# In the Shop



## Hoakie (May 8, 2007)

*Grandpa's RAS gets a new top*

Instead of adding a new project for the things I do around the shop, I thought I would start a blog about the upgrades as I make them. Over the past two years I have done a lot to convert the unfinished part of my basement into a woodworking shop. If you want to see some before shots you can visit the bt3central forums (probably need to register to see pics, sorry i'll post them here soon)

The beginning
Upgrade 1

You can see what it looks like now in My Workshop in my profile…

Anyway, the point of this first blog entry was to showcase the new top I put on the radial arm saw I inherited from my Grandpa. Until today I have used it as received but realized that the top was pretty chewed up and if I wanted to clean cuts without chip out I needed to start with a clean slate. I used 3/4" hardwood ply and a 1.5" jointed ash fence. I also extended it deeper, behind the post than the original to make it easier to attach a dust collection hood (in progress). After replacing the top, I tuned it up and now get beautiful cross cuts. I haven't messed around with 45 degree cuts or bevel cuts but with my table saw and some jigs, I may dedicate this for cross cuts for now.

Before









After:









Thanks for looking.


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## twokidsnosleep (Apr 5, 2010)

Hoakie said:


> *Grandpa's RAS gets a new top*
> 
> Instead of adding a new project for the things I do around the shop, I thought I would start a blog about the upgrades as I make them. Over the past two years I have done a lot to convert the unfinished part of my basement into a woodworking shop. If you want to see some before shots you can visit the bt3central forums (probably need to register to see pics, sorry i'll post them here soon)
> 
> ...


Looks good. I am glad you were able to restore old machinery…much better made than new stuff.

My bro in law 'borrowed' my dad's RAS over 20 yrs ago while I was away in university. He left it uncovered under a deck and it warped the top and rusted it to hell. I had my eyes on it since I was able to walk.
Maybe I should go over and re-borrow it and start a renovation project of my own.


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## Hoakie (May 8, 2007)

Hoakie said:


> *Grandpa's RAS gets a new top*
> 
> Instead of adding a new project for the things I do around the shop, I thought I would start a blog about the upgrades as I make them. Over the past two years I have done a lot to convert the unfinished part of my basement into a woodworking shop. If you want to see some before shots you can visit the bt3central forums (probably need to register to see pics, sorry i'll post them here soon)
> 
> ...


yeah I was pretty fortunate to get this. Aside from the table top, it was in outstanding shape I really didn't need to do anything other than align it.


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## HokieMojo (Mar 11, 2008)

Hoakie said:


> *Grandpa's RAS gets a new top*
> 
> Instead of adding a new project for the things I do around the shop, I thought I would start a blog about the upgrades as I make them. Over the past two years I have done a lot to convert the unfinished part of my basement into a woodworking shop. If you want to see some before shots you can visit the bt3central forums (probably need to register to see pics, sorry i'll post them here soon)
> 
> ...


nice table. have you considered a sacrificial top for it so you don't wear it out? Maybe you already have it and I just can't see it from the pictures. I like the dust collection at the back.


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## DaddyZ (Jan 28, 2010)

Hoakie said:


> *Grandpa's RAS gets a new top*
> 
> Instead of adding a new project for the things I do around the shop, I thought I would start a blog about the upgrades as I make them. Over the past two years I have done a lot to convert the unfinished part of my basement into a woodworking shop. If you want to see some before shots you can visit the bt3central forums (probably need to register to see pics, sorry i'll post them here soon)
> 
> ...


Hand me down tool are the greatest !!


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## stefang (Apr 9, 2009)

Hoakie said:


> *Grandpa's RAS gets a new top*
> 
> Instead of adding a new project for the things I do around the shop, I thought I would start a blog about the upgrades as I make them. Over the past two years I have done a lot to convert the unfinished part of my basement into a woodworking shop. If you want to see some before shots you can visit the bt3central forums (probably need to register to see pics, sorry i'll post them here soon)
> 
> ...


Great job on the new table John. These tools must last forever. I recall my brother talking about them back in 1950 about how amazing and versatile they were. It seems there are still many RAS fans out there. Maybe you will be handing down yourself some day.


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## Hoakie (May 8, 2007)

*The Entrance*










This fall I had several run ins with my chisels. The first one resulted in a 1" gash in the heel of my right palm. I was working on redoing some DC and had old carving chisels on a box on a shelf below where I was working. I didn't see it before hand but one of the chisels was sticking sharp end up and as I withdrew my hand….YOWZERS. Went to the doc for a tetanus shot but no stitches required.

My second incident was pure sheer stupidity. I was working on the inlay for my Dad's present, I was fitting one of the pieces that was a bit snug. I thought if I encouraged it with a mallet it would break. So instead I grabbed the nearest "pry" bar…(a very sharp chisel) and of course the piece popped out with no effort and the extra force drove the chisel into my left hand between the index finger and thumb. Another 1" gash . This happened Sunday night and since I didn't want to go to the emergency room I did the next best thing….I went to see my Vet…OK my brother in-law who is a vet. He looked at it and decided it probably didn't need stitches but he would throw a couple in if I wanted(without pain meds of course)....I choose to just get some butterfly bandages.

Fortunately both cuts were very clean and healed fast. They both split open a little while playing hockey a few days later but no major damage and that is the price you pay for not wanting to miss hockey .

Needless to say I am going to be much more cognizant of how I use my chisels in the future….and as you can see by the picture….My wife decided to get me a sign to hang on the shop door as a reminder


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## stefang (Apr 9, 2009)

Hoakie said:


> *The Entrance*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Immediate punishment for chiseling John, sounds fair. When it comes to safety, awareness what would us guys do without our wives to watch over us? I wonder if the gals out there get the same concern from their husbands.


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## lilredweldingrod (Nov 23, 2009)

Hoakie said:


> *The Entrance*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


John, I believe the second time you found a better quality doctor. lol One more cut and you go back to chisel handling school. Sure glad the cuts were no more serious than they were.


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## Hoakie (May 8, 2007)

Hoakie said:


> *The Entrance*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


First, yes he is a good doc and handy to have around 

Second. I decided to consult the owner's manual for the chisels to figure out which end to hold. I think I got it now


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## Hoakie (May 8, 2007)

*Shop Face-lift Completed*

Ok, is a shop really ever done?!? At least it is a major improvement over the last arrangement

You may recall that I solicited suggestions for a proposed shop rearrangement a couple of weeks ago. The primary reasons for changing things up is that I felt a) the arrangement was very inefficient to work in and b) I'm getting ready to build either the 21st Century or Holtzapffel workbench and really wanted to have good access to all sides of the bench

Since I'm going to update my shop pics I've uploaded the before state pics here for reference:






















































Here are the pictures after the reorganization. I feel like I have a lot more room to move a round and that things are better organized and efficiency will be dramatically improved.

