OK... so it was for SWMBO, but it was still a 'pay for play' (no, not that
kind of play) type of job. As part of a deal we made, I could buy some new
tools to start a decent amateur woodworking shop in the basement. Her
payout was my first few projects have to be stuff she wants for the house.
Suits me... I just wanted to build stuff.
Her hobbies are scrapbooking and stamping. So the first thing she wanted
was a cabinet for all of her scrapbooking and stamping stuff. I took a look
at all the 'stuff' she had and together we came up with a rough design. I
used Visio and drew up some plans that were as complete as I thought anyone
could get them. She liked the design so I went to making saw dust.
It came out pretty nice. There are pics on
alt.binaries.pictures.woodworking if you care to see them. During the
project, basically my 2nd _real_ project, I learned a ton! So in the
interest of giving a little back to those who have helped me learn so much
posted below are some of the lessons this newbie learned:
1. Trust the tape measure/ruler more than any plan... especially any plan I
created.
2. It does take white wood glue a pretty good amount of time to dry...
enough time to frantically put a Forrest WWII blade on your saw to cut a
piece of 3/4" Red Oak plywood, change over to a Frued stacked dado blade,
cut 3 dados and 2 rabbets, and then reset the new piece in place of the old
(damn it looked ok during the dry test fit phase <scratch scratch>) top and
still have time to clamp and square everything.
3. A clean shop is a lot easier to work in than a messy shop... not sure I
learned this one or just observed it and let it pass.
4. There has to be a better way to tell if you're done sanding. I haven't
learned the way yet, as you'll see by the, um, 'figure' on the left door
which wasnt recognizable until I stained it. Good thing SWMBO thinks it
'Tiger Oak Plywood' since one of my new tools was a ROS specifically for
this purpose.
5. I now know why Norm has such a big assembly table.
6. One stupid, and never to be forgotten, mistake later... A 12" x 1/2" x
1/2" piece of wood being shot out of a blade guard at ??? MPH and drilling
you in the gut hurts like a sonofagun. I credit this lesson to ripping 20+
pieces of pine for the shelf cleats and getting a little lazy towards the
end and letting one of the trimmed edge pieces remain on the table,
seemingly behind the blade. Somehow that little sucker made its way back
and shot outta there like a bullet. It left a temporary nasty welt on my
belly and a permanent mark in my brain. Thank the Lord I had the blade
guard on... can't imagine that thing hittin me in the face like that.
7. Glue covered Oak doesn't stain the same color as non-glue covered Oak.
8. When using plywood, you may have to think Edge Banding if you're not
careful in planning - see #1.
9. A 3 year old with 9 Care Bear Stuffed animals has a hard time
understanding that this cabinet is for mommy's stuff and not her Care Bears.
10. WOW! This is fun! (But you guys make it look easier than it is)
There were quite a few more lessons learned along the way, but those were
the ones that came to mind as wrote this.
Any constructive critiques gladly accepted.
Thanks.
Mike W.
Mike you did a great job. Although you wanted Oak for this project,
you might consider 5x5 Baltic Birch of other projects. I have found
the per foot cost to be less than 4x8 plywood often. Also 1/2" is
plenty strong enough with good joints:
http://alan.firebin.net/images/garage_cab2.jpg
My current project is to make cubes with dividers, drawers, and cubbies
for my wife's birthday in her scrapbook room. aka like:
http://www.scrapncube.com
Prior projects included these hacks:
http://alan.firebin.net/images/stamp_tray.jpg
http://arwomack01.home.att.net/images/scrap_cabs.jpg
I especially like the middle cabinet where the lesson was don't trust
the vendors measurement for the size of 12x12 hanging folders. Hence
the need to widen the drawer and dado the sides to clear the drawer
slides. Need to remake that box soon.
Alan
>It was a particularly cold day and I had on several layers of thick
>clothing. And still, the pain and resulting bruise were extensive. I
can
>only imagine what would have happened if I was working in a t shirt.
Been there. It was the defining moment that made me get a contractor's
saw to replace the bench top delta. I was cutting laminate flooring on
th bench top saw. The board was about 12 inches long and maybe 6
inches wide. It caught me just below the ribs on the right side, then
somehow shot up and hit me in the face with the flat side. Getting hit
in the face was an odd experience. The laminate was light, but there
was enough force that it felt like someone was pushing it into my face.
No facial injuries though. Where it hit me in the gut, I still have a
1.5" scar. It didn't really bruise so much as cut. I was bleeding a
little, but no blood on the shirt oddly enough. I'm sort of surprised
it scarred.
brian
"Mike W." <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> OK... so it was for SWMBO, but it was still a 'pay for play' (no, not that
> kind of play) type of job. As part of a deal we made, I could buy some
> new tools to start a decent amateur woodworking shop in the basement. Her
> payout was my first few projects have to be stuff she wants for the house.
> Suits me... I just wanted to build stuff.
Anyone who doesn't have a similiar story to tell is full of it.
SH - The "been there done that" woodworker. Especially the getting hit in
the gut with the speeding bullet!
Mike W. <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> 9. A 3 year old with 9 Care Bear Stuffed animals has a hard time
> understanding that this cabinet is for mommy's stuff and not her Care Bears.
So go make more sawdust and have two women in your life pleased with
you. My eldest assures me she will take her CD rack/bookshelf when she
gets a proper flat (at university).
Peter
--
Add my middle initial to email me. It has become attached to a country
Mark and Kim Smith <[email protected]> wrote:
> I try to grab the new 30 footer when I can, but it
> is nice to have multi tapes everywhere, within reach most all of the time.
I've been bitten by that once though. I used two tape measures and one
was off by 2 mm after 240 cm. And I used one to measure one side pane of
a cupboard and the other for the other side. Don't ask me why, I don't
know. Probably because I temporarely lost one. Part of the shelf holes
were measured from the top and part from the bottom. All the shelves
were 2 mm off over 46 cm...
I tossed the tape after I found out. It was a new metric/imperial
Stanley, but apparently the Quality control was not very well done on
the metric side.
--
mare
"Jim Wheeler" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> what the final piece looks like - will often show up glue and other
> imperfections that need cleaned up before applying finish. And, no, stale
> beer doesn't work like denatured alcohol.
