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71K views 218 replies 58 participants last post by  AnthonyReed 
#1 ·
#4 ·
Thanks for the video, Ryan. It was well produced and packed with a lot of use info. I definitely will give your idea a try to see if it will improve my card scraping technique.
 
#9 ·
Classes

My wife and I have a small B&B in the Applegate Valley. In an effort to work towards getting me on staff full time we have decided to start offering classes. Take a look here if you are interested.

Here is a small selection of what I am planning to offer. As time and requests permit I hope to add more.

Understanding Bench Planes

Per Person Price: $70

Wood Musical instrument Eyewear Hardwood Metal


In the class we will discuss the primary set of planes for a hand-tool woodworker: The fore, try, and smoothing planes. We will go over the aspects of how the tools are used differently, what to look for when buying them, as well as how to set them up for fast and efficient work. During the class we will plane one board square on all 6 working surfaces. While tools will be provided, it is recommended that a student bring their own tools to utilize for the class.

Dovetail by Hand

Per Person Price: $60

Wood Rectangle Flooring Wood stain Floor


Today's craftsman has access to an amazing assortment of equipment that allows us to automate the process of most joinery. Unfortunately, in most cases the equipment unduly influences the final look of the joint. In this class we will give you the understanding you need to free yourself from the router and start cutting the dovetails you want to see in your finished piece. We will discuss the tools used in making through dovetails, as well as different techniques to create them. It is recommended that you bring you own tools in order to get a feel for the work you will be doing in your own shop, but tools will be provided if you do not have them. The two most important tools are: a Dovetail saw (about 15 TPI works), and a marking knife.

Making a Saw-Stool

Per Person Price: $150

Wood Gas Metal Flooring Hardwood


The most important skill you can learn in a hand-working shop is to saw accurately to a line. If you use western panel saws, nothing will help you do this more than having your work at the right height and appropriately secured. This saw-stool may look different than other forms, but the design dates back hundreds of years (or more), and it is very simple to construct. The biggest benefit of this tool is that you don't need a workbench to build one. In the class, you will be constructing your first sawing station. This is a great crash course in chair construction, as the joints are similar to what you would find in an old Windsor chair. Tools will be provided, but it's always suggested that you bring your own. Due to the fact that there is some assembly involved in this project, it is recommended you allot two days to complete the project.
 

Attachments

#10 ·
Classes

My wife and I have a small B&B in the Applegate Valley. In an effort to work towards getting me on staff full time we have decided to start offering classes. Take a look here if you are interested.

Here is a small selection of what I am planning to offer. As time and requests permit I hope to add more.

Understanding Bench Planes

Per Person Price: $70

Wood Musical instrument Eyewear Hardwood Metal


In the class we will discuss the primary set of planes for a hand-tool woodworker: The fore, try, and smoothing planes. We will go over the aspects of how the tools are used differently, what to look for when buying them, as well as how to set them up for fast and efficient work. During the class we will plane one board square on all 6 working surfaces. While tools will be provided, it is recommended that a student bring their own tools to utilize for the class.

Dovetail by Hand

Per Person Price: $60

Wood Rectangle Flooring Wood stain Floor


Today's craftsman has access to an amazing assortment of equipment that allows us to automate the process of most joinery. Unfortunately, in most cases the equipment unduly influences the final look of the joint. In this class we will give you the understanding you need to free yourself from the router and start cutting the dovetails you want to see in your finished piece. We will discuss the tools used in making through dovetails, as well as different techniques to create them. It is recommended that you bring you own tools in order to get a feel for the work you will be doing in your own shop, but tools will be provided if you do not have them. The two most important tools are: a Dovetail saw (about 15 TPI works), and a marking knife.

