Giving back ... maybe a little?

The kid BOUGHT the candy store! Way to go Neil, I have been woodworking for about 9 years now and still have not tried my first dovetails. LOL

-- Dan-- Info for all @ http://www.hoistman.com

I see trouble brewing. This level of excitement can only lead to more tools, increased skill and some quality woodwork. Welcome to the addiction.

It really is cool, isn’t it?

-- When you give someone a chance it may well be their last.

Beener, WAY TO GO !!! You DA MAN. Let me stop by and drool. CONGRATS.

-- How am I doing? Better than I deserve.

first date , hmmm

that would have been whats her name ,
in a brothel in haiti , at 16 .
the bahamian captain of the banana boat had to pay her $1.00 ,
as i didn’t have it .
very exiting , as the whole village was enjoying the event on the street corner .

i quess thats how my first dovetail made me feel .

-- david ,new mexico ,allheart

Welcome to Lumberjocks, Neil. I, too, just recently joined, and I find it to be a friendly, helpful and often entertaining community. Congrats on your recent additions and acquisitions, and best of luck and success as you acquaint yourself with your new tools.

By the way, my friend (a fellow woodworker who now lives in Northern California) lived in and got married in Fort Collins a few years ago…you certainly live in a beautiful place.

Like so many others I look forward to seeing your projects on Lumberjocks. I’ll be posting my own in the next few weeks, and I’ll look forward to your comments.

Have a great weekend,

Art

I suspect I am even newer than you at woodworking… but I did posted my first hand cut dovetails… quite a feeling of satisfaction—yeah, like a first date. I even advanced and did hand cut dovetails on a box that made a real drawer! That was something—getting to base after the first date. Did I mention I tapered legs and hand planed some beading—almost like a home run?

But alas, you are far ahead of me in the tool department. I’ll get there… eventually. I’m drooling for a table saw and jointer.

My big mistake? We bought a house in a development that does not let you build shed or buildings… so no space for a shop… my wife reminds me as to how much money that caveat saves me.

-- Al H. - small shop, small projects...

Neil, You are an inspiration. My PC Jig still sits in the box it came in. I have plans to use just not until I can clean up and rearrange my shop a bit.

Great work. How do you like that router table? Its the one I want to get at some point.

CtL

-- Chris L. "Don't Dream it, Be it."

Thanks for the post Neil. It’s kinda nice to have that excitement refreshed

-- Gary, DeKalb Texas

Neil, Thanks! You took me back about 25 years. Those first big tools, that first dovetail, the excitement of not knowing how to do any of it,but couldn’t wait to get started. All I can hope for is you stay as excited about your woodworking as I have for all these years. Still learning and still loving every minute of it. You’ve got a great looking shop! Keep up the great work.

-- John @ Myrtle Beach

Neil,
I am just a hair ahead of you finding my way with woodworking. Getting tools is very exciting and daunting at the same time. You managed to get ahead of me though – I still have not managed a dovetail joint, in fact the only joint I made was way back in the 60’s.
Your words about relationships and where they take you brings back memories of my dog. lol
Keep on stretching the envelope and have a great time.

-- Roger, Rep. of Texas

Enjoy the feeling son till the new wears off then just remember” woodworking, as in women , the older the violin the sweeter the music”.

-- Duane,matt_megan@twlakes.net

1977. I still have that table saw; my one and only. She’s been a reliable, faithful friend. She’ll do about anything I ask of her but she’ll take yer head off if you don’t respect her. I’m still talking about the table saw guys.
Enjoy Beener. Thanks for sharing. :)))
Peter

[um…..same goes for my wife….... ;) ]

-- Berg, Central NH & Gulfport, FL - "It's raining...what a beautiful day to puddle jump" 3y/o Devlyn

Have fun with your new toys!!!

-- Bob Kenosha Wi.

I too just built my shop. I have not finish it with all the tools i want. Kinda ran out of funds. But i have my list. I have not posted any pictures of my work been to busy at work for a while now. My first big project though was giving my wife a new kitchen this pass valentines day. I took her out and told here to pick out all new applances. Then came back home and demoed the kitchen. it is finished now and she thinks it is fantastic. She is in there cooking all the time now. That is how i got my shop a big trade off. Good luck on your shop and hope to see more pictures of it and the new tools so i can cry for not having what you have. :(

-- Jim LaCourse

A high-five to ya’! I wish you many hours of enjoyment with the new stuff.

Don’t beat yourself up over that tearout, unless you have very high quality, void-free stock, plywood is incredibly difficult to rout dovetails in. Even with a sacrificial face board, a void will always seem to be right where a pointed edge lands! ;^(

-- - Please help keep Lumberjocks an enjoyable escape by refusing to participate in political discussions. Simply spit out the bait and ignore the thread...

