Woodworking 101--Tools and Tips

[drivesitfar]

Wrench: i've always loved your big vises and big tools and your planer is nothing short of amazing too. while that piece might be SCRAP as you say to the wood or lumber people the buyers love it and are having dining tables and fine furniture made out of it. i bet that was one hard SOB to plane and it would have broken my 13 inch fairly new DeWalt planer.

ALL: i'm hearing that if i use old growth cedar on my deck that i don't have to stain it. is that true?

 

[250]

Drives- I redid our back deck and front porch with western red two years ago in standard 5/4 decking boards. Doubtful it was old growth and mildly knotty. The clear cedar was 2x on the budget if memory serves and the knots don't bother me. I like the idea of trex or whoever's alternative material boards, in fact all of our trim is now pvc boards instead of pine.

However, I really don't like the look of trex. It just doesn't look right where there really should be wood. If I remember correctly, you can leave cedar untreated and it does pretty well due to its composition, but it will gray out within the season.

 

[Rickss96]

All: anybody love their deck and want to share what wood or decking material they used?
/QUOTE]

Redwood.
Had our redwood deck for 32 years now and the wood is holding up just fine. Unfortunately, the support timbers and joists underneath were built with pressure treated lumber and some of those are starting to go.

 

[rrich1]

We built a deck two years ago with pressure treated lumber. I stained it last year and it has held up really well so far. Had to spruce it up to go with the house after I painted it lol.

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[rrich1]

Double post

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[R_einan]

Planing walnut slab having large crotch knot. I been not cutting the big crotch intersections off my logs for a while now. It appears 2me that my general public customers are liking this material as its scrap to the finer lumber people. Hey God made it and it looks good 2me. This particular piece is outside the grade lumber of the log mostly sap wood. The stills show it wiped with turp showing it natural non stained grain. I hardly stain my slab work. The new machine worked very good thru the hardass grain reversing knot only with minor tearout. thanks 4 looking.
video

video

That is a beautiful slab, I have been toying with an idea for a bench using a walnut slab for my master bedroom for putting on boots. You sir, have a gorgeous piece, I hope you do something amazing with it.

 

[wrenchguy]

That is a beautiful slab, I have been toying with an idea for a bench using a walnut slab for my master bedroom for putting on boots. You sir, have a gorgeous piece, I hope you do something amazing with it.

not sure where its gonna end up, its 18" wide at w-point. i'd like it as a bench but its curve and narrowest at the end is challenging me coming up with a clean and simple stand. thanks.

 

[jimreed2160]

Wrench--I hear the tune of that song you are singing. Walnut is my favorite wood and that crotch grain looks super! I hope you can work it into a project.

Many ww avoid highly figured woods and esp crotches because the wood can be unstable and warp over time. It can be tough to cut and plane due to density and wild grain. I don't mind a few turns here and there--it is nice to run your hand across furniture and feel character in the wood. My feeling is that if you want flat, use metal or plastic.

I also loved how your planer gnawed into that thing and prettied it up. Good luck with your project.

 

[wrenchguy]

Wrench--I hear the tune of that song you are singing. Walnut is my favorite wood and that crotch grain looks super! I hope you can work it into a project.

Many ww avoid highly figured woods and esp crotches because the wood can be unstable and warp over time. It can be tough to cut and plane due to density and wild grain. I don't mind a few turns here and there--it is nice to run your hand across furniture and feel character in the wood. My feeling is that if you want flat, use metal or plastic.

I also loved how your planer gnawed into that thing and prettied it up. Good luck with your project.

thanks, i agree except i like american cherry the most best. i got a house of full of it.

 

[rrich1]

Scored a new dust collector today! I went to my friends house to use his sand blaster on the vise. I saw it sitting in he corner and said he has never used it. Got it from a friend a while go. Told me $25 bucks and I couldn't get my money it fast enough!

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[ztorres]

Does that Jet have the vortex cone?


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[rrich1]

Ztorres: no it doesn't.

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[ztorres]

Rrich1: it's still really nice and it's nice you don't have piping between the impeller and canister area


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[ez-duzit]

Can't miss for $25.

 

[jimreed2160]

rrich--Your lungs are thanking you.

 

[rrich1]

rrich--Your lungs are thanking you.

I've been using a Ridgid shop vac and a dust deputy. I use a mask as well. It can't keep up with the planer and table saw as much as I'd like though. Hopefully this will do a better job. I got the parts cleaned up before I went to a wedding tonight. Just because I washed the bags.

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[wrenchguy]

This lil jewel came in a box lot of smalls at a sale few years back. photo bucket photos working 4 me now, u may want to copy off if u want.

 

[ScottsGT]

You're going to have to give us the Ray Charles description or pay photobucket $400 a year if you want us to know what your jewel is.

