source stringlengths 620 29.3k | target stringlengths 12 1.24k |
|---|---|
Are there any famous world leaders (politics, religion) who are vegan/vegetarian? Who are famous world leaders (politics, religion) who live on a vegan/vegetarian diet? (Define famous: presidents, vice presidents, religious heads) <Q> Most of those are not world leaders. <S> Adolf Hitler was leader of Germany 1933-1945. <S> Jeremy Corbyn is hoping to become Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in the UK elections on 8 June 2017 (in 2 days). <S> The others are mostly national-level parliamentarians, mostly for left-wing parties, but not (aspiring) world leaders. <A> Narendra Modi the Prime Minister of India is vegetarian http://www.financialexpress.com/opinion/narendra-modi-baba-ramdev-others-preach-vegetarianism-but-what-is-the-meat-consumption-reality-in-india/427614/ <A> Janez Drnovšek , former Prime Minister and President of Slovenia, was vegan, making him the first ever vegan political leader of a country. <S> Sadly he died in 2008.
| The following politicians are listed on this List of vegetarians on Wikipedia : Hilary Benn,Cory Booker,Wouter Bos,Fenner Brockway,Kathalijne Buitenweg,Jeremy Corbyn,Stafford Cripps,Morarji Desai,Dion Graus,Maximiliano Hernández Martínez,Rudolf Hess,Adolf Hitler,Jens Holm,Ewout Irrgang,James Johnston,Niko Koffeman,Attje Kuiken,Tzipi Livni,Jamby Madrigal,Cem Özdemir,Diederik Samsom,Gustav Struve,Krista van Velzen,Marijke Vos,Marianne Thieme,Esther Ouwehand,Mojo Mathers ,Natasja Oerlemans,Bernard Weatherill,Francisco Madero.
|
Are there any well known vegan athletes? I was wondering if some athletes could manage to get the same performance or even experience a performance when not eating anything coming from an animal. Are there effective athletes relying only on plants? <Q> This is really just a matter of 'let me google it for you'. <S> The first hit yields a nice list . <S> Interestingly, there are endurance athletes as well as strength athletes. <S> My favorites: <S> Catra Corbett , ultra marathoner and general badass <S> Carl Lewis , sprinter, long jumper and multiple Olympic gold medalist Brendan Brazier , iron man triathlete and author Scott Jurek , leading ultra marathoner, trail runner and author Kendrick Farris , Olympic weightlifter Steph Davis , leading climber and base jumper <S> The Williams sisters , tennis professionals and multiple grand slam winners <A> You certainly can be a world-class athlete on a vegan diet. <S> For example, as of writing, the best weight-lifter in the USA, Kendrick Farris , is vegan. <S> He keeps his critics quiet by breaking more records. <S> Here are some other world-class athletes that are vegan: <S> Patrick Baboumian : Germany’s Strongest Man in 2011 and <S> during 2013 he broke the world record for the most weight ever carried ( video ). <S> On September 20, 2015, Baboumian beat his own world record by completing the yoke walk with 560kg in Kitzcher, Germany. <S> Mac Danzig : <S> World champion UFC fighter, 2007 <S> James Wilks : <S> World champion UFC fighter, 2009 <S> Lenroy Thompson : World-class boxer and winner the US title in 2008, 2010, 2013 and 2014 and the Golden Gloves 2009, 2011 and 2013. <S> Jim Morris : World-class bodybuilder who is now vegan (and interestingly was Elton John’s personal bodyguard for more than a decade). <S> Steph Davis : Record breaking rock climber, the only woman to have free solo climbed a 5.11 climb. <S> Timothy Bradley : <S> Professional boxer holding several titles and, as of 2014, is Ring Magazine’s number 5, Best Pound for Pound boxer in the world. <S> Scott Jurek : One of the worlds most successful ultra-marathon runners. <S> Hold several records and 3 consecutive “Male ultra-runner of the year” awards. <S> David Haye : <S> A professional boxer holding Cruiserweight and Heavyweight world titles. <A> Great Vegan Athletes is a website that has a list of vegan athletes with bios. <S> The Strongest Hearts is a web series which interviews various vegan athletes and follows them for a "Day-in-a-life." <A> Nick Diaz and Nate Diaz, two brothers, are MMA fighters in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. <S> Nick is the former Strikeforce champion, and Nate has plenty of accolades of his own. <S> They're two of the highest level fighters in the world. <S> They also do marathons and triathlons. <S> They're usually pescetarian, but go full vegetarian during "fight camp", which is a ~6-8 week period of ramped up intense training before a fight. <A> <A> I have to add one of my favorite ones to this list: Jermain Defoe , professional football player, currently a player of Bournemouth FC in the Barclays Premier League and who has credited his vegan diet as an important reason behind his top form despite his age . <S> He is also involved in different social causes and has his own charity foundation.
| Frank Medrano is a well known vegan bodybuilder. Tim Shieff : 2009 world champion free-runner (and funnily enough, one of the Death Eaters in the last Harry Potter movie).
|
What are well known smoked cheese alternatives? What alternatives are well known or can be purchased in local supermarkets which taste most similar to smoked cheese? Note : I'm living in the UK and shop weekly so I'm looking for alternatives I can consistently buy locally. (Preferably large supermarkets if possible) <Q> I couldn't find any products in local supermarkets except this one at Tesco, but it's currently unavailable on their website. <S> Otherwise though, I've found a great cashew based recipe for a three day supply (up to 12 servings) which takes around 15 minutes to make and it is as follows: <S> Ingredients 1 cup / 150 <S> g <S> Cashews ½ cup / 40 <S> g <S> Nutritional yeast <S> 1 tbsp Smoked paprika 1 tbsp Maple syrup 1 tbsp Agar agar powder 1 clove of Garlic 1 Lemon juiced ¼ tsp Turmeric <S> ¼ tsp Cayenne pepper 1½ cups / 350ml <S> Water <S> a pinch of Salt Method Place half the water and everything else apart from the agar agar into a blender. <S> Blend until smooth. <S> In a pan put in the remaining half of the water and the agar agar. <S> Simmer for 5 mins stirring constantly. <S> Make sure no lumps of agar agar form at the bottom. <S> Take off the heat and stir in the cashew mixture until combined. <S> Pour into a mould and then chill for 2 hours. <S> Ingredients can be all sourced from one supermarket <A> If you can find Miyokos smoked English farmhouse , it's pretty awesome. <S> Not sure how common it is in the UK though. <A> Clearspot, Cauldron and Taifun all have a smoked tofu that they sell in the UK, in health stores and some supermarkets. <S> The taste and texture is not as close as a pukka vegan cheese, but if you are happy with a smoky/savoury taste and a vaguely cheese-like texture then this might satisfy your requirements. <A> Tesco has this product which is quite good. :)
| In addition to vegan smoked cheeses, you might also want to consider smoked tofu.
|
Why is green gram, also known as mung bean, not a popular protein source? I have been going through protein sources for vegans here and in other forums in the internet. I don't see any of them listing green gram as on of items despite having around 25g protein in 100g substance. I am wondering if there is a particular dietary or nutritional reason why is it not considered a good source of protein? Is it only because it's not known in some part of the world? Image source : Wikipedia <Q> As a European, my personal reason is that it is not grown anywhere near home, as opposed to many other legumes. <S> According to this article , largest producers are China, India, Myanmar and Indonesia. <S> Otherwise this seems to be a very good source of protein indeed. <A> I think this is probably because most of the resources you are looking at were probably written by people from North America and Europe, where veganism and vegetarianism are niche lifestyles gaining in popularity, and where every veg*n is always being asked "where do you get your protein, then?" because large quantities of meat are consumed by the majority of the population. <S> I'm a British vegan, and I started working in a health food shop 14 years ago. <S> It was the only place I could buy mung beans. <S> I had one recipe for them in a vegetarian "student" cookbook. <S> As far as I know, thinking narrowly about the majority white culture, there are no traditional "British" dishes that use green gram. <S> The same is probably true of the US. <S> Of course, there is an endless and wonderful variety of dishes that use mung beans in many forms from Asia. <S> They are Soaked and cooked whole and used as is or mashed into a pate Soaked whole and drained and left to sprout, then eaten raw or cooked in curries, stir fries, salads... <S> Soaked and ground to make dosa batter Split and skinned and soaked and eaten in a salad Split and skinned and cooked to make a dal, smooth and thin or dry, sometimes combined with other pulses and so on. <S> But the work of Asian chefs and cooks and bloggers who know all this is not so easy to stumble on online as the lists written by Europeans and North Americans, maybe because they are not writing explicitly about vegetarian sources of protein, but just about dishes they like to cook. <S> Searching for "moong" on this site alone finds 18 recipes :) <A> Mung beans are popular in the Philippines. <S> There is dish whose primary ingredient is mung beans: Mongo . <S> They are commonly available in shops and markets. <S> Mongo is one of the few nearly vegetarian or vegan dishes that you will find there. <S> I say "nearly" since unless you have it especially prepared for you, it is liable to contain prawns, bits of pork, fish sauce, etc.
| Not only are they a great source of protein that is high in fibre and low in fat , they are also exceptionally versatile and easy to deal with compared to many other pulses.
|
What are some uses for soy 'whey'? I was wondering what are some common uses for soy 'whey'(leftovers from the coagulation process when making tofu)? I usually use Calcium Chloride or lemon juice, for coagulation, if that makes a difference. <Q> I also found some suggestions that come from the linked tofu recipe .I <S> have not tried any of them, but I bet it would work great for baking. <S> Smoothies / protein shakes Baked goods - as a milk replacement Soup broths <A> It makes wonderful aromatc tofu and has a much more fibrous texture when frozen. <S> Put whey in airtight container for 1 1/2 to 2 weeks till surface starts to froth. <S> It must be airtight and it takes a higher volume than other coagulants. <S> I believe it also has probiotic qualities as other fermentation does. <S> Traditional Vietnamese method! <A> You can make bread with tofu whey or water substitute for other baked goods. <S> You can also use as soup stock for example? <S> Miso soup or Korean biji jjigae (tofu byproduct, aka okara soup. <S> Or even water your plants <S> ;-)
| I coagulate soy milk for tofu using soured whey from a previous batch. According to this video by Maangchi, it was used in Korea back in the day to make a popular stew, called Biji Jjigae.
|
What can I swap for cream that's still "creamy"? I have a lot of recipes that call for heavy cream, half-and-half, or milk. I'd really like to ditch the dairy -- but while I can swap soy, almond, or something else for plain milk, I have a much harder time figuring out a substitute for cream. Coconut milk comes the closest in terms of consistency, but it has a rather distinct flavor (and there's also an allergy in the family, so I can't use it extensively). What are some tricks for getting a creamy consistency without using cream? <Q> Every (thick) fat-water emulsion. <S> In addition to coconut cream, which you mentioned, this includes mushed avocado (works well also for deserts such as mouse au chocolat) vegan mayonnaise (plant 'milk', oil, some drops of apple vinegar and salt combined in a blender) cream substitutes (from the supermarket) nut purees (which of course have a rather strong taste, with cashew being the most neutral) for whipped cream, use chick pea cooking water (right from the can) <S> In general the vegan cuisine is more about aroma. <A> As Henning's answer suggests the best substitute depends on the use-case. <S> The two options that I use most commonly are silken tofu and cashews. <S> Cashew cream soak the raw cashews for at least 15 minutes, preferably for an hour. <S> Apparently, this breaks down the chemicals on the surface that inhibit digestion, but it also helps with the creamy texture, in my experience. <S> rinse very thoroughly, for example in a colander or sieve, for several minutes transfer to a blender with a little (say, one tablespoon per 50g cashews in addition to them being wet from rinsing) water or neutral oil (I generally use some of my cooking broth if that's what the cream is for, or melted coconut oil or safflower oil if it's for a dessert) until the consistency is acceptable to you <S> use in the recipe, replacing one to one <S> Silken tofu cream <S> This is awesome for making dips (for example, to make sour cream for fajitas <S> I add lime juice and coriander) and dressings <S> (and I guess is much healthier than dairy cream as it's high in protein and low in fat). <S> You can't whip it, but the consistency after blending is thicker than cream, similar to a full-fat yogurt. <S> I use it more generously than packaged cream substitutes; I add about 1.5 - 2 times the amount of tofu compared to the amount of processed oat or soya cream or coconut cream I would use. <S> I can't promise it won't curdle. <S> It will happily take vinegar or citrus juice without any separation, but I haven't tested heating it. <S> To get just something like the natural sweetness of cream, about 1/4 tsp sugar per 200g tofu helps it along. <S> I add more for sweet recipes put the tofu and all the other ingredients for your sauce/dip/dressing/ <S> whatever into a blender blend until smooth! <A> Not sure if it's available where you live, but in my family we really like the taste, consistency and ingredients of Oatly's oat based cream . <S> The ingredients list is: Oat base (water, oats 10%), rapeseed oil, palm oil, emulsifier: rapeseed lecithin, stabiliser: xanthan, sea salt. <A> Depending on what you are making, my favorite stand-ins for heavy cream are: Silken tofu Coconut milk (although you nixed that idea!) <S> Avocado <S> White beans (e.g., cannellini) <S> Boiled and mashed cauliflower <S> Good luck
| I also make the middle part of cheesecakes with silken tofu blended with cashews or coconut oil or just melted chocolate (because silken tofu is too liquid by itself for this purpose). In the end, however, it is not really possible to replicate the creamy, hearty, umami taste of cow-milk cream.
|
Vegan wool alternative other than synthetic fiber? I read this post about vegan clothing, but I'm wondering what are the best alternatives to wool for warm clothing (i.e. sweater), which would be suitable for countries with some snow and temperatures down to -20 °C (so not great cold, but this question could apply to this too). I've learned that synthetic fibres (like in polar clothes) contains many endocrine disruptors due to the fact it's based on plastic - which, by the way, isn't always vegan in addition to the environmental costs - so I'm trying to avoid that. <Q> Wool is used in several ways so I'll discuss each use case separately. <S> I found a great reference page from MEC about how to properly layer clothing for cold weather . <S> Base Layer (undergarments and linings) <S> When dressing for activity in cold weather, an ideal base layer will conduct moisture away from the skin. <S> Any fabric that does this is called a wicking fabric . <S> Wool is a popular choice because it wicks away moisture and resists conducting heat away from the body even when wet. <S> Most natural fibres other than wool (eg. <S> cotton, hemp, rayon) perform poorly in this regard. <S> Hemp socks in particular are considered poor for activity and cold weather. <S> There are no natural fibres that excel as a base layer in cold temperatures. <S> Cotton is a poor choice in cold weather. <S> Wool works well, but is not generally considered suitable for vegans. <S> Polyester works well, but it is a synthetic product. <S> Midlayer/Insulating Layer <S> One or more insulating layers will be worn to slow the movement of heat away from the body. <S> Because insulating layers are not normally in direct contact with skin, moisture-wicking properties are less important than their ability to resist movement of heat. <S> It is preferable that the first insulating layer (closest to skin) should not be cotton . <S> Again, synthetic materials performed better than natural fibres in this area. <S> One popular option is Thermore Ecodown which is made from recycled PET plastic fibres. <S> Another well regarded option is Primaloft Eco . <S> In either case, insulating materials are not likely to be in direct contact with skin so health concerns about endocrine disrupters are minimized. <S> Of course there are still possible concerns about production, washing, and disposal. <S> Outerwear/Shell Hemp finally makes an appearance here. <S> The Amsterdam-based Hoodlamb company is making all-vegan clothing that uses a mix of hemp and organic cotton to create a water-resistant outer shell. <S> Wully Outerwear doesn't say what their Vegantech shell is made of, but I'm fairly certain <S> it's a synthetic material. <S> Similarly Vaute Couture also uses synthetics for insulation and external shell. <S> Conclusion <S> No, there is no material suitable for cold, wet weather which is both natural and vegan. <A> When one would typically use wool socks (for instance, I did a four day hike in the Appalachians recently) <S> I typically use bamboo fiber socks. <S> They're soft and warm, and in my experience do not hold water the way that cotton does. <A> Here is a post from PETA detailing 8 vegan fabrics. <S> This site yarnyarn also sell ethical based yarn, such as banana yarn which is vegan "Make your ethical fashion pieces with sustainable handmade vegan yarns" - quote from their site. <S> So far I've only talked about materials, this post may be helpful as she talks about how and where she found vegan winter clothing. <S> From your question I gather you are not based in the UK since we don't generally reach -20 <S> ℃ <S> but hopefully these sites will be useful. <S> I also realise that I have not specifically answered the following part of your question: what are the best alternatives to wool for warm clothing (i.e. sweater), which would be suitable for countries with some snow and temperatures down to -20 <S> °C <S> Though I do hope the information provided gives you a good head start.
| At this time, vegans who want to stay warm in cold weather need to choose between the following: Clothing made from animal by-products, especially wool from sheep or alpaca, or Clothing made from synthetic fibres, especially polyester and preferably recycled.
|
Could a vegetarian diet indirectly cause vitamin C deficiency? Obvious answer is no but... I quickly see a difference when I don't get much fruit (or fruit-juice) for a few weeks, my gums start bleeding more easily and get a bit painful - known consequences of a vitamin C deficiency , among other possible causes of course. It quickly gets better if I drink much more fruit-juice for a week or two. I know it does not seem related to vegetarian diet, but it never happened to me before and I was not eating healthily at all. Is there any side-effect of the veggie-diet that could make me more prone to vitamin C deficiency? Could it be some other vitamin that used to compensate for a lack of vitamin C but that I get less of now as a vegetarian (for almost 2 years)? I have been a bit low on B12 for example, could this destabilize the way I process or store the vitamin C? Or as even more unlikely reason, could a lack of sun make a difference here? I moved to a not-sunny country. Edit: Interesting point in @Panther's link : Vitamin C can also increase your body's absorption of iron from plant-based foods. So as a vegetarian you may get less iron from your plant-based food if you don't get enough Vitamin C? <Q> It sounds like you have an iron deficiency [bleeding gums is a common symptom], not a vitamin C deficiency. <S> You probably feel better when eating a lot of fruit because, to many people's surprise, many fruits have some iron. <S> In addition, vitamin C found in fruit helps you absorb iron found in other plant based food. <S> Here is some things you can do When you eat a salad with Spinach or Kale etc. <S> Use lemon or lime juice [instead of vinegar] as part of a dressing, and add fruit or vitamin C rich vegetables to the salad too [e.g. red peppers, tomatoes, etc]. <S> This will help you absorb the iron found in the greens. <S> Eat sweet potatoes. <S> They have a ton of vitamin C and go great with iron rich foods [like broccoli] <S> [they even have a bit of iron in them themselves!] <S> some fruits have both iron and vitamin C, such as strawberries, watermelon, and raisins <S> Most bread has iron. <S> If you have a sandwich add some tomato and other vitamin C rich foods to absorb the iron Other iron rich foods include lentils, beans, tofu, nuts, seeds, dried apricots and figs, quinoa, and most commercial breakfast cereals. <S> avoid drinking coffee and tea with meals as these things have the opposite effect of vitamin C and actually cause you to absorb less iron. <S> However, it can absolutely lead to iron deficiency if you don't eat a variety of foods rich in iron along with foods rich in vitamin C to aid iron absorbtion. <A> Meat and animal protein is not a source of Vitamin C nor is sun exposure a source of Vitamin C. Fruits and Vegetables are the primary source of Vitamin C and neither a Vegetarian or Vegan diet <S> are a cause of Vitamin C deficiency. <S> From your question, perhaps you are thinking of Vitamin D? <S> For sources of vitamin C, you can have a look here . <S> You might also be interested in healthy vegetarian diet in general . <S> Vitamin C deficiency is rare and is also a rare cause of teeth or gums problem; perhaps seek dental or medical advice before concluding you are Vitamin C deficient. <A> Lack of sun will probably not really contribute to this issue. <S> Vitamin-C could be but also a lack of protein or iron for that matter. <S> Being a vegetarian will not cause this directly but it is important to have a good stable diet. <S> Leaving meat aside, which has a good amount of protein and iron, one needs to make sure that you still get enough of those in. <S> Green vegetables have a lot of iron in them. <S> Broccoli, spinach, green cabbage and so on, tend to have a serious amount of that, and other vitamins of course as well. <S> Also, try using nuts for protein enhancement, in salads for example. <S> Cashews, walnuts, sesame, there are so many different varieties. <S> A home made pesto contains pine nuts for example. <S> Do eat a good amount of fruit. <S> I would, however, be amazed that this would be an issue after leaving meat at the sidelines. <S> Switch up the things you cook and try new stuff. <S> Everyone's body is different, of course. <S> If nothing seems to help, or this remains a point of concern, I would urge you to go see a doctor and have your blood checked. <S> I do so every year, just in case, but never had any problems with vitamins or iron or protein or anything really. <S> Hope this helps. <A> I agree with wetlabstudent, you have an iron deficiency, not vitamin C. Bleeding gums and similar things are almost always a sign of iron deficiency. <S> Veganism does not lead to a vitamin C deficiency, the vitamin C does not bind to the iron to convert it, the vegetable iron converts to useful iron just in its presence because it's sour, this doesn't affect the vitamin.
| In general, a vegetarian or vegan diet will never be the direct cause of a vitamin C deficiency, because vitamin C is not in meat products.
|
How to replace eggs in cake recipe and keep the cake from breaking? I use Betty Crocker's Yellow cake mix. In the cake powder, as the recipe asks, I add about 1 cup of water, half cup of oil but to replace 3 eggs I add a pinch of baking powder and 1/3 cup of homemade greek yogurt. After baking, the cake tastes really good, but when taking the cake out of the pan, the bottom layer of the cake usually sticks to the pan (even after butter/oil it and dust it with flour/cake powder). When taking a piece out of the cake, the cake doesn't stick together and starts breaking. Also, it does not rise as much as cakes with egg do. I suspect that my egg alternatives do not really replace the cake, so what else can I use that will give the cake exactly what an egg provides? Side note: I am fine with dairy products, but just not eggs. <Q> You can also make it yourself if you cook chickpeas at home, just reduce the water you cooked them in until it's slimy like egg whites. <S> 3 tbsp of aquafaba = 1 egg. <S> I use it as a substitute for eggs everywhere. <S> Baking, mayo, pancakes, etc. <A> TL;DR: use one tablespoon of flaxseed meal per egg as a drop in substitute for eggs in baking. <S> To avoid clumping, soak the flaxseed meal in an equal volume of water first or add the flaxseed meal to the recipe last. <S> Eggs serve a few main purposes in baking, they: provide structure provide some leavening provide water, macronutrients, and flavor function as an emulsifier. <S> When the proteins in eggs are heated, they denature and bond to each other, and form a network. <S> This is how eggs give baked goods structure, their protein network. <S> Other food products that provide structure by forming polymer networks include gluten, pectin, and something in flaxseed (unfortunately, I'm not sure <S> what exactly). <S> Of those three, flaxseed gives a structure most similar to that of eggs, but it needs to cool back down before the structure fully forms. <S> When eggs are whipped, they form small bubble of air. <S> When these bubbles are heated, they expand, which causes some expansion. <S> The amount of leavening caused by eggs in most baking recipes however, is insignificant. <S> Eggs provide some liquid to recipes, which affects the consistency of the batter a little. <S> Additionally, they provide some fats, which hinders gluten formation, and stops baked goods from becoming tough. <S> In recipes without a source of fat besides eggs, some oil may need to be added. <S> Finally, eggs act as an emulsifier, which means they prevent mixtures of water and oil from separating. <S> In most baked goods recipes, this doesn't matter, because batter will not separate anyway. <S> Because baking recipes usually rely on the structure provided by eggs much more than any of the other properties, flaxseed meal usually makes a good substitute for eggs in baking. <A> If you want to make a simpler recipe, 330 ml of a carbonate drink will replace oil, eggs, and milk. <S> Or you can use chia, flax, or cornflour as egg substitutes. <S> It is 1 tablespoon of chia, flax, or cornflour mixed with 3 tablespoons of water. <S> Flax and chia seed "eggs" need at least 10 minutes soaking in the water before they are ready to use. <A> If you flax or chia egg (1 tablespoon flax/chia amd 3 tablespoon of water), I recommend adding 1/2 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda/baking soda to help it rise more and be fluffy. <S> Another option is using 1 tablespoon of cornflour/corn starch to 3 tablespoons of water. <S> I haven't tested aquafaba. <S> The 330 ml of soda works well.
| I find the best substitute to for eggs is aquafaba (the liquid in a can of chickpeas).
|
Why don't humans use animals after they die naturally? Humans use animals for eating, clothes, fashion, etc., all of which is obviously wrong. Why don't they eat them after they die naturally of old age? Why don't they use their fur, or skin after they die of naturally? Thank You. <Q> I won't talk about "product quality" since it will probably highly vary from one place to another. <S> That being said, price is probably a leading factor. <S> Most animals that are bred for leather, meat, etc... live far shorter than their natural lifespan. <S> As soon as the maximum profit can be made from the profits of slaughter, the animal is killed. <S> EDIT to come : few numbers once I got the time to find international sources. <A> The meat is less tasty. <S> Notice how carnivore humans not only eat animals; they eat child animals. <S> Lamb, veal, etc. <S> The same is probably true for the quality of fur or leather. <S> However, down can be produced entirely by harvesting naturally lost feathers <S> And, of course, it's much cheaper to feed an animal for one year than for five years. <A> A farmer that would use these practices could not compete economically with a farmer that used current practices. <S> Other farmers would be able to sell their product so much cheaper that your hypothetical kind farmer would starve to death. <A> Humans do use animals that died of natural causes. <S> This still occurs in many cultures and there is plenty of anthropological, archaeological, and molecular evidence that we were scavengers as well and hunter-gatherers during our evolutionary and even recent history. <S> Many indigenous people still live off the land all over the world and often a key component of their values and beliefs is the inherent value of lives including animals. <S> There are many cultural practices in which as many parts of the animal is used to reduce waste. <S> The main reason that this no longer occurs widely would likely be yield. <S> As the population has soared, there’s been an increasing need to industrialise. <S> This has especially been important with plant products and food crops with the need to provide food such as staple crops to feed a growing population. <S> It also occurs with animals. <S> We simply cannot find enough plant or animal products by scavenging (or even hunting) to meet the demand of our society. <S> The main reason that we have selectively bred domesticated crops and animals is to meet this demand. <S> Many domesticated species are still used in favour or higher quality or more desirable varieties (in other traits) because the exisiting farmed varieties have been bred for centuries to provide higher yields. <S> This is why particular strains are farmed while others are not and are still less desirable when the die of natural causes, even if the quality isn’t compromised (in the case tough meat in old age or roadkill). <S> This most notably occurs in plant survives such as the larger seeds in wheat, corn, and fruits. <S> These produce larger food crops which are more durable during transport or storage. <S> It also occurs in livestock where domesticated species produce far higher yields of wool and milk or grow faster, have higher fecundity (twins or larger litters), and grow more flesh for meat yields. <S> There’s also the “cringe” factor. <S> Many people would not use their deceased pets to make food or clothing for example. <S> Similarly, people in industrialised societies (with better options) would usually not consume roadkill unless in extreme poverty or starvation.
| The cost of feeding and caring for the animal over time is factored into the cost of animal products. There is a financial incentive for cruelty.
|
What amount of vitamin B12 is required per day? I read some questions in this site regarding B12. Some said 50 mcg was required per day, while some said 1000 mcg. While Vegan Society says 3 mcg per day atleast. What is the amount of B12 required per day to have a healthy body? <Q> For vitamin B12 oral intake, <S> 1,000 mcg daily is both safe and sufficient. <S> Update: A recent randomized controlled trial of vegetarians and vegans who were marginally B12 deficient showed that 50 mcg B12 taken daily was sufficient to correct B12 status. <S> Effect of two different sublingual dosages of vitamin B12 on cobalamin nutritional status in vegans and vegetarians with a marginal deficiency <S> : A randomized controlled trial Absorption Pathways Guidelines from NIH suggest that we need 0.4 - 2.8 mcg B12 depending on our stage of life. <S> Intrinsic factor in our stomach helps us to absorb about 2.0 mcg of B12 per meal. <S> However, some people have pernicious anaemia, a condition in which they cannot make intrinsic factor and therefore have trouble absorbing B12 this way. <S> This is more common in elderly individuals with impaired intestinal absorption. <S> Passive diffusion allows about 1.2% of dietary B12 to enter the bloodstream, even in the absence of intrinsic factor . <S> So in a tablet containing 1000 mcg, up to 12 mcg may be absorbed which is sufficient to meet the recommended daily amount. <S> Safety <S> No harmful effects have ever been shown from consuming too much vitamin B12, and no maximum dose has been identified. <S> Vitamin B12 is water-soluble and excess vitamin will be rapidly excreted in the urine over the course of a few days. <S> However, take care with multivitamins and b-complex vitamins because vitamin B6 has a tolerable upper limit of 100 mg/day in adults, and excess B6 can be harmful . <S> See also: Can too much B12 be harmful? <S> Food sources of vitamin B12 Vitamin B12 in chicken eggs is poorly absorbed compared to other animal sources, so ovo-vegetarians are also advised to take B12 supplements. <S> Supplemental sources of vitamin B12 Oral doses of vitamin B12 of at least 1000 mcg are considered just as effective as intramuscular injection . <S> Vitamin B12 status among Canadians <S> A 2011 study of 5600 Canadians showed that about 4.6% of the population had low vitamin B12 status (<148 pmol/L in the blood). <S> Among Canadians, typical B12 concentration in the blood is 350 pmol/L when not taking supplements. <S> On supplements, B12 concentration may rise to 550 pmol/L or higher. <A> I am a vegetarian for about 6 years and my experience has been that if i do get my blood checked once a year, for B12, I then decide if and how much B12 to supplement. <S> There are many different body types and everybody works differently. <S> But when you stay checked you do get a pretty good feeling about your own body, which is the most important and where you want to be, healthy and strong. <A> You need far less daily than most supplement regimes provide. <S> However, this is deliberate: there is an issue with bioavailability and absorption. <S> Still in most cases, medical professionals will advise supplementation of no more than standard over-the-counter supplements <S> 25-50µg once per day. <S> Note than this is "micrograms" (a.k.a. mcg) and milligrams (mg) is far in excess of what most people need. <S> There is no immediate risks of overdose but many health food companies will market products with far higher doses than necessary. <S> Unless you absolutely need these, it is not worth the additional expense which adds up over the course of a daily medication. <S> If you have particular deficiency concerns, you may need injection or other treatment to ensure absorption. <S> Vitamin B12 can be accumulated and stored in the body. <S> If you are experiencing extreme deficiency, presenting symptoms, or at risk of chronic illness, you may be put on a course of higher dose supplementation to restore these stored vitamin reserves. <S> This is a serious health concern so if you have any concerns about B12, consult a medical professional. <S> Any GP can order blood tests and monitor your vitamin levels. <S> There are many ways to manage vitamin deficiency to varying degrees of severity and how your specific case develops over time so this matter is best discussed with a qualified doctor.
| The large difference between requirement and recommended supplemental intake arises from the different ways that vitamin B12 is absorbed in the body. Usually supplementation is only needed for vegans (or vegetarians with low egg and dairy intake).
