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345K views 249 replies 74 participants last post by  Vuddha29 
#1 ·
Shop Tips

In the past, most old guys like me jealously protected their shortcuts and tricks to guard their job from competitors. I've seen many old fellows actually turn and place their bodies in front of their work to keep someone else from seeing how they did something, and they were not too bashful about doing so either. But, a lot of the old knowledge is disappearing now and some hard-learned things may disappear forever. I've learned a few tricks in my six decades of work related experience, and wish to pass a few tips along here, as I have time.

Tricks and shortcuts develop over time, depending on the trade. Some are to save time, make things easier, or more accurate. Some are time-tested and in general use, and others are peculiar to a particular shop or craft. I plan to present some I have used - and still do - hoping others may profit from them. Some you may already know, depending on your level of experience, and others may be new to you. In the end, my hope is overall, these little tips add to your knowledge and experience.

First, this one, which I call 'Poor Man's Scribe', is simple and obvious. In many shops you use the same few settings to scribe lines in from the edge of your stock - say for a line of screws or nails, or to sand, tape, saw or chisel too. Of course most wood shop people will have a scribing tool with infinite settings which can be used. But, it is much handier to have a simple little jig, or 'multi-tool' for this purpose, which can often fit 75% or more of your scribe spacing needs. And, depending on how big you make it, will not 'rock' like a scribe tends to do.

The pictures explain this little tool, and it can be made to fit your four most commonly used scribe spacings. In my case it's 1/4", 3/8", 1/2" and 3/4", all labeled plainly. Put a hole in it for your finger and to hang it by, and PAINT IT RED (or other bright color) to keep it from getting lost in your bench clutter!

This will take mere minutes to make and save lots of time. Just some short thin battens, tacked/glued to a bit of ply. I have made some of these with bevels at the end to reach into corners, but they are then 'handed'. Let your needs be your guide.

Rectangle Wood Pattern Wool Magenta


Finger Wood Thumb Nail Rectangle


Wood Finger Wood stain Nail Hardwood
 

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#135 ·
"Repeat After Me": Making identical parts in wood

Mold makers often use of this technique when making castings patterns. Layers of wood are temporarily glued together in a way to be easily pulled apart after the carving or milling work is done. After a casting pattern is made, it is often separated into two or more parts for making a sand mold for casting. This is a useful trick when needing multiple identical parts in wood - say two identical halves of an item, etc. Of course you can use it for making more than two pieces too, within practical limitations.

The idea is to glue two or more layers together so the layered assembly may then be cut or milled to profile in one operation, then separated. The glued layers end up all being cut to the same identical profile. You can do this by nailing or screwing layers together of course, but must then worry about the nail or screw holes showing up in the finished product, not to mention the fastenings are a hazard to your saw blades and tools. Glueing everything together is one good alternative.

How are the layers separated after being cut or milled to profile? The mold maker's method makes this very easy and simple. The individual layers are separated by paper, placed between each piece as the pieces are glued up. The individual layers are pried apart after the work is done, with the separation occurring within the paper layer itself. You end up with each layer being coated with a thin film of glue and paper, since the paper splits within itself. This glue/paper film is then scraped or sanded off. (Note: Glue should be applied to BOTH sides of the paper.)

Using a slick paper seems to work best for me - like glossy newspaper advertising inserts. Regular newsprint or notepaper works too, but the slick stuff seems to part more uniformly with a thinner film of paper stuck to the pieces because the glue does not soak all the way through. Then, there is the glue. Normal white or yellow glue like Titebond™ works, but thinning the glue down helps considerably for making for a far easier separation and clean-up afterwards. A one-to-one ratio of glue to water works just fine, can be applied with a brush and is quite strong enough to hold most things together for the milling part.

Another helpful bit is to leave a piece of extra stock on one end of the glued together pieces as it is milled to profile. This is so you can insert a chisel or screwdriver to separate the pieces without damaging the main portion of the part. This extra bit is then trimmed off after things are separated. Also, a small undercut or nick in this extra bit helps as a point to introduce your chisel. See the sketches which should be self-explanatory.

I have successfully used this method for lathe stock too - when needed for making multiple pieces like wheels or rollers. As a safety measure when glueing up parts for the lathe, drill a hole on the centers and run a waxed dowel the same size as the drilled holes through the centers as the parts are glued up. The wax keeps the glue from sticking to the dowel. A thin wax coat can be put on the dowel by slightly heating it with a propane torch or heat gun while rubbing a stick of paraffin wax over it. I have also seen sprayed-on wax used but don't trust the idea much myself. To make it easy to separate the parts after the lathe work is done, use a parting tool while still on the lathe to slightly nick the edges of the pieces at the paper separators. Then a light tap with a chisel at those points will separate the pieces without marring them. The dowel may be tapped out with a slightly smaller round rod or punch.

Here's a corollary, earlier post which expands on the idea a little: http://lumberjocks.com/GnarlyErik/blog/35605

I hope these little tricks are of help to someone!
Slope Triangle Font Rectangle Parallel
 

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#136 ·
"Repeat After Me": Making identical parts in wood

Mold makers often use of this technique when making castings patterns. Layers of wood are temporarily glued together in a way to be easily pulled apart after the carving or milling work is done. After a casting pattern is made, it is often separated into two or more parts for making a sand mold for casting. This is a useful trick when needing multiple identical parts in wood - say two identical halves of an item, etc. Of course you can use it for making more than two pieces too, within practical limitations.

The idea is to glue two or more layers together so the layered assembly may then be cut or milled to profile in one operation, then separated. The glued layers end up all being cut to the same identical profile. You can do this by nailing or screwing layers together of course, but must then worry about the nail or screw holes showing up in the finished product, not to mention the fastenings are a hazard to your saw blades and tools. Glueing everything together is one good alternative.

How are the layers separated after being cut or milled to profile? The mold maker's method makes this very easy and simple. The individual layers are separated by paper, placed between each piece as the pieces are glued up. The individual layers are pried apart after the work is done, with the separation occurring within the paper layer itself. You end up with each layer being coated with a thin film of glue and paper, since the paper splits within itself. This glue/paper film is then scraped or sanded off. (Note: Glue should be applied to BOTH sides of the paper.)

Using a slick paper seems to work best for me - like glossy newspaper advertising inserts. Regular newsprint or notepaper works too, but the slick stuff seems to part more uniformly with a thinner film of paper stuck to the pieces because the glue does not soak all the way through. Then, there is the glue. Normal white or yellow glue like Titebond™ works, but thinning the glue down helps considerably for making for a far easier separation and clean-up afterwards. A one-to-one ratio of glue to water works just fine, can be applied with a brush and is quite strong enough to hold most things together for the milling part.

Another helpful bit is to leave a piece of extra stock on one end of the glued together pieces as it is milled to profile. This is so you can insert a chisel or screwdriver to separate the pieces without damaging the main portion of the part. This extra bit is then trimmed off after things are separated. Also, a small undercut or nick in this extra bit helps as a point to introduce your chisel. See the sketches which should be self-explanatory.

I have successfully used this method for lathe stock too - when needed for making multiple pieces like wheels or rollers. As a safety measure when glueing up parts for the lathe, drill a hole on the centers and run a waxed dowel the same size as the drilled holes through the centers as the parts are glued up. The wax keeps the glue from sticking to the dowel. A thin wax coat can be put on the dowel by slightly heating it with a propane torch or heat gun while rubbing a stick of paraffin wax over it. I have also seen sprayed-on wax used but don't trust the idea much myself. To make it easy to separate the parts after the lathe work is done, use a parting tool while still on the lathe to slightly nick the edges of the pieces at the paper separators. Then a light tap with a chisel at those points will separate the pieces without marring them. The dowel may be tapped out with a slightly smaller round rod or punch.

Here's a corollary, earlier post which expands on the idea a little: http://lumberjocks.com/GnarlyErik/blog/35605

I hope these little tricks are of help to someone!
Slope Triangle Font Rectangle Parallel
thanks for sharing this is a big help for me , thanks and merry Christmas
 

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#142 ·
Down and Dirty Proportional Dividers

Have you ever wished to scale something up or down, either from plans or from actual objects? Then, you looked around the shop only to realize you don't have any convenient tool other than measuring with rulers and then trying to convert using sometimes shaky math - especially if using English measures in feet, inches and fractions?

(A quick aside here - metrics are so much more convenient to use! Although, it is ever so hard to make the initial roll-over and adjustment into metrics, especially for us older folk)

Presented here is an easy graphical way to build custom proportional dividers in five to ten minutes or so, made to whatever conversion ratio you may need - and once made will be independent of either metric or English scales. And the beauty of these is they cost almost nothing compared to the fancy ones you find online for $100.

Step 1: Grab two flat sticks 3/4" or so wide by 1/8" or so thick and 8 to12 inches long (longer sticks may be used too if desired, but are harder to handle for small dimensions);

Step 2: Point both ends of each stick, then cut them both to EXACTLY the same length, using 12" in this example;

Step 3: Now draw a circle on your shop table or on a scrap piece of plywood with a diameter the same as the lengths of your sticks, with a line drawn along the center diameter. See Fig 1;

Parallel Font Rectangle Circle Symmetry


Step 4: Decide on the ratio needed - in this case we use 2:1. This would enable you to quickly double, or halve any dimension selected within the range of the size of your dividers. This is a valuable aid when doing lots of conversions;

Step 5: Draw arcs on both sides of the diameter line at each end. One end to have arcs of radius 2" in this instance, and the other end exactly double that, or 4". See fig 2;

Parallel Rectangle Slope Font Circle


(For other ratios you use suitable multiples, say 1" on one end and 3" on the other for 3:1 ratio, etc. The ratio is the multiple of the arc lengths on each end);

Step 6: Now, place the sticks one over the other on the circle, with one end on the smaller arc and the other on its corresponding other, i.e., beginning on one end on the 2" arc and the other on the 4" arc on the OTHER side of the diameter line. It will help to weight or clamp them in place. See Fig 3:

Eye Triangle Slope Parallel Font


Note that the ends of the sticks on one end will now extend slightly beyond the drawn circle, since they will no longer pass through the center of the circle. A small adjustment is now made for better accuracy, by insuring the ends are equidistant from the diameter line, AND each is the proper distance from it (4");

Step 7: Drill a small hole through both sticks in their centers where they intersect, sized to receive a small machine screw or bolt with nut (wing or knurled finger nuts are handy here). Bolt the sticks together snugly enough to hold the sticks in position, but loose enough to still move the sticks, and voilà! There's your proportional dividers sized for whatever multiple you select.

You can make these to any ratio you need, although anything above 3:1 tends to be increasingly inaccurate. You might even make a set with several sets of holes drilled for various ratios - or even for custom ratios like 1-5/8:1 so long as you are comfortable doing the math needed. As always, the more careful and precise your measurements, the better accuracy you will get.

If you plan to use your dividers a lot, it is very helpful to drill small holes in the ends of the sticks into which cut-off nails may be set or glued. Just be sure the resulting overall lengths are equal, including nails, and they still fit your circle.

NOTE: I should add these dividers may not always be 100% accurate and precise, and may vary by 5% or so, especially when used to their maximum (widest) openings. So don't use these kind for your space trajectory calculations, or lunar landing modules. That said, they will be pretty darned close when carefully made. These are meant for those (1) 'near enough' times when you need to get the job done, and it won't actually matter if you are an eighth inch off somewhere.

(1) (I actually once heard of a 'shade tree' boat repairman somewhere in Florida years ago who called his operation 'Near Enough Boatworks'. )
 

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#143 ·
Down and Dirty Proportional Dividers

Have you ever wished to scale something up or down, either from plans or from actual objects? Then, you looked around the shop only to realize you don't have any convenient tool other than measuring with rulers and then trying to convert using sometimes shaky math - especially if using English measures in feet, inches and fractions?

(A quick aside here - metrics are so much more convenient to use! Although, it is ever so hard to make the initial roll-over and adjustment into metrics, especially for us older folk)

Presented here is an easy graphical way to build custom proportional dividers in five to ten minutes or so, made to whatever conversion ratio you may need - and once made will be independent of either metric or English scales. And the beauty of these is they cost almost nothing compared to the fancy ones you find online for $100.

Step 1: Grab two flat sticks 3/4" or so wide by 1/8" or so thick and 8 to12 inches long (longer sticks may be used too if desired, but are harder to handle for small dimensions);

Step 2: Point both ends of each stick, then cut them both to EXACTLY the same length, using 12" in this example;

Step 3: Now draw a circle on your shop table or on a scrap piece of plywood with a diameter the same as the lengths of your sticks, with a line drawn along the center diameter. See Fig 1;

Parallel Font Rectangle Circle Symmetry


Step 4: Decide on the ratio needed - in this case we use 2:1. This would enable you to quickly double, or halve any dimension selected within the range of the size of your dividers. This is a valuable aid when doing lots of conversions;

Step 5: Draw arcs on both sides of the diameter line at each end. One end to have arcs of radius 2" in this instance, and the other end exactly double that, or 4". See fig 2;

Parallel Rectangle Slope Font Circle


(For other ratios you use suitable multiples, say 1" on one end and 3" on the other for 3:1 ratio, etc. The ratio is the multiple of the arc lengths on each end);

Step 6: Now, place the sticks one over the other on the circle, with one end on the smaller arc and the other on its corresponding other, i.e., beginning on one end on the 2" arc and the other on the 4" arc on the OTHER side of the diameter line. It will help to weight or clamp them in place. See Fig 3:

Eye Triangle Slope Parallel Font


Note that the ends of the sticks on one end will now extend slightly beyond the drawn circle, since they will no longer pass through the center of the circle. A small adjustment is now made for better accuracy, by insuring the ends are equidistant from the diameter line, AND each is the proper distance from it (4");

Step 7: Drill a small hole through both sticks in their centers where they intersect, sized to receive a small machine screw or bolt with nut (wing or knurled finger nuts are handy here). Bolt the sticks together snugly enough to hold the sticks in position, but loose enough to still move the sticks, and voilà! There's your proportional dividers sized for whatever multiple you select.

You can make these to any ratio you need, although anything above 3:1 tends to be increasingly inaccurate. You might even make a set with several sets of holes drilled for various ratios - or even for custom ratios like 1-5/8:1 so long as you are comfortable doing the math needed. As always, the more careful and precise your measurements, the better accuracy you will get.

If you plan to use your dividers a lot, it is very helpful to drill small holes in the ends of the sticks into which cut-off nails may be set or glued. Just be sure the resulting overall lengths are equal, including nails, and they still fit your circle.

NOTE: I should add these dividers may not always be 100% accurate and precise, and may vary by 5% or so, especially when used to their maximum (widest) openings. So don't use these kind for your space trajectory calculations, or lunar landing modules. That said, they will be pretty darned close when carefully made. These are meant for those (1) 'near enough' times when you need to get the job done, and it won't actually matter if you are an eighth inch off somewhere.

(1) (I actually once heard of a 'shade tree' boat repairman somewhere in Florida years ago who called his operation 'Near Enough Boatworks'. )
Thanks Eric.
Your experience is a great resource.
Thanks again for sharing this juicy tidbit.
 