Very nice. I’m trying to practice doing dove tails by hand, using whatever scraps I have laying around right now.

Congrats on your new tools Neil. It’s good of you to write this blog to remind us all why we are woodworkers. Because it fun! The way we get that fun feeling is maybe a little different for different folks. Some, like me, have fun just fiddling around in the workshop, never mind a finished product. Others only get that feeling by producing something we all drool over and others are somewhere in between, but the things we have in common are a love of tools, and appreciation for quality craftsmanship, a love of tools, love of wood, a love of tools, jigs, a love of tools, and last but not least…... a love of tools?

Those first dovetails are close to the mark. You will be 100% in no time. Enjoy!

-- Mike, American in Norway

Hey Neil
Good thoughts . A good comparison but from a guy that has had a wonderful wife for 43 years I still feel that first date thing every day and believe it or not it still has that same wow in the shop when ever I do a new technique or project I’ve never done before. Don’t let either go away.

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

good analogy…I guess that is why my woodworking has not gone as far as I dreamed it would…maybe I need to take the rubber off my tools? But both dating and woodworking need to be done safely…

Lucky for me I found my wife…10 years…maybe my woodworking will be much better when I get to the ten year mark…

I can say your tools/shop are looking good…looks like quality is the mantra and that is respectable…

(Patron TMI).

-- Matt, Napa, CA...fun is beautiful...just trying to have some fun...

Like on your first date…....
Be careful where you put your fingers….
Machines bite… HARD and NASTY… But you know that…
Practice basic shop safety skills and you will have years and years of fun.
I’m just as excited as you… cant waait to see what you get up to..

Patron… did anyone throw money?

-- "Even small steps makes a distance." (Shawn Phillips, musician)

Neil…It was good to read what you have written, in so many ways I can relate. I am a beginning woodworker as well and am still setting up my own shop. Most of my tools have been purchased used to help me save some of that valuable resource that we call money. Hopefully I will be able to post some pictures in the future.
I am jealous you have some really nice tools.
Now I am waiting for your next project.

Thanks so much for the responses. My computer fried its hard drive, and wouldn’t boot up.

I’m posting this on a borrowed laptop until the new bits arrive and I can get to fixing it (mostly backed up, but … when you fry a hard drive … you almost always lose some important stuff. Back up, back up, back up!).

To those who are newer than me (or think they are <grin>), a hearty Welcome!! Please DO get shop pics and project blogs up asap. They’re as much fun to post as they are to read.

I’m feeling the sting from having bought all these tools. That’s for sure. In my heart, I’m probably more of a neanderthal, and would love to do most of the work by hand, but … my eyes are pretty worthless (disabled), and—from what I’ve watched—you true artists have to stare at the wood for hours on end. Can’t do it. Not in this body. Not in this lifetime.

I’d also love to have bought used, but … for the same reasons … I’ve had to leave that alone. Fixing these things is really tough on me.

What did Clint Eastwood say? “Man’s got to know his limitations!” LOL!

Thanks for the comments on the tear-out, too. I’ve seen recommendations about “climb-cutting,” but see that it’s a bit risky. I think my next attempts will be on hardwood, rather than ply. I may also try the blue painter’s tape to see how that works out.

The router table’s fantastic. I’m really reluctant to try to ‘review …’ anything. Everything I own is the first of its kind that I’ve ever owned. I have nothing to compare it to. But that Kreg seems stable, easily assembled, user-friendly, accurate, and … reasonably priced.

Ditto the Porter Cable 4212 (Mine sat in the box for almost two months, unopened, so … I get ya’!). I saw a review that bashed the instructions. In that same review, somebody suggested “using the force.” That is … take your time, think about what you’re trying to accomplish, and soon it will all come together.

My reaction was, “Yeah. Right. For YOU, maybe!”

But … it worked. I DID get it … and I know nothing about nothing. The jig really IS easy enough to use, and takes a LOT of the guesswork out of dovetails. But I salute those of you doing them by hand (AND those who—nine years in—have never done one, too!).

Great comments about the relationships—man, woman, dog or … other <grin> and great comments about the pure joy of working the wood. I really took stefan’s point, too: sometimes (lots of times, actually), I’m not making anything; just screwing around. Sometimes, it’s because I’m not physically up to it. Other times, though, it’s just plain fun to cut dovetails or play with miters or plane some cull from the bargain bin, or ….

David: I laughed ‘til I cried. Thanks for getting that image of your dental nightmare out of my mind!