|
Would vegetarians eat an animal that died of natural causes? Why would a vegetarian refuse to eat an animal that dies of a natural death (such as Kapelin, the suicide fish that throws itself upon the bays of Newfoundland two weeks of a given month of a given season)? After all, these animals are dead, nobody knows why they died, and only a respectable scientist could discover how to make them live longer or avoid committing suicide. Two reasons I could think of, are, so as to not get used to having the flesh of such animals, so as to not get used to consuming more of those fish or animal products, and also, they may think it can somehow be avoided in the future and want to avoid animal exploitation in general, besides those vegetarians viewing meat (and fish) bad for the diet and thus avoiding them for that reason. Another reason may be to leave it as food to protect scavengers in the wild and their dietary needs. These may be good enough, but I am looking for more reasons. <Q> Another factor is disgust . <S> When you are used to not eating animals, it becomes difficult to see animals as food, even if you did eat them at some previous time. <S> I do not even walk in the "meat" aisle if I go to the supermarket, because it makes me feel sick. <S> My parents became vegetarian 2.5 and 1.5 years ago, and they now feel the same total revulsion at the idea of eating dead bodies. <S> There is something intensely disturbing about it that is difficult to communicate, and probably very difficult for omnivores to understand. <S> My culture (I am from the UK) distinguishes between the ethical and the aesthetic. <S> But I think they meet deep in our emotions. <A> I am an “ethical vegan”; consequently I don’t eat animals or animal products, the same way one wouldn’t eat a person who had committed suicide or died of natural causes. <S> You wouldn’t leave them to be scavenged by others; you would perform whatever Death Rites are appropriate. <S> Ultimately, it’s about respect for all life and each creature's inherent value. <A> I've never encountered this question before as meat is so readily available in the UK, and the meat that is available is due to slaughter and not the natural death of the animal or suicide, and for me I have ethical reasons and feelings of disgust for not eating the meat. <S> Though you're now asking would I eat the meat if the animals life was not ended early by human intervention? <S> The answer would still be no, as discussed by another answer <S> this would be because I would feel disgusted at eating something <S> is dead, whether they will killed, died naturally or committed suicide. <S> For many (not necessarily all) vegetarians, we view meat as a corpse, so no matter the cause of death to the animal, the meat is still a corpse. <S> Most people are disgusted at the idea of eating the corpse of a person, no matter their cause of death, it's just the case the some vegetarians view any dead animal as a corpse <S> not just a human <S> - I'm not trying to say that non-vegetarians don't recognise that a dead animal is essentially a corpse, just perhaps they are able to disassociate this when eating meat. <S> It is important to note that my explanation here as to why a vegetarian would not eat meat from an animal that died via natural death or suicide may not be the same reason as another vegetarian. <S> People become vegetarian for different reasons, hence their reasons for not being comfortable with the situation you rose can differ. <S> I'd like to politely point out that there probably are people out there who only eat meat where the animal died by natural causes or suicide and will not eat meat where the animal was killed by us, though this does not make them vegetarian. <A> In addition to the disgust factor mentioned in a couple other answers (which I completely get and agree with), there is a very practical reason for why people shouldn't eat animals that died of 'natural causes'. <S> That being that unless you take the corpse to a veterinarian for autopsy, you cannot be certain what they died from. <S> You might assume it was suicide (which the example you give is actually not) or old age when they actually were suffering from some sort of infection or the like that could harm whomever consumes the corpse. <A> I have no objection in principle to eating roadkill. <S> I just haven't happened upon any roadkill that I would want, nor have the time to eat. <S> But if I saw, say, a dead deer in the middle of the wild, I wouldn't see any problem with taking the time to prepare it and eating it. <S> The only reason I can think of, from a purely consequentialist point of view, is if you think someone else, who readily buys meat, is likely to eat it. <S> Suppose somebody who readily buys meat at the grocery store, had they happened upon the dead deer, would have picked up the deer and prepared and eaten it. <S> However, you got to it before they did. <S> In that case, the meat-buyer would likely buy more meat than they would have, had they taken the deer. <S> Thus, you indirectly caused more meat to be bought in the grocery store. <S> If you're a consequentialist, like I am, then that's just as bad as buying the meat yourself. <S> In other words, you might be paying the opportunity cost of somebody else buying less meat. <S> However, assuming that this isn't the case (for example, if you're in the middle of nowhere <S> and you know that it's extremely unlikely for someone else to find the carcass) <S> , there is no problem. <S> Unlike with buying meat at the store, eating the random carcass would not contribute demand to any industry of killing animals, and would not cause more to be killed. <S> The fear of getting used to meat does not sound compelling to me. <S> First of all, will we invoke that when lab-grown meat comes to the market? <S> And secondly, it does not offer a reason for why the act is bad in and of itself, only that it might compel you to do bad things later. <S> (It is of a similar nature to judgments of killing in simulated environments such as video games. <S> Whether they would make you more compelled to kill in real life says nothing about the actual morality of the act of killing in simulations.)
| This is because a vegetarian does not eat any product that is made with animal product where an animals death had to occur to obtain the ingredient.
|
What place do chia seeds have in cooking? Apparently chia seeds are a very high source of polyunsaturated fatty acids and have a very favourable ratio of omega-6 to omega-3. In terms of nutritional quality they are very similar to flaxseed. What are some different ways that chia seed can be eaten? Do they have a taste that makes them a good substitute for other foods, and what kind of foods are complemented well by chia seeds? <Q> Chia seeds have a very mild nutty flavor. <S> I put them in smoothies. <S> I use a Bullet blender and just toss them in. <S> Favorite smoothies: Carrot, celery, apple, chia seeds, orange juice; Pineapple juice, chia, banana, coconut flakes. <S> Because they’re so mild <S> , I suppose you could bake them into a casserole, or sprinkle on top of either a sweet or savory dish before serving. <S> I find them a very versatile, healthy additive. <S> Take a small mouthful and taste them; notice if their mild flavor reminds you of another food and then add them to that food or dish with that ingredients. <S> A soup or PBJ comes to mind. <S> I cannot address all of your questions because my experience is limited by chia seeds whole and dry. <S> Good luck with your food experiment. <A> Chia seeds form a very viscous substance when soaked. <S> This is similar to the behaviour of flax seeds, but chia seeds have a much more neutral flavour that goes well with sweet foods. <S> It is a popular "raw food" ingredient, because of its binding and nutritional properties. <S> Soaking chia seeds for 15 minutes or so in vegan milk, fruit juices or a mixture of any nut butter and water, optionally along with a liquid sweetener like agave, date syrup, or maple syrup, and other ingredients like dried fruits, other seeds, desiccated coconut, sweet spices, cocoa powder or cacao nibs, etc as desired, produces a "chia pudding" which is becoming popular as a breakfast food or snack. <S> This can be made overnight like porridge. <S> Oats can be included for their nutritional and textural properties. <S> I usually make chia pudding this way: Combine a 50:50 mixture of oats and chia, with nut mylk to just cover, a few chopped dried apricots or raisins/sutanas, desiccated coconut (optional) and a teaspoon of maple, rice or date syrup or molasses. <S> Stir well, and put in the fridge over night <S> Add any extra toppings such as nuts and fresh fruit. <S> I have mixed it with freeze-dried strawberry or cocoa powder and maple syrup, and used this as filling on a raw pie/tart base (made from ground up nuts and dried fruit), for example. <A> Chia Egg Substitute for Baking 1 <S> Tbsp Chia Seeds 2.5 Tbsp water Berry Chia Jelly <S> INGREDIENTS 10 to 12 ounces (around 2 ½ cups) frozen raspberries, preferably organic 10 to 12 ounces (around 2 ¼ cups) <S> frozen blueberries, preferably organic/wild. <S> ¼ cup chia seeds 2 tablespoons orange juice (about ½ medium orange, juiced) Up to 4 tablespoons maple syrup (optional), to taste INSTRUCTIONS <S> In a medium mixing bowl, combine the frozen raspberries and blueberries, chia seeds and orange juice. <S> Cover and let the mixture defrost for about three hours at room temperature, or overnight in the refrigerator (the front of the bottom shelf in the fridge is the ideal spot for defrosting, since it’s generally the warmest area). <S> Once the berries are defrosted and soft, use a potato masher (or the back of a big spoon or serving fork should work) to mash up the mixture to your desired consistency. <S> I like some texture in my jam, so I don’t mash it much. <S> Taste, and if you’d like a sweeter jam, stir in some maple syrup, to taste (keep in mind that you can always just drizzle maple syrup or honey onto your jam later, if you prefer). <S> If the chia seeds aren’t nice and plump yet, let the mixture rest for about 20 minutes to let them absorb some more moisture. <S> Store leftover jam in the refrigerator, covered, for about 1 week. <S> You can also use Chia Seeds in place of Poppy Seeds for baked goods like "Poppy Seed Muffins" as Chia Seeds provide a higher percentage of B Vitamins and Fiber. <S> Dr. Greger has 3 Videos on the health benefits of Chia Seeds on his site NutritionFacts.org
| After soaking, chia seeds can be blended until smooth, and this forms a fluffy substance that can be useful in desserts.
|
Are vegan diets associated with more flatulence? Are diets that restrict or completely avoid animal products associated with a higher volume of flatulence? Here I am asking specifically about gas that is mostly produced in the colon and expelled in a healthy manner, which is different from bloating that arises when gas becomes trapped in the digestive system. Anecdotally I have heard from people that they experience more flatulence when transitioning to a vegan diet, and for some people that change is persistent even months or years later. Apparently it's common enough knowledge in the zeitgeist that the TV show Portlandia had an entire sketch based on flatulence in a raw vegan restaurant. And if you look through comment threads where vegans mention climate change, it won't take long to find a comment about the gassyness of vegans. Are there any scientific studies showing a correlation (or causation) between vegan diets and flatulence? <Q> Yes, a bean-laden vegan diet is likely to cause a larger volume of flatulence. <S> A 2011 study published in BMC Nutrition concluded that incorporating beans (an important staple food for vegans) has the potential to increase flatulence, but for many people this effect may only be temporary. <S> First, perception of flatulence increase is variable by bean type and across individuals. <S> Second, after a few weeks of daily bean consumption, people perceive that flatulence occurrence returns to normal levels. <S> Third, a small percentage of individuals may be bothered by increased flatulence regardless of the length of time they consume legumes. <S> The mechanism by which flatulence is affected is well understood . <S> Most legumes contain relatively high amounts of both dietary fiber and resistant starches. <S> The soluble oligosaccharides found in legumes are not digestible by human intestinal enzymes alone. <S> Instead, oligosaccharides such as raffinose and stachyose are broken down by bacterial fermentation in the intestines. <S> Although some rectal gas is due to the ingestion of air, the majority of flatulence is produced from bacterial fermentation. <S> The byproducts of this degradation are hydrogen, carbon dioxide, methane, and sometimes sulfur, depending upon the bacteria. <S> Normal intestinal processes move these gases out of the body in the form of flatus. <S> Removal or alteration of the oligosaccharide content of legumes will reduce the amount of gas produced. <S> A 1966 study called Effects of various soybean products on flatulence in the adult man showed that soy protein and soy fat are not significantly associated with flatulence production. <S> Another 1966 study called Effects of Bean Diets on Concentration of Carbon Dioxide in Flatus concluded: A direct relation exists between the volume of flatus produced and the volume of beans consumed in amounts of 27 per cent or more of the diet. <S> The principal gas accountable for the increased flatus volume is carbon dioxide. <S> Beans can (and are) processed in various ways to reduce the amount of flatus produced. <S> Fermenting soybeans to produce natto and tempeh greatly reduces oligosaccharides. <S> Tofu has most (but not all) of the oligosaccharides removed, so that it causes less gas than eating an equivalent number of soybeans directly. <A> Beans are a common source of protein among people on a vegan diet. <S> One aspect I can speak to is that when cooking dry beans, they're almost always soaked first. <S> By discarding the soaking water prior to cooking, even though some nutrition (in the form of minerals) is lost, you get rid of up to 80% of the oligosaccharides that cause flatulence. <A> I grew up on a much more plant-oriented diet than most people in the US, and flatulence causing foods have been a big part of that since I was little. <S> At one point in time, I frequently quipped that most of my favorite foods were listed on Beano bottles. <S> But a few years after I became vegan, my flatulence level declined to the point that I've stopped taking Beano. <S> I would guess SquidInc. <S> 's answer is part of this. <S> I know that my favorite restaurant chain does that process (because they're post-modern, so their entire cooking process is on display. <S> Part of that process only happens in their hub facility, but soaking their beans is one of the things they do in each store.) <S> However, I still consume significant quantities of most of the foods on the Beano website's list of foods to take Beano before eating. <S> I don't have an explanation for this, but I think there's something more that goes on. <S> I am personally less flatulent now than before I'd gone vegetarian, even comparing times when I was consuming 4-5 Beano tablets before meals versus today when I haven't taken Beano in years. <S> I realize that the OP's answer also indicated the temporary nature of the increase. <S> But I'm not aware of anything that suggested there'd ever be a decrease . <A> Natural animal foods do not contain fiber, so they should not cause flatulence. <S> Foods high in soluble fiber <S> ( NutrientsReview ): <S> Legumes: beans, peas, lentils Certain cereals: barley, oats, rye <S> Other natural plants: figs, prunes, sweet potatoes, artichokes, eggplant Commercial foods with added oligosaccharide sweeteners (on the label check for inulin or oligofructose) Natural or commercial foods high in polyols (check for maltitol, mannitol, sorbitol, xylitol...) <S> ( Monash University ): <S> Avocados, stone fruits (peaches, apricots, cherries...) <S> "Sugar free" gum, yogurts, etc "Diet" beverages
| In conclusion, yes a vegan diet is very probably associated with a higher volume of flatulence due to the increased inclusion of beans, although results are likely to vary between individuals and even over time for a particular individual. Flatulence results from normal bacteria in the colon that produce gas during fermentation of soluble fiber or polyols from plant foods
|
Is there any vegan food that is dangerous in excess? Which ones? I have heard about some ingredients which contain small quantities of toxic substances and that in excess could cause health damage, (for example I heard that sunflower seeds contains selenium and in excess selenium toxicity can result in symptoms of selenosis). Are there other vegan foods which could be dangerous in excess? <Q> Consuming too much of one food can displace other foods from your diet, making your diet less balanced overall. <S> But I believe your question is about toxicity from individual foods assuming other nutritional needs have been met, so I'll provide a couple examples of foods that may be harmful within an average daily calorie budget. <S> Acute selenium toxicity can arise from eating foods that are very high in selenium. <S> For example, a diet of exclusively brazil nuts (60 nuts per day) would provide a toxic amount of selenium that would likely induce nausea and vomiting. <S> Are there risks from eating too much nutritional yeast? <S> The tolerable upper limit for copper intake is set at 10 mg, and this limit would be exceeded if one ate 4 whole bunches of kale every day. <S> If this was kept up over a long period of time, it could cause chronic copper toxicity. <S> Of course nobody is eating 4 bunches of kale per day. <S> Many processed foods are high in sodium which can lead to high blood pressure. <S> In practice there is no need to worry about any of this as long as you're eating a varied diet that doesn't put too much emphasis on any one food. <S> This is especially true when eating whole foods (as opposed to packaged and refined products) because it is difficult to consume whole foods to excess. <A> Soy in Excess <S> Often soy based products are used to substitute as many dairy alternatives, like soy milk, and meat alternatives, like tofu products. <S> However, many nutritionists have been cautioning against the regular consumption of soy based products, as soy is naturally high in phytoestrogens, which is the organic compound that mimics estrogen . <S> Thus, eating such foods have potential to not only create hormonal imbalances within an individual, but animal studies suggest that consuming large amounts of estrogenic compounds might reduce fertility in women, trigger premature puberty and disrupt development of fetuses and children. <S> Other animal studies have seen direct changes in testosterone levels after soy was consumed. <S> More on Soy: here & here <A> How about plain old sugar and salt? <S> Probably the most common dietary advice is to cut down on these. <S> Exxess potassium is lethal <S> but I have never heard of anyone dying from a natural source. <S> Banana are high in potassium but death by banana is rare if not unknown.
| Yes, some foods (even plant-based foods) can be harmful when consumed in excess. Facial flushing (redness of the skin) could be introduced by consuming too much nutritional yeast, as described in the question
|
Why is keeping backyard hens inconsistent with veganism? If somebody keeps egg-laying hens in their backyard and makes sure they are loved and well cared-for, what's wrong with taking and eating their eggs from the perspective of veganism? If a person who identified as vegan was considering getting backyard chickens, what ethical considerations would you want them to be aware of? <Q> One of the philosophies vegans use is that it's wrong to use animals. <S> This relates to other ethical philosophies that advocate treating people as ends in themselves and not as means to our own ends . <S> According to this philosophy, animals exist for their own purposes and confining them to benefit from them in any way is abusive, just as confining humans in order to benefit from them would be (if you know the movie, think of the machines harvesting human body heat in The Matrix ). <S> Some vegans are willing to make some compromises around this area. <S> Since healthy animals ovulate without intervention, and chickens do not make use of their unfertilised eggs, there is no obvious actual harm caused by using hen's eggs that are acquired incidentally from free hens. <S> Some vegans go on to consider the implications of selling eggs obtained that way. <S> This is objected to as it is seen as using the animal as means to an end (obtaining money), though I am not sure <S> how much more so selling is such "use" compared to eating yourself. <S> A vegan who, for aesthetic reasons (disgust or distaste towards all animal-derived ingredients) does not want to eat the eggs, had better give them away freely. <S> Then, not benefiting personally in any way from the use of the hen, they have not broken their own code... <S> Still, giving, or selling eggs to people who would otherwise obtain them could be seen as creating or maintaining a market or demand for eggs, which can only be obtained according to these ethical standards in very small quantities. <S> Since this "ethical" source cannot supply the entire market, it would be better for there not to be such a market. <S> These are some of the arguments usually made around this topic, one on which individual vegans take different positions. <A> @Zanna makes some good points and considers that: "It may be the case that the kept hens have been rescued and would not be safe in the wild, and in such a scenario there might seem to be no ethical objection to eating the eggs." <S> However, in the vast majority of "backyard hen" situations, the hens are not "rescued," but rather are purchased. <S> The production of egg-laying hens has serious ethical implications, similar to buying poultry meat. <S> In particular, since roosters do not lay eggs and can create problems by fighting or make noise (and are sometimes specifically outlawed by local ordinance) <S> the males are usually systematically killed at some (usually early) stage in the production of egg-laying hens. <S> Graphic videos of what happens to the male chicks abound. <A> According to the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, eating eggs can cause heart disease, diabetes and cancer . <S> Also, "Plant-Rich Diets" has been found by the Drawdown.org researchers as a top solution for climate change. <S> Aside for animal welfare concerns <S> , there are are also ethical considerations related to health and climate change related to eating animal-based foods.
| It may be the case that the kept hens have been rescued and would not be safe in the wild, and in such a scenario there might seem to be no ethical objection to eating the eggs.
|
Is wine considered vegan? As per this Wikipedia article many wines are apparently made using a catalyst that is an animal byproduct. The finings settle to the bottom and are removed. So when consuming the wine, there are no animal products in it. Would this be considered vegan? <Q> The Vegan Society UK currently defines veganism as a lifestyle which seeks to avoid exploitation of animals and further clarifies that this means the avoidance of animal products and byproducts. <S> One thing all vegans have in common is a plant-based diet avoiding all animal foods such as meat (including fish, shellfish and insects), dairy, eggs and honey - as well as products like leather and any tested on animals. <S> Based on this definition, any wines that use animal parts such as isinglass (fish swim bladders) as catalysts or finings would not be considered suitable for vegans because the process causes unnecessary harm to animals. <S> There are many wines that are made without using animal parts as ingredients or in processing, and Barnivore is a great resource for identifying those wines. <S> Many vegans will also avoid mead wine because it is created by fermenting honey with water and honey may be an ingredient of concern for vegans . <S> It is interesting to note that early in the history of the Vegan Society the focus was exclusively on animal ingredients in food and didn't extend to concerns like leather or honey , so at the time mead would have been considered suitable for vegans. <S> Personally, I make a point of selecting vegan-suitable wines when I'm the one purchasing, but when somebody else is offering me a glass of wine I won't reject it based on the possibility that animal products may have been used in the process. <A> No, that wine would not be considered vegan. <S> The relevant question to ask yourself in general is not: Are there animal parts in this food? <S> Instead, the question to ask is: Were animals used at any point in the process of creating this food? <A> Veganism is not about what vegans eat. <S> That is to say, what they eat is a major consequence of veganism, but it is not the primary concern. <S> Instead, a vegan's goal is to try to eliminate unnecessary animal suffering caused by humans. <S> Given this, the reason that vegans don't eat animal products is because purchasing animal products economically supports animal suffering. <S> Similarly, purchasing leather products economically supports animal suffering. <S> And likewise, wine processed using animal products is not vegan, because purchasing it economically supports the purchase of those animal products, which in turn supports animal suffering. <A> I recently took a trip on British Airways; the wines on offer were labelled as either "suitable for vegetarians" or "suitable for vegans and vegetarians. <S> " <S> I assume the former had been fined with egg whites or similar. <S> But clearly according to at least some authorities not all wine is suitable for vegans. <A> Would you eat bread sliced with a knife that just sliced a steak or cheese? <S> This bread is no longer strictly vegan. <S> I believe this to be the same principal as the wine you brought up, in essence this wine is NOT vegan, as some form of animal product has been used in the making of the wine even if this product is not an ingredient in the wine, this is similar to our sliced bread. <S> Not sure if your wine is vegan friendly? <S> There's a helpful online directory to help. <S> Edit :There are many reasons (such as ethics, health or religion) as to why someone chooses to have a vegan diet. <S> My summary may not cover every ones personal reasons.
| If no animal products are used in the making of this wine, then this wine would be considered vegan friendly.
|
Does eating soy lower testosterone? Some people claim that consuming soy lowers testosterone in men. This seems to be repeated by a lot of bloggers and YouTubers. Is there any truth to this? Is this supported by human or animal studies? <Q> By analyzing the the soybean chemically, we know that soy is chemically high in phytoestrogens, the organic compound that mimics estrogen. <S> Thus, the common conceptions of it's link to hormonal imbalances. <S> Studies <S> This study follows a 19 year old man who started consuming hefty amounts of soy in his diet. <S> After this dietary change, he observed a lost interest in sex and suffered from erectile dysfunction. <S> His blood DHEA, testosterone, and DHT levels also plummeted significantly. <S> One year after stopping the soy consumption, his erectile health and hormonal profile was fully regained. <S> This study is NOT full proof, fully understand that this study follows one young man's experience, however the results are still worth noting. <S> This study, done with 99 infertile men, concluded that with a higher intake of soy foods comes an associated lower sperm count. <S> Not necessarily linked to differing testosterone levels, but hormonally soy seems to have more of a cause and effect relationship in this study than a mere correlation. <S> This study took 35 healthy young men, and fed them various soy proteins and milk proteins (at different times). <S> 24-hour urine samples indicated that the soy protein decreased testosterone and DHT levels and had minor effects on the other male hormones <S> This study took 12 men over 18 year of age, and fed them two scoops of pure soy protein powder for 28 days, and collected testosterone and other hormonal levels weekly. <S> They concluded that soy protein powder decreases serum testosterone levels in healthy men. <S> This study supports the idea that soy and soy protein has no effect on testosterone levels. <S> By having 15 placebo controlled groups consume soy (specific amounts consumed are not documented in the report), which lead them to conclude that there were no significant effects of soy protein or isoflavone intake on testosterone. <S> Conclusion <S> Everything is okay in moderation. <S> Despite scientific disagreements, through various studies, regarding whether soy has a direct effect on testosterone, one can observe that a substantial daily does of soy protein is needed to demonstrate significant results. <S> Soy may have possibly effects on testosterone and other hormones, as it introduces more hormones into the human body when consumed. <S> Conversely, it is not detrimental to the individual unless constant consumption. <A> There is some very weak evidence that soy lowers testosterone, for example, Dillingham et al (2005) and Goodin et al (2007) , however the former has a very small sample size and neither study utilised a control group. <S> The vast majority of research shows no effect. <S> In general, rather than relying on individual studies which have their own idiosyncrasies and weaknesses, it is better to look for systematic reviews and meta-analyses, which use available evidence from all included studies. <S> For the effect of soy on testosterone, Hamilton-Reeves et al (2009) reviewed 32 studies: objective of this meta-analysis was to evaluate in men the effects of soy protein or isoflavone intake on T and other in-dicators of bioavailable T, such as SHBG, free T, and FAI as reported in clinical trials. <S> The results indicate that neither soy protein nor isoflavone intake significantly alters any of these measures. <S> Die et al (2014) <S> reviewed 8 randomised controlled trials of men with either prostate cancer or an elevated risk of prostate cancer and concluded: a clear understanding of the impact of soy/isoflavones on PSA, total testosterone, free testosterone and SHBG levels in men with, or at identified risk of, PCa could not be derived from these data, given the limitations of sample size and study duration in individual trials References: <S> Die, M. Diana, et al. " <S> Soy and soy isoflavones in prostate cancer: a systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials. <S> " <S> BJU international 113.5b (2014). <S> https://doi.org/10.1111/bju.12435 <S> Dillingham, Barbara L., et al. " <S> Soy protein isolates of varying isoflavone content exert minor effects on serum reproductive hormones in healthy young men. <S> " <S> The Journal of nutrition 135.3 (2005): 584-591. <S> https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/135.3.584 Goodin, Susan, et al. <S> " <S> Clinical and biological activity of soy protein powder supplementation in healthy male volunteers." <S> Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention Biomarkers 16.4 (2007): 829-833. <S> https://doi.org/10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-06-0882 <S> Hamilton-Reeves, Jill M., et al. <S> " <S> Clinical studies show no effects of soy protein or isoflavones on reproductive hormones in men: results of a meta-analysis." <S> Fertility and sterility 94.3 (2010): 997-1007. <S> https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2009.04.038 <A> Soy does not lower testosterone. <S> Here is a video, where the guy explains exactly why this is the case. <S> He looks at the "evidence" suggesting that this is the case, then explains (with evidence) <S> why this "evidence" does no hold much weight. <S> He also shows a lot of evidence that soy does NOT lower testosterone. <S> This video is 30 mins long, however he explains (with evidence) <S> why this is not the case much better than I ever could. <S> It is definitely worth a watch. <S> Sources that the YouTuber references (taken directly from the video description): <S> Analysis of 32 studies into soy protein effects on men's hormones (including testosterone) - here <S> Later additional analysis, including reference to the above analysis - here <S> The study of soy isoflavones in relation to sperm counts (which, by the way, the above article also brings up and dismisses, because scientists pay more attention to this than idiot reactionaries trying to prove what they already want to believe is true) - here Source for WHO <S> healthy sperm concentration - here
| Based on the research I found, the link between soy and decreased testosterone more than a correlation.
|
Do all wool-bearing animals need to be shorn? Do all wool-bearing animals, especially sheep and alpaca, need to be regularly shorn to maintain their health? Is it true that sheep's wool will grow to the point where it threatens the sheep's life if it is never shorn? If this is true for some animals, is it because of a long history of domestication and breeding for wool production? <Q> While shedding does indeed occur as previously stated, it is a well known occurence that dense and curly fur/wool tends to get clutted even after releasing from the hair folicles (ask anyone with a hairy cat or dog or look into "deshedding", its a whole industry in itself). <S> This is especially the case for livestock that has been selectively bred for their coat. <S> Some of these domestic breeds are unable to adequately shed their coat, which can cause infections and other health problems. <S> Another thing to take into account is that various locations are too hot to naturally inhabit sheep. <S> In this case, the sheep could die from overheating unless sheared. <S> From an ethical point of view, this situation only really occurs because these sheep are bred in the first place. <S> In the wild, they'd probably end up dying quite fast in most parts of the world. <S> Suggested Reading: Official Statement from the American Society of Animal Science Board of Directors on sheep shearing <A> Wild sheep shed their excess wool. <S> Domesticated breeds, other than those specifically bred to grow wool non-stop, also shed annually. <S> Sources: <S> https://modernfarmer.com/2013/07/will-sheep-wool-grow-forever/ <S> (Requires some reading between the lines. <S> For example, reference is made to domesticated sheep "evolving". <S> Domesticated animals don't evolve, they are selectively bred. <S> http://www.businessinsider.com/why-sheep-cant-stop-growing-their-fur-2015-9 <A> Though I cannot actually answer the question, if I understand the implication of the question, then the idea is "checkmate, animal lover! <S> Therefore I should be able to keep my farm animals. <S> " <S> The fallacy here is that there is no reason why people should continue to breed these sheep in the first place so that they need to be sheared. <S> For obviously nature would not have developed animals that cannot survive on their own.
| We need to shear the sheep, otherwise it will die!
|
Are foods with zero cholesterol always vegan? I've developed this quick trick after reading a lot of food labels. If the nutrition label says it contains any cholesterol, it's definitely not vegan. This is based on the idea that cholesterol is only produced by animals, never by plants. Therefore, a vegan diet is completely free of dietary cholesterol. The presence of cholesterol in food must indicate that it is of animal origin of some kind. This shortcut has served me pretty well. When I suspect that a packaged food is non-vegan, a quick glance at the nutrition label will confirm that to be true. However, I'm not sure about the veracity of this corollary statement. If the nutrition label says 0 mg cholesterol , it's vegan. (Is this true?) Are there any examples of packaged foods that say 0 mg cholesterol but aren't vegan? In this case I'm setting a low bar for what it means to be vegan: just contains no meat, eggs, or dairy. Could a packaged food contain meat, eggs, or dairy products but still say 0 mg cholesterol? How could that happen? Assume the label accurately reflects the cholesterol content. <Q> That's a great question! <S> And no, foods with zero cholesterol are not automatically vegan. <S> If some product uses egg whites, it could contain no cholesterol, but not be vegan. <A> A short list of examples which may be in packaged foods: <S> honey gelatin (e.g. Jello, gummy snacks) <S> And then there are the "hidden" animal-related ingredients: some wheat <S> some sugar <S> These lists are not comprehensive, and simply provided as an illustration of why you can't equate zero cholesterol with zero animal ingredients. <A> This questions states as a "trick" a common misconception: that plants do not produce cholesterol. <S> This is incorrect, c.f. Cholesterol and Plants, E. J. Behrman, and Venkat Gopalan, J. Chem. <S> Educ. <S> , 2005, 82 (12), p 1791 . <S> So the converse of the question in fact has a negative answer, namely: foods with nonzero <S> cholesterol may actually be vegan
| There are a number of animal products or by-products that do not contain cholesterol, but are still something a vegan wouldn't want to eat.
|
What 1 plant has the widest nutritional value over all other plants in the world? I want to grow a small garden with few plants as possible with efficiency in nutritional value in mind. What plant in the world has the most nutrition from the roots or the flower? <Q> There are many different important qualities found in foods, and no food provides all of them. <S> So it's impossible to say that there is any single "best" food, and that's why it is essential to eat a variety of foods. <S> If you wanted to know which plants are best at providing a specific nutrient, that would be an answerable question. <S> Similarly, there is no single plant that is best for a garden. <S> Not only is it important to consider your circumstances (season, latitude, rainfall) but also many plants grow best when planted in combination. <S> For example, this question on Gardening & Landscaping explains why corn, squash, and beans work well together. <S> You have one contributing to the structure of the growing environment above the soil, one affecting the richness and suitability for growth within the soil, and one protecting the surface of the soil. <S> It sounds like you're looking for plant recommendations, so you might have better luck asking on the Gardening site and using the tag plant-recommendations . <A> Sweet potatoes. <S> They are so nutritious that it makes up between 70 to 90 percent of the total calorie intake of longest living populations around the world like Okinawa Japanese, Papua New Guinea Seaside islanders, and Papua New Guinea Highlanders. <S> And it's one of the official foods that NASA provides for its astronauts. <A> This is an impossible question to answer, as no plant contains everything that you need. <S> Here's a few remarkable ones though. <S> Avocado <S> - One of the best plant-based sources of fats. <S> Spinach - Extremely high in iron, folate, and vitamin K. <S> Kale - Similar yet alternate stats to spinach, most remarkably higher in vitamin A, C, and K <S> Almonds <S> - Very high in a ton of minerals, vitamin E, riboflavin, a plethora of fats, protein, dietary fiber. <S> Walnuts - Slightly lower than Almonds in most things (which is still great), but boasts the highest non-processed amounts of poly-unsaturated fats in the world.