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#147 ·
How to Plane Stock very Thin

Planing very thin stock:

Recently another Lumberjocker (John Hutchinson) asked for tips for planing stock down to 1/8" or so. Several people made good suggestions and I shared my own simple method which I worked out by trial and error years ago. I figured this would be a good tip to share in my sporadic blog on Shop Tips and Tricks.

Power planing thin stock can be a challenge for several reasons. First is the danger of damaging the cutter head and knives by their contact with the planer bed. Beyond that is the fact that the stock being planed is very prone to shatter or disintegrate when planed too thinly. The type of material being planed is critical, since some, particularly soft, split prone woods like cedar are more fragile than others. Some hardwoods are too, particularly any very grainy or brittle woods like oak prone to splitting, or anything with hard knots. A gut feeling will usually tell you which woods are not candidates. After that, it is a matter of trial and error - just be careful to stand well clear of the planner during your trials!

This method is simple, quick and easy and works well in most cases. It is merely an additional, auxiliary planer 'bed' or 'platen' for your thin stock to feed thru upon. This 'auxiliary platen' is simply a piece of thick material, stiff enough to bridge the distance between the lower rollers on the planer without flexing too much. 3/4" plywood works well, particularly the sanded type for cabinetry. Or, any wide, thick plank sufficiently stiff for the purpose. I once made a special bed with a layer of formica on top which fit across the entire surface of my planer bed.

That said, you do not need to cover the entire bed of the planer, especially if your stock is not too wide. You can even put thin 'guides' on your plank if your stock wants to wander off the plank in use. The wider your stock is the harder it is to plane thinly. A plank or piece of material about 25% wider than your material usually works fine so long as it is planed flat so both faces are parallel to one another, and at least one surface reasonably smooth to reduce friction. This can be easily stowed when not needed. If you need only a small amount of thin stock, you can make a quick auxiliary 'platen' from a short piece of 2×8 or something similar which works well for a temporary need.

Your auxiliary platen needs to be slightly longer than your planer bed. You should nail, glue or screw an approximately 1×2 cleat across one end, which when turned down, prevents this piece from feeding through the planer by hooking over the infeed edge of most planers. Your stock to be planed is then fed through the planer on top of this 'platen'. Depending on the stock being planed, you can get thicknesses down to 1/8" to 1/10" or even less. One caution is to make very thin cuts on each pass to lower the danger of the stock shattering as you plane, and the thinner you go, the thinner the successive cuts should be!

See the sketches below:

Rectangle Font Schematic Slope Parallel


Rectangle Font Handwriting Parallel Drawing


You can see how this trick can be modified to plane a slope or bevel on thicker stock too. In this case, the auxiliary platen is made with the required bevel on the upper surface. Now, when your stock is fed through the planer, a matching bevel is planed off the upper side of your stock. When using this to make bevels it is necessary to add a stop piece to the lower edge to prevent the stock from sliding off down hill. See this sketch. (Note: This is an end view of an auxiliary platen for bevels, as viewed from the infeed side.):

Rectangle Slope Font Parallel Circle


I hope this helps!
 

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#148 ·
How to Plane Stock very Thin

Planing very thin stock:

Recently another Lumberjocker (John Hutchinson) asked for tips for planing stock down to 1/8" or so. Several people made good suggestions and I shared my own simple method which I worked out by trial and error years ago. I figured this would be a good tip to share in my sporadic blog on Shop Tips and Tricks.

Power planing thin stock can be a challenge for several reasons. First is the danger of damaging the cutter head and knives by their contact with the planer bed. Beyond that is the fact that the stock being planed is very prone to shatter or disintegrate when planed too thinly. The type of material being planed is critical, since some, particularly soft, split prone woods like cedar are more fragile than others. Some hardwoods are too, particularly any very grainy or brittle woods like oak prone to splitting, or anything with hard knots. A gut feeling will usually tell you which woods are not candidates. After that, it is a matter of trial and error - just be careful to stand well clear of the planner during your trials!

This method is simple, quick and easy and works well in most cases. It is merely an additional, auxiliary planer 'bed' or 'platen' for your thin stock to feed thru upon. This 'auxiliary platen' is simply a piece of thick material, stiff enough to bridge the distance between the lower rollers on the planer without flexing too much. 3/4" plywood works well, particularly the sanded type for cabinetry. Or, any wide, thick plank sufficiently stiff for the purpose. I once made a special bed with a layer of formica on top which fit across the entire surface of my planer bed.

That said, you do not need to cover the entire bed of the planer, especially if your stock is not too wide. You can even put thin 'guides' on your plank if your stock wants to wander off the plank in use. The wider your stock is the harder it is to plane thinly. A plank or piece of material about 25% wider than your material usually works fine so long as it is planed flat so both faces are parallel to one another, and at least one surface reasonably smooth to reduce friction. This can be easily stowed when not needed. If you need only a small amount of thin stock, you can make a quick auxiliary 'platen' from a short piece of 2×8 or something similar which works well for a temporary need.

Your auxiliary platen needs to be slightly longer than your planer bed. You should nail, glue or screw an approximately 1×2 cleat across one end, which when turned down, prevents this piece from feeding through the planer by hooking over the infeed edge of most planers. Your stock to be planed is then fed through the planer on top of this 'platen'. Depending on the stock being planed, you can get thicknesses down to 1/8" to 1/10" or even less. One caution is to make very thin cuts on each pass to lower the danger of the stock shattering as you plane, and the thinner you go, the thinner the successive cuts should be!

See the sketches below:

Rectangle Font Schematic Slope Parallel


Rectangle Font Handwriting Parallel Drawing


You can see how this trick can be modified to plane a slope or bevel on thicker stock too. In this case, the auxiliary platen is made with the required bevel on the upper surface. Now, when your stock is fed through the planer, a matching bevel is planed off the upper side of your stock. When using this to make bevels it is necessary to add a stop piece to the lower edge to prevent the stock from sliding off down hill. See this sketch. (Note: This is an end view of an auxiliary platen for bevels, as viewed from the infeed side.):

Rectangle Slope Font Parallel Circle


I hope this helps!
Great Tip, Thankyou!
 

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#181 ·
Making Painting & Varnishing Easier, Cleaner and Cheaper

Today it occurred to me while working in my shop, I have used a little trick for decades which is handy, saves money, is neat and tidy, and costs almost nothing. I didn't think to pass this on before. To make up for that, here it is now:

Using paint or varnish out of a can is always kind of a messy operation. This is not an issue if you are going to use the whole can of paint, but if you only want part of it for a smaller project, it is. You pour paint out of a can into another container, and invariably, some runs down outside the can. This can get everywhere, on your bench, clothing, shop floor, tools and your hands. You must wipe up, and you miss something anyway. It is frustrating and makes you want to throw something - not a good idea in a project area.

Paint also gets into the sealing area at the rim of the can, and you never get it all out. It can dry there making the can hard, even impossible to open later. It helps to punch several small holes in the bottom of the creased rim to allow the paint there to drain into the can. Some always remains and you get a build-up of dry paint, letting air into the can, spoiling the remaining paint in the can, or allowing a crust to build up. When you try to use the paint later, you must cut through the crust to the paint beneath. Plus, the paint gets contaminated by chunks of the crust mixed into it. It is frustrating and costly.

Years ago, bing! A light went off in my head. My wife provided a cheap stainless soup spoon I could use to dip paint out of the can. Just like that the problem was solved! No pouring, no muss, no fuss, no drips and no gripes. I found by doing some creative bending to my spoon, things got even better. Hammering in the spoon's sides made a sort of funnel making pouring out of the spoon more accurate. I can dip a precise measure out of my cans for small projects without worrying about the rim, or re-sealing of the can. The spoon is also used to measure precise amounts of thinner, or other additives to the paint as you mix.

Another benefit is measuring a small amount of thinner or turps into the spoon to gently spread back over the surface of the paint remaining in the can before you reseal., This helps maintain the viscosity of the remaining paint, which is affected by the air in the can. I always had trouble getting the turps to stay on top of the liquid paint's surface before. (NOTE: for oil-based paints only!) Now, I can simply gently let it flow out of the tip of the spoon, right at the paint surface. The pictures show how the spoon is bent so you can reach way down to the bottom of the can if you need to. There is also a return bend at the top which is used to hang the spoon after use. Always remember to wipe the spoon clean with thinner and an a rag or paper towel, or you will have to scrape or burn an accumulation of dry paint off.

Some of the paints and varnishes I use cost over $60 a quart, and it torments my being to waste any of it. If I gauge things right when I dip with the spoon, very little paint is wasted. This is just a simple little no-brainer (my wife insists I certainly qualify there!) trick which works like a charm. Try it!

It is also easy to make a quick one-off larger ladle out of a small can or bottle with a stick nailed or screwed to it for a handle. This is for when you need more paint than is convenient for the soup spoon, but much less than a full can.

See my pictures showing how the spoon is re-formed and used:








 

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#182 ·
Making Painting & Varnishing Easier, Cleaner and Cheaper

Today it occurred to me while working in my shop, I have used a little trick for decades which is handy, saves money, is neat and tidy, and costs almost nothing. I didn't think to pass this on before. To make up for that, here it is now:

Using paint or varnish out of a can is always kind of a messy operation. This is not an issue if you are going to use the whole can of paint, but if you only want part of it for a smaller project, it is. You pour paint out of a can into another container, and invariably, some runs down outside the can. This can get everywhere, on your bench, clothing, shop floor, tools and your hands. You must wipe up, and you miss something anyway. It is frustrating and makes you want to throw something - not a good idea in a project area.

Paint also gets into the sealing area at the rim of the can, and you never get it all out. It can dry there making the can hard, even impossible to open later. It helps to punch several small holes in the bottom of the creased rim to allow the paint there to drain into the can. Some always remains and you get a build-up of dry paint, letting air into the can, spoiling the remaining paint in the can, or allowing a crust to build up. When you try to use the paint later, you must cut through the crust to the paint beneath. Plus, the paint gets contaminated by chunks of the crust mixed into it. It is frustrating and costly.

Years ago, bing! A light went off in my head. My wife provided a cheap stainless soup spoon I could use to dip paint out of the can. Just like that the problem was solved! No pouring, no muss, no fuss, no drips and no gripes. I found by doing some creative bending to my spoon, things got even better. Hammering in the spoon's sides made a sort of funnel making pouring out of the spoon more accurate. I can dip a precise measure out of my cans for small projects without worrying about the rim, or re-sealing of the can. The spoon is also used to measure precise amounts of thinner, or other additives to the paint as you mix.

Another benefit is measuring a small amount of thinner or turps into the spoon to gently spread back over the surface of the paint remaining in the can before you reseal., This helps maintain the viscosity of the remaining paint, which is affected by the air in the can. I always had trouble getting the turps to stay on top of the liquid paint's surface before. (NOTE: for oil-based paints only!) Now, I can simply gently let it flow out of the tip of the spoon, right at the paint surface. The pictures show how the spoon is bent so you can reach way down to the bottom of the can if you need to. There is also a return bend at the top which is used to hang the spoon after use. Always remember to wipe the spoon clean with thinner and an a rag or paper towel, or you will have to scrape or burn an accumulation of dry paint off.

Some of the paints and varnishes I use cost over $60 a quart, and it torments my being to waste any of it. If I gauge things right when I dip with the spoon, very little paint is wasted. This is just a simple little no-brainer (my wife insists I certainly qualify there!) trick which works like a charm. Try it!

It is also easy to make a quick one-off larger ladle out of a small can or bottle with a stick nailed or screwed to it for a handle. This is for when you need more paint than is convenient for the soup spoon, but much less than a full can.

See my pictures showing how the spoon is re-formed and used:
Glasses Eyewear Font Electric blue Audio equipment


Tableware Kitchen utensil Cutlery Gesture Finger


Drinkware Table Product Beer Tablecloth


Drinkware Cup Tableware Drink Serveware


Eyewear Sleeve Vision care Font Material property
An interesting solution, thanks for posting it here.
 

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#187 ·
The Zen of Sandpaper and Sanding

Many wood workers will already know these things, but for those who do not, here are a few pointers and shortcuts about sandpaper and sanding - things I've learned after decades of wearing my fingerprints off.

THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS 'NO SAND FINISHING', and never let any smooth-talking paint salesperson tell you otherwise! Almost all woodworking projects need finish work. Most finishes require smoothing before the finish is applied. Normally, that means SANDING - usually, that's the least favorite part of most woodworking projects, although I can get into a zen trance with a lot of repetitive sanding. I sometimes wear off my fingerprints so much my tablet with fingerprint recognition no longer recognizes them!

Tip #1: Tape your fingertips with masking tape to save your skin for anything requiring a lot of sandpaper time. By the time you you wonder why your fingers are feeling sore it will be too late!

Gesture Asphalt Road surface Electric blue Thumb


'Sanding' gets its name from the grit used to smooth everything from wooden spoons to seashells to nude statues made from the finest of marbles since before recorded history. And of course 'sandpaper' is paper (or cloth, or other material) with an abrasive grit uniformly glued to its surface. The 'grit' may be an actual 'sand' like finely ground garnet, emery, silicon carbide, diamond (dust) or other materials such as aluminum oxide._ From Wikipediahttps://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandpaper#/search_: There are many varieties of sandpaper, with variations in the paper or backing, the material used for the grit, grit size, and the bond.

Grit fineness for sandpaper used for woods is usually denoted by a number - the higher the number, the finer the grit. Grit size can range from 16 (or lower!) to over 1000, with the most common for woods being 60, 80, 100, 120, 150, 180, 220, 320, 420 and 600. There are grit sizes available ranging from 1000 up to over 12000, which are used for polishing. Technicians may use 3000 & 6000 for polishing scratches out of perplex canopies on fighter jets for example. You can find the higher number grit papers at auto parts stores, or at Home Depot. I use the 3000 (wet or dry) for edge tools sometimes.

The paper backing size (weight of the paper) is denoted by a letter, with "A" being heaviest to "F", the lightest. The most common size for sandpaper sheets is 9" x 11".

Tip #2: Fold a sheet of sandpaper in half on the short dimension and cut along the fold to end with two pieces of 9" x 5-1/2". Now fold each piece in thirds to obtain an easily handled arrangement which will not slip against itself when used for hand sanding.

Font Parallel Paper Paper product Rectangle


You can buy rubber sanding blocks which have their uses. But, I like to make my own which better suit my needs. I like a stiffer wooden block much better than store bought rubber ones and those can be made for nothing from scraps and cut-offs. Wooden ones work better for sanding inside corners and long flats too for me.

Tip #3: Make your own wooden half-sheet sanding blocks. This will take a block 5" x 2-3/4" x 1-1/2". Make a 'clamping block' 1/4" to 1/2" smaller to hold the sandpaper. A couple of screws hold the clamping block tightly in place. If you mark the matching ends of both the sanding block and its clamp, the screws will usually find their former holes each time you refill your block with new sandpaper. I like to have two or three so I can fit different grit sizes to suit either rough or finish sanding.

