Woodworking 101--Tools and Tips

[derosa]

I'm totally jealous of the shoulder plane collection. My tenons are finished with a chisel and a file.

Someone mentioned the drill press morticing attachment, I tried one out and found it worked aweful. Too much pressure on the drill press table and tough to get enough leverage with a dp handle. The morticer handle is a lot longer and the base is solid and makes a difference. That was with the delta meant for my floor model delta drillpress.

 

[TerryH]

One of my favorite machines is my old style Delta mortiser with the Rockler mortiser table. I have a bazillion mortises with it. The key to success for me anyway was a good set of chisels. I have the premium ones from Lee Valley. Made a huge difference in the performance of the mortiser and the cone sharpeners are both well worth the money.

http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?p=53252&cat=1,180,42240,53317

I also use the Rockler expanding hose to capture the chips. Very happy with how this combination works. I almost always work in white oak so they have been tested. The little Rockler table is a cool deal. Once set the rollers allow the work piece to just slide along the fence let stay secure. The rollers are actually little tires from their toy kits. lol... But the work great.

 

[jimreed2160]

More on Mortices

The mortise and tenon joint has many variations. One of them is the multiple mortise joint. It is especially strong. Here is a sample.

The joint is strong. Maybe it has something to do with opposing forces.

Through Tenons

Another variation is the through tenon. When I built the 18th century secretary, I thought the through tenons would look cool on the bookcase doors. I learned to start the mortise from the OUTSIDE because drills drift. I messed up a few rails and ended up doing lots of chisel work. They look much better at a distance.

Mortise and tenon joints can add strength to your projects. Good luck making shavings.

 

[Mark in Indiana]

All,
I am in awe of the beautiful craftsmanship being displayed here.

This project is a plant stand for my wife. I built it more for the experience of using my 1968 Craftsman radial arm saw to cut a round out of a square, per instructions from the RAS book (first picture). It had to be built to take a load of at least 150 pounds. Total cost of project was <$10.00. I also built the plant stand to save a ton of money. They're quite pricey.

1. The second picture shows the table top (from neighbor's trash) cut in half and laminated together by glueing and installing several short drywall screws. After that, I determined the center of the workpiece and drilled a 3/16" hole through it.
2. The third picture shows the starter cuts. I had to block up the workpiece so it would fit on my table.
3. The fourth & fifth picture show the workpiece progressively becoming a circle. To do that, you place a wood screw in the center hole of your workpiece, and mount it to the RAS worktable at the appropriate location. After that, you just make a cut, and turn the workpiece in small increments.
4. When you can't cut anymore wood off of your workpiece, you will need finish off the edge so it's as even as possible. To do this, you will need to remove the blade & guard. rotate the motor so the drill chuck is positioned down, attach a drum rasp or drum sander to the drill chuck, position the workpiece and carriage so you can finish the rounding operation. You will need to clamp the workpiece down as the drum rasp is making contact with it. Sorry, I don't have a picture of this step.
5. The sixth & seventh picture show router bits used to shape finished edges of the top & bottom. Again, I'm just spinning the workpiece against the router bit to do this. To ensure that I would turn the workpiece in the right direction, I drew a directional arrow on it with some chalk.

The last 2 pictures of the finished plant stand will be on my next post........

 

[Mark in Indiana]

.....From my previous post:

These two pictures show the finished product. I laid out and drilled 6 holes to mount furniture casters in it. To expedite the job, I used the drill press for the holes. After that, stain & clear coat. When it was dry, I pressed in the casters.

 

[jimreed2160]

Mark--Great project. Thanks for the picture and writup. Yours is a wise strategy to include projects for the boss.

 

[rk5n]

Picked up two lots of planes on ebay for cheap.
Left to right: Stanley #3, Stanley #5C, Stanley #5 1/4, Stanley Bedrock #604, Record #05, Stanley #4 1/2 and Corsair #3. Now to rehab them, I'll probably keep the 4 1/2 and flip the others. I need to pay off the #7 I just bought.

