|
I have been using hand tools on white oak. The difficulty of getting this poo poo square is making me want to use power tools. My dad gave me the table saw that we had when I was like 8. It's an old as poo poo Craftsman and I don't know where the guard is. The entire thing is brown with dirt/possibly rust. I dunno how worthwhile it will be to fix it up, but I mean, I have the thing. Would yall be able to tell me how worthwhile it is to get this thing in shape?
|
#
?
Jun 26, 2021 19:20
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 6, 2024 09:55 |
|
|
signalnoise posted:I have been using hand tools on white oak. The difficulty of getting this poo poo square is making me want to use power tools. My dad gave me the table saw that we had when I was like 8. It's an old as poo poo Craftsman and I don't know where the guard is. The entire thing is brown with dirt/possibly rust. I dunno how worthwhile it will be to fix it up, but I mean, I have the thing. Would yall be able to tell me how worthwhile it is to get this thing in shape? A rusty beat up old Craftsman is probably not going to get your poo poo any more square than you can with hand tools.
|
|
#
?
Jun 26, 2021 19:26
|
|
|
Stultus Maximus posted:A rusty beat up old Craftsman is probably not going to get your poo poo any more square than you can with hand tools. I've had some horrible material-wasting results from a lovely Mastercraft table saw that someone has been storing at my place. It's only for rough cuts and I regret it whenever I forget that.
|
|
#
?
Jun 26, 2021 19:34
|
|
|
Well, poo poo. Thanks for that, saves me some money I can just put into getting a larger hand plane
|
|
#
?
Jun 26, 2021 19:39
|
|
|
signalnoise posted:Well, poo poo. Thanks for that, saves me some money I can just put into getting a larger hand plane
|
|
#
?
Jun 26, 2021 19:48
|
|
|
Uthor posted:After much procrastination, I finished a pencil box for one of my nieces. Made the other two.  I hosed up and put the rabbets on the wrong side of the board for the sides and I had to remake them with scrap that is a different shade of color and I forgot to route grooves for the drawer runners but I like the action better that way and two of the drawers stick a bit so I need to sand them down a tad to improve the action. Learned some things, enjoyed doing assembly line work on the second two boxes, went much faster than I expected. Now to decide which kid gets the crappy first edition!
|
|
#
?
Jun 26, 2021 19:52
|
|
|
Stultus Maximus posted:As I started my recent projects, which I wanted to do as much hand tool as possible on, I got a postwar Stanley no.5 and a prewar Stanley no.3. About a hundred bucks total, a few hours of grinding and honing, and they have been just amazing. Those two plus an old Stanley-made block plane have been wonderful and indispensable. I can't think of needing more. Yeah honestly the biggest thing for me with hand tools, keeping in mind I'm very novice, has been getting a genuine understanding and appreciation for how much time and frustration you save by getting very good at tool maintenance. An hour spent sharpening chisels and plane irons easily saves me multiple hours of work just by actually getting the result I want instead of repeatedly getting bad results. I'm still working on that drat fightstick.
|
|
#
?
Jun 26, 2021 22:03
|
|
|
signalnoise posted:Yeah honestly the biggest thing for me with hand tools, keeping in mind I'm very novice, has been getting a genuine understanding and appreciation for how much time and frustration you save by getting very good at tool maintenance. An hour spent sharpening chisels and plane irons easily saves me multiple hours of work just by actually getting the result I want instead of repeatedly getting bad results. So as someone who just this year has been doing actual woodworking instead of "what else can I make with pine?"... Until you get good with the chisel and plane, stay away from anything that has tricky grain. I've been working on this cabinet using sycamore and it's so beautiful but the interlocking grain... oh god the tearout.
|
|
#
?
Jun 26, 2021 22:13
|
|
|
Stultus Maximus posted:So as someone who just this year has been doing actual woodworking instead of "what else can I make with pine?"... Yeah, the oak is stuff I bought before I had any idea of anything regarding wood, and after lots of planning I realized I was not going to be able to do a drat thing right if I didn't practice actually doing stuff, so I just started doing some poo poo drat near freehand out of this stuff, with the idea that I would simply learn from it having only built things with power tool assistance before. It's been harder than I thought, but I've gotten better over the course of uhh a while, even within this one piece. My original idea was definitely far too ambitious, but I'll make it eventually. I've actually managed to impress myself with how easy some things have been with nothing more than a hand saw, a rasp, and a plane, but it's clear that over time the results will get better and easier to achieve as I get more skilled, and I just have to remind myself that the only way to get more skilled is to actually do the thing.
|
|
#
?