My beer doesn't last long enough to get stale.
Vic
On Fri, 11 Mar 2005 01:43:16 GMT, "Mike W."
<[email protected]> wrote:
>OK... so it was for SWMBO, but it was still a 'pay for play' (no, not that
>kind of play) type of job. As part of a deal we made, I could buy some new
>tools to start a decent amateur woodworking shop in the basement. Her
>payout was my first few projects have to be stuff she wants for the house.
>Suits me... I just wanted to build stuff.
Just curious .....
I have only made ONE "Commisioned" project in my entire life and to
be honest it came out beautiful...and I may have made a few bucks...
I have been asked 100's of times to build something for a friend or a
friend of a friend etc...BUT I will never do it again...
What do the majority of you guys or gals do when asked.....?
I honestly did NOT enjoy the "work"...and I do classify it as work...
because I never enjoyed "work"...and I was doing something for someone
else...
When I walk into my garage I like having the freedom to do MY thing...
MY WAY etc....just found that building (it was a desk) for someone
else made me feel like I was punching a clock
Bob Griffiths
> On Fri, 11 Mar 2005 01:43:16 GMT, "Mike W." <[email protected]>
> wrote:
>
>>
>>3. A clean shop is a lot easier to work in than a messy shop... not sure
>>I
>>learned this one or just observed it and let it pass.
>>
What is this clean shop you speak of??
>>6. One stupid, and never to be forgotten, mistake later... A 12" x 1/2" x
>>1/2" piece of wood being shot out of a blade guard at ??? MPH and drilling
>>you in the gut hurts like a sonofagun. I credit this lesson to ripping
>>20+
>>pieces of pine for the shelf cleats and getting a little lazy towards the
>>end and letting one of the trimmed edge pieces remain on the table,
>>seemingly behind the blade. Somehow that little sucker made its way back
>>and shot outta there like a bullet. It left a temporary nasty welt on my
>>belly and a permanent mark in my brain. Thank the Lord I had the blade
>>guard on... can't imagine that thing hittin me in the face like that.
>>
I did that once, just once.
I learned my lesson. It hit me just under the rib cage a couple inches right
of center. The bruise took almost a month to go away. It hurts just to
remember it.
It was a particularly cold day and I had on several layers of thick
clothing. And still, the pain and resulting bruise were extensive. I can
only imagine what would have happened if I was working in a t shirt.
>>
>>9. A 3 year old with 9 Care Bear Stuffed animals has a hard time
>>understanding that this cabinet is for mommy's stuff and not her Care
>>Bears.
>>
Try this.
The family cats taking up residence in anything that you build. And getting
very offended if you evict them from their new digs.
"Mark and Kim Smith" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> <snip>
>
>>
>>1. Trust the tape measure/ruler more than any plan... especially any plan
>>I created.
>>
>><snip>
>>
> I try to stick with one measuring device per project. Usually my favorite
> is the 60" straight edge. Especially compared to a worn tape measure with
> an end that will vary between a "pull" measure and a "Push" measure (
> loose rivets.)
-----------------
I'm sure that wear and tear will get them in the end. But the 'loose' rivets
are loose for good reason. They ensure that a measured 'push' or 'pull' is
the same as the movement equals exactly the thickness of the end tab.
"Bob G." wrote:
>
...regarding not taking "commissioned" work as isn't fun or
self-chosen...
> What do the majority of you guys or gals do when asked.....?
All depends -- when I was young and needing extra income, I would take
anything I thought was remotely within my capabilities (both personal
and shop). As I matured, that went through a progression of approaching
your attitude except I wouldn't say "never", I'd just pick and choose
depending on what else I was doing at the time and whether it looked
interesting enough to <be> enjoyable...
So, I'd say unless you have other constraints, do whatever feels good...
Greetings and Salutations....
On Fri, 11 Mar 2005 08:27:02 -0800, mac davis
<[email protected]> wrote:
>On 11 Mar 2005 04:32:03 EST, Mark and Kim Smith <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>><snip>
>>
>>>
>>>1. Trust the tape measure/ruler more than any plan... especially any plan I
>>>created.
>>>
>>><snip>
>>>
>>>
>>I try to stick with one measuring device per project. Usually my
>>favorite is the 60" straight edge. Especially compared to a worn tape
>>measure with an end that will vary between a "pull" measure and a "Push"
>>measure ( loose rivets.)
>
>now that you mention that, I realized that I have an OLD habit that my dad
>taught me years ago..
>
>I always start at the 1" mark of the tape and subtract an inch from my total...
>I don't think he ever explained the loose rivet thing to me, but it makes
>sense... seems like he just said that the 1" mark was a line across the tape
>that was square, or something like that.. (maybe 50 years ago)
>
While I have no problem with starting the measurement at the
1" mark (and do it myself off and on), I want to point out that the
fact that the hook on the end of a tape measure is SUPPOSED to be
loose! It is designed so that when you hook over a panel, the
distance from the INNER surface of the hook to the 1" mark is
"exactly" 1". When you are measuring INSIDE dimensions, the hook
slides back so that the measurement from the OUTSIDE surface of the
hook to the 1" mark is "exactly" 1". DAMHIKT, but, it is a REALLY
bad idea to peen the rivets down, so the hook is nice and solid.
Of course, there is a certain amount of slop there, and,
I suspect that the cheaper the tape, the more approximate that
measurement will be...but that is how it is supposed to work.
Regards
Dave Mundt
Greetings and Salutations...
On Fri, 11 Mar 2005 11:44:03 -0500, "Lee Michaels"
<leemichaels*nadaspam*@comcast.net> wrote:
>
>> On Fri, 11 Mar 2005 01:43:16 GMT, "Mike W." <[email protected]>
>> wrote:
>>
>>>
>>>3. A clean shop is a lot easier to work in than a messy shop... not sure
>>>I
>>>learned this one or just observed it and let it pass.
>>>
>
>What is this clean shop you speak of??
>
Hey, I have heard of this sort of thing myself...and even
recall a time (for about 20 minutes) when MY shop was neat...so it
can happen.
