Woodworking 101--Tools and Tips

[Alchymist]

shapers and drum sanders now huh? Can't say I have any machinery anywhere near that big, however I did just finish modifying the Fastcap hood for my miter saw so now it's not quite so tall and even though I lose from 57* to 'only' 52* of cut angle on one side, I'm satisfied with that as it usually only makes 90* & 45* cuts anyway. I could remove the one bracket if I absolutely needed that cut angle back, just the saw hood while reducing quite a lot of the dust in the air is a bit unweildy.

However, I just also opened up my brand new DW735x planer, since a friend made an offer on my other. I'm going to do a flip top table with my 6" Delta jointer and this planer with a 4ft outfeed extension they can both share. Would you also want that much infeed extension on both, or is the planer's infeed table 'extension' enough typically? Since a jointer's infeed is height adjustable I wouldn't expect to need a static infeed table for it, although if you think that greatly benefits the jointer then I will.

I'd Hightly suggest against a flip top. I have one for my dewalt planer and ridgid osc spindle/belt sander and HATE it. I'd much rather have a solution where both tools are accessible without the BS of pulliing out the cart, flipping (without pinching fingers) just to get to the other tool.

Flip carts serve their purpose - especially if floor space is limited. I put my spindle sander and planer in one flip stand, and my grinder and belt sander in another. (Both pics show them "almost" complete). Easy to store away and pull out when needed, otherwise I wouldn't have room for everything.

Unfortunately I couldn't do that with the miter saw, it got a rather big stand. Again not quite finished, but functional. (The stand has two folding wings, only one shown in the up position).

 

[jimreed2160]

Al--Nice stands. Good design, well executed.

 

[cheechi]

I'd Hightly suggest against a flip top. I have one for my dewalt planer and ridgid osc spindle/belt sander and HATE it. I'd much rather have a solution where both tools are accessible without the BS of pulliing out the cart, flipping (without pinching fingers) just to get to the other tool.

I appreciate the advice. Could I see photos of yours? I may not have the luxury of giving any tool its own stand at this point, it may be my only option for these big heavy guys.

Flip carts serve their purpose - especially if floor space is limited. I put my spindle sander and planer in one flip stand, and my grinder and belt sander in another. (Both pics show them "almost" complete). Easy to store away and pull out when needed, otherwise I wouldn't have room for everything.

Unfortunately I couldn't do that with the miter saw, it got a rather big stand. Again not quite finished, but functional. (The stand has two folding wings, only one shown in the up position).

The problem I have is that I have room for some (not all) smaller tools like grinders and sanders. I'm more or less looking to the flip top to combine two outfeed extensions for the tools that could benefit from them.

 

[jimreed2160]

When I was space challenged I often mounted tools to a base that could be clamped to a worktable but then stored when not in use. Some specialized tools, like my hollow chisel mortiser, stay in storage a long time between uses.

 

[cheechi]

That's the plan for grinders and smaller tools like the 1x30 sander. I am trying to come up with a plan that I can make a cabinet carcass fit all the tools on their planks in one place. So far its cramming 10 lbs of **** in a 5 lb bag.

 

[jimreed2160]

Kinda like woodworking

Today I got a chance to use my new north annex workbench. It is not a ww project but I did use wood scraps and a woodscrew clamp.

Way back in the day, young couples received silver gifts for their wedding. It gave them a chance to dress up those spaghetti dinners in their cheap apartments. These sterling silver candle holders were popular then. I guess they were easy to sit on because I have seen, and repaired, several of them. These days, those young couples celebrate at the Olive Garden and silver candle holders have fallen out of favor. They are an inexpensive find--I think I got these for less than a Big Mac meal.

The very thin sterling silver sheet is pressed around a molded piece of plaster and the top cup is held in place by two twisted wires. The weak spot is the thinnest part of the neck and that is of course where they break. Repair is teasing enough epoxy into the crack to flow down and solidify at the base of the wires.

I used JB weld because I figured the residual little grey ring would not show up that much. I then wiped off the excess and clamped it parallel in a wood screw that was clamped to a vise. When I check tomorrow, I may add more JB Weld to cover any ragged edges that show. Then I will burnish with a dowel to make it round again. After polishing, I will send them to some of the unsuspecting offspring. They are all getting random boxes of random stuff as I finish projects and clear out the clutter.