As to my next project(s): the list grows like a weed, but—because of the often-referenced eye/medical stuff—I can’t put in much time, not regularly, and not predictably. But … as I’m learning (the hard way) ... I get there.

I hope you all do, too.

Lastly: anybody’s welcome in my humble shop. The only condition is: you have to teach me something ;-) If I can reciprocate, then … of course … I will :-)

Thanks, again—so much—for the comments. I’m in the company of some really good people, here! It feels a lot like home.

-- -- Neil

Neil you are a good role model for folks who might be inclined to let their limitations, physical or otherwise discourage them from enjoying this wonderful woodworking hobby.

I love my workshop and all the tools but I’m now at an age that I also realize that I won’t be capable of doing everything I am doing today forever. I have therefore given some thought to fallback positions where I will be able to do work more appropriate to my current physical capabilities.

I have already done one fallback which is to concentrate on smaller projects that don’t require a lot of heavy lifting, planing, sawing and such. I still do all these things, but just on a smaller more manageable scale and I’m still enjoying myself just as much. I guess I am saying that it pays to be flexible in our approach to woodworking.

-- Mike, American in Norway

Hey Mike
I feel like your giving us over 55 set a bad name. Come on now you still got it. That talk wore me out so I’m going to take a nap now. LOL

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

Hey Jim. I didn’t really start feeling my age until a couple of years ago. I will be 70 next April. I’m sure you still have a long way to go to get there. I met a man at the Doctor’s office the other day who I was acquainted with from work. He was standing tall and straight and moved like a young man even though he did use a cane. I inquired after his health and commented on how well he looked. He told me, to my amazement, that he was 89 years old! So that is what I am shooting for except for the straight back and elegant stride which is long gone. Anyway, my wife ignores my age and expects me to keep up the good work no matter what, especially in the garden and around the house even if the woodworking suffers! I’m sure glad summer is over.

I don’t think it was your age that required you to take a nap, it was probably all my words. Sleep tight!

-- Mike, American in Norway

My father always use to say don’t get old it hurts. In my early 60s I’m starting to get a sense of what he meant. May we both be more like the 89 year old gent in our future.

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

Amen to that Jim!

-- Mike, American in Norway

You are right there Jim.
Just a personal comment: The times when I am not up to it I can still find a great deal of joy just sitting in the shop, it’s like being in a shrine.

-- Roger, Rep. of Texas

Mike: thanks so much.

For me—and probably for the rest of us, too—the trick is to try to keep in mind your A-abilities, and not your DIS-abilities.

The disabilities scream. The abilities … kind of whisper….

I just knocked out dovetail joint #2. I grabbed a piece of cull that I had resawn [see note], and cut it into a couple of bite-sized pieces, just to see what (not quite) same sized wood would do.

It does this:

Again, not perfect, but … the book tells me how to tighten them up a touch, and they are perfectly flush and clean.

In truth, if I got this close when doing the final joint for the Tool Box For GrandBaby project, I’d probably call it good, and move into glue-up.

ChrisL: I could be mistaken, but I believe I hear your dovetail jig calling your name :-)

NOTE: There’s a thickness problem on this board, after my resaw. You can see it in the picture. I’m hoping that the bandsaw will clean up pieces like this. No $$$ for a planer right now! I did the resaw on the table saw. Not for much longer, though… :-)

-- -- Neil

Your sneeking up on it Neil

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

loved the blog and smiled at the idea of the first date. I wondered if the dovetail joint was equivalent to the first kiss? :)

Pretty exciting and well done! (and now, your LJ friends will never let you stop pushing yourself to try new things)

-- ~ Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)

Thanks so much, Debbie.

First kiss? Fewer splinters, if I’m remembering correctly :-)

Looks like the deal is: I have to drop the bit just a tad (equivalent to the thickness of the remaining gap), and the joint will tighten up. Just back from Ye Olde Home Depot with about five new pieces of cull. Once I clean ‘em up, I’ll be experimenting.

I hope we ALL continue to want to learn new things.

And … back to the date thing … I asked my wife out on one, last night—Indian food and that new Michael Jacson movie that she’d heard about. Even offered a fire and a glass of port … if things went well ;-)

So many of you already knew what I occasionally forget: first dates aren’t JUST for singles.

Cheers!

-- -- Neil

Neil: Working wood is all about having fun, and you seem to be having a blast. Doing woodworking can sometimes seem like golf. Once in a while you hiot aht perfect shot and you wonder why you can’t do that all the time (I’m going with golf and not like Patron) Before long you will be like Tiger Woods. (Except for the 1 Billion $ that he has made) The better fitting joints will come more ofter and you will find ways to make the other ones not stick out so bad.

Have fun and most of all work safe. If you are not working safe you can’t have any fun.