Making a Saw-Stool

Per Person Price: $150

Wood Gas Metal Flooring Hardwood


The most important skill you can learn in a hand-working shop is to saw accurately to a line. If you use western panel saws, nothing will help you do this more than having your work at the right height and appropriately secured. This saw-stool may look different than other forms, but the design dates back hundreds of years (or more), and it is very simple to construct. The biggest benefit of this tool is that you don't need a workbench to build one. In the class, you will be constructing your first sawing station. This is a great crash course in chair construction, as the joints are similar to what you would find in an old Windsor chair. Tools will be provided, but it's always suggested that you bring your own. Due to the fact that there is some assembly involved in this project, it is recommended you allot two days to complete the project.
Looks terrific! Wish I was closer….I hope anyone that is closer…. signs up. Great post and wonderful lessons you are providing!
 

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#27 ·
When you don't have a place for chisels.

Today is just a quick one. I thought I should start posting more of these little things as they come up.

Food Ingredient Rectangle Wood Dish


For the most part I like to keep my chisels and auger bits in tool rolls. It keeps them safe and sharp, but as my collection grows I sometimes don't have enough chisels to justify buying or making another roll. For this I venture to the scrap fabric section of my shop.

I pick out something like this.

Wood Wood stain Hardwood Flooring Table


And wrap my tools up as follows. Sorry for the blur on some of these…my lens was fogging up for some reason.

Hand tool Wood Wood stain Scratch awl Metalworking hand tool


Safety glove Glove Wood Sleeve Textile


Wood Sleeve Gesture Finger Cosmetics


Wood Safety glove Wood stain Flooring Floor


The flap in between the tools keeps everything protected and the tie keeps it all together. So next time you have a few spare tools you have yet to make a spot for, this is a quick way to keep the safe while you get that done.
 

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#28 ·
When you don't have a place for chisels.

Today is just a quick one. I thought I should start posting more of these little things as they come up.

Food Ingredient Rectangle Wood Dish


For the most part I like to keep my chisels and auger bits in tool rolls. It keeps them safe and sharp, but as my collection grows I sometimes don't have enough chisels to justify buying or making another roll. For this I venture to the scrap fabric section of my shop.

I pick out something like this.

Wood Wood stain Hardwood Flooring Table


And wrap my tools up as follows. Sorry for the blur on some of these…my lens was fogging up for some reason.

Hand tool Wood Wood stain Scratch awl Metalworking hand tool


Safety glove Glove Wood Sleeve Textile


Wood Sleeve Gesture Finger Cosmetics


Wood Safety glove Wood stain Flooring Floor


The flap in between the tools keeps everything protected and the tie keeps it all together. So next time you have a few spare tools you have yet to make a spot for, this is a quick way to keep the safe while you get that done.
"…the scrap fabic section of my shop"

Hmmm - Why haven't I got one of those?
 

Attachments

#37 ·
Hiding Component Markings

I actually picked this up from Paul Sellers, though not something he specifically discussed. The tip came from a picture in his book; when I saw it I thought "why didn't I think of that".

Here is my version of the picture.

Wood Grey Rectangle Trunk Wood stain


When the joint is assembled the marks are permanently hidden by the joint…you don't have to figure out how to erase them later. A nice way to keep things straight, huh?
 

Attachments

#38 ·
Hiding Component Markings

I actually picked this up from Paul Sellers, though not something he specifically discussed. The tip came from a picture in his book; when I saw it I thought "why didn't I think of that".

Here is my version of the picture.

Wood Grey Rectangle Trunk Wood stain


When the joint is assembled the marks are permanently hidden by the joint…you don't have to figure out how to erase them later. A nice way to keep things straight, huh?
That's what I do. It's a good system
 

Attachments

#51 ·
Starting a Handplane.

There are a lot of things written about the use of hand planes about the pressure used when starting a the tool vs finishing a cut. Getting these pressure tactics down is essential to accurate planing, but once those are mastered try this.

