Woodworking 101--Tools and Tips

[rlitman]

Interesting. The last time I had more than an inch of West System left in the cup, it started to smoke as it cured.

 

[chrislehr]

Neighbors now alert me to fell wood. Got some holly today and busted down some bowl blanks with a chainsaw



Resawing holly made awesome noodle ball shavings



Rough turned one. I plan to try and turn all while green and then let dry a while. More pics as i get through em.

 

[drivesitfar]

ALL: I'll hopefully build something nicer, but this video cart i bought at a warehouse sale will do for now to hold some of my saws. it's handy and I can see it parked just behind my bride's car.

I'll probably sell one of my Makita 10 inch chop saws unless some of you can tell me a good reason to have 2 small chop saws with 2 different blades. like maybe a Diablo blade for general wood butchering and a nice blade on the other one for molding or nicer cuts. or just change the blade and use the space for another tool is probably the best solution.

I saw those Muffins on a COOL TOOLS show a few years ago and thought they were great, but i've yet to own or use them. anybody want to show how they use them or say why please do?

 

[jimreed2160]

Chris--Good work on the holly. It should dry bright white. Back in the day holly was used for inlays because of its white color.

Drives--Good work on your organization. The bench cookies referenced are used to hold things on your workbench. Rubber grips mean that they do not move (unlike scraps). Helpful for routing when you need to keep the surface above the bench. Good for finishing.

 

[jimreed2160]

Panel raising plane

In those days of yore before screaming routers, door panels were made using handplanes. These special planes had a 95-100 degree angle on their sole for the panel taper and also had skew blades for cutting crossgrain at the top and bottom of the panel. Good ones had an adjustable fence and even a nicker for scoring grain.

Here is an example from Germany. It makes really nice curly shavings and leaves a smooth, shiny surface.

 

[Autonomous]

Drives: if you have one permanently mounted miter saw, just mount the other one right next to it, flush and square. Then you can have a fine finish chopper and a wood butcher special.

The deck/base/whatever of one will support the other. You won't really lose bench space because you'd want an extended support area anyhow, so it's a win!

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[drivesitfar]

Auto: BRILLIANT!!

of course it will be a while until i actually get my small woodshop built so i can have that bench you just described so i'll probably still sell my extra saws for now, but when i build that bench my Dewalt compound miter and my WOOD BUTCHER (probably Makita cause i've used one for this job for 30 plus years and its still cutting wood) next to it.

THANK YOU!!

All: so I used my GOOGLEFU and found a few images as i entered the wood bench with built in saws RABBIT HOLE. it's a deep hole and i need to spend time GETTING ORGANIZED, but thought i'd share a few of my favorite pictures i found for all of you that might have the time now and want to build something for your space/shop.

 

[rlitman]

My miter saw bench is FAR from picture worthy, but here's an idea. Set the height to be something that matches the height of something else.

In my case, my miter saw is sitting on a heavy steel rolling cart (it doesn't move around easily), on a box I built under it to make the table height the same as the scroll saw I have a few feet over to the right. So, the scroll saw table catches long cutoffs to the right. My garage door is to the left, and I can open the door and place an outfeed roller in the driveway to easily slice up 12' or longer pieces into the lengths I need.

My miter saw (the same sliding DeWalt pictured above), draws too many amps to plug into my Fein vacuum for automatic dust collection. Instead, each is plugged into a different circuit, but the architect's lamp by my saw is plugged into the vacuum. Turn on the light, and dust collection turns on too.

I wouldn't use a table saw top as a miter saw outfeed table (it will be too low), but maybe a drill press top, or maybe you could flip up a wing on the end of a different work bench. There are plenty of ways to get things to serve double duty.

 

[IMStuner]

Just stunning stuff. And finished exceptionally well.

I just went to your blog and you have a lot of nice projects?

 

[jimreed2160]

I just went to your blog and you have a lot of nice projects?

Thanks for looking. I have not been able to post as much as I wished but at least I am chipping away at it. I went into the shop to work today and ended up rehabbing a plane instead. There is still too much clutter and it affects productivity.

 

[jimreed2160]

Auto--Great chop saw idea. Who wants to cut wet PT lumber with a nice chop saw blade?!?

 

[Autonomous]

Drives Jim, thanks for the comments. It popped into my head when I read the "problem" of having too many saws.

I just picked up 2x 3 drawer lateral filling cabinets and 2x 2 drawer units. $10 each at Habitat for Humanity ReStore. Right now I'm thinking I'm going to put casters on the 2 drawers and make one a moveable miter station and the other a moveable out feed take for both the miter saw and the table saw. Adjustable height supports should make it useful for both.

