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8K views 14 replies 9 participants last post by  Woodbutchery 
#1 ·
Learning how to learn in wood

I find myself caught up in the act of doing, many times to the detriment of a project.

I look at the projects that are done on LJs, and I want to learn to do them, but then I start a project and get so taken by the idea of completing the project that I don't take the time to do the project well. What I end up with is usually something serviceable, but often not of the quality of work I aspire to.

They say that acknowledging a problem is the first step in resolving the problem. If that's the case, then I am at the door and ready to start on the path to learn to work wood rather than hash at it.

I have power tools, no hand tools. While I probably will want to involve myself with using hand tools down the road, I think I should concentrate on learning to fine-tune and use the tools I have before I try to install yet another skill set

So. I finally made a zero clearance throat plate for my tablesaw, after having had it for over two years. I have yet to actually TUNE the saw, though my cuts are pretty good. I still have the fence that came with the Jet saw, which I got before they went to the Beysermeyer fence. I built the cabinet that housed the saw and router together, andit's serviceable. I need to build a fence for the router table portion.

So the next project is benches for the back porch. My wife doesn't want anything too frilly - something to sit on, and she doesn't want a back to these. I've come up with an initial design, something sturday and easily made out of 2Ă—4s. And while it's relatively easy, I want them to look good too.

My plan? Work slowly. Take my time. Breathe deep when I feel like I need to rush through the project, and try to learn from it.

Meanwhile, I come to LJs for inspiration. The chance to see what CAN be done with wood.
 
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#2 ·
I find myself doing this on projects that I just can't seem to get into. I just finished a big bookself 8' x 6' and form the start I just didn't feel the project. so when I was making the case I was almost bored with it then when it came time to build and install the face frame I really started to get into the build, you know thinking about it when at work, what the next step will be, how will the joinery look, so sometimes it can also be the project.
 
#3 ·
Yea buddy, I feel your pain - I too suffer from this type of malady. I think part of my problem is the sanding and finishing, I hate to admit it but I'm just not good at it. I know in my heart that both are just as important as building, but my brain wants to move on to the challenge of the next project. I wish I had some words of wisdom but I'm in the same kind of boat. I wonder if they have one of those cute little acronyms for it? You know like RTB = Rush to Build - or some such thing. Good luck dude, know you are not alone.
Doug in AZ.
 
#4 ·
For me it's not being bored with the project, it's the desire to show a finished product, most times at the expense of the quality of the product. And it's not like I'm selling these things, they're for local consumption (wife, step daughter, friends, self).

For what its worth, this translates into other hobbies as well.

So, I'm going to try taking a barbecue approach: low and slow and steady, and see if, first of all, I can, and whether it improves things.
 
#5 ·
Through the years I've had projects that I wasn't very happy with. Often the problem was with parts that were not flat or square, or the joinery was not very good. Some of my best tool investments have been a good set of accurate squares, and a dial indicator. I now have a saw blade that is "right on" with the miter slots and fence.

Tip: Construction grade lumber usually has a relatively high moisture content. Pick through the stack for the straightest boards, and then allow them to "shop dry" for a couple of weeks, or even longer in humid weather. If you buy them and immediately start cutting you could encounter warpage that would ruin your project.
 
#6 ·
I think most of us suffer the same problem, that is, we only look forward to the finished project, I read recently, it may have been here on LJ, I do not remember the exact wording, don't look to the end of a project, but enjoy each step of a project that you are working on now, don't get in a hurry, just enjoy, then before you know it, you have finished.
in order to enjoy the future, we need to enjoy the present. I am trying to learn this process now.
Smitty
 
#7 ·
One of the Proverbial lights that came on for me was initial prep. Get the boards flat and square. Tight joints just fall into place. Tune-up of the table saw is really important also. I have to fight haste. I aspire to creating an heirloom and I am getting there. Step back and look at your first project and your last. Did you notice the improvement? Build on that.
 
#8 ·
Fortunate Accidents | getting things done

I am not a wood professional. I don't aspire to be one. Woodworking is more creative release than handyman ability, or craft. While I hope to learn how to craft wood, I do not stay up nights pining for the day I can make the perfect hand cut dovetail joinery, but that's the game I play and my involvement with this so far. I remember once upon a time where I just wanted to have a decent tone on the flute and would worry about the ornamentation and "other" stuff later. So now I'm worrying about the "other stuff", and may someday pine over that self-same hand cut dovetail joinery.