And I really enjoyed the new workbench. It is in a quiet area of the shop and current rules dictate that it remain clutter free and open to projects.

 

[Farmerjonathan]

Is the upside down position hard on any of this woodworking equipment? Does oil go where it isn't supposed to? I have always wondered this.

 

[rlitman]

Is the upside down position hard on any of this woodworking equipment? Does oil go where it isn't supposed to? I have always wondered this.

Only on equipment that has oil. Most stuff uses greased bearings, and they don't care about orientation.

 

[jimreed2160]

Candleholder
When the JB Weld dried, I scraped off the excess using a pocketknife, Then I burnished the break using the rounded side of an adjustable wrench. I used that because it was what was on the workbench. It worked well to mash down the thin edges of the disrupted silver. Finally, I used a brass brush (carefully) to clean off the final remnants of JB. The last task was polishing both of them.

Pleased with this project. Woodworking has ground to a halt because my hand surgery is scheduled for next week. I will most likely pick up woodworking sometime after Christmas. In the meantime, you other ww need to pick up the slack and keep making shavings.

 

[mrspeed]

I'd Hightly suggest against a flip top. I have one for my dewalt planer and ridgid osc spindle/belt sander and HATE it. I'd much rather have a solution where both tools are accessible without the BS of pulliing out the cart, flipping (without pinching fingers) just to get to the other tool.

A flip cart puts two things at work table height in the same horizontal footprint. Seems unnecessary for a planer, since a planer doesn't need to be at work table height. In fact, with large boards, it seems easier to keep the planer a little closer to the ground so you don't need to lift boards as high to feed them.

I recently put together a table for the router and planer and opted to just put the planer on a lower shelf, which works out nicely. That said, I wouldn't mind a flip top for two things that need to be at working height.

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

 

[Unruh]

Hey guys! I’m starting turning and have some questions. I’m a teacher and for my first project, I’m making “magic” wand for the kids in my class. Each year we read Harry Potter and they will get a kick out of this. I’m wondering if anyone has any suggestions on some wood to use. I have used some maple, cherry, oak, and a piece of lacewood I had sitting around.

 

[ez-duzit]

Bamboo.

 

[jimreed2160]

Harry potter wands
I made a pair for some of the grands this summer and used walnut with birch dowels. The rods were painted with Rustoleum. The handles were carved with a coping saw and a pocketknife. I drilled some shallow holes and then glitterized them.

I also wrote a fictional piece about the origin of the wood. They seemed to enjoy the story as much as the wands.

 

[Bob Heine]

I made a couple of cabinet bases for my table saw and router cabinet. The cabinets are biscuit joined together and feel sturdy.

The cabinet bases are 24"W x 32"D x 18"H (Saw) x 15"H (Router) but the depth makes the storage space hard to get to. Decided to make a drawer to go inside and started with the one for the router.

Because it will store 6 routers and accessories, I used 1" x 12" pine for the sides and 3/4" plywood for the base. I put a groove in the sides and front and dovetailed the corners so hopefully it won't fall apart.

The dovetail joints are glued but the base just slides in the grooves and will be attached to the back with screws and screws acting as pins along the sides (so I can remove the base and dado for the dividers).

Drives posted a question about the dovetails and because this is my first time doing dovetails on a real project, I'm not sure of the answer. Perhaps one of you can help.

Bob: i'm amazed at the time and energy you are taking to make a drawer like that. I still haven't tackled dove tail joints so WELL DONE SIR!!

that said i've been sort of hanging around and learning a bit more about Woodworking on the Woodworking 101 thread and hearing from some of them it seems like the dovetail joints might need a little room to expand and contract as the weather changes. I think I heard and you can tell me i'm wrong if I am that the joints should be a little loose with the glue maybe a little thicker to allow for this expansion and contraction?

anyway it's a great project and good for you for attempting it!!

good luck

[My Response]: Drives, I have always admired dovetail joints and never had a project that justified spending the time to learn. The Porter Cable jig and its instructions have been a great help.

I don't know how to add space to the dovetail joints but I think their strength lies in them being tight. I don't really know if I'm doing it right because this is my first try at doing it for real (making one joint doesn't really count).