Wood Rectangle Font Number Temperature


Water Fluid Gas Natural material Wrist


(It helps to use a couple of spring clamps to hold things as you screw on the clamping block)

Tip #4: Make your own wooden quarter-sheet sanding blocks. Ditto Tip #3, except the sanding block size is now 5" x 1-3'8" x 3/4".

Rectangle Font Material property Signage Parallel


Sandpaper is employed for uses besides finish sanding wood. You can use it to shape things too, with the lower number grit sizes being most effective for removing stock or 'wearing wood' as the old-timers used to say. Here it is employed like a 'mini-rasp', especially for curved shapes. Depending upon what I am trying to do, I make a special shaped block or shape to fit the need. I never throw these one-off tools away either. It is amazing how often I find these 'special shape' will be just the ticket for something in the future. These custom blocks are kept in a 'root-box' which can be rooted around in to find a shape needed.

Sometimes the shape needed won't accommodate a clamp to hold the sandpaper, and here is where contact cement comes into play. I love the kind that comes in a spray can for these small needs.

Tip #5: Make your own special needs sanding blocks or mini-rasps to exactly fit what you need to do. Here are a few from my root box:

Wood Typesetting Rectangle Tool Font


Wood Gesture Tool Hand tool Thumb


Wood Font Passive circuit component Rectangle Circuit component


Toy Water Wood Tints and shades Vehicle


I dislike finding my sandpaper all curled up from humidity. There are ways to deal with this. Some store sandpaper in a bin, with a piece of wood or weight on top. I use two pieces of masonite, or other flat, thin stuff and place the sandpaper sheets between them, all held together by a spring clamp. This can be carried to a work location to keep a selection of weights and grits handy.

Tip #6: Keeping your sandpaper flat. See the photo explanation:

Rectangle Wood Wall Material property Font


Wood Rectangle Textile Font Beige


Carrying the above idea one step further, this works just as well as for partial sheets and used sandpaper which still has life in it. This has the bonus of being portable and can be carried around so you have several weights of sandpaper available without having to go back to your bench or bin.

Tip #7: Sharpening things with sandpaper: Wet or dry paper can be used for sharpening, especially things that are too big for your grinder or oil stones. Using a very fine grit, you can put a new edge on planer knives, scissors, pocketknives and chisels. You will want to use fine grits of course - 600 or above, and back the sandpaper with something perfectly flat. A piece of plate glass works very well. Place the glass flat on your bench with the wet or dry paper on it and use it like a large whetstone, using plenty or water or oil as a lubricant. You will be amazed what this can do for dull scissors for example.

Tip #8: Use a similar trick to make something perfectly flat. You start off with a fairly coarse grit to begin working something down to perfectly flat and true, using successively finer grits as you proceed. When your whetstones get dished out for example, dress them perfectly flat again using wet or dry sandpaper on glass, lubricant, elbow grease and patience.

I hope you can use a few of these ideas to help you make a necessary chore easier!
 

Attachments

#188 ·
The Zen of Sandpaper and Sanding

Many wood workers will already know these things, but for those who do not, here are a few pointers and shortcuts about sandpaper and sanding - things I've learned after decades of wearing my fingerprints off.

THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS 'NO SAND FINISHING', and never let any smooth-talking paint salesperson tell you otherwise! Almost all woodworking projects need finish work. Most finishes require smoothing before the finish is applied. Normally, that means SANDING - usually, that's the least favorite part of most woodworking projects, although I can get into a zen trance with a lot of repetitive sanding. I sometimes wear off my fingerprints so much my tablet with fingerprint recognition no longer recognizes them!

Tip #1: Tape your fingertips with masking tape to save your skin for anything requiring a lot of sandpaper time. By the time you you wonder why your fingers are feeling sore it will be too late!

Gesture Asphalt Road surface Electric blue Thumb


'Sanding' gets its name from the grit used to smooth everything from wooden spoons to seashells to nude statues made from the finest of marbles since before recorded history. And of course 'sandpaper' is paper (or cloth, or other material) with an abrasive grit uniformly glued to its surface. The 'grit' may be an actual 'sand' like finely ground garnet, emery, silicon carbide, diamond (dust) or other materials such as aluminum oxide._ From Wikipediahttps://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandpaper#/search_: There are many varieties of sandpaper, with variations in the paper or backing, the material used for the grit, grit size, and the bond.

Grit fineness for sandpaper used for woods is usually denoted by a number - the higher the number, the finer the grit. Grit size can range from 16 (or lower!) to over 1000, with the most common for woods being 60, 80, 100, 120, 150, 180, 220, 320, 420 and 600. There are grit sizes available ranging from 1000 up to over 12000, which are used for polishing. Technicians may use 3000 & 6000 for polishing scratches out of perplex canopies on fighter jets for example. You can find the higher number grit papers at auto parts stores, or at Home Depot. I use the 3000 (wet or dry) for edge tools sometimes.

The paper backing size (weight of the paper) is denoted by a letter, with "A" being heaviest to "F", the lightest. The most common size for sandpaper sheets is 9" x 11".

Tip #2: Fold a sheet of sandpaper in half on the short dimension and cut along the fold to end with two pieces of 9" x 5-1/2". Now fold each piece in thirds to obtain an easily handled arrangement which will not slip against itself when used for hand sanding.

Font Parallel Paper Paper product Rectangle


You can buy rubber sanding blocks which have their uses. But, I like to make my own which better suit my needs. I like a stiffer wooden block much better than store bought rubber ones and those can be made for nothing from scraps and cut-offs. Wooden ones work better for sanding inside corners and long flats too for me.

Tip #3: Make your own wooden half-sheet sanding blocks. This will take a block 5" x 2-3/4" x 1-1/2". Make a 'clamping block' 1/4" to 1/2" smaller to hold the sandpaper. A couple of screws hold the clamping block tightly in place. If you mark the matching ends of both the sanding block and its clamp, the screws will usually find their former holes each time you refill your block with new sandpaper. I like to have two or three so I can fit different grit sizes to suit either rough or finish sanding.

Wood Rectangle Font Number Temperature


Water Fluid Gas Natural material Wrist


(It helps to use a couple of spring clamps to hold things as you screw on the clamping block)

Tip #4: Make your own wooden quarter-sheet sanding blocks. Ditto Tip #3, except the sanding block size is now 5" x 1-3'8" x 3/4".

Rectangle Font Material property Signage Parallel


Sandpaper is employed for uses besides finish sanding wood. You can use it to shape things too, with the lower number grit sizes being most effective for removing stock or 'wearing wood' as the old-timers used to say. Here it is employed like a 'mini-rasp', especially for curved shapes. Depending upon what I am trying to do, I make a special shaped block or shape to fit the need. I never throw these one-off tools away either. It is amazing how often I find these 'special shape' will be just the ticket for something in the future. These custom blocks are kept in a 'root-box' which can be rooted around in to find a shape needed.

Sometimes the shape needed won't accommodate a clamp to hold the sandpaper, and here is where contact cement comes into play. I love the kind that comes in a spray can for these small needs.

Tip #5: Make your own special needs sanding blocks or mini-rasps to exactly fit what you need to do. Here are a few from my root box:

Wood Typesetting Rectangle Tool Font


Wood Gesture Tool Hand tool Thumb


Wood Font Passive circuit component Rectangle Circuit component


Toy Water Wood Tints and shades Vehicle


I dislike finding my sandpaper all curled up from humidity. There are ways to deal with this. Some store sandpaper in a bin, with a piece of wood or weight on top. I use two pieces of masonite, or other flat, thin stuff and place the sandpaper sheets between them, all held together by a spring clamp. This can be carried to a work location to keep a selection of weights and grits handy.

Tip #6: Keeping your sandpaper flat. See the photo explanation:

Rectangle Wood Wall Material property Font


Wood Rectangle Textile Font Beige


Carrying the above idea one step further, this works just as well as for partial sheets and used sandpaper which still has life in it. This has the bonus of being portable and can be carried around so you have several weights of sandpaper available without having to go back to your bench or bin.

Tip #7: Sharpening things with sandpaper: Wet or dry paper can be used for sharpening, especially things that are too big for your grinder or oil stones. Using a very fine grit, you can put a new edge on planer knives, scissors, pocketknives and chisels. You will want to use fine grits of course - 600 or above, and back the sandpaper with something perfectly flat. A piece of plate glass works very well. Place the glass flat on your bench with the wet or dry paper on it and use it like a large whetstone, using plenty or water or oil as a lubricant. You will be amazed what this can do for dull scissors for example.

Tip #8: Use a similar trick to make something perfectly flat. You start off with a fairly coarse grit to begin working something down to perfectly flat and true, using successively finer grits as you proceed. When your whetstones get dished out for example, dress them perfectly flat again using wet or dry sandpaper on glass, lubricant, elbow grease and patience.

I hope you can use a few of these ideas to help you make a necessary chore easier!
Great tips thank you. I especially like the finger saver, I'm going to try that next time. My fingert have been so bad that they bled and I could not figure out why, and man did they hurt. I always figured that I didn't need a sanding block, but I will be making some in the near future. Thanks again
 

Attachments

#193 ·
The Art of Middles of Symmetries

I don't know why I did not think to include this as a part of my blog about centerlines since it is very closely related. I will call this notion 'The Art of Middles of Symmetries'. Simply put, all symmetrical shapes by definition have a 'middle', or centerline. Stating that notion as a corollary to centerlines, you might say: "All symmetrical shapes have an EXACT middle centerline."

Take advantage of this simple fact by using it when laying out symmetrical items. I don't consciously think about it myself when laying something out now, which is probably why I forgot to include it earlier.

In practice, this means you only need to lay out HALF of any symmetrical shape, no matter how complex the shape may be. And besides being much faster, laying out just half of a symmetrical shape will be more accurate by far. It is surprising how often you can make use of this idea. Let's take a valentine heart as an example. If you try to lay out the heart in full, no matter how careful you are, there are guaranteed to be small differences in the two halves. But, if you lay out just one half, and using that as a pattern, repeat for the other half, the result will be an accurate, symmetrical whole.

Drawing Circle Fashion accessory Line art Jewellery

(Half the symmetrical valentine as drawn on paper folded along the centerline_

For small shapes you might use something stiff like a manila folder for pattern stock. Lay out half the shape, then fold the paper on the centerline. By cutting the half shape out with scissors or a knife, you are now cutting both halves simultaneously and identically, which will then unfold to a whole, symmetrical pattern. It is very like something you may have done in kindergarten. This pattern can now be used to trace the complete, whole symmetrical shape to the stock to be worked.

Body jewelry Art Heart Jewellery Font

(The full valentine pattern after the folded paper is cut to shape and unfolded. In this image the cutout shape was laid on a manilla envelope for scanning.)

Nose Cheek Lip Chin Hairstyle

(An example of a more complex symmetrical pattern)

When you have a shape too large for a foldable pattern, using a stiffer material like 1/4" plywood can work for you. In this situation, make a pattern for half your shape. After transferring the first half to your stock, simply flip the pattern over for the second half, being very careful to accurately align everything to your centerline.

Rectangle Handwriting Font Parallel Slope

(In this example drawing, the pattern to be made on stiff stock like plywood, and the centerline is extended beyond the ends to aid in alignment when the pattern is flipped over for the opposite side)

And, there you go - an accurately symmetrical layout result using the idea of The Art of Middles of Symmetries!
 

Attachments

#194 ·
The Art of Middles of Symmetries

I don't know why I did not think to include this as a part of my blog about centerlines since it is very closely related. I will call this notion 'The Art of Middles of Symmetries'. Simply put, all symmetrical shapes by definition have a 'middle', or centerline. Stating that notion as a corollary to centerlines, you might say: "All symmetrical shapes have an EXACT middle centerline."

Take advantage of this simple fact by using it when laying out symmetrical items. I don't consciously think about it myself when laying something out now, which is probably why I forgot to include it earlier.

In practice, this means you only need to lay out HALF of any symmetrical shape, no matter how complex the shape may be. And besides being much faster, laying out just half of a symmetrical shape will be more accurate by far. It is surprising how often you can make use of this idea. Let's take a valentine heart as an example. If you try to lay out the heart in full, no matter how careful you are, there are guaranteed to be small differences in the two halves. But, if you lay out just one half, and using that as a pattern, repeat for the other half, the result will be an accurate, symmetrical whole.

Drawing Circle Fashion accessory Line art Jewellery

(Half the symmetrical valentine as drawn on paper folded along the centerline_

For small shapes you might use something stiff like a manila folder for pattern stock. Lay out half the shape, then fold the paper on the centerline. By cutting the half shape out with scissors or a knife, you are now cutting both halves simultaneously and identically, which will then unfold to a whole, symmetrical pattern. It is very like something you may have done in kindergarten. This pattern can now be used to trace the complete, whole symmetrical shape to the stock to be worked.

Body jewelry Art Heart Jewellery Font

(The full valentine pattern after the folded paper is cut to shape and unfolded. In this image the cutout shape was laid on a manilla envelope for scanning.)

Nose Cheek Lip Chin Hairstyle

(An example of a more complex symmetrical pattern)

When you have a shape too large for a foldable pattern, using a stiffer material like 1/4" plywood can work for you. In this situation, make a pattern for half your shape. After transferring the first half to your stock, simply flip the pattern over for the second half, being very careful to accurately align everything to your centerline.

Rectangle Handwriting Font Parallel Slope

(In this example drawing, the pattern to be made on stiff stock like plywood, and the centerline is extended beyond the ends to aid in alignment when the pattern is flipped over for the opposite side)

And, there you go - an accurately symmetrical layout result using the idea of The Art of Middles of Symmetries!
lol that's kinda of a common sense thing BUT I WOULD HAVE NEVER THOUGHT TO DO IT!! THANKS FOR SHARING!
 

Attachments

#197 ·
Curves, Fair Curves and the Lack of Them

"My curves are not crazy."
~ Henri Matisse

"There are no straight lines in nature." was a truism in the School of Architecture when I attended college. This is not strictly true for the human eye at least, when you consider crystalline structures and such things. Perhaps there it still even holds true in the sub-atomic world. But, it is true in almost all of the visible natural world. There is something about curves we all seem to like. Men in particular certainly seem to favor a curvaceous woman over a 'linear' one!

While a straight-line, angular composition is often attractive, an introduction of curves can make a spectacular difference in its perception. Think of the arch over a door or window, or a curved wall. The high school where I live has circular buildings mixed in with rectangular ones which make the complex as a whole far more interesting to me.

The dictionary provides two definitions for the noun 'curve' of the kind I speak of. One describes a line in one plane, and two dimensions:

1. "A line that deviates from straightness in a smooth, continuous fashion."

Another definition describes a 'surface in planarity', which in effect means a curve in three dimensions, such as a boat hull, airplane or automobile:

2. "A surface that deviates from planarity in a smooth, continuous fashion".

Curves can be easy to form, as in a circle, or part of a circle which can be described with a compass, or they can be more difficult as in a curved line which continuously changes the radii of its curvature. Note that BOTH definitions above demand that a curve should 'deviate in a continuous fashion.' This means curves should not have 'bumps', 'knots', 'jerks' or 'elbows' in them.

A continuously 'smooth' curve is called a 'fair' curve, and checking or making a curve continuously smooth is called 'fairing' the curve, and is the heart of this little article. Any boatbuilder is familiar with 'fairing curves', since there are very few if any straight lines in most boats' hulls.