Looking in from the entrance, notice table saw and dedicated out feed table (no longer shared bench duty)









Plenty of room between TS and BS, and the bandsaw is on wheels so if I need more room for either it is easily accomplished (I plan on building a cabinet to put TS on to maximize storage space). Assembly table and clamps in the back corner with clamps. 









Router table and RAS table are same height so have plenty of infeed support for both, I also have room on either side to for outfeed support as necessary.









Dust collection, small storage, belt disc sander and lathe on side wall, this is "cramped" by the pole and floor support beam. I plan on making a dedicated hand tool cabinet where the melamine shelving currently sits.









you can't see it but just to the left of the drill press is my grinder in close proximity to the lathe. A floor standing drill press is next on my list for tools. I am going to build a cart for the planer to raise it up off the floor. The far corner has standard tools and storage. I plan on replacing all the wire storage racks (under cabinets) with more useful cabinet/drawer storage.









This is my sheet goods/lumber storage rack. It is to the right as you walk into the shop (past furnace and water heater). It shares space with other storage









This is more storage, mainly short boards and blanks for turning. The brown filing cabinet is filled with pen blanks and exotic wood cutoffs that I hope to make into something nice someday 









I still have a lot of things I want to accomplish including:

New stand for planer
Build a real workbench that actually weighs something 
Better Wall storage (replace pegboard with french cleats
Add wall panels (leaning towards osb)
Replace wire racks with cabinets with drawers

Thanks for looking


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## ND2ELK (Jan 25, 2008)

Hoakie said:


> *Shop Face-lift Completed*
> 
> Ok, is a shop really ever done?!? At least it is a major improvement over the last arrangement
> 
> ...


You have done good! I love to see a neat, clean and organized shop. It is not that hard to keep it that way, if you clean it after every project. I spot clean and pick up between that. Great looking shop!. Thanks for posting.

God Bless
tom


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## dbhost (Jul 20, 2009)

Hoakie said:


> *Shop Face-lift Completed*
> 
> Ok, is a shop really ever done?!? At least it is a major improvement over the last arrangement
> 
> ...


That's looking really good! And no, a shop is never truly done, at least not until your body is truly done… Then it becomes a reverse process….


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## Hoakie (May 8, 2007)

Hoakie said:


> *Shop Face-lift Completed*
> 
> Ok, is a shop really ever done?!? At least it is a major improvement over the last arrangement
> 
> ...


Tom,

Your shop is nice looking. Someday I'd like to get the big 1) Table Saw 2)Cyclone 3) Elk 

dbhost

I take that as a big compliment coming from the shop improvement king.


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## stefang (Apr 9, 2009)

Hoakie said:


> *Shop Face-lift Completed*
> 
> Ok, is a shop really ever done?!? At least it is a major improvement over the last arrangement
> 
> ...


A big improvement John. Your shop looks really well organized and efficient now. You are right about a shop never being finished. This is because the shop evolves with your evolving needs and all the good ideas which come along. The addition of new tools will also have a knock-on effect which may force you to make more changes than you expected.


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## ozzy (Nov 22, 2007)

Hoakie said:


> *Shop Face-lift Completed*
> 
> Ok, is a shop really ever done?!? At least it is a major improvement over the last arrangement
> 
> ...


This is like a great workshop. I know what you mean about never quite being done with the shop. There are always things that you want to add. Your assortment of tools is awesome. Now lets see some sawdust fly.


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## Hoakie (May 8, 2007)

*Inspired to do something new... Hand-cut Dovetails*

Is it odd that every time I get a new power tool to perform a task, I get an urge to try and do it by hand as well? Anyway it seems to happen to me a lot. This year I received a dovetail jig for Christmas and was up and running cutting half-blind dovetails in no time. However, I have been wanting to learn techniques working with hand tools for a long time to expand my arsenal.

Over the past few weeks I've been eying some of the entries to the Winter Challenge, the videos of the Japanese master craftsman, and Mike Ogden's blog. The result… I finally got the fire under me to try something new. *Hand Cut Dovetails*

Like any good woodworker in the internet age, I quickly ran to YouTube to find a good how-to video. The first one I happened on was a video by Village Carpenter I watch her methodically cut out a nice tight joint and thought…No Problem! I ran out to the shop and started hacking away at some 3/4" pine I had laying around. My first product….










Ok, this is not really your classic dovetail….in fact not really a dove tail at all!! An angled box joint perhaps? I was in such a rush to just get cutting that I didn't think through the layout or visualize what I was trying to create. So I glued it up anyway and just let it sit while I grabbed another set of boards, 3/8" in pine this time. I figured it would go a bit quicker…..










Low and behold….same problem. Ugh I'm a moron. again glue up and quit for the night!

The next day I decided I would go back an do some more research and watch more videos. I also made the pledge to cut a dovetail a day until I got better. I remember reading about someone who did this a long time ago….I just looked it up and come to find the article was written by none other than Christopher Schwarz so how wrong could it be…Right?

I watched the Village Carpenter's video again found where I went wrong. I also found a video that used sliver pins (can't find source again) I got pretty excited because things were looking good but I realized that I was still rushing the process. I actually got a dovetail joint this time but it was pretty ugly and I think the sliver made it pretty hard to learn










The next night I went back to the more conventional dovetail and got pretty good results.










I tried to force the joint a bit and you can see the result. A nice split . You can also see that I got a little cocky and thought I could remember where the waste was supposed to be, but…. I wasn't  I will mark the waste from now on .

Encouraged that I actually cut a dovetail I decided to watch some more video. I watched Klausz and Cosman their battle for the fastest dovetails. I also learned about pins first vs tails first. I really am not sure if I understand the benefits of one over the other but I now know there are people that do it both ways, and there is nothing wrong with either

My next attempt so so.



















Everything seemed ok as I was cutting it but I was way off in terms of fit and alignment. It was down right sloppy. I had been cutting these with a cheap Craftsman gentleman's saw that had been used to cut a variety of things other than wood. I decided I should try a better saw, I had heard that Japanese pull saws were pretty easy to learn how to use for dovetailing so I decided to get a Dozuki with a gift card I had received to the WoodSmith store in Des Moines.

That night I also ran across a video by Robby Pederson on Woodworking Online. He operates a shop just north of me and only uses tools that were available in 1875. I think this is one of the best videos I've seen because he offers a lot of technique as well as tips and tricks. Up until this point I had been cutting "tails first"...Robby cut "pins first" so I thought I'd give that a try. The result….










Not too shabby. This joint was VERY tight and you can see that several fingers were a good tight seal. I think I needed to cut closer to the lines on my tails. I had to use my chisel and a rasp to knock down some pinch points. There were also several cuts what were not too straight but overall I was very pleased. I will also need to stop up and see his shop sometime, maybe even take a class from him if SWMBO is feeling nice 

Tonight I decided to revisit the "tails first" approach to see if there was any difference now that I had the Dozuki.



















I think this is the best one yet in terms of intial fit without havning to tweak too much. I glued this one up and planed down the excess to see what the finished product would look like. Aside from a little gap here and there I think it is pretty respectable for my 7th one.

