# 3 Girls & A Woodworker



## John_G (Jan 12, 2011)

*Introduction*

First off let me start by introducing myself. My name is John Gray, i'm currently 33 years old and live in Spencerport New York. I've been married to the love of my life for 7 years now and have 2 beautiful daughters (hence the title of my blog "3 girls and a woodworker"). I guess i've been into wood working for most of my life, i grew up with a dad that spent a lot of time in the workshop building things. He worked primarily with pine (becasue it was cheap) and made some wonderfull things. He was a handi-man and could fix anything one way or another. Growing up i can remember spending time in the shop with him, or even by myself, just playing with tools, learning how to use them…and just banging nails….
After high school i went into building houses. Barley making it thru high school i dind't have alot of options….but i knew my entire life i wanted to be a carpenter, so i gave it a shot. I LOVED building houses, but after a year at it and going thru a NE winter i was starting to "wake-up" and realize that i wasn't going to do this for the rest of my life….. Community College was my only choice, so i went to Finger Lake Community College for Architecture. I wanted to stay in the field or carpentry/building somehow… Fast forward 13 years a few jobs later and i'm currently an architect here in upstate NY.
When my wife and i bought our first house i knew i had to have a shop. My first house was pretty small, my head literally graced the bottoms of the floor joists in the basement as i walked around, and i had to duck under all the ductwork. BUT i began the beginning of my shop. It seemed like every chance i got i was buying tools. At the time my wife worked at Sears and therfore i got really great deals on tools. I was very happy with the "craftsman professional" line of tools. as my tool colection grew so did my need to find projects….. I was in that house for 7 years. I put 16'x16' deck on it and instaleed a 7' slider on the back wall of the house. I re-roofed the entire house with a crew of friends and did endless upgrades to the house. After 7 years and 2 daughters my oldest was about to begin kindergarten and we wanted her in a better school district so it was time to move….
My current house out in Spencerport NY is…..lets called it an empty dirty rough canvas..lol..it has endless possibilities. And this time i got a real shop. 3/4 of a basement that is roughly 20'x20'. I've began building my new shop (pix will come). 
So what do i plan to do with this blog….well i've never had a blog, but i'm always taking step by step pictures of every project i do. I LOVE this site and all the other LJ projects on here. I hope to share with all of you my woodworking adventures. I'd love some C&C back…..and i'm always looking for opinions on my work and ways to better it. I hope by sharing all this with you and having all of you respond my quality of work will escalate.
Well i think that's enough rambeling for one day…..next is to start getting some projects posted that i've already built over the years and start posting some current ones as well. I look forward to hearing from all of you…..

A Fellow Lumberjock,
John Gray


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## superstretch (Jan 10, 2011)

John_G said:


> *Introduction*
> 
> First off let me start by introducing myself. My name is John Gray, i'm currently 33 years old and live in Spencerport New York. I've been married to the love of my life for 7 years now and have 2 beautiful daughters (hence the title of my blog "3 girls and a woodworker"). I guess i've been into wood working for most of my life, i grew up with a dad that spent a lot of time in the workshop building things. He worked primarily with pine (becasue it was cheap) and made some wonderfull things. He was a handi-man and could fix anything one way or another. Growing up i can remember spending time in the shop with him, or even by myself, just playing with tools, learning how to use them…and just banging nails….
> After high school i went into building houses. Barley making it thru high school i dind't have alot of options….but i knew my entire life i wanted to be a carpenter, so i gave it a shot. I LOVED building houses, but after a year at it and going thru a NE winter i was starting to "wake-up" and realize that i wasn't going to do this for the rest of my life….. Community College was my only choice, so i went to Finger Lake Community College for Architecture. I wanted to stay in the field or carpentry/building somehow… Fast forward 13 years a few jobs later and i'm currently an architect here in upstate NY.
> ...


Welcome John, I'm also in the 14559-ye olde Town Pump area. Welcome to Lumberjocks and perhaps our paths will cross at some point


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## DerekL (Aug 18, 2008)

John_G said:


> *Introduction*
> 
> First off let me start by introducing myself. My name is John Gray, i'm currently 33 years old and live in Spencerport New York. I've been married to the love of my life for 7 years now and have 2 beautiful daughters (hence the title of my blog "3 girls and a woodworker"). I guess i've been into wood working for most of my life, i grew up with a dad that spent a lot of time in the workshop building things. He worked primarily with pine (becasue it was cheap) and made some wonderfull things. He was a handi-man and could fix anything one way or another. Growing up i can remember spending time in the shop with him, or even by myself, just playing with tools, learning how to use them…and just banging nails….
> After high school i went into building houses. Barley making it thru high school i dind't have alot of options….but i knew my entire life i wanted to be a carpenter, so i gave it a shot. I LOVED building houses, but after a year at it and going thru a NE winter i was starting to "wake-up" and realize that i wasn't going to do this for the rest of my life….. Community College was my only choice, so i went to Finger Lake Community College for Architecture. I wanted to stay in the field or carpentry/building somehow… Fast forward 13 years a few jobs later and i'm currently an architect here in upstate NY.
> ...


Welcome John! However, may I say that paragraphs make your writing much more readable.


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## woodspark (May 8, 2010)

John_G said:


> *Introduction*
> 
> First off let me start by introducing myself. My name is John Gray, i'm currently 33 years old and live in Spencerport New York. I've been married to the love of my life for 7 years now and have 2 beautiful daughters (hence the title of my blog "3 girls and a woodworker"). I guess i've been into wood working for most of my life, i grew up with a dad that spent a lot of time in the workshop building things. He worked primarily with pine (becasue it was cheap) and made some wonderfull things. He was a handi-man and could fix anything one way or another. Growing up i can remember spending time in the shop with him, or even by myself, just playing with tools, learning how to use them…and just banging nails….
> After high school i went into building houses. Barley making it thru high school i dind't have alot of options….but i knew my entire life i wanted to be a carpenter, so i gave it a shot. I LOVED building houses, but after a year at it and going thru a NE winter i was starting to "wake-up" and realize that i wasn't going to do this for the rest of my life….. Community College was my only choice, so i went to Finger Lake Community College for Architecture. I wanted to stay in the field or carpentry/building somehow… Fast forward 13 years a few jobs later and i'm currently an architect here in upstate NY.
> ...


Hey, welcome from another woodworker with 3 girls!


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## sbryan55 (Dec 8, 2007)

John_G said:


> *Introduction*
> 
> First off let me start by introducing myself. My name is John Gray, i'm currently 33 years old and live in Spencerport New York. I've been married to the love of my life for 7 years now and have 2 beautiful daughters (hence the title of my blog "3 girls and a woodworker"). I guess i've been into wood working for most of my life, i grew up with a dad that spent a lot of time in the workshop building things. He worked primarily with pine (becasue it was cheap) and made some wonderfull things. He was a handi-man and could fix anything one way or another. Growing up i can remember spending time in the shop with him, or even by myself, just playing with tools, learning how to use them…and just banging nails….
> After high school i went into building houses. Barley making it thru high school i dind't have alot of options….but i knew my entire life i wanted to be a carpenter, so i gave it a shot. I LOVED building houses, but after a year at it and going thru a NE winter i was starting to "wake-up" and realize that i wasn't going to do this for the rest of my life….. Community College was my only choice, so i went to Finger Lake Community College for Architecture. I wanted to stay in the field or carpentry/building somehow… Fast forward 13 years a few jobs later and i'm currently an architect here in upstate NY.
> ...


Thanks for the intro, John. Let me add my welcome as well.


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## woody57 (Jan 6, 2009)

John_G said:


> *Introduction*
> 
> First off let me start by introducing myself. My name is John Gray, i'm currently 33 years old and live in Spencerport New York. I've been married to the love of my life for 7 years now and have 2 beautiful daughters (hence the title of my blog "3 girls and a woodworker"). I guess i've been into wood working for most of my life, i grew up with a dad that spent a lot of time in the workshop building things. He worked primarily with pine (becasue it was cheap) and made some wonderfull things. He was a handi-man and could fix anything one way or another. Growing up i can remember spending time in the shop with him, or even by myself, just playing with tools, learning how to use them…and just banging nails….
> After high school i went into building houses. Barley making it thru high school i dind't have alot of options….but i knew my entire life i wanted to be a carpenter, so i gave it a shot. I LOVED building houses, but after a year at it and going thru a NE winter i was starting to "wake-up" and realize that i wasn't going to do this for the rest of my life….. Community College was my only choice, so i went to Finger Lake Community College for Architecture. I wanted to stay in the field or carpentry/building somehow… Fast forward 13 years a few jobs later and i'm currently an architect here in upstate NY.
> ...


Welcome to LJ's 
Glad you're finally getting a real shop
Looking forward to seeing some good projects


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## toolchap (May 28, 2010)

John_G said:


> *Introduction*
> 
> First off let me start by introducing myself. My name is John Gray, i'm currently 33 years old and live in Spencerport New York. I've been married to the love of my life for 7 years now and have 2 beautiful daughters (hence the title of my blog "3 girls and a woodworker"). I guess i've been into wood working for most of my life, i grew up with a dad that spent a lot of time in the workshop building things. He worked primarily with pine (becasue it was cheap) and made some wonderfull things. He was a handi-man and could fix anything one way or another. Growing up i can remember spending time in the shop with him, or even by myself, just playing with tools, learning how to use them…and just banging nails….
> After high school i went into building houses. Barley making it thru high school i dind't have alot of options….but i knew my entire life i wanted to be a carpenter, so i gave it a shot. I LOVED building houses, but after a year at it and going thru a NE winter i was starting to "wake-up" and realize that i wasn't going to do this for the rest of my life….. Community College was my only choice, so i went to Finger Lake Community College for Architecture. I wanted to stay in the field or carpentry/building somehow… Fast forward 13 years a few jobs later and i'm currently an architect here in upstate NY.
> ...


May it be a growing and enriching experience for you….ever widening.