>
>>>6. One stupid, and never to be forgotten, mistake later... A 12" x 1/2" x
>>>1/2" piece of wood being shot out of a blade guard at ??? MPH and drilling
>>>you in the gut hurts like a sonofagun. I credit this lesson to ripping
>>>20+
>>>pieces of pine for the shelf cleats and getting a little lazy towards the
>>>end and letting one of the trimmed edge pieces remain on the table,
>>>seemingly behind the blade. Somehow that little sucker made its way back
>>>and shot outta there like a bullet. It left a temporary nasty welt on my
>>>belly and a permanent mark in my brain. Thank the Lord I had the blade
>>>guard on... can't imagine that thing hittin me in the face like that.
>>>
>
The "good" news, I suppose, is that a kickback like this is
unlikely to gain much altitude..so will tend to hit somewhere between
just below the belly button, up to mid-chest. Now a lathe...that
WILL throw chunks DIRECTLY at that little ridge between your eyes...
and with amazing accuracy.
>I did that once, just once.
>
>I learned my lesson. It hit me just under the rib cage a couple inches right
>of center. The bruise took almost a month to go away. It hurts just to
>remember it.
>
>It was a particularly cold day and I had on several layers of thick
>clothing. And still, the pain and resulting bruise were extensive. I can
>only imagine what would have happened if I was working in a t shirt.
>
Yea...my last bad one is detailed in the archive, but, in
short, I was cutting 3/8" plywood squares for bird-house floors. I
was on the last floor, which was the last piece of ALL the wood
needed to build about a dozen of the things...and as I pushed it off
the back of the saw, the square rotated slightly, caught the blade,
and was propelled at about 100 MPH into my abdomen, about 2" below
my belly-button (I was VERY appreciative that I am only 6' tall...
any more and it would have recut the family jewels!).
I was left with a VERY impressive, oval bruise about 2" tall
and more than 3" wide, that persisted for weeks.
>>>
>>>9. A 3 year old with 9 Care Bear Stuffed animals has a hard time
>>>understanding that this cabinet is for mommy's stuff and not her Care
>>>Bears.
>>>
>
>Try this.
>
>The family cats taking up residence in anything that you build. And getting
>very offended if you evict them from their new digs.
>
Yea...cats will do that. I had one cat a while ago that
kept pulling enough books off the bookshelf to make a "kitty cave" for
her to sit in. She was VERY persistent.
Good thing they are cute, social creatures!
Regards
Dave Mundt
>
>
"mac davis" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On 11 Mar 2005 04:32:03 EST, Mark and Kim Smith <[email protected]>
wrote:
>
> ><snip>
> >
> >>
> >>1. Trust the tape measure/ruler more than any plan... especially any
plan I
> >>created.
> >>
> >><snip>
> >>
> >>
> >I try to stick with one measuring device per project. Usually my
> >favorite is the 60" straight edge. Especially compared to a worn tape
> >measure with an end that will vary between a "pull" measure and a "Push"
> >measure ( loose rivets.)
>
> now that you mention that, I realized that I have an OLD habit that my dad
> taught me years ago..
>
> I always start at the 1" mark of the tape and subtract an inch from my
total...
> I don't think he ever explained the loose rivet thing to me, but it makes
> sense... seems like he just said that the 1" mark was a line across the
tape
> that was square, or something like that.. (maybe 50 years ago)
>
I have always found that to start measuring at the 1" mark can result in
easy to make mistakes because on longer measurements it is hard to tell if
the 1" has been added or not. This resulted in things being cut 1" too
short. I take my middle measurements starting at the 10" spot. A 21 5/8"
length starts at 10" and runs to the 31 5/8" spot, if I forget to add the
10" it is quite noticeable, and easy to correct before cutting.
I prefer an 18" stainless steel rigid ruler for small measurements, they are
more accurate to use than a tape.
On 11 Mar 2005 13:35:28 EST, Mark and Kim Smith
<[email protected]> wrote:
>gandalf wrote:
>
>>"Mark and Kim Smith" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>>news:[email protected]...
>>
>>
>>><snip>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>1. Trust the tape measure/ruler more than any plan... especially any plan
>>>>I created.
>>>>
>>>><snip>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>I try to stick with one measuring device per project. Usually my favorite
>>>is the 60" straight edge. Especially compared to a worn tape measure with
>>>an end that will vary between a "pull" measure and a "Push" measure (
>>>loose rivets.)
>>>
>>>
>>-----------------
>>I'm sure that wear and tear will get them in the end. But the 'loose' rivets
>>are loose for good reason. They ensure that a measured 'push' or 'pull' is
>>the same as the movement equals exactly the thickness of the end tab.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>That's why I mentioned a worn tape measure. Being a fella who can't
>always throw things away when their life is used up, one of my old tapes
>is missing a rivet and the other rivet allows for about a 1/8" movement
>from being almost out! Plus, that remaining rivet will catch the tape
>1/4" off the mark! I try to grab the new 30 footer when I can, but it
>is nice to have multi tapes everywhere, within reach most all of the time.
Well, that is a good point...Although, when a measuring tool gets
THAT worn, I tend to give it a good burial. But then, I rarely manage
to keep a tape measure long enough to get it worn to that point.
I am fairly sure that there must be about 20 of them hiding
in nooks and crannies of my workshop (which gets back to the comments
elsewhere on cluttered shops), so I am doing the best I can to keep
Stanley, et al, in business by buying new tapes.
Regards
Dave Mundt
- before even dry fitting, check that all the parts
that are suppose to have square ends actually
have square ends
- check that all parts that are supposed to be the
same length are in fact the same length.
- mark the parts so you know which face is "up"
and which edge is the "front"
- if there are multiples use the triangle marking
method to identify which ones on top, which one
is in the middle and which one goes on the bottom.
- when ever possible, make all measurements off
on end and one reference edge.
- ALWAYS MARK THE WASTE SIDE
- ALWAYS MARK THE WASTE SIDE
- ALWAYS MARK THE WASTE SIDE
- ALWAYS MARK THE WASTE SIDE
- ALWAYS MARK THE WASTE SIDE
- ALWAYS MARK THE WASTE SIDE
- ALWAYS MARK THE WASTE SIDE
- ALWAYS MARK THE WASTE SIDE!!!!