| Sweet Potato - High on a very large spectrum of nutriments.
|
What can replace milk, for vegan pancakes without eggs? Please see the question in the title. My goal is to make vegan pancakes without: eggs, milk, any milk alternative that uses Natural Flavours , like soy or coconut milk. I live in Ontario, Canada and visited these 6 stores, yet all their soy and coconut milks contain Natural Flavours: Loblaws, Longo's, Metro, Noah's Natural Foods , Whole Foods Market, Your Good Health . <Q> It sounds like you may wanna <S> Since you seem particular about what contents you want in it as well as what general location <S> you wanna buy it in, I will suggest making it yourself, as it is quick , easy , and cheap to do so. <S> Not to mention, you will end up with a product consisting entirely of water and oats (+whatever optional sweetener you may wanna add). <S> It takes mere minutes of effort: <S> Ingredients 1 cup rolled oats (100 g) 3-4 cups water (750 ml – 1 l),depending on how thick you like your milk <S> Instructions <S> Soak the oats in water for at least 30 minutes. <S> We usually soak themovernight, but it’s not necessary. <S> Drain the oats and wash them <S> (discard the soaking water). <S> Blend the oats with 3 to 4 cups of clean water (750 ml to 1 liter). <S> Strain the milk using a cheesecloth, a strainer, a napkin or a nutmilk bag. <S> Store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days. <S> The above guide is taken from the first result on Google for "How to make oat milk". <S> The article contains a few more tips worth reading. <S> Substitute with any other recipe if you'd like, this is merely a suggestion. <A> Aqua faba is essentially the runoff from tinned chickpeas and you can easily just use that directly, or there are suppliers that sell a more refined version. <S> I can't speak for it myself, but having tried cakes baked using it, they've been consistently fluffy and delicious without any hint of chickpea in the flavour. <A> Simple recipe for vegan pancakes (I’m from UK where pancakes are similar to crepes which may be different to the kind of pancakes you want to make): Ingredients: <S> Unflavoured soy milk; White flour Vegetable oil (for frying) <S> Method: Mix into a smooth batter <S> Let it stand for ten minutes <S> Use like you would use egg-based pancake mix (frying pan, small amount of oil hot, flip half way through) <S> After a few tries you’ll get the hang of how thick/thin to make the batter mix. <S> It thickens a little during the standing phase. <S> I usually have these with sugar/lemon juice, or with maple syrup. <S> Sometimes ice cream and/or chocolate sauce.
| I have been told by more kitchen-savvy friends that aqua-faba is an effective replacement for egg in baking. give oat milk a shot.
|
Where do Vegans get their Omega-3's? [not ALA] I'm talking specifically EPA and DHA, neither of which are found in any food source except marine biota. Microalgae is the only vegan source I know of but its almost nonexistent in most vegan kitchens and restaurants, nor do I know any vegans who consume it. Do most vegans just wing it without it, are unaware of it, take pills, or just dont care? <Q> I personally do not worry about the EPA and DHA intake that I have. <S> To be honest (I do not have the statistics to back this up though) <S> I think that most vegans just don't care about it. <S> For me personally, while I know that having EPA and DHA in my diet would definitely be good, the price I (and more importantly other sentient beings) would have to pay <S> is simply too much. <S> If on one hand I can be somewhat healthier and eat animals and on the other not be somewhat healthier and not eat animals, it is not even something I have to think about. <S> I suspect that many vegan-because-of-their-beliefs vegans will have it similar. <S> EDIT: I forgot to note that while the ALA to EPA and DHA conversion rates are really bad, the conversion still happens. <S> One vegan way of influencing this would be to lower the amount of Omega 6 from processed food in one's diet as this actually may have inhibiting effects on the conversion process . <A> Omega 3 is only produced by algae and plants, fish only have it because they eat algae. <S> If you are worried about EPA and DHA you can make an algae salad with sesame in Japanese style or go to an Asian restaurant. <S> Nori seaweed is cheap were I live but for the most part I don't worry about this because the body can convert ALA to EPA and EPA to DHA and from 25 grams of flax seeds and chia on top of all the meals I eat in a day I get about 12 times more omega 3 than recommended daily which gets converted evenly. <S> Also my saturated fat and omega 6 intake are as low as humanly possible. <A> I take a supplement. <S> I have no idea if I need a supplement because there appears to be no hard data on ALA conversion rates. <S> I might be on the upper end of the curve, but I have no easy way of knowing. <S> I could start eating more sea vegetables. <S> They are abundantly available here in west Houston. <S> Unfortunately, I haven't found any labelled with DHA content. <S> Most are not even differentiated by species. <A> I've got a bottle of <S> these in my refrigerator right now. <S> My wife prefers to add ground flax seeds to her food. <S> It's often hard to tell what supplements you might need or what effects the supplements you are taking have on you. <S> It's anecdotal, but the EFA supplements I take, along with a couple other things, seem to noticeably reduce some chronic joint pain issues I have.
| When I used to care about my Omega 3 (ALA) intake, I consumed a lot of flax seeds and chia seeds which are both pretty high in Omega 3 and also have a good Omega 3 and Omega 6 ratio. Since you specifically asked for non-ALA answer though, they only feasible way for most vegans to get their EPA and DHA would be through vegan supplements made from the microalgae you mention.
|
What vegan food or drink helps to cool off after spicy food? When people eat something that's too spicy and they want to relieve the heat, one thing that's common to drink is full-fat milk or cream . What would be a good dairy-free, vegan alternative food or drink that helps to soothe the mouth after eating very spicy food? <Q> The reason for suggesting milk or cream is that capsaicin , the irritant in chillies, is soluble in fat, not in water. <S> Thus, you can put some cooling cashew/coconut/soya/almond (etc) cream/yogurt/mylk (etc) in your mouth and it will work just as well as dairy, as long as it has a reasonable fat content . <S> I quite often serve some kind of dairy-free yogurt-based or tofu & oil-based or cashew-based sauce/dip with spicy food. <S> However, I find a mouthful of absorbent, starchy carbohydrate food, such as rice or bread, is at least as effective as creamy liquid and possibly more so. <S> I haven't found any particular scientific reason for this method's efficacy; my assumption is that the food simply absorbs some of the liquid containing capsaicin from your mouth. <S> If I'm eating spicy food with someone (often a child) who seems to be suffering, I always suggest trying this technique (which is generally convenient since spicy food is usually served with carbs like rice and bread) and they've always agreed that it works (though it's possible they're just being polite). <A> Anything with a good fat content should work. <S> Avocado, peanut butter, tahini, coconut cream, soy/rice/almond/cashew milk are all items I've used for this purpose. <A> Rice. <S> It’s very common in East Asian countries (e.g., Japan and Korea) to serve plain white rice with a meal, especially with spicy dishes. <S> Coconut milk is also often added to dishes in South East Asia to reduce the heat. <A> Eat a fruit that has a sour taste (like oranges or a few drops of lime), it immediately reduces the heat in your mouth. <A> Some plain white rice or bread/chapati would do very good. <S> You can also eat some biscuits. <S> Note: <S> Just-in- case you would like to consider/recommend to others, these are some very effective dairy options:
| A glass of buttermilk: gives instant relief: contains very little fat White rice mixed with curd and a little salt for taste Steaming white rice with cow ghee (refined butter), with some salt and lemon juice for taste.
|
What are the disadvantages of consuming more protein than necessary? I think most veg*ns in countries where meat consumption is high, such as the UK where I live, are accustomed to being asked "Where do you get your protein?" but it's widely accepted that even vegan diets provide plenty of protein, though sources of lysine may need to be consciously included . Nonetheless, whenever I enter a health food shop online or off, I find loads of vegan protein supplement products. In and out of such contexts, I often feel like advertisers are urging me to load up on protein, while cutting down on fat and carbs. However, I frequently get emails from vegan organisations with statistics about North Americans and Europeans eating much more protein than they need (but nowhere near enough fibre, and falling well short of recommendations on eating fruit and vegetables). These statistics would be more useful to me if I could explain why eating too much protein should be discouraged. I think eating more protein than the optimum quantity for good health is bad in terms of resources, carbon footprint, equity and so on, but I am being encouraged to think that there are health reasons to avoid eating excessive protein and I don't know whether that is true. What are the disadvantages of consuming more protein than is necessary for good health? <Q> A recent and oft-cited scientific literature survey concludes (from the abstract): <S> The adverse effects associated with long-term high protein/high meat intake in humans were (a) disorders of bone and calcium homeostasis, (b) disorders of renal function, (c) increased cancer risk, <S> (d) disorders of liver function, and (e) precipitated progression of coronary artery disease. <S> a) includes heightened risk of osteoporosis, b) means malfunctioning kidneys, development of kidneystones, and quicker dehydration, e) <S> means heightened risk of a heart attack. <S> Metabolizing proteins for lack of carbohydrates also causes bad breath. <A> I did not find any reliable source that would claim that high protein intake is harmful for healthy people with normal kidney function. <S> Dietary protein intake and renal function (Nutrition and Metabolism, 2005) <S> According to the same source, high protein intake is also not a risk factor for kidney stones. <S> According to NAP.edu , high protein diet is not associated with coronary heart disease, obesity or cancer. <S> There seems to be no known side effects of long-term (>20 years) high-protein diet ( Diabetes Care ). <S> According to two articles in PubMed and Journal of Nutrition , consumption of protein from plant sources is associated with better health outcomes than protein from animal sources, but the direct cause-effect relationship is not certain. <S> I agree that high protein diet that would include very little dietary fiber could be bad for health. <A> Too much protein causes a high BUN ( Blood Urea Nitrogen ) in a standard blood test. <S> I am on a vegetarian diet (not by choice) and the doctor recommended to lower the protein level of my food because of a consistently high BUN. <S> I believe it stresses the kidneys.
| While protein restriction may be appropriate for treatment of existing kidney disease, we find no significant evidence for a detrimental effect of high protein intakes on kidney function in healthy persons after centuries of a high protein Western diet.
|
Is iron supplementation necessary? From what I understand animal iron and vegetable based iron are different. Heme iron is apparently more bio-available. According to what I have read humans only absorb 5% of the iron that is available in plants foods.Are there methods to absorb more iron from a plant-based diet or should a vegan supplement their diet with heme iron? <Q> No, iron supplementation is not necessary for all vegans. <S> Furthermore, iron supplementation can be dangerous if it isn't a medical requirement. <S> Any person considering adding iron supplements to their diet should have a conversation with their doctor or a registered dietitian to assess their individual needs and the safety of a particular supplement. <S> The human body tries hard to maintain a stable level of iron in the blood and liver (homeostasis). <S> When iron storage is depleted we may present with iron deficiency anemia . <S> But if levels get too high, we may present with iron overload . <S> There is no physiologic regulatory mechanism for excreting iron. <S> Once it has been absorbed into your body, it mostly stays there; only a small amount (1-2 mg/day) is removed through normal processes like menstrural blood loss, gastrointestinal blood loss and skin shedding. <S> For this reason, it is very important that the body regulates how much iron is absorbed. <S> Most whole foods contain some trace amounts of iron, even the common potato. <S> For example, if you were to eat a diet of nothing but potatoes (2000 kcal/day) that would provide about 40 mg of iron, which is far more than our bodies require. <S> So our digestive system (specifically enterocytes in the duodenum) down-regulates how much iron is absorbed in order to prevent iron overload. <S> Note: About 1 in 250 people of white/caucasian descent have a family history of hemochromatosis which causes the body to improperly down-regulate absorption of iron, causing more rapid iron buildup and overload. <S> People with hemochromatosis should definitely not be taking iron supplements, which is part of why it's important to discuss this with a doctor. <S> Yes, it's true that heme/haem iron is absorbed more readily than non-heme iron, but that is not necessarily a good thing for the reasons shown above. <S> One effective combination is spinach and lemon juice . <S> Finally, iron deficiency anemia can be masked by B12 anemia. <S> If iron deficiency is suspected, it is important to also ensure that sufficient B12 is present in the diet. <S> Vitamin B12 supplements are safe, cheap, effective, and required for anybody following a strict vegetarian or vegan diet. <A> While a person on a mixed (animal/plant) diet, even the one who has really bad eating habits (unregular meals, a lot of junk food), rarely needs to worry how to get enough iron, vegans should counsciosly think to consume enough iron-rich foods. <S> However, iron supplements are needed only in case of proven deficiency. <S> Plant foods high in iron <S> ( USDA.gov ): <S> Fortified cerelas (1 cup) <S> = <S> 6-18 mg Oats, instant (1 cup) = <S> 6 <S> mg Amaranth, teff (1 cup) <S> = 5 mg Beans, chickpeas, lentils, (1/2 cup) <S> = 2.5-5 mg Pumpkin seeds (1 oz) = <S> 4 <S> mg Spinach, boiled (1/2 cup) <S> = 3 mg Quinoa, rice, spelt, wheat kamut (1 cup) = <S> 3 mg Beets, canned (1/2 cup) <S> = 3 mg Cornflakes (1 cup) <S> = <S> 2.5 <S> mg <S> Tofu (2 oz <S> ) = 2.5 <S> mg Potatoes <S> , sweet potatoes (1 cup) = <S> 2 <S> mg <S> Barley, bulgur (1 cup) <S> = <S> 2 mg Figs, dried (2 oz <S> ) = 2 mg Sunflower seeds (1 oz) <S> = <S> 2 <S> mg Cashew nuts (1 oz) <S> = <S> 2 mg Bread, white or whole-wheat (2 slices, 50 g) <S> = <S> 2 <S> mg Cabbage (Chinese) <S> (1 cup) <S> = <S> 2 <S> mg Swiss chard (1/2 cup) <S> = <S> 2 <S> mg <S> Strawberries (1 cup) = <S> 1.5 mg (1 cup = 237 ml of prepared food; 1 oz = 28 g) <S> The bioavailability of iron from plant foods can be, in general, 50% lower than from animal foods. <S> According to the Office of Dietary Supplements, Table 1 , the Recommended Daily Allowance for iron for adult males on a mixed diet is 8 mg/day, and for adult male vegans should be multiplied by 1.8, so ~14 <S> mg/day. <S> According to Nutrients Review , Vitamin C from fruits/juices, such as lemon, orange or apple juice, guava, pineapple or pawpaw, taken along with food, can increase iron absorption. <S> Things that can reduce iron absorption: low stomach acid (including taking antacids), tannins (in herbal and real tea, cocoa, coffee, sorghum, chilli), soy protein, maize... <A> So, in my case, I can safely say the answer is "No!" <S> However the plural of anecdote is not data and things may be different for you.
| If increased iron absorption is desired, the best thing to do is consume foods providing vitamin C (ascorbic acid) along with foods rich in non-heme iron. I have been a vegetarian for over 50 years and a vegan for much of that time and have never taken any supplements of any kind.
|
Database of vegan products in the UK Is there any online resource that I can use to check which products are vegan? I am a long time vegetarian who is trying to switch to vegan. Mostly, I cook from basic ingredients and hence it is easy to see whether it is vegan. However, I sometimes use some ready made products, most commonly breads, and it is less easy to check. These days, many products are labelled as vegetarian but few are labelled vegan. For those that are labelled vegetarian but not vegan, it can be hard to tell. In some cases, it is obvious from the ingredients that it is not vegan but in many cases it is not. I was hoping to find an online database where I can look up products but I have not been able to. So, I have to research product by product. Sometimes I get the answer quickly and easily but, other times, it is a struggle. <Q> I'm going to assume by online <S> you're more interested in websites than mobile apps <S> and I think there's a lack of a really good one-stop resource, however a lot of supermarkets do have vegan lists to be found; Sainsbury's are good in this respect. <S> Luckily one site does a lot of that research for us and that site is Vegan Womble . <S> For beer, wine and spirits there is <S> the simple and comprehensive Barnivore <S> As far as apps go, the 'Is it Vegan?' <S> app I've found to be hit and miss in the UK, mostly miss. <S> I can recommend the 'Vegan Additives' app on the Play Store for checking the dubious E numbers in those instant noodles in the Chinese supermarket. <S> Ultimately you're going to end up building a mental checklist of things to avoid, the same way you probably did when you went vegetarian (gelatine, carmine etc). <S> I have a process which mostly involves elimination, <S> if it's vegetarian and hasn't got eggs, honey, milk or additives in the ingredients and there's an allergy warning saying the factory also handles something, there's a good chance it's not in there except by accident <S> or it would be an explicit ingredient. <S> I think I'm pretty cavalier though, for a lot of people that would be insufficient. <S> One last point I can't resist making is to encourage buying whole foods (nothing eaiser to read than one ingredient) and shopping at your local organic shop where much of it has a vegan label on it anyway. <S> I realise that's an ideal and not always an option though. <A> This is not quite a database of all vegan products in the UK, but it does a good job with finding what will probably be easily accessible. <S> You can filter by dietary requirements and by supermarket to find what is available at each store, and they list all ingredients in the individual product page. <S> https://www.mysupermarket.co.uk/ <S> Hope this helps. <A> Also you can now get a pdf of the vegan foods at your chosen supermarket. <S> If you type in the supermarket name and vegan list, there will be a pdf you can download eg. <S> Tesco Vegan list.
| Myvegansupermarket is another good website to use as well as vegan womble.
|
Is mushroom vegetarian or non-vegetarian? Some vegetarians avoid eating mushrooms. Are mushrooms a non-vegetarian product? if so, what makes them non-vegetarian, and why do vegetarians avoid eating mushrooms? <Q> In biology, organisms are grouped into a set of categories called, for some reason, kingdoms . <S> These are, of course, somewhat artificial, but the need of biologists to categorise is shared by vegetarians and vegans; so much so that we can use the biology concept of kingdoms to say what it is we eat and do not eat. <S> In general, vegetarians do not eat animals . <S> In general, vegans do not eat animals or substances derived from them. <S> Mushrooms are not in the animal kingdom - they are fungi. <S> They can be considered vegetarian and vegan because they are not animal or animal-derived. <S> A related question asks Is yeast-risen bread (or other baked products) <S> vegan? . <S> Thinking in a more qualitative way about why veg*ns might be OK with eating mushrooms, I suppose we might not feel compassion for mushrooms or other fungi because, for example, they don't express any obvious distress about being chopped up and eaten. <S> From the other angle, why might some vegetarians not eat mushrooms, aside from personal reasons as suggested by Ed Grimm's answer , I think many people are not aware of what is "officially" vegetarian, and aren't sure whether mushrooms are plants, animals, or, as I've heard people say, "something in between" (from the biological classification perspective, they are neither). <S> A vegetarian might want to follow the rules but may be unsure what the rules are (because there aren't any, really). <A> I've never heard of mushrooms being considered non-vegan. <S> That having been said, there are some people who are allergic to fungus spores and/or fungus protein. <S> There are also people who are really disturbed by fungus texture or resilience. <S> And, as all foods, there are some people who are just put off by the thought of them. <S> There are probably some other reasons as well, but that's the ones I've personally encountered. <A> Feel free to check out some "phylogenetic tree" diagrams to understand more clearly how they differ. <S> The eatable mushroom is a bit like a "fruit", a fruiting body, meaning it's kind of made to be vulnerable and eventually eaten. <S> The function of the mushroom is to release spores. <S> When you take a mushroom from the forest, the mycelium organism remains unharmed, under the ground. <S> For these reasons I would rule it as vegan-friendly. <S> I would also conclude that fruits and mushrooms are more vegan than vegetables, because fruits are made to be eaten without causing harm, and roots and leaves aren't. <S> However if your wish is to be completely "plant-based", then mushrooms are not a plant food. <S> There are many different ways of representing the phylogenetic tree and we cannot be sure of all the ramifications, but everyone agrees that fungi are neither plants or animals, even though they might be considered "closer" to animals than to plants. <S> Phylogenetic tree ( source ): <A> Another possible reason some vegetarians/vegans might avoid mushrooms is because of mushroom farming practices. <S> Mushroom soil is generally a manure-rich soil used for growing mushrooms, and one could argue that mushrooms use animal byproducts in their growth, but in reality, if we based all decisions on that ground, there'd be very little for anyone to eat due to the composition of garden soils, and just top soil in general. <A> Some mushrooms can eat living creatures like insects. <S> Because a vegan wouldn't eat bugs some of them don't eat the mushrooms, because the mushroom can eat bugs. <S> A famous example is the oyster mushroom. <S> I'll provide a link so you can read about it in further detail. <S> https://northernwoodlands.org/outside_story/article/mushrooms-attack <S> It's for this same reason that some vegan's avoid eating wild type figs, because figs will also eat a specific insect in the fruiting body.
| Mushrooms (or fungi) are not plants and are not animals either.
|
Is eating gelatin consistent with veganism on consequentialist grounds? I consume (very) few animal products, mostly on ethical grounds, however, I have been wondering about gelatin, which may people shy away from. I am a consequentialist, I have no issue with the act of eating for instance meat, but I do not want to support practices that inflict suffering on animals, and that is why I (mostly) abstain from it. My question concerns gelatin. As far as I know it is produced from the surplus of meat production by cooking bones, skin etc. However, I can not see that by buying products with gelatin would increase the number of animals kept in captivity? Hence, by asking the counterfactual, namely what would have happened if someone had not used those products, there seems to be no increase in suffering inflicted on animals, and thus it should not really be problematic to consume such products(on consequentialist grounds)? I can see an obvious objection, namely that one should not support any animal exploiting industry, but to me this is not particularly forceful given my consequentialist attitude. I would also change my attitude were there animals kept solely for making gelatin, but I can not see how that is the case in todays industry. Are my reasoning sound, or am I making some mistake along the way? <Q> Veganism excludes all animal products (at least by the commonly accepted definition) <S> so gelatin is not consistent with veganism regardless of whether there's additional suffering. <S> The way I look at it, even if gelatin is a by-product of the meat industry, <S> and I'm all for not wasting things, <S> the sale of gelatin and other "by-products" (I use quotes because they are actually just another product if it makes them money) like leather or rennet might make the difference between a business model that is sustainable and one that isn't (after all, why does the US government subsidise animal agriculture in the first place?). <S> Plus, it's not like eating jelly sweets is doing anyone any good, except maybe your doctor and dentist's bank balance. <A> That's a good question and I see the argument behind your thoughts. <S> However, I would argue that, even on consequentialist grounds, it might be problematic because gelatin is still profitable to sell for companies (otherwise they wouldn't do it), so you are in fact still supporting people profiting from the exploitation. <S> Thus, I think it might make sense to avoid gelatin exactly for consequentialist reasons. <S> Let me know what you think. :) <A> For me, this was quite a fundamental question when I first started to think about my consumption 10 years ago. <S> So I can understand your "confusion". <S> Since other users have pointed out some "financial reasons", I'll try to give you another point of view based on your consequentialsm. <S> Assumption: We live in a non vegan world. <S> Thus being 100% vegan in all sub brackets (clothing,eating,environmental aspects (e.g. don't buy sealed goods) is not possible if one wants to function in this world. <S> Consequence: Based on this assumption and from a consequentialists point of view, one cannot be full vegan since one could not function in our society (assuming that not functioning is a bad consequence (under the assumption that each individual is valuable)). <S> Proposition: I try to think of veganism as a statement. <S> During the years I have influenced many people positivley (they stopped eating meat or started to care), which can be seen as a good consequence. <S> However, a statement that makes people start to think (as a consequence), must be consistent <S> (I think this lies in human nature). <S> In order to achieve consitency you should stop consuming animal products (such as gelatin). <S> On the other hand, one still has to function, but substituting gelatin, leather etc. <S> is a minor sacrifice (this forum has plenty of resources on that). <S> As a final remark I'd like to point out a bias of my logic. <S> From reading your question, it seems to me that your "time-to-consequence" is finite, whereas I assumed it to be infinite (or at least no specified end). <S> Under finite TTC you can eat gelatin, since your actions will most likley not have any consequences. <S> However for this discussion we would need to define "most likley" as well as a measure for a consequence. <S> Hope that helps <A> The consequence is quite direct and clear. <A> This attitude could lead to some very unusual vegans. <S> I know several couples in which one will only eat the "nice" cuts: steaks, chicken breast, etc and not the icky bits: offal, tail, feet, head, etc. <S> The other will happily eat all these odd bits. <S> So, if the first does all of the ordering and paying and the other eats what the first will not then can second claim to be a vegan? <S> If would be rather bizarre to see a "vegan" eating oxtail soup and fish head curry. <S> As a further oddity, sometimes the first won't eat the odd bits because they are more obviously bits of a dead animal whereas the second has no qualms about bits of dead animal.
| Short answer: NO Consuming gelatin increases the profitability of animal farming.
|
How should I address neglect when coworkers bring in non-vegan donuts? I’m vegan and I work at a small office where it is common for people to bring in food to share. Sometimes I get lucky and receive consideration from the food-bringer, but in at least as many cases, I find myself neglected and left out. I don't expect to receive consideration from every person every time, but there is one case that feels particularly egregious to me and I'm not sure how to react to it. There is a donut shop a few blocks from our office that offers most of their flavours in both vegan and non-vegan varieties. When I bring back donuts from the shop, I always make sure the whole order is vegan ( of course ) and there are no problems because the food is suitable for everyone. But when other people pick up donuts from the same shop, they frequently either forget to get vegan donuts, or just get everything in one box without labels so it's impossible to tell which ones are vegan. It's not just me, either; there's at least one other vegan in this office. After eight months of working here I'm fairly sure that all of my coworkers are now aware that I am vegan, either through direct conversation or other indirect cues. I know that people aren't overwhelmed by trying to accomodate many dietary needs because there are no people in our office with severe allergies. Edit: I live a vegan lifestyle because I believe we should avoid doing harm to animals. When I purchase or make food to share in the office, I would never bring in something non-vegan because I believe that would be unethical. What can I do to increase my chances of being included? Would it be unreasonable to ask that only vegan donuts are included in future orders? <Q> Yes, it would be unreasonable. <S> Do they ask that you bring in only non-vegan donuts? <S> No. <S> You shouldn't expect people to alter the way they do things to appease a small group. <S> So if you are expected to be catered to, should they not expect you to get non vegan donuts for them? <S> When you get some, get 2 separate boxes. <S> Vegan, and non-vegan. <S> Hopefully, that will then become normal, and more will start doing the same, that way, no-one is left out. <S> One of the main reasons people get annoyed with us vegans <S> is the expectation that we should be catered to (and please don't get offended <S> , it is only a minority, but it seems they are the loudest ones, hence this is the thing people associate with it). <S> Most restaurants now cater to vegan diets, but vegan restaurants refuse to cater to anything else. <S> Parties thrown by vegans will have only vegan foods, but will expect vegan food to be provided for them at any parties they attend. <S> So, start buying both yourself, show that you are also making an effort to be accommodating, and hopefully others will do too. <S> If you know some of the people that regularly get them, maybe mention the idea and hope it catches on with the rest of the office. <A> What can I do to increase my chances of being included? <S> Keep buying vegan when it's your turn to buy the donuts. <S> It is not realistic to expect to be always included if most of your colleagues are not vegan. <S> Be patient, stay positive. <S> Would it be unreasonable to ask that only vegan donuts are included in future orders? <S> Demanding is unreasonable, yes. <S> If your colleagues take a coffee break when the donuts arrive, participate. <S> You will likely be asked why aren't you taking any donut. <S> Mention that you'd like to but can't eat those. <S> Hopefully, some of your colleagues will be empathetic towards you and take you into consideration next time. <A> So first of, like other people said here : no, you can't demand only vegan donuts be bought from now on. <S> That being said, you can ask gently to not forget to bring vegan options. <S> You could do that for example next time <S> someone brings some : <S> Are there any vegan donuts ? <S> Oh shoot, I can't eat any then. <S> Would it be OK to buy some vegan ones next time ? <S> I would really appreciate it. <S> In this script, you're not accusing anyone of anything and you're not making any demands. <S> This way, if people are just forgetful or not very thoughtful, they're not feeling attacked. <S> Same <S> if they bought some but don't know which ones are vegan anymore, you can ask them to be more careful next time. <S> But for this one I'd even go to the bakery and mention the issue, and ask them if they can implement a system to easily recognize vegan and non-vegan items (I'm even surprised this isn't the case already, this could be dangerous for people with allergies). <S> If one or two people are the main offenders, you could also have a talk in private. <S> Again, don't be accusatory or sound annoyed, talk about this as if you're both having a problem or a miscommunication and you wish to solve this together. <S> Beware, some people might ask you in turn to bring non-vegan donuts when it's your turn (you say they're suitable, nothing about the taste; if they taste less good it could be people aren't happy when you buy them and decide to get only non-vegan / good ones when it's their turn because of this). <S> So before asking anything, know how to handle this possibility if it comes up. <S> Honestly, I could become petty on an issue like this and start only buying donuts for myself. <S> When asked why I don't buy for the rest of the office anymore, I'd calmly explain that I'm tired buying donuts for everyone while I never get to eat donuts when it's someone else's turn. <S> I don't recommend this, but maybe you have a petty streak like me (and you think it won't start a cold war in your office).
| There may be people that simply do not like the vegan donuts. Expressing displeasure at not being catered to is not often a good way to be included. And if some are more malicious (they do exist), gently highlighting the fact that they're being jerks will get you more results than outward demanding stuff.
|
Why are so many YouTubers giving up veganism now? Recently there has been a rash of YouTube personalities who have very publicly stopped practicing veganism. Examples: Rawvana - Raw Alignment - Kalel - Tim Shieff - Bonny Rebecca - East Coast Creep - Tish Wonders - Christie Swadling - Bobby's Perspective - ZenInMotion - Kay - HackYourHealth - Christina Randall - Joey Graceffa - Kevin Jubbal, M.D. - KasumiKriss - Samantha Lotus - Sarahs Day - Victoria Rose - Tori Sterling Why is this happening now ? Does this indicate a shifting trend away from veganism, or is this a totally normal pattern and it's just getting more attention right now? Basically: what is common between all of these announcements? <Q> Part of the answer is how youtube works- youtubers need views, so they need to generate a story with change and drama. <S> " <S> Yup, still vegan and doing fine" isn't a story that is going to get views. <S> Many response videos were "yup, still vegan" and they didn't get millions of views. <S> Many youtubers did response videos, I like Mic the Vegan's response videos. <S> Unavoidably, trying to figure out what happened is a lot of speculation because the youtubers cite health issues, not necessarily supported by confirmation with doctors. <S> Some of these health issues very plausibly relate to some of the extreme and unusal things they did, like drinking alcoline water to the point that it probably had an effect on their digestive system. <S> That is just one person. <S> Each youtuber that is prone to trying out extreme things did something different, fasts, eating just one food for a prolonged period of time, etc. <S> The only pattern is that these are out of the ordinary practices and probably made for good stories. <S> I don't think all of these youtubers set out to insincerely try a health fad for views, but when you get so many views that youtube starts paying your mortgage, I can understand how folk might naturally fall into doing crazy health stunts for the camera. <S> Another way you might want to look at this question is why do any veg*ns stop. <S> This article says, 43% of those who stopped stopped because it was difficult to stay "pure" . <S> i.e. logistics problems, for example when eating at restaurants, with others, etc. <A> This is what they do for a living. <S> Maybe slightly opinion-based, but some of the influencers <S> you name were never vegan. <S> They just followed and then abandoned a strictly plant-based diet the same way they followed other fad/trend-diets in the past. <S> You might be also interested in this reddit discussion . <A> A vegan diet is easy to stick to if you eat a low refined fat diet. <S> The more refined fats and oils you eat, the more attention you need to pay to your protein intake and getting all the required amino-acids. <S> They may also get fed up with eating tofu, beans etc. <S> at every meal. <S> Example: <S> 2000 Kcal of whole grains yields all the required amino acids , despite whole grains being a so-called "incomplete protein". <S> This is how I eat, I don't bother with vegan meat, tofu, beans etc. <S> etc. <S> It's all unnecessary once you get used to eating large volumes of whole grains, large volumes of potatoes, brown rice, nuts and seeds etc. <S> and the 100 grams or more of fiber intake associated with that.
