wood worker, but love doing it! And my wife loves giving me projects to do. My most recent big project was a Christmas gift last year when I made a headboard for my brother in law's bed.
I wish my brother in law would of wanted it stained instead of painted.

Headboard looks great! Welcome to the wood thread. You have any other projects to share or pictures of your shop?

Bret

 

[drivesitfar]

1G: welcome to the thread and nice looking headboard. feel free to post up more projects and as you might not think your skills you have are not worth giving details about to some they are. i bet this thread might help us help some young men and women to get out in the garage or yard and start making something instead of turning on the video game or cell phone. we all have to start someplace so while you learn feel free to teach too. thanks in advance

BJ: nice to see you up and if you want to post one of those projects every day or every couple days or each week i'm ok with that and i'm sure the other guys wouldn't mind either.

you don't have to restore a 200 year old gun or make a boat car to post something, but they are cool and i hope those members with that talent never stop posting either so we all have something to shoot for.

ALL: anybody have any thoughts on my 12x12 old timber that might be full of creosote or just petrified other than a landscape piece, mailbox stand or vise stand? no comments on my first time using a DRAW KNIFE? it does cut pretty decently BTW. actually my Gramps might have let me skin a log or two 50+ years ago with one of his while he was hand splitting shakes. were they really only 25 cents to $1 each when sold new? of course that was maybe a hour or two's pay in those days.

i'm hoping to clean off another bench today and maybe take a picture while all of you post up some cool tools, projects or just a lesson.

cheers

 

[jimreed2160]

One week and 10,000 eyes! Thanks for participating. Woodworking can get under your skin (maybe that is splinters talking).

Terry--Outstanding bench. It is good to have something sturdy and that one fits the bill. Good job. Thanks for the pictures.

1G-man--The headboard looks great. That is a practical project and I am sure there are many "headless" beds out there. I am looking at one right now in my office. Did you have a plan or did you just pull it out of your head?

Holiday week approaching. Clean up your shop and put it on the tour list. It is a place where you can show off, teach, or just let others enjoy your vibe.

 

[1Garageman]

Headboard looks great! Welcome to the wood thread. You have any other projects to share or pictures of your shop?

Bret

I have been busy this year finishing my deck. A tree fell down and hit it last year, so I spent most of the beginning of the year rebuilding it. I make a lot of picture frames and some other things. I just didn't have much time this year now that I think about it. Here are a few more pictures.

 

[jimreed2160]

Drives--Good job putting that drawknife to work. I am leaning toward a soft wood like doug fir or spruce. The ring spacing looks large. Also, from the end your piece looks like it was originally cut as a timber. There is not a whole lot of good wood left for fine lumber.

The typical lumber process goes like this:
1. Tree is felled, de-limbed and bucked into sections at least 8ft long
2. Log is squared at mill
3. Mill sawyer pulls lumber off edges, looking for highest yield of wide and long
4. Center is juvenile wood and does not make stable boards. It is a cant (I can't pull any more lumber) and is used for larger timbers.

This is the process for regular cut lumber. Quarter sawn lumber is cut radially to show different grain patterns.

 

[drivesitfar]

JIM: i tend to agree with your thinking, but dang this is maybe the heaviest 12x12 i've ever owned. it probably is going to be an outdoor vise stand out in my backyard cause i have a 130 pound Rock Island that is in great shape and just missing a front mounting hole so i'll weld it to a steel plate and screw it onto this is my thinking. in any case i think this timber deserves a better spot than just sitting in the dirt. i just need to move it out of my Honda now which might not be simple cause i don't have any lifts at home.

ALL: so i know Terry built a great chicken coup/run, but wondering if any of you have built a treehouse, fort or playhouse. anybody want to share their pictures and plans? reason i'm asking is it would be nice to maybe get the youngins into building and i remember hammering nails on trees and putting up 2x4's to make a sort of stairway. maybe not the safest of stairs, but when you are 6 it's a good start. also several of members have young kids and they need to provide some entertainment for their kids so a treehouse, fort or playhouse might be a good start to build for them or have the kids help.