Jun 26, 2021 22:30
|
|
|
Made some legs for my desk. Held together with dowels. Decided to forgo template routing and just snuck up on the lines, which might have been a mistake since I hand drew the design and the angles are completely arbitrary. It'll look cool if nothing else.
|
|
#
?
Jun 27, 2021 00:57
|
|
|
NomNomNom posted:Made some legs for my desk. Held together with dowels. Decided to forgo template routing and just snuck up on the lines, which might have been a mistake since I hand drew the design and the angles are completely arbitrary. It'll look cool if nothing else. Before reading the words you wrote, the first words out of my mouth were, “oh, those are cooool”. I really like those angles.
|
|
#
?
Jun 27, 2021 04:22
|
|
|
I'm struggling to figure out how I want to finish them. Just lightly break the edges and leave it crisp? Roundover?
|
|
#
?
Jun 27, 2021 14:15
|
|
|
Looking at the tearout that even a razor-sharp well adjusted smoothing plane did to the interlocking grain sycamore and sweetgum, I figure I should get and learn to use a card scraper. The things seem pretty cheap, is there any difference among the various brands? How about any difference in burnishers?
|
|
#
?
Jun 27, 2021 15:21
|
|
|
My favorite finish for cherry has always involved potassium bichromate but it's a pretty nasty chemical and I'm trying to move away from it. I think I finally got a color that is really close to what the bichromate does with just normal water-soluble dyes. You say blotchy, I say figured. This is under not enough oil and too much wax:  The actual finish is a mess and I'm not thrilled with it, but overall I'm pretty happy with the color. NomNomNom posted:I'm struggling to figure out how I want to finish them. Just lightly break the edges and leave it crisp? Roundover? Stultus Maximus posted:Looking at the tearout that even a razor-sharp well adjusted smoothing plane did to the interlocking grain sycamore and sweetgum, I figure I should get and learn to use a card scraper. https://www.stewmac.com/luthier-too...=All%20Products They're kind of expensive though. I keep meaning to order some little blanks of hardened tool steel and try grinding my own. I use old bandsaw blades with the teeth ground off and old planer/jointer knives as scrapers too. Otherwise IME for thin card scrapers they're all about the same. Thinner ones don't wear your hands out as much, but thicker ones seem to chatter a bit less? Make sure youve got some good leather gloves too. Card scrapers can get pretty hot and can cut you up good if you slip while using or burnishing them. I use the back of a carving gouge (or the shaft of a good quality screwdriver, lol) as a burnisher. As long as it's good hard steel and rounded I think that's all that matters.
|
|
#
?
Jun 27, 2021 16:00
|
|
|
Kaiser Schnitzel posted:My favorite finish for cherry has always involved potassium bichromate but it's a pretty nasty chemical and I'm trying to move away from it. I think I finally got a color that is really close to what the bichromate does with just normal water-soluble dyes. You say blotchy, I say figured. This is under not enough oil and too much wax: This scraper from Lee Valley Tools looks pretty solid, and is less than half the price. https://www.leevalley.com/en-us/shop/tools/hand-tools/scrapers/110555-crucible-scraper?item=97K5010
|
|
#
?
Jun 27, 2021 16:17
|
|
|
Serenade posted:I need to admit that my old battery operated, inherited circular saw is too weak for what I want. Struggles with 3/8 inch plywood and 3/4 inch hardwood. But there are options with different use cases that I do not fully understand. I could get a circular saw, miter saw, tablesaw, or maybe something else. What's the battery saw and what battery does it have? Might be a new lithium battery is available and makes a big difference, that'll be a cheap upgrade alongside your new saw.
|
|
#
?