That is unless you consider the angular, upside-down/inside-out monstrosities the U.S. Navy is now having built, the hulls of which were apparently designed by an amalgamated group of the people who designed the Rubik's Cube, Legos and some of our present day linear 'modern art'. Yes, I know the reason behind all the angularity, but really? And what happens when the inevitable 'what-ifs' occur? How is any crew going to see anything, or even stand on deck for that matter? On her maiden voyage to the West Coast, this vessel broke down twice and had to be towed into port in Panama once. I'm still wondering how and where in the dickens the tow-line was made fast and how they steered this pig.

Water Sky Boat Watercraft Naval architecture


But back to my main point: A boatbuilder derives fair curves by eye, striving to avoid 'jerks' and 'elbows'. Some do it by eye alone during the process of building the boat, but the majority by far do so with the aid of 'fairing battens'. Most traditional boatbuilders make their own battens, using straight grained and predictable woods such as white pine. Besides being straight grained, fairing battens must avoid all knots, which are apt to 'jerk' the batten in use, or cause it to break. And, battens must lay flat in both directions. Many battens are square in cross-section, but sometimes a more rectangular shape is needed, particularly where the curves become more pronounced. Many fairing battens are tapered at the ends so they can handle tighter curves better, such as in the ends of boat hulls. Most boatbuilders have a variety of different sized fairing battens hanging on the walls of their shops to handle any type curve. Sometimes they are thirty or more feet long. I am out of that industry now, but boatbuilders today can and do buy fiberglass and plastic battens in various sizes too, which can be very expensive. These are called 'pultruded' battens. What an awful name! Sailmakers use them too, and theirs can be quite long, sometimes over 100 feet. Mega-yacht builders often use specially-built metal battens in their operations as well.

Fairing battens are used both in the original layout of 'lofting' as it's called, and in checking the fairness of the work as it progresses. And always, the ultimate aim is to make sure all the curves are 'fair' and without bumps in all directions!

My fairing needs are modest now, but I still make use of a variety of battens in laying out various things. I can always make a longer one if needed. And even though straight-grained woods are hard to come by in long lengths nowadays, you can make longer battens if you're willing to spend the time to make 16 to 1 scarf joins to mate two or more pieces to obtain what you need. Always make the scarf join before giving the batten its final shape. This is so the final planing to size goes through the join in a continuous line on all four sides.

Here are a few of my small fairing battens, and the little clips devised to hold them in place in lieu of nails. Note the various sizes of the battens, and the tapered ends on some. It is surprising how often I use these battens. The clips are made from scraps, work well and allow adjusting the curvature easily.

Wood Building Architecture Motor vehicle Font


Wood Font Musical instrument accessory Hand tool Audio equipment


Wood Composite material Circle Fashion accessory Metal


I sometimes use draftsmen's lead 'ducks' or 'whales' for very small or tight curves with smaller battens. The whales weigh around 4-5 pounds apiece, and have felt glued to their bottoms for use on my drafting table, although they're used in the shop too. The pictures show examples of how they are used.
Magenta Vegetable Carmine Fashion accessory Computer keyboard


Plant Material property Font Audio equipment Magenta


Here is an another discussion about battens and fairing you may also find interesting:

http://www.everything2.com/title/batten
 

Attachments

#198 ·
Curves, Fair Curves and the Lack of Them

"My curves are not crazy."
~ Henri Matisse

"There are no straight lines in nature." was a truism in the School of Architecture when I attended college. This is not strictly true for the human eye at least, when you consider crystalline structures and such things. Perhaps there it still even holds true in the sub-atomic world. But, it is true in almost all of the visible natural world. There is something about curves we all seem to like. Men in particular certainly seem to favor a curvaceous woman over a 'linear' one!

While a straight-line, angular composition is often attractive, an introduction of curves can make a spectacular difference in its perception. Think of the arch over a door or window, or a curved wall. The high school where I live has circular buildings mixed in with rectangular ones which make the complex as a whole far more interesting to me.

The dictionary provides two definitions for the noun 'curve' of the kind I speak of. One describes a line in one plane, and two dimensions:

1. "A line that deviates from straightness in a smooth, continuous fashion."

Another definition describes a 'surface in planarity', which in effect means a curve in three dimensions, such as a boat hull, airplane or automobile:

2. "A surface that deviates from planarity in a smooth, continuous fashion".

Curves can be easy to form, as in a circle, or part of a circle which can be described with a compass, or they can be more difficult as in a curved line which continuously changes the radii of its curvature. Note that BOTH definitions above demand that a curve should 'deviate in a continuous fashion.' This means curves should not have 'bumps', 'knots', 'jerks' or 'elbows' in them.

A continuously 'smooth' curve is called a 'fair' curve, and checking or making a curve continuously smooth is called 'fairing' the curve, and is the heart of this little article. Any boatbuilder is familiar with 'fairing curves', since there are very few if any straight lines in most boats' hulls.

That is unless you consider the angular, upside-down/inside-out monstrosities the U.S. Navy is now having built, the hulls of which were apparently designed by an amalgamated group of the people who designed the Rubik's Cube, Legos and some of our present day linear 'modern art'. Yes, I know the reason behind all the angularity, but really? And what happens when the inevitable 'what-ifs' occur? How is any crew going to see anything, or even stand on deck for that matter? On her maiden voyage to the West Coast, this vessel broke down twice and had to be towed into port in Panama once. I'm still wondering how and where in the dickens the tow-line was made fast and how they steered this pig.

Water Sky Boat Watercraft Naval architecture


But back to my main point: A boatbuilder derives fair curves by eye, striving to avoid 'jerks' and 'elbows'. Some do it by eye alone during the process of building the boat, but the majority by far do so with the aid of 'fairing battens'. Most traditional boatbuilders make their own battens, using straight grained and predictable woods such as white pine. Besides being straight grained, fairing battens must avoid all knots, which are apt to 'jerk' the batten in use, or cause it to break. And, battens must lay flat in both directions. Many battens are square in cross-section, but sometimes a more rectangular shape is needed, particularly where the curves become more pronounced. Many fairing battens are tapered at the ends so they can handle tighter curves better, such as in the ends of boat hulls. Most boatbuilders have a variety of different sized fairing battens hanging on the walls of their shops to handle any type curve. Sometimes they are thirty or more feet long. I am out of that industry now, but boatbuilders today can and do buy fiberglass and plastic battens in various sizes too, which can be very expensive. These are called 'pultruded' battens. What an awful name! Sailmakers use them too, and theirs can be quite long, sometimes over 100 feet. Mega-yacht builders often use specially-built metal battens in their operations as well.

Fairing battens are used both in the original layout of 'lofting' as it's called, and in checking the fairness of the work as it progresses. And always, the ultimate aim is to make sure all the curves are 'fair' and without bumps in all directions!

My fairing needs are modest now, but I still make use of a variety of battens in laying out various things. I can always make a longer one if needed. And even though straight-grained woods are hard to come by in long lengths nowadays, you can make longer battens if you're willing to spend the time to make 16 to 1 scarf joins to mate two or more pieces to obtain what you need. Always make the scarf join before giving the batten its final shape. This is so the final planing to size goes through the join in a continuous line on all four sides.

Here are a few of my small fairing battens, and the little clips devised to hold them in place in lieu of nails. Note the various sizes of the battens, and the tapered ends on some. It is surprising how often I use these battens. The clips are made from scraps, work well and allow adjusting the curvature easily.

Wood Building Architecture Motor vehicle Font


Wood Font Musical instrument accessory Hand tool Audio equipment


Wood Composite material Circle Fashion accessory Metal


I sometimes use draftsmen's lead 'ducks' or 'whales' for very small or tight curves with smaller battens. The whales weigh around 4-5 pounds apiece, and have felt glued to their bottoms for use on my drafting table, although they're used in the shop too. The pictures show examples of how they are used.
Magenta Vegetable Carmine Fashion accessory Computer keyboard


Plant Material property Font Audio equipment Magenta


Here is an another discussion about battens and fairing you may also find interesting:

http://www.everything2.com/title/batten
Great topic, well written Erik.

"The batten is the boss" is a mantra I had drilled into me early. My boatbuilding mentor would always check my lines and OK them when I was laying out sheerlines, rail top lines, planking lines, etc and would always "tweak" them just a little but I did occasionally I catch him moving a nail here and then there to balance and eventually moving them back to where I had had them. He would then say " There that's good now. On the three dimensional hull we always used nails above and below the battens.
... and we always checked the line by bending over and looking at it upside down.

So Erik, do bad lines in buildings, curbs, industrial design, etc. drive you crazy too?
 

Attachments

#201 ·
Jacking sideways, or "Walking the Jack."

Here's an idea you may find useful some day. This trick uses a jack to safely move something horizontally. You can turn most jacks on their sides, but then must have something solid to jack against. Did you know you can use a jack by itself to move something sideways without needing a side purchase at all?

It's a pretty simple notion, but it may not occur to you. This requires a jack with a rigidly solid, flat base like a bottle jack. Other types of jacks may work too, but most will carry more risk.

Here's the way this idea works:

1 Place the jack beneath the item which requires shifting, as near to the center of weight at one end as you can. It is important that the other end has at least two points of solid contact with the floor or ground. For example, you may need to move something like a patio deck or porch. In my experience I have sometimes used this trick to move or shift heavy boats around;

2 Tip the jack about ten or fifteen or so degrees to the side AWAY from the direction you wish your item to move. While this seems counter-intuitive, it will soon be clear how this works. The flat base of the jack will be tipped up off its support on the side you wish to move your load. If you are on soft ground you need something flat and solid under the jack. It is important to draw a mental line from the top of the jack to the edge of the jack in contract with the supporting surface. The top of the tipped jack must never get beyond a vertical line from its top to the edge in contact with the surface.

3 As you begin jacking, physics work to make the base flat with its support again. This is controllable and safe when done right. Each stroke of the jack handle lifts the load a little and makes the base level itself to the support underneath it a little more. (Note: If it does not, or shoves the wrong way, you should reassess and reset because you are doing something wrong. Be safe!) As the jack straightens into plumb, it shifts the load in the opposite direction of its lean until the base is flat with the support again. At this point, you will also have raised your load somewhat too, obviously. You then release the jack and reset it if you need to move your item further.

And it's just that simple! See my sketch below for a graphical explanation:

Font Cylinder Parallel Drawing Diagram


SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS:
1. Be sure the top of your jack is not tilted beyond a vertical line from the top to the edge of its base, and always err on the side of safety; 

2. Make sure your load is supported solidly in at least two other points opposite your jack;

3. Make sure both the top and bottom of your jack can not slip;

4. Place a solid safety support beneath your load to protect yourself and your appendages it case something does slip;

5. Never drink alcoholic beverages and mess around with a jack!
 

Attachments

#202 ·
Jacking sideways, or "Walking the Jack."

Here's an idea you may find useful some day. This trick uses a jack to safely move something horizontally. You can turn most jacks on their sides, but then must have something solid to jack against. Did you know you can use a jack by itself to move something sideways without needing a side purchase at all?

It's a pretty simple notion, but it may not occur to you. This requires a jack with a rigidly solid, flat base like a bottle jack. Other types of jacks may work too, but most will carry more risk.

Here's the way this idea works:

1 Place the jack beneath the item which requires shifting, as near to the center of weight at one end as you can. It is important that the other end has at least two points of solid contact with the floor or ground. For example, you may need to move something like a patio deck or porch. In my experience I have sometimes used this trick to move or shift heavy boats around;

2 Tip the jack about ten or fifteen or so degrees to the side AWAY from the direction you wish your item to move. While this seems counter-intuitive, it will soon be clear how this works. The flat base of the jack will be tipped up off its support on the side you wish to move your load. If you are on soft ground you need something flat and solid under the jack. It is important to draw a mental line from the top of the jack to the edge of the jack in contract with the supporting surface. The top of the tipped jack must never get beyond a vertical line from its top to the edge in contact with the surface.

3 As you begin jacking, physics work to make the base flat with its support again. This is controllable and safe when done right. Each stroke of the jack handle lifts the load a little and makes the base level itself to the support underneath it a little more. (Note: If it does not, or shoves the wrong way, you should reassess and reset because you are doing something wrong. Be safe!) As the jack straightens into plumb, it shifts the load in the opposite direction of its lean until the base is flat with the support again. At this point, you will also have raised your load somewhat too, obviously. You then release the jack and reset it if you need to move your item further.

And it's just that simple! See my sketch below for a graphical explanation:

Font Cylinder Parallel Drawing Diagram


SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS:
1. Be sure the top of your jack is not tilted beyond a vertical line from the top to the edge of its base, and always err on the side of safety; 

2. Make sure your load is supported solidly in at least two other points opposite your jack;

3. Make sure both the top and bottom of your jack can not slip;

4. Place a solid safety support beneath your load to protect yourself and your appendages it case something does slip;

5. Never drink alcoholic beverages and mess around with a jack!
Cool trick. Thanks for sharing. "Side purchase?" You don't hear terms like that often. I'm impressed. You also have maybe the coolest username on here :)
 

Attachments

#208 ·
How to Stabilize Anything With Legs

How to stabilize anything with legs - except maybe some politicians! It does not matter how many legs the item has either. (Anything with just three legs is self-stabilizing.)

We've all been irritated with a jiggly chair or table which just doesn't want to be steady. This is a simple little trick which makes it easy to correct the problem - and maybe be a hero to your lady or friend too. The idea is very simple, but I've noticed that many people approach this situation from the wrong end. No matter how much you measure and trim it never seems to fully correct the issue.

Here's how to do it perfectly right out of the gate in one easy shot:

First, place your table or other item on any FLAT surface. Note that it doesn't need to be level at all, just flat like a driveway, garage floor or even another table top. It's a good idea to check the surface with a straightedge first, in BOTH directions as well as diagonally to make sure. (If the surface is not flat it can make the issue even worse!)

Next, brace or chock your item so it can not rock. Note which leg (or legs) are not in contact with the surface. Choose the most obvious (worst) leg, and make a wooden gauge as thick as the gap between the shortest leg and the flat surface.

Use this gauge to mark all the other legs on all their sides, and also mark the shortest leg too to be sure all is well on all sides of that as well. Round legs must be marked all the way around.

If you need to LEVEL an item like a table, you should place it on a flat, LEVEL surface first, then level the table by blocking or wedging the table level before you make and use your gauge.

Now, carefully trim all the legs to your marks - a back saw is best for this if you have one. Now when you stand your item back on any flat surface it will be rock solid, I promise.

See my sketches below:

Rectangle Line Font Parallel Slope


Triangle Slope Parallel Font Diagram
 

Attachments

#209 ·
How to Stabilize Anything With Legs

How to stabilize anything with legs - except maybe some politicians! It does not matter how many legs the item has either. (Anything with just three legs is self-stabilizing.)

We've all been irritated with a jiggly chair or table which just doesn't want to be steady. This is a simple little trick which makes it easy to correct the problem - and maybe be a hero to your lady or friend too. The idea is very simple, but I've noticed that many people approach this situation from the wrong end. No matter how much you measure and trim it never seems to fully correct the issue.

