Sometimes I have to remind myself just how much common sense goes into making my woodworking enjoyable and less tedious.
As most of you know I’m making a small cabinet for a friend’s Wii/TV set up. Well, I’m going to finally use that set of CMT rasied panel cutters. That, of course, requires a 1/2” collett for my router table. The bits and the router table were quite easy to find (once you clear away the dust). That pesky 1/2” collet, however, was not. In fact, I spent the better part of an hour looking for the little thing. I very seldom use it, but when I do, it’s always the same thing – where is it? Where did I lay it down last time? So now, I’ve come up with a very simple, common sense solution that many of you probably already use. I used a bit of string and tied it into a loop, then ran the loop through the center of the collett – then ran the other end of the loop through the loop under the collett – tightened it and hung it on the s-hook I use to keep my other table tools handy. Problem solved.
Now onto that little sanding thing I finally figured out. I have to clean up all the parts for the door frames, panels, drawer front and base pieces. I’ve got them milled to thickness and am ready to cut to final width/length. But since I’m still not quite up to smoothing every piece with a hand plane (getting there though!) I need to use my sander. The thought of sanding all those small pieces to get out mill marks was daunting. Then it hit me, sand all the big pieces before you cut them into little pieces! GENIUS I KNOW! I know I’ll have to do a little finish work on the sanding once the parts are cut to size and routed, but it’s a lot less now that I’ve already sanded them through 150 grit. This is the pile I’m working with. Some very pretty cherry.
Well that’s all the immense wisdom I can impart to my web friends tonight. I wish someone had told me all this a long time ago!!!
-- You can't get a hug from Facebook.
7 comments so far
Woodshopfreak
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390 posts in 634 days
posted 264 days ago
It always seems like I misplace my router parts, mostly bits, becasue I lay them under my router table with the other 20 things I have down there, and then I can’t find them.
-- Tyler, Illinois
Scott Bryan
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20538 posts in 714 days
posted 264 days ago
Betsy, I am sure a lot of us can empathize with you over losing small parts like this, not to mention pencils, tape measures etc. With the cabinet that I just finished I “happened” to lose a piece of the face frame after I had milled the all the parts and stacked them in a designated area. This was a stick of wood that was 40” long. I simply had it in my hand one minute and 5 minutes later could not find it despite spending over an hour looking for it all the while insisting that “it has to be in plain sight”. Sometimes I believe that maybe there are shop gremlins who “misplace” these things just to be mischievous. :)
-- With God's help all things are possible- even woodworking. Woodworking is not just a hobby, it is an (expletive deleted) expensive hobby.
Betsy
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2388 posts in 788 days
posted 264 days ago
Tyler – I solved that problem when I got my Jessom table. It has no shelf!
Scott – gremlins are probably the best bet here. I’ve done the “I just had it” speech with myself many times. When I was remodeling my house I was always loosing tools – and I’d have to take a break. When I came back, the tools did too!
-- You can't get a hug from Facebook.
Bob Costello
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54 posts in 546 days
posted 264 days ago
I use plastic zip lock type bags alot. All the router collets, wenches, collars and that plastic face with the straight edge (has it a technical name?) are in a bag in the side pocket of the router table. All those small sprayer parts are in another plastic bag in the sprayer box. I try to keep all like things with like things.
I still lose stuff. Alot. My wife once gave me a card with a guy looking in a refrigerator full of butter. Nothing but butter in the refrigerator. The caption was “Honey, where’s the butter?”
-- Bob Costello
lew
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4474 posts in 647 days
posted 264 days ago
Great idea Betsy!!
I made a thin wall cabinet that holds all my router bits- on several “shelves”. The bottom shelf is dedicated to colletts, inserts, router base screw and the like. Up and down the 2 sides are 8d finish nails to hold the wrenches, inlay kits and extra plastic bases. It’s quite a menagerie but it works for me.
Lew
lightweightladyleftie
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413 posts in 604 days
posted 264 days ago
Betsy,
We all seem to have that same problem of misplacing things. I’ve been doing a thorough cleaning of the shop to make room for some additional equipment and am amazed at what I have found. But in the reorganization process, I wasted many hours looking for concrete screws and loads for driving the nails to put up some shelving. I did finally find them (while trying to productively use my time looking for them). I’d hate to think of how much money I would have lost if I were doing this for a living with all the time I spend looking for stuff. One day I do hope to be better organized!
Thanks for reminding us of some great tips!
-- "But godliness with contentment is great gain." 1 Timothy 6:6
Rustic
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1247 posts in 488 days
posted 263 days ago
On the sho Renovation reality the other night. There was a guy who keptlosing his tape measure. He sent his wife out to buy some supplies. She bought 8 tape measures. By the end of the show he had lost all but 3. I have a dedicated spot for mine…Somewhere in the shop. :-)
-- There is no such thing as a mistake. Its called a design modification Rick Kruse, Grand Rapids, MI