All that being said, I have been fortunate to have some accidents early enough in this undertaking that involves sharp blades of death whirring at inappropriate speeds around my anatomy. The fortunate part of these accidents was that my injury was minimal and non-invasive.

Protective Eyewear

I had just purchased a circular saw, having mastered the art of brandishing a hand-held drill. Because there are enough diy-type shows that admonish the viewer to always wear protective eye gear, I bought some.

So I put the glasses on, put some gloves on, and lay down my first 2Ă—4 to cut. Blade is tight, blade-path is clear, chord is tucked away so it won't get cut. I bring the plate to the wood, pull the trigger, the saw blade spins, and I move forward at a slow feed rate, when I hit a splinter that breaks from the wood, bounces off the blade, and heads straight for the center of the pupil of my right eye before it bounces off the protective glasses. It happens so fast that I just release the trigger to stop the blade as the splinter is falling back to the ground. It was a sizeable splinter, about an inch long, quarter inch at the thickest, and a point that narrowed down to pupil-mutilating sharpness.

I set the saw down for a moment to get over the split-second incident. If I hadn't been wearing the glasses, I might be up for a patch or a glass eye now. As it is, I seen fine, thank you. I now wish I had kept that sliver.

I would have framed it with a sign, "Protective glasses keeps this out of your eyes." It was the best lesson in that it was personal and caused no injury nor damage to any machinery.

I ALWAYS wear some type of protective eye wear.

Push Sticks and Sharp Blades.

And other things that keep one's digits away from the speedily-spinning whirling sharpness.

After I bought my table saw one of the first things I did was buy the push-stick/pads package. The first jig I made, a cross-cut sled. I've since made another cross-cut sled that better suits my needs and doesn't invite me to put my hand near the place where the blade may come through the back.

I'm currently working on back-porch benches for my wife (I'll sit on them too, but she's the one that wants 'em. That's my story and I'm stickin' with it), and was ripping 2Ă—4s down to 3" wide. I noticed that the cuts were actually putting some strain on the motor of my Jet 10 JSL (something-or-other) contractor saw, a good sign that I needed to get a new blade while I had the old one sharpened, but I figured it would be good for at least a few more rips. I was at the end of the last rip on the first side of all the bench wood, using a push-stick and push-pad and when something joggled where it shouldn't have. The push-stick swerved into the blade, got caught by it, and was immediately cut/tore in two by the saw blade. The push pad got caught in the mess and had a slight blade score on the rubber pad.

Like the splinter, this happened fast. There was an instant where I heard something wrong, then the hand holding the pad was jerked toward me while the hand holding the stick struck the table. I first turned off the saw, then looked at my hands to see if the gloves had been ripped through. All digits accounted for. I took the gloves off for a more thorough inspection. Not even a bruise.

The push stick? In pieces. I figure I moved the wood too fast through the dull blade, there was some vibration, then the wood started to twist or bind, at which time all other things went wonky, possibly being thrown by the blade, which caused the stick and pad to do their dance. In any case, all digits were intact and useable, no injury involved. I shut down until I had a sharper blade, and put together another push stick (I couldn't think of push-pad for my life, so while writing this blog I googled it, and found a design for a simple push shoe, which I am inclined to put together very soon now).

Two accidents; incidents that could have caused grave injury, if I hadn't been using the safety equipment that we all hear about using all the time. While the dull saw blade was my stupidity, it was another thing everyone here will read about time and again when we talk about safety. For me they've served as reinforcement that these safety tips, pieces of information that are shared here, and throughout the wood-working industry, really work.

Getting Things Done

I've been working on a design for a set of benches for our covered back porch. I'm using yellow pine 2Ă—4s for all the construction, ripping the seat slats from 2Ă—4s as well. We'll stain it with a golden oak stain and a couple of coats of spar varnish. It's nothing fancy and not supposed to be, but we've got a prototype that's been out for over a year and is doing fine, without the varnish (so I may not varnish. Who knows?). The design is simple enough that even with the tools I have (table saw, router, bad saw. drill, fingers) it's a weekend project for the build, another day or two for the finish. Glued up the legs and they turned out fine. I am constantly amazed at the power of glue and wood together!

After I glued up the legs I put together a half-dozen zero-tolerance plates for the table saw. This is a project I've been meaning to do for some time, just never took the time to do it. Leftover 1/2" maple plywood, ripped down to plate size, then a quick round off at the band saw before using a guided finishing bit on the router table.

