Woodworking 101--Tools and Tips

[cheechi]

HIDEOUS!

great job. I wouldn't have had the patience for that, at least not quietly.

jim that sounds like an ordeal, at least I will be smoothing pine. I'm going to stick with my current (dado or whatever) flat bit. I will let you know how it goes once I get to that step.

 

[jimreed2160]

cheechi--Good luck with your project. Here is my new one.

I dropped the Queen at the makeup counter and wandered down to Sears, where I found a nice sander stand. I guess I could knock something together using 2x4s, but this looked quicker.

 

[drivesitfar]

RR: WELL DONE and i'd be the same with my OCD. keep up the great work!!

Jim: do your ******* still get hard when you walk in to the SEARS CRAFTSMAN TOOL DEPARTMENT?

cheers

 

[ez-duzit]

Applying trim...

...

jr--you really need a miter box; just a simple wooden or plastic one will do. I have a plastic one that is a real POS, but works.

 

[jimreed2160]

RR: WELL DONE and i'd be the same with my OCD. keep up the great work!!

Jim: do your ******* still get hard when you walk in to the SEARS CRAFTSMAN TOOL DEPARTMENT?

cheers

I have not been to Sears in years but they drew me in with that nice stool I got a few months ago. The deserted department reminded me of what a compelling shopping experience it is--rows and aisles of mystery and wonder. Bright and inviting with a surprise around every corner. It is really a refreshing experience when compared to the box store warehouse layout. Everyone should visit a Sears soon because I fear they might not last the year.

 

[jimreed2160]

EZ--I fiddled with that bad fit after the shot--it does look pretty bad in its close up. These tiny parts drive me nuts.

 

[ez-duzit]

EZ--I fiddled with that bad fit after the shot--it does look pretty bad in its close up. These tiny parts drive me nuts.

This is all you need to make perfect miters.

 

[drivesitfar]

Jim: some of those old Stanley or other brand miter saws will allow your thicker Japanese saws to work well and i've seen them as cheap as $5-10 at garage sales and passed on them so that might be an option too.

Wrench: nice work on the boat that looks like it was for your grandkids. also best of luck on the restore which is a major deal that i'd almost start from scratch. i know you have a lot of history to share so hope it works out.

 

[ez-duzit]

The saw on the bottom is my most used saw, a razor saw with replaceable blade fits easily in a tool bag.

 

[Craptain]

For my miter cuts on relatively small stuff I have fallen in love with my miter cutter. Purchased from a member here on this thread. After the very quick learning curve I am able to produce accurate repeatable miters every time. But I still use a miter box for larger stuff. Or even a miter saw.

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[thursday]

Which hand plane?

I'd like to make a workbench from laminated 2x4's. I'm going to be planing down the work surface of the 2x4's with a hand plane and have never used one. I see them on the classifieds all the time, but I'm unsure of which type I want for this task and what brands/models to look for?


Thanks

 

[jimreed2160]

Sewing box rehab progress

Here is an early shot of the box.

And here it is today.

So far I removed the pincushion and replaced it with the birdseye maple drawer. I added floating feet to the bottom. And I just recently finished replacing trim on the small drawers. Next step is to make trim for the larger drawer and for the rosette on the end. Stay tuned.

 

[jimreed2160]

Which hand plane?

I'd like to make a workbench from laminated 2x4's. I'm going to be planing down the work surface of the 2x4's with a hand plane and have never used one. I see them on the classifieds all the time, but I'm unsure of which type I want for this task and what brands/models to look for?


Thanks

I think the best all around plane for a bench top is a Stanley #5 or Stanley Bedrock #605. It is a jack plane with a 2" wide blade and works well on general projects. After the #5, I would add a #7 for jointing and then a #4 for smoothing. Good luck with your project.

 

[jimreed2160]

Miter box notes

To Ez, Drives, Aka, Craptain and others--Thanks for all of your suggestions on a miter box and saws. The little jig I had worked fine. Everything I had around the shop was just too big. Remember that the moulding was a quarter round from a 1/4" dowel. Split your pencil and then split it again.

My miter saw was overkill. My Lion trimmer was overkill. Regular sized miter boxes were just too big. I used a Japanese pull stroke razor saw and its blade was not quite 1/64" thick. On the jig I was able to ride the side and get an accurate 45 degree cut. The problems I had in fitting were mostly due to my impatience with small stuff. After the bilateral carpal tunnel and ulnar nerve release surgery, my hands are not nearly as precise as they once were.

Let's just say the tooling was fine and I did my best. Sometimes we work at the edges of our skill levels. The beauty of ww is that there are many ways to disguise errors. For that, I dug out my furniture crayon and will use it to touch up the gaps.

 

[rrich1]

Which hand plane?

I'd like to make a workbench from laminated 2x4's. I'm going to be planing down the work surface of the 2x4's with a hand plane and have never used one. I see them on the classifieds all the time, but I'm unsure of which type I want for this task and what brands/models to look for?