 

[bj383ss]

JIM: i tend to agree with your thinking, but dang this is maybe the heaviest 12x12 i've ever owned. it probably is going to be an outdoor vise stand out in my backyard cause i have a 130 pound Rock Island that is in great shape and just missing a front mounting hole so i'll weld it to a steel plate and screw it onto this is my thinking. in any case i think this timber deserves a better spot than just sitting in the dirt. i just need to move it out of my Honda now which might not be simple cause i don't have any lifts at home.

ALL: so i know Terry built a great chicken coup/run, but wondering if any of you have built a treehouse, fort or playhouse. anybody want to share their pictures and plans? reason i'm asking is it would be nice to maybe get the youngins into building and i remember hammering nails on trees and putting up 2x4's to make a sort of stairway. maybe not the safest of stairs, but when you are 6 it's a good start. also several of members have young kids and they need to provide some entertainment for their kids so a treehouse, fort or playhouse might be a good start to build for them or have the kids help.

Drive- I built my oldest a playhouse several years ago out of just plywood. I think it was 2 sheets, and the roof was some offcut OSB. I painted it Blue with a black roof. It didn't last very long but they out grew it at about the same time. When we sold the old house it got put in the burn pile.

Picture 019 by bjohnson388, on Flickr

Picture 053 by bjohnson388, on Flickr

Picture 051 by bjohnson388, on Flickr

Picture 008 by bjohnson388, on Flickr

Picture 006 by bjohnson388, on Flickr


Picture 003 by bjohnson388, on Flickr

Picture 001 by bjohnson388, on Flickr

Bret

 

[bj383ss]

One of my first toy projects. Built this for my oldest as well.

48- Ford Monster Truck from a toy book I have. I am headed out to clean up my shop for some picture taking.

DSCN3147 by bjohnson388, on Flickr

DSCN3151 by bjohnson388, on Flickr

DSCN3153 by bjohnson388, on Flickr

DSCN3154 by bjohnson388, on Flickr

He was rough on it and later on, I had to have one of my shop helpers Andy fix it.

DSCN7996 by bjohnson388, on Flickr

DSCN7997 by bjohnson388, on Flickr

DSCN8004 by bjohnson388, on Flickr

DSCN8008 by bjohnson388, on Flickr

Bret

 

[drivesitfar]

BJ: AWESOME and looks like your kids are smiling and having fun. more DAD OF THE YEAR POINTS that is for certain.

i don't have a clue how you made some of those pieces so explaining any and all when you have some time would be nice for us future grandpas and toy makers and kids that might want to build their own.

thanks a lot for the playhouse pictures too.

 

[Shiftless]

BJ:
Once again I am blown away with your level of skill in design and execution...

Did you use any advanced tools beyond a lathe?

 

[CRSINMICH]

Toy Rocking Chair​

I built this for my son. I had just helped a friend move her stuff and she had one that her father made for her. Working from only quick photos and hasty measurements I came up with this.

 

[bj383ss]

Drive, Shift thank you for the comments.

CR that is a very interesting chair.

Shift I made this truck before I had a lathe. All of the dowels were store bought and the wheels I made on the Bandsaw, Sander, and then cut the slots on the tablesaw with a jig. The truck body is Maple, fenders are Cherry and the wheels are walnut.

There are 107 build photos so I will just hit the highlights

The cab and bed blanks.

DSCN2972 by bjohnson388, on Flickr

Truck body layout and cutout on the bandsaw and the over to the OSS sander. After that I did a lot of hand sanding with files on all of the corners and the crevices.

DSCN2977 by bjohnson388, on Flickr

DSCN2981 by bjohnson388, on Flickr

DSCN2989 by bjohnson388, on Flickr

DSCN2991 by bjohnson388, on Flickr

Fenders next.