| On the long term, people can get fed up with all the hassle with having to get to a balanced diet if they never tried to get to a low fat, high carb diet.
|
Which country has the highest number of vegetarians? Which country has highest number of vegetarians? And which has the highest percentage of vegetarians? <Q> Luckily, Wikipedia has a page called Vegetarianism by country which has a table listing data for 38 countries. <S> Sorted by percentage: <S> India: 31% (375,000,000 people, 2014) [no surprise here] Brazil: 14% (29,260,000 people, 2018) <S> Switzerland: 14% (1,176,156 people, 2017) <S> Taiwan: 14% (3,297,011 people, 2015–2017) Israel: 13% (1,046,000 people, 2015) New Zealand: 10.3% (463,500 people, 2016) <S> Germany: 10% (8,000,000 people, 2018) <S> Jamaica: 10% (280,000 people, 2015) <S> Vietnam: 10% (9,000,000 people, 2011) <S> If we sort it by total number, at the top we have India, China (4%–5%, 2013), Brazil, Japan (4.7%, 2014), United States (5%–8%, 2018), Vietnam (10%, 2011), and Germany (10%, 2018). <S> For veganism (more limited data here), we have: <S> Poland: 7% (2,688,000 people, 2016) <S> Israel: 5% (421,000 people, 2014 and 2015) <S> Sweden: 4% (388,000 people, 2014) <S> Switzerland: 3% (252,033 people, 2017) <S> Japan: 2.7% (5,875,000 people, 2014) Canada: 2.3% (835,000 people, 2016) <S> India: 1.6% (2005–06) <S> Topping the list in terms of number are the United States, Brazil, Japan, Poland, Philippines, and Germany. <S> See also Veganism by country . <A> India. <S> Explanation: <S> People are born vegetarian here <S> , I have myself never eaten meat or egg for that matter, <S> cow or buffalo milk is fine. <S> I believe this is tied to Hinduism which is the prominent religion in India. <S> To start not being a vegetarian can be more challenging than being vegetarian. <S> But slowly younger generations seem to be breaking this trend to join the global perspective, but then again global perspective might be going towards vegan and vegetarianism. <S> I believe if you ask this question any Indian, you will get the same answer (India). <A> I, myself, am a vegetarian by birth. <S> 78% of the population of India follow Hinduism. <S> And some of the sects in Hinduism require people of the sects to be vegetarian. <S> According to statistics, 33% of Hindus in India follow vegetarianism. <S> Religions like Buddhism and Jainism, which were born in India, guide people who follow that religion to be vegetarian. <S> As there are different vegetarian cuisines in India that make you drool over them, people rarely change their eating habits to be a non-vegetarian. <S> You will rarely find a place in India which doesn't provide you vegetarian food. <S> That may be the reason why the people here prefer to stay as vegetarians. <A> It is extremely hard to find exact info on vegetarianism figures. <S> However, meat consumption might give us a rough idea. <S> I'm using NationMaster to find these figures. <S> From countries with highest consumption of beef and veal to lowest: # Country KG of Meat____________________________________1 - Argentina - 40.12kg2 - Paraguay - 33.73kg3 - United States - 26.89kg4 - Brazil - 26.64kg5 - Israel - 21.62kg6 - Chile - 21.14kg7 - Kazakhstan - 19.20kg8 <S> - Australia - 18.11kg9 - Canada <S> - 16.19kg10 - Norway <S> - 14.41kg11 - Switzerland <S> - 14.23kg12 - Turkey - 12.38kg13 <S> - Colombia <S> - 12.34kg14 - New Zealand <S> - 12.08kg15 - South Africa <S> - 11.91kg16 - Vietnam <S> - 11.66kg17 - Russia <S> - 11.48kg18 - South Korea <S> - 10.77kg19 - Mexico - 9.18kg20 - Egypt - 9.08kg21 - Japan <S> - 7.44kg22 - Pakistan - 6.85kg23 - Ukraine <S> - 6.71kg24 - Malaysia - 5.44kg25 - China - 4.74kg26 - Saudi Arabia - 3.49kg27 - Philippines <S> - 3.40kg28 - Iran - 3.37kg29 - Ethiopia - 2.15kg30 - Indonesia <S> - 1.93kg31 - Thailand <S> - 1.72kg32 - Nigeria - 1.39kg33 - India - 0.55kg
| Brazil: 3% (6,333,660 people, 2018) United States: 3% (7,588,000 people, 2018) Sweden: 10% (969,000 people, 2014) I think it's India.
|
What's a good way to prepare vegan corn on the cob? Is there a cheap substitute to butter/margarine? Or is there an alternative way to prepare ears of corn without animal products, yet still retains some basic taste? I am looking for an alternative to drenching sweet corn in butter that's not too fancy. I suppose this question can be expanded for all entrees heavily dependent on butter too. (It's usually easy to come up with butter alternatives for cooking, and that's not what I'm asking.) <Q> I've used Earth Balance vegan margarine on corn on the cob before without issue. <S> Beyond that, you honestly don't even need butter if the corn is sufficiently fresh... <S> I've eaten sweet corn off the cob uncooked and with no other additions before. <S> If you're grilling it, I'd grill it in a good coconut oil. <S> Boiling it obviously poses no problems, though you might be able to enhance the creaminess by adding a dash of a plant-based milk (the vegan twist on milk boiled corn). <S> But as for toppings not based in vegan butter at all, if you need to spice up the flavor of out of season corn, I'd suggest rubbing it lightly with a vegan mayo and then adding a shake of salt, a sprinkle of GoVeggie 'parmesan cheese' (or your preferred vegan parmesan substitute, or even just nutritional yeast would work, I think) and some chili powder. <S> P.S. <S> You might get a bit more bang for your buck by posting this question to the cooking Stack Exchange , which gets vegetarian recipe questions a lot. <A> In Vegan Soul Kitchen , Bryant Terry gives a recipe for a dressing for grilled corn on the cob, which contains: 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar 1/4 cup white miso <S> 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil <S> 1 tsp agave nectar 1 jalapeno pepper <S> 3 cloves garlic 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper <S> freshly ground white pepper <S> 1/4 tsp paprika <S> These are simply blended until smooth and used to dress four corn cobs. <S> Perhaps four types of pepper are not all strictly necessary :) <S> Personally, I use coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil and flaxseed oil approx 16:8:1 to replace butter as a garnish or major flavour element. <S> Flax can be skipped and just use coconut:olive 2:1. <S> Ultimately, I suggest trying out combinations of oils that are fresh and tasty wherever you happen to be until you find one you like. <A> I’ve done this for years, I find it very tasty yet not too fancy. <A> Corn does not require any butter. <S> Cooking most non-herb foods, including corn, while wrapped and covered, either retains the food's moisture or creates more. <S> Corn can be cooked inside it's original wrapping, which is the most guaranteed way, or wrapped in aluminum foil, in which case it is a good idea to ensure there are no cracked or loose spots in the aluminum. <S> The corn will be wet when removed and will be cooked correctly. <S> Spices, juices, and sauces can be added after the corn is opened. <S> If you put them on beforehand they can go inside the aluminum without using any kind of special binding substance, or by using lime juice etc. <S> Of course, any other type of oil besides butter can also be used.
| I drench my boiled cobs in extra virgin olive oil then sprinkle with salt flakes and freshly ground pepper.
|
How do I make oat milk? How do I make oat milk? I have oats and a blender, but what else do I need? I'd rather buy bulk oats rather than buying a packaged product. <Q> It's straightforward to make oat milk and you only need oats, water, a blender, and a means of straining the mixture finely, such as a muslin sheet (cheesecloth) or nut milk bag, or even a fine coffee strainer. <S> Because oats are mild tasting, it's important to use good tasting water (filter your source as needed if possible). <S> I like to add about half a teaspoon of rice or date syrup per cup (250ml) of oat milk I make, but unsweetened milk is more versatile. <S> For 1/2 cup of oats, I use a total of 2 cups water. <S> I like to use quick cooking oats and soak them in the fridge over night. <S> 1/2 cup rolled oats or quick cooking oats <S> 2-3 cups filtered water 1-2 teaspoons rice or date syrup or 1 chopped date (optional - if you want to slightly sweeten the milk) Soak the oats in 3/4 cup of the water for at least 30 minutes, perhaps in the fridge over night. <S> If you want a less viscous texture, you can rinse the oats after soaking, but I prefer the more viscous texture <S> so I do not rinse. <S> Transfer the soaked oats to a blender (with the sweetener if using - <S> you can also add other flavourings such as vanilla, cinnamon etc if you like) and grind very well. <S> Add the remaining water and grind again. <S> Strain the mixture through cheesecloth, a nut milk bag or fine coffee strainer, squeezing or pressing to get as much liquid out as possible. <S> The residue can be used in baked goods such as bread, brownies, crackers, biscuits etc. <S> If I am not planning to bake anything, I just grind almonds or walnuts or dry roasted sunflower seeds along with the oat residue and add salt, chilli and herbs OR sugar/dried fruit and sweet spices, and roll the mixture into balls for snacking. <S> If you want to make oat cream, you can follow the same procedure using half the amount of water, and adding 1-2 tbsp neutral oil. <S> Instead of fine-straining the mixture, you can strain it though a tea strainer or sieve. <A> To add to the accepted answer, there are multiple types of kit for sale that help make this process way easier. <S> I've been making a lot more oat milk since we got this. <S> To use it I just shake some unsoaked, regular rolled oats into the inner container (after sliding it into the right container), add water and go to town with a blender. <S> After that you use the weird stamper thing on the left in the picture to squeeze as much fluid as you can (muster the patience to bother with) out of the oat mush in the bottom of the container. <S> As for the accepted recipe, that looks about right for a base but don't be scared to experiment with it a bit. <S> I've found that tossing in a few hazelnuts or a pinch of salt can help bring out a more complex flavour. <A> You will not be able to exactly replicate the taste and consistency of commercial oat milk in a home kitchen. <S> This is because commercial oat milk uses an enzymatic process to break down some of starches into sugars, giving the oat milk sweetness without adding sugars.
| If you don't mind that the taste is different, blending and straining oats in water will give you a milk-similar drink.
|
How can I tell if this pizza is vegan? Today the office in which I work provided pizza lunch for us, and the person ordering was extra thoughtful and ordered some additional special pizza for the few vegans who work in this office. Upon inspecting the vegan pizza, it was visibly different from the other pizzas, but did not resemble other vegan pizzas that I've seen. There was still some kind of cheese on it, but a lot less than the regular cheese pizza. And similarly when I tasted it, it did not resemble any vegan pizza that I've had. Is there some method or some test I can use to determine whether the pizza was put together with vegan ingredients or traditional cheese from cows milk? Is there a gadget or chemical process? I don't have a milk allergy, nor am I lactose intolerant (as far as I know), so I can't rely on my physical reaction to the food to determine its origin. <Q> I don't suppose that you have access to a sophisticated chemistry laboratory. <S> I don't know how to perform this specific test <S> but I have seen a description of how to detect fake orange juice. <S> This relied on isotope analysis; that's not amateur science. <S> I think that the only practical answer is trust. <S> Do you trust the person that ordered it? <S> Do you trust the restaurant? <S> Are you willing to risk the occasional mistake? <S> I am a bit less strict in a situation like this than when I am in full control. <S> If someone has remembered and made a good effort then I don't want to reward them with rejection. <S> However, where to draw the line been good and token effort is a difficult choice. <S> Few of us can avoid associating with meat eaters <S> so we need to make some compromises. <S> Personally, I don't enjoy watching people eat meat so even if I am sure that my meal is acceptable, I don't enjoy these events very much. <A> A trick I do is to ask the restaurant if it has milk or eggs in it because "I am super allergic and have already been to the hospital", they will check it with more attention since they don't want a customer in hospital. <S> Otherwise just eat at home, otherwise you can never really know what is in it. <A> Call and ask the restaurant from which the pizza was ordered what it's ingredients are.
| It is hard to see any practical answer to this.
|
What are some warm clothing options for vegans? I’m unable to find vegan wool and I don’t like purchasing petroleum based products. What can I wear to keep warm? <Q> Since linen is often thought of as a summer-appropriate fabric, what you might want to do is use superposition <S> (e.g. wear a linen shirt with a long-sleeved cotton T-shirt underneath). <S> Hemp is a more versatile fabric with which you can make articles from underpants to denim jackets. <S> I knit my own sweaters. <S> I either use recycled acrylic or organic cotton thread, but you said petroleum-based fabrics are off the table. <S> Cotton is insulating when used correctly (you might want to turn to fitting articles of clothing for the closer to the body, the more efficient it is). <S> Its producing can be very consuming in terms of soil and water though, so you might want to be careful to buy articles made from organic-grown bamboo. <A> This may not be a popular answer but everyone has to decide the ethics of this for themselves: <S> Buy clothing from your resale shops. <S> I still avoid anything with animal products from resale <S> but, they have been produced already and the damage to the environment already done. <S> By recycling it (through reuse, resale, or making their own as avazula suggested) I believe we:- atone for the waste and suffering already paid for during its production. <S> - vote with one's money and resale or reuse does not vote for the polluting and suffering of new retail. <S> One of my favorite beanies was one I found laying out like trash on the street covered in dirt. <S> I just dusted it off and washed it <S> and it looks great, and won't make it into a landfill. <S> Meets my vegan conscience. <A> You can make vegan cloths from plant fibers. <S> You can use hemp and the flax plant for it. <S> You can try to make it yourself, it is a lot of work though. <S> I have seen linen being made from the flax plant, the fabric is a bit heavy. <S> I'm not sure if it suitable for clothes though. <S> Both hemp and flax seed have seeds like you get with sunflowers as well. <S> You can eat the seeds and even make cooking oil out of the seeds as well. <S> It is a very versatile crop. <S> Related sites here and here . <S> EDIT: <S> well after doing some research it seems that ALL linen are made from the flax plant. <S> I did not know that.
| Most vegan articles of clothing that do not rely on petroleum-based products are made of either cotton, hemp or linen. Bamboo is also known for being a great insulating fabric. In summary Recycle and reuse whatever you can find in the resale shops, attics.
|
Body got skinny and gaunt; caused by not eating meat any more? Last year I stopped eating meat (for environmental reasons): went from meat every day to one meat meal every one or two weeks (basically only when going out). And since Coronavirus started, this has gone down to basically no meat at all. Now I'm mostly eating lunch made from noodles, rice or potatoes, with vegetables (carrots, zucchini, eggplant...). Also milk and oats for breakfast, and bread for dinner, and corn flakes etc. in the afternoon. People have been saying now that I have become skinny and gaunt. I've never been overweight; but now my arms and legs are noticeably thinner than before. Also, I've noticed that this year I'm not as fit as the years before: in particular after a 40-km bike ride I'm exhausted even on the next day, when before I could easily do a similar ride on the next day again. Unfortunately I cannot easily quantify the changes. I don't have weight measurements from before or after the dietary change. I also stopped eating sugar or sugary stuff in November; so this might also have to do with the body changes. I don't want to live unhealthy; and the reduced stamina is really annoying because I like cycling. Is my current diet unhealthy? I've thought about drinking protein shakes - is that a good idea? And how quickly should I expect to see any results? Afterthought: is it possible and useful and realistic to get expert advice on my diet, eg. from a doctor? Does that make sense? I live in Germany, in case that matters. <Q> I hope you're not seeking nutritional/medical advice. <S> my arms and legs are noticeably thinner <S> Ok? <S> Do you want thick limbs? <S> There's a plethora of vegan bodybuilding cookbooks out there. <S> Additionally, Fill Up! <S> A Practical Healthy Vegan Weight Gain Guide by Naluwagga has poor grammar, but is a decent guide. <S> I've noticed that this year I'm not as fit as the years before: in particular after a 40-km bike ride High carbs are key to cycling. <S> Perhaps look into an auto/biography of vegan cyclists like (1) Dotsie Bausch, (2) <S> Molly Cameron, (3) <S> Adam Hansen, (4) <S> Czesław Lang, (5) Christine Vardaros, etc. <S> Is my current diet unhealthy? <S> You haven't said enough to actually know. <S> Besides, this isn't the place to ask such a question. <S> I've thought about drinking protein shakes - is that a good idea? <S> Perhaps log everything you eat for at least three days on Cronometer . <S> And I mean everything . <S> You will likely need measuring cups. <S> This is a visual way to see and track how much protein you're getting--and just about any other nutrient. <S> Example: <S> And how quickly should I expect to see any results? <S> Your results in cycling performance? <S> I wouldn't rely on first blaming diet for athletic performance. <S> (I'm not a certified nutritionist.) <S> Other primary performance inhibitors are poor sleep hygiene <S> (e.g., consistency and punctuality) and stress. <S> Track cycling, Dotsie Bausch went vegan three years before the 2012 Olympic Games, where she medaled, then went on to achieve eight US national championships, two Pan American gold medals and a world record. <S> Cyclo-cross cycling - Molly Cameron. <S> Road cycling - Adam Hansen. <S> Road cycling - Czesław Lang. <S> Road and cyclo-cross cycling - Christine Vardaros. <A> You lack protein and probably also B vitamins, your diet is not balanced. <S> You miss the plant proteins, which are found in beans, lentils, chickpeas, tofu... <S> It is very important to have a balanced diet. <S> I suggest you go to a good nutritionist, not to a doctor. <A> You can use the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (they work for Germans too) to estimate <S> how many calories you need to eat in a day to maintain your weight. <S> You should start tracking how many calories you're eating, and steadily increase the amount until you stop loosing weight. <S> You can track your calories with pen and paper, but there are also applications to help you track the calories and other nutrients you eat, such as Cronometer . <S> Most food you buy will have nutrition information printed on its package. <S> For food that doesn't come with nutrition information, such a fresh produce, you can look the information up online. <S> Once you figure out how many calories you need to maintain your weight, you can start eating more to begin gaining back weight. <S> How do I eat more calories? <S> Below are some strategies I've successfully used for gaining weight despite my low appetite: Add peanut butter to things. <S> Add walnuts to oatmeal. <S> Snack on unsalted nuts. <S> Have a big breakfast. <S> I went with 8oz of scrambled tofu plus 1 cup of oatmeal with raisins and walnuts. <S> Eat four meals per day. <S> Eat big portions. <S> Have a specific calorie goal in mind per meal. <S> What about protein? <S> These nutrients are important, and it's important that you get enough of each micro and macro nutrient, but nutrient deficiencies do not typically cause significant weight loss. <S> Weight loss and gain is driven predominantly by caloric intake. <S> For protein specifically, it's generally easy to get enough if you are eating enough calories, and not many of those calories are from very low protein "junk foods", such as potato chips, sugary sodas, etc. <S> Addendum <S> Note <S> that while eating too many or too few calories is the most common cause of weight gain or weight loss, there can be other causes, such as diseases like Coeliac Disease. <S> If you keep loosing weight even after significantly increasing your calorie intake, you need to see a doctor.
| You need more calories If you are loosing weight, and you don't want to be, you aren't eating enough calories . Instead, work with a nutritionist that specializes in vegan or sports nutrition. Other answers mention other nutrients, in particular protein.
|
How do I prevent chipping when cutting a veneered counter top with a circular saw? I bought a fake butcher block counter from Ikea which is really a veneer over particle board. No matter how I cut it, I can't seem avoid slight chips in the veneer. I'm using a 7 1/4" circular saw and a 60 tooth blade. I have someone holding the end of the cut piece, but I suspect because it's so heavy, its impossible to avoid flexing all together as the cut gets close to the end. I've tried with both the veneer facing up or down and even a piece of painters tape over but it doesn't seem to make much of a difference. What are some tips to help prevent chipping of the veneer? <Q> Some things to consider: Score the cut line with a sharp razor blade. <S> This cuts the veneer and helps reduce chipping. <S> Use a clean blade that's designed specifically for cutting veneers <S> Make sure there is adequate support all the way around for the material being cut. <S> Don't try to rush the cut. <S> Some materials are very difficult to cut without chipping even if you use all of the above methods. <A> Set your depth to cut through the sacrificial board, make sure it is clamped down tight and give it a whirl. <S> Oftentimes reducing chipout is best accomplished by not giving the wood any direction to chip (e.g., a strongly sandwiched surface) <A> @Peter Grace provided an excellent suggestion of placing a sacrificial board atop the countertop. <S> An alternative solution is to mount an auxiliary zero-clearance shoe onto your circular saw shoe. <S> Fashion it out of a thin piece of plywood, rout it to match the existing shoe profile, and plunge cut through it so the opening is just the width of the blade. <S> SAFETY NOTE: <S> Installing this auxiliary shoe will keep the blade guard retracted at all times. <S> Extra care must be taken while handling the saw, and extra time allowed for the blade to spin completely down. <S> I would only suggest installing it when tearout needs to be minimized, and then immediately uninstalling it after the cut has been made. <A> Make a zero clearance table saw insert. <S> It reduce chipping a lot. <S> check woodgears.ca <A> I did it with a cheap skilsaw and cheapest 60t blade. <S> taped the veneer and cut with the veneer side down, clamped a board to it for a guide. <S> Just slow and even, and hold the cut off so it could not drop. <S> PERFECT - no chipping. <S> nothing fancy or expensive but a great result.
| Run tape across the cut line in order to support the veneer and reduced chipping from tear out. Use a moderate to slow feed rate to minimize the rate of wood removal. You may be able to avoid chip-out by using a sacrificial board atop of the countertop.
|
What's the purpose of raising the grain before finishing a furniture piece? I'm currently working on a entry bench in black walnut. I'm wondering if I should raise the grain before finishing my bench or not. In the past, I haven't done so. I've heard that it's better to raise the grain. Yet, I don't know for what reasons. So, what is the purpose or advantage of raising the grain before finishing a furniture piece with a water based stain or varnish? <Q> You want to raise the grain before using water-based finishes, as those will also raise the grain, but you won't be able to adequately scrape <S> /sand off the raised fibers. <S> I'd recommend using distilled water, as it doesn't have any minerals that can discolor some kinds of wood. <S> Don't flood the surface, but wipe it on with a clean cloth and allow it to dry fully. <S> Scrape or sand away the raised grain gently, then repeat as necessary until the wood remains smooth after wiping on water. <A> Water swells the wood fibers and they will plastically (permanently) deform. <S> This leaves a rougher surface than what was prepared by sanding or scraping. <S> Sanding after staining typically causes the color to be more uneven, and needing another coat of stain to even out more. <S> Pre raising the grain with plain water and lightly sanding with ~320 grit to remove the raised grain (after drying) will allow a WB stain to be applied and have a smooth surface after drying to top coat. <S> If no stain or dye is used, then there is really no advantage to pre grain raising for a WB topcoat. <S> The 1st topcoat can be lightly sanded instead. <S> It is best to flood the surface until no more water is absorbed (a spray bottle and foam brush work well), and then wipe off and allow to dry. <S> This ensures that when the WB stain/dye is applied the level of absorption by the wood fibers does not exceed the previous wetting, ensuring no further grain raising occurs. <S> I will typically raise the grain on softwoods twice, flooding the surface the 1st time, sanding, then wetting more lightly the 2nd time. <S> Softwoods soak up enough water to raise large areas of grain, and the swelled fibers in those areas are removed by sanding flat. <S> The 2nd application addresses these areas. <A> <A> Good answers, but nobody seems to have mentioned yet that some timber types are very prone to grain raising, and some really are not. <S> I have never "raised the grain" by dampening as a separate process, but I have seen the effects of this raising after applying a water-based base coat. <S> From my (admittedly limited) experience, denser hardwoods seem to be less prone to the grain raising or "fluffing" up, but this may not be true in all cases. <S> Also, it actually depends on what kind of finish you want. <S> See this link: <S> http://www.wood-finishes-direct.com/info/faq#should-i-worry-about-raising-the-wood-grain Is grain raising (with water based products) something to be concerned about? <S> In short - no, <S> but it is a question of personal taste. <S> The grain doesn't feel rough to the touch, it's more of a textured feel. <S> In other words the pattern of the wood can be felt through the wood finish. <S> Some customers really like to be able to feel the wood. <S> If several coats of varnish are being applied then grain raising is not really an issue because the varnish tends to seal over the grain that has been raised, thus creating a smooth surface. <S> It's also worth considering that if you're going to be applying a finish with more than one coat, it's often the case that the timber will be sanded between coats anyway. <S> With Meranti timber (which is a somewhat light hardwood which is quite prone to fluffing/raising grain) we would apply a base coat, sand it to key the finish (which also has the effect of flatting the grain) and then apply a topcoat, and be left with a nice smooth finish. <S> It does mean that the denibbing/keying phase of the finishing process takes a bit more effort, but the need for raising the grain as a separate process is removed. <S> I wouldn't say "don't bother", but I would think about the type of finish you're trying to achieve, and whether it is worth it on the particular type of wood you're using. <S> As with most types of finishing, I would suggest you try it with and without this process on a scrap piece of timber and see the effects for yourself.
| Raising the grain not only helps to bring out fibers that might swell when applying the actual finish, but saturating the grain beforehand with a wood conditioner will help to make the grain "pop out" (be more visually appealing) which when you're trying for a beautiful finish, is something that you'd normally want.
|
How can you stabilize green wood after turning it on a lathe? I've turned a few things green on a lathe and I expected them to to do odd things, and they warped and/or cracked. But what useful techniques are out there that this could be minimized or even controlled? I don't know if it is possible, other than letting the wood dry to a more stable moisture content before turning it. <Q> It is like a wooden cabinet lined with plastic, with small adjustable vents like on a cheapo charcoal grill. <S> He allows them to stay relatively moist for a period of weeks, loosly wrapped in plastic sheeting. <S> There is often a wet rag or open water cup in the cabinet. <S> By slowly allowing the moisture to escape the pieces change shape slowly, thus avoiding cracking. <S> He does a final fit, finish and seal after the piece is down to something lower moisture content (I will try to find out specifically what % moisture content). <A> The best strategy I've seen is to rough turn, let dry, then finish turn. <S> The rule of thumb is to turn to a thickness 1/10th of the finished diameter. <S> So a 10" bowl would be rough turned to 1" wall thickness. <S> Then pack the rough turned bowl in shavings in a paper bag, and set it aside to dry in a controlled fashion. <S> Every couple of weeks, check for moisture level and/or change in weight. <S> The key though is consistent thickness. <S> I've had bowls crack when the bottom was thicker than the sides- <S> I assume the sides are drying faster, and therefore shrinking / putting stress on the piece until.. crack. <S> Another thing to consider if you're cutting your own bowl blanks-- consider taking the pith out. <S> In some woods, pith dries at a different rate than the other heartwood and definitely different than the sapwood. <S> If you're buying bowl blanks, the pith is likely already cut out. <A> My technique is, I keep all the shavings from the bowl <S> I just turned and stuff those, along with the rough bowl, into a (plastic) shopping bag that I tie off. <S> I'm careful to pack the bowl in the center of the bag, so there's plenty of moist shavings evenly surrounding the bowl. <S> I also don't tie the bag <S> so it's airtight - <S> I leave a little gap at the tie so air can circulate. <S> I check on the bowl every two months or so; this lets me know if I can proceed, and also helps rotate the shavings around inside the bag... <S> By the way, "know if I can proceed" is still a thing I'm not totally sure about. <S> I've taken bowls out after four months and still found them quite true when chucked up (and none of those bowls have subsequently cracked), but I'm not sure how this would work for a super-thin second turning, or very green wood, etc. <A> I know one turner who just puts them in the loft of a shed, and another who has a "green room" where he just puts all his turnings for drying. <S> I'm not sure if he just calls it that, or if he has an actual humidity-controlled green room like what some people use for growing plants. <S> I've also heard several turners talk about wrapping up each piece in a paper bag . <A> I have turned a few green bowls cross grain after turning I sand them down. <S> Then, I use a old micro wave oven to heat them up some, <S> 1- 1 1/2 mins. <S> at a time. <S> then take them out, and set them on a shelf for a while to cool. <S> reheating them several times over a mater of days. <S> have had good luck with that. <S> Thinking of getting Wood Juice to put on some to see how that works. <S> but so far cutting board oil has been used with good results.
| I have a relative who uses something akin to a steam box, without the steam, to control the moisture moving out of his green turned pieces. I've only done this a couple times, but I have good luck turning a rough form (as @TxTurner notes) and then setting the bowl aside for a few months.
|
How can I prepare the end grain for stain, so that its final appearance matches the rest of the wood? Despite doing a great deal of sanding on the end grain, and getting it just as smooth as the rest of the wood, it always soaks up more stain than the rest, and turns out much darker and different. Is there any technique or process I can use that can match the end grain to the rest of the wood? <Q> There are grain fillers which are often used on open grained wood like red oak to make it take a stain more evenly, using this on the end grain of a board should do the same thing. <S> What you are needing is a way to make the end grain absorb about the same amount (which is much less) as the face. <S> Using finer sandpaper on the ends will help a small bit, but the prepping grain fillers will do much better. <A> So, if you sand to 220 on the face grain, sand to 320 on the end grain. <A> The end grain always absorbs more finish because of capillary action in the fibers. <S> The only way I can think of to prevent this would be to coat the ends in something that would block those fibers, but that too would change the appearance of the end product. <A> This question is a week and a half old <S> but I'll answer with what helps me. <S> I put thinned shellac onto the end grain of my projects which does a good job of sealing it. <S> It slows the absorption of stain enough to even up the color. <S> When I say "thinned" I mean a "one pound cut". <S> This is an arcane measurement of shellac concentration that means one pound of shellac flakes to one gallon of denatured alcohol. <S> I use an iPhone app called "Woodshop Widget" to help me dilute shellac to the proper concentration by adding more alcohol. <S> There are also products sold that advertise to prevent this sort of problem <S> but I have never used any of them. <A> End grain absorbs more stain/finish due to the capillary action of the wood fibers. <S> In red oak they act like straws and just suck up a large amount of stain/finish. <S> Sealing the end grain with various conditioners (glue size, thinned finish) works, but it is difficult to get the liquid on just the end grain, resulting in a blotchy look. <S> Sand the end grain to 600, and then burnish it with a piece of polished metal. <S> This crushes the "straw" fibers, preventing the capillary action.
| I've heard (but haven't verified) that if you sand the end grain with a higher grit it will match the stain of the face grain (can't confirm).