 

[crguy]

All,
I am in awe of the beautiful craftsmanship being displayed here.

This project is a plant stand for my wife. I built it more for the experience of using my 1968 Craftsman radial arm saw to cut a round out of a square, per instructions from the RAS book (first picture). It had to be built to take a load of at least 150 pounds. Total cost of project was <$10.00. I also built the plant stand to save a ton of money. They're quite pricey.

How did you deal with the slop in the radial arm? They are never a ridgid setup.

 

[jimreed2160]

RK--Nice pile of old planes. Show us some pictures of your rehab.

 

[Hangar Pilot]

To All: In my response to Turbo I mentioned Sear's Kit houses. If you're not familiar with kit houses let me tell you a little about them. Sears, in it's heyday, had Walmart beat seven ways from Sunday. Their catalogs had everything in them including houses. You could look through the catalog, pick out a model you liked, and have it delivered to your lot. The kit would arrive complete down to the last finishing nail and with complete instructions, "Step 142) Nail stud A7 to header G21". One of the ways that real Sear's kit houses are identified is by climbing into the rafters and looking for the numbers. I've attached an actual Sears catalog page. There's a house like it next door to me. In order to be able to supply all the wood parts needed, Sears had a giant mill in Cairo, Illinois (pronounced Kay-row). There are stories that, when one particularly large planer was turned on, the lights in town would dim.

Drives: Would building an entire house be considered "Going Big"?

Sears had a large if not the largest distribution center in Greensboro, NC. In their catalog they also sold an all steel house kit. There is one in Greensboro on Lawndale Ave not far from the distribution center building.

 

[cheechi]

I didn't know that about Greensboro and I lived there for over a decade. The Sears in Greensboro has never been particularly impressive, where was this dist center and when did it close?

This part of NC has tons of evergreens and oaks, so it makes sense but it would also have been competing for millwork from some of the heaviest hitters in furniture, i'm assuming. I wonder if that led to much overlap in terms of interior design trends and house styling/interior architectural/accents trends. Considering the Craftsman houses weren't known for having lots of that kind of thing as a whole.

several posts back someone showed off a shop apron. I tried one, I have looked at but never tried the suspender type thing meant for framers by Occidental, but I think what would work for me best would be a vest like hunters and fisherman wear. I don't hunt or fish, can someone who is both a ww and outdoorsman suggest some vest that can be comfortable in summer as well as over winter clothes, can hold several pencils, compass, scribe, few different types of squares, notepad etc?

I had one that I got from a garage sale back in my teenage years. Tried using shotgun shell 'pockets' to hold several of these items but the elastic was too stretched out to be really effective.

I have yet to try a vest meant for photogs but that's my next likely place if the outdoor sports don't have something to choose from. thanks in advance.

 

[jimreed2160]

Cheechi--Your vest idea is clever. I have a stout canvas shop apron from Woodcraft that is great. It has leather reinforcement over the pockets to keep them from flopping open. BUT it is too warm for north Florida. Your vest idea might work. I suggest a trip to an outdoorman store. Start in the fishing section and look for something with lots of netting.

When I was cleaning up last week I found a vintage Lowes tie on nail pouch from. Remember when carpenters carried nails? The pockets work well for pencils and tapes. And it is cool for those of us in warmer climates. If your vest idea doesn't pan out, maybe you can go for a regular lightweight toolbelt.

 

[CRSINMICH]

Hanger Pilot: Thanks! I forgot about the steel house version. It makes sense that Sears would have had distribution centers around the country.

cheechi: Sears had many different house models and several levels of quality and price. Their low end houses were bare boned to say the least. In the catalog description the studs were 24 inches on center.

 

[Mark in Indiana]

How did you deal with the slop in the radial arm? They are never a ridgid setup.

Crgy,

When I bought my RAS, I trammed it in (with guidance from the instructions) the same way a milling machine is trammed in. With the carriage bearings on eccentric mounts, it's easy to take as much slop out as possible..