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## Blondewood (Mar 30, 2009)

John_G said:


> *Introduction*
> 
> First off let me start by introducing myself. My name is John Gray, i'm currently 33 years old and live in Spencerport New York. I've been married to the love of my life for 7 years now and have 2 beautiful daughters (hence the title of my blog "3 girls and a woodworker"). I guess i've been into wood working for most of my life, i grew up with a dad that spent a lot of time in the workshop building things. He worked primarily with pine (becasue it was cheap) and made some wonderfull things. He was a handi-man and could fix anything one way or another. Growing up i can remember spending time in the shop with him, or even by myself, just playing with tools, learning how to use them…and just banging nails….
> After high school i went into building houses. Barley making it thru high school i dind't have alot of options….but i knew my entire life i wanted to be a carpenter, so i gave it a shot. I LOVED building houses, but after a year at it and going thru a NE winter i was starting to "wake-up" and realize that i wasn't going to do this for the rest of my life….. Community College was my only choice, so i went to Finger Lake Community College for Architecture. I wanted to stay in the field or carpentry/building somehow… Fast forward 13 years a few jobs later and i'm currently an architect here in upstate NY.
> ...


Welcome John and thanks for the delightful back story. I feel like I know you a bit. I'm looking forward to shop pics. I think you are going to be a great addition to the group!
Vicki


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## John_G (Jan 12, 2011)

*Shed Doors*

Well i was given the task of creating new shed doors for my daughter cooperitive nursery school. There budget was "zero", lol. SO i made it all out of scraps i had laying around from when i built my deck a few years back. And ofcourse being a fellow LJ i couldn't just make plain old boring doors now could it…..lol…..









-This was the original door…..









-Here was all my rough stock, a ton of PT lumber laying around in the loft of my garage…..









-All my stock cut down to size for the rails and stiles









-Next was to route rabbits on all the pieces, the sides were standard the tops like this were extra deep… WHY you may ask….









-In order to cut arches in the top….and still have anough room for a sheet or plywood to sit in that rabbit….









-Time to add biscuts to all the corners…...









-Frame all put together….not to shabby lookin….the PT actually wasn't all that bad to work with either. I was a bit nervous routing it and stuff with it being such a soft and wide grained…..









-After putting in the plywood back panel i decided to add a cross member as well….i think i was going for that "barn door" look at this time…









-Then i thought i'd make some letters for the school name to put at the bottom of the doors. The school, Irondequoit Cooperitive Nursery School or ICNS as it's known…..









-Sand them up and clean up the cuts….









-And there we have it ICNS, i believe they were 3/4 sanded plywood, again from scraps i had laying around…..









-Once they were glued and nailed from behind to the doors it was time to get some paint on them. Thought i would recruit some help from the ICNS student (ie my daughter)....









-Here they are all painted up (and up-side-down).....









And heres the final shot, all hung. I decided to paint the letters a different color as well. It's been a cpl years now and the doors are still doing great, i'm guessing they'll outlive the shed….lol. This was a great project, a little something to leave my mark at a great school…....


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## Dez (Mar 28, 2007)

John_G said:


> *Shed Doors*
> 
> Well i was given the task of creating new shed doors for my daughter cooperitive nursery school. There budget was "zero", lol. SO i made it all out of scraps i had laying around from when i built my deck a few years back. And ofcourse being a fellow LJ i couldn't just make plain old boring doors now could it…..lol…..
> 
> ...


Nice job! Cute helper! Reminds me of my little helper!


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## JeremyM (Jan 25, 2011)

John_G said:


> *Shed Doors*
> 
> Well i was given the task of creating new shed doors for my daughter cooperitive nursery school. There budget was "zero", lol. SO i made it all out of scraps i had laying around from when i built my deck a few years back. And ofcourse being a fellow LJ i couldn't just make plain old boring doors now could it…..lol…..
> 
> ...


Great job, its so much fun working with kids.


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## RonPeters (Jul 7, 2010)

John_G said:


> *Shed Doors*
> 
> Well i was given the task of creating new shed doors for my daughter cooperitive nursery school. There budget was "zero", lol. SO i made it all out of scraps i had laying around from when i built my deck a few years back. And ofcourse being a fellow LJ i couldn't just make plain old boring doors now could it…..lol…..
> 
> ...


It's always nice to make it better than it was!


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## Blondewood (Mar 30, 2009)

John_G said:


> *Shed Doors*
> 
> Well i was given the task of creating new shed doors for my daughter cooperitive nursery school. There budget was "zero", lol. SO i made it all out of scraps i had laying around from when i built my deck a few years back. And ofcourse being a fellow LJ i couldn't just make plain old boring doors now could it…..lol…..
> 
> ...


Those are really nice doors. I love that you took the extra time to "dress them up" with the arches and initials. That's a real classy treatment for a mere shed. ;o)


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## MsDebbieP (Jan 4, 2007)

John_G said:


> *Shed Doors*
> 
> Well i was given the task of creating new shed doors for my daughter cooperitive nursery school. There budget was "zero", lol. SO i made it all out of scraps i had laying around from when i built my deck a few years back. And ofcourse being a fellow LJ i couldn't just make plain old boring doors now could it…..lol…..
> 
> ...


nice job.. great blog and wonderful assistant


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## lilredweldingrod (Nov 23, 2009)

John_G said:


> *Shed Doors*
> 
> Well i was given the task of creating new shed doors for my daughter cooperitive nursery school. There budget was "zero", lol. SO i made it all out of scraps i had laying around from when i built my deck a few years back. And ofcourse being a fellow LJ i couldn't just make plain old boring doors now could it…..lol…..
> 
> ...


First, let me say Welcome to Lumberjocks and apologize for the belated welcome. New members are coming on board to fast for me to keep up. lol
It is obvious that you are a Lumberjock with the great build on the doors. And a great dad, getting the girls involved. We have some, if not the best woodworking ladies on here, too; so your girls will fit right in.
BTW, your scrap lumber is prime where I live. lol Rand


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## christopheralan (Mar 19, 2008)

John_G said:


> *Shed Doors*
> 
> Well i was given the task of creating new shed doors for my daughter cooperitive nursery school. There budget was "zero", lol. SO i made it all out of scraps i had laying around from when i built my deck a few years back. And ofcourse being a fellow LJ i couldn't just make plain old boring doors now could it…..lol…..
> 
> ...


Well done! Great blog and great photos!


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## John_G (Jan 12, 2011)

*Project Budgets - Is it about your wallet or your location*

I've been a LJ now for awhile, and even before i joined i was constantly on the site looking at projects. There were always things that i admired about every project, beginner or advanced. 
- quality of work, even the beginner has areas of great skill
- the creativity of the projects, especialy art boxes, simply mazing
- the different species of wood being used

As i get into woodworking more and more and want to experiment with different species i began noticing the cost of some exotics. Then i began to think back…. didn't i see an entire workbench made of this, or a router table, or something large made from an exotic.
I started to wonder if some LJ out there were just independently wealthy. I have a hard time coming up with 100.00 for a project, and i was looking at projects in the 1000.00's and they were bench's for the workshop. Could it be true that in some areas of the US and world that some lumber is not as expensive as others?
I'm very curious (without prying to much) on how my fellow LJ's go about purchasing there lumber, is it online, local mills, yourown backyard. What are you paying for your wood, do you have a budget for projects. Even those making cutting boards, 4 or 5 of them with exotics can put you in the hundreds…..
Just curious, don't mean to pry into personal finances of anyone…...

Keep up the great work everyone, Pine or Padauk it's all wood….


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## Bertha (Jan 10, 2011)

John_G said:


> *Project Budgets - Is it about your wallet or your location*
> 
> I've been a LJ now for awhile, and even before i joined i was constantly on the site looking at projects. There were always things that i admired about every project, beginner or advanced.
> - quality of work, even the beginner has areas of great skill
> ...


I've wondered the same thing. I've got a pretty respectable hobby budget but some of the projects I see here are far beyond. A big veneer project, I can understand; but a lot of these guys are building large pieces with solid exotics. I had great exotic availability in LA, some in TN, and none in WV. I'm now building out of stuff that grows on the hills here. If you figure it out, let me know!


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## MikeGager (Jun 15, 2009)

John_G said:


> *Project Budgets - Is it about your wallet or your location*
> 
> I've been a LJ now for awhile, and even before i joined i was constantly on the site looking at projects. There were always things that i admired about every project, beginner or advanced.
> - quality of work, even the beginner has areas of great skill
> ...


ive wondered the same thing

after spending what i think is quite a large sum of money on the tools i need for this hobby i really dont have the budget to by the wood i would like to get for certain projects. ive never actually bought hardwood lumber from a supplier other the home depot. ive never been able to afford too!

for instance right now im trying to figure out how to come up with extra cash to make some adirondack chairs. i just plan on using treated lumber but still its going to be about $60 for 2 chairs. to me thats a lot!

if id known how much this hobby costs i probably would have thought against starting it lol


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## Bertha (Jan 10, 2011)

John_G said:


> *Project Budgets - Is it about your wallet or your location*
> 
> I've been a LJ now for awhile, and even before i joined i was constantly on the site looking at projects. There were always things that i admired about every project, beginner or advanced.
> - quality of work, even the beginner has areas of great skill
> ...


I think it probably has more to do with location. In Louisiana, I could get cypress for $1 a board foot because it was so abundant. I see CL offers all the time here in WV for walnut trees (you move it, you keep it kind of thing). I think the guys with huge stashes have an in on a mill. Some others just spend a lot of money on wood, I suppose. I've ordered online before & was happy with the product; but it wasn't cheap.


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## longgone (May 5, 2009)

John_G said:


> *Project Budgets - Is it about your wallet or your location*
> 
> I've been a LJ now for awhile, and even before i joined i was constantly on the site looking at projects. There were always things that i admired about every project, beginner or advanced.
> - quality of work, even the beginner has areas of great skill
> ...


I get lumber from numerous sources…craigslist, local lumberyards, online purchases from lumberyards, local individuals with a mill and just asking around and scavenging. A while back I went to a gagage sale and a lady was selling lumber that her husband had stored for years in the garage. I bought over 100 bd. ft. of walnut for $80. Great deals are always out there…you just always have to be on the lookout.


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## wilterbeast (Feb 23, 2011)

John_G said:


> *Project Budgets - Is it about your wallet or your location*
> 
> I've been a LJ now for awhile, and even before i joined i was constantly on the site looking at projects. There were always things that i admired about every project, beginner or advanced.
> - quality of work, even the beginner has areas of great skill
> ...