|
How can I minimize warp due to wood movement when gluing up a panel? I recently built a small 2' x 3' dresser top out of pine. It was within 1/8" flat and level when I glued it up in the garage, but within a few weeks inside it had warped and buckled significantly. What techniques can I use to minimize the chance of this happening in my next project? Details on the project: I planed several 2x4's down to 6/4 (1.25") thickness, and jointedthem with my router and a straight edge. I checked the moisture content at the beginning of the project, and all the boards seemed to be a consistent 12% throughout. I even measured the middle with my pin contact moisture meter when I crosscut the boards to the 3' lengths. I had a business trip partway through the project, and had to leave the unfinished table top sitting in the garage for two weeks. It was completely assembled/glued, but hadn't had stain or poly applied yet. When I got back, the warp had already occurred. I alternated grain orientation on most boards, but I mistakenly put two next to each other with the convex side of the rings facing upwards. The warp is worst here, but there's still a bit of a wave on other parts of the dresser top. My thoughts for warp mitigation, and why I haven't tried them yet: Use narrower boards? (Not much of an option, since I was working with 2x4's to start with.) Use hardwood? (I'm still a bit of an amateur, and I'd like to perfect my techniques with $10 worth of lumber, rather than wasting money on more expensive stock.) Use quarter sawn boards? (See above reason.) So what am I missing? Which, if any, of the above options would be most effective to try first? Are there other techniques I can use to mitigate warp in my future panel glue ups? <Q> Is the humidity in your garage the same as the humidity in the room where the dresser is kept? <S> You can start with a board with 0% moisture content, but regardless of the finish you put on it, it will take in moisture until it matches its environment. <S> I know you can't always do this, but the best way to finish out the seasoning on your lumber is to put it in the room where it will used. <S> If you're going to use flatsawn framing grade lumber, go through the pile and look for boards that came from the same slab as the pith. <S> (Do not use a board containing the pith itself!) <S> Looking at the board from the end grain, these will have almost straight, vertical grain. <S> These boards are effectively quartersawn. <S> Image stolen from Wikipedia. <A> If I had to pick a single issue within you approach, it would be the choice of wood. <S> 2x4 lumber is cheap, but is generally not kiln dried. <S> It's almost always a soft wood which increases the chances of the wood warping later on. <S> Soft woods are more prone to wood movement and warping from changes in humidity levels. <S> So the first thing to consider is using a harder wood than the pine / fir that's typical of 2x4 lumber. <S> The next thing to consider is letting the wood dry out properly and acclimate to your environment. <S> For 2x4's, I wouldn't think twice of letting the wood sit for quite a few months before even considering using them in a project like this. <S> Again, a couple of months here for the wood to readjust isn't an unreasonable period of time to allow the wood to re-set. <S> In reality, what you're looking for is to see how the wood is going to warp (or not) after the planing. <S> I'd encourage planing down extra planks as some will warp beyond being usable. <S> From there, you want to make sure you glue up the panels and make sure they are as true as possible. <S> The technique you described sounded like a reasonable enough approach. <S> At the glue-up, consider leaving the boards a little thicker than what you'd like for the final thickness. <S> Regardless of how well you glue the panels together, you're likely to see some amount of warping. <S> Leaving the boards a little thick makes it easier for you to come back and sand things down to the dimension you want. <S> Using 2x4 lumber can be done, but it does take a lot more effort and time on your part to get the results you want. <S> It's understandable that you want to keep some controls on your costs while you're learning. <S> I'd encourage you to walk around your lumber supplier's store and see what other options they may have. <S> Those options may cost a little bit more but may not require as much preparation work on your part. <A> The big problem you had in this case was stress wood. <S> by taking 2x4's and planning them down by that much you released stresses in the wood. <S> It was fairly stable at it's dimensions but once changed can release stresses introduced by the kiln drying process. <S> There is a term for this <S> and I can't for the life of me <S> remember what it is right now. <S> But the fast drying of the kiln puts stresses on the inside of the wood. <S> Then ripped or in this case planned down significantly it will show up, some times immediately, others after it has a chance to interact with the ambient moisture in the air. <S> If you try it again I'd give the wood time to acclimate to it's new dimensions before gluing them up.
| Another aspect to deal with is that you need to let the wood rest for a significant period of time after you've planed it down.
|
My band saw blade consistently slips off. What are some common causes of this? I have an older Craftsman band saw that is very difficult to get the blade back in place and it tends to toss the blade often. It makes it annoying to use the tool. I'm wondering if there is a common set of causes for this behavior that I might be able to use as a diagnostic checklist. <Q> Your saw may be poorly adjusted. <S> A properly tuned band-saw has the wheel axles exactly parallel and the wheels in the same plane. <S> The axles can be adjusted using the tilt screw on the upper wheel. <S> If that doesn't help than it may be the crown of the wheels is too flat. <S> Put a ruler on the wheel and see if there is enough of a crown left. <S> If not then you will need to replace the tire or wheel. <S> image source <A> Not in any particular order: Not enough blade tension Blade alignment incorrect - adjust the wheel angle with the provided knob. <S> The teeth gullets should be in the center of the tire of the adjusting wheel. <S> Less than 1/16". <S> Very worn tires <A> A dull bandsaw blade will tend to move to the side as well. <S> I've never had it move to the point of falling off but that may be something to look at too. <A> Recently had the problem of the blade sipping off and taking the tire with it' Finally found the set screw on the drive wheel loose and the wheels out of alignment.
| Blade thrust guide not adjusted properly allowing the blade to be pushed off the wheel.
|
How can I prevent tearout of plywood when cutting it with a circular saw? Note: This question was closed as a duplicate because plywood and veneer both have similar issues when being cut with a circular saw. Hopefully the answers in both questions can help out. When using a circular saw, I often find that I rip up the bottom edge of a sheet of plywood after cutting it. Usually my blade is a good 1/2 inch lower than the bottom of the plywood and I use a 24-tooth blade. Should I switch to a blade with finer teeth? Or should I change the blade height? <Q> There are many ways to eliminate tearout in plywood. <S> Some are simple techniques you can apply in specific situations, and others require additional materials or accessories. <S> Put the "good" side facing down. <S> If you are cutting through 2 or more pieces of plywood at the same time, layer them so the "good" sides are not facing the outside on the top or bottom. <S> (Note that you should use a blade with fewer teeth and deeper gullets if you are cutting through a thick stack, otherwise your blade may bind or burn.) <S> Use a zero-clearance straightedge guide (aka "homemade track saw"). <S> Tape over the cut line before making the cut. <S> Score the cutline with a utility knife before making a cut with the circular saw. <S> Use a very sharp blade with a high tooth count (e.g., 60 or more teeth for a 7-1/2" circular saw). <S> Put sacrificial pieces of material on the top or bottom of the piece of plywood along the cut line. <S> Cut to rough dimensions first, then clean up the cut on a table saw with a zero-clearance throat plate. <A> Using a blade with finer teeth will help significantly, but you can also use a piece of masking tape over the cut line before you cut. <A> In addition to cathode's excellent suggestions, Wood Magazine has a nice explanation of some techniques. <S> Particularly: Score the cutline. <S> Make one very shallow cut where you cut through the top layer (where the splintering will occur), which helps control the splintering, then make a second cut through the rest of the wood. <S> Support the cut, either along the side or from underneath (with a piece of sacrificial wood, as cathode also refers to) <S> Attach a piece of wood to your saw's footplate (a "shoe") to reduce the clearance from the plywood.
| Make a very shallow scoring cut with the circular saw before making your through cut. Additionally, if you have a piece of sacrificial wood you can put underneath the cut, that would help prevent tearout as well.
|
How should I dispose of sawdust safely? My workshop is more accurately termed my garage, with a small table saw, radial saw and a router table that I built. I don't have a central dust collection, and only the radial saw has any dust collection built in. When I do any projects, I end up sweeping up a pile of sawdust. Most of my projects involve plywood of various thicknesses, poplar/pine up through oak for hardness. I don't work in anything harder/exotic (Such as purpleheart, cocobolo, etc). I know that it can be used as mulch, but I don't really have any plants that would need mulching. How can I safely dispose of the bag or two of sawdust that I generate when working on a project? <Q> One good use of sawdust is to make into a fire starting device. <S> Sawdust is quite flammable, and obviously has a lot of surface area. <S> WARNING: <S> Be safe. <S> Certain glues (such as may be used in plywood), most finishes, and most pressure-treated woods may be dangerous to burn, due to the release of poisonous chemicals. <S> Be sure that you are only burning wood that is definitely not toxic. <S> This article from Wood Magazine explains how to make them; basically, put them in a cup of some sort (such as a muffin tin) and add paraffin wax or some other flammable substance (I've seen homemade biodiesel used, for example). <S> Then let it dry into a cake. <S> It will then be a good fire starter for a campfire or your fireplace. <A> If you do composting in your garden, sawdust is good to add to your compost bin. <S> You will need to balance it out with enough "green" items to compost it though, so it will not work for large quantities of sawdust. <A> Well it is good for mulch and finding neighbors that could/would use it is one option. <S> You could always join your local Freecycle and post it on there. <S> Someone will likely want to come pick it up. <S> Some places might take it as they would regular yard waste, leaves grass clippings etc. <S> Of course this is for primarily clean (non-treated) sawdust. <A> It will depend on your city and what they accept in the various garbage collection programs, but in my area at least, saw dust can be disposed of in our "green bin" program along with other organic materials like food, small dead animals, etc. <A> Many equestrian centers will welcome the dust and woodchips for bedding. <S> I'm told that's where Fort Belvoir's now-defunct woodshop (21 nail gun salute, moment of silence) sent its wood waste. <S> The recipients did not seem to care that the dust included plywood and pressure-treated wood. <A> Be careful when disposing of black walnut sawdust and shavings. <S> To varying degrees all parts of the black walnut tree contain juglone, which is poisonous to many plants and even to some animals. <S> See this article or Google "juglone". <S> It is not a good idea to use walnut as mulch. <S> Regrettably, I put part of my garden out of commission for a time by doing this (my raspberry patch is very slow to recover). <S> Composting of shavings and sawdust containing walnut <S> by-products can be achieved without excess concern, since by the time the bio-degrading has taken place (requiring six months and occasional turning and mixing with other materials) the juglone is rendered harmless. <S> Apparently juglone is quite poisonous to horses and walnut <S> should not be used as bedding material.(@Jeromy French <S> you are in the clear - mucking should not be a problem.) <S> Butternut is also of concern for the same reason, but not as seriously as walnut. <A> This may seem silly <S> but I'll include it. <S> I had a large amount of cherry chips from my surface planer <S> and I attempted to use it to smoke meat. <S> Cherry is so expensive where I live that I did not want to waste a single molecule of it. <S> Sadly, it is no good for this application. <S> I suppose it could be done <S> but my box of chips smoked only briefly before having to be replaced. <S> It was more trouble that it was worth. <A> Why not collect your wood dust to make cheap wood filler? <S> You can mix the dust with wood glue to make a paste which can be used to fill anything without needing to stain as much to match the colours. <A> I use it around the house as an absorbent. <S> I keep a box of sawdust in the garage (I have the same setup as you) and end up using it at about the same rate that I generate it. <S> Sawdust in the bottom of a kitchen compost collection bucket absorbs liquids and keeps the compost bucket from getting gross. <S> Sawdust also keeps the bottom of your garbage bin from getting nasty. <S> Sawdust sprinkled on an oil drip in the driveway <S> picks it up pretty effectively.
| If I have too much sawdust, I spread it in the grass to add organic material to the yard.
|
How can I minimize snipe while thickness planing? I usually notice a small amount of snipe on the ends of the boards I run through my thickness planer. It's not too deep, (<1/32" maybe?), and doesn't cover too much of the board length (<4" on either end), but it's noticeable if I inspect the boards closely enough. I've heard lifting the far end of the board a little higher than the section in the planer helps reduce snipe, but so far I haven't been able to consistently get a board completely snipe free. Just for background purposes, I'm using a DW735 with the infeed/outfeed tables installed. Is there just a minimum amount of snipe that I can always expect to have? Or can it be completely eliminated? <Q> A couple things that haven't been mentioned yet: feed several pieces in one after another. <S> If I feed piece B before piece A exits, the rollers don't have a chance to drop (and hence, there's no chance for snipe). <S> Similar to #1, you can build a jig to prevent snipe. <S> Take two strips of sacrificial wood that are the same height as your workpiece but longer. <S> Screw these pieces to the workpiece and feed it through. <S> The planer will then snipe the jig, but not the workpiece. <S> Here's a picture: This will minimize snipe, but won't eliminate it--lift the workpiece vertically as you feed it in and as you pull it out. <S> It seems counter-intuitive, but it will make the cut much shallower than it otherwise would (with snipe). <A> I don't think anyone has made a planer yet that has no snipe. <S> You can tweak the infeed/outfeed tables on the DW735 so that they slope downwards (infeed) and upwards (outfeed), but I would not make them slope by more than about 1/16th over their length. <S> The DW735 is already about as clean as you can get from a "lunchbox" planer, only a larger industrial stationary planer will have less snipe, usually due to a longer 1-piece bed made of cast iron. <A> As a general rule the higher the feed rollers are set on the planer table the more likely that the last bit of the board will be sniped as the wood moves off of the first roller and is levered upward toward the cutter head. <S> Table rollers vary from planer to planer. <S> However this does reduce (and can sometimes eliminate) sniping. <S> One practice I've seen used to reduce sniping, and thus general waste on a project, is to lower the feed rollers to the same level or below the planer table and then apply a liberal coat of paste wax to the planer table. <S> The wax reduces the friction enough that most planers can then feed the wood though the planer without jamming. <S> If you carefully support the boards on the out feed side of the planer <S> the then you should see a reduction on sniping on light cuts. <S> Heavy cuts on any but <S> the most industrial planers will still result in some sniping as the table and or cutter head can undergo some 'loading' under a heavy cut. <S> However if you make your last few passes taking off < 0.005 <S> " per cut then you can nearly eliminate the snipe by lowering the table rollers and waxing the planer table. <S> It can take some practice but a very aggressive snipe can usually be prevented in my experience. <S> Note : never use silicone based lubricants around the shop, or in this case for lubricating a planer table. <S> They are pure evil.
| If you were to lower the table rollers all the way down so that they were below the table surface, then the friction of the wood as it travels across the planer table would generally make feeding the wood through the planer much more difficult.
|
How can I adjust my hand plane to take an even cut across its width? I have a low angle jack plane (Stanley #62, bevel up) and it has the ability to adjust the blade side to side when I lock down the blade and iron, which supposedly is to allow you to even out the depth of cut across the plane's width, but I can't get it deep enough on one side. No matter how I position it, one side cuts deeper than the other. Is this correctable simply in the method of sharpening or is there something else I need to do? I know the picture is a poor representation, but the plane sole is on the right and you can see the blade protruding out as the camera looks down the length of the sole. <Q> First, I would check the squareness of the blade, making sure it is razor sharp. <S> Secondly, there is typically a little wiggle room where the blade resides in the plane. <S> You may be able to pivot the blade to the left or right to counter effect the angled cut you are making. <S> Perhaps that is what you mean side to side? <S> If that does not give enough play to turn the blade to correct the problem, maybe the only thing left is to sharpen the blade a little out of square to correct the cut... <S> Turning the blade has always done it for me. <A> Sometimes the blade can be located to one side of the bed, not allowing the blade to shift enough with the lateral adjust lever to get the edge parallel with the sole. <S> Ensure the blade has more or less equal space on each side. <S> Two other items can be the culprit: 1) blade edge not perpendicular to the sides (doesn't have to be perfect - within ~.020" across the blade), 2) blade bed machined out of parallel with the sole - if this is the problem, return the plane for a new one. <A> If your blade turns out to be square and you still have the problem, either the blade is not sitting flat on the frog (unlikely) or the frog itself is not sitting flat on the bed of the plane. <S> This is quite a pain to fix; you have to take everything apart and use a file to flatten the burr or mold line that is causing the problem. <S> The best reference I have personally seen is a video by Christopher Schwarz called "Super Tune a Hand Plane" available here [shopwoodworking.com - part of Popular Woodworking's site.] <S> He goes over every possible thing you can do to make your hand plane work better. <S> A related video by him is called "The Last Word on Sharpening" which is also very useful.
| I once had your problem and it turned out that I had ground my blade out of square.
|
Is this table saw lathe jig safe? I recently saw a video on how to build a jig for turning stock on a table saw. It seemed unsafe to me, as the motorized jig was advancing stock sideways into the rotating saw blade. This seems like a very useful technique, but I'm primarily concerned about the safety aspects of it. Although from what I understand, cove cutting using a table saw is a generally accepted practice, which seems fairly similar. <Q> I think the word 'safe' here might be relative. <S> Just like modern cars are safe, when driven on the road, and obeying traffic laws. <S> I think in this case the answer is a profound <S> NO . <S> Table saws are 'safe' when used for cutting wood that is against the table, and the stop, preferably using push sticks and a riving knife. <S> I see none of those things going on here. <S> I've seen lots of people do things not as the tools was intended without getting hurt, but most of those same people have stories about nearly losing a finger, or having a piece of lumber being tossed across the workshop. <S> Why take that risk, when there is a perfectly good tool designed to turn wood? <A> I think my biggest concern is that I don't have a good feel for how this system will behave. <S> When I'm about to perform some action with a power tool, it's very deliberate, and I've thought through the type of bad outcomes that might result. <S> For example (not a complete list by any stretch) <S> Table saw: Kick back <S> Miter saw: <S> blade binding <S> Band saw: <S> blade breaks and spools out across the table Drill press: bit binds, spins work piece etc. <S> Knowing this, I can anticipate problems and mitigate them. <S> I place my body a certain way with respect to the tool <S> , I hold the piece or tool in a certain way, use additional clamps, finger boards, etc. <S> as appropriate. <S> I just don't have a good feel for how this thing is going to behave when something goes wrong, or even which ways it could go wrong. <S> It looks like it works very well, but I'd be damn careful with it. <A> Well, aside from the addition of the cordless drill to turn the stock, how is this different from cutting cove with a tablesaw? <S> That's a time honored technique where the stock is pushed on a vector against the side of the blade. <S> I think the devil is in the build. <S> The strength of the same jig design will always be dependent upon materials, fit, build and technique in use. <S> The user in this case is careful to make several low degree passes before he gets to the product he desires - that also mirrors the technique for making cove. <S> I might also quibble over the ergonomics: I think the critiques made here are spot on because I also would like to see features that move the woodworker's hands further away from the blade, but then I didn't see his hands anywhere near the blade, so maybe I'm wrong.
| If the jig is built well and used with the caution we should always employ, it seems very practicable.
|
When, if ever, is it safe to use gloves with power tools? I don't use gloves when operating my power tools, but I know a few people who do--for instance, when operating a router with two hands (not in a router table). Is this safe, and if so, what other power tools are safe to operate with gloves? <Q> Anything tool that rotates is generally something to avoid using gloves with. <S> Tools to definitely avoid glove use for incude: <S> Lathes <S> Circular saws (including table saws, miter saws, and radial arm saws) Bandsaws Routers <S> Planers Drill presses The list goes on... <S> Gloves can give you a false sense of security. <S> They will do little to protect you from a cut, and pose a huge hazard of getting caught in the tool and pulling your hand in to get mangled. <S> If you need a minimal amount of protection from splinters, you could try nitrile or latex gloves, which will cut/break away before pulling in your hand. <S> In addition to gloves, the following can also be a hazard around power tools: <S> Rings <S> Watches <S> Long hair <S> Loose clothing Ties <S> The best way to protect your hands is to be very deliberate about every movement you make around the saw, and keep your hands away from the blade by using a push stick or push block. <S> If the cuts you are making are simple straight lines, get a miter gauge that slides along the miter slot that is present in most saw tables. <A> There is one case where it is safe and beneficial to use gloves with power tools: when the tool is weak enough to stop without causing damage to your body parts. <S> For example, I use cut resistant gloves when carving with Dremel. <S> The bit is sharp enough to cut through skin (even quite badly), but the motor is weak enough that it will stall if it hits the glove. <S> Same can apply to many power tools used for detailed work. <S> Also when working on details of small parts, it can be harder to keep adequate distance between hands and the cutter, in which case the additional protection is quite useful. <A> Some gloves are designed to work with a specific power tool, such as chainsaw gloves. <S> In these cases, it is OK to use those specific gloves with their corresponding tool.
| The only tool off the top of my head that I'd consider using gloves with would be an orbital sander, since it may help with vibration absorption, and the sander doesn't provide a big risk of mangling your hand.
|
How do I ensure my drill is perfectly vertical before cutting a hole in my desk? I want to cut a hole in my desk (3/4" furniture grade plywood with an oak veneer) to run cables through. I'll be using a hole saw and my cordless drill. Since this is going to be very visible, I want to be sure that the hole is perfectly vertical, and that I get it right on the first try. How can I ensure that the drill is angled correctly? Should I even be trying this with a hand-held drill? If not, what tools should I think about using? <Q> I saw a video online , that suggested a simple jig that will allow you to drill straight into a relatively flat surface. <S> Take a piece of stock that is square. <S> From the end of the stock, cut a wedge section that is 90° in the wedge (the left inner face should be 90° from the right inner face) and the wedge vertex (the line in the middle of the removed area), should also be 90° from the bottom face of the block. <S> Place the jig flat against the surface you want to drill, snug the drill bit up to the inner corner (the cut out area), and drill away. <S> You may need to make several of these to accommodate different sized bits. <S> To allow for a forstner bit, cut a section from the bottom of the jig (see the side view image) allowing just enough clearance for the bit. <S> It is possible to make this jig with the vertex at a different angle. <S> You can make the jig as above to get a perfectly square reference. <S> Then run the bottom plane of the jig through a table saw (or whatever you have that will work) to shave an angled wedge from the bottom. <S> The notch has been removed in the side view to allow for a forstner (or similar) bit to have clearance. <A> In two words: Pilot hole If you have a drill with the handy leveling bubble, this can be handy. <S> Otherwise line up your drill bit using something akin to a speed square or carpenters square (checking more than 1 axis), then drill your pilot hole. <S> Not only is the pilot hole beneficial, but I find it makes your accustomed to what arrangement/direction you will be drilling. <S> This will help most if you are using the kind of pilot hole with a center drill bit that protrudes from the barrel/shank. <S> Otherwise, they do make a jig of sorts that bolts to your handheld drill and provides a guide and baseplate. <S> The creates a pseudo drill press-like device. <A> A drill guide will help you maintain the required angle, in your case, 90 degrees perpendicular to the desk. <S> These are readily available at your local home improvement or tool store. <S> Drill Guide http://www.homedepot.com/catalog/productImages/400/05/05534eb7-0230-4b1d-9f68-f9297f412a6f_400.jpg <A> I saw an ad on a woodworking site and I was reminded of this question. <S> These were touched on in other answers but I wanted to add something more concrete with a picture as an aid. <S> The following is a picture of a drill guide. <S> This would be used with your regular powered hand drill. <S> You can see that the underside has 45 degree angle to as so you could also use this for drilling on square corners and even on the surface of a cylinder. <S> This would have the advantage of being compact, reliable and reusable. <S> I am not aware of any other manufacturers <S> but i'm sure they are out there. <S> The site where that picture came from is: Big Gator Tools <S> There are also called "Drill and Tap Guide Blocks" Cheap like me? <S> Wont last as long <S> but it would be real easy to make a facsimile of this with some scrap and a drill press. <A> Just get it close to vertical, and add in a cable grommet. <S> With these you can be about 1/8" off in the hole size, and angled like a drunken monkey drilled it, and it still looks great. <A> I think I'd try making a guide block by drilling a through-hole into a piece of thick stock at the drill press. <S> Next, locate the block on the desk where you want the hole (registration marks might help with this) and clamp or double-stick tape it in place. <S> Use the hole in the block as a guide sleeve for your bit as you drill into the desk. <S> Should work fine for any bit you can chuck into your drill press. <S> The thickness of the block will limit your depth of cut, but once the hole is well started you should be able to remove the block and use the hole itself as a guide if you need to drill further. <A> Usually the cutting face of a hole saw is enough to give a good reference for verticality. <S> If you're really concerned, google "portable drill guide" for some products that can help. <S> This won't work well with hole saws, but if you're using a simple twist bit, auger bit, etc. <S> you can put two squares on the desktop at 90 <S> ° apart as a visual reference. <A> Mount a bull's eye level on the back of the drill. <S> Requires setup once. <S> http://ideas.selfelected.com/2011/12/laser-and-level-for-drilling-in-right-angle/
| Use the same bit you plan to drill into your desk with.
|
When building an outdoor structure, should I use pressure-treated lumber or something like cedar? I am building a pergola (~10'x10') on my patio (and plan to build a gazebo out in the yard), but before I build it, I want to make sure I'm using the best option for lumber. Should I use pressure-treated lumber in such an application? Or is something like cedar better? Is there another alternative I should consider? <Q> If it's in contact with or partly buried in soil, and isn't adjacent to food plants, go with PT; it'll probaly last several times as long. <S> If it's above grade and will dry out berween rainstorms, cedar will probably do just fine. <S> Note that these days there are other alternatives too <S> -- some of the tropical hardwoods are moderately affordable and very resistant to bugs and rot. <S> I'm seeing a fair amount of Ipe used for porch decks, partly because it's also a very hard wood -- so dense it sinks in water, which is one of the reasons it's sometimes referred to as ironwood. <S> Warning: <S> ipe wears out sawblades quickly (carbide recommended) and some folks develop an allergy to the sawdust. <S> I'd be a bit more willing to have ipe near my veggies than equivalent amounts of PT, but that should still be checked on; anything bugs and fungi won't eat should be treated as potentially toxic to humans, and I've never heard how much ipe leaches into surrounding soil. <S> (Note: <S> this question partly overlaps with the home improvement discussion at diy.stackexchange.com. <S> Folks there might be able to give you numbers for how long PT fenceposts last vs. cedar.) <A> This is an excellent question (IMO). <S> I've worked on a number of different projects like this. <S> I think for things like a pergola, cedar would be a great choice. <S> It is relatively light, is easily worked and weathers beautifully. <S> Pressure treated is great when it won't be visible. <S> I find it does not stain or seal exceptionally well, however it is strong and dependable. <S> Think stringers and joists. <S> If you're willing to spend a little more, one of the most weather resistant AND strong woods <S> I've worked with is Mahogany. <S> It is available in a number of different forms. <S> I've even use an engineered 4x4 post that was made up of no less than 15 pieces/strips laminated together. <S> They were pin straight, and unless viewed from a cut end, you would not know they were not solid mahogany (which would have been ridiculously expensive. <S> There are also a number of great systems that are effectively cases that surround another structure. <S> Think looks of 4x4 timber, without the weight and possible bowing and twisting. <A> I think the answer is, "it's up to you" and "it depends". <S> All materials will have pros and cons. <S> Cedar fades over time whereas composite materials might hold up better. <S> PT lumber requires coated screws and composite materials sometimes require specialized screws. <S> Other woods might need to be stained and sealed whereas cedar naturally resists rotting. <S> In a lot of scenarios, you would use multiple materials. <S> Take a deck for example, all the supporting posts and joists will usually be PT, but the decking might be cedar or another material like a composite board. <S> You will need to take into account cost, lumber availability, expected longevity, and your skillset as some materials are more difficult to work with or require specialized tools.
| PT lumber is cheaper than cedar, but cedar looks better (IMO) and smells nice.
|
What is the proper place of nails in woodworking? When is it appropriate to use nails to join wood? Other than for rough framing, the only common accepted use I can think of is for tacking trim, but even there it doesn't quite feel right because invariably the nailguns aren't set properly so unless a good painter comes after them with wood filler each brad leaves a divot. And for all I know "real" woodworkers rabbet and glue all their trim. So is brad nailing still considered a good practice for trim? And are there other permanent installations where nails are appropriate? <Q> Very good question. <S> I'll tell you how I use nails, though I'm not sure this is the "correct" answer. <S> When I don't have the patience to wait for the glue to dry. <S> Typically, nailing is only needed to secure two pieces of wood until the wood dries (provided you have long grain to long grain contact). <S> So, I pull out my brad nailer <S> so I can move onto doing something else while the glue dries. <S> When I don't care how it looks. <S> When building shop furniture, for example, I almost always nail my drawers together because I don't care about a nail being visible in a drawer. <S> Same goes for jigs. <S> When it's easily concealed. <S> This is what you're referring to--trim. <S> The hole it leaves is so small that it's easily masked by putty. <S> (Although, if you're staining it, that's a different story). <S> Similar to #1--when <S> the angle is such that I can't find a way to clamp it. <S> For example, if I have trim that's angular, I can't place weights on it and it may be too wide to clamp it, so I'll nail it. <S> I'll keep thinking and edit if I can think of any more. <A> This used to actually be a guild issue, believe it or not. <S> " <S> Mere" carpenters were forbidden to use many of the fancier joinery available to furniture makers, and expected to use nails. <S> Hence the association of nails with cheaper pieces made by less-skilled labor. <S> Of course the budget piece might be just as functional as the fancier one -- and the fact that nails flex a bit actually lets them dodge some wood-movement issues that "proper" joinery has to wrestle with. <S> But there are still bragging rights in being able to minimize your use of screws and nails, and let the wood and glue do the job. <S> On the other hand, I've seen a number of pieces which deliberately use nails (especially cut nails) to replicate the "ordinary homeowner's" version. <S> My take is that it's all good, as long as it's a deliberate decision with some awareness of the history. <A> Nailed joints offer flexibility to accommodate the changing dimensions of the joint, whereas glue joints may outright fail. <S> Moisture is a major cause of warping and swelling. <S> Projects that are subject to sustained contact with water, such as boat building or a planters with direct contact to the soil are well-suited for nail use.
| As mentioned in other answers, nails may be more appropriate when the wood will be prone to a lot of warping or swelling.
|
How to finish a branch to keep the bark (partially) on? My son found a nice thick branch that I want to turn into a walking stick for him. Unfortunately, I can't tell what kind of wood it is exactly. The bark is still partially on and doesn't seem loose. How do I treat and finish it, so that the bark will stay on while the stick will still be protected from the elements? <Q> Use epoxy resin, thinned with acetone, and brush it on. <S> Use a very thin mix for the first coat, then if necessary, come back with a second coat. <S> Acetone will allow the epoxy to flow and penetrate deep into the fibers of the bark and wood, and stablize it. <S> It will change the appearance of course, making it look darker and "finished", but I don't think you'd be able to avoid that with any method. <A> I think the short answer here is: Bark is never permanent, unless it's alive. <S> One the one hand, imagine bark as your skin. <S> The surface of your skin today is not made up of the same cells today as it was a month ago. <S> Bark is very similar in this way. <S> While it's living, it is constantly replenished and growing. <S> Once this 'living' process is halted, the bark will break down and decay. <S> Certainly, there are all kinds of polyurethane, shellac and oils that will preserve the life of the bark on the walking stick; but, unfortunately the wood and the bark will decay, dry and change dimensions at different rates. <S> Eventually the bark will mechanically separate from the wood. <S> Eventually it will separate, and that is ok. <A> One thing to keep in mind is the season in which the branch was cut. <S> If the wood is of a decidous variety the bark will be very easy to remove in the spring and very hard to remove in the fall. <S> Keep this in mind if you are looking to leave the bark on the edges of boards in finished pieces or want to remove the bark easily in other situations. <S> If the walking stick was cut in the fall, you may find that the bark will hang around for some time regardless how you finish it. <S> Finishing may play a role in bark retention but if the stick was cut in the wrong season, you may find that the bark will come off regardless of how it is finished. <A> I did a walking stick in exactly the above manner. <S> Several thick coats of polyurethane. <S> My big mistake was using a high gloss, so that it has that sort of 'fake' look, but its the inside bark of a birch <S> so is quite nice looking. <S> I did that about seven to ten years ago and the bark and stick still look in mint condition. <S> Thats heavy use year round <S> so is probably longer than a lot of furniture lasts. <A> You could fully encase the stick in a thick urethane so that it's not at all exposed, but that probably defeats the purpose.
| I think it might make more sense in this case to either strip the bark to finish the wood, or leave it natural.