-- What happens in the workshop stays in the workshop. No wait that doesn't sound right. Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †

Hey Neil it’s me again. What Karson said about ideas to make better dovetail fits reminds me of a tip I got from FWW magazine a long time ago. That is, if you leave your pins a little longer so they are just proud of the tails and you get one or even a few that are not quite tight, you can hit the ends of the pins with the ball part of a ballpin hammer. This will spread out the fibers and fill small gaps. You should put some glue in the gaps before doing the hammering. The hammer marks will disappear when you plane or sand the pins down to the tail level.This might not suit you with your sight problem, but I know it will work well if you can. I always handcut my dovetails, so I’m not sure how this will apply when using a jig. Maybe one of our members know.

-- Mike, American in Norway

Karson: Thanks much. I’m feeling pretty good if I keep it out of the woods, out of the sand trap, and anywhere NEAR the green! I’m definitely focused on safety. Today, in fact, I bought another two-tube (T8) fluorescent fixture that I’m going to hang directly over the router table and table saw. More light is my friend.

Mike: Great ideas. I bought some more cull, today (have I mentioned that I just love cull?), to do a few more practice runs. The instructions say that—for loose joints—I need to adjust the router for a deeper cut—deeper BY the thickness of the gap. Easily done.

I think this is going to get me within putting range (I have no idea about golf. Stop me if I sound ridiculous!).

At that point, I really DO like the idea of knocking them into the final shape with a bit of the ol’ brute force method ;-)

Thanks much, again!

-- -- Neil

Neil, you beat me to it, I have still to make my first dovetail. Well I have had some good first dates, and some bad first dates. Looks to me like a good first date. But looking at the teeth of your true dove, well, it is all in the eye of the beholder. No gaps, no spinach, need some whitener…....a little removal of the stain…..but you know that first date, that may have been…....well….....a painted lady.

Like your second date better…...........

Actually, I am jealous of your prowess. If my first dovetails are that good, I will be amazed. Thanks for the pics…sounds like lots of neat toys….....I like toys.

-- Jim, Anchorage Alaska

Very kind, Jim:

Bear in mind, while I’m very conscientious about safety, I long ago learned that I can stand embarrassment and humiliation very well.

In other words: go for it. I could have used a miter joint or a simple butt joint for Little Jeremy’s tool box, but … that’s just not what the instructions called for, and sheer cowardice didn’t seem (at least, back then) like a good enough reason to cower and run away.

So … here’s today’s version—half-blind (named, of course, after me) dovetail joint #3. This time, I did a fair job of ensuring even thickness on the wood, and did drop the router bit enough to compensate for the previous gaps:

.
and
.

.
The pics are a little bit misleading. In person, the darned thing actually looks really good, and the tile guy fixing something in my bathroom … agrees (who’s gonna’ argue with Jay, the Tile Guy? Huh? Not me!!).

I’m still gonna’ bang out one or two more, on my scrap. Baby Jeremy deserves the best (tool box, anyway. He didn’t get lucky on parents <grin>).

There IS a touch of rounding at the outer edges of the pins.

A touch.

If anybody has a good idea for whether I should work toward eliminating it, and … if so … how … I’d be grateful.

The line from a great song (By Orleans) is,

..... We’re still havin’ fun …. and you’re still the one ….!

Ain’t it the truth :-)

-- -- Neil

Neil this is a great blog and thanks so much agin for posting. I currently have about 6 different projects happening in my shop. Decided I would tackle some made by hand Christmas gifts this year. I promise that I will break open that box after the new year and get cracking.

Your joints are getting better looking with every picture.

CtL

-- Chris L. "Don't Dream it, Be it."

Love your blg Neil, being a reasonable newbie. I have not yet gone for the dovetails….but I bought the Jigs…sitting on the shelf, collecting (wood) dust! The next big step for me was selling my little-used Jeep to make more room in the garage for the woodworking. (My adult kids really got p’d about that one!)

Don’t miss that Wood Show in Denver in 2 weeks….all the toys and techniques you can possibly absorb or afford! I’ll be there…surely getting into trouble

I’ll be checking back to finish learning how to do those dovetails!

Tom – Westminster

-- HT, Denver, Colorado

Sand ‘em Neil, and see how they look….........(-:

-- Jim, Anchorage Alaska

Jim: I did sand the final ones on the tool box. Look pretty good, if I do say so myself.

Once it’s finished, I’ll post pics.

Tom: Planning to be there. Trying to convince my brother (in the industry) to go with me, show me what’s what, introduce me to some insiders, etc., etc. Should be fun!

Fear not the dovetail. Their bark is much worse than their bite!!

-- -- Neil