Here's how to do it perfectly right out of the gate in one easy shot:

First, place your table or other item on any FLAT surface. Note that it doesn't need to be level at all, just flat like a driveway, garage floor or even another table top. It's a good idea to check the surface with a straightedge first, in BOTH directions as well as diagonally to make sure. (If the surface is not flat it can make the issue even worse!)

Next, brace or chock your item so it can not rock. Note which leg (or legs) are not in contact with the surface. Choose the most obvious (worst) leg, and make a wooden gauge as thick as the gap between the shortest leg and the flat surface.

Use this gauge to mark all the other legs on all their sides, and also mark the shortest leg too to be sure all is well on all sides of that as well. Round legs must be marked all the way around.

If you need to LEVEL an item like a table, you should place it on a flat, LEVEL surface first, then level the table by blocking or wedging the table level before you make and use your gauge.

Now, carefully trim all the legs to your marks - a back saw is best for this if you have one. Now when you stand your item back on any flat surface it will be rock solid, I promise.

See my sketches below:

Rectangle Line Font Parallel Slope


Triangle Slope Parallel Font Diagram
Great tip!!!
How many time have I took a short cut thinking just one cut would get it done. NOT!!!
 

Attachments

#210 ·
Drywall Screw Helper Kit

Here's a little hack that I find very useful around my shop.

Over the years I've realized how handy self-tapping drywall screws can be and I keep an assortment of them from 1" up to 3-3/4" on hand. They come in handy for many projects. Done right, a screw can take the place of a clamp, especially in tight spots, or where you're gluing angled pieces that are difficult to clamp.

Wood Font Gas Metal Circle


There are a couple of drawbacks though. One is there's a small hole left when the screw is removed. This is easily dealt with by gluing a small sliver of wood in the hole - or maybe handier, a sharpened 1/8" hardwood dowel plug fits perfectly in the hole. It's easy to prepare dozens of plugs at the time by cutting the dowel into 1" or so lengths and then sharpening the end with a sharp knife, or on a belt sander.

The other drawback is the flared 'bugle' head on drywall screw can split your working stock, especially thin stuff. Since the screws are designed for drywall installation, the bugle head is meant to recess just a skosh deeper than flush in drywall and works just fine for that. In wood though, the shape of the flare of the head of the screw forces the wood apart when the screw seats, and that can easily split your stock, even if you pre-drill a pilot hole. I've even had them split 2×4's near the end. The shank of the screw itself normally does not cause splitting.

Wood Fluid Liquid Solution Wood stain


You can prevent splitting by using a washer on the screw - a #10, 3/16" & up to 1/4" washer works fine. Then when the screw seats, the washer applies the pressure on the stock instead of the bugle head doing it. Sometimes a bigger washer is needed, especially for very thin stock. 1/4" plywood works great and you can make washers any size you need. Just cut the plywood in rectangular pieces and drill a 1/8" hole in the middle. Wooden washers also have the advantage of not leaving an impression of the washer in your stock when removed. Just be careful when you're gluing not to allow any glue to get between the wooden washer and your work. Sometimes I use a bit of painter's tape as a separation layer.

One problem with wooden washers is you end up making them all over again because the impulse is to discard them after each job. I got tired of that, so used a small cardboard mailer to make myself a 'washer kit'. There's a thin glued-in a divider between the wooden washers and an assortment of drywall screws. Small washers are kept in an old pill bottle on top of the screw assortment. You could have another bottle with pre-made wooden plugs for the holes if you wanted. There's a lid on the box and the entire kit can be stored on a shelf until the next time it's needed.

Brown Rectangle Gadget Material property Box


Font Urban design Asphalt Motor vehicle House


Toy Wood Rectangle Ruler Font


It's surprising how handy and useful this little kit is. It is a time saver and takes only a few minutes to make.

I hope this can be of help to others!

Cheers,
Gnarly Erik
 

Attachments

#211 ·
MAKE HAND SANDING ALMOST FUN!

Maybe the least fun part of any woodworking project requiring a nice finish is the smoothing and sanding. Over the years I've been taught or learned by trial and error a few little tricks to make things easier and better.

Many years ago a boat-school-taught guy in the boat shop saw me whaling away with a big disc sander on something and made a snotty remark saying, 'Anybody can WEAR wood!'. The implication was that 'purists' like him depended on very sharp tools only.

Some may disagree, but to me, that represented pure, crass stupidity (and I told that guy so too). My old man taught me to GET THE DAMNED JOB DONE IN THE QUICKEST AND BEST WAY! (Else, hit the bricks!)

CARDINAL SHOP RULE: Never hesitate to use the tool that works best and fastest - provided you are competent with it of course. If it's a power planer or sander, so be it. But even with the best of power aids, there's a time when you must get down to the nitty-gritty handwork, pardon the pun.

You can buy rubber sanding blocks for sanding flat and convex surfaces. Today these run from $3 - $6 or so. Flexible foam ones come impregnated with grit for about the same price. The problem with the rubber ones is the sandpaper is hard to load and tends to move back and forth and tear off in hard use. The only real use for the foam ones for me is for cleaning something when used like a Brillo pad. Then you throw it in the trash bin of course.

You can pick up a handy piece of wood and wrap sandpaper around it for use in corners, or on flat surfaces. This works pretty well but seems like kind of a jury-rig. Why not go a step or two further and create something which is EXACTLY what you need? Best of all it's practically free since it can be made from scrap wood lying around and a couple of screws. Made right, it can work far better than any store-bought rig (my old man would call them 'pearl-handled') you can buy. If you are half-way organized and keep track of it it can last for years.

The following picture shows an assortment of various sanding blocks and aids I make use of. You can quickly make custom sizes and shapes to fit your project:

Font Metal Chemical compound Carmine Science


The three at the upper left in this picture have pieces of aggressive grit sanding belts glued to them. These last a surprising amount of time before you need to discard them. The others are flat blocks sized in length and girth for 1/4 sheet of sandpaper. The three on the lower left have an acute angle on one side so they can get into tight corners. They are also loaded - and labeled - with three different grits of paper. The far right one is sized for 1/2 sheet of sandpaper. Note that the sandpaper is allowed to protrude about 1/8" at the ends which helps in the corners.

Font Audio equipment Rectangle Fashion accessory Brand


This picture shows a typical block. I've learned through trial and error that it's best to index the ends of the blocks and its capture block so it's oriented to the proper end. That's so the screws can find their holes when reloading with sandpaper. The holes in the sanding block itself are counter-bored for the same reason.

Make the capture block about 1/2" shorter than the sanding block itself at each end (about 1" shorter overall). That will allow you to tightly fit your sandpaper and hold it in place with a spring clamp at each end while you reinstall the capture block.

You can make custom blocks for convex surfaces too by hollowing out a length of wood for your needs. This takes more care and fastening the sandpaper in place is a little more challenging. Contact cement or hot glue will work OK.

If you do much hand sanding you are going to create pain in your fingertips, guaranteed. Many people have tricks to protect themselves, but I'm throwing this in here for those who don't. It's a simple matter to apply a little painter's tape to your fingertips to protect them. I've found it works best to first put a short piece of tape over the end of your finger or thumb, then wrap another piece or two around the fingertip. Your tape will stay in place much better this way - and come off easier too:

Gesture Finger Nail Thumb Electric blue


Jersey Sleeve Textile Gesture T-shirt


Remember: "Whatever floats your boat!"
 

Attachments

#212 ·
MAKE HAND SANDING ALMOST FUN!

Maybe the least fun part of any woodworking project requiring a nice finish is the smoothing and sanding. Over the years I've been taught or learned by trial and error a few little tricks to make things easier and better.

Many years ago a boat-school-taught guy in the boat shop saw me whaling away with a big disc sander on something and made a snotty remark saying, 'Anybody can WEAR wood!'. The implication was that 'purists' like him depended on very sharp tools only.

Some may disagree, but to me, that represented pure, crass stupidity (and I told that guy so too). My old man taught me to GET THE DAMNED JOB DONE IN THE QUICKEST AND BEST WAY! (Else, hit the bricks!)

CARDINAL SHOP RULE: Never hesitate to use the tool that works best and fastest - provided you are competent with it of course. If it's a power planer or sander, so be it. But even with the best of power aids, there's a time when you must get down to the nitty-gritty handwork, pardon the pun.

You can buy rubber sanding blocks for sanding flat and convex surfaces. Today these run from $3 - $6 or so. Flexible foam ones come impregnated with grit for about the same price. The problem with the rubber ones is the sandpaper is hard to load and tends to move back and forth and tear off in hard use. The only real use for the foam ones for me is for cleaning something when used like a Brillo pad. Then you throw it in the trash bin of course.

You can pick up a handy piece of wood and wrap sandpaper around it for use in corners, or on flat surfaces. This works pretty well but seems like kind of a jury-rig. Why not go a step or two further and create something which is EXACTLY what you need? Best of all it's practically free since it can be made from scrap wood lying around and a couple of screws. Made right, it can work far better than any store-bought rig (my old man would call them 'pearl-handled') you can buy. If you are half-way organized and keep track of it it can last for years.

The following picture shows an assortment of various sanding blocks and aids I make use of. You can quickly make custom sizes and shapes to fit your project:

Font Metal Chemical compound Carmine Science


The three at the upper left in this picture have pieces of aggressive grit sanding belts glued to them. These last a surprising amount of time before you need to discard them. The others are flat blocks sized in length and girth for 1/4 sheet of sandpaper. The three on the lower left have an acute angle on one side so they can get into tight corners. They are also loaded - and labeled - with three different grits of paper. The far right one is sized for 1/2 sheet of sandpaper. Note that the sandpaper is allowed to protrude about 1/8" at the ends which helps in the corners.

Font Audio equipment Rectangle Fashion accessory Brand


This picture shows a typical block. I've learned through trial and error that it's best to index the ends of the blocks and its capture block so it's oriented to the proper end. That's so the screws can find their holes when reloading with sandpaper. The holes in the sanding block itself are counter-bored for the same reason.

Make the capture block about 1/2" shorter than the sanding block itself at each end (about 1" shorter overall). That will allow you to tightly fit your sandpaper and hold it in place with a spring clamp at each end while you reinstall the capture block.

You can make custom blocks for convex surfaces too by hollowing out a length of wood for your needs. This takes more care and fastening the sandpaper in place is a little more challenging. Contact cement or hot glue will work OK.

If you do much hand sanding you are going to create pain in your fingertips, guaranteed. Many people have tricks to protect themselves, but I'm throwing this in here for those who don't. It's a simple matter to apply a little painter's tape to your fingertips to protect them. I've found it works best to first put a short piece of tape over the end of your finger or thumb, then wrap another piece or two around the fingertip. Your tape will stay in place much better this way - and come off easier too:

Gesture Finger Nail Thumb Electric blue


Jersey Sleeve Textile Gesture T-shirt


Remember: "Whatever floats your boat!"
Thank you for this post. Entertaining and very useable instruction. Looked at your projects - masterful.
 

Attachments

#216 ·
SHOP AIDS and PICK-ME-UPS

The older I get the more I become compromised in physical flexibility. These days it can be a struggle to raise something up off the floor or retrieve something which has rolled into an impossible place (don't they ALWAYS do that)?. If I actually get down on my hands and knees it can be a hassle to get back up again, so I'm always looking for ways to avoid doing that.

Over the years I've devised little 'helpers' for use around my shop. These cost little or nothing and can be extremely handy. Even if you're not as old and compromised as I am, you will likely find some of these very useful. And trust me. Sooner or later if you live long enough, you will get old, stiff and creaky too!

So-called 'Mobility Reachers' have been around for a while and I have a couple about my house. The ones with a little magnet in the end are very handy, which gave me the idea to make use of magnets in my shop.

Automotive mirror Bicycle part Street light Font Automotive exterior

A typical 'Mobility Reacher'

I've become a HUGE fan of ceramic (AKA 'ferrite') magnets. You can order almost any size online, and many handy sizes come in lots of ten or more. China is the world's main source of ceramic magnets and sells them cheaply. I prefer the ones with a countersunk hole for mounting. Ceramic magnets come in handy for so many things around the shop. Some comparatively small ceramic magnets can lift 100 times their weight or more. A one-inch diameter by 4 mm thick circular magnet can lift a 4" C clamp or a 16-ounce hammer off the floor. Sometimes I put one in my pocket and then stick something to the outside of my pants like pliers, and walk around to amaze the kids with my 'magnetic' personality.

The sweet thing about ceramic magnets is that some are powerful enough to attract things in close proximity. You can slide one under a bench or into other inaccessible places and wave it around, and if there's ferrous metal there it will find it. And how many times have you dropped a small screw or critical pin or other part in a place hard to get to? And how about that box of nails or small screws you've just spilled all over the floor? Ceramic magnets can be your friend in any shop!

But you drop non-magnet things too, and you have to deal with those another way. The reacher is one way and another solution is a little fixed-in-place pin (a common nail) at the end of a stick which can be used to pick up anything you can get the pin to engage. I've made myself several 'retrievers' of various lengths which employ both a magnet and a pin in the ends. These are kept in strategic locations around the shop.

The following photos are pretty self-explanatory:

Window Rectangle Wood Road surface Triangle

A 24" pickup stick with magnet and pickup pin

Wood Sleeve Beige Font Flooring

Detail at the business end of 24" pickup stick showing magnet and pin

Material property Mesh Electric blue Font Circle

Detail showing pickup pin (nail) for picking up non-magnetic items

Wood Floor Line Flooring Font

Detail of 40" pickup stick with 1'-1/4" ceramic magnet at one end

Wood Rectangle Line Parallel Font

Detail at pin end of 40" pickup stick

Another aid is something I call a 'Handy Pick', which can be used for picking up heavy wood parts from the floor without bending over. It is merely a sort of heavy oak club with a 1/4" bolt screwed into one side at the heavy end of the club. The head of the bolt is cut off and the bolt is sharpened to a point. This pin is then driven into the end or side of a heavy plank to enable it to be lifted without bending over very much. The pictures and a short video will give you the idea of how this thing works.

Wood Musical instrument Line Font Brick

Oak pickup club or 'Handy Pick" for raising heavy wood planks from the floor

Rectangle Wood Line Font Parallel

Detail of pin end of 'Handy Pick'

Click here for short video

Maybe these will give you some ideas to help around your own shop.

Rectangle Wood Line Font Parallel
 

Attachments

#217 ·
SHOP AIDS and PICK-ME-UPS

The older I get the more I become compromised in physical flexibility. These days it can be a struggle to raise something up off the floor or retrieve something which has rolled into an impossible place (don't they ALWAYS do that)?. If I actually get down on my hands and knees it can be a hassle to get back up again, so I'm always looking for ways to avoid doing that.

Over the years I've devised little 'helpers' for use around my shop. These cost little or nothing and can be extremely handy. Even if you're not as old and compromised as I am, you will likely find some of these very useful. And trust me. Sooner or later if you live long enough, you will get old, stiff and creaky too!

So-called 'Mobility Reachers' have been around for a while and I have a couple about my house. The ones with a little magnet in the end are very handy, which gave me the idea to make use of magnets in my shop.

