Woodworking 101--Tools and Tips

[CRSINMICH]

All this talk about ship laps, T&G, and beading must have jogged my memory. I built this cabinet 20 years ago or so and I forgot that I used beadboard for the doors. Honestly, I did forget, even though the cabinet was no more than 7 feet away from where I was sitting when I posted about beading. If I lean backwards now I can just about touch it. Anyway, I designed and built this to look like a farmer had some woodworking skills and needed some storage. I also wanted it to look like it had maybe been built-in at one time. From time to time through the years I would look at it and think that I should have run a bead around the outside edges of what are now the yellow painted parts, at least on the front. I did spiff up the doors a bit by routing the extra profile around the outside of both of them.

 

[jimreed2160]

CRS--Nice cabinet. I like the simplicity. Thanks for the pictures.

 

[CRSINMICH]

Jim: I actually did design it to look somewhat primitive right down to the battens on the inside of the doors. It's probably just coincidental that the design matched my skill level at the time. I'm sure that's what it was. Now that I think of it though, that's not a bad piece of advice.

 

[jimreed2160]

Jim: I actually did design it to look somewhat primitive right down to the battens on the inside of the doors. It's probably just coincidental that the design matched my skill level at the time. I'm sure that's what it was. Now that I think of it though, that's not a bad piece of advice.

As a wise man once said, "A man has to know his limitations."

 

[jimreed2160]

Back in the day when Rover was a pup and most of us had more hair, I found a rusty bucket of a plane on that auction site. It was nasty rusted and had no blades. Well, how hard can that be? Sez I. So I wire brushed it, sanded it, and painted it with Rustoleum. Then I made a set of cutters--one of my first sets. Since then, it has been one of my favorites. What is it--well it is a Stanley Type 2 #48 swing fence T&G plane from the late 19th century.

This plane makes both the tongue and the groove. Just pull the pin and move the fence 180 degrees. One setting uncovers both blades and the other setting covers up one of them. It centers the joint on 1" lumber--actually anything from about 13/16" to 1 1/4". With a wider cutter it will even put a T&G on a 2x4. All of these features and it also makes the curliest and prettiest shavings of almost any plane.

I think T&G joints have fallen out of favor with modern ww. That is a shame because T&G joints are exceptionally strong and hold up to wood movement excellently. This out of favor joint needs more attention. I made a cradle with a T&G bottom and it has not cracked yet, even at 12 years plus. This joint is easy to make, especially with a handplane. Here is a shot of the tongue.

And here is the groove.

Fits well.

Of course, you can use a router. It makes a mess but is good if you are working with high volume. However you do it, make sure you add the T&G joint to your ww bag of tricks.

 

[ztorres]

I've been making all sorts of dados and rabbits with the router at different depths so I thought I'd make a quick depth gauge. I used my four standard depths here and just made a rough cut with the router. It may not be complex or highly accurate but it is definitely helpful.



Zach

 

[WoodShopDisaster]

I'll contribute to the pictures of shavings. I had my wife making see through shavings in hard maple on the living room carpet with no hold downs. Sharp tools are key! I sharpen my blades with oishi water stones 1000, 3000 and 10000 grit. I keep my stones flat with a DMT dia-flat lapping plate. All can be purchased on the Lie Nielsen website.

 

[jimreed2160]

WoodShop--Nice curlies! Thanks for the pictures.

 

[Shiftless]

As a wise man once said, "A man has to know his limitations."

I believe that man would be Harry Callahan 1973

 

[drivesitfar]

Woodshop: what kind of wood is that redish one you are working on there on your bench? OMG that looks like a piece of art so what is the plan for it?

JiM: thanks for the ship lap and dove tail joint lessons. i can see my tool collection or at least my FIND TOOLS list is growing almost daily on here. those planes are cool and really nice to see what they were made for. even your wood handled screwdriver is in a league of it's own. keep up the great teachings as you have time. thanks

CRS: nice cabinet and did you put shelves inside?

Zach: there are a lot of joints in that cabinet you are building so do you layout a plan on paper or just start building? also can you show us how you cut those joints on your plywood? what bit and router and do you use a straight edge or do you use another method to cut them straight? looks like a great project.