- ALWAYS CUT ON THE WASTE SIDE!
- put a slight chamfer on the edges of parts that are
going into dadoes (except on the last 1/8" up front
where it'll show. couple of passes with 120 grit
will do. avoids splitting and crunching on snug fits
- if you want to avoid splintering on the good face
of ply, set the blade 1/16th or so above the table
and feed the sheet, good face down, from the back of
the saw to score it. Then raise the blade and feed
in the normal direction to finish the cut.
- make a bunch of 6 x6 mdf corner blocks with 2 holes
for clamps. makes holding things square while
putting things together during glue up a lot easier
- affer glue up but before glue dries check for square
and adjust clamps accordingly then check again.
- keep glue off your hands because it'll leap off
later onto the middle of the birdseye panel you
just put in between the rails and the stiles.
- waxilit where you don't want glue then wipe it off
with alcohol before finishing saves a lot of glue
scraping and that little patch you didn't see 'til the
finish went on and salmon colored spots start
appearing
- MARK THE WASTE SIDE
- CUT ON THE WASTE SIDE
- did I mention MARK THE WASTE SIDE? What
about CUT ON THE WASTE SIDE!
(and those are just my major F**K UPS.)
charlie b
I've been watching Nahmie, David M, and a few others for years... but have
only recently been trying it myself.
Thanks for the good words.
Mike W.
"Henry Q. Bibb" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> In article <[email protected]>,
> [email protected] says...
>> During the
>> project, basically my 2nd _real_ project, I learned a ton! So in the
>
> Man, dude, only the 2nd project! I thought you'd been doing it
> for years.
>
> Way to go,
> Henry Bibb
On Fri, 11 Mar 2005 12:37:10 -0500, "Eric Tonks" <etonks@sunstormADD-DOT-COM>
wrote:
>> now that you mention that, I realized that I have an OLD habit that my dad
>> taught me years ago..
>>
>> I always start at the 1" mark of the tape and subtract an inch from my
>total...
>> I don't think he ever explained the loose rivet thing to me, but it makes
>> sense... seems like he just said that the 1" mark was a line across the
>tape
>> that was square, or something like that.. (maybe 50 years ago)
>>
>I have always found that to start measuring at the 1" mark can result in
>easy to make mistakes because on longer measurements it is hard to tell if
>the 1" has been added or not. This resulted in things being cut 1" too
>short. I take my middle measurements starting at the 10" spot. A 21 5/8"
>length starts at 10" and runs to the 31 5/8" spot, if I forget to add the
>10" it is quite noticeable, and easy to correct before cutting.
>
>I prefer an 18" stainless steel rigid ruler for small measurements, they are
>more accurate to use than a tape.
>
hmm... I'll remember that one...
Sort of a case of increasing the margin of error to avoid making a mistake!
mac
Please remove splinters before emailing
"Mike W." wrote
> Thats about where I took it. I heard 'kickback this' and 'safety that'
> all the time so I was pretty careful. It only took that one bit of
> laziness to show me why its preached so often. I have a basement shop
> which is a little chilly so I had a t-shirt and a sweatshirt on which
> certainly helped. I remember the instant I heard the launch, it took a
> split second to recognize the impact and pain, and before I could get my
> hands and eyes to the 'crater' I wondered if I had been impaled. Luckily
> all I got was a welt that after about an hour actually let some blood come
> to the surface, but I know I got off easy. LESSON LEARNED.
>
I remember my high school shop teacher telling us to stand in a position
that if you fell, you would not fall on the sawblade. We would have to
demonstrate this. We would fall onto a padded table saw to show that we did
not have any hands, etc, where they should not be.
I continue to follow that advice. What I added this little safety ritual was
making sure I DON'T stand where any potential kickback may occur.
Wow. Thanks for the great info, Charlie. Is this waxilit available in
stores or only online?
I haven't even been able to find paste wax other than the Minwax 'Finishing
Paste Wax' and I'm not sure thats the right stuff for coating parts for
friction, protection, etc.
Thanks.
Mike W.
"charlie b" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>- before even dry fitting, check that all the parts
> that are suppose to have square ends actually
> have square ends
>
> - check that all parts that are supposed to be the
> same length are in fact the same length.
>
> - mark the parts so you know which face is "up"
> and which edge is the "front"
>
> - if there are multiples use the triangle marking
> method to identify which ones on top, which one
> is in the middle and which one goes on the bottom.
>
> - when ever possible, make all measurements off
> on end and one reference edge.
>
> - ALWAYS MARK THE WASTE SIDE
> - ALWAYS MARK THE WASTE SIDE
> - ALWAYS MARK THE WASTE SIDE
> - ALWAYS MARK THE WASTE SIDE
> - ALWAYS MARK THE WASTE SIDE
> - ALWAYS MARK THE WASTE SIDE
> - ALWAYS MARK THE WASTE SIDE
> - ALWAYS MARK THE WASTE SIDE!!!!
>
> - ALWAYS CUT ON THE WASTE SIDE!
>
> - put a slight chamfer on the edges of parts that are
> going into dadoes (except on the last 1/8" up front
> where it'll show. couple of passes with 120 grit
> will do. avoids splitting and crunching on snug fits
>
> - if you want to avoid splintering on the good face
> of ply, set the blade 1/16th or so above the table
> and feed the sheet, good face down, from the back of
> the saw to score it. Then raise the blade and feed
> in the normal direction to finish the cut.
>
> - make a bunch of 6 x6 mdf corner blocks with 2 holes
> for clamps. makes holding things square while
> putting things together during glue up a lot easier
>
> - affer glue up but before glue dries check for square
> and adjust clamps accordingly then check again.
>
> - keep glue off your hands because it'll leap off
> later onto the middle of the birdseye panel you
> just put in between the rails and the stiles.
>
> - waxilit where you don't want glue then wipe it off
> with alcohol before finishing saves a lot of glue
> scraping and that little patch you didn't see 'til the
> finish went on and salmon colored spots start
> appearing
>
> - MARK THE WASTE SIDE
>
> - CUT ON THE WASTE SIDE
>
> - did I mention MARK THE WASTE SIDE? What
> about CUT ON THE WASTE SIDE!