Now I have quite a few nights of practice ahead of me….I'll post if I see dramatic improvement.

Oh yeah, another great video resource I found tonight was from WoodTreks. This video also explains a lot of technique as they go.

I should also mention that when I got the Dozuki, I abandoned using a coping saw to cut out waste because the blade I had is too thick to fit into the thin kerf. I have been using Robby Peterson's method for waste removal.


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## christopheralan (Mar 19, 2008)

Hoakie said:


> *Inspired to do something new... Hand-cut Dovetails*
> 
> Is it odd that every time I get a new power tool to perform a task, I get an urge to try and do it by hand as well? Anyway it seems to happen to me a lot. This year I received a dovetail jig for Christmas and was up and running cutting half-blind dovetails in no time. However, I have been wanting to learn techniques working with hand tools for a long time to expand my arsenal.
> 
> ...


Man do those pictures look familiar! I don't have the stones to post my first pics. Great job learning the process. I can relate to the youtube thing. My hero was "Rob Cosman's 3 1/2 minute "Tails 1st" dovetail"






Great job and keep working at it!


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## Hoakie (May 8, 2007)

Hoakie said:


> *Inspired to do something new... Hand-cut Dovetails*
> 
> Is it odd that every time I get a new power tool to perform a task, I get an urge to try and do it by hand as well? Anyway it seems to happen to me a lot. This year I received a dovetail jig for Christmas and was up and running cutting half-blind dovetails in no time. However, I have been wanting to learn techniques working with hand tools for a long time to expand my arsenal.
> 
> ...


Thanks, Yeah it'd be nice to knock them out that fast….but I've got a ways to go.


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## spunwood (Aug 20, 2010)

Hoakie said:


> *Inspired to do something new... Hand-cut Dovetails*
> 
> Is it odd that every time I get a new power tool to perform a task, I get an urge to try and do it by hand as well? Anyway it seems to happen to me a lot. This year I received a dovetail jig for Christmas and was up and running cutting half-blind dovetails in no time. However, I have been wanting to learn techniques working with hand tools for a long time to expand my arsenal.
> 
> ...


Thanks for sharing. It is encouraging to see you work and keep at it. Maybe I shall do the same.


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## superdav721 (Aug 16, 2010)

Hoakie said:


> *Inspired to do something new... Hand-cut Dovetails*
> 
> Is it odd that every time I get a new power tool to perform a task, I get an urge to try and do it by hand as well? Anyway it seems to happen to me a lot. This year I received a dovetail jig for Christmas and was up and running cutting half-blind dovetails in no time. However, I have been wanting to learn techniques working with hand tools for a long time to expand my arsenal.
> 
> ...


You are on the right track. PRACTICE! I watched everybody I could find. No two have the same method. The best advice I can give is get to know your tools. Find the method that is right for you. Go slow. Robby is a great teacher but he does it for a living. The best lesson I learned from him is body posture. I still want to try the double bevel dovetail. But have not yet learned to lay it out correctly. When you have a problem change one thing and try again. Leave a little and chisel a little.

I'm weird, I cut tails first and use a dozuki.
imho
you will be making half blind tails on drawers in no time.


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## Hoakie (May 8, 2007)

Hoakie said:


> *Inspired to do something new... Hand-cut Dovetails*
> 
> Is it odd that every time I get a new power tool to perform a task, I get an urge to try and do it by hand as well? Anyway it seems to happen to me a lot. This year I received a dovetail jig for Christmas and was up and running cutting half-blind dovetails in no time. However, I have been wanting to learn techniques working with hand tools for a long time to expand my arsenal.
> 
> ...


@Dave, yes he is very good. I took away importance of body posture, changing cutting angles to establish kerf and the ability to create a slightly concave shoulder to allow the edges to seat nicely. I've picked up tips from every video I've watched and it is interesting how many ways there are to accomplish the same thing. It has been an enjoyable process so far, and I hope to continue to get better.


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## Hoakie (May 8, 2007)

Hoakie said:


> *Inspired to do something new... Hand-cut Dovetails*
> 
> Is it odd that every time I get a new power tool to perform a task, I get an urge to try and do it by hand as well? Anyway it seems to happen to me a lot. This year I received a dovetail jig for Christmas and was up and running cutting half-blind dovetails in no time. However, I have been wanting to learn techniques working with hand tools for a long time to expand my arsenal.
> 
> ...


Alright, I just cut tonights dovetails and they didn't seem to get any better….in fact they may be slightly more sloppy then last nights. Trying to be more and more careful with each one I decided I must be sawing sloppily (sp?). anyway I decided to run a test since I have always assumed I've been sawing straight.

Much to my suprise, (or maybe not) I found out that I really only was cutting one cut consistently straight (right to left slope of tails ( / ). All of the other cuts were drifting to the right as you look down on the end grain. I tried a bunch of different things like adjusting body position, using thumb of opposite hand as a fence, adjusting my grip, pointing index finger vs not pointing index finger. Nothing seemed to work to consistently get rid of this bias.

What did help was changing which side of the saw I was looking down. For all of my crooked cuts I was looking on the left side of the saw blade. When I switched to looking over the right side of the the blade, almost all of my test cuts were straight!!! I'm sure this is all written in a book somewhere or covered in basic woodworking but since I'm doing some things by trial and error I guess I'll have to learn at the school of hard knocks.

Tonight I proceeded to practice all of the cuts required for the dovetail over and over until I was comfortable that I could do them repeatably. Tomorrow night I hope to have greater success on my dovetails.


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## superdav721 (Aug 16, 2010)

Hoakie said:


> *Inspired to do something new... Hand-cut Dovetails*
> 
> Is it odd that every time I get a new power tool to perform a task, I get an urge to try and do it by hand as well? Anyway it seems to happen to me a lot. This year I received a dovetail jig for Christmas and was up and running cutting half-blind dovetails in no time. However, I have been wanting to learn techniques working with hand tools for a long time to expand my arsenal.
> 
> ...


Try what John Reed Fox does. Set your tail board where the cut is perpendicular to the floor.


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## Gofor (Jan 12, 2008)

Hoakie said:


> *Inspired to do something new... Hand-cut Dovetails*
> 
> Is it odd that every time I get a new power tool to perform a task, I get an urge to try and do it by hand as well? Anyway it seems to happen to me a lot. This year I received a dovetail jig for Christmas and was up and running cutting half-blind dovetails in no time. However, I have been wanting to learn techniques working with hand tools for a long time to expand my arsenal.
> 
> ...