After the above incident I bought a set of blades from Home Depot. They're Dewalt thin-kerf blades, a 24 tooth and a 60 tooth, 10" each. I mounted the 24 tooth this morning to continue ripping the 2Ă—4s down to spec and it made a load of difference in the feed and the cut. The motor hardly seemed to notice the wood the blade was cutting. They were about $35+ at HD for the pair, and while they may not be the best blades on the market, they certainly seemed to cut just fine.

If you've got to this point, thanks for reading, and I hope your accidents are as fortunate as mine.
 
#9 ·
Interesting stories, I am glad you suffered no injury. Protective eye wear is incredibly cheap and your experience illustrates just how expensive not using them could have been!

I've never been a fan of wearing gloves whilst woodworking especially with power tools. I guess I figure that is one more thing to get caught in some whirling sharp metal thing…
 
#12 ·
Getting closer without doing as much - that measure twice cut once stuff works!

So I'm on to the next project for my wife, a set of benches to fit around one nook of the back patio. After some discussion we settled on three benches, two approx. 5 foot and one 7 foot (Hurricanes here in Houston, when we get 'em we turn the benches over so they present a low profile behind the brick wall).

I set up the design on Sketchup, then started the build.

A few things to note:

First, I replaced my old cross-cut sled with a new version. It's simpler, sits to one side of the blade only, and I added an incra measureing/tbolt track which helps me create a quickly definable, easily repeatable stop. There are some issues with having the sled on only one side of the blade, but I'm working around most of them with a second "bed piece" on the other side of the blade the same height as the sled. I may someday re-design back to the initial "both sides the blade" approach, but that's another project at another time. I'm pretty happy with the sled in it's current incarnation.

Second, I finally built a router fence for my router-table. Again, nothing fancy, and there are versions of it all throughout this site, so no real need for pictures. I needed it for the 1/4" rounding of the bench slats. Who knew it'd be so useful (just everyone else on this site and a few million other people)?

The bench is made of yellow pine 2Ă—4s. I'm going to write a blog (yes, with pictures) on the construction of the 7 footer, so I'll spare the details of the build for now, but look for the blog in the coming month or so. I've used yellow pine for other benches and they work fine. While they may not hold up for decades of abuse as white oak or teak, the build is easy enough that it can almost be considered a weekend project (the build can be done in a weekend, the stain/finish takes a little longer ;-)).

If there is a point to this ramble, it's that progress is being made. I didn't have to re-design, significantly shift, or otherwise drastically modify my cuts, re-cut, or drastically trim any pieces. The bench ended up very close to my wife's concept (at least I think it does), and it turned out to be pretty easy to build, so much so that I'm really looking forward to the putting the next two together as well as writing the blog up.
 
#13 ·
My first attempt at a tutorial - half lap miter joinery

While working on another project, I needed to re-familiarize myself with working with my half-lap miter sled. While doing that, I realized I need to make something more stable than what I had originally come up with.

The new sled was made out of a piece of mahogany plywood. The board was 26" x 10". I ripped two strips along the length, each 1 1/2" wide, glued the strips together for the fence, and glued and screwed the fence to the board.

Table Wood Rectangle Wood stain Floor


I used my square to get the 45 degree angles as exact as possible (old miter gauge works well for 90, but is not always able to get me to an accurate 45. I'll be replacing it someday soon, but for now, I have other methods to get me there…. ).

Wood Gas Hardwood Flooring Composite material


Wood Hardwood Gas Bumper Wood stain


Once I have the angle set, I cut the slots using the outer two blades of my dado stack. This makes it much easier for me to line the cuts correctly; just adjust the miter gauge so that the blades fit into the slot, and off we go!

The careful observer will noticed that I didn't do so hot a job of centering the fence to the miter gauge. While I'll try to do better on future versions, the fence is useable as is.

Having remade the fence, it was time to make a frame.

I cut four pieces for my test frame and labeled them appropriately.

Rectangle Wood Hardwood Fixture Composite material


Having teased you with my photographic expertise, I'm going to use screen shots from sketchup to show the details.

Rectangle Font Parallel Slope Number


I made the rails longer than the stiles, but this works for any rectangular dimensions. In this case, the rails and stiles were 1 1/4" wide and 1/2" thick. Stiles were 8" long, rails were 12" long. For the purpose of this tutorial it's assumed that all pieces are the same width.

That having been said, I draw a diagonal from corner to side to remind me of where I need to be cutting. On SketchUp, the line is exact, but they don't have to be, as long as they serve as a reminder of where your corner needs to be.

