Woodworking 101--Tools and Tips

[Spacey_G]

rrich1 - Beautiful work! The grain continuity across drawers is a really nice touch.

Thanks for the tips re:safety devices, all. I have a couple of zero clearance inserts and the Microjig splitter and push block arriving today. Just need to do a bit of a tune-up and alignment on the saw and then I'll be getting those set up.

 

[rrich1]

Thanks everyone! Tried to get some outside pics today. Put the second coat on the top yesterday. Won't bring it inside until Monday to allow a few more days to cure.

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

 

[turbowoodworker]

Dovetails look nice rich, and great grain flow.

 

[ez-duzit]

1--most excellent job.

 

[rayh]

That turned out beautiful, I really liked the way you walked us thru the build. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Davefr]

Wow, that's beautiful craftsmanship!!!

 

[Bob Heine]

Beautiful piece of furniture. That's going to be a family heirloom for sure!

 

[jimreed2160]

Rrich--More art than woodworking. Or maybe ww as art. Anyway, you did an outstanding job.

 

[jimreed2160]

Bathroom vanity top
I am still inside working on projects while trying to avoid the heat. Today's high is expected to be 98 and that has caused a general work stoppage. So it seemed like a good time to post some pictures.

We moved into this house in 2005. It was built in 1978 but was a little tired on the inside and I have been chipping away at it. My bathroom has been updated with new tile floor, lighting, paint, and fixtures. The laminated vanity surface has been bugging me for awhile but granite seemed too cold and too $$$. But I was walking thru Lowes one day and spied a butcherblock countertop that sparked some ideas--why not replace the nasty plastic with REAL WOOD! I searched for countertops and found one in ash from HD. At 72' x 30" it was perfect. I ordered some raw 8/4 ash from Wall Lumber for the backsplash.

To date, I have trimmed the top to width and coated it with poly. I squared up one end (no, neither end was square) and will soon cut it to length. The raw ash backsplash is a real chore as I am reducing it to 6/8 because I like the manly look of a thick backsplash and the ledge is handy for small items.

Step one is to flatten the boards with handplanes and step two is to resaw on the bandsaw.

 

[turbowoodworker]

Jim, I'm sure you did not mean to show us your true identity (Batman).

 

[rrich1]

Thanks everyone for the kind words. My wife and daughter both love it. Will be bringing it in tomorrow. A night stand is up next also from fine woodworking, but that will have to wait as I start on a sunroom remodel.

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

 

[jimreed2160]

Vanity top continued
Flush with my quick success with the wings, I eagerly tackled the centerpiece. It began as a big heavy 9/4 piece of ash that was 6" wide and 75 inches long. There were a few minor twists and bows. Well, I did not do enough to flatten it and the resaw went bad. Halfway through, I blew the breaker. Apparently resawing and AC cause an overload. Pretty scarey but at least there is natural light in the shop. Unfortunately the defects caused a 1/4" dip in the middle of the board. I tried to save it but gave up. Lucky for me that I had extra stock to start over with. This one got extra special treatment to flatten. I even bought a Craftsman belt sander to gnaw on it.

I also ran the board through my jointer to square up the edges. My jointer is set for a thin 1/32 cut and one side of the board took about two dozen trips before the cup vanished. Bright spot is that I now have arms like Popeye from jointing that heavy sucker.

My redneck Workmate/roller fixture worked well on the outfeed end and the resaw of piece #2 went well. It is a little uneven but handplanes will take care of that.

So the project is moving along well. Hope to finish it up in the next two weeks.

 

[drivesitfar]

Jim: sorry to read that your power went out in the middle of that long cut on the bandsaw. just curious since you own so many planes do you actually own a power planer?

ALL: i'm setting up a couple long workbenches to plane a few thousand feet of cedar fencing and decking and found a couple for FREE so I don't have to build as many. this 10 footer had a bootlegged (just short of RED GREEN duct taped) back leg and i was going to just use the top, but I like the drawers even if just holding scrap wood and cheap tools so I put a little stronger 2x6 leg on it.

I know i'm more of a wood butcher, but I don't have room for a table saw so I screwed the 2x6 I needed to rip a 1/2 inch off and my old circular saw did a nice job.

anyway now i've got a nice big workbench in front of my garage to organize stuff on and work on when needed until i finish some of my outdoor projects. if water happens to get inside the drawers when it's not tarped I think i'll drill a few holes in the bottom of the drawers unless somebody else had a better idea.

I thought the handles for the drawers was a simple nice one cause the maker just drilled a hole, put a piece of metal across the front and put a 1/4 inch piece of plywood over the back of the hole. i'll post more pictures of the drawer if anybody asks.

hope you all have a great weekend!!!

 

[Spacey_G]

Brief update on the table saw - I got it set up and "tuned up" with the blade square to the table, parallel to the miter slots and rip fence. I put in a zero clearance insert with a new Freud 24t thin kerf ripping blade and raised it up to make the cut. Everything went fine, but the zero clearance slot is noticeably wider than the blade, and much more so in the middle. The slot measures about .125" at the ends and closer to .150"-.160" in the middle. Not the result I was expecting.