Also, my project didn't need all that much precision. Once I was at the point where I couldn't remove any more wood by sliding the saw, I just locked it in to position and spun the workpiece against the blade, the same way that I routed the finished edge in.

 

[ez-duzit]

I have the leather apron which I wear for protection on certain operations that spit a lot of stuff at you. The pockets soon get filled with sawdust, so carrying stuff in them isn't a routine. But it keeps the sawdust out of my regular clothing pockets.

 

[cheechi]

that's another reason; tool belt, apron, etc to claim any are 'difficult' to put on or take off isn't quite accurate. but a vest is very simple to take off hang on a peg or another tool so it wouldn't get a sawdust shower.

When I have stuff in my pockets that's just as good as being lost in space. I know exactly what/where my EDC stuff is but anything else is cumbersome. Tool belts are similarly useful/useless to me. Specific tasks I have pouches designed for framers but most of the time that isn't really me.

CRS I know all about the sears catalogue and the Sears Craftsman houses, just didn't realize they were done in Greensboro.

 

[dlcwent]

Jim, Bret, Turbo, Trainer, Mark, Cheechi, and all the rest of you guys here. I just wanted to tell you how impressed I am with what you guys can and do with wood. I've been following along and I am trying to learn from you all. I have only gotten interested in wood working in the last few years and all I can do at this point is make a pretty good pile of sawdust. I have nothing to add but just wanted you all to know I'm impressed. I'll be watching but doubt I'll ever have anything to add except "wow" and "nice job". Thanks for sharing your talent. The GJ is the best site on the net IMO.

 

[jimreed2160]

DLC--Thanks for your kind words and welcome aboard.

There ought to be some nice hardwoods up in your area. I found an on line bargain back in the 1990s from some hardwoods company in Maine. They sold cutoffs by the pound and I ordered over 200 pounds delivered for less than $100. The best part is that the UPS guy delivered that stuff to my door in six fifty pound boxes. I have been using bits and pieces ever since.

 

[madison069]

Nothing special project wise, but I did make some wood shaving with a small Stanley planer yesterday while installing a solid door between my garage and office room.

 

[jimreed2160]

I was working on a project today and noticed that my #62 plane was not cutting properly. Here is what the blade looked like.

Yes, those are old sweat stains and sweat does a real number on plane blades. Lucky for me that I just set up my new honing table. Here it is ready to go.

The floor tile has a sheet of aluminum oxide sandpaper glued to it and has several sheets on top. The topmost is the 800 finishing paper and the other is the 400 working paper.

Here is the back side after a few swipes on the 800.

And here is the beveled edge after touching up. I did not take the time to remove all the pitting but I did make sure the edge was sharp enough to shave with.

Here is a shot of it in action.

My project required a chamfer plane also and that blade needed a little touch up.

That blade is an original and it has plenty of rust.

But the business end is in pretty good shape.

This blade had a little pitting on one end so I used a little trick. Once the back is polished, I lift up a bit and put a small back bevel on the edge. It is just enough to get underneath the pitting and reveal good metal.

It is hard to photograph, but here is the other side. It polished up well.

And here is the blade from the bevel side. You can see old grinder marks and the polished cutting edge. Remember that all the cutting takes place at the intersection. I spend my time on the cutting edge and kinda leave the rest alone. More grinding and polishing is just wasted time for me.

So that is my blade work for the day. I used three planes and had to touch up only two blades. Unfortunately, these were specialty planes. Otherwise, I would have grabbed a substitute. That is why I like to keep multiples of each plane on hand. When one needs attention, I can grab another and keep going. Later I can declare blade day and touch up a whole batch at once.

When I get started on a project, I like to steam ahead. More on the project later.

 

[jimreed2160]

New Project--Vintage paper dispenser

So I was browsing the auction site late one night and came across something advertised as a frame. I threw $9 on it and kept going. I was the only bidder and won a few days later. Here is what Mr Mailman brought me.

Guesses?

If you guessed using the title as a hint, you win!