Footwear Shoe Wood Wood stain Hardwood


Next time you start your cut, skew the body of the plane a bit. What this does is cause the plane to start the cut with one pinpoint of the blade as opposed to it's full width. The beginning of your cuts will feel and look smoother and you can of course straighten out the tool as you go along the board. This also means you won't have to take a running start when using planes with wide blades (jointers and 4.5 smoothers).

Now, go make a pile of shavings.

Wood Window Floor Flooring Gas
 

Attachments

#52 ·
Starting a Handplane.

There are a lot of things written about the use of hand planes about the pressure used when starting a the tool vs finishing a cut. Getting these pressure tactics down is essential to accurate planing, but once those are mastered try this.

Footwear Shoe Wood Wood stain Hardwood


Next time you start your cut, skew the body of the plane a bit. What this does is cause the plane to start the cut with one pinpoint of the blade as opposed to it's full width. The beginning of your cuts will feel and look smoother and you can of course straighten out the tool as you go along the board. This also means you won't have to take a running start when using planes with wide blades (jointers and 4.5 smoothers).

Now, go make a pile of shavings.

Wood Window Floor Flooring Gas
Good tip Ryan.
 

Attachments

#64 ·
No straightedge needed

If you have been working with hand tools for a while you have likely already seen this one. It's as old as it gets.

Brown Wood Floor Flooring Window


Using the edge of a handplane and a strong light you can very quickly identify peeks and valleys in your work…and you don't have to let go of the tool to fix them either.
 

Attachments

#65 ·
No straightedge needed

If you have been working with hand tools for a while you have likely already seen this one. It's as old as it gets.

Brown Wood Floor Flooring Window


Using the edge of a handplane and a strong light you can very quickly identify peeks and valleys in your work…and you don't have to let go of the tool to fix them either.
Why didn't I think of that? ;-) Thanks.
 

Attachments

#73 ·
Getting Clean Crosscuts with a Rip Saw

I don't have a dedicated carcase saw filed crosscut. I have one hanging around the shop that I should sharpen and straighten the plate on, I just have not got around to it yet. So for the most part I use my dovetail saw for finishing crosscuts.

There are a few tricks to this.

First, use a knife to lay out your cut lines: It's more accurate, but more importantly. It severs the fibers of the wood that would normally be torn up by the rip teeth (a crosscut saw acts like the knife). Take a look at what I mean.

Wood Table Rectangle Hardwood Flooring

On the left you can see my knife line; on the right side of the kerf you can see the fuzz that gets created by the saw. You get smoother cut with a knife.

The second tip is also shown in the first picture: don't cut all the way through your stock from one direction. This will cause tear-out on the back and bottom of your stock. Instead cut down about an 8th" and turn the stock 90 degrees away from you (the kerf you just made will be on the exit side of your next saw cut). Cut an 8th" down your next knife line and repeat this process on the remaining two sides. The kerfs that you have made will guide you easily and accurately through the rest of the cut.

The results will look like this.
Wood Flooring Wood stain Hardwood Plank
 

Attachments

#74 ·
Getting Clean Crosscuts with a Rip Saw

I don't have a dedicated carcase saw filed crosscut. I have one hanging around the shop that I should sharpen and straighten the plate on, I just have not got around to it yet. So for the most part I use my dovetail saw for finishing crosscuts.

There are a few tricks to this.

First, use a knife to lay out your cut lines: It's more accurate, but more importantly. It severs the fibers of the wood that would normally be torn up by the rip teeth (a crosscut saw acts like the knife). Take a look at what I mean.

Wood Table Rectangle Hardwood Flooring

On the left you can see my knife line; on the right side of the kerf you can see the fuzz that gets created by the saw. You get smoother cut with a knife.

The second tip is also shown in the first picture: don't cut all the way through your stock from one direction. This will cause tear-out on the back and bottom of your stock. Instead cut down about an 8th" and turn the stock 90 degrees away from you (the kerf you just made will be on the exit side of your next saw cut). Cut an 8th" down your next knife line and repeat this process on the remaining two sides. The kerfs that you have made will guide you easily and accurately through the rest of the cut.

