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22 January 2019 at 8:54 pm #554667
I’ve seen some people on Youtube create these enclosures for box fans that have HVAC filters on both sides. The concept is simple, however, I don’t know if it works or not. I use both hand and power tools and I have a 2-stage dust collection system for my table saw, planer and band saw. It keeps most of the bigger stuff down. Aside from that I also keep a set of shop vacs on either side of my shop (2 car garage) and I vacuum daily to keep from tracking it into the house. The dust does collect, no matter what though.
30 November 2018 at 6:27 pm #553675@walters-ty
You say it is cupped. Could you take an “F” clamp – one at each end of the board and clamp that to your bench top? If you used a hold fast, you’d have a “clamp” somewhere on the body of wood you’re planing. Other than going to the expense of modifying your bench with holes or adding a bench stop – you may want to try clamping a thin piece of wood perpendicular to your work piece – at each end – and plane against it. That has worked for me in the past.Incidentally, Paul does reference how to use/install bench stop:
https://paulsellers.com/2015/03/adding-a-flush-bench-stop/27 November 2018 at 5:03 pm #553562@SZOLTOMI
I also work with maple (sugar maple) a lot. It is indigenous to Tennessee, where I live. It is some of the hardest wood I’ve worked with. I found that it dulled chisels and plane blades very quickly. The wood I worked with was also very figured – which meant that I really needed to keep my tools sharp. I love the look and would not dream of throwing it away. It is worth the effort to me, but it can be frustrating. I feel your pain.On a side note, I found that often I just needed to strop my blades a few times between actually sharpening them. You may want to try that.
15 November 2018 at 8:45 pm #553274That’s a great idea. I’m normally milling down logs into 1.5″ to 2″ planks when I screw the plywood to it – and that is only to get one side relatively flat. I like your concept though – I will have to give that a try.
15 November 2018 at 12:35 pm #553252Nikola,
Take a look at this article. http://www.woodworkersjournal.com/how-to-use-table-saw-as-jointer/
It shows how to make a jig for a table saw to use as a jointer. I made one that has a miter runner and clamps that you clamp the wood to, then run it through the saw to give you one good edge. I also have done the scrub plane method with winding stick – a lot, in fact. It depends on what I’m working on. If I need to just get a project done – I’ll use more power tools. If I’m doing this for my zen relaxation – then I use almost 100% hand tools. All of this is for me – that’s how I approach it. It isn’t a business, it is a hobby. If I am getting frustrated in preparing stock – then I’ve missed the point entirely.I also use my bandsaw a lot with rough stock. Often, when I’m milling down to sticker and dry the wood – I’ll take a flat piece of plywood (length depends on how long the rough wood is) and will screw it to one side of the wood I’m milling. From that point, I put that plywood against my bandsaw rip fence and set how thick I want the off cut to be. It isn’t perfect, but this is for very wet wood that is going to possibly warp or twist anyway. After that first cut – now I can flip the wood around and use that clean edge I just cut against the fence.
I don’t have a jointer. I have a 20’x20′ garage that I work in. Half is for power tools and the other for hand. I also have to store other things in there too. I have a Porter Cable thickness planer, but I seldom use it. It seems more trouble than it is worth to me. When I am planing the face of the boards – this is where I use my winding sticks and hand planes. I’ve done it so much that the process doesn’t take that long – usually. I get one side flat, one edge square – then take it back to my bandsaw and cut to within 1/8″ of the thickness I want. This gives me enough room to do final planing.
Use what works for you and enjoy the process – that’s what this is all about. I keep reminding myself of it.
- This reply was modified 5 years, 5 months ago by Doug Finch.
18 October 2018 at 4:31 pm #552772I actually enjoy the process of chopping mortises. I have a “project” coming up where I’m making a second quilt ladder for my sister-in-law. This isn’t a project I’m doing for my pleasure, it is merely something I’ve been asked to do. My goal on this is to knock it out as quickly as possible so I can move on to things I would prefer to do.
In this instance, I’ll forego sawing by hand and planing everything square and chopping out mortises by hand. I’m going to use as much power equipment as I can to get this done fast. I am also not going to go with my preferred shellac and paste wax finish, buffed with 0000 steel wool. I’ll probably just do a coat or two of water-based poly.
My wife treasures the things I make her and it is a joy for me to make them, by hand, the more tedious way. I love my sister-in-law, but her appreciation for what I make is more of a “oh, hey, that’s cool – make me one too” – so quicker is the route I’m going. Forstner bits and drill press at the ready.
18 October 2018 at 4:25 pm #552768I have some elm that I collected in the form of logs. I split, resawed and stickered to dry for about a year. I’ve made some tools and small furniture pieces with it. I wish I had longer wood – mine are all around 2′ long. There’s only so much I can do with it. It reminds me of a really fine grained oak. It planes well, stains well and seems to take a finish pretty well.