These two supports are the frame of a paper dispenser. Think country store or butcher. I have a paper problem and need one of these. I use rust inhibiting vapor paper to wrap tools in and the roll is massive. It needs a home. In addition, Christmas is here and I need something to organize wrapping.

These supports are cast iron and were rusty. I cleaned them with Simple Green and then wire brushed them. Then I wiped them down with mineral spirits, let it dry, and followed up with BLO (30% boiled linseed oil and 70% turpentine). Due to the cold weather, the BLO took a few weeks to fully dry. I painted them with Rustoleum hammered silver and then got down to business. I found a 1" x 36" dowel, I purchased a 48" piece of all thread with washers, and I found two pieces of hickory. Here is everything ready to go.

This project has two phases. Phase I is to craft and assemble the dispenser for use. Phase II is to make a cut off bar. The cut off bar is not really essential and I need to use this thing now.

Here is a mock up of what it will look like.

It is a pretty cool design. There are two eyelids cast into the supports--they are U shaped. The 36" dowel goes there. To use, remove the dowel and insert in into a roll of paper. Then put the whole assembly back. That is nice because I have Christmas paper (30"), the vapor paper (30") and also some heavy craft paper (35"). All of these fit and can be changed out in short order.

I chose hickory because it is taking up space in my shop. I ordered a pack from Wall Lumber because I needed to make a windowsill. We remodeled the kitchen in 2012 and the cabinets are unstained hickory. I wanted a windowsill to match but did not want to pay a few hundred for a custom sill.

So hickory it was. As luck would have it, I had two pieces that were the right length. All I had to do was chop 1/8" off the small one. But this stuff has been hanging around since 2012 and the bottom piece is cupped and bowed. In fact, it is bowed enough to get the hunting knife blade under it.

The good news is that it sits flat on the bench. From our geometry lessons, we know that three points define a plane. Since this board had its three points I decided to leave it alone. This is not a fine furniture project and I can always plane it later if it becomes a problem.

The boards did need edge treatment so I brought out my LN #7 to take them down. This hickory is tough, really tough.

I jointed the first edge. You know when it is done because you can pull a full length shaving. This one had a few string spaces, but the tough wood held up when I unwrapped it.

But there was tearout at one end. Tearout is where the wood fibers break instead of allowing themselves to be sliced. It is usually caused by a dull blade or by using the plane against the grain.

I figured the blade did need some attention but I thought if I went for the low angle #62, I would get a better finish. Of course, that blade did need some attention (see post above).

But the #62 did not disappoint. It left a slick finish on the hickory.

I love the shavings--thin and wispy.

So the two planes made quick work of the edge treatments.

Time to move on. There are lots of pictures, so I will break up the post. Part II to follow.

 

[jimreed2160]

Paper dispenser project continued

When we left our paper project, we had two hickory boards cut to length and jointed. The wood was face planed when I go it so that operation was not necessary. But the hickory is hard and I wanted to soften up the edges. That means chamfers. So let's break out the Stanley #72 chamfer plane.

Ugh. That blade needed some attention. See above post on sharpening. I got out a piece of scrap wood and dialed in the chamfer width. To do this, the operator must loosen the wheel adjuster and move the blade assembly--high for smaller and low for larger.

There is also a strategy. I like to chamfer the cross grain edges first so I avoid an edge blow out. Whenever you get near the edge of cross grain, the fibers are weak and tend to spinter. To avoid this blow out, always use sacrificial wood on the edges. See above. Here is a close up.

Notice the blow out where the sacrificial wood does not meet. Lower down the sacrificial wood does its job. The top blow out is OK because it will be removed by the other chamfer.

Look at the blow out on the edge of the sacrificial wood.

Imagine throwing a splinter like that in your project wood. It would be a disaster.

Here is the mock up.

The next operation is to give everything a finish sanding and then use a tack rag before sending it to the spray booth.

It is a nice 72 degree day here in north Florida. Here is a nice picture for those of you enjoying the polar vortex.