The results will look like this.
Wood Flooring Wood stain Hardwood Plank
That's awesome RG, thanks.
 

Attachments

#81 ·
Waste Removal on a Through Mortise.

This one is almost stupid, but it happens to still be helpful. On a through mortise you can center your work on a dog hole and some of the random chips will fall through it rather than get jammed into the bottom, where you will have to extricate them later.

Wood Rectangle Material property Brick Composite material


And Now…a bonus tip!!!

When test fitting a mortise and tenon joint take care not to snag anything important…

Wood Floor Table Flooring Wood stain


You have been warned and so have I.

Cheers,

Ryan
 

Attachments

#82 ·
Waste Removal on a Through Mortise.

This one is almost stupid, but it happens to still be helpful. On a through mortise you can center your work on a dog hole and some of the random chips will fall through it rather than get jammed into the bottom, where you will have to extricate them later.

Wood Rectangle Material property Brick Composite material


And Now…a bonus tip!!!

When test fitting a mortise and tenon joint take care not to snag anything important…

Wood Floor Table Flooring Wood stain


You have been warned and so have I.

Cheers,

Ryan
Looks like it might have been a good fit, if your sleeve wasnt in there too. : )
 

Attachments

#89 ·
Waste Removal on a Through Mortise.

This one is almost stupid, but it happens to still be helpful. On a through mortise you can center your work on a dog hole and some of the random chips will fall through it rather than get jammed into the bottom, where you will have to extricate them later.

Wood Rectangle Material property Brick Composite material


And Now…a bonus tip!!!

When test fitting a mortise and tenon joint take care not to snag anything important…

Wood Floor Table Flooring Wood stain


You have been warned and so have I.

Cheers,

Ryan
Yeah upon further review…Stef is right. What the heck Ryan? Do we even want to know?
 

Attachments

#96 ·
Alternate use for a wheel guage

I am very partial to wheel style gauges. Not only do they leave a crisp lines but you can use them as an extended and delicate routing plane for all sorts of fine operations. Hear I am using it to get a hinge installed.

Food Wood Gesture Beige Finger


Brown Wood Rectangle Floor Wood stain


Try it out some time.

Ryan
 

Attachments

#97 ·
Alternate use for a wheel guage

I am very partial to wheel style gauges. Not only do they leave a crisp lines but you can use them as an extended and delicate routing plane for all sorts of fine operations. Hear I am using it to get a hinge installed.

Food Wood Gesture Beige Finger


Brown Wood Rectangle Floor Wood stain


Try it out some time.

Ryan
oldskool…like it…
 

Attachments

#103 ·
Tweaks for a Lee Valley Vise Handle

I meant to post this in my workbench re-tool blog, but I never took all the picture needed to finish that. Oh well. This is a nice way to make the handle that comes stock with a Lee Valley vise a whole lot better.

1. Get rid of the square head screw that it comes with. It looks cool, but needs to be tightened with some regularity and my square head screwdriver is never around when this needs to happen. Also, since it rides above the surface of the head there are situations when it can mar your work. Use a regular Phillips wood screw and counter-bore the thing.

2. Add an O-ring to the handle. It add a nice buffer so the head does not come loose all the time.

Sensitive content, not recommended for those under 18
Show Content
Wood Finger Thumb Gas Auto part


Food Drinkware Plastic bottle Lid Electric blue


That's it. A few parts you already have on hand and about five minutes of time and you will have a much improved vise.
 

Attachments

#104 ·
Tweaks for a Lee Valley Vise Handle

I meant to post this in my workbench re-tool blog, but I never took all the picture needed to finish that. Oh well. This is a nice way to make the handle that comes stock with a Lee Valley vise a whole lot better.