When I get the time to do it I'll take some picks and post here and the "Repurpose" thread.

One of the 3 drawers is going to be veneered with something nice and made into a "Changing Station". Around the end of April/beginning of May we are expecting our first/only poop-maker! I see a lot of projects ahead of me.

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[jimreed2160]

Auto--Great news on the rugrat. Better get those projects done before it gets here. Life gets busier as the family grows.

 

[chrislehr]

My miter station

 

[Unruh]

My Father-in-law got one of these for Christmas and I mentioned that I’d like one too! My wife surprised me with my own Grr-Ripper for Valentine’s Day.

On a side note, I went to Rockler and got some chucks for my lathe. I did some turning and showed it to a local work worker and he said my wood was too dry. How do you combat that? Soak it, mist it while on the lathe?

 

[jimreed2160]

My Father-in-law got one of these for Christmas and I mentioned that I’d like one too! My wife surprised me with my own Grr-Ripper for Valentine’s Day.

On a side note, I went to Rockler and got some chucks for my lathe. I did some turning and showed it to a local work worker and he said my wood was too dry. How do you combat that? Soak it, mist it while on the lathe?

Sold lots of those grippers when I was at Rockler. They are nice but work too close for me. I use a birds mouth stick that is 24" long.

I understand that lots of bowl turners like to work green wood and that has a MC of about 90%. I know why because green wood works exceptionally well. It's like chucking a potato in your lathe.

 

[drivesitfar]

Unruh: I've seen a lot of wood lathe projects, but i haven't used one for about 48 years now and just a note if you do use GREEN WOOD I think you have to do something to avoid cracking after you've finished your bowl or work on it. not exactly sure what, but maybe the Woodworkers on the thread can chime in.

Auto: Congrats on the little one and I hope you enjoy being a Dad. i was lucky that my dream girl came with a 10 & 12 year old cause when we had our first baby she knew almost everything to do. it's not easy being a Dad, but i bet you'll enjoy it.

thanks again for the great idea on the double miter saws on my bench.

ALL: for those of you that might have one of these 8 foot long butcherblock benches either from Gladiator or from Costco (made in china) if you put a lot of weight on them they WILL SAG so I made a simple brace out of a 4x4 on an old 4x5 and 45'd off the ends to give mine support and keep it level. I also like metal cabinets and raised up the ends with 4x4's so this old Hamilton letterpress printer's cabinet with 100 trays and my Cole 33 drawer cabinet fit underneath it.

have a great weekend everybody!!

 

[Unruh]

Sold lots of those grippers when I was at Rockler. They are nice but work too close for me. I use a birds mouth stick that is 24" long.

I understand that lots of bowl turners like to work green wood and that has a MC of about 90%. I know why because green wood works exceptionally well. It's like chucking a potato in your lathe.

Gotta be honest, the gripper is pretty close for me as well. I’m planning on using it mostly as a push board that has an added depth of safety. Not sure if that makes sense or not?

Back to turning, I’m a teacher and are with kids all the time. I wanna turn some wands. Should I try some green wood for those? Will they split when they dry?

 

[sdavis622]

Hi all, I’d like to get more into woodworking and thought I’d share my recent project I’m working on. I have so much to learn obviously, thankfully this day and age there is YouTube and Garage Journal! I’ve been watching a ton of videos by Jay Bates, John Heiz and a lot of others. There is some great info out there. I also started periodically listening to the Wood Whisperer podcasts while driving at work. Ive also been reading this thread and learning so much from it... thank you all for that.

So, I’ve got a lot of the basic tools but over the next year - two I’ll be shopping garage and estate sales, Craigslist etc to add to my woodworking/shop inventory of tools. Things like a drill press and belt/disc sander will be some of the first things. Down the road a planer, jointer, dust collection and more tools to focus on hobbyist woodworking. I have a large inventory of hand tools, nailers, drills, circular saws etc. plus a lot of my Dads old woodworking tools that I need to sort through and use.

I did just get a new Dewalt DW779 sliding compound miter saw so I wanted to build a portable station for it. I also found a used Dewalt 744 table saw on Facebook swap n shop locally for a good deal so I scooped it up. I’ll, be working on a rolling table for it that will but up to an outfeed table. My goal for these stations and tables is to be able to roll them in my racking so we can still park one vehicle in our two car garage. Someday I’ll have a dedicated shop area!

These are what inspired my build. Fold up wings with a built in stop block track.




I got a ton of ideas online and did a lot of research and decided how I’d like to do mine. I wanted it integrate my harbor freight storage cases into it and leave room for more down the road. Here’s where I’m at now. 3/4 plywood, glue and pocket screws and eventually I’ll stain it.