 

[Craptain]

Bob, you are correct that dovetails should be tight. But not overly so. Using the jig to make them should give you an idea of how tight.
Drives, dovetails are not immune to expansion due to conditions, but are generally not used in areas where this would be a problem. Think drawers as per Bob, rather than a complete cabinet. Having said that if you have the patience you can use dovetails for almost any project in an environmentally stable situation, ie. A/C.

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[jimreed2160]

Outstanding work, Bob.

 

[Unruh]

Harry potter wands
I made a pair for some of the grands this summer and used walnut with birch dowels. The rods were painted with Rustoleum. The handles were carved with a coping saw and a pocketknife. I drilled some shallow holes and then glitterized them.

I also wrote a fictional piece about the origin of the wood. They seemed to enjoy the story as much as the wands.

Here are a few that I have completed.

 

[jimreed2160]

Unruh--You are, Sir, the WandMaster!

 

[jimreed2160]

I'm baaaaack!

Hand/elbow surgery was perfectly executed and after a few days with a broken wing, I am in the eye of the storm. Pain is mostly gone and function is returning slowly but next hand/elbow is only a few weeks off.

The day before I went under the knife, I had a rush project. It seems that The Queen steadied herself on the mobile kitchen island and fell down. The wheel locks were on but the casters swiveled. I got busy with a 2x6 scrap and gnawed it a bit on the bandsaw. Crisis averted.

The box holds pots/pans, etc and is probably 300+ lbs loaded. Gravity and friction now keep the wheels motionless on the slick tile floor.

 

[Bob Heine]

Jim, another solution would be casters that lock both the wheel and the swivel at the same time. I have some 3" red-wheeled casters on my tool cart but yours look like 4" casters so something like these would work:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076FGP5G9/?tag=atomicindus08-20

There are cheaper locking casters available but the wood wheels seem more appropriate for your home.

 

[ez-duzit]

Why casters at all, if you don't want it to move when you lean on it? You could simply set it on a 2x frame (if you need it at that height).

 

[chrislehr]

Planed some old growth fir (i think?)

 

[cheechi]

'tiger fir' I like it.

 

[Mecha]

Flip carts serve their purpose - especially if floor space is limited. I put my spindle sander and planer in one flip stand, and my grinder and belt sander in another. (Both pics show them "almost" complete). Easy to store away and pull out when needed, otherwise I wouldn't have room for everything.

Unfortunately I couldn't do that with the miter saw, it got a rather big stand. Again not quite finished, but functional. (The stand has two folding wings, only one shown in the up position).

I don't know if I will get flamed here or not but I bought one of these on sale:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Delta-F...gclsrc=aw.ds&dclid=CMmGvrD9nt0CFQlfXgodieoBOg

Ridgid makes a similar model for little less, same style:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-...PIPHorizontal2_rr-_-207040303-_-206992161-_-N

I flipping love it. It doesn't fold down into nothing, it does take up some space, but it is definitely better then anything I could build myself permanently up. The best part is I don't hesitate to use it. I just roll it out flip it up, make my cuts quickly, and put it all back away. I use a 12" Ridgid Miter saw with it that is about 7 years old at this point, excellent setup.

My $.02 is all. They are expensive but if you keep your eyes out for one, they are half the price.

 

[jimreed2160]

Thanks to all for caster suggestions. I am happy now with my semilumar chocks as a temporary solution.

Mecha--I like that style cart and would have one if I were not such a cheapskate. My chop saw gets moved around a lot.

I went into the shop today for my first post surgery session. So I only lost a week. Light duty though because I need to keep my hands clean. I am spending this time dreaming up projects.

 

[onething]

French Cleats on a sloping surface?
I don't mean to hijack this wonderful thread, but it seems like the most likeyly place to find the correct answer.
We just moved into a new-to-us home with a bonus room over the garage. The walls are 3' tall and the ceiling is 45 degrees (1/1 pitch). I've used french cleats before but always on a vertical wall. Will cleats work on a sloped surface, and do I need to modify the cut angle from the standard 45?
Thanks in advance...

 

[ez-duzit]

o--You haven't described what you're trying to cleat but, no, it doesn't sound like you can use that technique on a 45* slope.