ALL: i picked up 80 of these old wood boxes last weekend and need to make a cabinet or maybe i'll put some shelving in one or two of my wood benches for them. anybody else make cabinets for wood or metal drawers cause i also have about 50 metal drawers or bins that are maybe 3 inches tall, 5 inches wide and 10.5 inches deep?

 

[CRSINMICH]

Drives: There is a vertical divider in the center of the interior of that cabinet. The left side has 4 fixed shelves. The right side is open top to bottom for brooms and such. I didn't show the interior because it's stuffed with junk. It took 10 minutes to clear the stuff off the top as it was. FSD is not just a shop disorder.

 

[ztorres]

Drives:
I do make a layout. Typically for anything I build I have a drawing for with some dimensions. I don't like to waste wood and I like to optimize the sheets. For large projects like this cabinet I actually do some rough sketches to get a general idea. Then I use Creo, a 3D CAD program, to actually make a model and create detailed drawings from there. I will get some pictures later if what my drawings look like. Eventually I would like to have a drafting board and hand draw technical drawings like it used to be done. I will get a little demo made of how I do all my joint cuts later today.


Zach

 

[TerryH]

Drives: Those who fail to plan, plan to fail.

I rather enjoy laying out all of my larger projects on paper. I use graph paper, ruler and pencil vs a computer program. I enjoy the drawing and planning of a project. It helps me refine proportions and scale. I make a cut list from the drawings. The cut list allows me to maximize my wood. I also do a lot of grain matching so knowing the size of every piece helps me arrange and mark the pieces so they flow together better. I try to make sure that stiles and rails are all done from straight grained stock and try to cut stiles, especially for cabinet doors etc... out of the same piece. Every piece has to be meticulously marked to maintain the flow but it's worth it to me.

 

[ztorres]

Terry is right about paper. I've designed plenty of things on the computer, woodworking or otherwise, and you can't tell if sizing is right. For instance I was designing a dresser on the computer and used 30" as my depth for it. Well once I started cutting and assembling I realized that was incredibly too deep.


Zach

 

[cagullett1]

Just stumbled on this thread! Somewhat new to woodworking and trying to get my garage organized and usable. Had a handful of Gladiator cabinets that I recently sold off, bought 11 sheets of 5x5 3/4" birch and plan to build some cabinets. I'll post pictures as I go.

Curious, does anyone order hardwood online? If so, have a good/reasonably priced source? I have a neighbor who uses walllumber.com for 20BF bundles, but I was wondering if there were any other decent options.

 

[ez-duzit]

...does anyone order hardwood online?...

I buy many things online. But wood I want to look at the grain and see if there is any cupping, twist, etc.

 

[TerryH]

I buy many things online. But wood I want to look at the grain and see if there is any cupping, twist, etc.

This ^^ I buy a ton of stuff online but never wood? I typically go to my wood supplier with my cut list and buy with the pieces in mind so that I can have maximum yield and minimum waste. Have you searched for a local supplier?

 

[cagullett1]

This ^^ I buy a ton of stuff online but never wood? I typically go to my wood supplier with my cut list and buy with the pieces in mind so that I can have maximum yield and minimum waste. Have you searched for a local supplier?

The closest local supplier is 20-30 minutes away and is a guy running out of his garage and specializes more in exotic woods. He doesn't kiln dry them, and sometimes I don't want to wait to air dry.

The next closest supplier is a HUGE supplier geared at commercial cabinet guys. This is who I got my birch from, but they don't allow customers in their warehouse to look through their stacks due to liability. I imagine they would be a little flexible in letting me "deny" something they brought out to me, or forklift a stack over to me so that I'm able to look over it, but it's not ideal. They're also 45 minutes away.

Plus, I currently don't own a truck, so the truck I borrow is 40 minutes in the opposite direction. Oh, and both of my local guys are more expensive per BF than Steve Wall's, with shipping included.

My neighbor runs a full-time woodshop out of his garage, employing 3 part time guys to help. While the majority of his business is using old fence panels, he still uses his shop for personal use and keeps a good amount of wood in stock. He doesn't have a truck either, and he seemed to be happy with the online ordering. I agree it's not ideal, but not sure if it's worth all the driving for a local option.

 

[ez-duzit]

...I currently don't own a truck, so the truck I borrow is 40 minutes in the opposite direction...

That's some handicap!