Jun 27, 2021 16:34
|
|
|
I undertook an afternoon project yesterday. The objective was to make a cupholder for the van that fits my wife's favorite cup. The challenge was to use only the scraps I had in my garage. The cup is fantastic, keeps ice in it for days, but does not fit in any of the cupholders of my dadmobile, a Honda Odyssey. The blown molded cupholders on the console are too small.  However, that flat section is big and just full of clutter, a perfect candidate for a cupholder. Bottom dimensions are about 7 inches wide, with a 55 degree angle tapering up and outwards. I cut a piece of scrap 2x6 that slotted in there perfectly. Then things started to go wrong. The cup's bottom diameter is 3.1 inches. The cup tapers up to about 3.4 inches over about 3 inches before it flares outward. I have a 3 inch hole saw, and a 3.5 inch hole saw. I figured I'd use two cuts of 2x6. One for the bottom with 3.1 inch holes, one for the top with 3.4 inch holes, and fill the space between with another offcut. I unwisely thought I'd cut the bottom holes at 3 inches with the hole saw, and then ream out the hole a bit bigger with a file or rotary tool. Turns out this was an awful idea. Now I have this perfectly cut base with holes that are still way too small. Also, since there are big holes in them, even if I wanted to try again with the bigger hole-saw, I can no longer center it. Defeated, I moved onto the upper piece, and started out right by drilling the 3.5 inch hole saw holes. Turns out the hole fits the cup really well at the lower base. I ended up using that as the top piece, keeping the dumb hole bottom piece (where the cups couldn't go down more than 1/4 inch), and then cut some posts to space the top and bottom pieces. It works OK, but it looks a little like Homer's spice rack now.  I don't like how it looks, but my wife loves the functionality of it so much that she refuses to live without it for the day it would take to fix it or even stain/paint it. So, I may need to make a whole new version 2.0 I'm thinking the better plan if I were Doing This Right would be: Cut the base as usual, in step 1. Make a little circle jig for a router so I can get the right circle diameter and route down an inch or so, to make a little groove for the cup bottom to sit in on the base. Hole-saw or route the top board (or plywood?) and then layer it in. Fill in the sides with boards or dowels to get the right spacing. Any ideas?
|
|
#
?
Jun 27, 2021 17:04
|
|
|
It's the bottom board isn't visible you could probably Jigsaw the bottom holes bigger easily. But if you have a router and circle jig yeah use that.
|
|
#
?
Jun 27, 2021 17:48
|
|
|
Today I realized that my riving knife is either not quite centered (off my like 3mm or something) or else is actually straight up bent and has been since I got the saw ~9 months ago. When I've got thicker blades on it just causes some occasional deflection issues that I have attributed to the fence all this time. When I use my thin kerf rip blade for non-through cuts it is a complete nightmare. Gotta adjust it and hope it's just a centering issue rather than having to mail off my riving knife for a replacement
|
|
#
?
Jun 27, 2021 20:04
|
|
|
Lowe’s clearance has a bunch of Swanson straight edges. I picked up 100” straight edge for $8. Who needs a track saw.
|
|
#
?
Jun 27, 2021 20:17
|
|
|
Danhenge posted:Today I realized that my riving knife is either not quite centered (off my like 3mm or something) or else is actually straight up bent and has been since I got the saw ~9 months ago. When I've got thicker blades on it just causes some occasional deflection issues that I have attributed to the fence all this time. When I use my thin kerf rip blade for non-through cuts it is a complete nightmare. Gotta adjust it and hope it's just a centering issue rather than having to mail off my riving knife for a replacement Mine is the the same way except cuts on full kerf blades catch. My issue is a tiny bend though and it is near the top, maybe 1/2” from the top, so it is really only an issue on very thick boards or when resawing. Otherwise I can just raise the blade enough to get past it. It didn’t come like that though and I honestly don’t know how I bent it. Just one day went to make a cut and my board just stopped moving. I was able to hold it in place and shut the saw down though and figure out what the hell happened.
|
|
#
?
Jun 27, 2021 20:41
|
|
|
Obsoletely Fabulous posted:Mine is the the same way except cuts on full kerf blades catch. My issue is a tiny bend though and it is near the top, maybe 1/2” from the top, so it is really only an issue on very thick boards or when resawing. Otherwise I can just raise the blade enough to get past it. If I want to cut a groove without taking my riving knife off (non-through cut) then I'm out of options. Not sure what to do about it exactly. Other than buy something nicer than a ridgid jobsite saw Edit: I guess if I'm cutting a groove I don't technically need my riving knife but I'd prefer to leave it on. Edit2: I futzed with the adjustment screws and I think it's better-aligned now, but I have to go get some new poplar to figure it out for sure. Danhenge fucked around with this message at 23:29 on Jun 27, 2021 |
|
#
?