Automotive mirror Bicycle part Street light Font Automotive exterior

A typical 'Mobility Reacher'

I've become a HUGE fan of ceramic (AKA 'ferrite') magnets. You can order almost any size online, and many handy sizes come in lots of ten or more. China is the world's main source of ceramic magnets and sells them cheaply. I prefer the ones with a countersunk hole for mounting. Ceramic magnets come in handy for so many things around the shop. Some comparatively small ceramic magnets can lift 100 times their weight or more. A one-inch diameter by 4 mm thick circular magnet can lift a 4" C clamp or a 16-ounce hammer off the floor. Sometimes I put one in my pocket and then stick something to the outside of my pants like pliers, and walk around to amaze the kids with my 'magnetic' personality.

The sweet thing about ceramic magnets is that some are powerful enough to attract things in close proximity. You can slide one under a bench or into other inaccessible places and wave it around, and if there's ferrous metal there it will find it. And how many times have you dropped a small screw or critical pin or other part in a place hard to get to? And how about that box of nails or small screws you've just spilled all over the floor? Ceramic magnets can be your friend in any shop!

But you drop non-magnet things too, and you have to deal with those another way. The reacher is one way and another solution is a little fixed-in-place pin (a common nail) at the end of a stick which can be used to pick up anything you can get the pin to engage. I've made myself several 'retrievers' of various lengths which employ both a magnet and a pin in the ends. These are kept in strategic locations around the shop.

The following photos are pretty self-explanatory:

Window Rectangle Wood Road surface Triangle

A 24" pickup stick with magnet and pickup pin

Wood Sleeve Beige Font Flooring

Detail at the business end of 24" pickup stick showing magnet and pin

Material property Mesh Electric blue Font Circle

Detail showing pickup pin (nail) for picking up non-magnetic items

Wood Floor Line Flooring Font

Detail of 40" pickup stick with 1'-1/4" ceramic magnet at one end

Wood Rectangle Line Parallel Font

Detail at pin end of 40" pickup stick

Another aid is something I call a 'Handy Pick', which can be used for picking up heavy wood parts from the floor without bending over. It is merely a sort of heavy oak club with a 1/4" bolt screwed into one side at the heavy end of the club. The head of the bolt is cut off and the bolt is sharpened to a point. This pin is then driven into the end or side of a heavy plank to enable it to be lifted without bending over very much. The pictures and a short video will give you the idea of how this thing works.

Wood Musical instrument Line Font Brick

Oak pickup club or 'Handy Pick" for raising heavy wood planks from the floor

Rectangle Wood Line Font Parallel

Detail of pin end of 'Handy Pick'

Click here for short video

Maybe these will give you some ideas to help around your own shop.

Rectangle Wood Line Font Parallel
As you know, French people like to play the " pétanque ".
It is a sport practiced by many elderly.
They use a "ramasse boule " which is a magnet at the end of a cord or laniard.

I have a telescopic arm with a magnet and a led lamp integrated into it. I have bought it for a few Euro with a telescopic arm with a mirror.
 

Attachments

#220 ·
Naturally Grown Wooden Crooks and Knees

The subject of wooden 'crooks' (naturally grown 'knees') seems esoteric today, but some people may be interested. After all, when we allow all the 'old school' crafts and skills to be forgotten, they will need to be re-learned if they're ever needed again, won't they?

Old School boatbuilders usually called grown crooks either 'crooks' or 'knees', and used them extensively as knee brackets and bracing to strengthen and reinforce 'joins' of two components which meet a right angles, or near right angles. Examples would be where a ship's deck beam joins a hull frame - and gets a 'hanging knee' to tie the two parts together and provide bracing. When the knee is horizontal as in joining deck beams to the hull to resist racking, or the transom of a boat to the side members it is called a 'lodging knee'. Some knees are massive, as in the knees used in vessels like the US Constitution, and the Mayflower II).

Wooden crooks were also used in large wooden building construction in the past too, as in barns, mills and factories. In building construction they are usually called 'brackets'. Today large wooden buildings depend on bolted bracing installed at 45 degree angles as in post and beam construction - but they are not nearly so attractive to my eye - but then, I may be prejudiced on the subject of crooks. Crooks are sometimes seen today as brackets for holding up robust mantelpieces and the like. When used for mantels, they are often called 'corbels', but corbels can also be made from stone, metal and other materials too. Go figure.

Crooks come in two major flavors, i.e., hardwood crooks and softwood crooks. Perversely, the best and strongest softwood crooks are obtained from root crooks below the ground, while the best hardwood crooks come from limb crooks well above the ground. Neither softwood limb crooks nor hardwood root crooks will last in a marine environment and will quickly rot. Odd, eh? As you might guess, some wood species provide better crooks than others. For example, the best softwood crooks come from larch (hackmatack) and spruce. Here are softwood species which are relatively soft and weak as building materials, yet their roots below the ground are exceptionally strong. And, there are no better hardwood crooks than those from live oak trees, although other oak species and hardwoods are also used. Generally speaking, most larger crooks are from hardwood species, and smaller ones are from softwoods.

A century ago and earlier, there actually used to be 'crook merchants' who gathered, bought and stockpiled crooks for resale to ship, and boat builders and anyone else requiring them, but I don't know of any today. Not that I'm a century old, but I ain't that far off! The point is, if you need a crook today, as in say, building a fine wooden dinghy, or hanging a beautiful new mantelpiece, you will very likely need to gather your own.

Bicycle part Font Auto part Event Drawing


Crooks should be gotten out wherever you find them and cut off several inches longer than you expect your need to be. Ideally, you would dry them before sawing them, but that takes up to a year or more. Usually I wind up sawing them, then air drying them for a shorter period. One inch thickness will be moderately dry after two or three months or so. I sometimes speed things up by running a small fan at low speed through the stickered sawn crook slabs for just a few days, although then you run the risk of splitting the ends. If I can get them down to about 12% moisture content in the hot weather and high humidity in my region I am quite happy. I use a small pin type moisture content reader for the readings.

As to gathering crooks, hardwood crooks are easier to get simply because they occur above the ground, and they will usually come in the form of two branches or limbs forking. Sounds more than a little pornographic that way, doesn't it? Anyway, You will normally have a three-pronged piece. (will the porn never stop?). Softwood crooks must be dug out, and are usually found in the roots near where the vertical tree trunk begins to send out horizontal roots. If you are searching for softwood crooks, a good source would be where there is land clearing in process, and the trees are being uprooted. (Be sure to ask permission first!)

With limb crooks, first, cut off the lessor fork. Then take a look at your resulting raw crook, and pick the best side, or the side where it seems most flat in the transverse (long) view. You will want to flatten this side as best as you can. I use a drawknife, then a power jack plane. The flattened side also needs to be straight, so as you cut away and plane, you should keep a straightedge handy to keep checking. A flattened part two or more inches wide is usually sufficient. And, it doesn't need to be absolutely totally straight, but 'near enough'. Know what I mean?

Head Hand Eye Vertebrate Product


This flattened side goes up against your saw guide/slide. ('Slide' - see below)

After you are happy with the flat siding go to the larger end and strike a centerline parallel with the flat side. At the small end, make another parallel line, but at the same distance from the flat side as your centerline on the large end. This is important, and it should become obvious why as you make your cuts. Now, as carefully as you can, you should use something like a Sharpy pen to make a nice bold 'centerline' down the length. It's not actually a centerline since it is not centered at the smaller end. However, if your crook is big enough, you can lay out the centerline so that it is actually centered on both ends. In that case you will need to work out a way to mount your crook to your slide so your saw lines are parallel with the face of the slide. The big advantage is that your resulting sawn crooks will be near perfect matches (as you work out from the center in pairs).

The backside of a bendy broken bandsaw blade is helpful in connecting the dots so to speak. This will be the line for your first and most important cut.

One big exception to the centerline rule is when your crook is too small to provide more than one sawn crook. Then, you should lay out your saw cuts to either side of the centerline.

I have a shop-made guide 'slide' which consists of two pieces of wood about 6" wide by about 16" long and carefully screwed together at a strict 90 degree angle. The flat side of your crook is tightly clamped to this guide. Depending on which side of the crook you have chosen to flatten, you will end up with either the small end towards your saw blade, or the larger. It doesn't matter, except it's a little easier if the small end is forward.Two clamps are used. I use a bandsaw, but you could use a table saw for at least a partial cut and then finish the off with a bandsaw or "*********************************** Resaw". I believe you probably have access to a bandsaw though, so I will go ahead with that description.

Rectangle Slope Font Parallel Diagram


You must be careful to maintain very good control as you saw, and be sure to keep the foot portion of your slide tightly down on the saw table. Since you have double clamped your knee, the saw blade will be approaching one of the clamps as you saw. When near, simply stop the saw and transfer the clamp beyond the blade. Same thing with the second clamp. Once you are through that first cut you are in high cotton and sipping sweet duck soup. Simply re-clamp the resulting two pieces, flat side against your slide, and repeat the process. Depending on the overall size of your crook, and the depth of cut of your saw, you will also likely need to stop the saw once or twice to rotate your crook vertically enough so the ends clear the upper guides of the saw. Always allow at least at least an extra 3/8" or so in the thickness of your pieces for planing since you are bound to end up with a little waviness in your slabs. You will be planing your knees to their desired thickness later.

Just in case someone might misunderstand, the 'centerline' and saw lines for the crook should be on the INSIDE of the curve of the crook. If laid out on the outside, there's a good possibility that you will not be able to pass your crook through the saw if the throat depth of the saw is very limited.

The thicker your raw stock is, the more sawn crooks you can get out of them. Anything under about 5" diameter will give you only two 1" crooks if that. The two best crooks will come from either side of your first centerline cut. If you look at your stock carefully you can decide if you can get three (if so, move your 'centerline' accordingly). The best I can do is about four. The sweet thing about the pair of centerline crooks, is that they end up 'booked' (almost duplicate) which is very attractive in things like quarter knees or things which occur in pairs.

Another note - make a thin wooden pattern for the knee(s) you need, to lay on your stock, especially when doing them in pairs. You will use this to adjust around for your best advantage, both as to looks and for function. It probably doesn't need saying, but pay attention to the grain direction in your crook, since from a strength perspective, it should run as near as possible to a 45 degree angle to the joined parts.

(I'm including a few pictures below showing sawn crooks gotten out of a mid-sized pecan limb. These should be self-explanatory)

Happy bracketing!

Musical instrument Wood Vehicle Metal Font


Wood Hardwood Wood stain Boats and boating--Equipment and supplies Hand tool


Wood Sleeve Fashion accessory Carmine Hardwood
 

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#221 ·
Naturally Grown Wooden Crooks and Knees

The subject of wooden 'crooks' (naturally grown 'knees') seems esoteric today, but some people may be interested. After all, when we allow all the 'old school' crafts and skills to be forgotten, they will need to be re-learned if they're ever needed again, won't they?

Old School boatbuilders usually called grown crooks either 'crooks' or 'knees', and used them extensively as knee brackets and bracing to strengthen and reinforce 'joins' of two components which meet a right angles, or near right angles. Examples would be where a ship's deck beam joins a hull frame - and gets a 'hanging knee' to tie the two parts together and provide bracing. When the knee is horizontal as in joining deck beams to the hull to resist racking, or the transom of a boat to the side members it is called a 'lodging knee'. Some knees are massive, as in the knees used in vessels like the US Constitution, and the Mayflower II).

Wooden crooks were also used in large wooden building construction in the past too, as in barns, mills and factories. In building construction they are usually called 'brackets'. Today large wooden buildings depend on bolted bracing installed at 45 degree angles as in post and beam construction - but they are not nearly so attractive to my eye - but then, I may be prejudiced on the subject of crooks. Crooks are sometimes seen today as brackets for holding up robust mantelpieces and the like. When used for mantels, they are often called 'corbels', but corbels can also be made from stone, metal and other materials too. Go figure.

Crooks come in two major flavors, i.e., hardwood crooks and softwood crooks. Perversely, the best and strongest softwood crooks are obtained from root crooks below the ground, while the best hardwood crooks come from limb crooks well above the ground. Neither softwood limb crooks nor hardwood root crooks will last in a marine environment and will quickly rot. Odd, eh? As you might guess, some wood species provide better crooks than others. For example, the best softwood crooks come from larch (hackmatack) and spruce. Here are softwood species which are relatively soft and weak as building materials, yet their roots below the ground are exceptionally strong. And, there are no better hardwood crooks than those from live oak trees, although other oak species and hardwoods are also used. Generally speaking, most larger crooks are from hardwood species, and smaller ones are from softwoods.

A century ago and earlier, there actually used to be 'crook merchants' who gathered, bought and stockpiled crooks for resale to ship, and boat builders and anyone else requiring them, but I don't know of any today. Not that I'm a century old, but I ain't that far off! The point is, if you need a crook today, as in say, building a fine wooden dinghy, or hanging a beautiful new mantelpiece, you will very likely need to gather your own.

Bicycle part Font Auto part Event Drawing


Crooks should be gotten out wherever you find them and cut off several inches longer than you expect your need to be. Ideally, you would dry them before sawing them, but that takes up to a year or more. Usually I wind up sawing them, then air drying them for a shorter period. One inch thickness will be moderately dry after two or three months or so. I sometimes speed things up by running a small fan at low speed through the stickered sawn crook slabs for just a few days, although then you run the risk of splitting the ends. If I can get them down to about 12% moisture content in the hot weather and high humidity in my region I am quite happy. I use a small pin type moisture content reader for the readings.

As to gathering crooks, hardwood crooks are easier to get simply because they occur above the ground, and they will usually come in the form of two branches or limbs forking. Sounds more than a little pornographic that way, doesn't it? Anyway, You will normally have a three-pronged piece. (will the porn never stop?). Softwood crooks must be dug out, and are usually found in the roots near where the vertical tree trunk begins to send out horizontal roots. If you are searching for softwood crooks, a good source would be where there is land clearing in process, and the trees are being uprooted. (Be sure to ask permission first!)

With limb crooks, first, cut off the lessor fork. Then take a look at your resulting raw crook, and pick the best side, or the side where it seems most flat in the transverse (long) view. You will want to flatten this side as best as you can. I use a drawknife, then a power jack plane. The flattened side also needs to be straight, so as you cut away and plane, you should keep a straightedge handy to keep checking. A flattened part two or more inches wide is usually sufficient. And, it doesn't need to be absolutely totally straight, but 'near enough'. Know what I mean?

Head Hand Eye Vertebrate Product


This flattened side goes up against your saw guide/slide. ('Slide' - see below)

After you are happy with the flat siding go to the larger end and strike a centerline parallel with the flat side. At the small end, make another parallel line, but at the same distance from the flat side as your centerline on the large end. This is important, and it should become obvious why as you make your cuts. Now, as carefully as you can, you should use something like a Sharpy pen to make a nice bold 'centerline' down the length. It's not actually a centerline since it is not centered at the smaller end. However, if your crook is big enough, you can lay out the centerline so that it is actually centered on both ends. In that case you will need to work out a way to mount your crook to your slide so your saw lines are parallel with the face of the slide. The big advantage is that your resulting sawn crooks will be near perfect matches (as you work out from the center in pairs).