Great progress. And thanks for the video link. I liked the video, and admire Robby's skill. However, I would like to see if he uses the "pins first" technique on half-blinds. Tails first makes it a lot easier to transfer the measurements for a half blind, so I mostly do it that way all the time. Also noticed that his chisels were SHARP! He made quick work of that soft pine using light taps. My first ones in pine weren't all that pretty, partly due to the chisel crushing back behind my line due to hitting it too hard.

superdav721: I did some double bevels for a set of saw horses I made, to tie in the stringers to the splayed legs. I cut the miter on the end of the stringer first. Because I was using pine, I wanted about a 6:1 slope (about 9.5 degrees). I set my bevel gauge at 9.5 degrees and drew two lines, with the body of the gauge laying on the long edges of the board. Each line was where the long edge and the mitered end cut intersected. That gave me two reference lines to set the gauge with the body on the slope of the miter. The top line was the top angle on the tails, the bottom was the bottom angle. This gives the same relative angle to the direction of stress that a 90 degree dovetail would.

Looked a little wonky but has held up well now for a couple years with a lot of abuse.

Go


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## Hoakie (May 8, 2007)

Hoakie said:


> *Inspired to do something new... Hand-cut Dovetails*
> 
> Is it odd that every time I get a new power tool to perform a task, I get an urge to try and do it by hand as well? Anyway it seems to happen to me a lot. This year I received a dovetail jig for Christmas and was up and running cutting half-blind dovetails in no time. However, I have been wanting to learn techniques working with hand tools for a long time to expand my arsenal.
> 
> ...


@superdav721 I have tried that but I'm not sure it would have made a difference in this case with out making the sighting correction. when I was doing my initial testing I was just doing perpendicular cuts (straight rip) and couldn't even get those to go. Once I changed my sighting, I seem to be able to make all the cuts without having to rearrange. The real test will be tomorrow since I have to run to hockey tonight.

@Gofor Thanks, it is a new journey and one I hope to master. I'm not sure what he would do on half-blinds…probably the fastest way he can . Yes his chisels are sharp and the pine works pretty fast. I did try on some ash and it split out pretty quick too. I don't mind clearing the tails with this method, however the taper on the pins make it a little more difficult to clear the waste.


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## superdav721 (Aug 16, 2010)

Hoakie said:


> *Inspired to do something new... Hand-cut Dovetails*
> 
> Is it odd that every time I get a new power tool to perform a task, I get an urge to try and do it by hand as well? Anyway it seems to happen to me a lot. This year I received a dovetail jig for Christmas and was up and running cutting half-blind dovetails in no time. However, I have been wanting to learn techniques working with hand tools for a long time to expand my arsenal.
> 
> ...


I started with a marpels flush cut saw. It taught me a lot of things. I used it to even dovetail red oak. It still has all the teeth and isn't bent. The dosuki is unforgiving with its tracking. Try starting it with a small bevel with your chisel. Push straight down on your keep side and cut the bevel on a 45 on the waste side. The parallel cut on the keep side will act as a fence and help the tracking start properly. If the saw tracts incorrectly, because of the 45 bevel you will error on the waste side. The you can pair it later with the chisel. I like to also start it, cut the face a little, cut the top and then the back. If all of that is right the saw wants to naturally remove the meat in the middle. It will follow the path of least resistance.
I hope I am not imposing. The dovetail joint to me is one of my favorite joints. There is also something in the math of the 6 in 1. It is near he golden ratio. imho


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## Hoakie (May 8, 2007)

Hoakie said:


> *Inspired to do something new... Hand-cut Dovetails*
> 
> Is it odd that every time I get a new power tool to perform a task, I get an urge to try and do it by hand as well? Anyway it seems to happen to me a lot. This year I received a dovetail jig for Christmas and was up and running cutting half-blind dovetails in no time. However, I have been wanting to learn techniques working with hand tools for a long time to expand my arsenal.
> 
> ...


Not imposing at all. I see so much talent in this site it is almost intimidating. From my perspective I want to post my work, seek honest feedback, and learn as much as I can. Your tips and tricks can only help me and others along the way, even if I don't ultimately incorporate them.


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## stefang (Apr 9, 2009)

Hoakie said:


> *Inspired to do something new... Hand-cut Dovetails*
> 
> Is it odd that every time I get a new power tool to perform a task, I get an urge to try and do it by hand as well? Anyway it seems to happen to me a lot. This year I received a dovetail jig for Christmas and was up and running cutting half-blind dovetails in no time. However, I have been wanting to learn techniques working with hand tools for a long time to expand my arsenal.
> 
> ...


Very good progress John. Here is the link to a little blog I did some time back on fixing the small gaps that sometimes show up on our not always perfect work. This is an equally great technique for the newly initiated as for the more experienced. It can be a heart breaker to get most of them perfect with just one or two with small gaps! I just mention that it is always good to make your pins long enough that they will be slightly proud after assembly so you can use the technique in the blog and also so they don't wind up to short. Another tip is that if the gaps between the dovetails are too small for a router shaft, then there will be no doubt that they are hand cut. That's why we hand cut dovetails isn't it?

http://lumberjocks.com/stefang/blog/13049


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## Hoakie (May 8, 2007)

Hoakie said:


> *Inspired to do something new... Hand-cut Dovetails*
> 
> Is it odd that every time I get a new power tool to perform a task, I get an urge to try and do it by hand as well? Anyway it seems to happen to me a lot. This year I received a dovetail jig for Christmas and was up and running cutting half-blind dovetails in no time. However, I have been wanting to learn techniques working with hand tools for a long time to expand my arsenal.
> 
> ...


@stefang Thanks for the link I can imagine that it will come in handy someday. I'm really excited to try my hand at my set of dovetails tonight. I hope I'm not disappointed in the results….and if I am….try try again.


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## lumpy (Jan 12, 2011)

Hoakie said:


> *Inspired to do something new... Hand-cut Dovetails*
> 
> Is it odd that every time I get a new power tool to perform a task, I get an urge to try and do it by hand as well? Anyway it seems to happen to me a lot. This year I received a dovetail jig for Christmas and was up and running cutting half-blind dovetails in no time. However, I have been wanting to learn techniques working with hand tools for a long time to expand my arsenal.
> 
> ...


Frank Klaus had a video for hand cut dovetails. I've made a few boxes and cut by hand but it's much easier to use the jig.


----------



## swirt (Apr 6, 2010)

Hoakie said:


> *Inspired to do something new... Hand-cut Dovetails*
> 
> Is it odd that every time I get a new power tool to perform a task, I get an urge to try and do it by hand as well? Anyway it seems to happen to me a lot. This year I received a dovetail jig for Christmas and was up and running cutting half-blind dovetails in no time. However, I have been wanting to learn techniques working with hand tools for a long time to expand my arsenal.
> 
> ...


Hoakie that is a really nice progression. Just keep reminding yourself that the best lessons learned are learned as a result of a mistake.

Regarding the saw drifting on one cut more so than the other, it is likely your eye alignment but it is also possible your saw wanders a bit too as a result of more set on one side than the other. On you gent saw you can drag the side that it wanders toward, along a fine sharpening stone and it will decrease the set on that side.

I can't tell from your photos whether you are using a knife to lay out the tails and pins. I knife can have a big impact on your accuracy, just be sure to always face the knife bevel (or the part that leans) toward your waste side of the cut. It creates a little fence for your saw to start and track along.