I wouldn’t have a problem making something bigger out of this wood.
27 September 2018 at 1:08 pm #552335Robyn,
When I first started this a year ago, I was confused about this too. On top of that I’m left handed – so everything was backwards. I’d mark one cut (always with pencil) and cut to one side, the next time I’d mark a board and cut to the other side of the line by accident. It frustrated me so much. Do I cut on the line or to one side or the other? Of course, if your pencil lead is dull, that decreases the precision of the mark also.When I first saw a youtube video where someone used a marking knife, it made sense to me. You mark with the knife and cut directly on that line. Then I started watching videos where people used hand tools and they spoke of precision – making sure you have a face and 90 degree edge – and marking them accordingly. This made more sense. Now I have a single point of reference – no more mistakes on which side I mark first. Paul’s videos clarified this all the more for me. I still like to put an “X” on the waste side – or the side I’m cutting away. For ultra precise cuts (dovetails) I will almost reach under my square with my marking knife when making my knife wall marks. I’d rather pare some wood away than have a gap.
I’m making something for a friend right now that I just wanted to “knock out” quickly. I’m using mostly power tools – but even in this, when it comes to measuring and marking – I still use Paul’s techniques. Last night I stood back and smiled at how tight the joints were with this project. A year ago I would be filling gaps with wood filler and glue. I was so proud of my first project when I finished it. Today when I look at it I think about how differently I would do it. I’m still proud of it – but I would still do it differently now.
Don’t lose heart. Everybody has to start somewhere. You’ll get there. Be proud of what you’ve done, where you are today.
27 September 2018 at 12:50 pm #552334@claudiu your workbench is not helping you. It is probably frustrating you more than helping. You cannot “work wood” on a surface that moves. It is the same as trying to hold a piece of wood in one hand and saw with the other hand. You cannot hold the wood stable enough to make the cut.
After you figure out how to get a more stable work surface, practice is essential. Nobody cuts a straight cut at the beginning.
20 September 2018 at 11:58 am #551997thanks for the input. These will be fixed shutters. I’ve simplified my design drastically since this guy just wants “down and dirty” shutters. The information is very good – many thanks.
30 August 2018 at 1:07 pm #550770I didn’t follow Paul’s design on mine. I wanted something a bit different. I forget how many board feet it ended up being, but the bench is 30″(D)x48″(W)x33″(H). I looked at maple, but it was going to cost me well over $1000.00 – and that’s crazy. I also wanted to be able to pound on this and maybe spill something on it – and maybe accidentally hit it with a saw or chisel and not cringe. I opted for southern yellow pine (I’m in Nashville, Tennessee) – 2x6x10 boards. It ended up costing me right at $300.00. This table is the most solid thing I’ve ever worked on. The top is about 5″ thick and it weighs, I’m guessing, around 500 lbs. If I ever move this may have to stay with this house.
In the end, I’m glad I went for the pine. The cost made more sense than maple. I was concerned about bouncing during chopping, but there is none. This thing is rock solid. Incidentally, I have spilled things on it, hit the top with saw teeth (several times) and slipped with my chisels – it’s a work bench!
28 August 2018 at 8:47 pm #550698I had some bench dog holes in my previous bench and decided against them in my new bench that I just finished a few months ago. Frankly, I don’t miss them at all. I used to get frustrated with them. I resort to the clamp in the vise or just using the vise itself. I’ve only once had to resort to putting my vise dog up to plane something. I can’t see me going back to them at all.
Nice looking shop Tom!
28 August 2018 at 8:43 pm #550697Thanks for the link. I would like to see something of this depth done on WWMC.
28 August 2018 at 8:38 pm #550696I’m just going to take a stab at this and say that the package instructions represent both the angle in degrees (25) and the slope in % (30). I don’t believe this has anything to do with differences between people, but possibly differences between professions. While a 25 degree angle is sufficient for most people, and engineer or someone of that sort may want to know the actual slope, in percentage, of what the cutting edge should be. I could be wrong.
24 August 2018 at 7:06 pm #550541My first plane ever was a #5 Ward’s Master Quality (old US Montgomery Wards store) plane – for about $9.00 plus shipping. It was a pre-WWII model (made by Lakeside?). I wasn’t sure if I was going to like hand planing things and didn’t want to spend much money. When I cleaned it and removed the rust and grime, what a beautiful tool emerged. The wood handles are simply beautiful. I now have 8 or so planes but this one is still my “go to” plane. I spent the time learning how to tweak the settings and adjustments so that it does what I need. I use it as my smoothing plane more so than my actual smoothing plane.
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