Woodworking 101--Tools and Tips

[rrich1]

Unrelated to the table, but this showed up on friday. Other than a few test cuts I haven't had a chance to use it yet.

Jealous. Did you get it sooner rather than. Later since the price increase is coming?

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[jar944]

Jealous. Did you get it sooner rather than. Later since the price increase is coming?

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I'd been waiting for my $50 voucher from the pro5 I ordered back in October to show up. It finally did last week. With that, the annual price increase looming and the 12' dining table my wife wants asap I figured it was about time.

I figured to get the most value, I should order all sizes of bits and the 500 adaptor.

 

[mbatarga]

Mbat--Hello and welcome. I was a member of the WW Guild of GA from about 1995 until I moved to FL in 2004. It was a great group and I remember meeting at the community college near my home. Sorry to hear about the passing of a member. Glad to hear that her tools were appreciated. You made a good score on your sharpening items. The odd piece of metal belongs to an import patternmakers vise. It is a jaw accessory that helps clamp irregularly shaped objects. I have one just like it.

Jim - thanks for the identification for the vise part - you are exactly correct. A quick google search identified the exact part in a picture for a vise.

 

[jimreed2160]

Jar--That's a nice toy. I hope the learning curve is low so you can treat us to some new project photos.

 

[cheechi]

jar

I have that same sander. Never bothered to assemble the 'stand' for it but I did take the rubber feet and 4 bolts it came with and attached the feet to the cast iron base. Does yours dance or if you lean in do you move it? I know it's not light, but mine had that issue before I put the rubber feet on like that.

 

[CRSINMICH]

Kerfing Plane and Frame Saw​

I was going to post this right after I posted pictures of my kerfing plane but I had trouble with the prototype of the frame saw. That's why working prototypes are made - to work out the bugs. Anyway, these pictures show how the kerfing plane and frame saw work together. The plane's fence was set to cut a kerf 1/2 inch from the edge of the wood along both sides and on both ends. The wide blade of the frame saw tracks along the kerf without wandering. Starting from the time I clamped the wood in the vise to begin kerfing until the two parts separated, only about 6-8 minutes elapsed. That saw cuts fast. The imperfections in the sawn faces are the result of operator error.( I kept cutting even though there was a problem with the saw blade tensioner.) The next step is to build a nicer frame for the saw.

 

[jimreed2160]

CRS--Well done. That is a nice way to make bookmatched panels. Good job with both the saw/plane and the frame saw.

 

[jimreed2160]

Patternmakers vise in action

Way back in the 90s I bought a patternmakers vise at Woodcraft. It came home with me in a box that was almost too heavy to lift safely. I dug it out and was greeted with the shop version of a Christmas ham. It was soaked in cosmoline, which covered the abrasive casting and the sharp machined edges. I spent a few nights cleaning it up and sanding it friendly before I mounted it on my workbench. This vise is a wonder. I do not use it often, but it saves my bacon when I do have to use it. The question earlier about the accessory plate reminded me of how handy it is. So I thought I would take a few action pictures.

Here is the vise with the accessory plate in place. I clamped a stonecutters mallet in it to demonstrate its prowess with odd shapes.

Here is a close up of the plate.

With the vise back to normal, you can see how the front jaw articulates sideways (using the front crank) and the plate articulates up and down. Pretty cool.

The vise has many other features. One that I like is the four dogs--two on each jaw. Here is the vise holding a branch of apple wood.

I think any woodworker could find uses for a patternmakers vise in their shop. Get one if you can. Thanks for looking.

 

[My Old Tools]

I have a dozen or so the Emmert pattermaker vises (yea, I know, I went a bit overboard buying them all), both the Turtleback and the K1, and one or two of the smaller sized Emmert with one dog. And I do have one of the tilt plates as well.