1. Get rid of the square head screw that it comes with. It looks cool, but needs to be tightened with some regularity and my square head screwdriver is never around when this needs to happen. Also, since it rides above the surface of the head there are situations when it can mar your work. Use a regular Phillips wood screw and counter-bore the thing.

2. Add an O-ring to the handle. It add a nice buffer so the head does not come loose all the time.

Sensitive content, not recommended for those under 18
Show Content
Wood Finger Thumb Gas Auto part


Food Drinkware Plastic bottle Lid Electric blue


That's it. A few parts you already have on hand and about five minutes of time and you will have a much improved vise.
Thanks for the tips.
 

Attachments

#119 ·
Reducing Fatigue During Rip Sessions

Even the most seasoned sawyer can dread a long session of ripping down stock by hand. There are quite a few ways to prevent yourself from burning out, but my personal favorite is to use different muscle groups as I go along.

I will start by ripping on my saw-bench, kneeling on my work. As I go along I switch to this position.

Wood Wood stain Hardwood Plank Gas


It may look awkward, but it's rather comfortable and gives you an excellent view of your saw for keeping it both plumb and on your cut line.

Wood Sleeve Tradesman Floor Wood stain


It's hard to see, but you can actually use your thigh to brace your work at the end of the cut so it comes away cleanly.

Wood Hardwood Office ruler Wood stain Tool


A few other things you can do are:

1. Rip and crosscut your components in stages as opposed to all at once. Get those components all finished and ready to join and move to the next stage.

2. Use wax on your saw-plate, I forget to do this often, but I am always amazed by the difference this makes.

3. A tiny wedge like this one can take a lot of pressure off of your saw. Make a few dozen at a time, you will both use them and lose them.

Hand tool Wood Metalworking hand tool Tool Hardwood
 

Attachments

#120 ·
Reducing Fatigue During Rip Sessions

Even the most seasoned sawyer can dread a long session of ripping down stock by hand. There are quite a few ways to prevent yourself from burning out, but my personal favorite is to use different muscle groups as I go along.

I will start by ripping on my saw-bench, kneeling on my work. As I go along I switch to this position.

Wood Wood stain Hardwood Plank Gas


It may look awkward, but it's rather comfortable and gives you an excellent view of your saw for keeping it both plumb and on your cut line.

Wood Sleeve Tradesman Floor Wood stain


It's hard to see, but you can actually use your thigh to brace your work at the end of the cut so it comes away cleanly.

Wood Hardwood Office ruler Wood stain Tool


A few other things you can do are:

1. Rip and crosscut your components in stages as opposed to all at once. Get those components all finished and ready to join and move to the next stage.

2. Use wax on your saw-plate, I forget to do this often, but I am always amazed by the difference this makes.

3. A tiny wedge like this one can take a lot of pressure off of your saw. Make a few dozen at a time, you will both use them and lose them.

Hand tool Wood Metalworking hand tool Tool Hardwood
I have and do use both the alternate positioning and the wedges. Both learned from your occasional table class. I'll give the wax a try; i know it is a night and day difference on a plane sole. The thigh trick is not so easy on a sawbench but i am picking up what you are laying down.

Thank you for the tutelage Ryan.
 

Attachments

#129 ·
Quick Glue Spreader

When I need to do a lamination I like an even bead of glue throughout the piece. I pick up an off-cut (most tenon cheeks are about the right size) and make one of these.

Wood Flooring Floor Wood stain Hardwood


A little bit of saw work.

Wood Rectangle Wood stain Hardwood Flooring


And you have a useful little tool. Forget to clean it…make another.
 

Attachments

#130 ·
Quick Glue Spreader

When I need to do a lamination I like an even bead of glue throughout the piece. I pick up an off-cut (most tenon cheeks are about the right size) and make one of these.

Wood Flooring Floor Wood stain Hardwood


A little bit of saw work.

Wood Rectangle Wood stain Hardwood Flooring


And you have a useful little tool. Forget to clean it…make another.
Without a sketchup model I can't make it. Do you have one?