I found her in ohio craigs list has got some deals, i bought 300 bdft of figured walnut for 300$! It so pretty im scared to use it. But it is all 8/4. Oak from the mill i go to is pretty standard at 3$ a bdft. ( i hate oak though) it not suprising to me that different regions have better prices than others with the cost of shipping. And i would never dream of going to a box store to buy lumber for my projects, their prices are crazy! I like to think that i got into woodworking cause i could build a better quality piece of furniture for less than i can buy one from the store, not saying that its gonna be cheap but for around the same money i can build it better than i can buy it.


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## Bertha (Jan 10, 2011)

John_G said:


> *Project Budgets - Is it about your wallet or your location*
> 
> I've been a LJ now for awhile, and even before i joined i was constantly on the site looking at projects. There were always things that i admired about every project, beginner or advanced.
> - quality of work, even the beginner has areas of great skill
> ...


You've got several good points there, Wilterbeast. I just scoured my local CL & found 200bf of cherry for $650.00. Sure, that's a good chunk of change but that's a lot of lumber! When I look at a handcrafted piece in the store & the price is astronomical, I tend to think it's worth it. I don't mind spending the money for quality lumber. I just feel like I'm missing some great source. I hate Oak too


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## bubbyboy (Jan 10, 2011)

John_G said:


> *Project Budgets - Is it about your wallet or your location*
> 
> I've been a LJ now for awhile, and even before i joined i was constantly on the site looking at projects. There were always things that i admired about every project, beginner or advanced.
> - quality of work, even the beginner has areas of great skill
> ...


I live in southern calif, and all exotics seem to be way over priced but the thing to always remember is that alot of us on this site are retired. We are no longer making house payments, paying for the kids, many activites, schooling etc. Some of us have been fortunate enough to have made some extra money here and there that allows us to afford these materials. I have friends who complain of the very same thing,that they cannot afford to buy certain materials but yet they stop at the expensive coffee houses everyday some of them smoke and at $5.00 or $6.00 a pack! yet they say they cannot live without it. They like to fish, hunt, go camping etc, and with numerous hobbies comes many different costs. When I was younger and wanted to buy materials for projects I always had a can in the shop that I would throw any spare change in. If I did not buy lunch or go to dinner whatever, I would throw a few bucks in the can, that way it always seemed like I had the money to buy what I needed without taking from the family budget. There are always things we can live without in order to afford our hobbies if we want it bad enough. I am myself retired and find that I still walk by that can in the shop and always put some change in it, just in case I want something extra, it has always worked well for me. I remember taking the wife on a picnic to the park so I could keep the $50.00 we would have spent going out, just so I could buy a new sander and trust me she enjoyed that alot more than a dinner and movie. You score points with your better half for being "romantic" for a few hours in the park and a new tool to boot, doesn't get much better than that. It's tough in these times to spend extra money but as long as you don't use plastic to do your hooby you will always enjoy the end project much more.


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## Bertha (Jan 10, 2011)

John_G said:


> *Project Budgets - Is it about your wallet or your location*
> 
> I've been a LJ now for awhile, and even before i joined i was constantly on the site looking at projects. There were always things that i admired about every project, beginner or advanced.
> - quality of work, even the beginner has areas of great skill
> ...


I like the way bubbyboy thinks! I'm guilty of buying a tractor I didn't need, then complaining about the price of wood. I also think we get a very biased account of projects here (and that's a good thing). I'm not going to "wood gloat" over walnut that I paid $12/bf for (and I have). I'm also not going to post a project I made out of big box 2×4's. I suspect a lot of the projects here are very dear to the owner, as they should be.


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## skippyland (Jan 12, 2011)

John_G said:


> *Project Budgets - Is it about your wallet or your location*
> 
> I've been a LJ now for awhile, and even before i joined i was constantly on the site looking at projects. There were always things that i admired about every project, beginner or advanced.
> - quality of work, even the beginner has areas of great skill
> ...


Hey, John. I see that you're from around Rochester, NY. I believe there's a dealer in Hilton (no personal experience with); Attica Lumber, a great guy in Warsaw; another in Victor; and then there's always Pittsford Lumber. Skip in batavia


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## stefang (Apr 9, 2009)

John_G said:


> *Project Budgets - Is it about your wallet or your location*
> 
> I've been a LJ now for awhile, and even before i joined i was constantly on the site looking at projects. There were always things that i admired about every project, beginner or advanced.
> - quality of work, even the beginner has areas of great skill
> ...


I always feel that your skills will dictate to a large degree how much you are willing to pay for lumber. There is no point in paying a very high price for wood to build a project that might not be worthy of it.


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## KentS (May 27, 2009)

John_G said:


> *Project Budgets - Is it about your wallet or your location*
> 
> I've been a LJ now for awhile, and even before i joined i was constantly on the site looking at projects. There were always things that i admired about every project, beginner or advanced.
> - quality of work, even the beginner has areas of great skill
> ...


I guess I'm just in the right place at the right time. Or maybe it's because I have owned a commercial raised panel door company for years, so I get a lot of nice wood left over from jobs we do. Right now I'm almost finished with about 60 boxes, many of them from exotics. I have not bought a piece of material yet. A customer brought us bubinga for a door project several years ago. We had several full pieces left over, like 12" x 10' . I called him to pick it up. His response--don't worry about it, just keep it. If all this makes you jealous, I could spend days telling you all the crap we deal with constantly too, but at least there some very positive benefits to the job. I sometimes have guys bring me wood they have laying around because they know I will do something with it. Got a lot of mesquite this week.

If I didn't have that advantage, I'm sure I would be struggling to buy nice wood like everyone else.


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## MinnesotaMike (Mar 4, 2011)

John_G said:


> *Project Budgets - Is it about your wallet or your location*
> 
> I've been a LJ now for awhile, and even before i joined i was constantly on the site looking at projects. There were always things that i admired about every project, beginner or advanced.
> - quality of work, even the beginner has areas of great skill
> ...


John -
I'm really not wondering about it. Good wood (both native and exotic) costs alot of money. Even more if you have it milled 4square and faced. Doesn't make any difference if you buy it that way or do it yourself; by the time you buy jointers, plainers, etc - even by hand with planes which takes a whale of alot of time. I guess there is no getting around it. BUT, one doesn't need to do that. Woodworking is woodworking and there are several relatively low cost alternatives to expensive wood. For example, keep the projects small, use big box store boards and develope finishing skills, develope creative ideas for "found" wood, pick-up used furniture at garage sales and refurbish it with a few low-cost enhancements and good re-finishing. Look through all of the fine projects being posted here for many, many ideas. My idea of woodworing is from a minamulist's perspective. I'll never drive an Escalade, but I can get to the same places just as fast and likely enjoy the trip just as much, if not more. Enjoy the "trip". Best wishes and good luck to you.


----------



## DIYaholic (Jan 28, 2011)

John_G said:


> *Project Budgets - Is it about your wallet or your location*
> 
> I've been a LJ now for awhile, and even before i joined i was constantly on the site looking at projects. There were always things that i admired about every project, beginner or advanced.
> - quality of work, even the beginner has areas of great skill
> ...


You know the old saying "Time is Money".... well wood is like money and it don't grow on trees!


----------



## emart (Mar 16, 2011)

John_G said:


> *Project Budgets - Is it about your wallet or your location*
> 
> I've been a LJ now for awhile, and even before i joined i was constantly on the site looking at projects. There were always things that i admired about every project, beginner or advanced.
> - quality of work, even the beginner has areas of great skill
> ...


I have that same problem more than likely because i live in washington so there arent very many hardwoods out here unless it was in someone's yard and fell down from a storm. most of the hardwoods have to be brought in so the prices are astronomical ($60 for a 1"x12"x 6 ft piece of oak!) one of the reasons why so many of my projects are pine is because of this since i cant justify paying as much to build something as to buy it. even cedar is expensive here it would have cost me $70 for all the wood i needed to make the seat on the bench project i have posted and that was for very poor quality pieces of 1×2 cedar.


----------



## Manitario (Jul 4, 2010)

John_G said:


> *Project Budgets - Is it about your wallet or your location*
> 
> I've been a LJ now for awhile, and even before i joined i was constantly on the site looking at projects. There were always things that i admired about every project, beginner or advanced.
> - quality of work, even the beginner has areas of great skill
> ...


I allow myself a pretty generous budget for wood and tools, but it is really amazing how quick the prices add up. My router cabinet, which is nothing more than some 3/4 birch ply and some poplar for the drawers was about $250, not including the cheap top I bought. 
Making large projects out of anything "exotic" ie. not pine or SPF dimensional lumber gets expensive really quick. I envy all the LJ's that post about $2/bf walnut/cherry/maple as prices for me average $7-8/bf for those woods.

For some though that have the extra funds, I guess it is just a matter of personal choice. I saw a guy here that had built a workbench and drill press stand out of zebrawood and I think purpleheart. Must have cost him in the thousands. Looks great, but even if I had that kind of money I don't think I'd spend it like that.


----------



## helluvawreck (Jul 21, 2010)

John_G said:


> *Project Budgets - Is it about your wallet or your location*
> 
> I've been a LJ now for awhile, and even before i joined i was constantly on the site looking at projects. There were always things that i admired about every project, beginner or advanced.
> - quality of work, even the beginner has areas of great skill
> ...


I'm very fortunate because we have a family moulding business. I can't just take wood whenever I want; however, we have to cut to length a lot of wood for customers and they don't want the drop. It's usually s4s lumber in various widths. We keep all of this drop but eventually it will go to the scrap yard if it stays here long enough because it will cost us money. There is always enough for us laying around as long as you can use pieces under 4 feet long. We don't have exotics but usually have the more popular eastern hardwoods laying around. I have been using a lot of basswood drops over the last 3 months for my carving.


----------



## SSMDad (Apr 17, 2011)

John_G said:


> *Project Budgets - Is it about your wallet or your location*
> 
> I've been a LJ now for awhile, and even before i joined i was constantly on the site looking at projects. There were always things that i admired about every project, beginner or advanced.
> - quality of work, even the beginner has areas of great skill
> ...


Ok so I'm pretty late to this post but I just saw it so please forgive me.

I'm on a pretty tight budget for wood and equipment (though I don't mind too much because the savings is going toward my son's college and first house downpayment--and he's only 2.5yrs old haha)

Anyway I tend to go to the "exotic" lumber stores (we have 2 in the area) and they usually always have a bin for cutoff's and 3-4' sections of some kind of wood for really cheap. That's how I got my canarywood, QS sycamore, heart pine, Brasillian cherry, etc. So this way I don't really go overboard.