>
> (and those are just my major F**K UPS.)
>
> charlie b
In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] says...
> During the
> project, basically my 2nd _real_ project, I learned a ton! So in the
Man, dude, only the 2nd project! I thought you'd been doing it
for years.
Way to go,
Henry Bibb
"mac davis" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Fri, 11 Mar 2005 11:44:03 -0500, "Lee Michaels"
> <leemichaels*nadaspam*@comcast.net> wrote:
>
> <snip>
>>Try this.
>>
>>The family cats taking up residence in anything that you build. And
>>getting
>>very offended if you evict them from their new digs.
>>
> or having kittens in it..
>
LOL. That is a new one on me.
I did have a young female dog go into heat on me on top of a critical board
just a day before she was scheduled to be spayed. It left a nasty stain on
the wood that took some time to remove. Primarily because it took a day or
so for it to dry completely before I could sand it out. Put me behind two
days on this particular project.
"mac davis" <[email protected]> wrote in message >
> I always start at the 1" mark of the tape and subtract an inch from my
> total...
> I don't think he ever explained the loose rivet thing to me, but it makes
> sense... seems like he just said that the 1" mark was a line across the
> tape
> that was square, or something like that.. (maybe 50 years ago)
You start at the 1 inch mark to help prevent a short measurement. As rulers
and scales get dropped on their end's the beginning marks tend to disappear.
Scales tend to start in from the end to eliminate this problem.
Thanks for the tip. Luckily there are only a couple of spots on it that
show... and I pulled out the 'Oh... thats just the figure of the wood'
statement and dodged like crazy. She's onto me, but she's too happy with it
to gripe methinks.
Mike W.
"Jim Wheeler" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
>
> Mike W. wrote:
>
>>4. There has to be a better way to tell if you're done sanding. I
>>haven't learned the way yet, as you'll see by the, um, 'figure' on the
>>left door which wasnt recognizable until I stained it. Good thing SWMBO
>>thinks it 'Tiger Oak Plywood' since one of my new tools was a ROS
>>specifically for this purpose.
>>
>>7. Glue covered Oak doesn't stain the same color as non-glue covered Oak.
>>
>>
>>
> I usually use denatured alcohol to clean the items before i start to
> finish them - both cleans and when the alcohol is still wet, shows pretty
> well
> what the final piece looks like - will often show up glue and other
> imperfections that need cleaned up before applying finish. And, no, stale
> beer doesn't work like denatured alcohol.
Mark and Kim Smith <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:
<snip>
>
> That's why I mentioned a worn tape measure. Being a fella who can't
> always throw things away when their life is used up, one of my old
> tapes is missing a rivet and the other rivet allows for about a 1/8"
> movement from being almost out! Plus, that remaining rivet will catch
> the tape 1/4" off the mark! I try to grab the new 30 footer when I
> can, but it is nice to have multi tapes everywhere, within reach most
> all of the time.
>
Sounds like it's good enough for fence work, or laying out the garden, or
such.
Rather like keeping the old Craftsman chisels around, for when you don't
want to screw up the 'good' ones.
Patriarch
"Mike W." <[email protected]> wrote in news:oEAYd.15036$4k2.11804
@fe2.columbus.rr.com:
> Wow. Thanks for the great info, Charlie. Is this waxilit available in
> stores or only online?
>
I DAGS'ed and found (eventually) Robin Lee to the rescue!
<http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=32092&cat=1,43415,43440>
--
Best regards
Han
email address is invalid
Australopithecus scobis <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:
> On Mon, 14 Mar 2005 09:11:50 -0800, mac davis wrote:
>
>> . the wood tells me what to make that that's a lot of what makes it
>> fun...
>
> Woodcraft guy came up to me as I looked at the wood stacks, asked if I
> needed any help. I told him I was just listening to the wood to see which
> piece spoke to me. He nodded.
>
I've had that happen at the dealer in Oakland, and the fellow has led me to
a 'special stack' set aside in the back, of extra nice boards. Some of
those are now in my wood rack, waiting for me to get good enough to be
worthy of building them into something really nice.
There are kindred spirits almost everywhere.
Patriarch
On Fri, 11 Mar 2005 10:24:24 GMT, the inscrutable Jim Wheeler
<[email protected]> spake:
>I usually use denatured alcohol to clean the items before i start to
>finish them - both cleans and when the alcohol is still wet, shows
>pretty well
>what the final piece looks like - will often show up glue and other
>imperfections that need cleaned up before applying finish.
Ditto here. I use either alcohol, lacquer thinner, or acetone (now
that I have some) to clean every piece which will be finished. The
solvent removes dust, oil, and most contaminants which would otherwise
ruin the finish, and it shows you where more work needs to be done,
such as scratches, scuffs, and splinters/hard edges.
>And, no, stale beer doesn't work like denatured alcohol.
OTOH, it WOULD be better tasting. ;)
--
Life's a Frisbee: When you die, your soul goes up on the roof.
----
http://diversify.com Comprehensive Website Development
On Mon, 14 Mar 2005 13:28:38 -0600, Australopithecus scobis
<[email protected]> wrote:
>On Mon, 14 Mar 2005 09:11:50 -0800, mac davis wrote:
>
>> . the wood tells me what to make that that's a lot of what makes it
>> fun...
>
>Woodcraft guy came up to me as I looked at the wood stacks, asked if I
>needed any help. I told him I was just listening to the wood to see which
>piece spoke to me. He nodded.
>
exactly... neighbors come by when I'm turning something and ask "what are ya
making this time?"
My standard reply is "either a bowl or a china cabinet.. right now I'm sorta
leaning toward the bowl"..
mac
Please remove splinters before emailing
<snip>
>
>1. Trust the tape measure/ruler more than any plan... especially any plan I
>created.
>
><snip>
>
>
I try to stick with one measuring device per project. Usually my
favorite is the 60" straight edge. Especially compared to a worn tape
measure with an end that will vary between a "pull" measure and a "Push"
measure ( loose rivets.)
gandalf wrote:
>"Mark and Kim Smith" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>
>
>><snip>
>>
>>
>>
>>>1. Trust the tape measure/ruler more than any plan... especially any plan
>>>I created.