Thanks for the tip.
 

Attachments

#141 ·
When a Marking Knife Won't Do

Sometimes you will be faced with the challenge of fitting assembly to another (a molding to a carcase for instance). In cases like this it is best to use one piece to fit the other; the fancy term for this behavior being "verify in field".

In the perfect world both your molding and your carcase would be square and you could easily do this with a knife. But you will often have little gaps from being out square. These gaps make it difficult to use a layout knife with any accuracy.

Wood Shade Floor Wood stain Flooring


You could put yourself through the misery of squaring the exterior carcase to get things to fit flat, but I have a different solution. Get a bigger knife. Here I am using a plane blade. The large bearing surface gives much better registration to the carcase allowing me to mark a very solid baseline for my dovetails.

Wood Sink Rectangle Material property Flooring


You can also press the mating board against the carcase to strike a second line. This line will be the length of your molding.

Wood Thumb Auto part Metal Creative arts


Rectangle Table Wood Wood stain Flooring


Now, go have some fun.

Table Wood Floor Hardwood Wood stain
 

Attachments

#142 ·
When a Marking Knife Won't Do

Sometimes you will be faced with the challenge of fitting assembly to another (a molding to a carcase for instance). In cases like this it is best to use one piece to fit the other; the fancy term for this behavior being "verify in field".

In the perfect world both your molding and your carcase would be square and you could easily do this with a knife. But you will often have little gaps from being out square. These gaps make it difficult to use a layout knife with any accuracy.

Wood Shade Floor Wood stain Flooring


You could put yourself through the misery of squaring the exterior carcase to get things to fit flat, but I have a different solution. Get a bigger knife. Here I am using a plane blade. The large bearing surface gives much better registration to the carcase allowing me to mark a very solid baseline for my dovetails.

Wood Sink Rectangle Material property Flooring


You can also press the mating board against the carcase to strike a second line. This line will be the length of your molding.

Wood Thumb Auto part Metal Creative arts


Rectangle Table Wood Wood stain Flooring


Now, go have some fun.

Table Wood Floor Hardwood Wood stain
Thanks for sharing. Ideas like yours help keep me from mindlessly doing what I've always done.
 

Attachments

#148 ·
Layout Speed Tip.

This might seem totally obsessive, but I am an efficiency Nazi in my shop. Wasted movements drive me crazy and any time I can get into a habit that saves me a few seconds it makes me happy. This is of course especially true in the case of repetitive tasks.

One such task is marking the layout lines of a board to cut it square. If you have been working with hand tools for even a short time you have probably heard to "Reference only from your true face and true edge". This is sage wisdom, but let's add a bit to it. Start on your true face across the true edge. Like so.

Wood Ruler Finger Wood stain Hardwood


Once you have marked one line, rotate the piece towards the true edge. Like so (forgive the blur, but I have been trying to post this tip for a while and I kind of give up on the photo shoot…sorry)

Wood Table Wood stain Hardwood Tableware


Then flip your square over and do the other two sides.

Wood Wood stain Hardwood Plank Plywood


Wood Hand tool Finger Household hardware Tool


Why do it this way? Because you only have to flip your square over once…I told you it's a rather neurotic, but it will save you time and headache on days where you are doing this with a lot of components.

Here is what I mean. About 30 seconds to lay out the end.

For reasons beyond my understanding, I am unable to post this video, despite having been able to post it successfully in the Measuring and Marking Tools or Your Dreams forum (also despite the fact that the video worked at first). When I figure it out I will edit and bump the post. Sorry.

Bonus tip per Brit (I hope you don't mind):

Another tip which you did on the video but didn't talk about was to set your marking knife in the indentation left by marking the previous face and move your square up to the knife. Guaranteed accuracy.

Cheers!

https://www.facebook.com/video/embed?video_id=10151599736615229
 

Attachments

#149 ·
Layout Speed Tip.