|
What kind of woods can be riven with a froe? I've never used a froe before but I'm enamored with the idea of making my own boards. Right now, I use splitting wedges to make quarters small enough to feed through my bandsaw. This results in a lot of waste as the wood never splits cleanly. 5" is usually the best board width I can manage once I'm done cutting. I've looked at videos of wood being riven with a froe (not making individual planks, just squaring off the sides) but the wood being split is never identified. It always looks clean and smooth and I think that would fit through a bandsaw much better. Can I use a froe to rive woods like mesquite and ponderosa pine? <Q> You can really rive almost any wood. <S> That statement is flawed as there are wood species, particularly those with long straight grain, that rive easier than others. <S> It is important to know that species alone is not the key . <S> You want your wood to be straight and relatively free of defects like knots and branches. <S> The size of the froe can also help determine what it is capable of. <S> Smaller ones would be great for shingles. <S> Larger ones can be better suited for logs. <S> Wedges help if the blade is not as long as the work piece. <S> Walnut, and more specifically black walnut, is known for splitting very easily and very straight. <S> You will see Roy Underhill praising this wood on occasion if you follow The Woodwright's Shop. <S> On top of wood species and log selection there are two other tools that are essential when riving (The next more so than the one that follows). <S> If the wood is large or wider than your fore then splitting chisels are your best friend to make sure that the split does not turn as you work. <S> If you are doing longer logs or feel more conformable with the wood secured then a riving brake is very desirable. <S> The trick with riving larger wood is to, gently if possible, twist the fore as you go to push the split down the wood. <S> This can speed up the process and it is harder to push the fore when you can hit it dead on with the mallet. <S> Image from <S> pfollansbee.wordpress.com <A> Back in the day when to homes were made with the local trees, whether cut by pit saw, adz or other means, shakes where cut with a froe after the logs where cut to a specific length, somewhere in the 20"-24" range. <S> The wood was a straight grained wood as mentioned before, depending on what was available in the area. <S> Some areas had cedar, others had douglas fir and oak. <S> There may be other species out there, but I man not familiar with them. <S> If I remember right, there is still a company that sells hand split shakes, <S> well there was a few years ago. <S> Regarding longer logs, I don't think it was made to split anything much longer than a shake. <S> I guess it is worth a try... <A> Anything with a complex figure is likely to fight being split this way. <S> I haven't worked with the woods you mention, so I can't offer any more specific advice.
| A froe splits wood along the grain, so it works best on wood with long straight grain. I may be off a little on this, but from my experience of looking up antique tools, a froe was primarily use to spit roof shakes (shingles).
|
What is "White Wood"? It used to be when I went to the lumber store the inexpensive soft wood was Pine. Now they call it "White Wood", what exactly is "White Wood", I don't recall ever hearing of a tree species by that name. <Q> White wood is the cheap, crappy wood available at home centers, and will vary by region. <S> Here in Arizona, it's white pine. <A> 'White wood' is not a species. <S> It is likely pine, but in theory could be balsam or aspen or a bunch of others. <S> I did a little looking <S> and it mostly confirmed that. <S> It can be any of a number of species that all are fairly 'white' with little strong grain showing. <A> That's a deliberate misuse of the poor tulip tree's name. <S> White wood is Liriodendron tulipifera, a rather valuable hardwood (which funnily is not white at all). <S> Insofar, calling the inexepensive soft wood "white wood" is somewhat misleading. <S> Nevertheless, in practice, home improvement centers will sell anything from spruce, fir, or pine to "coniferous wood" under the umbrella term "white wood". <S> In other words, you get whatever happens to be around and is cheapest, but it sounds like <S> you buy something valuable. <A> In Canada anyways, you would also see it referred to as SPF - Spruce, Pine, Fir which is used as dimensional framing lumber. <A> The meaning of "white wood" or "whitewood" may vary by region. <S> The species probably depends on what is available in the region but can include Spruce, Douglas Fir, Pine and so on. <S> Spruce seems to be most common in the UK. <A> There is a fast growing pine species called radiata pine that is grown in New Zealand that Home Depot sells. <S> They sometimes mislabel it white pine <S> but it not eastern white pine. <S> Now they call it white wood.
| I suspect it is any cheap tree that is fairly white. In the UK, for example, it usually means timber primarily intended for "first-fix" use where it will not be visible when the work is completed.
|
What are some safe finishes for indoor projects likely to be chewed on by a young child or infant? I'm going to be putting together a crib for over the next few months for our first child. I found a blog that mentions shellac. Only, it doesn't exactly say that shellac is safe, only that it is safer than polyurethane. My question is whether shellac is, in fact, safe and what are some other options? I'm also curious about whether it is important to finish the crib at all. What are the downsides to just leaving it as sanded lumber? Is this just an aesthetic concern? <Q> Per @ratchet-freak 's suggestion, I looked up "food-safe finishes" . <S> Options include: <S> Pure tung oil. <S> Extracted from the nut of the china wood tree. <S> Used asa base in many blended finishes. <S> Available from catalogs and hardwarestores. <S> Difficult to apply, requires many coats, goodwater-resistance. <S> Raw linseed oil. <S> Pressed from flax seeds. <S> Not to beconfused with boiled linseed, which contains metallic driers. <S> Listedas a food additive by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). <S> Verylong curing time, good looks, low water-resistance, frequentreapplication. <S> Mineral oil. <S> Although derived from petroleum, it iscolorless, odorless, tasteless and entirely inert. <S> Sold as a laxativein drug stores and as a wood finish in hardware and kitchen-supplystores. <S> Simple to apply, low waterresistance, frequent reapplication. <S> Walnut oil. <S> Pressed from the nuts of the walnut tree. <S> Sold as a saladoil in health food stores and in large grocery stores. <S> Walnut oildries and won't go rancid. <S> Easy to apply, frequent reapplication. <S> Beeswax. <S> The work of the honey bee. <S> Can be mixed with an oil tocreate a better-smelling, slightly more waterrepellent finish. <S> Soldin woodworking and turning catalogs. <S> Carnauba wax. <S> Derived from theBrazilian palm tree. <S> Harder than beeswax and more water-resistant. <S> Can be used straight on woodenware as a light protective coating or atopcoat polish. <S> Sold in woodworking and turning catalogs. <S> Shellac. <S> Asecretion from the lac bug. <S> Harvested in India. <S> Super blond shellacin flake form is the most waterresistant variety. <S> A film-formingfinish. <S> Sold in woodworking catalogs and hardware and art supplystores. <A> I would say shellac. <S> It's heavily used in the pharmaceutical industry to coat pills. <S> It's an excellent all around finish, but it not's incredibly durable. <S> My next choice would be mineral oil and bee's wax. <S> You really can't go wrong with either of these choices. <A> Some unfinished woods can be toxic: http://www.wood-database.com/wood-articles/wood-allergies-and-toxicity . <S> Any commercially available finish will have a publicly available material safety data sheet . <S> Just google " finish MSDS. <S> " <S> Bob Flexner devotes a section of Understanding Wood Finishing to food grade finishes. <S> According to him, these "salad bowl finishes" are generally just varnish. <S> Check out the book, it's an excellent reference. <A> I would certainly finish the crib with something. <S> It will take a lot of abuse, particularly if it's used by more than one child, and some of that abuse will be (as you note) chewing/etc., which will introduce moisture and other damaging things. <S> It also will be more vulnerable to splintering, which will be painful for your child if it occurs. <S> The main thing I look for in a crib finish: <S> Low or no VOCs; your child will sleep in it, and you don't want carcinogens in the air where you can avoid them. <S> Non-toxic; many are labeled this way on the can. <S> Non-chipping types of finishes, so either stains or similar that will primarily go into the wood rather than lying on top. <S> Naturally derived oils are a good example of this; walnut oil, linseed oil, hemp oil, etc., are good choices. <S> We used a combination of linseed oil and beeswax on our child's furniture, and it seemed to work well so far. <A> There are several soy based paints available on the market. <S> I have had good results with the Durasoy brand . <S> While Soy based paints start with a non-toxic foundation, additives can change that, so you will want to check what is in the specific brand/type you choose. <S> Leaving the wood untreated is also an option. <S> disease bacteria such as these were not recoverable from wooden surfaces in a short time after they were applied ... <S> although the bacteria that have disappeared from the wood surfaces are found alive inside the wood for some time after application, they evidently do not multiply, and they gradually die. <S> Untreated wood will be more susceptible to stains and as saltface mentions in their answer and supporting reference <S> some raw wood can have adverse impacts. <A> Most of the common furniture finishes are safe AFTER CURING. <S> Lacquer, polyurethane, shellac - dangerous <S> if ingested in liquid form due to the thinners, there is no evidence of danger in a cured finish. <S> Furniture finishing guru Bob Flexnor has addressed this, see here . <A> I just finished a small sidecar sleeper crib for my baby. <S> The sidecar sleeper is made from red oak and finished with beaswax and tungoil blend at a 4:1 ratio. <S> The beaswax and tungoil had a strong smell that took a few days to go away. <S> Looks great and is totally safe provided she doesnt have a tung oil alergy, <S> so far we are good.
| Research on plastic vs wood cutting boards found little risk of contamination from untreated wood exposed to Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella. Waxes like beeswax are good also, but may need to be re-applied periodically.
|
Rusting nails on purpose If I am building a wine rack, for instance, using pallet wood. I don't want nice shiny screws to draw attention away from the piece. What I currently do is sand off the top and leave it in water. Can you think of a fast way to rust the screw or perhaps another idea that could brown it (without painting) I could see this being off topic but its worth a shot. <Q> Metal patinas are a whole art unto themselves. <S> I have used ammonia for brass, made stains with vinegar and so on. <S> Sculptors spend a lot of time on this topic. <S> Assuming your nails contain iron, then you are trying to form ferrous oxide, the black 'rust' (as opposed to the orange rust, ferric oxide). <S> Almost any acid will do the trick. <S> Acetic acid (vinegar) and bleach is very effective - mind the fumes; they are dangerous. <S> You can also buy a premixed pickle. <S> There are many, I would recommend http://www.jaxchemicals.com/ if you wish to go that way. <S> They sell a Iron, Steel, and Nickel Blackener in a pint size (among others). <S> Also keep in mind that heating the nails via a torch or similar flame will also change the color, which is a quick and cheap path. <S> Obviously, this leaves marks. <S> You can use a hammer (a chasing hammer if you are feeling fancy) to change the texture of the nail without loosing the patina. <S> Buy this method, you can create nails that look like they were hand wrought very quickly. <A> I know that steel wool dissolves in vinegar and completely rusted. <A> If you're looking for a patina/darkness as opposed to an orange-rust color, baking soda will do nicely. <S> If you want to 'lock in' this color, a quick trip to a 450F oven will do the trick nicely.
| You could soak it in vinegar. If you have a grinder, grinding the nail head can overheat the metal and discolor it.
|
Treating pine for partial burial I'm replacing my garden edging (the separator between lawn and flower beds), and I have some treated pine I would like to use. Like this: What's the best way to stop the pine from rotting? <Q> Buy pressure treated lumber. <S> It's going to cost more than plain pine, but it will last significantly longer in direct contact with the ground, as that's what it's intended for. <S> There's a reason that every telephone/power pole you see is that dark green color. <A> You might want to consider non-toxic alternatives: <S> You could use plastic edging, possibly reinforced with stakes. <S> You could choose thin, untreated lumber that you are willing to have rot. <S> This would enrich the soil. <S> Choose thin, narrow lumber, so that it does not leave behind a hole big enough to break someone's ankle. <S> Embed the stones in the ground, so that you can safely run a lawnmower wheel along the border, without risking "mowing" the stones. <S> Consider using redwood, cedar, or another wood that rots more slowly than regular lumber, but is less toxic than pressure-treated lumber. <A> You're kinda fighting a loosing battle. <S> A high grade marine varnish such as Epifanes would do the best in terms of water and UV protection, but I doubt it would give you the look you want. <S> Here's a link to some other alternative marine finishes. <S> http://www.westmarine.com/WestAdvisor/Wood-Finishes
| You could place a gravel border.
|
How do I seal plywood joints effectively for outdoor use? I have this castle built in my garden out of plywood. The problem is that it keeps leaking. I've tried silicone which doesn't last, and also a window sealant, but since the plywood expands and contracts it also lets the water through. The join in question is a horizontal plank joining a vertical one in the middle. So it's a floor joining to a wall. <Q> You will want to install siding , essentially add a layer of material that repels the water away from the plywood. <S> You can start by wrapping it in plastic <S> housewrap <S> and then nail wooden shingles to the wall. <S> Start from the bottom and overlap them. <A> I used to build a lot of wood boating projects, i.e. deck boxes for life-jackets, hatch covers etc. <S> Anytime two boards were joined, I used a spline the full length and filled the gap (if one existed as in a curved hatch cover) with 3M 5200 sealant. <S> Epoxy is used extensively in boating projects which are almost always outdoor project subjected to intense sunlight. <A> Without a photo it's a little difficult to be absolutely certain what your problem is, but I'll try to cover the ones that I think apply to your situation. <S> It sounds like you built your floor, then butted the walls on top of the floor, and any rain that catches the edge of the floor seeps under the wall. <S> Regardless of which solution you choose, you should keep in mind that it's always a good idea to slope any exterior horizontal surface (even if only slightly) <S> so it can shed water rather than allowing it to pool. <S> My first inclination is to say that you should have instead installed the wall frames out to the edge of the floor, then install your plywood to the outside so the bottom of the sheet extends below the top of the floor, and ideally below the bottom of the floor. <S> This creates a drip edge so water follows the wall below the floor surface and the water cannot infiltrate into the structure. <S> If your plywood does not extend past the bottom of the floor, you can install aluminum flashing to help carry the water below the floor. <S> The join is a horizontal plank joining a vertical one inn the middle. <S> So it's a floor joining to a wall. <S> Again, without a picture I can't be certain what your problem is, but this comment makes me think half of your floor is inside the structure and the other half is outside the structure, as in a porch. <S> A possible solution in this case is to frame the wall and install right-angle flashing on the floor where the wall frame and floor meet. <S> Caulk or otherwise seal it to the floor, then attach your plywood sheathing to the wall so it covers the vertical part of the flashing but does not extend all the way to the floor. <S> This allows it to slide up and down with the seasons and prevents the bottom from absorbing pooled water on the floor and rotting.
| Using fiberglass over edge joints will also keep out the water.
|
Correct Method to Nail Casing Corners When installing casing trim around windows and door frames the corners are normally cut in a miter. Finish nails are normally used to fasten the adjoining casing pieces to the window/door frame and into the wall structure. My question is if additional nails should be used to nail the mitered corners of two trim pieces together and if so what is the proper method to apply the nails? Along with this is the additional question as to whether the miter joint should also be glued with yellow woodworkers glue? <Q> I actually thought of this question yesterday when I was replacing trim. <S> It seems the people who built my house nailed from the top trim to the side trim. <S> I'm not sure about gluing them, because if you need to replace one side, you may have to replace them all if you can't separate the glue joint. <A> I would definitely use glue. <S> I would also use a 23 gauge pin only in event that the joint was misaligned and needed to be kept in place until the glue dries. <A> There will be a lot of differing opinions and methods, but I will give you mine, based on what I have gleaned from having just remodeled my own house, and also spending the last 10 years in construction and commercial millwork industry, and hearing a lot of opinions. <S> In addition, I would invest in some Collins Miter Clamps <S> These are invaluable for any miter joints you may encounter. <S> Second, nailing may be required on some joints to maintain alignment, and I think most would aim to keep those nails on the top side of the header piece of casing, primarily to minimize visibility. <S> But, I would next recommend investing in a biscuit joiner, and biscuit every miter joint. <S> This will insure proper face alignment, as well as add more glue surface creating a much stronger joint, that won't require any extra nailing in most cases. <S> In addition, biscuits work in very think casing materials. <S> Beyond that, a lot of very good installers like to use the Collins Edge Pocket Jig <S> but this really only works on thicker casings, and is more if you are looking for bomb proof casing assemblies.
| Yes, I would definitely use glue.
|
What can I coat a wooden drawer slide with to reduce drag? I have an old wooden desk with a middle draw that has a center support that the drawer slides back and forth on. The friction creates drag that prevents the opening and closing action from seeming smooth. What could I add to reduce the friction in the wood-on-wood slide? It is underneath the desktop, so appearance is not really an issue. <Q> A good go-to solution is wax. <S> I've also rubbed a bar of soap on wooden drawer slides in the past, though I'm sure there are plenty of reasons not to use soap. <A> candle wax as mentioned in the other answer. <S> Otherwise glue some hardwood strips on the surface. <S> Hardwood doesn't wear as fast as softer woods and be able to provide a smoother surface. <S> There are some low-friction tapes you can stick to one or both of the surfaces. <A> Another alternative -- modern upgrade from wax -- would be "ultrahigh molecular weight" (UHMW) plastic, such as teflon. <S> This is available in a number of forms, one of which is thin self adhesive tape. <S> It doesn't look as traditional as wax, of course, but ir it's on the underside of the drawer <S> anyone who notices it will also know why it's there, so...
| Either some paste wax, or in a pinch you could rub a candle on it.
|
What is a good way to prevent jointed tabletops from bowing when tightening fasteners or the glue sets? I recently made a tabletop for a rolling tool cart using 2x4's jointed and pocket-screwed. When I set the table upon the cart I noticed a very serious bow, almost like I was starting to make a barrel! What methods are there to prevent this from happening during a fastening or glue-up scenario? <Q> A common solution is to alternate your clamps between top and bottom: <S> Another solution is to clamp boards down across the panel as Drew suggested, although an even better variation on this solution is to use cauls, which start out curved but evenly distribute the pressure across the surface as they are flexed flat against both sides of the panel. <S> Read more about cauls: <S> http://www.familyhandyman.com/woodworking/how-to-clamp/view-all#step2 <S> But even if you use both of the above solutions, your panel can still bow and warp with changes in humidity, so it's important to let it acclimate first, as Matt suggested, by letting it sit for at least a week or two, assuming the lumber was already kiln-dried or adequately air-dried. <S> If possible, let it acclimate to the environment in which it will ultimately be used--for example, if it will be in your dining room, let it acclimate inside your house. <S> You can also minimize movement by using quartersawn lumber and cutting out the pith. <A> This way, you'll use long clamps across the face of the jointed boards to keep your joints together, and shorter clamps to clamp your truing boards to the face. <S> Use a pair of boards with the work piece between them. <S> When it sets up, it should not be bowed at all. <A> No one has mentioned your jointer technique. <S> If the jointer fence is not perfectly 90 <S> ° <S> then any small deviation get multiplied by the number of boards you have and you get a curve. <S> The solution to this is NOT to try to get <S> your jointer fence exactly 90° (although close is good). <S> Instead, lay out your boards how you want them to be glued up, and draw a giant "V" across the table top with a pencil, marking every board. <S> The V should span the entire top. <S> Now flip every other board over. <S> Now label the top face of each board with an "F". <S> Now joint each board with the face labeled "F" towards the fence of the jointer. <S> Now lay out your boards again, flipping every other board so that you reconstruct the original "V" you drew. <S> The result is that the deviations from 90° alternate direction, and so cancel one another out, and viola! <S> Flat top, not a barrel. <S> If the deviation from 90° is extreme, the clamping pressure might tend to make the boards slip out of plane with one another, and so cauls, as others suggest, are still a good idea. <S> But honestly, if you're anywhere close to 90° and have true joints you should require minimal clamping pressure and slipping <S> shouldn't be a problem. <S> YMMV. <A> An alternative is to make T-braces (my name). <S> Screw two inch boards into a T shape. <S> If the board edges are straight and the screws long enough, the brace will stay straight under very great pressure. <S> Its the same principle as a torsion box. <S> Then clamp 2 of them face to face with the table between them.
| If you're stuck using the typically low-quality lumber from a home center, the best you can do may be to look at the grain direction and alternate it every other board, so one board will cup downward, the next will cup upward, the next downward, etc. I always clamp jointed boards with some good, straight hardwood boards across their faces.
|
In what situations would I use a belt sander versus a random orbit sander? I own both a belt sander and random orbit sander. I've found that as I've worked on improving my finishing technique, I will oftentimes go for the random orbit sander over any other sanding implements. I am curious if the belt sander has a specific use for which it excels, to the point where it is a more efficient tool than a random orbit sander for the job? <Q> , I think it cuts better. <S> an Orbital I like for finer sanding it offers a lot more control. <A> I usually use my belt sander for large surface where I need to remove a lot of material, such as an uneven biscuit joint. <S> To be honest, I also use it when my patience is running low and my orbital or 1/3 sheet sander is not fast enough... <S> Although, it's not really related to woodworking, I found a belt sander really useful to level an even sub-floor section when installing the flooring. <S> (Such as sanding down an uneven joint between two plywood or OSB sheets.) <A> I find myself using my belt sander less and less. <S> I really only use it when I need to remove a lot of material, whether that is a finish or if it is rough. <S> I find that for years I only use it if I need 60 or 80 grit work done, or I have a very large area, like a table top where the belt sander will get the job done much faster. <S> But even there, if I go down to 100 grit, after that I use my random orbit. <S> I also find the orbit has a more control <S> and I don't have to fight with it all the time. <A> I find the belt sander is good for larger pieces, especially long one like planks and boards. <S> I used it for cleaning boards from pallets that I disassemble. <S> Hands down <S> it is much faster. <S> Just need to be extra careful not to stay in one place too long (Sanding in general is like that I suppose <S> but the faster the tool the greater the risk.) <S> Orbital sanders, at least mine, generally cannot perform at the same speed. <S> Ideally I use my orbital for small pieces that are not flat or have harder to reach places. <S> Examples would be chairs and birdhouses. <S> I also use it for cleaning the edges of wood all the time in an effort to create a soft curve as supposed to a hard angle that would be created after a 90 degree cut. <A> 90% of my finishing jobs I use the random orbital sander as well. <S> The only time I use the belt sander vs the orbital sander is when i need to either: Remove a LOT of wood really quickly Cleaning large pieces of wood or Flattening large pieces
| I like a belt sander when I need to really remove some material like paint for example
|
How to make a long shallow cut on a narrow piece of wood with a circular saw I am using 5.5 inch wide cedar fence board as lapboard style siding on a chicken coop. The roof is a ~22 degrees shed style roof. I'm having trouble making the long cuts which touch the roof. The one cut I made in the picture below was much more difficult than I wanted it to be. I do not own a table saw or a sliding miter saw. I do have available a circular saw (which I used for this one cut) and a miter saw with a 10 inch blade. What is the best strategy for making such a long cut? <Q> Figure out the distance from the edge of the circular saw blade to the edge of the plate, preferably not the side that the motor hangs over, or your board will have to be very thin to fit underneath it. <S> Clamp the board (make sure it's a straight one!) <S> to the work piece parallel to the cut line, at the distance you measured on your circular saw. <S> Run the plate of the saw along the guide board as you cut, and your cut will follow your cut line exactly. <S> I did this for a long time back before I got a table saw, and still do it when cutting large stock like plywood sheets that can't easily be cut on the table saw. <A> As Drew said you can use a guide board. <S> Of course the board will be flat (like a piece of plywood sitting on saw horses) to the ground. <S> Cutting along the line is pretty easy, there is a mark on the front guide that shows you where the blade cuts, keep it on the line. <S> Just don't push the saw faster than it wants to cut. <S> A bonus, when you are getting short boards like that, you can get 2 pieces with one cut! <S> the second board just need to be cut to length square! <A> Don't bother measuring distance between edge of saw plate and blade. <S> Make your own guide rail instead. <S> Get a piece of something flat (plywood, hardboard (i have used a 5mm sheet of plastic and second time a piece of diy floor board)) and glue/screw something straight on to it. <S> Place your saw against the Straight edge and saw away. <S> Now the Flat will be cut exactly where the blade is. <S> Finally clamp your home made guide rail to the board you want to cut and saw away.
| You need a guide board. However, when using a circular saw myself, I just draw the straight line I need to cut and then make sure the piece that needs to be cut is secured (often a partner holding it down but a simple clamp or two can work too).
|
How to effectively fix a crack in a turned bowl I recently came into possession of a wonderful turned maple bowl however there is one downside. There is a small crack about halfway through the bowl. The crack goes fully from top to bottom but not fully left to right. The bowl is not about to fall apart but I think after a while of putting fruit into it, or several used as a salad serving bowl the crack would spread and weaken. Is it possible to glue this and (bonus points) glue it with a food safe glue? <Q> I suspect that it actually isn't going to get any worse. <S> However, what is generally accepted practice is to use epoxy. <S> If you want to hide the crack and patch you can mix in some sawdust, in this case maple sawdust would be best. <S> As an alternative, you could mix in some other colorful stuff to make it pop. <S> Ground turquoise is a common choice for this. <S> Of course any glue or epoxy will leave a bit of a mess and will need to be cleaned up. <S> You might end up needing to refinishing the whole piece. <S> If that is the case, nut oils are food safe and so is carnuba wax, which is hypoallergenic. <A> If it were mine, I think I'd either try a tinted epoxy or epoxy-based filler. <S> Or I'd accept the crack but stabilize it with a butterfly inlay... or just accept the crack as part of the character of the piece. <A> Frank Howarth made a great video about how he "repaired" a cracked wooden bowl. <S> The rough turned maple bowl that I wanted to finish next had cracked. <S> The crack was at an angle to vertical when the bowl was sitting normally. <S> I cut out the section of the bowl with the crack on the band saw. <S> Then I build a new segmented piece to take the place of the section. <S> In this new section, I continue the idea of the chevron pattern, and add more detail. <S> I give the chevron pattern branches by adding alternating pieces of birch and walnut wood on either side of the pattern. <S> I also add a walnut ring at the top of the bowl so the segmented pattern has something to die into. <S> Then I turn the whole bowl down to a finished piece. <S> He made a feature out of it <S> You'd have to be ambitious to do what he did <S> but it might serve as inspiration. <A> Due to the size of the crack a mechanical repair would be best like the aforementioned butterfly or stitch inlay or in lieu of that an epoxy would work. <S> I wouldn't try to color match with dust or pigment as it just plain won't match and may just become an eye sore. <S> If you want to color it go with black or some sort of metallic mix. <S> CA glue, aka super glue, probably won't work here - it's too large of a crack. <S> I wouldn't do it on my bowl. <S> Filling it with gap filling or thick CA will probably result in a mess, also CA glue is brittle while epoxy can flex a little bit with seasonal movement. <S> And you would never clamp this back into place <S> - there is a reason it split in the first place <S> so don't force it back. <S> (Shrinkage, seasonal movement, too close to pith, internal stresses, etc) <S> For the epoxy generally almost any two part epoxy would do. <S> Using blue tape, tape off one side of the crack so it doesn't just spill out all over. and fill. <S> After dry remove tape and sand bowl or at least the local area and refinish with mineral oil, wax or a combo of those or walnut oil. <S> Boom you're done. <A> Since the surface would need to be cleaned up manually (not on a lathe), try CA glue and clamp it together. <S> Much less mess than epoxy to clean up. <S> The CA glue will be safe after fully curing. <A> Not enough rep to add a comment but most glues are food safe when dry. <S> The drying agents may have toxins in them but they evaporate and the dried glue is okay. <S> Obviously you'll want a glue that's waterproof when dry such as Titebond III <S> The Wood Whisperer has a good post on this <A> You might want to get the "gap-filling" variety of CA. <S> It's nice and runny and should seep nicely into the void without a lot of coaxing and, of course, as the name suggests, it will fill the gap. <S> Personally, I wouldn't bother with clamping which will just put undue stress on the glue. <S> If this crack had been in the bowl when the turner was making it, <S> he/ <S> she would certainly have patched it in this very manner. <S> It probably developed after the wood continued to age/dry-out after the finish was completed. <S> You are just trying to get something to patch the opening. <S> You can find it at the big name woodworking stores and online.
| I use CA glue for hairline cracks, not open, through cracks.
|
When should I use a Jointer vs. a Planer? I am fairly new to woodworking and just starting to outfit my shop with power tools. One area that I find confusing is the use case for a jointer vs. a planer. Both tools seem to have very similar capabilities, and probably could substitute for one another on certain jobs. I've got a limited budget and space. So I need to prioritize whether to get a planer or jointer. Versatility will definitely be a priority in this decision. In the interest of making the answer useful beyond just my situation, I'm looking for an answer that summarizes for each tool which tasks they are ideal for, which tasks you can reasonably manage with them, and tasks which just aren't advisable/possible. Any other guidance in your answer as to deciding between these two tools is also welcome. <Q> A planer is used for making two edges parallel while a jointer is used for making straight or flat surfaces. <S> Let's say you have a warped board (suppose it looks like a banana from end to end). <S> If you pass it through a planer, it will enter as a banana and exit as a banana. <S> A jointer, on the other hand, will shave off bits of the banana, little by little, until it comes out flat. <S> On the other hand, if you have a board that is one inch thick on one side, and 1/2 in thick on the other, passing it through a jointer will NOT make the two sides of the board equal. <S> See the image below: So, you need both. <S> There are ways to rig a planer to flatten a board, but I don't think there's a way to make the sides of a board parallel with a jointer. <S> Edit With limited budgets <S> , it's probably not a bad idea to look into a jointer/planer (e.g., https://www.grizzly.com/products/G0675 ). <S> One cutter head is used for both planing and jointing--it just requires some sort of adjustment. <S> I don't know how that adjustment is done because I don't own one. <S> (I didn't learn about these until after I bought both a jointer and a planer). <S> Edit 2 <S> Here's a video that shows you how to surface a board with a planer: http://www.finewoodworking.com/workshop/video/a-planer-sled-for-milling-lumber.aspx . <S> I actually built this jig before I bought my jointer and found it so cumbersome that I just bought a jointer. <S> (Although, I was using dull knives at the time, which makes it nearly impossible to pass the board through the sled without it sliding off.) <S> Another couple of options: have the lumberyard surface and straightline your lumber. <S> They do an okay job, but if you're making fine furniture, don't expect your piece to be perfectly square. <S> Surface your material with a handplane. <S> This is a long process (and quite tedious), and it may cost you quite a bit to get a good hand plane capable of doing the job. <A> A planer will ensure that 2 opposite faces of a piece of wood are parallel to each other will generally handle wider pieces of wood is not the appropriate tool for working the narrow edge of a 'wide' x 'thin' board (think shelving), as you cannot safely feed a tall, skinny piece of wood through it allow you to make an uneven board an even thickness from one end to the other <S> * <S> A jointer will ensure that 2 adjacent faces of a piece of wood are at a 90° angle to each other (assuming the fence is set at 90°) will generally handle narrower (6" or less) pieces of wood (Note, industrial sized jointers can be had in 12" or larger, but $$$$$) can make two opposite sides of a piece of wood parallel by running the same adjacent side of the wood against the fence and jointing the sides to be parallel. <S> (this might take some work and shimming) <S> *borrowed from Dfife's answer <A> I agree that you should have both. <S> However if there were budget and space considerations I would go with a jointer. <S> A jointer is going to enable you to get those precise surfaces for joining your wood. <S> A planer on the other hand is a smoothing/sizing tool and much of what you do with it can be done with a little more elbow grease using hand planers and sanding. <S> Often when you are purchasing rough cut lumber at specialty lumbar yards they can run your purchase through a planer. <A> The straight, jointed edge runs along the tablesaw's rip fence when you are cutting the board to width, yielding an opposite edge that is also straight, and parallel to the first. <S> When crosscutting, the jointed edge gets held against the miter gauge or crosscut sled to help ensure that the freshly cut end is square - at 90 degrees to the board's long edge. <A> I agree with the statement that an active woodworker could really make use of both a dedicated jointer and surface planer. <S> But I only have a surface planer due to my very small workspace <S> and I have made-do with hand tools for jointing. <S> This is due to the fact that most of my work involves typical boards that are 3/4" thick and a few inches wide. <S> To joint the edge, I will run a Stanley #7 hand plane over the edge (this length of hand plane is called a "jointer" - I think it's 20 inches long). <S> If I need to flatten one face (which is very rare - only if I have a rough-sawn board), then I can still get it flat with the hand planes. <S> I use a combination of a Stanley #5 and the aforementioned #7. <S> The #5 is fitted with a cambered blade which removes wood more aggressively. <S> One those occasions when I need to use a jointer to ensure a square cross section (such as glueing up several pieces to make a square bed post), I still use the hand planes and just get it as close as I can. <S> I check frequently with a square. <S> In my bed project, it was never all that important that I get the angle perfect; once things were together, the gaps closed up fine. <S> To have had a dedicated jointer would have been nice and, as an engineer, I would have felt good about having perfect 90 degree angles all around, but in the end it worked out fine that I was simply close.
| To the fine answers already posted, I would just add this: The jointer can give a board a perfectly straight edge, which is an important first step in accurately cutting the board to width and length.