DSCN2999 by bjohnson388, on Flickr

DSCN3003 by bjohnson388, on Flickr

Everything getting close. Running boards added.

DSCN3010 by bjohnson388, on Flickr

Frame and front guard.

DSCN3022 by bjohnson388, on Flickr

Wheels next. This was my favorite part of this build.

Couple of jigs I made to cut the blanks on the bandsaw and then one to get them round on the OSS. They are both adjustable to make different size wheels. Although I never used them again after I got the lathe.

DSCN3082 by bjohnson388, on Flickr

DSCN3083 by bjohnson388, on Flickr

Test wheel using pine.

DSCN3084 by bjohnson388, on Flickr

Wheel blanks. They are made in halves so you can cut the treads facing each other and then glue them together. So there was a left and right batch to cut on the tablesaw

DSCN3097 by bjohnson388, on Flickr

Bandsaw and sander jig worked perfectly

DSCN3100 by bjohnson388, on Flickr

Mark the blanks out to cut the treads. The treads are cut at an angle.

DSCN3101 by bjohnson388, on Flickr

DSCN3103 by bjohnson388, on Flickr

Jig setup on table saw to cut them at an angle.

DSCN3108 by bjohnson388, on Flickr

All treads cut and two halves glued together. Put them in the drill press and ran a forstner bit down to make the rim part. Had to file each tread as there was some tear out. That took some time.

DSCN3113 by bjohnson388, on Flickr

DSCN3121 by bjohnson388, on Flickr

That was long hopefully ya'll got something from it. If you have any questions please feel free to ask.

Bret

 

[turbowoodworker]

Wonderful tutorial on the trucks, thanks.

 

[turbowoodworker]

Jim had asked for a pic of the homemeade scratch beader I made for the purpose of placing a parallel line along the ramrod channel of one of my smokepoles. I could not find the one with the nail brazed on it. But then I remembered this is the new and improved version. I can put a wood or drywall screw in any of the holes and get a parallel line varying distances from the channel.
I see a lot of woodworkers making scratch beaders or specialty tools from hacksaw blades and old screw drivers to fit the specific need. We are a resourceful bunch.
The pic of the longrifle doesn't show the ramrod profile well as it is on the forearm, sorry.

 

[Shiftless]

BJ:
Truly a labor of love.

 

[schor]

We really need a like button. This thread is going to be full of liked posts.

 

[jimreed2160]

CRS, BJ, Turbo--Well done! Thanks for the photos. Your projects are inspiring and just what us ww need to get charged up. Sometimes I walk into the shop, look at all of the todo projects and sigh. Did this, tired of that, don't care about those things anymore, ugh. Then along come your new ideas and my brain starts dreaming again. Keeping it mixed up is what differentiates this pastime from work. Clever ideas like this keep the juices flowing.

 

[TerryH]

BJ, love, love, love the truck!! Thanks for posting the step by step. Very cool.

 

[drivesitfar]

CRS: i had to look two or three times at your rocker and i was sure Humpty dumpty was going to launch off it. very well done

BJ: you did a great job on the truck and the fix to keep your son happy. i love the step by step. i just have a question on the table saw cuts on the tires. it looks like a similar method you used for your cabinets you are making and i'm not sure if the jig is touching the fence for quality repetitive cuts or how are you doing the cuts to keep repeating? not sure i'm making sense or saying it the right way, but it just looks like there isn't anything guiding your jig.

ALL: how about this since we all would like a LIKE button and if we post something we all would like to hear praise from the members if we maybe make a post of one of our projects, ask a question, teach a trick or some other quality post and make multiple LIKE posts maybe similar to what i do so the members get to smile and the thread gets more information.

sound ok?

thank you all for posting up your stuff and i hope there are maybe thousands of more to post.