This might seem totally obsessive, but I am an efficiency Nazi in my shop. Wasted movements drive me crazy and any time I can get into a habit that saves me a few seconds it makes me happy. This is of course especially true in the case of repetitive tasks.

One such task is marking the layout lines of a board to cut it square. If you have been working with hand tools for even a short time you have probably heard to "Reference only from your true face and true edge". This is sage wisdom, but let's add a bit to it. Start on your true face across the true edge. Like so.

Wood Ruler Finger Wood stain Hardwood


Once you have marked one line, rotate the piece towards the true edge. Like so (forgive the blur, but I have been trying to post this tip for a while and I kind of give up on the photo shoot…sorry)

Wood Table Wood stain Hardwood Tableware


Then flip your square over and do the other two sides.

Wood Wood stain Hardwood Plank Plywood


Wood Hand tool Finger Household hardware Tool


Why do it this way? Because you only have to flip your square over once…I told you it's a rather neurotic, but it will save you time and headache on days where you are doing this with a lot of components.

Here is what I mean. About 30 seconds to lay out the end.

For reasons beyond my understanding, I am unable to post this video, despite having been able to post it successfully in the Measuring and Marking Tools or Your Dreams forum (also despite the fact that the video worked at first). When I figure it out I will edit and bump the post. Sorry.

Bonus tip per Brit (I hope you don't mind):

Another tip which you did on the video but didn't talk about was to set your marking knife in the indentation left by marking the previous face and move your square up to the knife. Guaranteed accuracy.

Cheers!

https://www.facebook.com/video/embed?video_id=10151599736615229
Thanks for the tip!
 

Attachments

#165 ·
Dead Blow Mallet, to Mar or Not to Mar?

I don't know ab dead blow mallet both in and out of the shop. I just find all kinds of rough tasks for it on the farm (and sometimes in the shop). The problem is that I also use the thing for disassembling joints the those rough tasks that chew up the mallet face can translate to dented work.

The solution is simple, mark one face for Rough work and one for Fine. How you mark your mallet is up to you, but I liked this.

Wood Emoticon Wood stain Button Audio equipment


Problem Solved.
 

Attachments

#166 ·
Dead Blow Mallet, to Mar or Not to Mar?

I don't know ab dead blow mallet both in and out of the shop. I just find all kinds of rough tasks for it on the farm (and sometimes in the shop). The problem is that I also use the thing for disassembling joints the those rough tasks that chew up the mallet face can translate to dented work.

The solution is simple, mark one face for Rough work and one for Fine. How you mark your mallet is up to you, but I liked this.

Wood Emoticon Wood stain Button Audio equipment


Problem Solved.
Nice tip, Ryan. Does the other side have a happy face?
 

Attachments

#177 ·
Dealing with a Bad End Vise, the Quick and Dirty Way

When planing across the grain your end vise should still hold…mine does not. The vise was a freebie from my Grandfather and the machining is very sloppy, do not buy a vise like this, it will irritate you immensely.

But if you happen to have one, and your work keeps popping out of your dogs, two finish nails can solve your problem. Just make sure they are low enough to avoid your plane blade.

Wood Table Flooring Wood stain Floor


Sometimes having an ugly bench is a great thing.
 

Attachments

#178 ·
Dealing with a Bad End Vise, the Quick and Dirty Way

When planing across the grain your end vise should still hold…mine does not. The vise was a freebie from my Grandfather and the machining is very sloppy, do not buy a vise like this, it will irritate you immensely.

But if you happen to have one, and your work keeps popping out of your dogs, two finish nails can solve your problem. Just make sure they are low enough to avoid your plane blade.

Wood Table Flooring Wood stain Floor


Sometimes having an ugly bench is a great thing.
use a screw! easier to get out!
 

Attachments

#187 ·
Using Leverage to Keep Things in Place.