>>>
>>><snip>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>I try to stick with one measuring device per project. Usually my favorite
>>is the 60" straight edge. Especially compared to a worn tape measure with
>>an end that will vary between a "pull" measure and a "Push" measure (
>>loose rivets.)
>>
>>
>-----------------
>I'm sure that wear and tear will get them in the end. But the 'loose' rivets
>are loose for good reason. They ensure that a measured 'push' or 'pull' is
>the same as the movement equals exactly the thickness of the end tab.
>
>
>
>
That's why I mentioned a worn tape measure. Being a fella who can't
always throw things away when their life is used up, one of my old tapes
is missing a rivet and the other rivet allows for about a 1/8" movement
from being almost out! Plus, that remaining rivet will catch the tape
1/4" off the mark! I try to grab the new 30 footer when I can, but it
is nice to have multi tapes everywhere, within reach most all of the time.
mac davis wrote:
>On 11 Mar 2005 04:32:03 EST, Mark and Kim Smith <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
>
>><snip>
>>
>>
>>
>>>1. Trust the tape measure/ruler more than any plan... especially any plan I
>>>created.
>>>
>>><snip>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>I try to stick with one measuring device per project. Usually my
>>favorite is the 60" straight edge. Especially compared to a worn tape
>>measure with an end that will vary between a "pull" measure and a "Push"
>>measure ( loose rivets.)
>>
>>
>
>now that you mention that, I realized that I have an OLD habit that my dad
>taught me years ago..
>
>I always start at the 1" mark of the tape and subtract an inch from my total...
>I don't think he ever explained the loose rivet thing to me, but it makes
>sense... seems like he just said that the 1" mark was a line across the tape
>that was square, or something like that.. (maybe 50 years ago)
>
>
>
>mac
>
>Please remove splinters before emailing
>
>
Wouldn't you actually add the inch??
That's the way I was raised ( in my schooling.) "Burn an inch!" For
instance, to measure 16", start at your 1" mark, go to 16", add an
inch. Done.
On 11 Mar 2005 04:32:03 EST, Mark and Kim Smith <[email protected]> wrote:
><snip>
>
>>
>>1. Trust the tape measure/ruler more than any plan... especially any plan I
>>created.
>>
>><snip>
>>
>>
>I try to stick with one measuring device per project. Usually my
>favorite is the 60" straight edge. Especially compared to a worn tape
>measure with an end that will vary between a "pull" measure and a "Push"
>measure ( loose rivets.)
now that you mention that, I realized that I have an OLD habit that my dad
taught me years ago..
I always start at the 1" mark of the tape and subtract an inch from my total...
I don't think he ever explained the loose rivet thing to me, but it makes
sense... seems like he just said that the 1" mark was a line across the tape
that was square, or something like that.. (maybe 50 years ago)
mac
Please remove splinters before emailing
Mind you. When I started out doing woodwork, I attended a residential couse
in Wales, and built a grand father clock (pics on request - great couse).
Trouble was, the base unit is precisely 1 inch too shallow.
(Must remember to add that one inch back in)
:-)
"mac davis" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Fri, 11 Mar 2005 12:37:10 -0500, "Eric Tonks"
> <etonks@sunstormADD-DOT-COM>
> wrote:
>
>>> now that you mention that, I realized that I have an OLD habit that my
>>> dad
>>> taught me years ago..
>>>
>>> I always start at the 1" mark of the tape and subtract an inch from my
>>total...
>>> I don't think he ever explained the loose rivet thing to me, but it
>>> makes
>>> sense... seems like he just said that the 1" mark was a line across the
>>tape
>>> that was square, or something like that.. (maybe 50 years ago)
>>>
>>I have always found that to start measuring at the 1" mark can result in
>>easy to make mistakes because on longer measurements it is hard to tell if
>>the 1" has been added or not. This resulted in things being cut 1" too
>>short. I take my middle measurements starting at the 10" spot. A 21 5/8"
>>length starts at 10" and runs to the 31 5/8" spot, if I forget to add the
>>10" it is quite noticeable, and easy to correct before cutting.
>>
>>I prefer an 18" stainless steel rigid ruler for small measurements, they
>>are
>>more accurate to use than a tape.
>>
> hmm... I'll remember that one...
> Sort of a case of increasing the margin of error to avoid making a
> mistake!
>
>
>
> mac
>
> Please remove splinters before emailing
On 11 Mar 2005 13:40:47 EST, Mark and Kim Smith <[email protected]> wrote:
>>I always start at the 1" mark of the tape and subtract an inch from my total...
>>I don't think he ever explained the loose rivet thing to me, but it makes
>>sense... seems like he just said that the 1" mark was a line across the tape
>>that was square, or something like that.. (maybe 50 years ago)
>>
>>
>>
>>mac
>>
>>Please remove splinters before emailing
>>
>>
>
>Wouldn't you actually add the inch??
>
>That's the way I was raised ( in my schooling.) "Burn an inch!" For
>instance, to measure 16", start at your 1" mark, go to 16", add an
>inch. Done.
yule.. must have been having another "senior monument"..
mac
Please remove splinters before emailing
On Fri, 11 Mar 2005 11:44:03 -0500, "Lee Michaels"
<leemichaels*nadaspam*@comcast.net> wrote:
<snip>
>Try this.
>
>The family cats taking up residence in anything that you build. And getting
>very offended if you evict them from their new digs.
>
or having kittens in it..
mac
Please remove splinters before emailing
On Fri, 11 Mar 2005 13:42:26 -0500, Bob G. <[email protected]> wrote:
>On Fri, 11 Mar 2005 01:43:16 GMT, "Mike W."
><[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>OK... so it was for SWMBO, but it was still a 'pay for play' (no, not that
>>kind of play) type of job. As part of a deal we made, I could buy some new
>>tools to start a decent amateur woodworking shop in the basement. Her
>>payout was my first few projects have to be stuff she wants for the house.
>>Suits me... I just wanted to build stuff.
>
>Just curious .....
> I have only made ONE "Commisioned" project in my entire life and to
>be honest it came out beautiful...and I may have made a few bucks...