 

[drivesitfar]

Wrench: i clicked on your PB picture and it took me to Photobucket's website and still no pictures. what a fiasco this PB thing is causing on a lot of threads. i'm happy i changed from using their service shortly after i joined here cause i'm sure i'd be well over the # allowed for a small fee. the new cost to have pictures hosted on GJ's site by PB is i hear $399 per year.

hope you get it figured out so we don't lose all your cool pictures

ALL: thanks for the comments on the deck surface and i'm still searching. i've got pricing from $1 per foot (linear and not board foot) for 5/4 (inch really) thick by 6 (5.5 inches) wide from $1 to $5 per foot for Cedar. i have to say the $5 Old Growth wood/fiber/cedar looks like you can make furniture out of it, but it is pretty light and not heavy like some of the furniture woods i've had in my hands.

i'm not sure there is a local source for Redwood, but if there is i'd like to know about it.

Trex just doesn't have that LOOK my wife and i like and even though we might move in a year or 5 from now i'd like to enjoy it now that we have some time to sit on it.

i've bought this Camo gun for putting in screws in the sides of the 1x6's and have any of you used these yet. thoughts?

 

[wrenchguy]

You're going to have to give us the Ray Charles description or pay photobucket $400 a year if you want us to know what your jewel is.

u mean it ain't showing up? Its showing fine only on my puter?????!@#$%^&*())(*&^%$#@! Mod please delete it if ok.

 

[dwasifar]

Scored a new dust collector today! I went to my friends house to use his sand blaster on the vise. I saw it sitting in he corner and said he has never used it. Got it from a friend a while go. Told me $25 bucks and I couldn't get my money it fast enough! [/IMG]

Pretty sure I've seen that pic somewhere else:

Good to know I'm not the only guy who posts in both places.

 

[jimreed2160]

Dowel machine

An overnight trip to the Evaporust spa did wonders for the 3/4 die.

Here is how I sharpen it. I use an appropriately sized screwdriver shaft and sandpaper.

I was wrong about it being new. There are marks from a previous sharpening. Here it is after I repaired that damage and refreshed the edge.

Making the back flat is a snap. I just use the flat plate.

Now that I have the die ready, I need some stock. I will rip a piece from this hickory board.

Here it presents itself to the dowel machine.

Well, that did not go well. The hickory is too big and too tough. It is at the limits of this machine. I can make the job easier by chamfering the edges to remove stock.

It is tough going but I got what I needed--a round tenon.

Stay tuned while I make a handle.

 

[jimreed2160]

Moss stick continued

I found a scrap of 2x4 and quickly hammered a mortise in it.

Then I used a forstner bit to drill a hole.

I needed to soften up the edges, so I clamped it in my carriagemakers vise and use my #4 to take off the sharp edges.

And used a **** chisel to take off the sharp corners.

Not so pretty but really functional.

But as I was trying it out, I noticed that the edges were sharp. I grabbed a nearby plane to soften them up.

I hardly ever use this tiny plane but it really came in handy today. It is very light and easy to use. Best part is that it did a great job.

And then it happened. I almost never use a plane or chisels unless the wood stock is firmly in a vise. That is my #1 safety practice. Of course, today I was in a hurry and ran the razor sharp blade into my thumb. Luckily, my thumbnail caught it. Even so, my nail received a 1/8 gash.

So I just got lucky.

I filled the mortise with glue and tapped the stick into place. Here is the completed moss removal tool.

Once the glue dries I will take it for a test drive. More to follow.

Shop kitties were waiting outside the shop for me.

 

[jimreed2160]

Drives--According to my gonkulator, $1 per lin ft for those boards is $1.75 a BF. That is a bargain. At $5 per lin ft it jumps to $8.73 a BF. That is more than cabinet grade cherry. Pricing wood and making comparisons is hard.

 

[Bigmichaelkim]

Hello,

I was restoring this old hand saw using wd 40 and 120 grit sandpaper on a sanding block as I thought it was just a usage saw with no etching. Now I have gone through the surface rust on the saw I am beginning to see some sort of etching on my saw. I still have some rust remaining and was wondering three things:

1. What would be the best way to remove the remaining rust while best trying to preserve the etching?
2. What would be the best way to remove remaining rust not caring about preserving the etching but still maintaining the usability of the saw?
3. And finally can anyone help me identify the saw with the limited footage of my pics? From the somewhat visible etching and the handle?

Thanks in advance guys and I am learning a lot from this forum from just browsing. Hopefully I can ideally save the etching and the usability of this older saw.