|
Efficient paint removal from rough sawn wood I have some rough sawn timbers in my house that were painted over by the previous owner of the house 1 . I believe the timbers are a softer wood like fir as they are more decorative than structural. The three 4" x 8" x 18' timbers appear to have been painted over with a roller and there's some bits of ceiling spackle on them too. They at least tried to do a quality job and made sure to paint the little nooks or notches in the wood. The single 6" x 8" x 5' timber has a gawd-awful faux stone spray paint applied to it. Both sets of timbers were stained fairly dark when they were originally put in place. My goal at this point is to get rid of the paint. I would be fine with the original dark stain that was in place, but it would be bonus points if I ended up with a lighter look. I'm 99% certain that the paint is lead-free, but I haven't tested yet to verify. I will do so prior to commencing work. I have tried using some citrus based paint remover. It's worked okay, but has left an orange tint on the test areas. I'm hesitant to use a chemical based paint remover because of the fumes and the timbers are located inside. I have also considered grinding via wire brush; sanding with a belt or orbital sander; and planing it with a hand plane. All of these seem like time intensive operations and I'm a little worried about the mess from grinding or sanding. What's the most effective way to remove the paint from these timbers? Or is it a lost cause and I should cover over them instead? 1 Yes, I'm consoled by the fact that there's likely a special place in Hades for people like that. < /jk> <Q> It was tedious but fairly effective. <A> I think your best bet would be to use dry ice blaster . <S> It is sort of like sand blasting, but the way the dry ice works is it will destroy the paint and evaporate into CO2 before it will harm the sub-structure (meaning the wood). <S> The information on the page says: Dry ice blasting: is a non-abrasive, nonflammable and nonconductive cleaning method is environmentally responsible and contains no secondary contaminants such as solvents or grit media is clean and approved for use in the food industry allows most items to be cleaned in place without time-consuming disassembly can be used without damaging active electrical or mechanical parts or creating fire hazards can be used to remove production residue, release agents, contaminants, paints, oils and biofilms can be as gentle as dusting smoke damage from books or as aggressive as removing weld slag from tooling can be used for many general cleaning applications <S> This solution should get you a relatively clean surface without destroying the way the board looks underneath. <S> As you suggested, test for lead before you do this for safety's sake. <A> To completely remove the paint (nooks and crannys included), the wood will eventually have to be planed down. <S> The majority could be removed with a heat gun and scraper, then planed to get the last traces off. <S> A hand scraper could get paint out of nooks and crannys. <S> You might consider just covering the timbers (box them in) with new wood of the type you want and finished the way you want. <S> That would be my choice. <A> I would certainly make an attempt with a hand-plane (after sharpening the iron). <S> I've done this to clean up smaller pieces of painted/treated rough wood. <S> All of these seem like time intensive operations <S> That is true <S> but I find using a hand-plane very therapeutic. <S> At least on softwood. <S> An alternative might be to rent or borrow a power planer. <A> Speaking of Hades.... <S> I've actually used a planer (not a hand plane, but a motorized one) when my blades were on their last leg. <S> I didn't care if the plane ruined them because I was about to replace them anyway. <S> Plane the wood, then replace the blades. <S> Easy, easy! <A> Less punishing to your tools than using a planer would be, and bandsaw blades are less hassle to replace if it came to that. <S> I've just posted a related question about upcycling "pre-loved wood", though it may get shot down or broken up as too general. <A> I use two ways to remove the paints: Use a chemical for peeling of the paint. <S> Since you do not want that we go to next step... <S> Then after a bit of time use the scraper to slowly peel off the paint. <S> Although it seems risky, its one of the fastest way to peel of the paint if you are careful. <A> Your question, "I should cover over them instead?" got me to thinking about yet another solution. <S> This requires that you can remove the wood in one piece and that those 18' lengths are one piece. <S> I realize that you have already stated that you see no easy means of removing them, but this might be the solution for the next guy who comes along without that restraint. <S> I actually had a similar problem where once the decorative beams were removed, I ended up forgetting about them, but replaced the ceiling. <S> In a different lifetime. <S> Remove the wood, resaw each beam into 3 1x8's and use them to make box beams. <S> Easier said than done and there are obvious problems to be solved along the way, but hey, if you have a bandsaw, planer and enough space (move the equipment outside for a day) <S> it can be done. <A> Methylene-chloride paint remover (or an organic waterbased one) to soften the paint up and then power wash the stuff away. <S> This will preserve the wood and remove the paint. <S> Use goggles. <A> I friend of mine recently had a similar issue with his log cabin (which I offered to help - why do I get myself into these things!). <S> He wanted to clean the entire house outside AND inside - yikes. <S> After quite a bit of research he opted for a solution sort of like what was mentioned above, but he went with something new called WET ice blasting. <S> Environmentally friendly because it only uses ice cubes. <S> The difference (as far as Mike believes) is <S> there is less wear & tear on the wood, no dry ice cost and only uses normal ice cubes. <S> Pretty cool. <S> It took us just a weekend to finish the cabin. <S> Quite the wet experience for sure. <S> Not sure if the dry ice method would have done a better job, but Mike and Andrea were happy with the end state. <S> My two cents anyway. <S> Andy <S> Moderator Note: <S> Reader Warning : <S> The process identified in this answer makes a direct link to a single manufacturer's product. <S> The equipment appears to be proprietary in a process similar to sandblasting. <S> Don't get it?? <S> Link removed <S> - I don't understand why there is a warning??
| When we stripped the paint in my house growing up we used a heat gun and paint scrapers. Another motorized solution would be to take a "veneer cut" off the face with a bandsaw. Use a heat gun and carefully hover over the wood (keep it at a proper distance so you don't damage the wood). I have also considered grinding via wire brush; sanding with a belt or orbital sander; and planing it with a hand plane.
|
When do you use a chuck vs. a faceplate on a lathe? I'm interested in learning to turn and recently bought an old Delta/Rockwell lathe that came with some basic accessories. I get the impression that a chuck and faceplate both serve the same purpose, namely that you can use either one to secure a workpiece by one end rather than by both ends. The thing I'm not quite clear on is when it makes more sense to use a chuck and when it makes more sense to use a faceplate. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each? <Q> A chuck needs something to grip. <S> So you either need to drill/turn one of two things. <S> A tenon for the chuck to clamp down on, or a recess to put the chuck in and expand it to hold. <S> Now the faceplate holds very well with the screws, so if you are doing heavy work by rounding out the bowl a face plate is very nice. <S> A chuck is more likely to let the piece go if it is really rough or lopsided. <S> In both cases you can use the tail stock to help hold it secure. <A> For turning something like a bowl, a chuck (with a screw center) is a bit more efficient. <S> You can mount the bowl blank with the bottom of the (to be) bowl facing out on a screw held in the chuck, and turn a recess on what will eventually be the foot of the bowl. <S> Once that's done and the outside of the bowl is shaped, you can turn the blank around, remove the screw, and mount the blank the other way with the jaws expanding into the recess you cut into the bottom, which allows you to hollow the inside. <S> With a faceplate, you have to make a jam chuck and / or use a lot of scrap wood making waste blocks. <A> A faceplate will have much more 'bite' and holding stregth <S> but requires screws either into the piece or parting the final piece from a slug of material attached to the faceplate. <S> This is usually scrap. <S> A chuck with face jaws can be used to hold onto a positive portion (knob) or a negative space (hole) in your piece and turn it. <S> This can have the advantage of less wasted material. <A> as I have seen chuck is basically for either symmetrical job or for unsymmetrical long jobs but face plate is used when the job is irregular and is short and can't go into the chuck.
| Without knowing about your specific chuck I can generically say these things: A chuck can hold onto a piece (or a tool in your tail stock for hollowing/boring etc) depending on it's arrangement. The faceplate you use screws to secure the piece you are going to turn.some people will glue a waste piece to what they are turning so they don't have to put screw holes in their work piece.
|
Is there any such thing as sanding something *too* fine for finishing? I know you can get sandpaper in super-high grits, like 2000 grit and higher. I guess there's a point of diminishing returns for sanding wood projects, but is it possible to use too high a grit prior to applying the first coat of finish? If so, what problems can it cause, and do these problems apply to all types of finish and wood or just certain types or categories? <Q> That's a great question. <S> Typically, the purpose of the first round of sanding is to hide surface blemishes in the wood (e.g., machine marks, dents, scratches). <S> The purpose of the subsequent rounds of sanding is to hide the scratch marks from the first round. <S> Usually, you only need to go to about 180 before the scratch marks become invisible. <S> However, if you love sanding, I only see one problem: if you're staining, the stain will not take as well for wood that has been sanded with much higher grits. <S> See the image below (from Popular Woodworking ). <S> The top half was sanded to 180 and the bottom half to 600. <S> On the other hand, as pointed out by @GlenH7, sometimes "finishing a finish" requires sanding to higher grits if you're looking for a highly reflective finish. <S> But, this is for sanding the finish, not the wood itself. <A> For all practical purposes, I think the answer is "no, nothing is too fine of a grit for finishing." <S> But it also depends upon what you expect the final finish to look like. <S> If we think about what we're doing with sanding, we can rationalize our way through this process. <S> The surface of wood is an uneven surface with repeating ridges representing the grain. <S> And when we sand, we're knocking down those ridges. <S> The finer the grit of sandpaper we use, the smaller the ridges become. <S> We have to move to ever finer grits of sandpaper while we're sanding otherwise we're just changing around the ridge pattern on the surface of the material. <S> That becomes obvious when we look at sandpaper under a microscope. <S> 600 grit sandpaper under high magnification Sanding is just carving out smaller grooves in the wood, with the depth of the groove being defined by the grit of the sandpaper. <S> Moving to really high grits (like the 2000 you mentioned) merely continues that pattern of decreasing the height between the various ridges on the wood. <S> The net effect is that the material feels more and more smooth. <S> There is a possibility that using too high of a grit would impede the stain from being absorbed by the underlying grain. <S> Regardless of the stain and pigments potentially being impeded in their absorption, smaller ridges from finer sanding will reflect light differently causing the more finely sanded piece to appear different from the less finely sanded piece. <S> Keep in mind that when the wood absorbs the stain it will lift the grain, undoing the some of the work that you had put into the finish. <S> It's also worth noting that some finishes <S> that end up looking like smooth glass require wet sanding with progressive layers of sandpaper all the way up into the 1500 or higher realm. <S> Finer grained woods are less likely to show as dramatic of a difference with higher levels of sanding. <S> This would be due to the woodgrain already being tighter and the separating ridges being smaller. <A> Is there any such thing as sanding something too fine for finishing? <S> Yes. <S> The whole point of extremely fine abrasives is to make extremely smooth surfaces. <S> Some finishes (film-forming finishes like paint and polyurethane) adhere to the workpiece better if the surface is a bit rough. <S> Scuff sanding with fine grit sandpaper (i.e. 220 or 320) is recommended for very smooth surfaces before applying the first coat and sometimes also between coats. <S> So in some cases sanding to an extremely smooth surface before the final coat isn't just unhelpful, it's counterproductive.
| As you mention, there's diminishing returns, so there's no need to sand even higher.
|
Do rip saws still have a place in the wood shop? 40 years ago when I was first learning to work with wood, there were crosscut and rip saws, each used for their own purpose. As I recall you could use a crosscut saw for either job. A rip saw could only be used for ripping wood. I have just recently got back into working with wood, and I don't think I have seen a saw proclaiming it is one type or the other. While this question is primarily focused on hand saws, information about power saws would be welcome also. Are rip saws still sold and used? <Q> Hand saws may never get used in a shop that turns out cabinets exclusively, but in most shops they have a wide variety of uses. <S> Yes, there are specific rip and crosscut saws, but the woodworkers I know have mostly adopted Japanese style hand saws. <S> A ryoba saw is a great tool to have around. <S> It has crosscut teeth on one side and ripping teeth on the other. <S> And the small oval shaped haft or handle allows very precise control. <S> Most Japanese saws have an incredibly thin kerf which makes them easier to use as well. <A> There are definitely still rip saw vs. crosscut saw blades for circular saws. <S> Attention should be paid to purchase the right blade for the right task, since the tooth design in the blade dictates whether the saw will produce a nicely finished edge when the cut is complete. <S> One thing to keep in mind, however, is that toothcount can help compensate for an improper blade type with regards to keeping the edge clean, but the wood piece will still feed more hesitantly if the blade is designed for a rip cut and you're doing a large crosscut. <A> It's also worth mentioning that old rip saws are fairly easy to find on eBay <S> and, I'd wager, at garage and estate sales just about anywhere. <S> Finding one in decent shape to use may be more of a challenge, but there is no shortage of online tutorials for fixing up old tools. <S> Here are some interesting links. <S> WK Fine Tools internet magazine has a fairly thorough selection of articles on restoring and repairing old hand saws, along with tons of information about other tools. <S> http://www.wkfinetools.com/tRestore/saw/sawsRestore-index.asp <S> Matt Cianci is a craftsman in Rhode Island who makes, sharpens and restores saws. <S> He also teaches, but it's unclear how far he strays from the northeast to do this. <S> You can send him an old saw for tune-up or just browse the site for useful info. <S> Some pretty cool links. <S> http://www.thesawwright.com/index.html <A> As far as hand saws go, they definitely have a place in the shop. <S> I own 7 rip saws and not a single cross cut saw. <S> From the research I have done, crosscut saws are a new-ish tool and you don't need them. <S> Why? <S> Well, when cross cutting project-sized wood (say 3/4" or thinner" a rip saw does a great job and the tear out is minimal. <S> You can eliminate all tear out on the back side if you score the wood with a knife first. <S> On thicker stock (more than 1" or so) a cross cut can be faster, but it still isn't needed. <S> It is only now I am considering converting one of my rip cut saws to cross cut, and that is only because I have a "spare" 5TPI saw and quite a bit of 8/4 stock to creak down. <S> In my experience (granted it is only 5 years) <S> tooth count is more important than rip/cross.
| They do make saws that are designed to do either ripping or crosscutting, but some will argue that those general purpose sawblades do neither cut effectively.
|
How to sharpen a circular saw or mitre saw blade I got a mitre saw second hand and I am not sure how long it was in service for. I don't want to just buy a 12 inch blade as they can be expensive. Ultimately, I will have to purchase one at some point. The blade in question looks like it has over-sized tips that suggest I could go at them with a file. Are there any reasons I should not do this? Such as efficiency or more importantly safety concerns? If I can do this, is there any technique for going around the blade? The question How do I know it's time to replace my circular saw blade? will tell me if my blade is truly dull. <Q> A 12" miter saw blade of the ilk normally found on a miter saw or <S> cut-off saw looks like this: <S> The teeth on the saw blade are carbide material that is very hard. <S> You will not want to take a file to those teeth as they will very quickly kill your file. <S> This type of saw blade has gained huge popularity in recent years because the hardness of the carbide material helps the saw to keep an edge for a long time. <S> Another attribute of this type of saw blade is the extremely smooth cut that can be achieved with them. <S> This smooth cut is possible because of the precision grinding of the carbide tips at the time of manufacture. <S> Variation of tooth shape, length, edge angles, and width will have a direct effect on how smooth and nice of cut that can be produced by the blade. <S> So find a seasoned professional saw resharpener that has the necessary power grinder equipment that can result in an almost factory equivalent sharpening job on a carbide tipped saw blade. <S> Most blades of this type can be resharpened at least once or twice provided there are no teeth that are chipped, broken or missing. <A> Here is another method from the always-interesting Mathias Wandel. <S> Mathias's jig <A> I agree with Doresoom, attacking it with a chisel <S> ** will only ruin both tools. <S> You could probably hand sharpen the blade with a collection of sharpening stones. <S> However, if you're not proficient at sharpening something simple like a knife or chisel, I'd say your best bet <S> * would be to check the modern local yellow pages for a knife/saw sharpener in your area and get a quote there. <S> Then compare that to the price of a new blade. <S> * Learning to sharpen your own tools is easily doable, and is a very worthwhile skill to learn. <S> I just don't think that learning on a circular saw blade would make for a very good first experience. <S> ** <S> As noted in the comments, the original question mentioned using a chisel to sharpen the blade. <S> It has since been updated to file . <A> I will try the method from John Heisz with diamond file when my saw blade will be used. <S> Video link here <A> Steel tipped blades can be sharpened by a touch with a dremel tool on the top of the teeth. <S> The key is to grind down the top until the front edge is sharp again. <S> It doesn't take much. <S> You can only to this so many times until the tips dip down too much <S> and he gullets are too small to take away the sawdust. <S> Then is the time for a new blade. <S> Low tooth-count saw-blades also have a backwards-facing tooth that is meant to avoid a too deep bite, you may need to grind down those as well. <A> Honestly this isn't something I'd try to tackle myself. <S> You're going to have a hard time making the teeth uniform unless you make some kind of specialized and complicated jig which probably won't be worth the effort unless you're a very heavy user and need to sharpen a blade every week or so. <S> I'd say this is unlikely though since I work at a large joinery shop where we make hundreds of hardwood windows and doors <S> and we probably only change <S> /sharpen our crosscut, mitre saw and ripsaw blades every few months. <S> I know that there are sharpening services in my area which will sharpen circular saw blades for about $10 equivalent. <S> To my eyes this cost is well worth it - they will have special equipment specifically for sharpening circular saw blades and will give the blade perfectly sharp and uniform edges.
| I do not recommend hand sharpening this type of blade because of the distinct possibility that hand sharpening will result in tooth shapes that are not perfectly uniform all the way around the blade.
|
Stain then glue, or vice-versa? After you've fabricated your pieces, is it better to "glue-up", then stain? Or is it better to stain first, then glue? What's a good rule-of-thumb? <Q> A couple of things to consider: If you accidentally spill glue on your pieces, the stain will not penetrate it. <S> So, this argues in favor of staining before gluing. <S> However... <S> If you get stain on the joints, the glue will not work (or at least it won't work as well). <S> I think things are typically stained after the fact except in rare circumstances such as for a frame and panel door. <S> However, I think either works as long as you're aware of the two pitfalls mentioned. <S> Good luck! <A> I prefer to tape up my glue joints, then stain / poly / paint. <S> After that, fix any finishing boo-boos, remove the tape, glue up, and you're good to go. <S> This provides the benefit of getting stain and/or paint / finish in all the nooks and crannies, allows you to fix any drips or bobbles in the finish with everything laying flat, and if you do get some expansion around the joints, you're not presented with an unstained bit of wood showing. <S> On edit: If I'm worried about glue coming out onto the finished surface during glue-up, I just place tape right next to the un-glued surface so that if glue squeezes out and I don't catch it, it's on tape, not finish. <A> Glue. <S> SAND <S> Stain/Finish <S> I have had this scenario come up before and the best method I have found thus far is to clean as well as you can while you are gluing, then once the glue is set lightly sand the joints with a fine grit paper (sand evenly across all the board(s). <S> I do this even if I do not see noticeable glue marks prior to finishing as I have thought I was fine then realized as the stain was being applied that there was in fact glue. <S> I would also not generally suggest applying tape to wood. <S> Depending on the tape and the wood adhesive can be left behind which will lead to problems similar to the glue problem in the first place. <A> I always glue up my stuff first, and I always sand all the joints after I'm done to make sure they are even and <S> any glue that was on the outside of the joint is removed so the wood will take a stain and not be blocked. <A> Most people build and then finish (especially if the finish is applied by someone else). <S> Assuming you are diligent, regarding cleaning up the glue as it is pressed out this works fairly well. <S> However if the glue sets then true stains (that is something designed to be absorbed into the wood fibers) will not take to the area covered in glue. <S> Usually, this is a tiny bit of surface which is ignored or covered in similar or slightly darker color of opaque finish or paint. <S> For stains that are opaque (or not very transparent), a few extra coats will hide the offending area. <S> For myself, when these approaches aren't enough I will finish the surfaces of the pieces to be glued together first and then glue them together. <S> This implies you have decided on a finish and set of colors for the finished piece and this can be tricky if you are using the finishes to help different cuts of wood look similar. <S> It also takes more time. <S> Another approach is to use a water soluble stain or dye (like Van Dyke Crystals) to color the wood, then glue and then apply see-though finish with little or no color like shellac or varnish. <S> In this approach, the shellac will coat any glue you may have missed but the color will match the area without glue. <S> The tricky part here, is not to sand through the finish and cut into the wood revealing an unstained area. <S> The bonus is you can glue the stained wood without issue. <S> I have not had great luck with tape; there is a slight seam created where the glue fills the slight edge of the tape. <S> It may not be noticeable at first glance, but it is easy to feel with your fingers. <S> Having said that, I have not tried any of the new tapes available for painters. <A> I've watched many videos in which people glue up panels and such <S> and I've seen them use very little glue with almost no squeeze-out as well as huge amounts of squeeze-out and glue dripping everywhere. <S> I try to minimize squeeze-out; the ability to estimate how much glue to squirt on comes with experience. <S> But when it does squeeze out, I try to come back in about 20 minutes and scrape off the squeeze-out with a putty knife. <S> At that time, it's pretty stiff but still very easy to scrape off. <S> If you wait till it's hard, the process is a bit more difficult. <A> I did some experimenting the other day and found that yellow glue is easy to color with artist's pigment (a fine colored powder use in frescos etc.). <S> I can see that there might be situations where coloring the glue might mitigate problems of glueing first. <S> It depends on the color of the wood. <S> The wood I use is Guanacaste a very dark wood with black streaks. <S> In some cases black colored glue might work out. <A> I've tried both ways. <S> When raising panel doors, I stain my panels before I put them into the frame. <S> I use rubber balls for expansion in the raise panel doors. <A> I stained my wood before putting my table top to my coffee table...... <S> i am now starting over. <S> I allowed th glue to dry for 2 days when I went to pit the table top on the legs in several spots the table top started pulling apart. <S> I would never again first I can always sand the spot where I may jabe gotten glue then stain it.
| I glue the joints when I assemble door then stain the frame.
|
Joining wood at an angle To give you an idea of scale, as it give context, I am referring to the roof of an open bird feeder. Currently I make 3 holes that I drill perpendicular to where the two pieces meet. Getting a screw at that angle ends up removing a lot of wood and creating some ugly holes on both sides (Picture only shows one. I'm new at SketchUp). In this case I suppose that strength is not an issue but I would hope to go for something other that just glue. Is there another way to try and join these two pieces securely without causing too much damage to the outside of the structure. I don't even know how I would do this from the bottom. Maybe with an odd shape of wood to match the angle of the roof? <Q> If you'd like to go the glue-only route, a lock miter might be just the thing. <S> They are available as router bits and make a profile similar to this photo: <S> I could not say for certain whether the angle is complimentary to your design, most lock miters I find are for 90 degree joints which might be a pretty severe angle for a roof. <S> @Doresoom mentioned in the comments that 22.5 degree lock miters are also fairly common which would produce a 45/135 degree joint, which would provide more gentle of a slope for a roof. <A> Using a plow plane , you can quickly and easily make a groove and tongue joint like this: If you want more stability, you can make that a dovetail, either starting from the groove and tongue or using hand saw and chisel only (or, well, a milling table!). <S> The tongue or dovetail should be perpendicular to the miter like so: <S> Of course a groove with loose tongue or biscuits are possible (and easier to manufacture) too. <A> Typically you require a special tool, a biscuit joiner to cut the hole but it can be done by hand too. <S> A similar but simpler method is to just drill holes and use a dowel instead. <A> If you are open to changing the joinery, constructing the roof will let the screws be hidden and hold the parts a little more readily like in the picture below. <S> The overhang will help keep weather out of the joint as well. <A> You can use a pocket hole jig and place your screws on the underside of the roof, rather than the top. <S> Glue is typically stronger than the wood itself, so strength shouldn't be an issue, for a project like this I would just use short screws to pull the boards together (like a clamp). <S> I'm not sure I'd recommend this since you wouldn't have a lot of room to play with. <S> If you prefer securing from above, you could try putting an aluminum strip over the edge and screwing the strip down into either side of the roof after it's been glued, rather than screwing the halves together. <S> Another option would be to do what you're already doing, but glue some trim over the holes to hide them, with the bonus of looking a little fancier. <S> Yet another option would be to use dowels or biscuits to reinforce the joint(See Steve's response). <S> I think this is what I would go with. <A> For more strength, a box joint or finger joint might be good: (Image from https://woodworkjunkie.com/how-to-make-quality-hand-cut-finger-joints ) <S> Depending on skill and how much work you want to do, you can vary the thickness and number of the fingers to get more glue area and a stronger joint.
| A biscuit joint would allow you to join these pieces without any screws while providing more strength than a joint where only the faces are glued together.
|
Best method for drilling thousands of holes? I make small hand-craft timber products from my garage and I've recently been approached by a wholesaler, who is looking to purchase large quantities of a very simple product I make. The product is made of pine and is a 300mm long piece of 2x2 with 3x30mm evenly-spaced holes drilled though the timber. Anyhow, my question is given I have to make 5000 of these small products, what would be the best/most efficient/productive method of drilling 15,000 30mm holes? And also what drill piece would you recommend? <Q> The most basic step is making a jig. <S> Clamp the jig to your drill press table <S> and you can just put in the blank press it up against the stops and drill down and put the piece on the result pile. <S> You can also center-punch the holes before drilling. <S> This will help align the drill bit to where the hole should go. <S> Put some wood screws through a piece of scrap wood (with a little protruding on the other side) with the same spacing as the holes should be and tap it onto the blanks. <S> As for the bit I suggest a forstner type drill bit. <A> Are you set on manufacturing these yourself? <S> Because really, "best and most efficient" is to get a company with either large industrial machines or low cost labour to manufacturer this part for you. <S> If you're limited to a standard drill (hand drill, drill press, etc.) <S> then you're going to get the most efficiency by stacking the parts so that you can drill multiple parts in one pass. <S> The longer the drill bit and the larger the press, the more you can do at the same time. <S> Multiple spindle drills, as Daniel suggests, will give you another big bump in efficiency. <S> You can also scale up with people. <S> A couple friends and a few cases of beer might go a long way. <S> You should also factor in that you will likely need to produce more than 5000 as your yield probably won't be 100% - <S> some will get damaged, holes will be misaligned, etc. <S> Lets say you can drill 3 boards at a time with a standard drill (one hold), and 3 friends (4 people in total). <S> You now need to each drill 1,250 holes. <S> If you can drill 2 holes a minute (I'm just guessing here) <S> you need 625 minutes or almost 10.5 hours each to complete this. <S> That is only a day or two of work, just for the holes. <A> The key to efficiency will not be how many parts you can stack, but rather, how quickly you can set up the next part for drilling. <S> Set up a fixture with appropriate stops so it only takes a second to pull out the current part and drop the next one in and have it perfectly aligned. <S> Group your parts into manageable batches (as Jasper suggested in a comment). <S> Set up the stops to drill one hole on every part in the batch, then set up the stops for drilling the next hole in each part. <S> You should use a high-quality carbide-tipped Forstner bit for faster drilling, but as always be certain to back the drill out periodically to clear the chips/shavings and reduce heat buildup. <S> Consider adding a strategically-positioned vacuum to clear shavings as you drill. <S> A hole saw will be too slow since you'll have to pry out the core after each hole. <S> A hole saw also wouldn't work very well if you need to make a stopped hole. <S> Regardless of which bit you use, it goes without saying that you should use a sacrificial backer board to prevent blowout on the back side. <S> It's also a good idea to drill from both sides rather than drilling all the way through, but you may find that with the backer board you can drill all the way through just fine. <S> If you have a powerful enough drill press and a multi-spindle head that's capable of drilling 3 holes at a time, as Daniel suggests, (either all 3 in a single board, or 3 boards lined up next to each other), you can cut your time by about 66%. <A> You can find multiple spindle drill press attachments which may suit your purpose. <S> http://www.hypneumat.com/multi-spindleheads.html More expensive models are adjustable. <S> This page has some adjustable models as well. <S> edit Rather than <S> Forstner bits <S> I would go with auger or spade bits. <S> They will handle the deep cut faster. <S> The trouble is that they have tearout. <S> To handle that, you can drill partway through then flip the piece over and drill from the other side. <S> This may be difficult if you don't have your jig perfectly centered. <S> You can drill until the spur comes through, then align the other side with that hole to finish the bore. <S> Alternatively, you can use some sacrificial stock under the piece. <S> This will prevent the wood fibers from moving vertically. <S> If you're making repetitive bores, you shouldn't need to replace the stock, since the holes will always be in the same place and will still prevent the fibers from moving. <A> A slightly off-topic approach would be looking into CNC automated equipment, especially if the 5000 units are the first of thousands more. <S> It is not my area of expertise <S> but I know small shops use such gear for limited runs. <S> Once set up, you would still need someone to feed the wood and swap bits, but the drilling would be hands off. <S> The overhead is the cost of the gear and its set up for task(s), which would include the programming. <S> There is a hobby-oriented gear as well as full production grade gear. <S> For a taste of the hobby end, you may wish to visit http://makezine.com/category/workshop/cnc-machining/
| You could also use a spade bit, twist bit, or (as Daniel suggested in a comment) an auger bit.
|
Making biscuits cuts by hand A good answer from my question on joinery talked about using a biscuit joiner. While this is a great idea a biscuit joiner is not in my top 5 of tools to acquire. I do have a variety of, recently inherited, hand tools that may do the job. The poster mentions in passing that this can be done by hand. Googling this has either Led me astray with cooking suggestions . Showed me how to actually make the biscuits Use the power tool itself Does anyone have tips or suggestions on how to make biscuit cuts by hand? <Q> Many router bits manufacturers include bits to cut the slots for biscuits. <S> If you don't have to many to make, this may be an alternative for you. <S> Here's an example: (picture via google search from eBay ) <A> If you aren't going to buy a biscuit joiner for making the cuts, an alternate that is easy, is to 'tongue and groove'. <S> Run the board over a table saw or use a router bit to make 1/8" or 1/4" grooves centered along the place you want to join, then cut a strip the same thickness and slightly less than the width of the two cuts added together. <S> Glue it all up and it will be much stronger than biscuits, the biscuits are a faster easier way to do this. <A> A good looking example comes from Lee Valley <A> Biscuit joint is a plunge-cut mortise in both sides of the joint with a "biscuit" inserted to align and provide glue surface area. <S> A purpose built biscuit joiner uses a small circular saw blade plunged into the wood. <S> You can instead use a router with a groove cutting bit and a template to push the guide-bearing or base-plate against. <A> How 'by hand' do you want? <S> I suspect you could chisel them out if you are limiting yourself to hand tools. <S> Really though, if you don't have a biscuit joiner, I'm not sure you'd get much advantage by taking the time to make them by hand. <S> While they do provide some added glue area, their primary purpose is to help with aligning for glue ups. <S> That isn't something you really 'need', but more something that is useful in a production environment where you can't afford to spend time futzing over glue ups and dedicate all your clamps and space to them. <A> Generally what you are asking is I want to make a joint between two pieces of wood where a biscuit cut and a wood biscuit is a modern solution. <S> Search for dowel joinery to get way more detail than you need or want. <S> Try using a drill and a dowel to make a joint. <S> This is probably one of the simplest ways to attach boards together with the simplest of tools. <S> You can make or buy dowel alignment pins if you need more accuracy than measuring. <A> I know this is old post, but I have a real hand tool solution. <S> I appreciate hand tool solutions as in my previous home the workshop and power tools were only usable in warm weather and indoors most power tools, especially routers made far too much dust and noise, so <S> it was hand tools in the winter. <S> Now I have a heated workshop and do far less hand work. <S> A biscuit is actually a form of loose or floating tenon. <S> So what you need is a way to make a matching mortice. <S> Lee Valley has morticing chisels in a 1/8th inch size. <S> These can we used to make small mortices if you enjoy doing hand work. <S> The 1/8th size may be small enough to use commercial biscuits. <S> If not you can make the biscuits using a handsaw and plane. <S> I have a set of their inexpensive Narex morticing chisels and they are quite good. <S> Another option, as suggested by @praxum is dowels, there are excellent doweling jigs, modern ones available at most woodworking shops, and classic Stanley jigs that you can sometimes get cheap as antiques. <A> Can you think of a way that does not involve powertools? <S> Plough Plane? <S> One hand tool not mentioned in other answers so far is the plough plane (or combination plane), another would be the kerfing plane <S> Source - Veritas <S> A plough plane is well suited to making a slot or groove in the narrow edges of a board (router planes are mostly used on the broader surfaces of a board) <S> Of course the slot is continuous and this might be undesirable. <S> Or you could go the whole way and dispense with the biscuits. <S> Many plough planes included cutters for making tongue and groove joints. <S> Source - Veritas <S> I imagine using these tools on a mitred edge would be challenging. <S> It is feasible to make a plough plane using a chunk of wood (pine etc) and a chisel - I made one following the Youtube videos of Paul Sellers . <S> This gives you the opportunity to create a tool that matches a specific purpose (e.g. cutting a slot in a mitred edge) <S> Chisel <S> Of course if you are not afraid of hard work (i.e. you only have a few to do) <S> you can make what are effectively shallow mortices using a chisel in the traditional way. <A> I've found you can do a lot of wood work with a multi-tool. <S> I think you could use one with a 1/2 circle blade to cut a biscuit slot. <S> I'd make a jig with some scrap and a clamp or two to rest your stock on to be able to achieve repetitive accuracy if you're cutting multiple slots. <S> You can buy a quality battery-powered multi-tool for right at $100 if you shop a little <S> and I think you'll find lots of uses down the road. <S> Also get some hearing protectors, cause these tools are loud.
