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Forum topic by slolearner | posted 03-21-2018 11:41 AM | 1126 views | 0 times favorited | 23 replies | ![]() |
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03-21-2018 11:41 AM |
Topic tags/keywords: humor As a beginner I am amazed at how difficult it is to cut a stright line…. Not asking for much just a straight line. And tear out so that a real thing to….Thanks I needed that.. |
23 replies so far
#1 posted 03-21-2018 11:51 AM |
May I assume you are trying to cut a straight line with a hand saw? If so … loosen your grip and slow down. All to often we try to force the saw to cut. If you have to force the saw … it’s not sharp. Let the saw do the work! Like Roy Underhill says … saw like a butterfly! -- Ron in Lilburn, Georgia. Knowing how to use a tool is more important than the tool in and of itself. |
#2 posted 03-21-2018 12:39 PM |
as a beginner – do you think you will gain more attention and help by cursing in your headline ? -- Graduated Valedictorian from the University of HardKnocks -- |
#3 posted 03-21-2018 12:52 PM |
Chris Tribe ; U-tube “How to Saw Straight.” -- Randy in Crestview Florida, Wood Rocks! |
#4 posted 03-21-2018 01:55 PM |
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#5 posted 03-21-2018 02:00 PM |
You will get more useful advice if you provide some details. What material are you trying to cut? What saw/blade combination are you using? What is the methodology that you’re employing with your “guide”? -- "You know, I'm such a great driver, it's incomprehensible that they took my license away." --Vince Ricardo |
#6 posted 03-21-2018 02:19 PM |
AH Roy ..thee true craftsman :<)) -- Tony Reinholds,Pa. REMEMBER TO ALWAYS HAVE FUN |
#7 posted 03-21-2018 02:41 PM |
practice practice practice on scrap material with all your tools will get you the best results. . -- Graduated Valedictorian from the University of HardKnocks -- |
#8 posted 03-21-2018 03:24 PM |
I can relate to the OP’s frustration. Especially as a beginner and seeing some of the awesome work that people here post. John hit it on the head, you have to practice, practice, practice. In the beginning, I’m sure most woodworkers here ended up with a lot of expensive firewood. You have to really take the time to get your equipment set up perfectly. Once you eliminate one variable, then you can start to focus on the other variables that are giving you trouble. technique, stance, etc |
#9 posted 03-21-2018 03:44 PM |
What a coincidence, just got this email from Popular Woodworking: Editor’s note: The following is an excerpt from The Art and Craft of Cabinet-Making. This book provides an incredible look into traditional woodworking instruction. Though the English sounds peculiar to the modern ear, the commentary is evergreen. Pick up a copy and connect with a bygone era of craftsmanship. The novice must not think that he will be able even by following the clearest directions in the most careful manner to use the tools properly at first. He must practice before he can gain facility, although there are some who seem to think that if they are told or shown how to do a thing they ought to be able to manage equally well. The things look so very easy when done by skillful hands that beginners sometimes apparently forget that it has taken time for even the cleverest worker to learn. The young practical mechanic, of course, learns almost insensibly how to hold and use his tools, for if he goes wrong he is checked at once by those over him. The amateur, however, must rely more on himself, and it is principally to aid him that this chapter is written.” (Pages 131-132) |
#10 posted 03-21-2018 04:55 PM |
Practice is good advice. Tear out can be addressed with masking tape. Something few mention during a post, how much time did this project take to complete start to finish. TIME on task? From design to installation and fill with stuff 5 1/2 months of evening work. Take in mind this is not even top tier cabinetry, just fancier shop cabinets than normal. Rome was not built in a day, take your time…. LOL -- Live to tell the stories, they sound better that way. |
#11 posted 03-21-2018 05:26 PM |
also – photos of your work area, your equipment and material being cut, etc. I remember a similar post on another forum: so – some photos may help us help you with your issues if you care to share. -- Graduated Valedictorian from the University of HardKnocks -- |
#12 posted 03-21-2018 07:30 PM |
John Smith has a Doctorate in teaching common sense to folks. Listen and learn. -- Still trying to master kindling making |
#13 posted 03-21-2018 07:35 PM |
I had a reply on practicing that came to mind, pulled it…..John makes good points. This kind of reminds me of the time I had to build a gift for my ex-mother-in-law, because my ex-wife never could figure out what to buy them, and put it on me to come up with something really nice, unique, etc. They knew what I could do, so I had to stretch every Christmas. I came up with this bread basket, extremely hard, inlaid scripture in the handle, some sort of scrolled rings layered up for the body, (can’t remember), the handle held on with dovetails that curved, for me at the time, a real brain breaker. I presented it to my ex-mother-in-law at the annual Christmas Dinner, and my ex-brother-in-law choose that time to say to his wife, “See, darling, if I could buy wood tools I could do that for you right away!” I could only sit there and seethe, and think to myself, “No, you could not…” I find that it is not only practice, it is also patience as woodbutcher suggests. Patience, a trait that I have little of, unfortunately. But as I get older, I am getting a little better. -- Tsunami Guitars and Custom Woodworking, Cleveland, TN |
#14 posted 03-21-2018 08:21 PM |
I agree, I often see advice he posts for others that is something I should pay attention to as well. -- Live to tell the stories, they sound better that way. |
#15 posted 03-22-2018 10:09 AM |
Thanks fellas,, I am making it through my projects fairly well. I am using a lot of plywood. I am rebuilding some cabinet’s for my boat, My wife wife just bought a Russian Tortoise that she asked me to build a 2ftx4ft habitat for. The floor of the habitat is a 3/4 plywood floor with poplar sides, I use my 45* lock miter on the poplar sides and couldn’t be happier. The floor is a basic plywood sanded one side HDepot plywood, I have a solid Bosch circular which I have bought a new blade for and havent put on yet but I beleive that will happen today. My boat cabinet is a 1/2 inch birch marine ply with once again poplar doors. Unfortunatly I have to use a Radial Arm for now and after some tuning I have really gotten it to perform quite well, however it also needs a new blade, half way through a rip last night it stopped and started burning the cut. I prefer to use the best blades locally available which for me happens to be the Diablo stuff. |
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