QUESTION: i put in a door last week and i need to make some 3.5 to 4.5 inch trim on the inside of the door to finish it. since i'm painting it is there any preference on what wood i should use? i've got a bunch of cedar that I had planed on one side from the mill that is 1x6 i could make work or 1x4's would work for most of the trim cause 3.5 works on all but the left side of the jamb that needs a 4.5. i suppose i could go buy primed MDA (?) if that's what that recycled wood product is or any of you have any other ideas cause my bride wants it painted white like it was before?

 

[turbowoodworker]

If it's for indoor use, Drives, and water is not an issue, then MDF is fine. Otherwise I would use Poplar. But first I would look to see if there are any stock moldings that fit what is needed. Again if it's indoor you don't really care what its made of if it's being painted.

 

[schor]

Drives, use MDF, won't shrink.

 

[drivesitfar]

Turbo & Schor: thanks and i guess MDF is what it will be. if i get creative i might buy pieces a bit wider and maybe put some router cuts in them. or maybe not since i need to have it done before Thanksgiving next week.

ALL: speaking of wood how do you all store wood you mill yourself or get from the mill? do you put any treatment or chemicals on the ends to maybe keep the boards from checking or cracking and do tell?

i'm getting ready to buy more cedar from the mill right off the saw and i've stored some inside my garage, but the last few years i just set up a few racks in my back yard and put tarps over them with spacers in between each 1 by and 2 by.

not sure if anybody saw the fence pictures that i'm thinking of building cause no comments. i know a fence isn't much compared to some of the almost museum quality stuff some of you make, but most of us need to build one at some point in our lives.

 

[turbowoodworker]

MDF is great for routing but man that dust is nasty, fine. Do it outside and wear a mask. I don't even trust that kind of dust to my cyclone.

 

[bj383ss]

Drive - I like the fence design. It has an Asian flair. You can store wood outside like you have but I myself would worry about bugs. I keep mine on my lumber rack or in my shed. The stuff I buy is in the rough but ends are already painted.

I'm not sure what the question you are asking me. The picture with the wheel being cut is against the stop block clamped to my miter gauge fence. I hold the wheel in place with my hand and rotate it to the mark for each tread cut.

Thanks all for the comments on the truck. Jim i know exactly what you mean about projects you don't want to work on. I feel that way about my 64' truck. Then you start this thread and now my woodworking projects that were on hold now have my attention again.

Turbo I have some scratch stock cutters I made for a project see if I can find them. Can't remember the project they were for.

Bret

 

[drivesitfar]

Turbo: since i don't router every day thanks for the tip on excess dust and to wear a mask. i'm hoping one day to have a Festool set up that plugs into the router, sander, track saw and all, but i'd probably still wear a mask.

BJ: it just didn't look like your holder (or jig) for your wheels or your cabinet cuts was against the rail, but if you say it was then i believe you.

with cedar i don't usually have a bug issue, but with other woods if they get wet at all then the bugs come out of the woodwork so to speak.

thanks

 

[why worry]

TerryH, really awesome shop and skills! I used to install a lot of dust collection systems and we didn't use PVC pipe on them due to the risk of a static electricity causing an explosion. With that in mind I would recommend running a ground wire from each of the pick ups and the cyclone to a ground rod to help minimize the risk.
Dave

 

[Shiftless]

Drives:
I'll give your fence design 2 thumbs up. ..

Here is another fence (not mine) that is very similiar. This pic shows a clear view of the various components.

 

[CRSINMICH]

Drives: Thanks for the compliment on the rocking chair. It was fun to do and about equal parts woodworking and carving.

I second Turbo's comments about MDF dust. It horrendous if you're not prepared for it.

As for the fence, no matter what design you end up using make sure the vertical slats have a cap rail. If the end grain is completely exposed to rain and such the boards will absorb a lot of water. You know how well wood and water mix. And for that same reason, don't have the bottom of the slats in close contact with the ground. Air circulation is important.