Thanks for sharing this progression, it was fun to read and educational too.


----------



## Hoakie (May 8, 2007)

Hoakie said:


> *Inspired to do something new... Hand-cut Dovetails*
> 
> Is it odd that every time I get a new power tool to perform a task, I get an urge to try and do it by hand as well? Anyway it seems to happen to me a lot. This year I received a dovetail jig for Christmas and was up and running cutting half-blind dovetails in no time. However, I have been wanting to learn techniques working with hand tools for a long time to expand my arsenal.
> 
> ...


@Lumpy, yep, I saw his video…very impressive. I know it is easier to just use a jig, however I'm in it for pride in craftsmanship and learning new things. If am just making something functional or have a ton of them to do, I'd probably go for the jig as well.


----------



## Hoakie (May 8, 2007)

Hoakie said:


> *Inspired to do something new... Hand-cut Dovetails*
> 
> Is it odd that every time I get a new power tool to perform a task, I get an urge to try and do it by hand as well? Anyway it seems to happen to me a lot. This year I received a dovetail jig for Christmas and was up and running cutting half-blind dovetails in no time. However, I have been wanting to learn techniques working with hand tools for a long time to expand my arsenal.
> 
> ...


@swirt Thanks for the support and additional suggestions. I'll add them to the knowledge bank. I haven't been using a knife to layout the lines, just a pencil. I'll give it a shot tonight


----------



## swirt (Apr 6, 2010)

Hoakie said:


> *Inspired to do something new... Hand-cut Dovetails*
> 
> Is it odd that every time I get a new power tool to perform a task, I get an urge to try and do it by hand as well? Anyway it seems to happen to me a lot. This year I received a dovetail jig for Christmas and was up and running cutting half-blind dovetails in no time. However, I have been wanting to learn techniques working with hand tools for a long time to expand my arsenal.
> 
> ...


I just re-read my knife bevel description and realized it was a bit fuzzy.
Here is an image of what I mean. Hope this helps. It is enlarged to show the detail of the bevel direction.










You can use either method, depending on which works best for the kind of knife you have. If you have a cheap chisel you can sacrifice, grinding a skew on it can create a pretty good marking/striking knife.

Exacto knives work ok for marking, but the blades are too thin to create the necessary bevel imprint in the wood to let the saw track along it.


----------



## Hoakie (May 8, 2007)

Hoakie said:


> *Inspired to do something new... Hand-cut Dovetails*
> 
> Is it odd that every time I get a new power tool to perform a task, I get an urge to try and do it by hand as well? Anyway it seems to happen to me a lot. This year I received a dovetail jig for Christmas and was up and running cutting half-blind dovetails in no time. However, I have been wanting to learn techniques working with hand tools for a long time to expand my arsenal.
> 
> ...


Alright tonight I came home excited to test out my new cutting technique and implement some of the suggestions you guys have. The results were pretty fantastic if I do say so myself!!



















You can see that there are still some areas that could use some work. but by far the best ones yet. I still had to fuss a little more than I'd like to get it to all go together (still very tight fit) but not so much that I had to do any major surgery or pairing.

I think it is pretty neat that I was able to go from cutting sloppy malformed joints to pretty respectable joints in six days (eight attempts). Thanks all for you continued support, tips and suggestions. A few hundred more and I think I'll have it licked


----------



## superdav721 (Aug 16, 2010)

Hoakie said:


> *Inspired to do something new... Hand-cut Dovetails*
> 
> Is it odd that every time I get a new power tool to perform a task, I get an urge to try and do it by hand as well? Anyway it seems to happen to me a lot. This year I received a dovetail jig for Christmas and was up and running cutting half-blind dovetails in no time. However, I have been wanting to learn techniques working with hand tools for a long time to expand my arsenal.
> 
> ...


Very nice indeed. One more tip. Keep them tight. But there is always a but, On your dry fit if they are tight when you make up all four ends, be very careful on the dis-assembly. I have had major malfunctions taking them apart before the glue up. I also have made some calls that are cut out to go over the pins and just push on the pins. I love the is just a little uneven [on the lay out] that gives them a hand cut look.
my wife said "very nice that's a huge improvement"!


----------



## Gofor (Jan 12, 2008)

Hoakie said:


> *Inspired to do something new... Hand-cut Dovetails*
> 
> Is it odd that every time I get a new power tool to perform a task, I get an urge to try and do it by hand as well? Anyway it seems to happen to me a lot. This year I received a dovetail jig for Christmas and was up and running cutting half-blind dovetails in no time. However, I have been wanting to learn techniques working with hand tools for a long time to expand my arsenal.
> 
> ...


Now THAT's what I'm talkin' about!! Great job, and great advancement.

Don't stop now or you'll be starting over again (DAMHIKT)

Go


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## Hoakie (May 8, 2007)

Hoakie said:


> *Inspired to do something new... Hand-cut Dovetails*
> 
> Is it odd that every time I get a new power tool to perform a task, I get an urge to try and do it by hand as well? Anyway it seems to happen to me a lot. This year I received a dovetail jig for Christmas and was up and running cutting half-blind dovetails in no time. However, I have been wanting to learn techniques working with hand tools for a long time to expand my arsenal.
> 
> ...


Thanks guys. I'm still jazzed about the outcome. It definitely has given me a lot of confidence going forward and trying new things.


----------



## stefang (Apr 9, 2009)

Hoakie said:


> *Inspired to do something new... Hand-cut Dovetails*
> 
> Is it odd that every time I get a new power tool to perform a task, I get an urge to try and do it by hand as well? Anyway it seems to happen to me a lot. This year I received a dovetail jig for Christmas and was up and running cutting half-blind dovetails in no time. However, I have been wanting to learn techniques working with hand tools for a long time to expand my arsenal.
> 
> ...


This last one was really good John. It looks like you will be a master before you know it.


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## Hoakie (May 8, 2007)

Hoakie said:


> *Inspired to do something new... Hand-cut Dovetails*
> 
> Is it odd that every time I get a new power tool to perform a task, I get an urge to try and do it by hand as well? Anyway it seems to happen to me a lot. This year I received a dovetail jig for Christmas and was up and running cutting half-blind dovetails in no time. However, I have been wanting to learn techniques working with hand tools for a long time to expand my arsenal.
> 
> ...


Ok, it has been two months since I started this trek and tonight I reached a new milestone. I was finally able to assemble a dovetail right off the saw. And WOW that makes it nice to not have to worry about messing things up trying to get it to all fit together. There were a couple of small defects but over all pretty nice. Last month was really busy so didn't get much practice in but I'll try to get another couple weeks in before summer hits


----------



## superdav721 (Aug 16, 2010)

Hoakie said:


> *Inspired to do something new... Hand-cut Dovetails*
> 
> Is it odd that every time I get a new power tool to perform a task, I get an urge to try and do it by hand as well? Anyway it seems to happen to me a lot. This year I received a dovetail jig for Christmas and was up and running cutting half-blind dovetails in no time. However, I have been wanting to learn techniques working with hand tools for a long time to expand my arsenal.
> 
> ...