I was going to add more to the back side but then decided to put in shelves instead and leave room for scraps.



I added an outlet with 10’ cord and hooks to wrap up. For now I plug it in and then plug the table saw into it while it’s sitting next to it.





I had some scrap 1 and 2x3’s so I ripped some trim for the front out of them.



Yesterday I added the one wing and got the support all installed.





The t track came with 1/4 20 bolts but they slid horrible once in the stop block so I took a carriage bolt and ground two sides of the head flat to fit in the track and it slides so much smoother.







I got these tapes to install on the wings after I stain and protect the whole thing. One right to left and one left to right.



For the whole project I borrowed my neighbors Kreg jr to do the pocket holes. Then I found this kit on Amazon for $24 that had good reviews so I figured id try it out. It works great but I’ll eventually get the kind that clamps the board in place and holds it.



My next couple projects will be to make a push stick for the table saw and a wooden mallet. Looking forward to getting more knowledge and doing more projects. Thanks for reading!




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[jimreed2160]

Drives--I like your 4x4 idea. Of course wood will deflect over almost any span but that table looks like it was designed by a decorator or an engineer who missed a decimal point. Nothing that a little bracing won't fix. BTW, I was at Costco this week and they had those beefy 48" steel workbenches on sale for $149. I would have snagged one but my shop is already full of benches.

Unruh--I would stay away from the green wood. The bowl guys turn green to reduce the bulk. They rough cut and then store the wood in a plastic bag with wet chips to slow down drying. Normal turning starts with dry wood. Good luck with the wands. Those thin turnings can be a challenge. I made my last wands using a #77 dowel cutter.

Sdavis--Great start to your miter saw stand. Looks like you really improved those ideas. When I installed the table on my drill press, I found some hex bolts at HD that fit fine in the track. Who needs those overpriced bolts--not us.

 

[EOC_Jason]

Very nice! I've been wanting to build some fold-down sides for my RAS... It's on my 'to do' list... too many projects!

 

[jimreed2160]

New project

I found this in my plane closet. It is a rough casting of a Paul Hamler repro of the famous Stanley Miller plane. I acquired two of these from Paul sometime in the 1990s. Finished out the first one and sold it recently. Time to work on the second. It is more art than tool.

What I need to do is (carefully) peen the two brass pins that secure the blade holder into place. Then I need to file down a few sprue marks on the handle.

So I will crank up the shop tunes and putter away.

 

[jimreed2160]

New project

So I went into the shop to putter about and decided to make another spice rack. The Kreg jig made that a quick project.

And I also sharpened my pencils. Last week I found a sharpener for carpenter's pencils at Lowes. After years of sharpening them with pocketknives and chisels I finally broke down. It does a great job at breaking down the sides and still leaves enough clean up with a pocketknife to make me happy.

 

[Craptain]

Jim, I have had and used one of those sharpeners for years....... When I remember and find it. Chisels or a belt sander are often closer.

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[EOC_Jason]

LOL, I never knew those sharpeners existed until last year. I always thought you were supposed to use a pocket knife...

I have a stack of those but I just use regular pencils and I got a nice electric sharpener on my workbench so I can always hit it to make very precise thin lines.

 

[ez-duzit]

Carpenters pencils are OK for rough framing but, for work on cabinetry and furniture, etc, one needs more precise methods of marking, like marking gauges, striking knives and sharpened pencils.

 

[jimreed2160]

Carpenters pencils are OK for rough framing but, for work on cabinetry and furniture, etc, one needs more precise methods of marking, like marking gauges, striking knives and sharpened pencils.

That sounds like a call for pictures. I'm in. Pictures tomorrow. Who else has a favorite precision marker?

 

[drivesitfar]

ALL: i've always sharpened my carpenter's pencils with a utility knife and have never seen a sharpener (thanks Jim).

I agree with EZ that a sharp pencil to get cuts within a 1/32 or 1/16th is the best and i've got a pencil sharpener that is maybe 70 years old and a post in my garage that i use to keep my pencils sharp. it right above my Dr. Pepper bottle opener.

hope you all had a great weekend.

 

[Alchymist]

That sounds like a call for pictures. I'm in. Pictures tomorrow. Who else has a favorite precision marker?

First one is a marking knife I received in a swap on a woodworking forum, (favorite tool), the second is a marking gauge I made for that swap. Should have made 2.

 

[PelicanPines]

Carpenters pencils are OK for rough framing but, for work on cabinetry and furniture, etc, one needs more precise methods of marking, like marking gauges, striking knives and sharpened pencils.

I invested in several Incra Rulers... with their mechanical pencils.