I measured the arbor runout (.001") and the blade runout just inside the teeth (.005"). Seems reasonable, and wouldn't account for the too-wide kerf.

I do notice some vibration in the blade. If I look straight on with the saw running, I can see the blade fluttering ever so slightly. Could this account for the zero clearance cut turning out much wider than the blade?

What might be causing the vibration? I do notice that the v-belt has taken a set from sitting unused under tension for several years. It's gotten a little better the more I've used it, but maybe I ought to replace the belt?

 

[fartymarty]

Spacey', you might want to try a link belt*, you might also check run out of your drive pulleys, sometimes cast pulleys have more run out than turned pulleys.and if that doesn't take care of the blade wobble then perhaps some blade stabilizers for the thin kerf blade will be needed. I like thin kerf blades because they really help these older under powered saws get through the wood, but if accuracy can't be had you may have to go back to an one eighth inch thick blade and just deal with it by pushing the wood slower and making bigger sawdust.

*Harbor freight has some that are cheaper and green instead of red, but I don't know about it's quality, you might check on the HF pass/fail thread.

Again, I'm not the most experienced woodworker here so take what I say with less gravity than what others here might recommend.

 

[Craptain]

^^^
I have used the Harbor Freight link belts and am happy with them.

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk

 

[Spacey_G]

I think the old belt may have been the problem. I picked up a new one at Napa (just a regular belt, not a link belt) and the vibration is noticeably better. Kerfs are tighter, especially at the start of a cut.

I will say the old belt is getting better the more I run it. It was definitely a mistake trying to cut the first zero clearance insert without letting the belt warm up for a while to work out the set it had taken.

I'll try cutting another insert tomorrow. Hopefully this one will turn out better. They're $30 a pop!

 

[jimreed2160]

Jim, I'm sure you did not mean to show us your true identity (Batman).

Shhhh. Must keep identity a secret.

 

[Toolfool]

Shhhh. Must keep identity a secret.

I know where the cave is.

 

[chrislehr]

First test burn with my gearhart iron

 

[manwithtools]

First test burn with my gearhart iron

Pretty neat Chris, I do question the C-Clamp as part of the logo however. Usually that type of clamp is used in metal work, there are many other types of clamps more readily associated with woodworking.

I intend no insult, just curious.

 

[topcok88]

Pretty neat Chris, I do question the C-Clamp as part of the logo however. Usually that type of clamp is used in metal work, there are many other types of clamps more readily associated with woodworking.



I intend no insult, just curious.

I dunno. His name is Chris... It’s a “C” clamp. I guess if his name was Frank he could use a “F” clamp...


Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[manwithtools]

I dunno. His name is Chris... It’s a “C” clamp. I guess if his name was Frank he could use a “F” clamp...


Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app

F clamp is still metal related , sorry to all the Franks out there.....

 

[topcok88]

F clamp is still metal related , sorry to all the Franks out there.....

F clamps are almost entirely marketed and designed for woodworking. Even so much the parallel face bar clamp is just an improvement on the original F clamp.

Irwin Quick Grip - Easy to use F Clamp.

Bessey LM Clamps - Made for woodworking F clamps.

Jorgensen 3700 Series - Woodworking F clamps.


Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app

Edit: Technically all bar clamps. But it still stands - still can’t think of a more heavily marketed clamp than the F style clamp for woodworking. In fact Bessey has the BTB30A that is a 30 pc set of F clamps for WW. And they just work good for almost everything in a wood shop.

 

[manwithtools]

Really?

Heavy duty F- Clamps have been used for decades in metal working.

https://www.google.com/search?newwindow=1&rlz=1C1GCEU_enUS836US836&sxsrf=ACYBGNReCJzihexvNGJqAj9q4USguXKLdw:1568508025622&q=heavy+duty+f+clamps+welding&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjc4sbdy9HkAhUBr54KHaUHB-AQ1QIoAHoECAwQAQ&biw=1852&bih=1093

 

[topcok88]

Really?

Heavy duty F- Clamps have been used for decades in metal working.

https://www.google.com/search?newwi...Br54KHaUHB-AQ1QIoAHoECAwQAQ&biw=1852&bih=1093

Yea clamps can be used for many materials. But the prominence of the F clamp in woodworking can’t be disputed. I can’t think of a more versatile clamp in a woodworking shop than the F clamp.


Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[manwithtools]

Interesting,I can think of many more versatile clamps.

Can't be disputed, hey? Welcome to GJ.

 

[HenryAZ]

One of the best text books is Cabinetmaking and Millwork, by John Feirer. The original is outdated in some respects (there were no router tables back the, e.g.), but it is a thorough text on all aspects of the subject. It was used as a text book in many "shop classes" when first published in 1970. The pictures of older cabinets (kitchens, e.g.) are archaic and sometime amusing, but the techniques taught are fundamental. Later editions have included references to the metric system.