>
>I have been asked 100's of times to build something for a friend or a
>friend of a friend etc...BUT I will never do it again...
>
>What do the majority of you guys or gals do when asked.....?
>
>I honestly did NOT enjoy the "work"...and I do classify it as work...
>because I never enjoyed "work"...and I was doing something for someone
>else...
>
>When I walk into my garage I like having the freedom to do MY thing...
>MY WAY etc....just found that building (it was a desk) for someone
>else made me feel like I was punching a clock
>
>Bob Griffiths
I can relate this more to turning that flat work.. folks see something I've made
and ask if I'd make this goblet or that bowl, etc...
I tell 'em all the same thing, that if I tried to turn something, it would be
boring... the wood tells me what to make that that's a lot of what makes it
fun... I don't HAVE to make anything..
OTOH, if someone loved a desk that you did for your house and made you an offer
that you couldn't refuse, you would probably enjoy building another one for the
family, right?
I give away most of the stuff that I turn, but I've sold a few... pays for the
wood, etc... but I'd never even try to make something that someone had designed
and wanted made.. YMMV
mac
Please remove splinters before emailing
So does that mean that the splitter that the blade guard is part of is no
good? Its definitely thinner than the blade which would seem to make it
useless??
Thanks.
Mike W.
"Mike in Mystic" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Mike, I took a look at your cabinet and it looks great. Awesome job!
>
> Glad your kick-back experience wasn't any worse. You might want to use a
> splitter, as well as the guard, as this will have a large impact on
> reducing
> the chance of kickback.
>
> Keep at it!
>
> Mike
>
>
Thanks for the kind words. I hope some of this, though humored a bit, does
help everyone at least a tad. I get so much from the experience and lessons
posted in this newsgroup that I feel obliged to offer everything I learn...
no matter how stupid I was to learn it. :-)
Mike W.
"mac davis" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>>
> Mike.. very well written...
> It's hard to admit your mistakes and harder to make them amusing...
> I'm sure that anyone who doesn't learn from your post will remember
> something
> that they might not have thought about for a while.. thanks!
> (and the organizer is fantastic)
>
>
> mac
>
> Please remove splinters before emailing
Wow. Thanks for the great info, Charlie. Is this waxilit available in
stores or only online?
I haven't even been able to find paste wax other than the Minwax 'Finishing
Paste Wax' and I'm not sure thats the right stuff for coating parts for
friction, protection, etc.
Thanks.
Mike W.
"charlie b" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>- before even dry fitting, check that all the parts
> that are suppose to have square ends actually
> have square ends
>
> - check that all parts that are supposed to be the
> same length are in fact the same length.
>
> - mark the parts so you know which face is "up"
> and which edge is the "front"
>
> - if there are multiples use the triangle marking
> method to identify which ones on top, which one
> is in the middle and which one goes on the bottom.
>
> - when ever possible, make all measurements off
> on end and one reference edge.
>
> - ALWAYS MARK THE WASTE SIDE
> - ALWAYS MARK THE WASTE SIDE
> - ALWAYS MARK THE WASTE SIDE
> - ALWAYS MARK THE WASTE SIDE
> - ALWAYS MARK THE WASTE SIDE
> - ALWAYS MARK THE WASTE SIDE
> - ALWAYS MARK THE WASTE SIDE
> - ALWAYS MARK THE WASTE SIDE!!!!
>
> - ALWAYS CUT ON THE WASTE SIDE!
>
> - put a slight chamfer on the edges of parts that are
> going into dadoes (except on the last 1/8" up front
> where it'll show. couple of passes with 120 grit
> will do. avoids splitting and crunching on snug fits
>
> - if you want to avoid splintering on the good face
> of ply, set the blade 1/16th or so above the table
> and feed the sheet, good face down, from the back of
> the saw to score it. Then raise the blade and feed
> in the normal direction to finish the cut.
>
> - make a bunch of 6 x6 mdf corner blocks with 2 holes
> for clamps. makes holding things square while
> putting things together during glue up a lot easier
>
> - affer glue up but before glue dries check for square
> and adjust clamps accordingly then check again.
>
> - keep glue off your hands because it'll leap off
> later onto the middle of the birdseye panel you
> just put in between the rails and the stiles.
>
> - waxilit where you don't want glue then wipe it off
> with alcohol before finishing saves a lot of glue
> scraping and that little patch you didn't see 'til the
> finish went on and salmon colored spots start
> appearing
>
> - MARK THE WASTE SIDE
>
> - CUT ON THE WASTE SIDE
>
> - did I mention MARK THE WASTE SIDE? What
> about CUT ON THE WASTE SIDE!
>
> (and those are just my major F**K UPS.)
>
> charlie b
On Fri, 11 Mar 2005 04:32:03 -0500, Mark and Kim Smith wrote:
> I try to stick with one measuring device per project. Usually my
Unless the project has dimensions in feet for the bulk, and 64ths for the
joints. Hard to find one rule to ring them all.
--
"Keep your ass behind you"
vladimir a t mad {dot} scientist {dot} com
On Mon, 14 Mar 2005 09:11:50 -0800, mac davis wrote:
> . the wood tells me what to make that that's a lot of what makes it
> fun...
Woodcraft guy came up to me as I looked at the wood stacks, asked if I
needed any help. I told him I was just listening to the wood to see which
piece spoke to me. He nodded.
Thats about where I took it. I heard 'kickback this' and 'safety that' all
the time so I was pretty careful. It only took that one bit of laziness to
show me why its preached so often. I have a basement shop which is a little
chilly so I had a t-shirt and a sweatshirt on which certainly helped. I
remember the instant I heard the launch, it took a split second to recognize
the impact and pain, and before I could get my hands and eyes to the
'crater' I wondered if I had been impaled. Luckily all I got was a welt
that after about an hour actually let some blood come to the surface, but I
know I got off easy. LESSON LEARNED.
Can't help you with the cats... my Rottie might be able to, though. :-)
Naaaa... he's a wuss.
Thanks,
Mike W.