 

[ez-duzit]

My favorite marking knife allows you to simply lay it flat against the surface to be transferred. Marks in either direction.

https://www.japanwoodworker.com/products/5-8-blue-steel-marking-knife

 

[56vette461]

I like marking knives and 4H drafting pencils for most of my finish work. Marking knives will also break the surface fibers of wood for clean cross cuts with less than perfect saw blades.

 

[CRSINMICH]

STOCK PREPARATION​

This morning I started preparing stock for an upcoming project. I had two 7 inch wide 5/4 walnut boards that I got some months ago at an estate sale. Who knows how long the dearly departed had stored them in his unheated garage, but they had spent a few weeks in mine before I brought them into my shop to acclimate. Projects and shop time being what they are, the boards spent a couple of months in the shop adjusting to temperature and humidity changes.

Both boards were slightly cupped on one face and had crowns on the opposite face but neither had significant twist. My first task was to flatten one face of each. I started by using a Lie-Nielson 5 1/2 which my dear sweet family gave me for my last birthday. It was going okay but I thought I was working a bit harder than I should. On a whim, I switched to an Ogontz 26" wooden plane. What a difference! I finished the second board in slightly more than half the time and with about 1/3 the energy expenditure. (I should say that I didn't take the time to fine tune the LN and part of the reason for using it today was to get an idea about what needed fettling.)

I was so pleased with the results that I decided to give this Ohio Tool horned smoother a tryout just for the heck of it. I know that the length of the Ogontz puts it into the area where it's shading into jointer planes but it worked well for flattening faces. BTW Ohio Tool, Sandusky Tool, and Ogontz are all the same company and I think Auburn Tool was too.

 

[jimreed2160]

CRS--Great story. Glad your old woodies came thru with shining colors. That is just why I keep lots of planes around. You just never know which one is going to do the job on difficult wood. But it seems to be true that when the plane work is hard, going bigger is the key. The extra mass helps a lot. I'll bet working the two small boards over with planes was much more fun than using a screaming lunchbox.

 

[jimreed2160]

Marking
I really like my carpenter's pencils and my chalk--they rule the day around here. But it is mostly because of the way I work. It is the "sneak up on it" method. I rip boards slightly oversized and then work them down to size with handplanes. When I crosscut, I usually make several cuts and several test fits if I need an exact size. Otherwise I mark the first piece and use it to mark the others. If I need an exact size--like the spice racks I just made--I gang cut the pieces after rough cutting.

But sometimes I need precision. Like when scribing for dovetail joints. I have two nice markers that were gifts from a ww buddy. I made the striking knife myself.

Of course, I would never cut the bow tie that is pictured on the chop saw. I just used it to show how well chalk stands out on walnut.

 

[sdavis622]

Made my first ever push block and push sticks. Sanded them smooth. They were completely random, not drawn out. Fit nicely in my table saw too which I didn’t plan.

 

[CRSINMICH]

sda: Those are good looking push sticks. Since their main purpose is to keep fingers and hands well away from whirling blades, you should be able to use them for a long time - providing you use them every time. Good job!

 

[sdavis622]

sda: Those are good looking push sticks. Since their main purpose is to keep fingers and hands well away from whirling blades, you should be able to use them for a long time - providing you use them every time. Good job!

Thanks! Looking forward to using them. Next I’d like to make a mini sled.

 

[jimreed2160]

A WW Buddy

Ten or twelve years ago I worked closely with a colleague named Dan. We discovered early on that we both liked woodworking. I was talking about planes one time and he got intrigued. I told him I could bring in a different plane each Friday and we could have show and tell. He asked how long I could keep it up. I replied, "Forever." His office was beside mine and I brought in a different kind of plane every Friday for over two years until he changed jobs. Those short sessions of ww bonding created some great memories.

During that time, we talked each other into buying DeWalt contractors saws. When I unboxed mine, I set it up and then went to the bandsaw with a scrap of plywood and made my push stick. It has held up well over the years.

 

[sdavis622]

A WW Buddy



Ten or twelve years ago I worked closely with a colleague named Dan. We discovered early on that we both liked woodworking. I was talking about planes one time and he got intrigued. I told him I could bring in a different plane each Friday and we could have show and tell. He asked how long I could keep it up. I replied, "Forever." His office was beside mine and I brought in a different kind of plane every Friday for over two years until he changed jobs. Those short sessions of ww bonding created some great memories.



During that time, we talked each other into buying DeWalt contractors saws. When I unboxed mine, I set it up and then went to the bandsaw with a scrap of plywood and made my push stick. It has held up well over the years.

Great story Jim! I’ve got the DW744...it seems to be a great saw. I got it used in great shape.


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