Thanks

To echo what Jim said. A #5 would be a good first plane. A "#5" can be had from many manufacturers. A Craftsman one for instance depending on the year it was produce could have been made my Stanley, Miller falls, or Sargent. Those three seem to be the top 3 USA made brands. My wards master #5 is great and I believe made by Stanley. My #4 sized smoothing plane is a Record and I'm very happy with it. Give those companies a look. Check out timetestedtools.net to get some comparison charts on models of different brands.

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[rrich1]

@jimreed do you have a shooting board? They look like they would work fantastic for getting that perfect miter. I plan to make one this summer.

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[jimreed2160]

@jimreed do you have a shooting board? They look like they would work fantastic for getting that perfect miter. I plan to make one this summer.

Great suggestion! I should have gotten out my shooting board. It is in sad shape and I really need to build a nice one. Good project idea.

 

[rrich1]

Great suggestion! I should have gotten out my shooting board. It is in sad shape and I really need to build a nice one. Good project idea.

Pics of the new build.
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[ScottsGT]

I love this place! 10 minutes ago I had no idea what a shooting board was. Google and YouTube just showed me.
So I take it a "shooter" plane is one to use with the shooting board? If so, how does it differ from a regular plane, say a Stanley #4?

 

[rrich1]

I love this place! 10 minutes ago I had no idea what a shooting board was. Google and YouTube just showed me.
So I take it a "shooter" plane is one to use with the shooting board? If so, how does it differ from a regular plane, say a Stanley #4?

I believe mass for ease of sliding as well as angle of blade for long grain use. I'm sure any plane will work fine.

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[ez-duzit]

You don't need a shooting board for projects such as the moldings on that drawer--just a simple miter box.

 

[thursday]

I think the best all around plane for a bench top is a Stanley #5 or Stanley Bedrock #605. It is a jack plane with a 2" wide blade and works well on general projects. After the #5, I would add a #7 for jointing and then a #4 for smoothing. Good luck with your project.

Thank you for the reply I'll be on the lookout for those models!

To echo what Jim said. A #5 would be a good first plane. A "#5" can be had from many manufacturers. A Craftsman one for instance depending on the year it was produce could have been made my Stanley, Miller falls, or Sargent. Those three seem to be the top 3 USA made brands. My wards master #5 is great and I believe made by Stanley. My #4 sized smoothing plane is a Record and I'm very happy with it. Give those companies a look. Check out timetestedtools.net to get some comparison charts on models of different brands.



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Thank you for the reply. I'm going to try for something similar to the table top you posted a few pages back. Did the glue up require a significant number of pipe clamps?

 

[ztorres]

I saw an interesting video on making bandsaw boxes on finewoodworking.com and thought I'd give it a try. Here is the first box that I made:


I think it turned out really nicely. It's made from a piece of 3"x3"x6" Purpleheart. I have another Purpleheart box the will be done tomorrow, and two black walnut boxes. Here is the article:
http://www.finewoodworking.com/videoworkshop/2016/06/make-beautiful-bandsawn-boxes


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[Autonomous]

It's a nice shape and that wood is beautiful. How did you finish it?

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[jimreed2160]

Zach--Great project. I love these fun in the shop projects.

 

[rrich1]

Thank you for the reply I'll be on the lookout for those models!



Thank you for the reply. I'm going to try for something similar to the table top you posted a few pages back. Did the glue up require a significant number of pipe clamps?

It didn't require a ton of clamps. Do you have any parallel clamps? I tried to use cauls which helped to keep things aligned along with biscuits. My suggestion is to keep the amount of glue seems to a minimal as possible. The max I had at one time was 2. This helped me keep everything as flat as possible. It took more time in glue up overall but a lot less work to get it all flat.

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[ztorres]

It's a nice shape and that wood is beautiful. How did you finish it?

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I finished this one with a coat of shellac followed by two coats of shellac thinned down with denatured alcohol then put some Minwax wax on and buffed it out


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[drivesitfar]

ALL: just another safety reminder for all of you about stained and oil soaked rags and paper towels. on the front page of GJ this month Ryan posted a video of his own shop and what happened when he threw some BLO (boiled linseed oil) soaked rags in his nice plastic garbage can on rollers. pretty amazing to see this happen isn't it? so have a metal can in the shop with a lid on it and USE IT or hang the rags outside to dry if you want to use them again.

 

[ScottsGT]

I watched that video about 2 days before I was using BLO on the top of my new bench. Took precautions and soaked the rags in water overnight.

Years ago I was refinishing some rifle stocks with BLO thinned with mineral of spirits. Didn't know of this issue back then. Thankfully I was lucky. Being that it was thinned might have saved my skin.

 

[wrenchguy]

my dad lost a new house when some guys doing work there left linseed rags in a pile and caught fire. dad outa town over that weekend and out it the woods /country no one saw it. cold foundation when he got back.