 

[drivesitfar]

JIM: i might have an older Made in Taiwan version of your pattern maker's vise that is an EMMERT COPY. here's the video for you and others to watch if you might want to learn a bit more how to use it and for some of you that haven't seen a pattern maker's vise it's pretty neat.

http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/patternmakerswoodworkingvise.aspx

here's my American Machine and Tool pattern maker's vise. once i get my woodshop set up this or my bigger Emmert pattern maker's vise will sit nicely on the bench.

 

[ztorres]

Here's the dresser that I've been working on for the past 3-5 months. I don't work on it consistently, at least not til recently. The front face is made of alder and then the structure and walls are all plywood. It currently only has 2 coats of Minwax dark Walnut stain - which is what the wife wanted, but will be getting wipe on poly over top when it's closer to completion. The insides are lined with 1/4" red oak pieces so that you can see the plywood. I will cover the seams on the inside with small pieces of 1/4"X1/4" oak. Then that will get a wipe on finish. I'm not sure how hot I am on the plywood but its sturdy and actually stained a lot nicer than I had anticipated with only two coats.


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[jimreed2160]

Zach--Nice work on the dresser. I built most of the furniture in my bedroom. There is something satisfying about making you own personal furniture. Time to wrap up your shop fun and put this thing to work.

 

[CRSINMICH]

This morning I set the fence of the kerfing plane to 1/4 inches and resawed yesterday's 1/2 inch pieces. Actual elapsed time was 16 minutes. If I had planned to cut it down to 1/4 inch (or 1/8 inch) from the beginning, I would have kerfed the blank at 1/4th or 1/8th inch intervals and then re-sawed them. I think things would have been more stable that way. I'm learning as I go along.

 

[CRSINMICH]

This morning's post was so popular that I'm going to add this to it.

Some of the roughness that can be seen on the faces of the boards that I re-sawed is due to cutting from both ends and meeting somewhere in the middle. It has to be done that way because you can't saw the part of the board that is in the vise. In the future, I'm going to make the blank extra long and only cut part of the way through it. When all of the cuts have been made, I'll make a crosscut above the ends of the rip cuts. The drawing illustrates this approach. I'll make the long cuts and then free the boards by cutting along the dotted line. This is actually a very old approach. The second picture is a piece of cut log my friend found on a beach. A whole log was cut like my illustration then a raft of logs was floated to the job site where the planks were cut free.

 

[ez-duzit]

Some recent tool purchases.

5/16" and 3/8" Lee Valley mortising chisels. The 3/8" I found, new, from a private eBay seller. The 5/16" I ordered from Lee Valley once I saw how nice the other was. Very impressed with these.

The bronze Lie Nielsen #140 skew, low angle, block/rabbet plane I bought used off a woodworking forum ad. This is an interesting plane, with retractable nicker, removable side plate and adjustable fence. It also came with a spare blade plus a protective sock, for storing the plane. Workmanship is impeccable on these Lie Nielsen planes. Here is a link in case anyone is interested in learning more about them.
https://www.lie-nielsen.com/product/skew-block-plane-left

 

[jimreed2160]

EZ--Those are some handsome tools. The mortise chisels look like they could take a beating. I am glad that Lee Valley copied my idea of using 1/2" bar stock for mortise chisels.

As for the #140, I think it is a handy plane. You will find many occasions to use it. Good luck making shavings.

 

[ez-duzit]

Jim--I don't have them right in front of me but think the chisels are 3/4" thick.

 

[jimreed2160]

According to their web copy:
"These are substantial mortise chisels. The blades are more than 1/2" thick at the heel of the bevel and are a consistent width from tip to shoulder for accurate registration in a mortise."

I made a set of mortise chisels from 1/2" bar stock back in the 1990s and published them on several ww sites. I sold four or five sets to my on line ww buddies. We all had lots of fun with them.

This is a copy of that set along with a 1/8" and a 5/16". I am flattered. You will really like the chisels.

 

[ez-duzit]

Jim--I just measured mine and they are 11/16", tapering down to 9/16" where the radius at the bevel begins.

 

[CRSINMICH]

EZ: Those are nice looking tools especially the block/rabbet plane. It just went to the top of my Got-to-Have list. My wife doesn't know it yet but that's what she's getting me for my birthday.