The backside of a bendy broken bandsaw blade is helpful in connecting the dots so to speak. This will be the line for your first and most important cut.

One big exception to the centerline rule is when your crook is too small to provide more than one sawn crook. Then, you should lay out your saw cuts to either side of the centerline.

I have a shop-made guide 'slide' which consists of two pieces of wood about 6" wide by about 16" long and carefully screwed together at a strict 90 degree angle. The flat side of your crook is tightly clamped to this guide. Depending on which side of the crook you have chosen to flatten, you will end up with either the small end towards your saw blade, or the larger. It doesn't matter, except it's a little easier if the small end is forward.Two clamps are used. I use a bandsaw, but you could use a table saw for at least a partial cut and then finish the off with a bandsaw or "*********************************** Resaw". I believe you probably have access to a bandsaw though, so I will go ahead with that description.

Rectangle Slope Font Parallel Diagram


You must be careful to maintain very good control as you saw, and be sure to keep the foot portion of your slide tightly down on the saw table. Since you have double clamped your knee, the saw blade will be approaching one of the clamps as you saw. When near, simply stop the saw and transfer the clamp beyond the blade. Same thing with the second clamp. Once you are through that first cut you are in high cotton and sipping sweet duck soup. Simply re-clamp the resulting two pieces, flat side against your slide, and repeat the process. Depending on the overall size of your crook, and the depth of cut of your saw, you will also likely need to stop the saw once or twice to rotate your crook vertically enough so the ends clear the upper guides of the saw. Always allow at least at least an extra 3/8" or so in the thickness of your pieces for planing since you are bound to end up with a little waviness in your slabs. You will be planing your knees to their desired thickness later.

Just in case someone might misunderstand, the 'centerline' and saw lines for the crook should be on the INSIDE of the curve of the crook. If laid out on the outside, there's a good possibility that you will not be able to pass your crook through the saw if the throat depth of the saw is very limited.

The thicker your raw stock is, the more sawn crooks you can get out of them. Anything under about 5" diameter will give you only two 1" crooks if that. The two best crooks will come from either side of your first centerline cut. If you look at your stock carefully you can decide if you can get three (if so, move your 'centerline' accordingly). The best I can do is about four. The sweet thing about the pair of centerline crooks, is that they end up 'booked' (almost duplicate) which is very attractive in things like quarter knees or things which occur in pairs.

Another note - make a thin wooden pattern for the knee(s) you need, to lay on your stock, especially when doing them in pairs. You will use this to adjust around for your best advantage, both as to looks and for function. It probably doesn't need saying, but pay attention to the grain direction in your crook, since from a strength perspective, it should run as near as possible to a 45 degree angle to the joined parts.

(I'm including a few pictures below showing sawn crooks gotten out of a mid-sized pecan limb. These should be self-explanatory)

Happy bracketing!

Musical instrument Wood Vehicle Metal Font


Wood Hardwood Wood stain Boats and boating--Equipment and supplies Hand tool


Wood Sleeve Fashion accessory Carmine Hardwood
Nice write-up! Now you've got me thinking about tracking down some crooks…
 

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#222 ·
Small paint jobs and touch-up painting.

Sometimes I use only small amounts of paints and varnishes out of a fresh can. I use only oil-based finishing materials since I can get a much better finish on wood with those. Plus, as an ancient old codger, almost all of my finishing experience has been with oil-based materials, so there's that. I feel like a vanishing breed since good oil-based paints are getting harder to find.

A common problem however, is once you open a can of paint and use only part of it, the remainder skims over in the can. And, the longer the remainder is undisturbed, the harder the skin gets. That is a function of the relationship between the surface of the remaining paint, and the volume of air in the can.

I used to take a knife or chisel and cut around the edges of the skin, and lift it out of the can. Not only is that very messy, but it takes good paint with it, and the remaining paint begins to skim over again as soon as you put the lid back on the can. And if you're like me and commonly use only a few ounces or so of paint or varnish at the time, you are constantly removing skins each time you reopen the can, and the more you use out of the can, the more the air volume left and the worse it gets!

I've tried just about everything, including leaving a thin film of paint thinner on top of the paint - which is not only hard to do, but doesn't work well since the thinner is the first thing to evaporate. However, over time I've found a way to mostly alleviate the problem.

I beg, borrow or steal pint glass containers with tight-fitting lids from my wife. Something tall and narrow like a jam jar works best. Pour the paint through a fine mesh strainer and fill the jar one-half to three-quarters full of paint and tightly seal the can back up. Incidentally, I DIP the paint out of the larger can with a paper cup and am very careful not to get paint into the grooves where the lid goes. I treat the paint in the jam jar just as I would any paint or varnish I intend to use right away, i.e, thinner as required, and a bit of Penetrol for good flowing characteristics. (I LOVE Penetrol!).

Ingredient Tin Food storage containers Wood Gas


Keep a supply of small paper and plastic cups for use with small quantities of paint. Pouring from the jar into one of those, I now have just the right amount of paint for whatever project I need to paint or varnish. I make sure there is no paint around the lip of the jam jar and seal it tightly back up with the remaining paint. Of course the paint in the jar will skim over too, but here's the deal: The volume or air in the top of the jar is only about one-fiftieth of what might be in the top of a larger can, so your loss each time you use out of the jar will be far less than using from the can. The paint in the can will skim over too, but since you are not reopening each time you need a small amount of paint, you will have only a single much smaller skin to deal with the next time you need paint from the smaller jar.

Tableware Drinkware Liquid Mason jar Plant


I do not even bother to remove the skims from the small jar, but just use a chisel or knife to cut a small vee-notch through the skim at the edge of the jar, and simply leave the old skins in place.(I keep a knife on my paint bench for just that purpose). Pour a bit out through the notch to use, straining it if you need to, and ipso-presto, away you go! It's very handy and a good time saver too.

You may need to add a small bit of thinner (I usually don't), or a drying agent, but generally you're ready to go right out of the jar.

it's good to leave at least one skim over the remaining paint in the jar to cut down on air getting to the paint remaining in the jar. It's fine to leave two or three if you make your new vee-notch in the same location as the earlier ones.

On the subject of small paint or varnish jobs and touchups, it is nice to have brushes of higher quality than the foam type, although those have their uses. But nice brushes can get expensive so you don't want to throw them away after every little job, and it can be a hassle to clean and store them too. I have a nifty solution for that.

The quality of the finish provided by artist brushes and especially Chinese calligraphy brushes is very good. You can order several for just a few bucks from eBay, and paint or varnish just flows like magic off them if it's thinned and treated properly.

Font Line Office supplies Wood Ingredient


Once you have your brush(s), get a four to six ounce pill bottle with a plastic cap. Punch or drill a hole in the cap that you can slip the handle of the brush through, but size the hole so there's enough friction to hold the brush suspended. Once the brush has been cleaned, push it through the hole in the cap handle first, and suspend it in about 3/4" of mineral spirits. Make sure the brush tip is a little clear of the bottom of the bottle. It will keep for weeks and months like this since the mineral spirits does not evaporate. Then after use, you can use the original mineral spirits to clean the brush, then squeeze it out gently on a paper towel, then pour in a little more mineral spirits for a 2nd rinse, squeeze it out again and pour in another 3/4" of thinner to leave it in for its hiatus until the next job.

Liquid Bottle Drinkware Fluid Mason jar


You will save on mineral spirits too. You won't use more than about 2-1/2 ounces to get your brush clean.

A word about today's so-called 'environmentally friendly paint thinner': It may be environmentally friendly, but it definitely IS NOT a good paint thinner. In my experience, mineral spirits or turpentine are the only things which work well for oil-based paints, PERIOD.
 

Attachments

#223 ·
Small paint jobs and touch-up painting.

Sometimes I use only small amounts of paints and varnishes out of a fresh can. I use only oil-based finishing materials since I can get a much better finish on wood with those. Plus, as an ancient old codger, almost all of my finishing experience has been with oil-based materials, so there's that. I feel like a vanishing breed since good oil-based paints are getting harder to find.

A common problem however, is once you open a can of paint and use only part of it, the remainder skims over in the can. And, the longer the remainder is undisturbed, the harder the skin gets. That is a function of the relationship between the surface of the remaining paint, and the volume of air in the can.

I used to take a knife or chisel and cut around the edges of the skin, and lift it out of the can. Not only is that very messy, but it takes good paint with it, and the remaining paint begins to skim over again as soon as you put the lid back on the can. And if you're like me and commonly use only a few ounces or so of paint or varnish at the time, you are constantly removing skins each time you reopen the can, and the more you use out of the can, the more the air volume left and the worse it gets!

I've tried just about everything, including leaving a thin film of paint thinner on top of the paint - which is not only hard to do, but doesn't work well since the thinner is the first thing to evaporate. However, over time I've found a way to mostly alleviate the problem.

I beg, borrow or steal pint glass containers with tight-fitting lids from my wife. Something tall and narrow like a jam jar works best. Pour the paint through a fine mesh strainer and fill the jar one-half to three-quarters full of paint and tightly seal the can back up. Incidentally, I DIP the paint out of the larger can with a paper cup and am very careful not to get paint into the grooves where the lid goes. I treat the paint in the jam jar just as I would any paint or varnish I intend to use right away, i.e, thinner as required, and a bit of Penetrol for good flowing characteristics. (I LOVE Penetrol!).

Ingredient Tin Food storage containers Wood Gas


Keep a supply of small paper and plastic cups for use with small quantities of paint. Pouring from the jar into one of those, I now have just the right amount of paint for whatever project I need to paint or varnish. I make sure there is no paint around the lip of the jam jar and seal it tightly back up with the remaining paint. Of course the paint in the jar will skim over too, but here's the deal: The volume or air in the top of the jar is only about one-fiftieth of what might be in the top of a larger can, so your loss each time you use out of the jar will be far less than using from the can. The paint in the can will skim over too, but since you are not reopening each time you need a small amount of paint, you will have only a single much smaller skin to deal with the next time you need paint from the smaller jar.

Tableware Drinkware Liquid Mason jar Plant


I do not even bother to remove the skims from the small jar, but just use a chisel or knife to cut a small vee-notch through the skim at the edge of the jar, and simply leave the old skins in place.(I keep a knife on my paint bench for just that purpose). Pour a bit out through the notch to use, straining it if you need to, and ipso-presto, away you go! It's very handy and a good time saver too.

You may need to add a small bit of thinner (I usually don't), or a drying agent, but generally you're ready to go right out of the jar.

it's good to leave at least one skim over the remaining paint in the jar to cut down on air getting to the paint remaining in the jar. It's fine to leave two or three if you make your new vee-notch in the same location as the earlier ones.

On the subject of small paint or varnish jobs and touchups, it is nice to have brushes of higher quality than the foam type, although those have their uses. But nice brushes can get expensive so you don't want to throw them away after every little job, and it can be a hassle to clean and store them too. I have a nifty solution for that.

The quality of the finish provided by artist brushes and especially Chinese calligraphy brushes is very good. You can order several for just a few bucks from eBay, and paint or varnish just flows like magic off them if it's thinned and treated properly.

Font Line Office supplies Wood Ingredient


Once you have your brush(s), get a four to six ounce pill bottle with a plastic cap. Punch or drill a hole in the cap that you can slip the handle of the brush through, but size the hole so there's enough friction to hold the brush suspended. Once the brush has been cleaned, push it through the hole in the cap handle first, and suspend it in about 3/4" of mineral spirits. Make sure the brush tip is a little clear of the bottom of the bottle. It will keep for weeks and months like this since the mineral spirits does not evaporate. Then after use, you can use the original mineral spirits to clean the brush, then squeeze it out gently on a paper towel, then pour in a little more mineral spirits for a 2nd rinse, squeeze it out again and pour in another 3/4" of thinner to leave it in for its hiatus until the next job.

Liquid Bottle Drinkware Fluid Mason jar


You will save on mineral spirits too. You won't use more than about 2-1/2 ounces to get your brush clean.

A word about today's so-called 'environmentally friendly paint thinner': It may be environmentally friendly, but it definitely IS NOT a good paint thinner. In my experience, mineral spirits or turpentine are the only things which work well for oil-based paints, PERIOD.
Eric,

I've been doing similar for years, but I've pretty much alleviated the skinning over problem. I use a pretty good volume of varnish over a year's time. I purchase quarts when they're cheaper than gallons and use them up quickly enough to (usually) never have them skin over. I clean out the quart cans and save them for the gallon that doesn't get used quickly enough. As soon as I use an inch or two from the gallon can, I divide it into the quarts. As long as I fill them full, they last indefinitely. If I'm not using a lot of varnish, I continually move it into smaller jars with little or no space for air. I've cut down my waste to almost nothing. I've even taken advantage of sales on 2.5 gallon cans of varnish (when their cost is about that of a gallon) and divided it up in the same way.

When cleaning brushes, I squeeze out all excess varnish with a piece of plastic (small recycled plastic bag or cut up bag) and place the brush into a container with a hole that just fits the handle drilled in the lid with enough mineral spirits to immerse and suspend the brush. I frequently use inexpensive foam brushes but still recycle them a few times.

It's amazing how frugal we can be with a little ingenuity!

L/W
 

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#225 ·
Pencil Nub Therapy

Font Line Material property Parallel Space


Woodworkers use lots of pencils. We wear them down to nubs, which then get lost in our pockets. I'm so miserly I always feel bad about tossing three or four inches of good pencils. Some years ago I got tired of contouring my elbows to dig around for nubs in my shirt pockets. So, I came up with this simple little hack which makes me feel better. This can easily be done in one of those times between jobs when you are looking around for something to do.

Scarfing a painted wooden tab or extender make my pencils easily retrievable, plus much easier to find on the workbench. Doing several at once seems to make it worth the time it takes to do it. I use a 6 to 1 scarf ratio, but a shorter scarf will likely do just as well. Obviously you must cut the eraser ends off the pencils, so you lose that function - but still have a plentiful supply of short erasers left on hand!

It's surprising how satisfactory using my pencils now feel! These also make cool gifts for people.

Here is a short pictorial of the process:
Wood Material property Rectangle Font Round-nose pliers

Construct a down & dirty scarfing jig!

Saw Wood Bumper Font Automotive exterior

Cut scarfs in pencil & tabs to match - make sure clamp clears saw blade - DUH!

Automotive tire Wood Bumper Floor Asphalt

Pencil after scarf cut

Ruler Wood Flooring Office supplies Floor

Match the pencil to the tab and glue. A couple of small spring clamps work great for each of these sets.

Hand Gesture Font Wood Parallel

Smooth up pencil & tabs after glue sets with knife/drawknife/sandpaper, whatever works best for you.

Writing implement Office supplies Line Wood Pencil

Paint/varnish pencil/tab sets to suit. Bright colors help find the pencils on a busy workbench!

Office supplies Writing implement Writing instrument accessory Line Font

Never lose a pencil again!
 