At some point I'll have to buy a larger amount of lumber to make a few projects I'm going to do so at least I know these people and they'll work with me on pricing. I'm now building a router table and did go to a big box store to buy the 1/2" mdf and 3/4" plywood pieces which totalled about $9. I had the glue and screws and have made the fence and things from scraps I had. The only other expense was a couple dollars for some T-bolts and through hole knobs.

For my turning, I've been picking up big logs from downed trees (mostly on the highway rightaway on roads) then cutting them up to use as blanks so cost is $0 for these. I guess it all depends on whether you want specific grain and tone or bragging rights on exotic lumber (and how much it costs) or want the same practicality from homegrown woods. I personally prefer local woods because you never know what the circumstances of the workers who labor to bring the exotics out of the forest.


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## John_G (Jan 12, 2011)

*My very first Wood Gloat*

Not onlyl is this my very first wood gloat it's also my very first purchse useing cgraigslist…. i know, i know, i'm sure everyone is using it…. I saw an add with a pic for left over pieces of various hardwoods, all for 20.00. Figured what the heck i'll go for it…... well to me…this was a jackpot…..





































From first glance it alot of walnut, and cherry. There's a few we don't even know what they are. Also a few possible mahogony (they seem to red to be walnut as well). Time to start planning the projects…..


----------



## Robb (Aug 18, 2007)

John_G said:


> *My very first Wood Gloat*
> 
> Not onlyl is this my very first wood gloat it's also my very first purchse useing cgraigslist…. i know, i know, i'm sure everyone is using it…. I saw an add with a pic for left over pieces of various hardwoods, all for 20.00. Figured what the heck i'll go for it…... well to me…this was a jackpot…..
> 
> ...


Always nice to have some extra lumber like that in the shop. I love CL - there's always something on there to ponder getting . Looking back through your blog, I really like the doors you built for your daughter's school. Keep up the good work!


----------



## GaryD (Mar 5, 2009)

John_G said:


> *My very first Wood Gloat*
> 
> Not onlyl is this my very first wood gloat it's also my very first purchse useing cgraigslist…. i know, i know, i'm sure everyone is using it…. I saw an add with a pic for left over pieces of various hardwoods, all for 20.00. Figured what the heck i'll go for it…... well to me…this was a jackpot…..
> 
> ...


Nice score. I never have that much luck on craigslist around here. Myrtle Beach area


----------



## John_G (Jan 12, 2011)

*Questions about Walnut and Scrollsawing*

I'm about to begin a scrollsaw project with a piece of 3/4" Walnut. My question is when i was sanding down the walnut ahead of time i noticed that it has "pores" or "open grain" or something in it. Is this normal for walnut, or is it something that will get compeltely sanded out if i spend enough time at it?

Thanks Jocks…..


----------



## superstretch (Jan 10, 2011)

John_G said:


> *Questions about Walnut and Scrollsawing*
> 
> I'm about to begin a scrollsaw project with a piece of 3/4" Walnut. My question is when i was sanding down the walnut ahead of time i noticed that it has "pores" or "open grain" or something in it. Is this normal for walnut, or is it something that will get compeltely sanded out if i spend enough time at it?
> 
> Thanks Jocks…..


The open pores are somewhat normal if the grain isn't 100% parallel with the board. I'm in the process of making a shelf with walnut quasi-breadboard ends and ran into the same thing. Unfortunately for mine, the grain pores acted like hangnails..

You could always use pore filler, but I like the look of the open grain. How you chose to finish it might fill in the pores for you.


----------



## Gene01 (Jan 5, 2009)

John_G said:


> *Questions about Walnut and Scrollsawing*
> 
> I'm about to begin a scrollsaw project with a piece of 3/4" Walnut. My question is when i was sanding down the walnut ahead of time i noticed that it has "pores" or "open grain" or something in it. Is this normal for walnut, or is it something that will get compeltely sanded out if i spend enough time at it?
> 
> Thanks Jocks…..


I don't think the pores will sand out. 
If the pores are objectionable, use a grain filler.


----------



## Grandpa (Jan 28, 2011)

John_G said:


> *Questions about Walnut and Scrollsawing*
> 
> I'm about to begin a scrollsaw project with a piece of 3/4" Walnut. My question is when i was sanding down the walnut ahead of time i noticed that it has "pores" or "open grain" or something in it. Is this normal for walnut, or is it something that will get compeltely sanded out if i spend enough time at it?
> 
> Thanks Jocks…..


Use paste wood filler with some pigment in it. If you use it plain it could lighten the wood. All that I have used was a cream color. It should give you a glass smooth finish. Use it for the base to make a rubbing stain. It will fill and stain.


----------



## John_G (Jan 12, 2011)

John_G said:


> *Questions about Walnut and Scrollsawing*
> 
> I'm about to begin a scrollsaw project with a piece of 3/4" Walnut. My question is when i was sanding down the walnut ahead of time i noticed that it has "pores" or "open grain" or something in it. Is this normal for walnut, or is it something that will get compeltely sanded out if i spend enough time at it?
> 
> Thanks Jocks…..


the pores aren't honestly a problem with me, i just wasn't sure if this was a natural thing with the wood or if i needed more sanding. I don't mind the look of it at all, and once i put some sort of finish on it, probably a spray laquer it'll be fine….. thanks everyone…..


----------



## superstretch (Jan 10, 2011)

John_G said:


> *Questions about Walnut and Scrollsawing*
> 
> I'm about to begin a scrollsaw project with a piece of 3/4" Walnut. My question is when i was sanding down the walnut ahead of time i noticed that it has "pores" or "open grain" or something in it. Is this normal for walnut, or is it something that will get compeltely sanded out if i spend enough time at it?
> 
> Thanks Jocks…..


Walnut appears very similar to mahogany to me.. Similar grain characteristics..


----------



## greasemonkeyredneck (Aug 14, 2010)

John_G said:


> *Questions about Walnut and Scrollsawing*
> 
> I'm about to begin a scrollsaw project with a piece of 3/4" Walnut. My question is when i was sanding down the walnut ahead of time i noticed that it has "pores" or "open grain" or something in it. Is this normal for walnut, or is it something that will get compeltely sanded out if i spend enough time at it?
> 
> Thanks Jocks…..


All the walnut I have has this open grain. I still have used it for scroll saw projects with great results. Go for it!


----------



## John_G (Jan 12, 2011)

John_G said:


> *Questions about Walnut and Scrollsawing*
> 
> I'm about to begin a scrollsaw project with a piece of 3/4" Walnut. My question is when i was sanding down the walnut ahead of time i noticed that it has "pores" or "open grain" or something in it. Is this normal for walnut, or is it something that will get compeltely sanded out if i spend enough time at it?
> 
> Thanks Jocks…..


Awesome, thanks william…. What do you use for finishing it???


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## greasemonkeyredneck (Aug 14, 2010)

John_G said:


> *Questions about Walnut and Scrollsawing*
> 
> I'm about to begin a scrollsaw project with a piece of 3/4" Walnut. My question is when i was sanding down the walnut ahead of time i noticed that it has "pores" or "open grain" or something in it. Is this normal for walnut, or is it something that will get compeltely sanded out if i spend enough time at it?
> 
> Thanks Jocks…..


I've used lots of stuff. My favorite finish for anything though is shellac.


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## superstretch (Jan 10, 2011)

John_G said:


> *Questions about Walnut and Scrollsawing*
> 
> I'm about to begin a scrollsaw project with a piece of 3/4" Walnut. My question is when i was sanding down the walnut ahead of time i noticed that it has "pores" or "open grain" or something in it. Is this normal for walnut, or is it something that will get compeltely sanded out if i spend enough time at it?
> 
> Thanks Jocks…..


Danish Oil on walnut is my favorite


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## John_G (Jan 12, 2011)

John_G said:


> *Questions about Walnut and Scrollsawing*
> 
> I'm about to begin a scrollsaw project with a piece of 3/4" Walnut. My question is when i was sanding down the walnut ahead of time i noticed that it has "pores" or "open grain" or something in it. Is this normal for walnut, or is it something that will get compeltely sanded out if i spend enough time at it?
> 
> Thanks Jocks…..


Well i plan on making two so maybe i'll try both Shellac and some Danish oil….. only prob with the oil is getting it on everything. Guess i could fill a pie tin and submerge it in it. Unless danish oil comes in a spray….


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## superstretch (Jan 10, 2011)

John_G said:


> *Questions about Walnut and Scrollsawing*
> 
> I'm about to begin a scrollsaw project with a piece of 3/4" Walnut. My question is when i was sanding down the walnut ahead of time i noticed that it has "pores" or "open grain" or something in it. Is this normal for walnut, or is it something that will get compeltely sanded out if i spend enough time at it?
> 
> Thanks Jocks…..


Danish oil is easy to work with and hardening, so let it set for a day and its dry. Lately I've been brushing it on right on my kitchen counter with a plastic sheet under whatever I'm working. Cleans up easy.. I just pour some in one of those ham or turkey containers (the cheapo tupperware) brush on with a foam brush.

I keep it flooded for 15 minutes, then wipe the excess off, flood once more, and then keep wiping off every 30 minutes or so as the wood weeps some of the oil back out. After about 2 hours, its set.


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## greasemonkeyredneck (Aug 14, 2010)

John_G said:


> *Questions about Walnut and Scrollsawing*
> 
> I'm about to begin a scrollsaw project with a piece of 3/4" Walnut. My question is when i was sanding down the walnut ahead of time i noticed that it has "pores" or "open grain" or something in it. Is this normal for walnut, or is it something that will get compeltely sanded out if i spend enough time at it?
> 
> Thanks Jocks…..


I had never used Danish oil until the other day. My brother does construction work and gives me left over stuff all the time, one of these "stuff" being a half can of Danish oil from a while back. I finished my mallets it a few days ago. Now this is the first time I've used the "stuff", but it turned out great. I may try and use some more of the "stuff" in the future. 
Now these mallets were made out of mahogany, but these two woods are very similar, so I'm sure it would have similar results on walnut.
Sorry for all the "stuff" references. I just got finished watching George Carlin's "stuff" routine on YouTube.