 

[ez-duzit]

CR--thanks. Yeah, that plane is quite a nice piece of work. I'll re-post a photo of my other two Lie Nielsen planes, which are scraper planes I picked up last month, also from a private seller.

 

[jimreed2160]

EZ--I am sure you will love that small scraper. It is a handy tool. Here is a shot of mine on its last project.

I know it's not fine furniture, but the little scraper was just the tool to smoothe over the raised grain on this rocking chair arm. My neighbor threw it out and I rehabbed it for my daughter. Once the new paint was on that arm it felt like new.

 

[ez-duzit]

I bought the scraper planes specifically because I needed a better way to trim inlays and solid edge banding. But I actually have a job for them, this morning, scraping some mildew off of some teak veneer. I'd rather not sand it and then breathe the dust.

 

[CRSINMICH]

CR--thanks. Yeah, that plane is quite a nice piece of work. I'll re-post a photo of my other two Lie Nielsen planes, which are scraper planes I picked up last month, also from a private seller.
QUOTE]

EZ: Probably not a whole lot of times when you need a rabbet scraper plane, but when you do.... My wife just picked out her anniversary present to me. Keep posting tools - Christmas comes soon after that.

 

[ez-duzit]

CR--good you have an understanding wife.

Hardly a day goes by that I don't use a plane. I'll re-post a photo of the rest of them.

 

[jimreed2160]

I have not had a lot of time for the shop this week. Auto maintenance and Dr appts have gotten in the way. But I did manage to squeeze in an hour yesterday afternoon. The task was cleanup and organization. Here is what I ran across in the plane boneyard.

It was a box of greasy and dirty vise handles. They were not very presentable and hardly usable in that state. But they were in good shape otherwise. And file handles are nice to have around.

I started with Simple Green, graduated to a Scotchbrite pad, and finished with Johnsons paste wax.

Here is a class photo of the group from large to small.

Now they are ready to go to work. Must stash them in a dust free location AND remember where that is.

 

[Notgrownup]

I am amazed at the talent... I love wood work but I need to get my shop in order...I recently built a farm picnic table for my Wife.. it was fun an relaxing.....nothing pretty but it is solid, I had posted it on a separate post...I am looking for a wood lathe and a planer now....I hope I run across a deal...they sometimes pop up.

 

[jimreed2160]

NG--Good looking table.

 

[Notgrownup]

NG--Good looking table.

Thank you...I built it with lumber fro a deck I tore down.

 

[CRSINMICH]

Thank you...I built it with lumber fro a deck I tore down.

A classic picnic table using free materials - Well done!

 

[Tom99]

Re: Woodworking 101--Tools and Tips - A little shop tour

Just got done cleaning up the shop, so this is the best it's looked in a while. I thought I'd take some pics and share them while it's still clean.

It's really too small, only about 10' x 20'. I walled off the back of my attached garage to make the shop. I can still get my car in the front of the garage.

Thanks for looking.

Tom



Bench end of shop:

001 by Thomas Rausenberg, on Flickr

The other end:

002 by Thomas Rausenberg, on Flickr

Bench and entry door. Emmert vice on the left and Wilton bullet on the right.

003 by Thomas Rausenberg, on Flickr

004 by Thomas Rausenberg, on Flickr

Walker Turner 6" jointer and Delta 13" planer

005 by Thomas Rausenberg, on Flickr

Boice Crane 14" band saw and Atlas 15" drill press with VFD

006 by Thomas Rausenberg, on Flickr

Baldor 6" grinder, Craftsman 12" sander, and Delta 1460 lathe

007 by Thomas Rausenberg, on Flickr

Cyclone dust collrctor made from the Bill Pentz plans and a 10" Dewalt RAS

008 by Thomas Rausenberg, on Flickr

Router table and 10" Walker Turner table saw

009 by Thomas Rausenberg, on Flickr

 

[ez-duzit]

Pretty neat shop.

I have that same thickness plane.