Jun 27, 2021 20:57
|
|
|
Desk progress! Got the legs glued up today. Have to decide on the spacing and then I can cut the stretcher to length and get it attached. Any thoughts on attaching the top? I was thinking of using figure 8 fasteners .
NomNomNom fucked around with this message at 23:36 on Jun 27, 2021 |
|
#
?
Jun 27, 2021 23:32
|
|
|
Decided to bite the bullet and grab a new circular saw. Realized my garage is too permanently messy to support a miter saw comfortably. Wow I feel really stupid for having waited so long. It just cuts stuff and it's more square than doing it by hand. There are several boring plywood boxes I plan to make and this changes my plans... In that I don't need to plan as much I can just Do it. I imagine this is what it will be like when I internalize that a rotary tool is not a suitable replacement for a router. cakesmith handyman posted:What's the battery saw and what battery does it have? Might be a new lithium battery is available and makes a big difference, that'll be a cheap upgrade alongside your new saw. A Craftsman 19.2 volt battery. This was a new battery, which did significantly improve performance but still not enough. Though it shares a battery with my hand drill which also benefited from the performance boost.
|
|
#
?
Jun 28, 2021 00:09
|
|
|
Serenade posted:Decided to bite the bullet and grab a new circular saw. Realized my garage is too permanently messy to support a miter saw comfortably. I went from a battery powered circular saw to a giant 15 Amp worm drive monster saw a year ago, it was astonishing how big a difference there was. On the first cut I had to look down to see how close I was to starting my cut, only to find I was like three inches into the board, I hadn't felt any change in resistance at all like I'd been expecting after years with the old saw.
|
|
#
?
Jun 28, 2021 00:23
|
|
|
I love this so much
|
|
#
?
Jun 28, 2021 00:24
|
|
|
NomNomNom posted:Desk progress! Got the legs glued up today. Have to decide on the spacing and then I can cut the stretcher to length and get it attached. Any thoughts on attaching the top? I was thinking of using figure 8 fasteners Tapered sliding dovetails (Don't do this now, you'll hate yourself). Tenon pegs, maybe? Or pocket screws. Whatever you do, don't make a third.
|
|
#
?
Jun 28, 2021 00:35
|
|
|
NomNomNom posted:Desk progress! Got the legs glued up today. Have to decide on the spacing and then I can cut the stretcher to length and get it attached. Any thoughts on attaching the top? I was thinking of using figure 8 fasteners Are you going to have any kind of stretcher connecting the leg assemblies, or other bracing? Figure 8s would do well I think, except the screws will be your only resistance to racking if you don't have a stretcher. I don't know if that'll be strong enough.
|
|
#
?
Jun 28, 2021 01:08
|
|
|
ColdPie posted:Are you going to have any kind of stretcher connecting the leg assemblies, or other bracing? NomNomNom posted:Have to decide on the spacing and then I can cut the stretcher to length and get it attached.
|
|
#
?
Jun 28, 2021 01:35
|
|
|
D'oh
|
|
#
?
Jun 28, 2021 01:36
|
|
|
Yeah I was planning on a 4" wide stretcher across the back of the legs. My top is 7/8 and the span will be 41", do you think I need another stretcher directly under the top?
|
|
#
?
Jun 28, 2021 01:40
|
|
|
NomNomNom posted:Yeah I was planning on a 4" wide stretcher across the back of the legs. My top is 7/8 and the span will be 41", do you think I need another stretcher directly under the top? It definitely wouldn’t hurt. I try to always make table bases that stand up by themselves without the top being crucial to that equation. An X across the back would be even better and might even look neat?
|
|
#
?
Jun 28, 2021 02:45
|
|
|
I want make a coffee bar for my kitchen. Two shelves in the 14”x 72” range would do it. My first thought was float a piece butch block with pocket holes. The construction would be simple assuming pocket holes could hold the weight. Could I reasonably I stain birch butcher block to match the red oak in the rest of the kitchen? Other option that came to mind was use red oak for the shelf and make some Corbels but this would require me to get good.
|
|
#
?