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## superstretch (Jan 10, 2011)

John_G said:


> *Questions about Walnut and Scrollsawing*
> 
> I'm about to begin a scrollsaw project with a piece of 3/4" Walnut. My question is when i was sanding down the walnut ahead of time i noticed that it has "pores" or "open grain" or something in it. Is this normal for walnut, or is it something that will get compeltely sanded out if i spend enough time at it?
> 
> Thanks Jocks…..


FYI, they just started carrying it at the Brockport Lowes.. Looks like its cheaper there than the Woodcraft store in Henrietta


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## superdav721 (Aug 16, 2010)

John_G said:


> *Questions about Walnut and Scrollsawing*
> 
> I'm about to begin a scrollsaw project with a piece of 3/4" Walnut. My question is when i was sanding down the walnut ahead of time i noticed that it has "pores" or "open grain" or something in it. Is this normal for walnut, or is it something that will get compeltely sanded out if i spend enough time at it?
> 
> Thanks Jocks…..


You can use pumice and blo with some shellac and it will fill nicely. This is one step of french polishing.


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## JamesVavra (Apr 27, 2009)

John_G said:


> *Questions about Walnut and Scrollsawing*
> 
> I'm about to begin a scrollsaw project with a piece of 3/4" Walnut. My question is when i was sanding down the walnut ahead of time i noticed that it has "pores" or "open grain" or something in it. Is this normal for walnut, or is it something that will get compeltely sanded out if i spend enough time at it?
> 
> Thanks Jocks…..


You can also fill the pores by applying danish oil with wet/dry sandpaper. Basically, the sawdust and Danish oil form a slurry that fills the pores; it's similar to a french polish. I use it a lot when I turn open-grained woods.

James


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## John_G (Jan 12, 2011)

*Planer.... What should i do......????*

ok i found on craiglist 2 Ryobi planers;

1: Ryobi 10" planer with homemade rollerbase (85.00) http://rochester.craigslist.org/tls/2374085323.html

2: Ryobi AP12 with new dual edge blade and blade binders, comes with table and dust port for 150.00 http://rochester.craigslist.org/tls/2364710877.html

Is it woth it for me to seriously look into getting one of them….??? A nice DeWalt is just not in my future because of the cost. Does anyone have any experiece with any of these machine….

Please i could use your help/opinion LJ's…...

Thanks Everyone,
John Gray
Spencerport NY


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## WinterSun (Apr 3, 2011)

John_G said:


> *Planer.... What should i do......????*
> 
> ok i found on craiglist 2 Ryobi planers;
> 
> ...


Those are both very old models, and the prices aren't spectacular. I'd keep watching… I had been looking for a planer for quite some time but no good deals were coming up. Suddenly, a couple weeks ago, a Delta 13" and two Ridgids popped up within the span of several days, all under $150. I managed to snag one of the Ridgids. Craigslist can be very unpredictable like that.


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## dbhost (Jul 20, 2009)

John_G said:


> *Planer.... What should i do......????*
> 
> ok i found on craiglist 2 Ryobi planers;
> 
> ...


I would keep looking. Those are both relics, and knives are kind of tough to come by for either of them.

The current model, AP1301, is a 13" model, and is presently at $229.00. I own one of these (had for the last 3 years). A good basic machine, uses the same knives as the Ridgid 13" planer, decent dust collection port. No infeed or outfeed tables, but I found that by manually supporting the workpiece as it goes in, and comes off the feed rollers, snipe is very minimal.

I have seen several of the much more desireable AP1300s (cutter head lock, infeed / outfeed tables) on Craigslist over the last 6 months, and they were going for $125.00, and $100.00 in good shape…

If you can just keep chunking your change aside, save up a little bit more and get a new AP1301. Once you know how to use it right, you will never regret owning it…


----------



## tctaylor79 (Apr 19, 2011)

John_G said:


> *Planer.... What should i do......????*
> 
> ok i found on craiglist 2 Ryobi planers;
> 
> ...


+1 to WinterSun and dbhost's comments. Both are respectable machines, but the asking price isn't really that great for their vintage.


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## John_G (Jan 12, 2011)

John_G said:


> *Planer.... What should i do......????*
> 
> ok i found on craiglist 2 Ryobi planers;
> 
> ...


thanks everyone for the input, there's no need for the machine imediatly so i'm gonna wait…. thank you…


----------



## John_G (Jan 12, 2011)

*another possible Planer.....*

OK, here's another one… i'm waiting on a model number so i can look up the specifica on it. Figured all you LJ's might know something about this planer and be able to give me some information as well…...

So….. is it worth it????

http://rochester.craigslist.org/tls/2398889768.html


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## WinterSun (Apr 3, 2011)

John_G said:


> *another possible Planer.....*
> 
> OK, here's another one… i'm waiting on a model number so i can look up the specifica on it. Figured all you LJ's might know something about this planer and be able to give me some information as well…...
> 
> ...


I googled "craftsman 12 1/2 inch planer molder" and found what appears to be that machine. It's an older machine and people have had difficulty finding the proper replacement knives for it. For $200, you should be able to do better than that.

If you can bump up your price a little bit, I'd consider making an offer on this (but don't pay full price!): http://rochester.craigslist.org/tls/2399147338.html Based on the description, it would appear to be a DW734, which is a current model.


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## dbray45 (Oct 19, 2010)

John_G said:


> *another possible Planer.....*
> 
> OK, here's another one… i'm waiting on a model number so i can look up the specifica on it. Figured all you LJ's might know something about this planer and be able to give me some information as well…...
> 
> ...


I had problems with "one project" toys. The planer (2 blade version) that I have, spent $75.00 for it, was "new" ish. After replacing the bearings, rollers, and knifes - it has worked pretty well but the overall price was $200.00 when done.

If the one project was milling the wood from reclaiming a log cabin, you may want think this over.


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## John_G (Jan 12, 2011)

John_G said:


> *another possible Planer.....*
> 
> OK, here's another one… i'm waiting on a model number so i can look up the specifica on it. Figured all you LJ's might know something about this planer and be able to give me some information as well…...
> 
> ...


@wintersun: what would u suggest i offer for the dewalt…. 200.00 or is that too low??


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## John_G (Jan 12, 2011)

*Father's Day Tool Gloat.....*

Got these for fathers day yesterday, i've heard people say that there not "real" marples but honestly i don't know what "real" ones are….. Can't wait to make the scarry sharp and put them to work…..


----------



## donwilwol (May 16, 2011)

John_G said:


> *Father's Day Tool Gloat.....*
> 
> Got these for fathers day yesterday, i've heard people say that there not "real" marples but honestly i don't know what "real" ones are….. Can't wait to make the scarry sharp and put them to work…..


nice kids!


----------



## Wiggy (Jun 15, 2011)

John_G said:


> *Father's Day Tool Gloat.....*
> 
> Got these for fathers day yesterday, i've heard people say that there not "real" marples but honestly i don't know what "real" ones are….. Can't wait to make the scarry sharp and put them to work…..


OOOOOOO….. You are a very spoiled little boy!


----------



## greasemonkeyredneck (Aug 14, 2010)

John_G said:


> *Father's Day Tool Gloat.....*
> 
> Got these for fathers day yesterday, i've heard people say that there not "real" marples but honestly i don't know what "real" ones are….. Can't wait to make the scarry sharp and put them to work…..


Marples?
Real Marples?
Not real Marples?
It doesn't matter. 
I use brand names sometimes to identify what I'm talking about, but I have to tell you, most of the time brand names don't mean too much. While it may be true that some brands may be better than others (don't know about Marples, my chisels are el-cheapos that don't even have names on them), even some of the lesser brands have some products that shine. Guys who will only use certain brands are what I call "tool snobs". If a tool works, it doesn't matter what brand name is on it. 
Also, it's a father's day gift. If you're happy with them, then the gifter accomplished what they wanted.


----------



## scrollgirl (May 28, 2010)

John_G said:


> *Father's Day Tool Gloat.....*
> 
> Got these for fathers day yesterday, i've heard people say that there not "real" marples but honestly i don't know what "real" ones are….. Can't wait to make the scarry sharp and put them to work…..


Beautiful gift! Glad to hear you had a great day and I can't wait to see what you make with them! 

Sheila


----------



## mafe (Dec 10, 2009)

John_G said:


> *Father's Day Tool Gloat.....*
> 
> Got these for fathers day yesterday, i've heard people say that there not "real" marples but honestly i don't know what "real" ones are….. Can't wait to make the scarry sharp and put them to work…..


Congrat dad.
Best thoughts,
Mads


----------



## John_G (Jan 12, 2011)

John_G said:


> *Father's Day Tool Gloat.....*
> 
> Got these for fathers day yesterday, i've heard people say that there not "real" marples but honestly i don't know what "real" ones are….. Can't wait to make the scarry sharp and put them to work…..


thanks everyone, i actually picked them out and i love them….. cna't wait to make something using them soon…..


----------



## REK (Aug 30, 2009)

John_G said:


> *Father's Day Tool Gloat.....*
> 
> Got these for fathers day yesterday, i've heard people say that there not "real" marples but honestly i don't know what "real" ones are….. Can't wait to make the scarry sharp and put them to work…..


Dude there not real…..better send them to me…...


----------



## John_G (Jan 12, 2011)

*Jointer Problems, HELP PLZZZ*

Hello everyone, i'm really hoping someone can shed some light on this problem for me. I have an older craftsman Jointer/Planer that is in great working condition, however it has one major problem. Even though the infeed and outfeed tables are parallel when i push a board through it raises up off the outfeed table. Hopefully the pictures below will help…...




























To me the table look very parallel weather the depth is set to 1/8" or zero. Now time to put a board through…..




























So as you can see it begins to raise up more and more the further i push it through the jointer. I have to keep that back end held down really well or it'll teeder and no long cut. I have no clue what i'm doing wrong here, i'm really hoping that it's just a user error. The tables are flat and parallel in my opinion.

I really look forward to any responces you all might have,
Thank you

John G.


----------



## superstretch (Jan 10, 2011)

John_G said:


> *Jointer Problems, HELP PLZZZ*
> 
> Hello everyone, i'm really hoping someone can shed some light on this problem for me. I have an older craftsman Jointer/Planer that is in great working condition, however it has one major problem. Even though the infeed and outfeed tables are parallel when i push a board through it raises up off the outfeed table. Hopefully the pictures below will help…...
> 
> ...