Attachments

#226 ·
Pencil Nub Therapy

Font Line Material property Parallel Space


Woodworkers use lots of pencils. We wear them down to nubs, which then get lost in our pockets. I'm so miserly I always feel bad about tossing three or four inches of good pencils. Some years ago I got tired of contouring my elbows to dig around for nubs in my shirt pockets. So, I came up with this simple little hack which makes me feel better. This can easily be done in one of those times between jobs when you are looking around for something to do.

Scarfing a painted wooden tab or extender make my pencils easily retrievable, plus much easier to find on the workbench. Doing several at once seems to make it worth the time it takes to do it. I use a 6 to 1 scarf ratio, but a shorter scarf will likely do just as well. Obviously you must cut the eraser ends off the pencils, so you lose that function - but still have a plentiful supply of short erasers left on hand!

It's surprising how satisfactory using my pencils now feel! These also make cool gifts for people.

Here is a short pictorial of the process:
Wood Material property Rectangle Font Round-nose pliers

Construct a down & dirty scarfing jig!

Saw Wood Bumper Font Automotive exterior

Cut scarfs in pencil & tabs to match - make sure clamp clears saw blade - DUH!

Automotive tire Wood Bumper Floor Asphalt

Pencil after scarf cut

Ruler Wood Flooring Office supplies Floor

Match the pencil to the tab and glue. A couple of small spring clamps work great for each of these sets.

Hand Gesture Font Wood Parallel

Smooth up pencil & tabs after glue sets with knife/drawknife/sandpaper, whatever works best for you.

Writing implement Office supplies Line Wood Pencil

Paint/varnish pencil/tab sets to suit. Bright colors help find the pencils on a busy workbench!

Office supplies Writing implement Writing instrument accessory Line Font

Never lose a pencil again!
This is a cool idea for someone wanting a little quick project that will make things easier in the long run.

Here's what I do. I have a box of 100 of those cheapies you can find sometimes. I sharpen a couple dozen of them then put them in various places around the shop. On my clamp rack, in the depresion rail of my saw, on my drill press, router table, window sill, etc. So, no matter where I am or where I look, there is a pencil. As you walk around they catch your eye everywhere. You eventually develop a habit memory of where one will be. When I use them I try to put it back, if not then I just pick them up after I use them and put them back or put them someplace I'll see them if I just scan the shop.
 

Attachments

#242 ·
Large Format Compass & Layout Tools

Anyone who spends much time working with wood projects will eventually find themselves making small jigs, tooling and fixtures to do certain jobs, or make them easier or more precise. That's because it's easier, quicker or less expensive than finding something to buy for the job, which usually isn't available anyway.

Years ago I made a large compass for laying out some work requiring radii. You can buy 'beam' compasses but they are fuzty to work with, and the beam itself can interfere with making the radius at times. My solution was to make my own down and dirty large format divider style compass pictured here. The arms are stable hardwood (white oak) and the radius bar is mahogany or cherry, I don't recall which. The connections are copper rivets but small bolts could also be used. I like the rivets because those allow the compass to lie flat without damaging anything underneath.

Wood Triangle Font Line Tool


It's surprising how often I pull this thing off the wall to use. This one will do a radius of about 18" but a compass for any size is easily made. I think my pictures are self-explanatory.

Wood Tool Font Tape measure Carmine


Wood Table Wood stain Hardwood Font


Hypodermic needle Office supplies Writing implement Wood Line


(I just recently put the radius arm clamp on the compass. Previously I merely used a spring clamp, but that was imprecise and sometimes interfered with my layout work. I probably should make a curved radius arm, but it works just fine as is.)

Furthermore, I am a big fan of 'Inside Reading Folding Rules'. There are a lot of little tricks you can use with a folding rule and although I have several steel tapes, I probably don't use one more than once or twice a year. A folding rule is also handy for making a large radius. My method is to drill a small hole precisely on the 1" mark of the wooden rule. Then, driving a small nail through the hole and into whatever centerpoint your radius needs, it's easy to strike any number of different radii by holding a pencil at the proper point along the rule as you swing the arc. Just don't forget to allow for that 1" deduction on the nether end!

Wood Musical instrument Rectangle Wood stain Hardwood


Along with folding rules I also have a collection of aluminum straightedges from 12" to 48" and a regular drafting T-square, all of which come in very handy for layout work.

Lead weights are very handy for holding 'the other end' of straightedges, T-squares, whatever, and for making graduating curves with battens (bendy strips of thin, straight-grained woods). I have a collection of mismatched lead drafting 'whales' (also called 'ducks') which have a cast-in point for holding battens in place. These have felt glued to the bottom so they can be used with drawings on paper, and they come in handy for all sorts of things besides. These are very handy for holding down the far end of a straightedge, or for holding parts together while glue dries, etc. Bean bags filled with lead shot also work very well.

Ruler Office ruler Wood Plant Measuring instrument


I just priced a single one of these drafting whales on eBay at $55 + $9.20 shipping! But, you can also make your own with simple equipment around the shop. Here is a humorous blog about making your own whales for your reading pleasure:

https://mulesaw.blogspot.com/2018/09/casting-set-of-drafting-whales.html

I will add one thing to this excellent piece about casting hot lead into a wooden mold. The author of this piece had issues with the wooden mold charring when the hot lead is poured. It is easy to avoid that by simply spraying the inside of the mold with a couple coats of hi-temperature reflective paint which is sold in auto parts stores for use on engines and manifolds.
 

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#243 ·
Large Format Compass & Layout Tools

Anyone who spends much time working with wood projects will eventually find themselves making small jigs, tooling and fixtures to do certain jobs, or make them easier or more precise. That's because it's easier, quicker or less expensive than finding something to buy for the job, which usually isn't available anyway.

Years ago I made a large compass for laying out some work requiring radii. You can buy 'beam' compasses but they are fuzty to work with, and the beam itself can interfere with making the radius at times. My solution was to make my own down and dirty large format divider style compass pictured here. The arms are stable hardwood (white oak) and the radius bar is mahogany or cherry, I don't recall which. The connections are copper rivets but small bolts could also be used. I like the rivets because those allow the compass to lie flat without damaging anything underneath.

Wood Triangle Font Line Tool


It's surprising how often I pull this thing off the wall to use. This one will do a radius of about 18" but a compass for any size is easily made. I think my pictures are self-explanatory.

Wood Tool Font Tape measure Carmine


Wood Table Wood stain Hardwood Font


Hypodermic needle Office supplies Writing implement Wood Line


(I just recently put the radius arm clamp on the compass. Previously I merely used a spring clamp, but that was imprecise and sometimes interfered with my layout work. I probably should make a curved radius arm, but it works just fine as is.)

Furthermore, I am a big fan of 'Inside Reading Folding Rules'. There are a lot of little tricks you can use with a folding rule and although I have several steel tapes, I probably don't use one more than once or twice a year. A folding rule is also handy for making a large radius. My method is to drill a small hole precisely on the 1" mark of the wooden rule. Then, driving a small nail through the hole and into whatever centerpoint your radius needs, it's easy to strike any number of different radii by holding a pencil at the proper point along the rule as you swing the arc. Just don't forget to allow for that 1" deduction on the nether end!

Wood Musical instrument Rectangle Wood stain Hardwood


Along with folding rules I also have a collection of aluminum straightedges from 12" to 48" and a regular drafting T-square, all of which come in very handy for layout work.

Lead weights are very handy for holding 'the other end' of straightedges, T-squares, whatever, and for making graduating curves with battens (bendy strips of thin, straight-grained woods). I have a collection of mismatched lead drafting 'whales' (also called 'ducks') which have a cast-in point for holding battens in place. These have felt glued to the bottom so they can be used with drawings on paper, and they come in handy for all sorts of things besides. These are very handy for holding down the far end of a straightedge, or for holding parts together while glue dries, etc. Bean bags filled with lead shot also work very well.

Ruler Office ruler Wood Plant Measuring instrument


I just priced a single one of these drafting whales on eBay at $55 + $9.20 shipping! But, you can also make your own with simple equipment around the shop. Here is a humorous blog about making your own whales for your reading pleasure:

https://mulesaw.blogspot.com/2018/09/casting-set-of-drafting-whales.html

I will add one thing to this excellent piece about casting hot lead into a wooden mold. The author of this piece had issues with the wooden mold charring when the hot lead is poured. It is easy to avoid that by simply spraying the inside of the mold with a couple coats of hi-temperature reflective paint which is sold in auto parts stores for use on engines and manifolds.
Good tip on the high temp paint. They don't hardly sell drafting tables any more. :(

CAD is great, but there is something about an E size drafting table that is so … cozy?
 

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#246 ·
Shop Tips and Tricks #27-B (Stop wasting paint!)

As a child of a child of the Great Depression, I have a deeply ingrained respect for conservation of resources.

I save the smallest bit of usable wood for example, never throw nails away after pulling any, sweep up my sanding dust for glue filler/expander and all sorts of things like that. Maybe I do go overboard with it, but the fact is I simply cannot bear to see anything go to waste.

One thing which has always annoyed me is that it is next to impossible to use all the paint out of a can unless you use it all in one go. If you're doing touch-up, or just use an ounce or two for something, you're almost guaranteed to have a film form over what's left in the can. Guess what that film is made of? Why it's paint of course - paint that you probably paid good money for! It's easy to waste up to a quarter of a quart can of paint if you use it only an ounce or two at the time.

I've tried all kinds of things to combat wasted paint over the years. None of them work as well as I want. I even published a blog entry on this very subject in my Lumberjocks bloghttps://www.lumberjocks.com/GnarlyErik/blog/130300) a couple years ago.

I did discover that you can buy a sprayable gas to squirt into your paint can after you've used some which is supposed to prevent a film from forming by replacing the air in the can, but that seems like a partial fix to me. But a couple weeks ago I stumbled across something which seems to be working a charm for me, at least in the short term so far. In a hobby store I bought some tempura paint for something or other, and it came in a 4-ounce plastic tube with a closable cap.

"Hmm?" I sez to myself. "Duh! So, THAT'S why expensive artist's paints come in tubes! I wonder if I can clean these tempera tubes out and use them for my oil-based paints?"

I use high-quality oil-based paints and varnish almost exclusively for my work, and cost is one big reason I try not to waste any of it. However, I could see no easy way to clean out the tempera pouches, or get my oil-based paint into the tubes afterwards. So, I started researching resealable plastic pouches and lo and behold, guess what?

By golly, there really are such things made for, of all things, baby food! I ordered a set of six in the seven ounce size to give it a try. They work like a charm! They refill from the bottom with the nozzle cap in place (important!), and since after they are filled they are turned cap side up, all the air rises to the nozzle end where it is squeezed flat. The pouches seal completely with no leakage whatsoever. The paint can be used in any amount, from almost a drop or two to the full amount that's left in the pouch. There is almost no air at all left in the tube when the cap is replaced, therefore no skim can form. If paint starts to firm up in the nozzle area it is easily pulled out since it does not stick to the plastic nozzle or pouch itself. I haven't tried cleaning out any of the pouches yet, but don't see why I should need to do so, since I will merely refill them when they run low.

Road surface Asphalt Public space Sidewalk Plastic bottle


I got the 'WeeSprouts' brand and those are just perfect! They are designed to be frozen so the plastic is tough and thick. The cost was around $11 for a set of six (I bought a second set after I tried the first ones). There are clear spots in the pouches which allows the color of the paint inside to be seen. When filling, do not fill to more than 3/4 full since when the zip closure is made it will squeeze the paint out. The pouches also allow you to save the leftovers for special custom blended colors for repeats or touch-ups. What's not to love?

There are other brands which fill from one side, but I cannot see how those could work as well although I haven't tried any.

I also save my empty plastic pill bottles which I cut in half on the bandsaw and then use the bottom part for small paint jobs. Small paper cups work too, but the plastic ones will sometimes melt depending on the paint which is put in them.
 

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#247 ·
Shop Tips and Tricks #27-B (Stop wasting paint!)

As a child of a child of the Great Depression, I have a deeply ingrained respect for conservation of resources.

I save the smallest bit of usable wood for example, never throw nails away after pulling any, sweep up my sanding dust for glue filler/expander and all sorts of things like that. Maybe I do go overboard with it, but the fact is I simply cannot bear to see anything go to waste.

One thing which has always annoyed me is that it is next to impossible to use all the paint out of a can unless you use it all in one go. If you're doing touch-up, or just use an ounce or two for something, you're almost guaranteed to have a film form over what's left in the can. Guess what that film is made of? Why it's paint of course - paint that you probably paid good money for! It's easy to waste up to a quarter of a quart can of paint if you use it only an ounce or two at the time.

I've tried all kinds of things to combat wasted paint over the years. None of them work as well as I want. I even published a blog entry on this very subject in my Lumberjocks bloghttps://www.lumberjocks.com/GnarlyErik/blog/130300) a couple years ago.

I did discover that you can buy a sprayable gas to squirt into your paint can after you've used some which is supposed to prevent a film from forming by replacing the air in the can, but that seems like a partial fix to me. But a couple weeks ago I stumbled across something which seems to be working a charm for me, at least in the short term so far. In a hobby store I bought some tempura paint for something or other, and it came in a 4-ounce plastic tube with a closable cap.

"Hmm?" I sez to myself. "Duh! So, THAT'S why expensive artist's paints come in tubes! I wonder if I can clean these tempera tubes out and use them for my oil-based paints?"

I use high-quality oil-based paints and varnish almost exclusively for my work, and cost is one big reason I try not to waste any of it. However, I could see no easy way to clean out the tempera pouches, or get my oil-based paint into the tubes afterwards. So, I started researching resealable plastic pouches and lo and behold, guess what?

By golly, there really are such things made for, of all things, baby food! I ordered a set of six in the seven ounce size to give it a try. They work like a charm! They refill from the bottom with the nozzle cap in place (important!), and since after they are filled they are turned cap side up, all the air rises to the nozzle end where it is squeezed flat. The pouches seal completely with no leakage whatsoever. The paint can be used in any amount, from almost a drop or two to the full amount that's left in the pouch. There is almost no air at all left in the tube when the cap is replaced, therefore no skim can form. If paint starts to firm up in the nozzle area it is easily pulled out since it does not stick to the plastic nozzle or pouch itself. I haven't tried cleaning out any of the pouches yet, but don't see why I should need to do so, since I will merely refill them when they run low.

Road surface Asphalt Public space Sidewalk Plastic bottle


I got the 'WeeSprouts' brand and those are just perfect! They are designed to be frozen so the plastic is tough and thick. The cost was around $11 for a set of six (I bought a second set after I tried the first ones). There are clear spots in the pouches which allows the color of the paint inside to be seen. When filling, do not fill to more than 3/4 full since when the zip closure is made it will squeeze the paint out. The pouches also allow you to save the leftovers for special custom blended colors for repeats or touch-ups. What's not to love?

There are other brands which fill from one side, but I cannot see how those could work as well although I haven't tried any.

I also save my empty plastic pill bottles which I cut in half on the bandsaw and then use the bottom part for small paint jobs. Small paper cups work too, but the plastic ones will sometimes melt depending on the paint which is put in them.
That is such a great idea. I also found gallon bags but they don't have the zip lock bottom opening like the ones you found. I think they'd work too as all the air can be forced out after filling with paint or other liquid.
 

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