I believe it was Archimedes who once said "Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world." a more succinct way to say it would be, "levers are awesome".

...but they don't just move things.

Wood Floor Flooring Plank Wood stain


Here I have set up a lever of sorts. The fulcrum being the bench dog, and the clamp being Archimedes. Because of mechanical advantage it would take a tremendous amount of force to move the lever from the end near my vise.

Why is this needed?

Wood Wood stain Hardwood Plank Tool


Because re-sawing oak with a coarse ripsaw generates a ton of force.

Musical instrument Wood Hardwood Wood stain Varnish


And it's best that your stop not interfere with your saw.

Wood Flooring Hardwood Wood stain Tints and shades


After a fair amount of sawdust….

Wood Beige Flooring Hardwood Soil


The end result.

Table Wood Floor Flooring Wood stain
 

Attachments

#188 ·
Using Leverage to Keep Things in Place.

I believe it was Archimedes who once said "Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world." a more succinct way to say it would be, "levers are awesome".

...but they don't just move things.

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Here I have set up a lever of sorts. The fulcrum being the bench dog, and the clamp being Archimedes. Because of mechanical advantage it would take a tremendous amount of force to move the lever from the end near my vise.

Why is this needed?

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Because re-sawing oak with a coarse ripsaw generates a ton of force.

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And it's best that your stop not interfere with your saw.

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After a fair amount of sawdust….

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The end result.

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Very useful tip…will record this in me brain for future use!

Thanks, Ryan.
 

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#201 ·
No Pencil Gauge? No Sweat.

I do a fair bit of layout work with a pencil. I find it's a quick way to figure things out on a unique project, or a unique piece of wood that you want to get all the cuts "just right".

Normally, I use a combination square as a pencil gauge when I am trying to get the width of a workpiece. As it happens, both my combo squares had settings I did not feel like losing, so I borrowed a very old carpenters trick.

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Holding your hands like this you can use a rule to mark out a line that will easily be within a 16th of an inch of where you want it. Just slide the whole works down the board to mark out your width (notice how my finger is riding against the edge of the board…that's the depth stop).

Simple huh?
 

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#202 ·
No Pencil Gauge? No Sweat.

I do a fair bit of layout work with a pencil. I find it's a quick way to figure things out on a unique project, or a unique piece of wood that you want to get all the cuts "just right".

Normally, I use a combination square as a pencil gauge when I am trying to get the width of a workpiece. As it happens, both my combo squares had settings I did not feel like losing, so I borrowed a very old carpenters trick.

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Holding your hands like this you can use a rule to mark out a line that will easily be within a 16th of an inch of where you want it. Just slide the whole works down the board to mark out your width (notice how my finger is riding against the edge of the board…that's the depth stop).

Simple huh?
Now take a triangular saw file and nick both ends of the rule, in the brass, so the pencil has a place to ride without slipping.
 

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#207 ·
Dovetail Tip; Mark Your Mistakes Early

There are an awful lot of errors you can see well before a test fit. I have found that the earlier I make note of them, the more likely I am to catch them and clean them up before they are an issue.

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Here you can see two places I ran afoul of my cut line, I can clean that up once the waste is cleaned out of the tail sockets.
 

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#208 ·
Dovetail Tip; Mark Your Mistakes Early

There are an awful lot of errors you can see well before a test fit. I have found that the earlier I make note of them, the more likely I am to catch them and clean them up before they are an issue.

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Here you can see two places I ran afoul of my cut line, I can clean that up once the waste is cleaned out of the tail sockets.
Okay, I really need to practice my dovetails…I just spent 5 minutes trying to figure out where you ran afoul of your cut line…I kept thinking, man, I wish my lines were that nice, where is the mistake? lol I was looking at the lines and missed the arrows.

My problem is usually going too deep because I'm not paying enough attention to where I'm supposed to stop cutting…and I'm not good enough to know where the saw blade is cutting. But that's what scrap wood's for, right?
 

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