They look tight enough to hold water. Dude they look great. Really good. So what is the next skill for you to place in your woodworkers toolbox of knowledge? Here is one double beveled blind mitered. JK
John A plus job!


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## Hoakie (May 8, 2007)

Hoakie said:


> *Inspired to do something new... Hand-cut Dovetails*
> 
> Is it odd that every time I get a new power tool to perform a task, I get an urge to try and do it by hand as well? Anyway it seems to happen to me a lot. This year I received a dovetail jig for Christmas and was up and running cutting half-blind dovetails in no time. However, I have been wanting to learn techniques working with hand tools for a long time to expand my arsenal.
> 
> ...


Dave,

I think maybe I'll give half-blinds a shot first ....Baby steps


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## superdav721 (Aug 16, 2010)

Hoakie said:


> *Inspired to do something new... Hand-cut Dovetails*
> 
> Is it odd that every time I get a new power tool to perform a task, I get an urge to try and do it by hand as well? Anyway it seems to happen to me a lot. This year I received a dovetail jig for Christmas and was up and running cutting half-blind dovetails in no time. However, I have been wanting to learn techniques working with hand tools for a long time to expand my arsenal.
> 
> ...


John to me the layout of the end of the tail on the pin board. Was the hardest to get tight. But thats what glue and sawdust is for I also played with sawing past my layout lines on the pin board and it was easier on waste removal. And makes it look old school. I was joking about above joint. I dont think I have ever seen one. Think of the layout a double bevel full blind tail. There is no way I could lay it out much less cut it.


----------



## Kentuk55 (Sep 21, 2010)

Hoakie said:


> *Inspired to do something new... Hand-cut Dovetails*
> 
> Is it odd that every time I get a new power tool to perform a task, I get an urge to try and do it by hand as well? Anyway it seems to happen to me a lot. This year I received a dovetail jig for Christmas and was up and running cutting half-blind dovetails in no time. However, I have been wanting to learn techniques working with hand tools for a long time to expand my arsenal.
> 
> ...


lotsa gr8 input ya'll. I'll have ta come back fer some more good lessons.


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## Hoakie (May 8, 2007)

*Shop renovation #?? who knows lost count*

Ok, as some of you know or gathered from my electrical questions, I have been upgrading my shop once again. When we had our new deck built this summer, I had the electrician run a 40amp sub panel to my shop. You can read about it here. When all was said and done I ran a dedicated 20amp circuit to the DC and 2 independent 20 amp GFCI circuits (about 10 pair of duplex outlets) around the shop. I debated about how high to mount them. I know 48" is fairly standard, however, i do not have an 8" ceiling so i wanted to leave space to hang stuff on the walls without worrying about covering the outlets. I settled on 42" to the top of the box. this gave me just over 48" from the floor joists to the top of the outlet. it also made hanging the top row of dry wall easier. if I had to do it again I would probably have mounted them 42" to center of the box. As it is, the bottom of the box is @ 38" which is plenty high, even if I put a 36" work surface there. After the dry wall went up i wanted to have a way of easily configuring shop walls so I am in the process of hanging three rows of french cleat around the entire shop. I have each row spaced @14"

also notice the "built-in" nook for the jointer. i really didn't want to lose the extra 4" since it is a pretty tight walk way as is  All i have left are a few more strips of french cleat and rehang the DC plumbing, hopefully I'll time to make xmas presents….this is taking longer than i had hoped. You can see its previous state in my workshop pics














































Thanks for looking


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## superdav721 (Aug 16, 2010)

Hoakie said:


> *Shop renovation #?? who knows lost count*
> 
> Ok, as some of you know or gathered from my electrical questions, I have been upgrading my shop once again. When we had our new deck built this summer, I had the electrician run a 40amp sub panel to my shop. You can read about it here. When all was said and done I ran a dedicated 20amp circuit to the DC and 2 independent 20 amp GFCI circuits (about 10 pair of duplex outlets) around the shop. I debated about how high to mount them. I know 48" is fairly standard, however, i do not have an 8" ceiling so i wanted to leave space to hang stuff on the walls without worrying about covering the outlets. I settled on 42" to the top of the box. this gave me just over 48" from the floor joists to the top of the outlet. it also made hanging the top row of dry wall easier. if I had to do it again I would probably have mounted them 42" to center of the box. As it is, the bottom of the box is @ 38" which is plenty high, even if I put a 36" work surface there. After the dry wall went up i wanted to have a way of easily configuring shop walls so I am in the process of hanging three rows of french cleat around the entire shop. I have each row spaced @14"
> 
> ...


Wow I like the french cleats. Its looking very clean, needs sawdust, planer shavings and empty coffee cups. All kidding aside, John coming along well. The nook is cool to.


----------



## Smitty_Cabinetshop (Mar 26, 2011)

Hoakie said:


> *Shop renovation #?? who knows lost count*
> 
> Ok, as some of you know or gathered from my electrical questions, I have been upgrading my shop once again. When we had our new deck built this summer, I had the electrician run a 40amp sub panel to my shop. You can read about it here. When all was said and done I ran a dedicated 20amp circuit to the DC and 2 independent 20 amp GFCI circuits (about 10 pair of duplex outlets) around the shop. I debated about how high to mount them. I know 48" is fairly standard, however, i do not have an 8" ceiling so i wanted to leave space to hang stuff on the walls without worrying about covering the outlets. I settled on 42" to the top of the box. this gave me just over 48" from the floor joists to the top of the outlet. it also made hanging the top row of dry wall easier. if I had to do it again I would probably have mounted them 42" to center of the box. As it is, the bottom of the box is @ 38" which is plenty high, even if I put a 36" work surface there. After the dry wall went up i wanted to have a way of easily configuring shop walls so I am in the process of hanging three rows of french cleat around the entire shop. I have each row spaced @14"
> 
> ...


That is way cool! And that's not coffee in that brown bottle, now, is it? <grin>


----------



## ShaneA (Apr 15, 2011)

Hoakie said:


> *Shop renovation #?? who knows lost count*
> 
> Ok, as some of you know or gathered from my electrical questions, I have been upgrading my shop once again. When we had our new deck built this summer, I had the electrician run a 40amp sub panel to my shop. You can read about it here. When all was said and done I ran a dedicated 20amp circuit to the DC and 2 independent 20 amp GFCI circuits (about 10 pair of duplex outlets) around the shop. I debated about how high to mount them. I know 48" is fairly standard, however, i do not have an 8" ceiling so i wanted to leave space to hang stuff on the walls without worrying about covering the outlets. I settled on 42" to the top of the box. this gave me just over 48" from the floor joists to the top of the outlet. it also made hanging the top row of dry wall easier. if I had to do it again I would probably have mounted them 42" to center of the box. As it is, the bottom of the box is @ 38" which is plenty high, even if I put a 36" work surface there. After the dry wall went up i wanted to have a way of easily configuring shop walls so I am in the process of hanging three rows of french cleat around the entire shop. I have each row spaced @14"
> 
> ...