Jun 28, 2021 14:53
|
|
|
I kinda want to make a big-boy cutting board. I know you can do face grain, edge grain, or end grain. What is the "best" in terms of daily use, good on knives, so on so forth. What are for real butcher blocks? End grain?
|
|
#
?
Jun 28, 2021 15:27
|
|
|
Calidus posted:I want make a coffee bar for my kitchen. Two shelves in the 14”x 72” range would do it. My first thought was float a piece butch block with pocket holes. The construction would be simple assuming pocket holes could hold the weight. Could I reasonably I stain birch butcher block to match the red oak in the rest of the kitchen? Can you diagram what you are planning? I wouldn't trust pocket holes on a cantilevered board. They are great when supporting on both sides like a bookshelf or something, though.
|
|
#
?
Jun 28, 2021 15:28
|
|
|
extravadanza posted:Can you diagram what you are planning? I wouldn't trust pocket holes on a cantilevered board. They are great when supporting on both sides like a bookshelf or something, though. Thanks I needed to know how crazy the pocket hole idea was. I work on drawing something up, everything is very pie in sky right now.
|
|
#
?
Jun 28, 2021 15:54
|
|
|
KKKLIP ART posted:I kinda want to make a big-boy cutting board. I know you can do face grain, edge grain, or end grain. What is the "best" in terms of daily use, good on knives, so on so forth. What are for real butcher blocks? End grain? End grain can be really nice and pretty and soft on your knives. Maple, cherry, or walnut are all normal woods to use. Some big companies will pretend to use teak or acacia or something rare, but it’s not necessary. Good hard maple will make a great end grain board, and the wood will be soft on your extra sharp knives. But, you really don’t need it to be end grain. It’s nice, yeah, but a good long grain board isn’t going to mess up your edge much at all. So take your pick really. What do you want it to look like? How thick (2-3”)? What sort of big heavy board will make you happy to use?
|
|
#
?
Jun 28, 2021 16:06
|
|
|
I've got maybe a simple question but it's one I have never had to really consider before and I have had "build a real workbench for my garage" on my mind for months because I think it'll make all my other projects easier to do, so I'll do them. On a workbench, what is the purpose of aprons? Are they for the stability of the workbench? Are they just for you to put holes in to attach things? Tell me all about workbenches, please. I have seen plenty of videos about how to build a workbench, and I'm trying to figure out the best workbench design for me to build. The space I have will only accommodate about 4 or 5 feet of length, and it'll need to be up against a wall. I've learned enough about the kinds of joinery to use, but in terms of the features they should include after a sturdy flat surface, dogholes (and/or t-track) and a vise or two, I feel like there are some things I am ignorant about, particularly in the case of aprons. Every video on this mentions having big aprons as though that's a selling point and I don't understand why.
|
|
#
?
Jun 28, 2021 16:11
|
|
|
Calidus posted:Thanks I needed to know how crazy the pocket hole idea was. I work on drawing something up, everything is very pie in sky right now. They aren't cheap, but something like this is probably your best bet if you want the floating look. Disclaimer - I've never installed floating shelves myself or used this brand. https://www.amazon.com/Long-Heavy-Hidden-Shelf-Hardware/dp/B075LLGS4N E: I just used black powder coated brackets for all my kitchen shelving with pine boards. I love how it looks - but it's certainly not a modern look.
|
|
#
?
Jun 28, 2021 16:53
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 6, 2024 09:55 |
|
|
Jhet posted:End grain can be really nice and pretty and soft on your knives. Maple, cherry, or walnut are all normal woods to use. Some big companies will pretend to use teak or acacia or something rare, but it’s not necessary. Good hard maple will make a great end grain board, and the wood will be soft on your extra sharp knives. But, you really don’t need it to be end grain. It’s nice, yeah, but a good long grain board isn’t going to mess up your edge much at all. I think from 1.5-2 inches thick is what I am looking for, and it can be all one species of wood, the fanciest I might get is if I make some stripes if I used 2. I just want a nice genera purpose cutting board.
|
|
#
?
Jun 28, 2021 17:00
|
|