It is not all peaches and cream down here. I got tagged twice by mosquitoes while spraying.

I will let the poly coat dry overnight and assemble tomorrow. Just in time to start wrapping those gifts. Remember that it is not too late to get in some shoptime and make shavings before Christmas.

 

[jimreed2160]

Sign your work

Don't forget to sign your work--it is important.

When I refinished antique furniture, I was always delighted to find a signature. It put me in touch with the craftsman and gave the furniture more of a story to tell.

My grandmother's house was filled with antique furniture and each piece had a story. There was the grand Victorian honeymoon bed. And the side table gifted from a patient. And the uncomfortable sofa that traveled from Petersburg via oxcart. And the walnut sideboard saved from a chicken coop...

Stories give meaning to these everyday objects and a signature creates a bond to the craftsman. So sign your work to introduce yourself to the future owners.

 

[dlcwent]

DLC--Thanks for your kind words and welcome aboard.

There ought to be some nice hardwoods up in your area. I found an on line bargain back in the 1990s from some hardwoods company in Maine. They sold cutoffs by the pound and I ordered over 200 pounds delivered for less than $100. The best part is that the UPS guy delivered that stuff to my door in six fifty pound boxes. I have been using bits and pieces ever since.

That wouldn't have been A.E.Sampson by any chance? They're in the next town over from me and make hardwood flooring. They've been there for years. Thanks for the welcome a"board" comment. Being a week away, I just wanted to wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas.

 

[drivesitfar]

JIM: one of these days i hope to make something nice enough that i'd like to put my name on. your little paper holder is looking good and thanks for mentioning a couple mosquitoes when you were beaming about your 70's in Florida temps.

keep up the great tutorials

ALL: so speaking of WOODWORKING most of you talk about buying wood and having some in bulk so wondering how you store it. if you saw my lumber piles in my backyard you'd think i was a scrap yard, but i do have a purpose and hopefully this year it will be worth taking a few pictures of.

that said i noticed BJ's method of saving small and medium size pieces of wood and anybody else want to share what they do? thank you BJ for loaning me this picture of your garage. also what is the thinking of throwing out scraps cause i'll end up keeping a lot at the ready for building a pallet or whatever around here?

 

[jimreed2160]

Cutting all thread rod

Over the years I have found that dedicating myself exclusively to woodworking is a foolish pursuit. I am a mechanic for my woodworking machinery and a machinist for my hand tools. Today's project provides a great example. The paper dispenser legs are held together by a rod which also provides a home for the cutter mechanism. Mine was MIA so I purchased a 48" piece of 1/2" all thread from HD. But I needed only about 38".

Time to get into the metalshop and chop this thing down.

Tight spaces like this is why swivel vises were invented. Notice that soft jaws are unnecessary if you have plenty of shoprags.

The cutoff wheel in the angle grinder provided my cut to order stock but left a nasty end.

No problem. Rod work is easy on a grinder. I just hold the rod on the support and against the wheel. Rotate to flatten the end, turn the angle a bit, and rotate the edge to bevel it.

Here is the cleaned up edge. It is ready for Mr Bolt.

So all of you woodworkers out there--embrace metalworking skills. This new skill set will help you tackle more complex projects.

 

[jimreed2160]

What to do with a broken screw

I got my early shopping chores out of the way and headed into the shop. Things were moving along at a fast clip. Tunes were rockin and I was tickled. Until--

OK. So my procurement team just might have sourced a screw assortment from Walgreens to meet some deadline. They looked good and I needed something small--around 5/8-3/4.

I tried to do good. I marked the spot with an awl and then drilled pilot holes (By the way, the operation often referred to as "pre-drilled" is pure nonsense. The only possible operation it could refer to is tightening the chuck. Mr. Grammar Police appreciates your patience.)

But these screws are questionable. AND, more importantly, the wood is HICKORY. Even novice woodworkers know that hickory is HARD.

I was lucky that the screw broke high and I was able to back it out with vise grips. Otherwise, I would have needed a plug cutter and that would have slowed the project to a screeching halt.