Looks like a great work space, may it serve you well on the years to come. I like the french cleats, very versatile, should make arranging/rearranging wall storage easy to maximize your work flow.


----------



## KTMM (Aug 28, 2009)

Hoakie said:


> *Shop renovation #?? who knows lost count*
> 
> Ok, as some of you know or gathered from my electrical questions, I have been upgrading my shop once again. When we had our new deck built this summer, I had the electrician run a 40amp sub panel to my shop. You can read about it here. When all was said and done I ran a dedicated 20amp circuit to the DC and 2 independent 20 amp GFCI circuits (about 10 pair of duplex outlets) around the shop. I debated about how high to mount them. I know 48" is fairly standard, however, i do not have an 8" ceiling so i wanted to leave space to hang stuff on the walls without worrying about covering the outlets. I settled on 42" to the top of the box. this gave me just over 48" from the floor joists to the top of the outlet. it also made hanging the top row of dry wall easier. if I had to do it again I would probably have mounted them 42" to center of the box. As it is, the bottom of the box is @ 38" which is plenty high, even if I put a 36" work surface there. After the dry wall went up i wanted to have a way of easily configuring shop walls so I am in the process of hanging three rows of french cleat around the entire shop. I have each row spaced @14"
> 
> ...


Wow, I guess I need to update my workshop pics since it's getting pretty empty now…..


----------



## Hoakie (May 8, 2007)

Hoakie said:


> *Shop renovation #?? who knows lost count*
> 
> Ok, as some of you know or gathered from my electrical questions, I have been upgrading my shop once again. When we had our new deck built this summer, I had the electrician run a 40amp sub panel to my shop. You can read about it here. When all was said and done I ran a dedicated 20amp circuit to the DC and 2 independent 20 amp GFCI circuits (about 10 pair of duplex outlets) around the shop. I debated about how high to mount them. I know 48" is fairly standard, however, i do not have an 8" ceiling so i wanted to leave space to hang stuff on the walls without worrying about covering the outlets. I settled on 42" to the top of the box. this gave me just over 48" from the floor joists to the top of the outlet. it also made hanging the top row of dry wall easier. if I had to do it again I would probably have mounted them 42" to center of the box. As it is, the bottom of the box is @ 38" which is plenty high, even if I put a 36" work surface there. After the dry wall went up i wanted to have a way of easily configuring shop walls so I am in the process of hanging three rows of french cleat around the entire shop. I have each row spaced @14"
> 
> ...


LOL @ Smitty, that is my post night's work celebration bottle . It helps me plan the next night's work and sleep well too


----------



## Hoakie (May 8, 2007)

*Go Big or Go Home?*

Two years after purchasing my last big tool (Rikon 10-325), I saved enough for my latest purchase, the Delta 18-900L 18-Inch Laser Drill Press. I've started putting aside $25 a month + any gift cards etc. to save for major tool purchases and it has worked really well and makes it easier to justify to SWMBO.

Since I'm relatively young and plan on doing this woodworking thing a while, I've decided to adopt the philosophy of trying to buy quality tools that will last a long time and leave me with few regrets. I debated about purchasing this tool for a long time since there are many options that are cheaper, however I really didn't want to be sitting around in a couple years regretting that I had compromised on some features. In particular, I wanted a large work surface, wide speed range, and large quill stroke. From all the positive reviews and looking at it along side the Powermatic and several other models at the Woodsmith store, I am sure I won't be disappointed. I'll post a review when I get it set up. In the mean time I'll be tracking it's progress across the country


----------



## superdav721 (Aug 16, 2010)

Hoakie said:


> *Go Big or Go Home?*
> 
> Two years after purchasing my last big tool (Rikon 10-325), I saved enough for my latest purchase, the Delta 18-900L 18-Inch Laser Drill Press. I've started putting aside $25 a month + any gift cards etc. to save for major tool purchases and it has worked really well and makes it easier to justify to SWMBO.
> 
> Since I'm relatively young and plan on doing this woodworking thing a while, I've decided to adopt the philosophy of trying to buy quality tools that will last a long time and leave me with few regrets. I debated about purchasing this tool for a long time since there are many options that are cheaper, however I really didn't want to be sitting around in a couple years regretting that I had compromised on some features. In particular, I wanted a large work surface, wide speed range, and large quill stroke. From all the positive reviews and looking at it along side the Powermatic and several other models at the Woodsmith store, I am sure I won't be disappointed. I'll post a review when I get it set up. In the mean time I'll be tracking it's progress across the country


Great John I can't wait to see it. Good things come to those who wait. A piece at a time.
Now for me if the tools are to precise it will show the human error in my design.


----------



## stefang (Apr 9, 2009)

Hoakie said:


> *Go Big or Go Home?*
> 
> Two years after purchasing my last big tool (Rikon 10-325), I saved enough for my latest purchase, the Delta 18-900L 18-Inch Laser Drill Press. I've started putting aside $25 a month + any gift cards etc. to save for major tool purchases and it has worked really well and makes it easier to justify to SWMBO.
> 
> Since I'm relatively young and plan on doing this woodworking thing a while, I've decided to adopt the philosophy of trying to buy quality tools that will last a long time and leave me with few regrets. I debated about purchasing this tool for a long time since there are many options that are cheaper, however I really didn't want to be sitting around in a couple years regretting that I had compromised on some features. In particular, I wanted a large work surface, wide speed range, and large quill stroke. From all the positive reviews and looking at it along side the Powermatic and several other models at the Woodsmith store, I am sure I won't be disappointed. I'll post a review when I get it set up. In the mean time I'll be tracking it's progress across the country


I totally agree with your philosophy of purchasing quality tools John, and I am not a rich guy saying that. Good or top quality tools are the cheapest in the shop in the long run, and the satisfaction factor is priceless!