Does the outfield table line up with the cutter head? It looks in the picture that the cutter might be a little low


----------



## John_G (Jan 12, 2011)

John_G said:


> *Jointer Problems, HELP PLZZZ*
> 
> Hello everyone, i'm really hoping someone can shed some light on this problem for me. I have an older craftsman Jointer/Planer that is in great working condition, however it has one major problem. Even though the infeed and outfeed tables are parallel when i push a board through it raises up off the outfeed table. Hopefully the pictures below will help…...
> 
> ...


it's actually dead on. I thought it might be high since it teeders and it might be doing it on that. when i put my framing square on and spin the head (manually) it's just at the framing square but not moving it…..


----------



## donwilwol (May 16, 2011)

John_G said:


> *Jointer Problems, HELP PLZZZ*
> 
> Hello everyone, i'm really hoping someone can shed some light on this problem for me. I have an older craftsman Jointer/Planer that is in great working condition, however it has one major problem. Even though the infeed and outfeed tables are parallel when i push a board through it raises up off the outfeed table. Hopefully the pictures below will help…...
> 
> ...


this is an issue with some of the craftsman jointers. If i remeber correctly you can shim the mounts to level it up.


----------



## John_G (Jan 12, 2011)

John_G said:


> *Jointer Problems, HELP PLZZZ*
> 
> Hello everyone, i'm really hoping someone can shed some light on this problem for me. I have an older craftsman Jointer/Planer that is in great working condition, however it has one major problem. Even though the infeed and outfeed tables are parallel when i push a board through it raises up off the outfeed table. Hopefully the pictures below will help…...
> 
> ...


ahhh now i see why u think that, in that one picture i have the cutter head turned between blades so it looks low, if i had stood a blade verticle it might have been a better picture…..


----------



## devann (Jan 11, 2011)

John_G said:


> *Jointer Problems, HELP PLZZZ*
> 
> Hello everyone, i'm really hoping someone can shed some light on this problem for me. I have an older craftsman Jointer/Planer that is in great working condition, however it has one major problem. Even though the infeed and outfeed tables are parallel when i push a board through it raises up off the outfeed table. Hopefully the pictures below will help…...
> 
> ...


Gary K. wrote a blog about many of the questions you're asking. He had some simple ways to set the tables.


----------



## superstretch (Jan 10, 2011)

John_G said:


> *Jointer Problems, HELP PLZZZ*
> 
> Hello everyone, i'm really hoping someone can shed some light on this problem for me. I have an older craftsman Jointer/Planer that is in great working condition, however it has one major problem. Even though the infeed and outfeed tables are parallel when i push a board through it raises up off the outfeed table. Hopefully the pictures below will help…...
> 
> ...


Ahh ok.. just wanted to make sure. If the head was low compared to the outfeed table, it might do what you described


----------



## John_G (Jan 12, 2011)

John_G said:


> *Jointer Problems, HELP PLZZZ*
> 
> Hello everyone, i'm really hoping someone can shed some light on this problem for me. I have an older craftsman Jointer/Planer that is in great working condition, however it has one major problem. Even though the infeed and outfeed tables are parallel when i push a board through it raises up off the outfeed table. Hopefully the pictures below will help…...
> 
> ...


@Don W. Yes i can adjust the infeed table at both ends but then it's not parallel. Should they not be parallel??

@devann: i'll try looking or that….


----------



## gblock66 (Jun 11, 2010)

John_G said:


> *Jointer Problems, HELP PLZZZ*
> 
> Hello everyone, i'm really hoping someone can shed some light on this problem for me. I have an older craftsman Jointer/Planer that is in great working condition, however it has one major problem. Even though the infeed and outfeed tables are parallel when i push a board through it raises up off the outfeed table. Hopefully the pictures below will help…...
> 
> ...


John,
I found this video very helpful in setting up my Jointer. . .

http://thewoodwhisperer.com/jointer-setup/

Gary


----------



## PurpLev (May 30, 2008)

John_G said:


> *Jointer Problems, HELP PLZZZ*
> 
> Hello everyone, i'm really hoping someone can shed some light on this problem for me. I have an older craftsman Jointer/Planer that is in great working condition, however it has one major problem. Even though the infeed and outfeed tables are parallel when i push a board through it raises up off the outfeed table. Hopefully the pictures below will help…...
> 
> ...


are you putting pressure on the lumber on the infeed table side? you shouldn't. (sorry if this is obvious but from your post I cannot tell how you operate the jointer so there might be user error here as far as I can tell).

you should feed the lumber until it passes the cutter head enough that you can then apply LIGHT pressure against the outfeed table. the infeed table is below the cutterhead so any pressure put on that side will tend to lift the lumber off of the outfeed side which is what you don't want happening.

as long as the outfeed and the cutterhead are leveled you shouldn't have this problem as long as you operate the jointer properly.


----------



## John_G (Jan 12, 2011)

John_G said:


> *Jointer Problems, HELP PLZZZ*
> 
> Hello everyone, i'm really hoping someone can shed some light on this problem for me. I have an older craftsman Jointer/Planer that is in great working condition, however it has one major problem. Even though the infeed and outfeed tables are parallel when i push a board through it raises up off the outfeed table. Hopefully the pictures below will help…...
> 
> ...


i usually put alot of pressure on the infeed table. It's the only way i can get it to keep cutting, when i put pressure on the outfeed it seems to life it off the blades. I wonder if my blades are to low…..

but it seems to me that if the tables are parallel, the cutterhead is even with the outfeed, then u can put the same pressure on both sides and it won't make a difference.

Ofcourse that is unless you have a bowed board then it would be curving up away from the outfeed…. hmmmmmm wonder if that my problem wonder if i'm jointing a curved face so it'll never sit flat. I may have to try that pressure on the outfeed table.

No need for apologies Purplev i have never used it successfully so i'm guessing i've been wrong this whole time….


----------



## PurpLev (May 30, 2008)

John_G said:


> *Jointer Problems, HELP PLZZZ*
> 
> Hello everyone, i'm really hoping someone can shed some light on this problem for me. I have an older craftsman Jointer/Planer that is in great working condition, however it has one major problem. Even though the infeed and outfeed tables are parallel when i push a board through it raises up off the outfeed table. Hopefully the pictures below will help…...
> 
> ...


fair enough - I would strongly recommend getting a book, or at least checking some online videos on jointer use…

consider this - you are trying to take a twisted board and flatten it. on the infeed side of the jointer you will always have an unflat/twisted board that is subjected to move around in relation to the cutterhead (tilt etc). putting pressure on that side is pretty much guaranteeing that you'll have an unflat board coming off the jointer.

the only part that is true and flat is what passes the cutterhead, and that is on the outfeed table side. keeping the pressure there maintains alignment between the now-flat board and the cutterhead which allows the cutterhead to cut the rest of the not-flat board in relation to the flat part of the board (on the outfeed side).

more than that it's about safety as well - putting pressure before the cutterhead, and having the board snap/break/burst/ pull under your hands puts your hands at risk from being pulled into the cutterhead (remember you are pushing toward the cutterhead) on the other hand - pushing beyond the cutterhead leaves your hands clear of the danger zone.

one more thing - if you need to put a lot of pressure on the board in order to joint it - something is WRONG in your setup!!!! STOP ! it's probably unsafe.

the pressure on the board when using a jointer is merely to keep it from lifting up, but is really a rather light pressure against the outfeed table (once the board passes the cutterhead that is).

I would recommend getting familiar with jointer operation and setup, you'll find that the jointer will be much easier to use, and will provide much better results, without the added risk.

good luck


----------



## jumbojack (Mar 20, 2011)

John_G said:


> *Jointer Problems, HELP PLZZZ*
> 
> Hello everyone, i'm really hoping someone can shed some light on this problem for me. I have an older craftsman Jointer/Planer that is in great working condition, however it has one major problem. Even though the infeed and outfeed tables are parallel when i push a board through it raises up off the outfeed table. Hopefully the pictures below will help…...
> 
> ...


John if I am reading this correctly the out feed table should be even with the zenith of the cutter head and the infeed table should be lower than the out feed by the depth of cut.


----------



## rance (Sep 30, 2009)

John_G said:


> *Jointer Problems, HELP PLZZZ*
> 
> Hello everyone, i'm really hoping someone can shed some light on this problem for me. I have an older craftsman Jointer/Planer that is in great working condition, however it has one major problem. Even though the infeed and outfeed tables are parallel when i push a board through it raises up off the outfeed table. Hopefully the pictures below will help…...
> 
> ...


John, I suspect that they are NOT parallel, no matter what the pictures above are saying. Just for grins, do you have one of those Wixie angle boxes for measuring the tilt of your TS blade? Or can you borrow one? Put it on one table, zero it, then put it on the other table. Also measure it at different places on both tables. Another thing you can do that is a little more costly is to use a good dial indicator to check between the two tables. Sorry, but that's the best I can do for advice.


----------



## gfadvm (Jan 13, 2011)

John_G said:


> *Jointer Problems, HELP PLZZZ*
> 
> Hello everyone, i'm really hoping someone can shed some light on this problem for me. I have an older craftsman Jointer/Planer that is in great working condition, however it has one major problem. Even though the infeed and outfeed tables are parallel when i push a board through it raises up off the outfeed table. Hopefully the pictures below will help…...
> 
> ...


I think purplelev has nailed the problem. I would only add that you should joint the "frowning" [concave] side of the board and not the "smiley" [convex] side or you will make it more convex with every pass. Dont ask how I learned this! It appears your jointer is set up properly.


----------



## auggy53 (Jan 23, 2011)

John_G said:


> *Jointer Problems, HELP PLZZZ*
> 
> Hello everyone, i'm really hoping someone can shed some light on this problem for me. I have an older craftsman Jointer/Planer that is in great working condition, however it has one major problem. Even though the infeed and outfeed tables are parallel when i push a board through it raises up off the outfeed table. Hopefully the pictures below will help…...
> 
> ...


john , i have an older craftsman (50's ) joiner according to the manual your table is correct . there are six bolts on the under side that let yo u adjust the tables set to the blades . if yours is as old as mine i would more than happey to send you a copy of the manual

good luck
rick


----------



## Cato (May 1, 2009)

John_G said:


> *Jointer Problems, HELP PLZZZ*
> 
> Hello everyone, i'm really hoping someone can shed some light on this problem for me. I have an older craftsman Jointer/Planer that is in great working condition, however it has one major problem. Even though the infeed and outfeed tables are parallel when i push a board through it raises up off the outfeed table. Hopefully the pictures below will help…...
> 
> ...