If you can't hire someone to deliver a load of lumber for you, how about a trailer?

I am fortunate to have suppliers fairly close by. And I would also NEVER be without a truck. But whenever I have to go lumber shopping, for a specific job for which I don't already have material on hand, I usually go with an eye out for beautiful stock to keep in inventory.

 

[Teenager with old tools]

So at my moms I just got a wood lathe. Harbor freight 8x12. This was the second piece of wood I had spinning. brothers chisel needed a handle. It was a branch not fresh cut not dry turned nicely finished with 60 grit sandpaper got it smooth. Might be pine. Anyway when I got to dad's house and told him now he wants some handles made for his many files. He's going to buy wood. He doesn't do much that involves files. Would it be fine to buy pine for the handles or is a different cheap wood preferred?


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[ez-duzit]

Find some hardwood cutoffs.

 

[CRSINMICH]

Teenager: That's some stylish chisel handle! Nice bead work. Did you fit it for the bolster too? If someone was going to make handles for my files I would be happy no matter what type of wood they were made from. EZ is right though. If you have some kind of supplier nearby, go see if you can get some hardwood cutoffs. They should be cheap. Since you will be turning handles you won't need the blanks to be very big - a little more than 1 3/4 inches square and 10 -12 inches in length. CAUTIONS: 1) Follow all the safety precautions when using a lathe. 2) Turning can easily become an addiction.

 

[Teenager with old tools]

Teenager: That's some stylish chisel handle! Nice bead work. Did you fit it for the bolster too? If someone was going to make handles for my files I would be happy no matter what type of wood they were made from. EZ is right though. If you have some kind of supplier nearby, go see if you can get some hardwood cutoffs. They should be cheap. Since you will be turning handles you won't need the blanks to be very big - a little more than 1 3/4 inches square and 10 -12 inches in length. CAUTIONS: 1) Follow all the safety precautions when using a lathe. 2) Turning can easily become an addiction.

Thanks. First piece of wood I spun was practicing until it blew apart. Yeah I fit it. However when I drilled for tang I went 1/32 below 1/4 shoulda done 1/4 because widest part of tang is 1/32 over 1/4. Split it a little but told my brother by the time he breaks it he can make his own.


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[cagullett1]

That's some handicap!

If you can't hire someone to deliver a load of lumber for you, how about a trailer?

I am fortunate to have suppliers fairly close by. And I would also NEVER be without a truck. But whenever I have to go lumber shopping, for a specific job for which I don't already have material on hand, I usually go with an eye out for beautiful stock to keep in inventory.

Yup, we've been holding off on buying a truck due to the fact that I commute 80 miles a day. Borrowing a truck (or pulling a trailer behind my wife's van) is feasible, just not convenient. As mentioned before, local suppliers prices are higher and not ideal considering I don't get to hand pick my lumber.

 

[cagullett1]

For anyone without a planer, the Dewalt DW735X (735 model with feed tables and extra set of blades) can be had for $475 right now on Amazon! Currently listed at $499 with a $25 off $100 Dewalt coupon automatically added to your cart.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003OX9KME/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

 

[jimreed2160]

Cag--There are no local hardwoods close by me. I have used Steve Wall online for years. Check out his shorts bundles for your small projects.

Teen--Too late! It seems for you the turning bug hath bitten. Great job on the handle. I never had much luck turning pine. I like walnut, maple and mahogany but any hardwood will do. They have closer grain than the soft woods. If you can find some machine crates or even pallets, you might be able to salvage some turning stock. My buddy gave me a 3x3 stick of poplar from a medical equipment crate and it was dynamite for turning.

Or you might find an old sofa on the curb. Sometimes they have framing that is thick enough for turning.

I was exceptionally impressed when you mentioned that the lathe belonged to your MOM. Lucky you to have a woodworking mom. Good luck and keep turning.

 

[ez-duzit]

Wood for turning tool handles, and other small stuff, can come from firewood, the best of which is usually hardwood.

 

[jar944]

Hey Jar944 im getting ready to start a project like your seat in the bay window in our dog house dormer area and wondering how far you kept seating cushion and framing from back wall so it would open properly if this makes sense

I think I had the hinge about 3.5" off the wall.