----------



## helluvawreck (Jul 21, 2010)

Hoakie said:


> *Go Big or Go Home?*
> 
> Two years after purchasing my last big tool (Rikon 10-325), I saved enough for my latest purchase, the Delta 18-900L 18-Inch Laser Drill Press. I've started putting aside $25 a month + any gift cards etc. to save for major tool purchases and it has worked really well and makes it easier to justify to SWMBO.
> 
> Since I'm relatively young and plan on doing this woodworking thing a while, I've decided to adopt the philosophy of trying to buy quality tools that will last a long time and leave me with few regrets. I debated about purchasing this tool for a long time since there are many options that are cheaper, however I really didn't want to be sitting around in a couple years regretting that I had compromised on some features. In particular, I wanted a large work surface, wide speed range, and large quill stroke. From all the positive reviews and looking at it along side the Powermatic and several other models at the Woodsmith store, I am sure I won't be disappointed. I'll post a review when I get it set up. In the mean time I'll be tracking it's progress across the country


For those who can afford to buy several good tools at a time, it can be wise to purchase you a package deal from a commercial dealer that services furniture plants, cabinet shops, and serious woodworkers across a 150 mile radius area. If they know that you are serious about purchasing a package deal they are very creative at cutting their prices when they sharpen their pencils. That's the way I bought my large machines. Before deciding on a dealer I negotiated with every one that I could locate within a reasonable distance. I paid no freight and the whole package was delivered to my shop door on their truck with a tailgate lift and set where I wanted it to go. What needed to be put together they didn't assemble for me but they did carefully uncrate every machine and help me check for any noticeable damage and then hauled off the crates and all packing materials.

helluvawreck
http://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com/


----------



## Hoakie (May 8, 2007)

*Shop Tour*

A quick tour of my shop


----------



## superdav721 (Aug 16, 2010)

Hoakie said:


> *Shop Tour*
> 
> A quick tour of my shop


A great tour John. I enjoyed it. You were in depth but short a sweet.You are building a very nice set of tools. I do love wrapping the whole shop in french cleat. I am jealous of your square footage. Compared to mine you got a ponderosa. Great video I enjoyed it. Tag this on your shop on your home page.


----------



## Trev_Batstone (Jul 29, 2011)

Hoakie said:


> *Shop Tour*
> 
> A quick tour of my shop


Thanks for the tour and a lovely shop as well. I wish I had that much space. Happy woodworking!


----------



## JL7 (Apr 13, 2010)

Hoakie said:


> *Shop Tour*
> 
> A quick tour of my shop


Hey John - great tour - great shop! Love grandpas saw, that will always be a special tool….the french cleats are sweet and the file cabinet o' wood is is a nice touch! Oh - that Jet spindle sander for $125 is SWEET…....Take it easy on the fingers with the chisels and thanks for sharing…..

Jeff


----------



## woodtimes (Jun 14, 2007)

Hoakie said:


> *Shop Tour*
> 
> A quick tour of my shop


Nice tour and shop!


----------



## Viking (Aug 26, 2009)

Hoakie said:


> *Shop Tour*
> 
> A quick tour of my shop


John;

Thanks for the well done shop tour. You have a great layout to be creative with. Have the same Rikon bandsaw and it is one of my most used tools after my table saw.

Looking forward to more projects from this excellent shop.


----------



## stefang (Apr 9, 2009)

Hoakie said:


> *Shop Tour*
> 
> A quick tour of my shop


Hi John, Looks like a well equipped and nicely organized shop. I especially like the french cleats. I can imagine you will get a lot of use out of them. Thanks for the tour!


----------



## Beginningwoodworker (May 5, 2008)

Hoakie said:


> *Shop Tour*
> 
> A quick tour of my shop


John, thats a nice workshop!


----------



## Hoakie (May 8, 2007)

Hoakie said:


> *Shop Tour*
> 
> A quick tour of my shop


Thanks all, it has been quite a journey over the past few years. I keep plugging away and will update as I get the rest of the organization together


----------



## steliart (Jan 15, 2011)

Hoakie said:


> *Shop Tour*
> 
> A quick tour of my shop


very nice shop, thanks for the tour


----------



## Hoakie (May 8, 2007)

*....Moving on....*

Well I finally got my shop setup somewhat like I wanted…..now it is time to move. SWMBO and I built a new house and start moving in this weekend. Like my current shop, the new one will be in the basement. I will have windows and a walk out access that will make it feel less like a dungeon. The downside (or upside, depending on how you look at it) is that it is a completely clean slate, no framed walls, now outlets, no nothing. I look at my current shop as a test run for my next (hopefully final) shop. I learned a lot about what I like and do not like so I should be in good shape and excited to get to work.

I will be blogging about the progress over the course of the year. The space is approximately 20' x 30'


----------



## Kentuk55 (Sep 21, 2010)

Hoakie said:


> *....Moving on....*
> 
> Well I finally got my shop setup somewhat like I wanted…..now it is time to move. SWMBO and I built a new house and start moving in this weekend. Like my current shop, the new one will be in the basement. I will have windows and a walk out access that will make it feel less like a dungeon. The downside (or upside, depending on how you look at it) is that it is a completely clean slate, no framed walls, now outlets, no nothing. I look at my current shop as a test run for my next (hopefully final) shop. I learned a lot about what I like and do not like so I should be in good shape and excited to get to work.
> 
> I will be blogging about the progress over the course of the year. The space is approximately 20' x 30'


New space, new shop, is always fun to setup.


----------



## whitebeast88 (May 27, 2012)

Hoakie said:


> *....Moving on....*
> 
> Well I finally got my shop setup somewhat like I wanted…..now it is time to move. SWMBO and I built a new house and start moving in this weekend. Like my current shop, the new one will be in the basement. I will have windows and a walk out access that will make it feel less like a dungeon. The downside (or upside, depending on how you look at it) is that it is a completely clean slate, no framed walls, now outlets, no nothing. I look at my current shop as a test run for my next (hopefully final) shop. I learned a lot about what I like and do not like so I should be in good shape and excited to get to work.
> 
> I will be blogging about the progress over the course of the year. The space is approximately 20' x 30'


congrats on the new house and shop.keep us updated on your progress.


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## superdav721 (Aug 16, 2010)

Hoakie said:


> *....Moving on....*
> 
> Well I finally got my shop setup somewhat like I wanted…..now it is time to move. SWMBO and I built a new house and start moving in this weekend. Like my current shop, the new one will be in the basement. I will have windows and a walk out access that will make it feel less like a dungeon. The downside (or upside, depending on how you look at it) is that it is a completely clean slate, no framed walls, now outlets, no nothing. I look at my current shop as a test run for my next (hopefully final) shop. I learned a lot about what I like and do not like so I should be in good shape and excited to get to work.
> 
> I will be blogging about the progress over the course of the year. The space is approximately 20' x 30'


Hello stranger.
I cant wait.
Bring on the pictures.


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## stefang (Apr 9, 2009)

Hoakie said:


> *....Moving on....*
> 
> Well I finally got my shop setup somewhat like I wanted…..now it is time to move. SWMBO and I built a new house and start moving in this weekend. Like my current shop, the new one will be in the basement. I will have windows and a walk out access that will make it feel less like a dungeon. The downside (or upside, depending on how you look at it) is that it is a completely clean slate, no framed walls, now outlets, no nothing. I look at my current shop as a test run for my next (hopefully final) shop. I learned a lot about what I like and do not like so I should be in good shape and excited to get to work.
> 
> I will be blogging about the progress over the course of the year. The space is approximately 20' x 30'


Congratulations on your new home John. I'm sure you will make an even better shop based on what you've learned from the old one. That said, a shop is never optimal as most of us find new woodworking interests and we have to constantly alter our shops to keep up with the changing needs.


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