Rectangle Font Parallel Slope Number


Having set my reminders, I set the fence to one of the 45 degree angles. In this case it was the right hand side.

Wood Plank Hardwood Wood stain Workbench


The rails and stiles are 1/2" thick, so I'm going to want the blade to ride just a little under 1/4" thick. I use my square to draw a line 1/4" from the edge of a piece of scrap, and slowly sneak the blade depth to just where I can see the line

I thought I had a picture to show this step, but don't. Mea culpa

Next I flipped the top rail over and set the edge of the corner in line with the inside edge of the channel, then start my cut. Once I'm through the first cut, I pull the rail back along the fence so that the next pass will cut closer to the back corner, and repeat until I have reached the end of the rail.

Wood Automotive exterior Wood stain Floor Varnish


It should look similar to the picture below once completed.

Rectangle Triangle Font Parallel Pattern


Repeat for all four pieces, using the same relative end for each rail and stile, so that you end up with something similar to the picture below [ note - reverse above and below picture ]

Rectangle Parallel Technology Symmetry Font


Once that's completed, set the fence to the opposite 45 degree angle

Table Wood Wood stain Hardwood Plank


And repeat the same process for the opposite end of each rail and stile. By the end of this process, your pieces should look like the picture below

Rectangle Parallel Font Symmetry Circle


Next step involves the stiles only. We need to remove the squared lower end of the wood, so that only the upper angled end remains. Set the fence for 90 degrees, then place the stile face up on the fence, with the inside angled corner flush with the inside channel on the fence.

For purposes of stability, I cut two 90 degree channels on the fence so I can move my miter gauge to each side and have the rail or stile supported by a longer face. For 8 - 12" pieces, this is not so much a thing, but for longer pieces, the support is needed.

Wood Flooring Rectangle Floor Road surface


Having aligned the inner angled corner, run the fence over the blade, removing the bottom portion. If you have set your blade depth correctly, there should be less than 1/32" of remaining wood, if that. The remaining piece should look like the picture below.

Triangle Slope House Rectangle Parallel


I repeat this process for the other stile, then move the fence and gauge to the other side of the blade and repeat the process. When completed, the pieces should look like the picture below.

Rectangle Font Parallel Symmetry Number


And a view from the bottom

Gesture Rectangle Parallel Font Drawing


I suggest a dry fit to verify that there isn't much difference in the surfaces where the stiles and rails join. If there is, light sanding on each piece should bring everything in line. Once everything fits like it's supposed to, time for assembly.

I glue the squared end of each of the rails, and then place the stiles on the squared ends. Clamp the corners for each piece, working your way around the frame until all four corners are clamped. Give the glue time to cure, and remove the clamps. This is what I ended up with after the glue-up.

Picture frame Rectangle Wood Window Fixture


And a view of the side of the frame

Table Wood Rectangle Art Hardwood


As well as the back.

Rectangle Wood Hardwood Wood stain Window


The overall process probably takes longer to read than actually do, once the rails and stiles are cut to proper dimension. As this was a test frame, I didn't set the inside dados for using for a picture or other item, but the process will be the same with pieces where the inside dado has been cut. Looking at the picture in back, it might be better to use a router bit to put stop dadoes along the inner edge so that the gap won't show along the sides. I'll let you know how it works out when I work on my first frame.

So I'm looking for comments/suggestions as this was an experiment with mixed mediums (photography vs. screen capture). Please let me know where there are confusing bits, or the bits that stand out as extra helpful (or - sadly, if none of it is helpful). Thanks for reading.
 

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#14 ·
My first attempt at a tutorial - half lap miter joinery

While working on another project, I needed to re-familiarize myself with working with my half-lap miter sled. While doing that, I realized I need to make something more stable than what I had originally come up with.

The new sled was made out of a piece of mahogany plywood. The board was 26" x 10". I ripped two strips along the length, each 1 1/2" wide, glued the strips together for the fence, and glued and screwed the fence to the board.

Table Wood Rectangle Wood stain Floor


I used my square to get the 45 degree angles as exact as possible (old miter gauge works well for 90, but is not always able to get me to an accurate 45. I'll be replacing it someday soon, but for now, I have other methods to get me there…. ).

Wood Gas Hardwood Flooring Composite material


Wood Hardwood Gas Bumper Wood stain


Once I have the angle set, I cut the slots using the outer two blades of my dado stack. This makes it much easier for me to line the cuts correctly; just adjust the miter gauge so that the blades fit into the slot, and off we go!