 

[Cope]

Here is a little tutorial I put together on the #80 many years ago...
http://www.myoldtools.com/table/stanley80.htm

and the end result...
http://www.myoldtools.com/table/20071216-20071216-_MG_6059.jpg

There is no glue and no metal fasteners at all in this table, just wood joinery. The top is splined with breadboard ends.
http://www.myoldtools.com/table/spline.jpg
http://www.myoldtools.com/table/20071202-20071202-_MG_6049.jpg
The base is mortise and tenon.
http://www.myoldtools.com/table/20071216-20071216-_MG_6060.jpg
The two are joined with sliding dovetails.
http://www.myoldtools.com/table/20071202-20071202-_MG_6051.jpg

Several years ago I read your article on the #80 and bought a nice one on eBay. I saw the sweetheart logo and was so excited to bid that I failed to notice there was no iron. Once I got it home, I bought a Hock. Can't fault the seller, she didn't know anything about tools.

 

[CRSINMICH]

OPINIONS WANTED​

I bought these hand screws (that always sounds a little obscene) at an estate sale for a very good price. A previously unsuspected streak of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder kicked in once I got started spiffing one up. Before I knew it, the first hand screw was half finished; or so I thought. It was only then that I thought to take pictures of the process.

Picture 1 is the three hand screws I bought that day; a 708 and two 712s.

Picture 2 is a close up showing gunk removal in progress. This is the point I had gotten to when I thought to take pictures. The gunk varied in thickness and consistency. Some of it was oily and some was more like tar. All of it was dirty.

Picture 3 is a close up of two spots where there had been glue which sealed out future layers of grime.

Picture 4 is a before-and-after close up of the threads of the handles. There was gunk there too and it was hard. I had to pick it out little by little. I counted them in case you want to know how many grooves there are on each handle. There's just one, two if you consider that the thread reverses in the middle.

Picture 5 is, of course, before and after.

Here's what I want your opinion on. Did I do too much and change the patina too much? Before you answer, consider this: I did not use sandpaper or a chemical stripper just 0000 steel wool and Boiled Linseed Oil. Where the gunk was thick or especially stubborn, I used a putty knife as a scraper. What do you think? How much is too much? When spiffing up an old tool, where do you personally draw the line? Under what circumstances will you cross the line you set?

 

[rrich1]

Finally finished up my bathroom remodel. Complete tear out of drywall. Built a new vanity from cherry and stained it. 72". Wife loves it.

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[ez-duzit]

CR--that is fine for clamps you are just going to use. But I think you devalue them, especially if you add a finish, like boiled linseed oil, that can contaminate new work.

 

[CRSINMICH]

CR--that is fine for clamps you are just going to use. But I think you devalue them, especially if you add a finish, like boiled linseed oil, that can contaminate new work.

EZ: That's why I put that out there for comments. What doesn't show in the pictures is that the jaw faces that touch each other don't have a finish on them. That gunk would have done plenty of contaminating anyway. Thanks for your comment. I was trying to get at how other members decided to what degree they would mess with an old tool. How would you have done it? Or would you have used them as is or not used them at all?

EDIT: I probably should have said in the original post that my main concern was to improve the functioning of the hand screws. That's why I spent so much time on the threads. They're as smooth as can be now.

 

[ez-duzit]

Normally I don't buy any tools that need a great deal of restoration, though there have been some notable exceptions, like my Powermatic 720HD mortising machine!!! I would have scraped the old **** off and probably left them bare or sealed them with clear acrylic sealer.

 

[My Old Tools]

I read your article on the #80 and bought a nice one on eBay. I saw the sweetheart logo and was so excited to bid that I failed no notice there was no iron. Once I got it home, I bought a Hock. Can't fault the seller, she didn't know anything about tools.

Irons get replaced on those all the time. I have some that have cut up saw blades for irons and they work. Next you'll need a Stanley #12 and number #112 scraper plane.

 

[jimreed2160]

Tom99--Nice shop. Organized. Clean. Bright n shiny tools. You did a good job. Thanks for the tour.