What PurpLev said plus, are the jointer blades sharp? They need to be so that only a little pressure is needed to drag the wood over the cutter head.

Take very light passes as you learn the machine as it will be easier to feed the stock and get down that dragging technique on the outfeed side.

As others have said also, look at some of the instructional you tube videos to get a feeling for proper techniques and how to deal with bows, cups, and twists.

You will need a flat reference surface, as on a TS top, to check your progress. As you get close to flat you may find that you might need two passes say against the grain and then two passes from the other end with the grain to avoid jointing a wedge.


----------



## John_G (Jan 12, 2011)

John_G said:


> *Jointer Problems, HELP PLZZZ*
> 
> Hello everyone, i'm really hoping someone can shed some light on this problem for me. I have an older craftsman Jointer/Planer that is in great working condition, however it has one major problem. Even though the infeed and outfeed tables are parallel when i push a board through it raises up off the outfeed table. Hopefully the pictures below will help…...
> 
> ...


@Rance, great idea and i do have one and yes they both read at zero when starting at the outfeed and zero'ing out the wixley first.

Thank you everyone for all the responces i'm honestly a bit overwelmed. I think this entire time i've been using the machine incorrectly. I tried it again last night applyling light pressure only on the outfeed side and it started working better but seemed like i began to jointer a wedge….. looks like i have alot more learning to do…..


----------



## GregD (Oct 24, 2009)

John_G said:


> *Jointer Problems, HELP PLZZZ*
> 
> Hello everyone, i'm really hoping someone can shed some light on this problem for me. I have an older craftsman Jointer/Planer that is in great working condition, however it has one major problem. Even though the infeed and outfeed tables are parallel when i push a board through it raises up off the outfeed table. Hopefully the pictures below will help…...
> 
> ...


Wedgies are common ;-)
At least for me.

What PurpLev and Cato said works for me.


----------



## John_G (Jan 12, 2011)

John_G said:


> *Jointer Problems, HELP PLZZZ*
> 
> Hello everyone, i'm really hoping someone can shed some light on this problem for me. I have an older craftsman Jointer/Planer that is in great working condition, however it has one major problem. Even though the infeed and outfeed tables are parallel when i push a board through it raises up off the outfeed table. Hopefully the pictures below will help…...
> 
> ...


SO how do i prevent creating a wedge, i'm guessing checking the flatness on the table and spinning the board till it sits roughly flat….??? sounds good to me….lol


----------



## Bluepine38 (Dec 14, 2009)

John_G said:


> *Jointer Problems, HELP PLZZZ*
> 
> Hello everyone, i'm really hoping someone can shed some light on this problem for me. I have an older craftsman Jointer/Planer that is in great working condition, however it has one major problem. Even though the infeed and outfeed tables are parallel when i push a board through it raises up off the outfeed table. Hopefully the pictures below will help…...
> 
> ...


I may just be looking wrong, but to start with the top of the jointer blades, the infeed and the outfeed 
table should all be in a straight line/parallel , then to make a cut the infeed table is lowered the required
amount, and the infeed table will still be parallel with the outfeed table, but setting the required distance
below the blades and the outfeed table. The top of the cutting blades should always be level with the 
top of the outfeed table. Just my opinion.


----------



## Cato (May 1, 2009)

John_G said:


> *Jointer Problems, HELP PLZZZ*
> 
> Hello everyone, i'm really hoping someone can shed some light on this problem for me. I have an older craftsman Jointer/Planer that is in great working condition, however it has one major problem. Even though the infeed and outfeed tables are parallel when i push a board through it raises up off the outfeed table. Hopefully the pictures below will help…...
> 
> ...


John, yes spinning the board will get you to flatness.

It just takes a little time and practice to get the feel for that last pass to get all the peek out so that the entire surface sits flat.

Kind of like sharpening a knife blade, so many strokes on each side with the coarse stone and then when honing just a few passes on each side and finally one pass on each side until the burr is gone.


----------



## coloradoclimber (Apr 7, 2007)

John_G said:


> *Jointer Problems, HELP PLZZZ*
> 
> Hello everyone, i'm really hoping someone can shed some light on this problem for me. I have an older craftsman Jointer/Planer that is in great working condition, however it has one major problem. Even though the infeed and outfeed tables are parallel when i push a board through it raises up off the outfeed table. Hopefully the pictures below will help…...
> 
> ...


From what you describe, and your pictures, sounds like PurpLev is right on. Pressure on the infeed just long enough to get enough of the board stable on the outfeed then transfer pressure to the outfeed, NO pressure on the infeed.

You actually don't want to be cutting continuous full length of the board, you only want to be cutting the low or high spots until the board is flat. When you start cutting continuous full length, with pressure on the outfeed, the board is flat and done.


----------



## John_G (Jan 12, 2011)

*Which should i buy*

Ok so i've narrowed my 2 planer choices down to these, which one would you purchase…


> ?











Makita 2012NB 12-Inch Planer with Interna-Lok Automated Head Clamp

OR









DEWALT DW735 13-Inch Three Knife Two Speed Thickness Planer


----------



## woodworm (Jul 27, 2008)

John_G said:


> *Which should i buy*
> 
> Ok so i've narrowed my 2 planer choices down to these, which one would you purchase…
> 
> ...


DeWalt DW735; if the price isn't an issue. It always get high rating in the tools reviews. Frankly speaking, I do not own one because DeWalt is not available in my country - so I bought Jet JWP-12.


----------



## SSMDad (Apr 17, 2011)

John_G said:


> *Which should i buy*
> 
> Ok so i've narrowed my 2 planer choices down to these, which one would you purchase…
> 
> ...


I have a Grizzly planer and have never used either of these but I do have several Makita tools and they've never let me down, even after quite a bit of abuse. I also looked at this one before I finally bought mine. (the Griz was <$300 so I had to go with it)

DeWalt (or glorified Black&Decker) as silly as it sounds, really turned me off when they continued putting NiCad batteries in their drills (and charging a fortune for replacements) when most all other manufacturers had gone to NiMh for it's longer life). I've only owned 1 DeWalt tool (an angle grinder) and sold it pretty quickly.

Obviously I have some favoritism going on.


----------



## HalDougherty (Jul 15, 2009)

John_G said:


> *Which should i buy*
> 
> Ok so i've narrowed my 2 planer choices down to these, which one would you purchase…
> 
> ...


When I was looking for a planer, I bought the Ridgid at Home Depot because it got a "best value" rating in the review in Fine Woodworking Magazine and it was hundreds less than the DeWalt. Plus the stand came with it and the outfeed trays that are extra with the DeWalt. Also it came with a lifetime guarantee. If I had it to do over again, I'd search Craig's List till I found one I wanted for less than half the new cost.


----------



## Lance09 (Jun 26, 2011)

John_G said:


> *Which should i buy*
> 
> Ok so i've narrowed my 2 planer choices down to these, which one would you purchase…
> 
> ...


DW735!! I recently was in the market for a planner and came across the dewalt on CL!! $375


----------



## John_G (Jan 12, 2011)

John_G said:


> *Which should i buy*
> 
> Ok so i've narrowed my 2 planer choices down to these, which one would you purchase…
> 
> ...


thanks everyone, obviously i can go with any machine. This is the one machine that i think is the toughest to buy. There can be so much user error that can give it a bad name it's hard to judge by reviews. I would love a great 300-350 planer. If the Rigid one works great as long as you have infeed and outfeed table awesome. I have 2-6' benches that will be in and out feed tables…. Sometimes i think i'm paying for the name as well…. such a tough decision especially when your on a budget…..


----------



## mmccoy1951 (Feb 3, 2011)

John_G said:


> *Which should i buy*
> 
> Ok so i've narrowed my 2 planer choices down to these, which one would you purchase…
> 
> ...


It you can find a powermatic.They are the best in my opinion.


----------



## John_G (Jan 12, 2011)

*Jet JPW15-HO*

OK everyone, i'm thinking of going after a used 15" Jet planer. There asking 250.00 for it. I'm currently waiting for pix from the owner. Does anyone have or know anything about this planer, any information would be greatly appreciated…...

Thanks LJ's…...


----------



## Dusty56 (Apr 20, 2008)

John_G said:


> *Jet JPW15-HO*
> 
> OK everyone, i'm thinking of going after a used 15" Jet planer. There asking 250.00 for it. I'm currently waiting for pix from the owner. Does anyone have or know anything about this planer, any information would be greatly appreciated…...
> 
> Thanks LJ's…...


find out the model number and Google it for reviews : )


----------



## davidmw (Feb 9, 2011)

John_G said:


> *Jet JPW15-HO*
> 
> OK everyone, i'm thinking of going after a used 15" Jet planer. There asking 250.00 for it. I'm currently waiting for pix from the owner. Does anyone have or know anything about this planer, any information would be greatly appreciated…...
> 
> Thanks LJ's…...


If it's actual the JWP-15HO (title of post says JPW-15HO) and in good shape, $250 seems like a great deal to me.

I just about fainted when I thought you were looking at a JWP15-HH for $250, that's the kind of deal that would be worth driving across the country for.


----------



## davidmw (Feb 9, 2011)

John_G said:


> *Jet JPW15-HO*
> 
> OK everyone, i'm thinking of going after a used 15" Jet planer. There asking 250.00 for it. I'm currently waiting for pix from the owner. Does anyone have or know anything about this planer, any information would be greatly appreciated…...
> 
> Thanks LJ's…...


Oh, one other point is that it may be wired for something other than standard 120V household current. Just something to keep in mind.


----------



## Dusty56 (Apr 20, 2008)

John_G said:


> *Jet JPW15-HO*
> 
> OK everyone, i'm thinking of going after a used 15" Jet planer. There asking 250.00 for it. I'm currently waiting for pix from the owner. Does anyone have or know anything about this planer, any information would be greatly appreciated…...
> 
> Thanks LJ's…...


No luck with the numbers / letters in the title , so I went with this one : 
http://www.ozarkwoodworker.com/item/jetasian-15-wood-planer-jwp-15ho-operator-parts-ma/

"This machine was produced in Asia, and was sold under different brands e.g. Grizzly, Enco, MSC, etc. ".......