The careful observer will noticed that I didn't do so hot a job of centering the fence to the miter gauge. While I'll try to do better on future versions, the fence is useable as is.

Having remade the fence, it was time to make a frame.

I cut four pieces for my test frame and labeled them appropriately.

Rectangle Wood Hardwood Fixture Composite material


Having teased you with my photographic expertise, I'm going to use screen shots from sketchup to show the details.

Rectangle Font Parallel Slope Number


I made the rails longer than the stiles, but this works for any rectangular dimensions. In this case, the rails and stiles were 1 1/4" wide and 1/2" thick. Stiles were 8" long, rails were 12" long. For the purpose of this tutorial it's assumed that all pieces are the same width.

That having been said, I draw a diagonal from corner to side to remind me of where I need to be cutting. On SketchUp, the line is exact, but they don't have to be, as long as they serve as a reminder of where your corner needs to be.

Rectangle Font Parallel Slope Number


Having set my reminders, I set the fence to one of the 45 degree angles. In this case it was the right hand side.

Wood Plank Hardwood Wood stain Workbench


The rails and stiles are 1/2" thick, so I'm going to want the blade to ride just a little under 1/4" thick. I use my square to draw a line 1/4" from the edge of a piece of scrap, and slowly sneak the blade depth to just where I can see the line

I thought I had a picture to show this step, but don't. Mea culpa

Next I flipped the top rail over and set the edge of the corner in line with the inside edge of the channel, then start my cut. Once I'm through the first cut, I pull the rail back along the fence so that the next pass will cut closer to the back corner, and repeat until I have reached the end of the rail.

Wood Automotive exterior Wood stain Floor Varnish


It should look similar to the picture below once completed.

Rectangle Triangle Font Parallel Pattern


Repeat for all four pieces, using the same relative end for each rail and stile, so that you end up with something similar to the picture below [ note - reverse above and below picture ]

Rectangle Parallel Technology Symmetry Font


Once that's completed, set the fence to the opposite 45 degree angle

Table Wood Wood stain Hardwood Plank


And repeat the same process for the opposite end of each rail and stile. By the end of this process, your pieces should look like the picture below

Rectangle Parallel Font Symmetry Circle


Next step involves the stiles only. We need to remove the squared lower end of the wood, so that only the upper angled end remains. Set the fence for 90 degrees, then place the stile face up on the fence, with the inside angled corner flush with the inside channel on the fence.

For purposes of stability, I cut two 90 degree channels on the fence so I can move my miter gauge to each side and have the rail or stile supported by a longer face. For 8 - 12" pieces, this is not so much a thing, but for longer pieces, the support is needed.

Wood Flooring Rectangle Floor Road surface


Having aligned the inner angled corner, run the fence over the blade, removing the bottom portion. If you have set your blade depth correctly, there should be less than 1/32" of remaining wood, if that. The remaining piece should look like the picture below.

Triangle Slope House Rectangle Parallel


I repeat this process for the other stile, then move the fence and gauge to the other side of the blade and repeat the process. When completed, the pieces should look like the picture below.

Rectangle Font Parallel Symmetry Number


And a view from the bottom

Gesture Rectangle Parallel Font Drawing


I suggest a dry fit to verify that there isn't much difference in the surfaces where the stiles and rails join. If there is, light sanding on each piece should bring everything in line. Once everything fits like it's supposed to, time for assembly.

I glue the squared end of each of the rails, and then place the stiles on the squared ends. Clamp the corners for each piece, working your way around the frame until all four corners are clamped. Give the glue time to cure, and remove the clamps. This is what I ended up with after the glue-up.

Picture frame Rectangle Wood Window Fixture


And a view of the side of the frame

Table Wood Rectangle Art Hardwood


As well as the back.

Rectangle Wood Hardwood Wood stain Window


The overall process probably takes longer to read than actually do, once the rails and stiles are cut to proper dimension. As this was a test frame, I didn't set the inside dados for using for a picture or other item, but the process will be the same with pieces where the inside dado has been cut. Looking at the picture in back, it might be better to use a router bit to put stop dadoes along the inner edge so that the gap won't show along the sides. I'll let you know how it works out when I work on my first frame.

So I'm looking for comments/suggestions as this was an experiment with mixed mediums (photography vs. screen capture). Please let me know where there are confusing bits, or the bits that stand out as extra helpful (or - sadly, if none of it is helpful). Thanks for reading.
Awesome!! Great job!!
 

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