"Lee Michaels" <leemichaels*nadaspam*@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
>> On Fri, 11 Mar 2005 01:43:16 GMT, "Mike W." <[email protected]>
>> wrote:
>>
>>>
>>>3. A clean shop is a lot easier to work in than a messy shop... not sure
>>>I
>>>learned this one or just observed it and let it pass.
>>>
>
> What is this clean shop you speak of??
>
>
>>>6. One stupid, and never to be forgotten, mistake later... A 12" x 1/2"
>>>x
>>>1/2" piece of wood being shot out of a blade guard at ??? MPH and
>>>drilling
>>>you in the gut hurts like a sonofagun. I credit this lesson to ripping
>>>20+
>>>pieces of pine for the shelf cleats and getting a little lazy towards the
>>>end and letting one of the trimmed edge pieces remain on the table,
>>>seemingly behind the blade. Somehow that little sucker made its way back
>>>and shot outta there like a bullet. It left a temporary nasty welt on my
>>>belly and a permanent mark in my brain. Thank the Lord I had the blade
>>>guard on... can't imagine that thing hittin me in the face like that.
>>>
>
> I did that once, just once.
>
> I learned my lesson. It hit me just under the rib cage a couple inches
> right of center. The bruise took almost a month to go away. It hurts
> just to remember it.
>
> It was a particularly cold day and I had on several layers of thick
> clothing. And still, the pain and resulting bruise were extensive. I can
> only imagine what would have happened if I was working in a t shirt.
>
>
>>>
>>>9. A 3 year old with 9 Care Bear Stuffed animals has a hard time
>>>understanding that this cabinet is for mommy's stuff and not her Care
>>>Bears.
>>>
>
> Try this.
>
> The family cats taking up residence in anything that you build. And
> getting very offended if you evict them from their new digs.
>
>
>
"Mike W." <[email protected]> wrote in message
> 3. A clean shop is a lot easier to work in than a messy shop... not sure
> I learned this one or just observed it and let it pass.
>
Heard about this, but have not tried it very often.
>
> 5. I now know why Norm has such a big assembly table.
To put more "stuff" on?
Important thing is that you are having fun.
On Fri, 11 Mar 2005 01:43:16 GMT, "Mike W." <[email protected]> wrote:
>OK... so it was for SWMBO, but it was still a 'pay for play' (no, not that
>kind of play) type of job. As part of a deal we made, I could buy some new
>tools to start a decent amateur woodworking shop in the basement. Her
>payout was my first few projects have to be stuff she wants for the house.
>Suits me... I just wanted to build stuff.
>
>Her hobbies are scrapbooking and stamping. So the first thing she wanted
>was a cabinet for all of her scrapbooking and stamping stuff. I took a look
>at all the 'stuff' she had and together we came up with a rough design. I
>used Visio and drew up some plans that were as complete as I thought anyone
>could get them. She liked the design so I went to making saw dust.
>
>It came out pretty nice. There are pics on
>alt.binaries.pictures.woodworking if you care to see them. During the
>project, basically my 2nd _real_ project, I learned a ton! So in the
>interest of giving a little back to those who have helped me learn so much
>posted below are some of the lessons this newbie learned:
>
>1. Trust the tape measure/ruler more than any plan... especially any plan I
>created.
>
>2. It does take white wood glue a pretty good amount of time to dry...
>enough time to frantically put a Forrest WWII blade on your saw to cut a
>piece of 3/4" Red Oak plywood, change over to a Frued stacked dado blade,
>cut 3 dados and 2 rabbets, and then reset the new piece in place of the old
>(damn it looked ok during the dry test fit phase <scratch scratch>) top and
>still have time to clamp and square everything.
>
>3. A clean shop is a lot easier to work in than a messy shop... not sure I
>learned this one or just observed it and let it pass.
>
>4. There has to be a better way to tell if you're done sanding. I haven't
>learned the way yet, as you'll see by the, um, 'figure' on the left door
>which wasnt recognizable until I stained it. Good thing SWMBO thinks it
>'Tiger Oak Plywood' since one of my new tools was a ROS specifically for
>this purpose.
>
>5. I now know why Norm has such a big assembly table.
>
>6. One stupid, and never to be forgotten, mistake later... A 12" x 1/2" x
>1/2" piece of wood being shot out of a blade guard at ??? MPH and drilling
>you in the gut hurts like a sonofagun. I credit this lesson to ripping 20+
>pieces of pine for the shelf cleats and getting a little lazy towards the
>end and letting one of the trimmed edge pieces remain on the table,
>seemingly behind the blade. Somehow that little sucker made its way back
>and shot outta there like a bullet. It left a temporary nasty welt on my
>belly and a permanent mark in my brain. Thank the Lord I had the blade
>guard on... can't imagine that thing hittin me in the face like that.
>
>7. Glue covered Oak doesn't stain the same color as non-glue covered Oak.
>
>8. When using plywood, you may have to think Edge Banding if you're not
>careful in planning - see #1.
>
>9. A 3 year old with 9 Care Bear Stuffed animals has a hard time
>understanding that this cabinet is for mommy's stuff and not her Care Bears.
>
>10. WOW! This is fun! (But you guys make it look easier than it is)
>
>There were quite a few more lessons learned along the way, but those were
>the ones that came to mind as wrote this.
>
>Any constructive critiques gladly accepted.
>
>Thanks.
>Mike W.
>
Mike.. very well written...
It's hard to admit your mistakes and harder to make them amusing...
I'm sure that anyone who doesn't learn from your post will remember something
that they might not have thought about for a while.. thanks!
(and the organizer is fantastic)
mac
Please remove splinters before emailing
Mike W. wrote:
>4. There has to be a better way to tell if you're done sanding. I haven't
>learned the way yet, as you'll see by the, um, 'figure' on the left door
>which wasnt recognizable until I stained it. Good thing SWMBO thinks it
>'Tiger Oak Plywood' since one of my new tools was a ROS specifically for
>this purpose.
>
>7. Glue covered Oak doesn't stain the same color as non-glue covered Oak.
>
>
>
>
I usually use denatured alcohol to clean the items before i start to
finish them - both cleans and when the alcohol is still wet, shows
pretty well
what the final piece looks like - will often show up glue and other
imperfections that need cleaned up before applying finish. And, no, stale
beer doesn't work like denatured alcohol.