So I went over to the pegboard and snagged the emergency amber vial.

In case you are wondering, it contains a saliva activated lubricant--specifically Dial soap.

My dad was a veterinarian but also a self taught woodworker and carpenter. I learned many things about woodworking as his young and reluctant helper. One time we were hanging gates around the horse stables. In those days, cordless drill meant brace and bit. He sent his helper inside for a bar of soap. After three or four requests, I dispatched myself to fetch said soap from the shower in the house. My response reflected my pay at the time. Anyway, he showed me how just a little lube would make the large lags spin down easily. I always keep some soap handy for those stubborn screws.

So take that little taddock of soap in the dish and hide it in your workshop. Nobody wants to use the sliver to wash up anymore. Put it inside a medicine bottle and it will stay clean and last a long time. All you have to do is activate it and squeeze some around a few of the downstream threads. Try it, you will be amazed at the difference. It will help you conquer woods like hickory.

 

[jimreed2160]

Completing the paper dispenser project.

When we last saw this project, the poly was drying on the wood. Today's chore is assembly. I marked the all thread rod for cutting, leaving about an inch on each side. Better to have a little too much than not enough. I cannot afford a rod stretcher.

The rod cutting operation was detailed in an earlier post. Here is the test fit.

Notice the two squares. I am using the flat bench as a reference. The removable dowel is in place and each rod has a square. It is a simple matter to adjust the bolts until everything is square.

With the rod in place, I put the assembly on the top board and measured equal distances using the trammel.

Then I used my awl to mark the screw locations. This awl was custom made for me by one of my ww buddies. It was one of his first tools and he did a great job with some wood, a rod, and a brass plumbing fitting.

I made a generous stab using the awl.

Then I drilled pilots for each screw. Of course, one broke. Read all about it in the post above. Here is another tip--be careful when you are using your beautiful cabinetmakers bench as an assembly table. It is way too easy to drill through by mistake and leave an unsightly hole. I always use the drill like it is a loaded gun and make sure it has either sacrificial wood or space beyond the project.

And here is the finished dispenser.

There is no time to waste. I put it to work immediately.

Next project is wrapping presents.

 

[Craptain]

JIM: one of these days i hope to make something nice enough that i'd like to put my name on. your little paper holder is looking good and thanks for mentioning a couple mosquitoes when you were beaming about your 70's in Florida temps.

keep up the great tutorials

ALL: so speaking of WOODWORKING most of you talk about buying wood and having some in bulk so wondering how you store it. if you saw my lumber piles in my backyard you'd think i was a scrap yard, but i do have a purpose and hopefully this year it will be worth taking a few pictures of.

that said i noticed BJ's method of saving small and medium size pieces of wood and anybody else want to share what they do? thank you BJ for loaning me this picture of your garage. also what is the thinking of throwing out scraps cause i'll end up keeping a lot at the ready for building a pallet or whatever around here?

Check out NedNortons thread. http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=296080
I will be following his methods for storage when I get some room to work in my shop.

 

[jimreed2160]

Mallets and other beaters

Wooden mallets are essential tools in any woodshop. Here is an archival class photo of my shop mallets.

I purchased a few of these and made a few. Each is better for a particular job. I have always used mallets with chisels. One of my woodworking rules is
"one hand on the chisel and one hand on the mallet."

Using a mallet means that the work must be secured. And the chisel/mallet rule means that there is not one hand left over to stab. It is a very safe way to work. Of course, that does not work 100% of the time. But it does force me to think about safety. Many years of ww and no stabs yet.

You will notice that some of the mallets are taped. I like tape because it softens the noise and also makes the top "stickier". It is hard to watch the top and bottom of the chisel so I tap-tap away and focus on the cutting edge. The tape seems to make up for off center blows.

So make or purchase suitable mallets for your woodshop. Tape them up and so you can wail on your next project.