 

[ztorres]

Zach: there are a lot of joints in that cabinet you are building so do you layout a plan on paper or just start building? also can you show us how you cut those joints on your plywood? what bit and router and do you use a straight edge or do you use another method to cut them straight? looks like a great project.

So to further elaborate on some drawings

I typically only make prints for plywood outside parts or parts that have joint cuts.




Zach

 

[Teenager with old tools]

What's a good wood for a wooden **** what's that thing called. That you use to flatten cookie dough and such for cooking. Anyway what's a good wood to use for that? Would a bearing in each side be a good or bad idea? Sealed bearings can be washed right?


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[bj383ss]

Teenager are you talking about a rolling pin? If so you can make it from any kind of wood with tight grain.

Cag welcome to the thread. Too bad that lumber yard won't let you back. My Hardwood dealer mostly deals with commercial but they will sell to anyone that walks up.

Terry - I am with you I draw all my projects out on graph paper. I have tried to learn sketchup because I have seen guys making amazing stuff on there but I just don't have the patience for it.

Jim - I need to get me a rabbet plan

Bret

 

[CRSINMICH]

Teenager: I think you're talking about a rolling pin. There are three basic styles: 1) A round piece of wood - like a dowel but about 3 inches in diameter. 2) Same as Number 1 except with smaller diameter handles at each end. Some handles turn and some don't. 3) French Style which is like Number 1 except that it's smaller in diameter and the ends are tapered away from the middle. Hard maple is a good choice for any style of pin. Don't use a hard finish. Something like salad bowl finish would be best. Don't wash the pin - just wipe it clean with a damp cloth and let it dry.

Uh... I think I just revealed another one of my hobbies.

 

[Teenager with old tools]

Teenager: I think you're talking about a rolling pin. There are three basic styles: 1) A round piece of wood - like a dowel but about 3 inches in diameter. 2) Same as Number 1 except with smaller diameter handles at each end. Some handles turn and some don't. 3) French Style which is like Number 1 except that it's smaller in diameter and the ends are tapered away from the middle. Hard maple is a good choice for any style of pin. Don't use a hard finish. Something like salad bowl finish would be best. Don't wash the pin - just wipe it clean with a damp cloth and let it dry.

Uh... I think I just revealed another one of my hobbies.

Thanks. The one we have the bearing or bushings fell out both ends. So I'm going to make obs


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[turbowoodworker]

Pies at CRSINMICH's house!!

 

[ez-duzit]

A rolling pin definitely does NOT need or want bearings. Make it from a single piece of maple or similar. You don't grab and hold the handles--you roll them with the palms of your hands.

 

[CRSINMICH]

Teenager: Here's the pin I use. The thin tapered shape takes a little getting used to. It would be a nice shape for a wood turner to reproduce.

turbo: My wife makes the pies. I specialize in making Galettes. They're a rustic French pastry that's kind of like an open-faced pie that is baked on a sheet pan not in a dish. There are about a thousand different recipes that can either be sweet or savory. Potato Galette is my fab fave next to Apple Walnut.

 

[Lyndon]

I lost this thread for a while, somehow.....

Just posting so that I'm subscribed now.

Lyndon
The frustrated woodworker pretending to be professional . . . .

 

[Teenager with old tools]

Teenager: Here's the pin I use. The thin tapered shape takes a little getting used to. It would be a nice shape for a wood turner to reproduce.

turbo: My wife makes the pies. I specialize in making Galettes. They're a rustic French pastry that's kind of like an open-faced pie that is baked on a sheet pan not in a dish. There are about a thousand different recipes that can either be sweet or savory. Potato Galette is my fab fave next to Apple Walnut.

My stepmom anyway likes the ones 3 inch diameter that spin freely along the handle axis.

Another topic since I'm addicted to tools like sharp objects and like woodworking, chisels of this style really appeal to me but the only way I can get some flared like this is custom made. Why? There downsides?


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[Knyte Tyne]

Its not a tip... But I was certain individuals here would appreciate this...

Just got to love the old style Jigs and Tools and what Amazing work can be created from such simplicity... Never mind, how flippin sharp is this guys Planes...?

 

[TwoBytes]

Its not a tip... But I was certain individuals here would appreciate this...

Just got to love the old style Jigs and Tools and what Amazing work can be created from such simplicity... Never mind, how flippin sharp is this guys Planes...?

Wow, that's impressive!