 

[jimreed2160]

Watch those rags--BLO can bite. I am sorry to be absent lately but have been dealing with a terrible rash. Just found out yesterday it was due to Mothers Day lilies. I may be out of action for a few more days. Meanwhile, things in the shop are backing up...

 

[cheechi]

rest up bud.

 

[drivesitfar]

Jim: hope you feel better soon cause we all like your tutorials and your wit and humor.

ALL: i'm going to start a thread on Wood that i think should have it's own thread. maybe WOOD 101 all types of wood, how to buy, work with and make stuff with or something like that.

even though my Gramps was a logger from 1926-1992 i still am not the expert so if somebody else wants to host that thread instead of answering all my questions I'd love it. sort of how this thread got started when i convinced Jim that there was a need. anybody interested in starting a thread PM me or i'll start it soon?

hope you all have something fun planned for the weekend or maybe just getting outside maybe now that the weather is improving in most of the US.

cheers

 

[jimreed2160]

Thanks for your kind thoughts and words. I am on the downhill slide now. The itching is getting better due to the massive doses of antihistamine and generous slatherings of cortisone cream. My head is fuzzy so shop projects are still on hold. But the pipeline continues and this arrived at my door today on the back of a FedEx man.

It is a spool chest from the 1890s. These were given to merchants to store and display thread. This one is chestnut or oak and is pretty old. Leading edge for the times, it even includes an ink well.

The knobs are sometimes missing and they can be expensive to replace. Luckily, they are all here and in good shape.

One of the drawers has a clean break.

And the fall front is missing.

It is really dirty and needs a good cleaning. I like to use mineral spirits.

My ex wife's family had a store and her relatives gave her one of these chests many years ago. It was stamped "Oct. 1896" on the underside of the top. We were dating at the time but planning to get married. I refinished the chest using a pocketknife and sandpaper while I lived in a dorm. When we got married, I designed a base frame and hired out the project to a local cabinetshop. It was a really nice stand up desk but alas, I lost it in the settlement. Now after all of these years, I have a chance to replicate that project.

It is always nice to have projects in the workshop because projects are the future.

 

[rrich1]

@jimreed. Nice box! Glad you're doing better.

Little to no shop time this week. Today before the gym and work I got the legs cut and ready for the top. Next is to measure out where I want to place the legs. The top is slightly over 5' I want to offset the legs. How much of an overhang in each side would you recommend? I plan to have a leg vise and a tail vise at some point.

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[jimreed2160]

From rrich: The top is slightly over 5' I want to offset the legs. How much of an overhang in each side would you recommend? I plan to have a leg vise and a tail vise at some point.

Leg placement and top overhang is certainly something critical for your bench. Get it right and you are a happy guy but get it wrong and you will be using that bench to build its replacement.

I would get some cardboard boxes and make a full sized prototype. You don't need the whole bench, just the working side and end. Tape your legs in place and pretend to work on the surface. You need to know where to place the legs so your knees don't bump into them. This is a critical step and you need to give it some thought.

 

[cheechi]

If you want to clamp things to the ledge I would go at least 3-4" on 3 sides, maybe even all around. Doesn't have to be 100% ie legs, top supports, and such can break up your lip. Do you have any potential need for a leg vise? At least one set of legs should be on the outer edge if that's the case.

 

[R_einan]

Added a dado blade to my arsenal, used a blank throat plate and cut my own kerf at full stack width.

 

[wrenchguy]

Unusual vintage pedal powered scroll saw i came up with few years back. Any u guys seen 1 like it? It uses flat leather belt with spaced holes. I estimate the cast iron flywheel weighs 30lbs. Seat and or stool assembly missing. I believe it has bronze bushings for bearings with oil holes being plugged by whittled twigs. thanks 4 looking.

 

[cheechi]

Hey I've got a question. A few weeks back someone in the hot deals posted the Wen thickness planer that was cheap enough to justify an unplanned tool purchase. Has a granite base plate supposed to differentiate it from the 50 others that are exactly like it.

Well.

I want to make a table/base type thing for it and put a solid infeed/outfeed surface on there. It has the fold up & down ones and they are pretty sturdy I guess. The granite base plate has a nice bevel on all the edges; I think I can reduce snipe by building a planer sled into the planer.

I have roller stands, they're from HF but they roll well enough and are adjustable. If I need any others I like the Ridgid that folds up but for now I will stick with what I have.

So if you were going to build a table dedicated to a lunchbox planer, how long would you make those surfaces? Would you build it so they are flat with the granite base, or build it with one sheet (I'm thinking of a laminated MDF shelf type of thing for the smoothness) from end to end? Which will reduce snipe as much as possible?

There's nothing wrong with the granite or the metal in & out tables. They are adjustable but I think where they hinge is still too low to make them truly coplanar, but they are functional and I get the normal snipe I would without a sacrificial piece and less with one. I don't mind losing the thickness that the shelf would have me lose.