 

[ztorres]

Just finished one of my sister's Christmas gifts. It's Colorado flag on a piece of 4/4 pine with live edge


Zach

 

[kwoswalt99]

I like that lignum mallet, Jim. Does it have any cracks in it?

 

[drivesitfar]

Craptain: not that i didn't want to read all 900 of the posts on Ned's thread, but any idea when the wood storage was posted? or a post #? thanks

Jim: loving the tutorials and even though it might seem like you are talking to yourself you are not. we are all watching and learning. keep it up as you have time. thanks

Zach: great idea and hope she likes it.

ALL: i'm still getting organized and move a couple tons of stuff today and saw some woodworking stuff and said i think i can do something with those planes and other tools i own now.

cheers

 

[Craptain]

Drives. It starts in first post and is covered in first two pages. Even has links to plans.

Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk

 

[jimreed2160]

I like that lignum mallet, Jim. Does it have any cracks in it?

Like almost all lignum mallets, this one has a crack. It is at the bottom of the handle and is pretty nasty looking but the mallet is firm. That species has been seriously overharvested and most of the available lignum trees are small. That means that the mallets are made from small trunks. As we all know, that juvenile wood is not the best. It cracks and splits.

A while back, one of those famous box stores ran ads proclaiming the superiority of their "center cut" lumber.

Well, that might work for beef steaks, but not for wood. I chuckled every time I heard the ad. Maybe the marketing dude got a promotion because I haven't heard it lately.

I will get an updated shot.

 

[drivesitfar]

CAP: thanks for the heads up. he really does have some great ideas and storage solutions. i'll post up a few pictures for this thread and members can check out Ned's further if they want to.

ALL: i'm still wondering what determines the decisions to save or scrap/burn wood you have left over from old projects or that you find?

 

[jimreed2160]

Drives--Thanks for your kind words. I will keep spewing this ww knowledge as long as it lasts. Fact is, I have just begun to scratch the surface. There is a lot more stuff to cover.

In the meantime, I am cleaning up my shop as well as getting the homestead ready for some Christmas visitors. My computer room will turn into a bedroom for awhile so things might slow down for the weekend. Until then, it is full speed ahead.

 

[ez-duzit]

...I've longed for a hollow chisel mortiser...

Mortise and Tenon joint...

Finally scratched the itch and picked up a used mortiser, today. It is a 490 lb Powermatic 720HD, a 1.5hp, 220-volt machine that is missing some major parts, like the tilt-table attachment, in particular, which the manufacturer says can be ordered (from Taiwan); may take a few months to get.

Instead of the table moving, the head moves on dovetail ways.

A new one looks like this.

http://www.gotgreattools.com/powermatic-720hd-heavy-duty-mortiser-1791309.html

 

[Screw Loose Dan]

Check out NedNortons thread. http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=296080
I will be following his methods for storage when I get some room to work in my shop.

Craptain: not that i didn't want to read all 900 of the posts on Ned's thread, but any idea when the wood storage was posted? or a post #? thanks

Drives. It starts in first post and is covered in first two pages. Even has links to plans.

CAP: thanks for the heads up. he really does have some great ideas and storage solutions. i'll post up a few pictures for this thread and members can check out Ned's further if they want to.

Thanks Craptain! I've been reading NedNorton's thread for a couple days now. It really is worth taking the time to read through the whole thing (I'm only about half way through!). He has lots of good nuggets of information throughout the thread. His dust collection system is pretty sweet.

Here's direct links to some of the storage posts that I've bookmarked:

Wall brackets using EMT for long boards
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=5198545&postcount=133

Cut-off cabinet details:
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=4970730&postcount=5

Sheet-goods cabinet:
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=5002647&postcount=20

Metal cut-offs and grinder cabinet:
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=5609350&postcount=413
Finished - http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=5616540&postcount=417

Jim - I second Drive's sentiment about your tutorials. I thoroughly enjoy reading them. Thanks and keep it up!

 

[jimreed2160]

EZ--That is a healthy looking machine. Ordering Powermatic parts should be just a matter of $$$. Now you can go after the big jobs.