 

[ScottsGT]

Just use a highly modified version. Boards on the wall mounted with a standoff and what you're hanging has a tab that slides behind it locking into place

 

[jimreed2160]

One--The playroom in my parent's house had walls like that and no, I would not use French cleats to hang anything on the 45 degree surface. It really depends on the weight of the object but most things are going to need a lag bolt directly into a stud. Not only do you have to worry about weight you need to plan for someone inadvertently banging into these low hanging objects.

 

[Toolfool]

French Cleats on a sloping surface?
I don't mean to hijack this wonderful thread, but it seems like the most likeyly place to find the correct answer.
We just moved into a new-to-us home with a bonus room over the garage. The walls are 3' tall and the ceiling is 45 degrees (1/1 pitch). I've used french cleats before but always on a vertical wall. Will cleats work on a sloped surface, and do I need to modify the cut angle from the standard 45?
Thanks in advance...

Frame up a partial wall as tall as you want your cabinets. Then you can use cleats, and have storage behind the wall.

 

[jimreed2160]

Frame up a partial wall as tall as you want your cabinets. Then you can use cleats, and have storage behind the wall.

Clever. Sounds like a winner to me.

 

[cheechi]

Just a heads up the Aldi ad this week shows they have the chisels but when I went in yesterday they had all the ad items except chisels. The woman said the ad technically starts today and they get deliveries every day so if you missed these in years past here's some hope but not a huge dose of it.

 

[cmandp]

Just a heads up the Aldi ad this week shows they have the chisels but when I went in yesterday they had all the ad items except chisels. The woman said the ad technically starts today and they get deliveries every day so if you missed these in years past here's some hope but not a huge dose of it.

My Aldi's had them Monday and I got a set.

They are like a chisel "kit". The cutting edge is ground poorly and at 30°. So I want to re profile them to 25°, flatten the bottom as much as practical and sharpen them properly.

They will work fine for my not so fine woodworking skills until I get a nicer set.

 

[onething]

Thanks everyone. You confirmed my thoughts.
LollIpop the PO already did that in one area. It works to remind me to duck -or sit in a desk chair.

 

[jimreed2160]

Thanks everyone. You confirmed my thoughts.
LollIpop the PO already did that in one area. It works to remind me to duck -or sit in a desk chair.

I lived in the same college dorm room for three years. It was on the 4th floor and that hall was quieter than the rambunctious lower floors. Only drawback was a 45 degree ceiling with a dormer in the middle. There was a bed on each sloped side of the dormer. My roommate and I had lots of head bumps--especially when beer was involved. Over time I learned to walk around with a hand in front of my face.

 

[jimreed2160]

cma & chi--Good luck on the chisel sets. Those should be nice starter chisels and I like the idea of regrinding. Buy two sets and make a right hand and left hand regrind of the 1/4 size. It would be just the thing for cleaning out blind dovetails.

 

[ScottsGT]

Anyone know of a good source for creative plans for building a toy box? Daughter wants me to keep the tradition alive since my dad built her one 25 years ago and new we have a 3 month old grand. I just picked up a used Jet 14" bandsaw and installed the riser kit last night. Brought home some old poplar timbers from a distellary barn yesterday that I plan on resawing into 1" to 3/4" planks to build it. I want to keep the rustic look on the outside.
Still need a good jointer before proceeding. Gotta get some practice in before jumping into these expensive boards I bought.

 

[turbowoodworker]

There are plans in one of Norm's books called "The New Yankee Workshop Kid's Stuff". Pub is Little Brown and Co.

I just Googled "toy box plans" and got way too many to reference. Plenty of options for a simple box with lid.

One thing to be aware of, especially in SC, is humidity and wood movement. You'll want to take that into account using those planks. May want to let them sit after ripping/resawing for a few weeks.

You OK with your hurricane preparedness? Be safe.

Rick

 

[ScottsGT]

Thanks Rick. Looks like we're just getting a lot of rain and some higher winds here in Columbia.
I didn't think about pre-cutting the wood and letting it sit. Good idea. It was stored outside where I bought it in Asheville. But I'll need to cut and store indoors. Thinking about cedar lining it so she can use it as clothes storage as she gets older.

 

[jimreed2160]

Scotts--Good that you are thinking ahead on the toy storage that can morph into storage for clothing. Just make sure that you make it safe. Those lids can be tough on little paws. Personally I like the idea of using transparent and stackable plastic storage bins for kid toys. Nut I also like the idea of making a traditional blanket chest.