 

[chrislehr]

I went with a c clamp cause i am not changing my name.

 

[topcok88]

I went with a c clamp cause i am not changing my name.

I think it’s pretty cool and well thought out. How big is it for reference?


Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[MaineGuide]

I went with a c clamp cause i am not changing my name.

I like your logo quite a bit, and I've used C-Clamps in plenty of woodworking and carpentry applications. If you ever felt like making a second or alternative logo, you could adapt a wooden hand screw style clamp into a C.

 

[chrislehr]

I think it’s pretty cool and well thought out. How big is it for reference?


Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app

1.5x3

 

[fartymarty]

Really?

Heavy duty F- Clamps have been used for decades in metal working.

https://www.google.com/search?newwindow=1&rlz=1C1GCEU_enUS836US836&sxsrf=ACYBGNReCJzihexvNGJqAj9q4USguXKLdw:1568508025622&q=heavy+duty+f+clamps+welding&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjc4sbdy9HkAhUBr54KHaUHB-AQ1QIoAHoECAwQAQ&biw=1852&bih=1093

heavy duty f clamps welding

Well yeah, if you put "Welding" in the search, try it again with "woodworking" in the search.

Can't we just all get along and share the F clamp?



Regardless a "C" clamp is great for using as a "C" in the name Chris, Chris. Perhaps you could flip it over so that those not familiar with a "C" clamp don't mistake it for a "G". Ghris?
Not so sure 'bout that drawn in blue tongue emoticon thingie..but then you can't please everybody.

 

[topcok88]

Feeling slightly more accomplished after sanding and gluing up a couple of these Wood Whisperer inspired Glue Caddy’s. Just gotta get some more wipe on finish and wax them. One will be staying with me and the other will be going to my dad as a part of his Christmas gift.


Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[Craptain]

Feeling slightly more accomplished after sanding and gluing up a couple of these Wood Whisperer inspired Glue Caddy’s. Just gotta get some more wipe on finish and wax them. One will be staying with me and the other will be going to my dad as a part of his Christmas gift.


Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app

That looks really nice. But I have to wonder just how much glue do you use?

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk

 

[topcok88]

That looks really nice. But I have to wonder just how much glue do you use?

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk

Not enough! It is a novelty item just like everything else in my shop. I buy the tools and spend money on my garage because I want to. Although I have followed the forum and love all things garage and woodworking I don’t spend near enough time in the garage/shop. I assure you all most everyone of you would use these tools better than me and probably deserve them! And the answer is still very little glue. I’m too busy working.


Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[jimreed2160]

Feeling slightly more accomplished after sanding and gluing up a couple of these Wood Whisperer inspired Glue Caddy’s. Just gotta get some more wipe on finish and wax them. One will be staying with me and the other will be going to my dad as a part of his Christmas gift.


Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app

Nice project. Helps organize shop by storing all glue in one spot. Bonus is that glue can be effortlessly moved inside to keep it from freezing. Of course that is not on problem list this week in Florida.

 

[topcok88]

Nice project. Helps organize shop by storing all glue in one spot. Bonus is that glue can be effortlessly moved inside to keep it from freezing. Of course that is not on problem list this week in Florida.

Thank you Jim. Luckily for me my wood shop is fully climate controlled and in my basement. The garage is reserved for the parking of our vehicles and a relatively small work bench. I live in central Virginia and I loathe the Florida weather! I wish I lived down there!


Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[Spacey_G]

I think the old belt may have been the problem. I picked up a new one at Napa (just a regular belt, not a link belt) and the vibration is noticeably better. Kerfs are tighter, especially at the start of a cut.

I will say the old belt is getting better the more I run it. It was definitely a mistake trying to cut the first zero clearance insert without letting the belt warm up for a while to work out the set it had taken.

I'll try cutting another insert tomorrow. Hopefully this one will turn out better. They're $30 a pop!

I decided to try out the Harbor Freight link belt (thanks, fartymarty) and I was pleasantly surprised to find it runs significantly smoother than even the new v-belt. It's really a dramatic difference. So much so that I picked up another length to make new belts for my drill press, which would rattle the pulley cover in kind of a nasty way. With the link belts, there's basically no rattle at all. I set the belts for 3600 rpm and it purrs pretty nicely (for an old, inexpensive machine).

My only concern running these belts is that they're supposedly harder on pulleys, especially aluminum ones. On my table saw, the motor pulley is cast iron but the arbor pulley appears to be aluminum. And the drill press pulleys are aluminum.

How much of a concern is wear on aluminum pulleys with link belts, really?

 

[fartymarty]

My only concern running these belts is that they're supposedly harder on pulleys, especially aluminum ones.

How much of a concern is wear on aluminum pulleys with link belts, really?

First I've heard of it, but of course with the size of this place there is of course at least one thread about just that.