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[jimreed2160]

BigMike--Your saw looks very Warranted Superior to me. I preserve etches by using a sanding block. Paper under fingers seems to remove the shading around an etch, but using a block keeps the paper high. Your grit looks a little coarse. I use Simple Green for lubricant and like 400-800 paper. Avoid the teeth and get them clean by sharpening. I hope you have a good user. Good luck.

 

[ez-duzit]

Picked up a couple shoulder planes, a large Lie Nielsen (top) and a small Veritas (bottom). The 2 Stanley's in the middle I've had a long time. They are much more useful than one might at first think. Besides touching up a dado or adjusting a rabbet, for example, I often use one for trimming some end grain or planing an inside curve. Also they work well as scrub planes on small pieces, especially where you might need to hollow one out a bit.

 

[jimreed2160]

EZ--Nice group of planes. They are all high quality and very useful as you know. The Veritas looks interesting. I have never used one of those. How does it work for you? Do you like it?

 

[jimreed2160]

BigMike--As I scrolled through the pictures this morning, the saw's etch jumped out at me. I am seeing a Disston keystone with a large "D 8" inside. The saw has been heavily sharpened. From the extra holes in the plate, I deduce that some previous owner has rehandled the saw and that accounts for the WS looking handle. Now I am more impressed as Disston saw plates are superior and last a long time. If you find the tip too pointy for your taste, you can shorten the saw and make it into a panel saw.

 

[ez-duzit]

jr--I very much like the small Veritas shoulder plane and have needed its narrow width on several projects already, though that narrowness makes it much more difficult to keep the plane perpendicular to the workpiece without using a fence.

One feature I particularly like is the screw-adjustable throat, which is far easier and more precise than the others which lack this feature. Very nicely made.

 

[jimreed2160]

Handtool in action

So here is the problem area--a backyard paver area with moss.

It is 87 degrees today with 66 humidity. Too hot to do much, so I make it easy on myself--esp my back.

The scrubbing was OK. Some of this moss is pretty determined to stay.

But I won in the end. Next step is to blow it off and then treat with bleach to kill the remaining moss. Last step will be pressure washing.

My scraper tool did well and did not give up any splinters. My tired hands really appreciated the large handle on the end. Sometimes the best tools are the ones you make for yourself.

 

[jimreed2160]

EZ--Good to hear. I have a little Preston bullnose that is the same size. I am sure that the Veritas is easier to hold and to use. Nice plane.

 

[Autonomous]

Handtool in action

So here is the problem area--a backyard paver area with moss.

It is 87 degrees today with 66 humidity. Too hot to do much, so I make it easy on myself--esp my back.

The scrubbing was OK. Some of this moss is pretty determined to stay.

But I won in the end. Next step is to blow it off and then treat with bleach to kill the remaining moss. Last step will be pressure washing.

My scraper tool did well and did not give up any splinters. My tired hands really appreciated the large handle on the end. Sometimes the best tools are the ones you make for yourself.

Jim, that's a simple and handy scraper, but if you have a pressure washer on hand why not start with that? It should blast just about everything clean and make a pile of moss that you could side into a bag.

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[Bigmichaelkim]

Thanks for the tips regarding the hand saw guys. I am currently soaking the saw in evaporust to see what happens.


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[Bigmichaelkim]

I also plan on using blo as a finish on the handles for the saws and will use shop towels as the preferred medium. After I am done applying the blo, I am just afraid of how to dispose of the rags correctly with the combustion and what not.

So I plan on buying an empty paint can from Home Depot and soaking the rags in water after use and placing them in there. Could I store them in there with the water and the lid closed and have it in my garage? Could I sleep soundly or is it just a bad idea to have it in he garage at all? I live in an apartment so I am concerned about putting the rags outside. Thanks in advance for answering all these questions. As a new woodworker I just have a lot of concerns with blo and it's dangers


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[jimreed2160]

Auto--Thanks for your suggestions. I thought about starting with the pressure washer but I was afraid of blowing all of the interlocking sand out from between the blocks. If the moss is pretty much gone, I can dial down the water pressure and just work on the surface.

Bigmike--You are correct to be cautious about the BLO. I spread my rags out in the yard and let them get hard before going in the trash can. Maybe you can put yours out of the way somewhere that it can outgas slowly. Or seal in an old mayo jar and put in the trash. If you use the BLO sparingly, you should have less remaining on the towels to evaporate.

 

[rrich1]

First coat of paint is on the vise.

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[jimreed2160]

rrich--Your BG vise is looking like new.

 

[rrich1]

Jimreed: thanks. Just put a third coat on a few minutes ago. Not sure if I will wait u til tomorrow to put a coat of clear on or later tonight.

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[rrich1]

Hooked up the dust collector to the jointer tonight. Gave it a few passes to see how it fared. Love it! No more mess. Before and after.

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