----------



## garyjs (Aug 9, 2011)

John_G said:


> *Jet JPW15-HO*
> 
> OK everyone, i'm thinking of going after a used 15" Jet planer. There asking 250.00 for it. I'm currently waiting for pix from the owner. Does anyone have or know anything about this planer, any information would be greatly appreciated…...
> 
> Thanks LJ's…...


Be sure to check the condition of the blades. You may have to replace them. And be sure the motor is in good condition and not overheating after a few minutes of use. And be sure you receive the blade setting tool. If the owner has a replacement set of blades, be sure you get them as well. If not, be sure to order a set once you accept delivery.

This sounds like a great deal!


----------



## John_G (Jan 12, 2011)

*Garage Sale Wood Gloat*










After seeing an ad on craigslist for a garage sale that was going to have some rough cut lumber i figured i'd buzz over and check it out. Turned out for whatever reason the gentleman was getting out of woodworking and looking to sell a bunch of lunber he's had drying in his garage for years. As i look around i saw maple, cherry, and Peruvian Walnut. Playing a little niave i asked what i was worth and how much he wanted to sell. He said all of it. I passed on any of the scrap pine 2x lumber and took averything else. Not know exacts i got….

8 - 8'+ x 5-8" wide x 4/4 thick Cherry. Some of it's in rough shape but thass ok.
4 - large 8/4 hard maple and 2-4/4 hard maple lengths and widths vary (see pic)
and 2 wide pieces about 5' long of peruvian Walnut.

Everything for 50.00

As you can see from the pic my bottom shelf at the floor is scraps and all oak, then next shelf up is all my garage sale purchase, then next up is all QSWO (going to be endtable soon) and then top shelf that you can barely see is all cut off's of walnut and cherry.

Well not that's my racks full i guess i should get to builing with it all…


----------



## Bearpie (Feb 19, 2010)

John_G said:


> *Garage Sale Wood Gloat*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


You got a heck of a deal!


----------



## superstretch (Jan 10, 2011)

John_G said:


> *Garage Sale Wood Gloat*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Nice take! I think I saw that ad…


----------



## John_G (Jan 12, 2011)

*Larger Projects vs. Smaller Projects*

So as the years have gone by and i've done more and more projects in the shop, honing my skills, and slowly getting better i decided to try a double endtable project. Well as it's turning out it's become time not so much skill that i lack. I feel like i can go down into the shop, and on a small project get a lot done in an hour or so. However on this larger project it's really come to a screeching hault as i feel unless i have in excess of a few hours it's really not worth getting into working on. I feel like i possibly bit off mroe than i can chew. With work, family, kids and such my time is so limited, and when i do get in the shop i like to see progress, which is really hard to see on something large. I don't know if i should try to just buckle down and finish them, or set it aside for when my schedule has longer bouts of time allowed in the shop. really such difficult decisions….


----------



## camps764 (Dec 9, 2011)

John_G said:


> *Larger Projects vs. Smaller Projects*
> 
> So as the years have gone by and i've done more and more projects in the shop, honing my skills, and slowly getting better i decided to try a double endtable project. Well as it's turning out it's become time not so much skill that i lack. I feel like i can go down into the shop, and on a small project get a lot done in an hour or so. However on this larger project it's really come to a screeching hault as i feel unless i have in excess of a few hours it's really not worth getting into working on. I feel like i possibly bit off mroe than i can chew. With work, family, kids and such my time is so limited, and when i do get in the shop i like to see progress, which is really hard to see on something large. I don't know if i should try to just buckle down and finish them, or set it aside for when my schedule has longer bouts of time allowed in the shop. really such difficult decisions….


That's definitely tough. I usually find 2 hours each evening after the kid goes to sleep to get in the shop. I try to plan out manageable chunks that I can tackle.

One night I might spend the evening doing all of my layout and marking as much as I can. Another I might rough cut everything to size and sort. Another cutting all of the mortises/tenons/grooves for panels.

I find that if I can block out pieces I can see more progress than if I try to just get as much as possible done in one sitting. In my head I know I am making the same progress, but for some reason I feel like I can see appreciable progress.

I also try to find ways to bring my project upstairs. So I might do layout at the dining room table, or sketching, planning my cut lists and then I can do double duty and spend time with the fam as well.

Just my .02


----------



## Robb (Aug 18, 2007)

John_G said:


> *Larger Projects vs. Smaller Projects*
> 
> So as the years have gone by and i've done more and more projects in the shop, honing my skills, and slowly getting better i decided to try a double endtable project. Well as it's turning out it's become time not so much skill that i lack. I feel like i can go down into the shop, and on a small project get a lot done in an hour or so. However on this larger project it's really come to a screeching hault as i feel unless i have in excess of a few hours it's really not worth getting into working on. I feel like i possibly bit off mroe than i can chew. With work, family, kids and such my time is so limited, and when i do get in the shop i like to see progress, which is really hard to see on something large. I don't know if i should try to just buckle down and finish them, or set it aside for when my schedule has longer bouts of time allowed in the shop. really such difficult decisions….


I'm with Steve. Your post caught my eye, because I have 3 boys, 7, 2 and 6 mos. When I read what you said about feeling overwhelmed, and therefore not wanting to work on the project, it sounded very familiar. My approach has been the same as what Steve said, though, in trying to break the projects I'm working on into small steps, so as I get each step done, I get a sense of accomplishment.


----------



## jacob34 (Mar 14, 2012)

John_G said:


> *Larger Projects vs. Smaller Projects*
> 
> So as the years have gone by and i've done more and more projects in the shop, honing my skills, and slowly getting better i decided to try a double endtable project. Well as it's turning out it's become time not so much skill that i lack. I feel like i can go down into the shop, and on a small project get a lot done in an hour or so. However on this larger project it's really come to a screeching hault as i feel unless i have in excess of a few hours it's really not worth getting into working on. I feel like i possibly bit off mroe than i can chew. With work, family, kids and such my time is so limited, and when i do get in the shop i like to see progress, which is really hard to see on something large. I don't know if i should try to just buckle down and finish them, or set it aside for when my schedule has longer bouts of time allowed in the shop. really such difficult decisions….


I also am a father of multiple children (5) and have many things pulling on my time. I am also after several small projects ready to start doing larger ones. I find that the best for me is to (with approval from the boss) find a day I can spend a few hours in the shop, as I also like to see progress during shop time. Another thing I do is make a plan or to do list breaking the steps down so each time I am in the shop I can see something checked off the list even if I can't see it on the project.


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## John_G (Jan 12, 2011)

*Picnic Table Dilemma *

So the Mrs has asked me to build a picnic table now. I did some searching online and founf this one and she agreed that it's perfect.

http://www.woodcraft.com/PRODUCT/2083086/34000/FUNINTHESUN-PICNIC-TABLE-WOODWORKING-PLAN.ASPX?refcode=10INGOPB&gclid=CJCtlaXxorgCFciY4AodFw8A4g

So like most young woodworkers when it comes to choosing the wood to use it goes right olong with how much money to spend. The plans call for approx 100lin ft of 1-1/2" x 8" material. So initially we thought Cedar, then white oak,if i got rough 8/4 and planed it all down out price tag for this was well over 500.00 bucks. This was way out of the park for waht we wanted to spend so we started throwing around ideas of other lumber. Using pressure treated or even stock 2x pine and sealing it. i know everyone is probably cringing at the thought of non treat pine outside year round. What are everyone's thoughts on this. I know we'd all like to use some perfect hardwood for every project but sometimes the wallet just doesn't support it. What if i did yo ustandard 2×8's and planed them down nice and then sealed every piece with a deck sealer. What if i got pressure treated, could i even plne that luimber so it was flat and square? I wish i had an endless supply of lumber, lol…. don't we all.

Thanks everyone
John G.


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## chrisstef (Mar 3, 2010)

John_G said:


> *Picnic Table Dilemma *
> 
> So the Mrs has asked me to build a picnic table now. I did some searching online and founf this one and she agreed that it's perfect.
> 
> ...


Pressure treated would be just fine on an outdoor picnic table project. You could even use decking material for the seating area to save a few bucks. Typically it comes in at 5/4.

Ive used untreated pine for a few Adirondack chairs as well. They've held up in the New England climate going on 4 years now with an outdoor cedar stain on them. They've even fooled a few people.

Take a look in your area and see if there's any cypress to be had. Its very much like cedar in its rot resistant properties.

Just make sure to use stainless hardware or itll all rust on ya.


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## tefinn (Sep 23, 2011)

John_G said:


> *Picnic Table Dilemma *
> 
> So the Mrs has asked me to build a picnic table now. I did some searching online and founf this one and she agreed that it's perfect.
> 
> ...


Hi John!

Pressure treated or pine with deck sealer would be fine. Pine untreated won't last as long, but can be used.

Your standard 2×8's are going to be around 1-1/2×7-1/2 actual size. If the plans call for 1-1/2×8 actual size, just use 2×10's and rip off the extra, No planing needed. Rout or sand the sharp edges and you'll be fine. Make sure you use galvanized or stainless steel hardware.


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## gwlewis66 (Aug 25, 2009)

John_G said:


> *Picnic Table Dilemma *
> 
> So the Mrs has asked me to build a picnic table now. I did some searching online and founf this one and she agreed that it's perfect.
> 
> ...


I built one something like it back a while easy to build and heavy.I used pressure treated pine and australian timber oil. still holding strong.


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## Dark_Lightning (Nov 20, 2009)

John_G said:


> *Picnic Table Dilemma *
> 
> So the Mrs has asked me to build a picnic table now. I did some searching online and founf this one and she agreed that it's perfect.
> 
> ...


Use breathing protection and keep your family away from the work if you are using treated lumber. The treatment is poison.


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## John_G (Jan 12, 2011)

John_G said:


> *Picnic Table Dilemma *
> 
> So the Mrs has asked me to build a picnic table now. I did some searching online and founf this one and she agreed that it's perfect.
> 
> ...


Thanks everyone, i feel much better about using standard lumber now knowing that others have done it successfully. I'm leaning more toward the untreated mainly becuase of the shrinkage factor with the treated lumber. There are a bunch of half lap joints in this and i can see the PT shrinking a lot and things no longer fitting together well.

Thanks again everyone.


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