| The biscuits themselves can be made on a band-saw from appropriately thin stock. One hand tool that I found that could do this is a router plane.
|
How and when should I sharpen my router bits? I recently got a router and a set of Freud carbide router bits . I had a friend tell me that he sharpens his bits after every use. So I have a few closely related questions: How often should I sharpen my router bits? Is it really necessary to do it after every time I use them? What tool do I use? I could see a generic sharpening stone being difficult to use with complex bit shapes. As a follow up to what sharpening tool, can you describe a safe and effective technique for using it? <Q> I have never sharpened my router bits (they are all the nice ones with the carbide cutters). <S> However, pitch will develop on them after some use. <S> I just use a bit cleaning solution I got from Woodcraft <S> (I am sure you can use cheaper alternatives with the same result) and a brass brush to clean the pitch off. <S> Make sure you use a brass brush and not a steel brush as the brass won't damage the cutters. <A> Sharpening bits after every use sounds like a really bad advice. <S> Not only is the router bit getting smaller every time (no joke!) <S> , so eventually you will notice that this 6mm plywood that you're trying to stick into the 6mm groove made with your 6mm dado bit wont't fit for some weird reason . <S> Also you may eventually notice that those identical pieces that you make with the copying ring have a different size than the ones you made half a year ago, for some unexplainable, weird reason. <S> More importantly, however, sharpening router bits -- like everything related to routers -- is a non-trivial thing which must be done with skill and great care. <S> A router bit is not comparable to a kitchen knife or a chisel. <S> If you have to ask what tools you need, you do not have the necessary skill to sharpen a router bit. <S> A router is a considerably strong motor that spins with 24.000 RPM, and most certainly a machine that the intelligent woodworker will treat with due respect. <S> In the context of router, words like "unbalance" are equivalent to any or all of "ruined work, desaster, mutilation, death". <S> It is therefore a common advice to be most pedantic about very carefully cleaning your router bits (with petroleum and a brush) and to very carefully examine them, but to do no more than at most a few pulls (if at all) over a fine honing stone from time to time, and to either have the bit professionally sharpened after doing that 4-5 times, or replacing it alltogether. <S> (See e.g. Guido Henn's router book). <A> If you see burn marks, that indicates a problem. <S> Clean them first and run another stick through and if it still burns, you need to sharpen. <S> As to how, I've never actually done it. <S> My carbide bits still work well <S> but then I don't use them very often. <S> If I wanted to sharpen one, I'd start with one of the diamond-encrusted paddles that are sold as "pocket sharpening stones." <S> Here is one example: Diamond sharpener from Woodcraft <A> With regard to cleaning high speed woodworking tools such as saw blades and router bits, common oven cleaner works extremely well and is very inexpensive. <S> Spray the tool <S> , scrub with a Scotch Brite if necessary, rinse in water and dry completely. <S> Apply a lite aerosol lubricant.
| I think the answer to the question of when to sharpen a router bit is that you look for burning on the material that you are routing.
|
What tools do I need to start making cabinets? I am looking for what equipment I need to start a minimal shop that will eventually be making nice cabinets. I have no preference for power tools versus hand tools. I already have a cheap contractor's table saw, a drill, and some screwdrivers. <Q> Hmmm. <S> Where to start. <S> If you are using sheet material you'll either need to make a special table to help you cut or have an extra pair of hands to help. <S> Clamps, Clamps, Clamps, you can never have enough clamps and all sizes are needed... <S> You will need things to smooth the wood. <S> be that powered jointers and planers or several hand planes. <S> Lots of sand paper, and getting Orbit sanders and belt sanders can help. <S> You already have a drill and screw drivers <S> You'll need a hammer <S> , a rubber mallet can be (mostly) substituted with a regular hammer and a piece of scrape wood. <S> That will let you muddle through many projects, after that it would be more based on what projects you specifically want and how you would like to build them. <A> That is what I started with. <S> I kept my eye on craigslist and garage and estate sales for a lot of my tools which worked well for me. <S> I am not an expert cabinet maker, but on the few that i made, I used a router a lot for dado's and edge profiles. <S> Also a basic set of chisels and a block plane are useful and can be had fairly cheaply. <S> Even if you get these cheap at a garage sale they can usually be brought back to life with a little elbow grease. <S> A joiner and planer will be very useful once you can make that leap. <S> I got my 'yellow' planer from the blue big box store and it has served me well. <S> I could go on for a while, but I am at risk of being long winded. <S> Hope this helps. <A> This an iceberg of a topic - it's a difficult question to address in a short space. <S> Here is a downloadable PDF from Popular Woodworking magazine that introduces an occasional theme called "I Can Do That". <S> This PDF has a list of what tools to start with and how to pick them. <S> These are mostly hand tools (i.e., powered hand tools) but the text covers quite a bit of background and how to think about what you want to do and what you might need. <S> I Can Do That <S> It may not answer you question completely <S> but it's worth a read. <A> I am a bit late to this question, but I started out with not much more than you have. <S> I decided that the best way to learn to build nice cabinets would be to build shop cabinets to learn on. <S> I could work on my technique and use what I built to better organize my shop <S> and if I made a mistake, it wasn't the end of the world. <S> My first recommendation is a book by Tom Clark, Practical Shop Cabinets . <S> This is a great book that I used in building most of my cabinets. <S> There are four tools I'd suggest you get. <S> A Kreg Pocket Hole Jig a decent circular saw with a guide rail (make or buy one) <S> a few parallel or bar clamps as long as the widest dimension of the cabinets you want to build An accurate square <S> I used baltic birch plywood, and was able to build my first few cabinets with just those tools. <S> Until I got a jointer and planer, I just used dimensional hardwood from Home Depot for my face frames.
| While a cheap contractors table saw 'can' do a lot if you're willing to work at it, a full sized table saw will be much better, and a cabinet saw would be best.
|
What sort of dust collection system would be adequate for a two-car garage? I have only recently moved into a new house with an attached two-car garage. I am also starting to make a fair bit of dust working on projects in the garage. Tools I am using include handsaws, a circular saw, drills, a 13" planer and a radial arm saw. My current method is to work on a project then use a wet/dry utility vacuum to clean everything up afterwards. What I would like to mitigate: A standing layer of dust on everything in the garage. A clogged up utility vacuum An unhealthy workspace I have seen a couple recommendations online, such as a cyclone dust collector which I believe goes after the tool, before the vacuum. Also I have seen DIY air cleaners using box fans and furnace filters. I do not wish to spend a ton of money, but at the same time I do want a good system for a hobbyist/prosumer that will prevent the above concerns. <Q> There's two things to consider here: how much the machine throws dust all over the place, and how good dust collection is at the source. <S> The circular saw and RAS are both going to throw dust with a fairly high velocity, and neither have good dust collection mechanisms. <S> You could build one for the circ saw (as Jay Bates did for his circ saw) or a dust shroud for the RAS. <S> For the planer, dust collection tends to be pretty good (at least in my experience when using a dust-collector). <S> So as long as you're sucking chips at the source, you should be good to go. <S> But even if it was so-so, the chips are big enough that they are easy to track down. <S> So, I'd recommend a couple things: <S> Get a chip separator for your shop vac. <S> You can easily make one yourself or purchase a dust deputy . <S> This will keep your filter from getting clogged and improve performance. <S> Attach a furnace filter to a fan (see this image from photobucket), which it sounds like you're doing. <S> Use a leaf blower to clear out the thick layer of dust. <S> I actually do this daily to keep my garage clean. <S> (At least it will work well during the summer). <S> You might want to invest in a dust collector. <S> There are some fairly inexpensive options out there. <S> I've bought the Harbor Freight model and am quite happy with it ( as are others ). <S> Good luck! <A> I'm not sure it's possible to catch all the dust you make on any project, however the is no reason not to try. <S> On top of that they tend to be very loud, (much louder even than my big dust collector). <S> Once I started using my planer, the shop-vac was not nearly up to par. <S> I'd fill it up after just a couple boards <S> and it was a mess cleaning it out all the time. <S> They have cyclone lids that you can buy for normal trash cans which will separate most of the chip volume out before it gets to the shopvac. <S> saving you a lot of time. <S> My planer causes by far the most mess, so getting that under wraps will go a long way in reducing your dust. <A> I would also agree with the above answers in saying that the dust deputy is top notch. <S> I ended up getting the entire kit to save myself some time in setup since I have a 1 year old that really cuts into my wood working. <S> After buying my shop vac and dust deputy, I then needed to try and find adapters to fit my different machines. <S> This can be a really annoying process since a lot of the time, the adapters will not fit over the dust ports. <S> My solution to this problem was to start 3D printing them to the exact size I needed. <S> Friends and family started wanting them <S> and I decided to start a tiny side business to help people out.
| Another piece that I'm still hoping to add to my shop is a ceiling mounted dust collector/air purifier to clean out all the suspended particles floating around, they are what leave that fine coat of dust on everything when you come back in the next day. For quite a while I used a shop-vac to clean things up and many tools have connections to help in this endeavor, though you need to keep moving the shop-vac around to all your tools.
|
Unobtrusive ways to protect plywood corners? I'm building a bunch of cabinets out of 3/4" plywood. The corners are beveled so there's no ugly plywood "end grain" showing in the joints. While the joint looks fantastic, I'm concerned that the thin plywood veneer will dent and deform easily on this corner. Since it's veneered plywood, I also can't round the corner at all to discourage denting. What is the best way to protect this corner? Will varnish or some other sort of finish help? Perhaps one of those clear plastic "sheet rock corner" protectors? Or, am I overreacting, and just need to accept that dents will happen? <Q> Perhaps the most common solution is to build hardwood face frames for your cabinets. <S> The face frame conceals and protects the edge of the plywood. <S> If your cabinets are already built, a film finish will help protect against damage, but may not hold up to seasonal movement over time along the mitered joints. <S> Personally I wouldn't bother with the clear plastic corner protectors because I think they're ugly. <S> I would install hardwood trim around the corners instead. <A> By beveled , do you actually mean mitered ? <S> You could use a little cleat of hardwood, which is something you can even do after you've already assembled the cabinets. <S> (with plywood, biscuits are possibly not necessary, although personally, I'd probably use anyway). <S> Here's a picture of what I'm suggesting: (picture from 12 ways to build cabinets faster and better with biscuits ) <A> One way that I have used for this is to just use overlap corner joints for the plywood. <S> This type of joint covers one raw edge of the plywood. <S> On the other piece that is left with the raw edge showing I've glued on a thin strip of solid wood of the same type as the nice face of the plywood. <S> The thickness that works nicely for this is 1/8 inch. <S> There are many options of how the corner is actually formed that depends just exactly what you are building. <S> Here are some ideas of how the corner joints can be constructed to give different style looks. <A> This can range from veneer tape (edgebanding) to a piece of hardwood chosen to match the color and thickness of the ply and glued tightly to it -- or may be thicker, shelf edging often extend below the shelf both to stiffen the shelf and to make it look more substantial. <S> My quick-and-sloppy student cd racks had off-the-shelf half-round moldings slapped onto the exposed ply edges with no effort to disguise what had been done. <S> (I wasn't exactly using the most attractive ply either; if i'd really cared i'd have considered those strictly "paint grade").
| Another solution is to design real-wood edging into the piece, to cover the plywood edge.
|
Does knotty wood dull a hand plane faster than normal wood? While I was planing down a plank of Cedar this evening I noticed that the plane did not slide through the knotty wood, that it was a harsh stop. It made me wonder whether I should attempt to plane wood that has knots in it. Does knot wood cause a hand plane's blade to become duller faster than regular wood? <Q> Knots don't leave severe nicks though. <S> The secret to good hand planing is to sharpen <S> often - sharpness is the best thing to improve results. <S> When encountering knots it is helpful to skew the plane a bit and approach the knot at an angle but having the blade sharp is important. <S> I find that I need to sharpen every time I intend to use the plane if I know that I will use it for more than a few passes. <S> When I say 'sharpen' <S> I don't mean grind, coarse stone, medium stone, fine stone - all that rigamarole. <S> I just mean 'honing', i.e., using the fine stone and then strop it on some leather. <S> At this point, I'll stop because sharpening is another huge topic <S> and I don't want to go off-topic. <S> Suffice it to say that knots are indeed hard to plane but <S> frequent honing helps. <S> Side note: when using a surface planer (big power tool), if the knives are not new and sharp, they can rip the knots completely out. <S> You can hear them rattling around inside the planer before then find their way out. <S> This is startling when it happens. <S> I should replace my planer knives more often than I do because in my case, it seems that the rollers do not pull the work through as well if the knives are not sharp. <S> This is probably unique to the planer I have. <A> Yes, it does, they tend to be harder and the grain also is in a different orientation. <S> often planing a knot is similar to planing the end grain. <S> This of course is harder on the blade and thus more wear. <S> I have even noticed it on my planer. <S> Whether you quit planing knots is up to you, it just means you have to sharpen the blade more often. <S> Which is something <S> I know I need to become more proficient in. <A> Sure you should continue hand planing wood with knots. <S> Your experience with the plane stopping is common, and yes, knots will dull a blade faster, and can create some small nicks in the edge. <S> Decreasing the cutting depth is the best way to handle the knots. <S> You can see the knots in the wood surface, so adjust the blade depth accordingly. <S> There are a couple of ways to approach knots. <S> They can be planed down below the surface, then the rest of the surface planed down to them, and then final passes over the whole surface, or the whole surface can be planed down at once. <S> I usually do the latter. <S> Typically knots will have reversing grain which will tear out with the typical 45° bench plane. <S> Hand scrapers, scraper planes, and high angle smoothers can be used to clean up these areas. <A> Does knot wood cause a hand plane's blade to become duller faster than regular wood? <S> As already answered yes they will. <S> In rare occurrences they have been known to chip the edge, but I stress this is very rare. <S> In addition to having your iron as sharp as you can make it one tip not given above is dampening the knots to soften them (can also be useful planing end grain). <S> I think the majority of users will by necessity have to resort to other means to do their final smoothing of knotty wood, for most this will mean sanding but ideally most or all of the work should be tackled with a scraper.
| Knots do in fact dull any cutter faster than the surrounding wood does because they are harder.
|
What is the difference between a beveled and a mitered edge? I know this is a basic question, but I see a lot of conflicting usage out there... What is the difference between a beveled and a mitered edge? I think people say "mitered" when they really mean "beveled". Hoping to get some clarity once and for all! :) <Q> Most casual references seem to call all angled joints "miter joints". <S> However, I've found that most deliberate references to the two types of cuts seem to reflect what is shown in this image: <S> The actual description of these cuts is a bit hard for me to describe, but in practice, it seems that: <S> Bevel : <S> What you would use to make a simple box without end grain showing (e.g. without butt joints) <S> Miter : What you would use to make a picture frame, door frame, etc. <S> Even the "anatomy" of the miter saw seems to back this up: <S> Ultimately, given the variety of perspectives on the matter, it seems there is no clear consensus. <S> Nit-picky individuals might discern a difference. <S> However, casually speaking, both "kinds" of joints can be called miter joints. <A> I would say that a bevel is any angled cut, not necessarily used for joinery. <S> I think you might find some people getting picky about it and saying that a "bevel" is along the length of the piece and a miter is on the width, but then what is it for a square? <S> If you go strictly by definitions (from m-w.com) ... <S> Bevel : "a slanted surface or edge on a piece of wood, glass, etc." <S> Miter : " a surface forming <S> the beveled end or edge of a piece where a joint is made by cutting two pieces at an angle and fitting them together" <S> I'd say that supports my conclusion. <S> A miter is also a hat, but that's probably not so useful here. <A> A miter is the angled cut for joining two pieces of material. <S> A bevel is a cut to know off the sharp edge of a piece of material, and may, in fact be round in profile (a radius). <S> A bevel is used as a decorative finishing technique.
| A miter is a beveled edge (or set of beveled edges) cut to be joined.
|
Which first gouges to get for a beginning turner My father no longer uses his shop (for the most part) and the tools are going to me. Over time and disuse some of his turning tools have disappeared or fallen into disrepair. I would like to start learning to turn, but I will need some new gouges. What are the "must have" gouges for a beginning turner? I have already purchased a 1 inch flute roughing gouge . <Q> A large part depends on what you ultimately plan on turning. <S> However, this is the set I bought when I jumped into the hobby. <S> 3 of them <S> I almost never use even now. <S> 3/16-Inch <S> Parting Tool - used to 'cut' the work-piece off <S> it's base. <S> Once I got a chuck I use this <S> surprisingly little but still a must have. <S> 5/8-Inch <S> Spear Scraper - like the round nose scrapper, used to shape your pieces, it has a point and too flat edges giving you options for smoothing and shaping. <S> rarely use for my turning 1-Inch Skew Chisel - used for smoothing, tapers and beading, as well as v-cuts. <S> Started using it a lot, but have moved away from it. <S> 5/8-Inch Skew Chisel - same as the one above, but smaller and easier to guide <S> I also rarely use this one 5/8-Inch Round nose scraper - I tend to use this one a lot of things, but it works great for cleaning up the inside and outside of bowls and makes a nice smooth surface. <S> LOVE <S> this one, one of my most used tools <S> and I have bought 1 or 2 more of different sizes <S> 1/2-Inch Bowl Gouge - primarily for hollowing out bowls, I've used the round nose scrapper to do the same thing. <S> 3/4-Inch Spindle Gouge - to round spindle stock use a bit, <S> very useful <S> 7/8-Inch <S> Roughing Gouge - also to round spindle stock. <S> Use it all the time, similar to the one you bought, I've also bought a couple others of different sizes. <S> Oh, if you are just going to buy them one at a time, then it is a good idea to go for quality, these aren't bad and I started with 'cheap' because I didn't know if I would like turning. <S> Since then I've bought a set that cost more than my first lathe. <S> Soo... <A> A roughing gouge is important. <S> But if you don't have to slow speed grinder with the necessary attachments it can be a pain to sharpen it once it dulls. <S> I am a beginner at turning as well. <S> I bought a cheap set of turning tools on amazon and have buyers remorse. <S> My wife doesn't want me to spend any more money on the shop this month <S> so I started making my own turning tools. <S> I made a roughing gouge in an afternoon using some scrap wood for a handle that i turned with my cheap amazon set. <S> I just used metal rod that i inserted into the handle and screwed a carbide cutter on the end (it was a spare from my joiner that has the spiral head. <S> but these can be had on amazon cheap). <S> The carbide will last longer than the high speed steel and instead of spending a ton on sharpening equipment, i replace a $15 piece of carbide. <S> I used it recently on hard maple and padouk <S> and it worked very well, and cost me about $20 all together, not to mention it was fun to make. <S> I even got a round cutter from wood craft for $16 that i can switch out with the square cutter. <S> I could go into a ton of detail but there is a lot on youtube about making your own turning tools. <S> Here's an example https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUrGPvPumns <A> I started turning just about 4 years ago and jumped in with a starter set of tools and upgraded since then. <S> This was about 7 lathe tools in a starter set <S> and I had to also buy something to sharpen them with. <S> I have a new recommendation that has come to market in just the past couple of years that I think will encourage new folks without getting into tool overload. <S> Here is my is the Tools you need 101: 1) <S> Lathe 2) <S> A parting tool. <S> You need one, preferably narrow kerf, end of story full stop. <S> 3) <S> A multi bit tool interchangeable cutting head on a tool. <S> Circle, Square, Diamond point. <S> 4) Diamond sharpening plate. <S> A few reliable brands: Rockler with their house brand, Easy woodworking tools, and Robert Sorby (others?). <S> Each tool has a set of Pro/Cons. <S> I think you can get down two 2 tools if you go with the Robert Sorby solution. <S> If you choose the other you can do it with 4 tools. <S> This is enough to pretty much do 90% of woodturning; <S> hollow forms being the need for more specialty things, and threaded boxes. <S> HSS (High speed steel) and Carbide do not have the same grain structure they behave somewhat differently <S> and there are pro/con to using one over the other. <S> Options for both on one tool are fantastic. <S> The big upside is you don't need to buy a sharpening system from the get-go (grinder, or belt) but rather just a diamond lap plate is sufficient. <S> You remove the cutting head from the tool and just lap the cutter head on the diamond plate using water for lubrication. <S> After you start you can always add more tools ;) PS.
| Took me a long time to learn to use this correctly and I have a different one that I like more but a bowl gouge is good if you plan on turning bowls. If you get into turning buy a 4 Jaw Chuck (number 5 on my list).
|
How do I make a table top from oak 1" x 4" I have some decent lengths of oak 1"x4" leftover from another project and would like to create a table top out of the pieces. The table I am looking to create is not large, it will be a bedside table, it will be roughly 18" x 18". What I need to know is the best way to join them to avoid them being un-even on the top (as in what you walk on with a hard wood floor) and to avoid warping and bowing in the future. <Q> @bowlturner gives some excellent suggestions. <S> Let me just add a few things: Be sure to use cauls . <S> They are pieces of wood laid across the top of the boards being joined to keep them aligned (and to spread clamping pressure). <S> Make sure to alternate the position of the clamps. <S> Have some clamping from the top and others clamping from the bottom. <S> If you don't, you'll end up bowing the surface. <S> I actually had this problem when I made my countertops--it wasn't visible on the first couple of rows, but at the end, there was significant bow that had built up. <S> You'll need a lot of clamps. <S> There are some formulas out there that tell you how many you need, but I'd rather build than do math, so I just use as many clamps as I can fit. <S> I ended up using a spline for my countertops. <S> (As an aside, because they were bowed, I decided not to use them for a countertop. <S> I bought Ikea countertops, was quite happy, but noticed that theirs were just as bowed as mine--though the joints were better. <S> I ended up using the Ikea countertops for my countertop and the ones that I made for a workbench surface.) <S> Here's a picture of how they turned out (maple with a shellac finish). <A> Well I would tend to use my biscuit joiner to join all the pieces. <S> Try to avoid flat sawn pieces in the middle of the table top and <S> if you have flat sawn lumber then make sure you alternate the orientation, you want one up <S> and then one down <S> etc <S> it will reduce the overall cupping motion across the whole top. <S> An alternate that could be done is to run the boards edge first on a table saw or run a router bit to make a groove on each long side (~1/4" - 1/2" deep), I'd go with 1/4" wide. <S> Then make 1/4" stripe slightly narrower than the depth of the two side grooves together. <S> This will be like tongue and groove, (it is called a spline joint the spline being the strip of wood) and it will be solid. <S> visual: <S> If you are still worried about it attach a strip near each end of the top across the glue up on the underside, it can also be used to attach it to the bottom or legs. <S> It will also stiffen the whole top making it stronger for all kind of use. <A> With today's glues, a simple butt edge joint works just fine. <S> The boards need to be jointed well (the edges very straight, and I like a slight hollow towards the center ensuring the ends are tight and don't gap in the future). <S> Clamping cauls will keep the boards aligned (I make my own from fir 2x4's). <S> There will always be a slight misalignment of the boards at the joints that will need flattening (the same using splines, dowels, biscuits, or nothing). <S> Sanding (by hand or random orbital sander) can work, but takes a long time. <S> Some cabinet shops can sand or plane wide panels. <S> I use hand planes for this step. <S> Many believe splines, dowels, or biscuits strengthen the joint, and they do not. <S> A butt edge joint is just as strong. <S> These methods can also cause the underlying dowel, etc. <S> to "telegraph" into the finished top due to dissimilar wood/grain direction, etc. <S> As for alignment, I have used each of the methods, including routered glue lock joints, and simply edge joining the boards and using clamping cauls to align them provides the easiest and most aligned assembly of all the methods.
| In addition to biscuits and splines (as mentioned by @bowlturner), you can also use dowels.
|
What is the purpose of a saw nib? Saw nibs have been present for hundreds of years. What is their purpose? <Q> well, there may be more to it that you'd think. <S> And definitely an interesting piece of trivia. <S> There are 2 types of nibs, either as something sticking out like on the picture in the question, or as a little notch. <S> this can be used to attach a blade guard (so you tie the strings around it and it won't slip) <S> you can use it as a pivot point against a nail to draw a circle (you lock your pencil in between 2 teeth). <A> The explanation I'd always seen was that this "single tooth" could be used to create an initial nick in the wood to start the cut at a fairly precise place. <S> Without that nick, the first cut has a tendency to slip sideways a bit, losing accuracy. <S> You could create the guide nick in other ways -- with a chisel, for example -- perhaps more accurately. <S> But building it into the saw guarantees you'll have it when you need it. <S> I can't prove that was the original intent. <S> But I can say that it seems to work when used that way. <S> It's more a carpentry solution than a cabinetry solution, though, since it risks a bit more tear-out. <A> A trollish question indeed ;) <A> I wondered this for years and so I emailed Christopher Schwarz (former editor of Popular Woodworking magazine and now owner of Lost Art Press . <S> He seems to research historical things very well <S> and he responded that neither he nor anyone else knows for sure. <S> He said he had asked Roy Underhill (host of PBS's Woodwright's Shop) and a few others. <S> So, nobody knows for sure. <A> I always liked this answer <S> Some have said early handsaws had an auxiliary handle near the toe to guide the flexible saws and prevent them from bending. <S> The nib is said by them to be a vestigial handle which had become ornamental. <S> from the Disstonian Institute
| There are multiple answers, ranging from: nothing, that's just for decoration My favorite answer has been, "So you can recognize an old saw at garage sales," but the most well referenced sources I've found indicate that it was originally placed as a decoration and just stuck.
|
Should I use sandpaper or Steel Wool between coats of polyurethane? Polyurethane is typically my go-to finish, but I'd always just kind of done it how dad showed me rather than reading the instructions, sanding with fine grain between coats, or not at all if it's still "tacky." It always seems to turn out fine, but recently I read the back of the can and it said to wait 4 hours between coats (i.e. not tacky) and to use fine (000 if I recall correctly) steel wool rather than sandpaper between coats. Is this one of those "recommended but not required" sort of things, or have I been doing something which will bite me later? <Q> It doesn't matter except if you're using water-based poly. <S> If so, the water will rust the steel wool fibers that end up stuck in the pores of the wood and cause rust spots. <S> I prefer steel wool because it lasts longer and conforms to whatever curves you are smoothing. <A> If you are happy with the results, then continue as you have! <S> Using steel wool or sand paper allows you to create a uniform surface for the next coat of polyurethane, which generally looks nicer, more professionally, etc. <S> In my experience, assuming the finish is dry, there isn't a difference other than the coarseness of the sand paper or steel wool. <S> For some projects, a first pass with a coarse grade and then a finer grade gives a smoother texture to the last coat, especially if the last coat will be thin and glossy. <S> This is most critical where the surface will reflect light, like a table top, since the reflections will show any imperfections. <S> And I have used both sand paper and steel wool on the same project depending what is on hand, generally sand paper first and then steel wool. <S> I have noticed some finishes (rarely) have a slight issue with the trace amounts of oil in the steel wool. <S> I haven't seen this problem with polyurethane, only with very thin shellac. <S> I haven't had issues with rust myself <S> but glw's observation makes sense. <A> Either is fine. <S> I tend to use steel wool more often and that is mainly due to the fact that I refinish furniture on a regular basis... <S> and there are curves and grooves that sandpaper just can't handle. <S> That said if you are working on something old that has damage to it... <S> sand paper can be a lifesaver because it doesn't snag. <S> I have had to do significant rework because the wool snagged on a corner with a little gouge and it pulled of some wood... <S> So for curves definitely wool. <S> For a big flat surface, paper works great too. <S> One other note, the higher the sheen <S> the more fine I go. <S> For example with a gloss finish (which I would almost never recommend...unless you have a basketball court maybe) I would use 0000 steel wool where-as with a satin finish I tend towards 000. <A> My understanding has always been, that the reason for doing any sanding between coats had to do with the grains standing up. <S> So after the coat dries, especially polly, the grain stands up and feels almost like sandpaper itself. <S> Sanding this smooth before the next coat will make the finish be smoother. <S> I will know when it's enough by feel, I'll run my hands over the piece checking for 'rough' spots. <S> The biggest problem you can have is if your sandpaper is too rough. <S> It can leave marks that will show through the finish. <S> The other thing not to do (which my brother discovered to his embarrassment) is don't use mechanical sanders, they can eat right through your coat of finish, letting you start all over again. <A> Sanding between coats of poly is not a must-do. <S> It's not required for a proper bond to form (the most persistent myth) and it's not required for a good, flat varnish job. <S> Poly bonds <S> perfectly well to itself, gloss surface or no gloss surface. <S> If you do want to sand to flatten and smooth off — for example if you're going for a super-glossy 'boardroom table' level of finish — then it's better to sand in one <S> go right at the end (after a suitable curing period, which could be weeks or longer). <S> The reasons you may need to sand between coats are to "de nib", that is to take off dust specs and knock the tops off any bubbles in the finish. <S> You can also sand to take care of drips etc., but proper application technique should avoid those. <S> This is an area where 'prevention is better than cure' definitely applies. <A> Nib sand with 600-800 gr paper. <S> It cuts the raised grain and dust nibs much better than steel wool or scotchbrite. <S> Usually only takes one or 2 light swipes. <S> Results in a much smoother finish. <S> Final finish can be evenly scratched with steel wool or scotchbrite to change the sheen.
| I tend to use very fine sandpaper when doing the in between coat sandings.
|
What are the advantages of end-grain cutting boards? End-grain cutting boards are an example of end grain being used for better performance. What are the properties of the wood which makes end-grain boards desirable? What are the disadvantages or difficulties of building them as opposed to regular cutting boards. <Q> One of the disadvantages is that end-grain absorbs moisture very well. <S> This means that meat juice will seep in and not come out. <S> Which makes it important to never use your meat board for vegetables. <S> (Good advice for any type of cutting board) <S> Also if you leave it standing in a puddle of water at its center, the center could expand while the edge wouldn't, leading to cracks. <A> The physical qualities of end-grain that make them desirable over side grain in a cutting board relate to the structure of wood itself. <S> Viewed under a microscope, end-grain looks like a series of straws. <S> A knife cutting against this surface is likely to spread the fibers apart rather than dislodging fibers or completely cutting them as can happen with side grain. <S> An end-grain cutting board is kind of 'self-healing' in this regard, as compared to side grain. <S> The disadvantages? <S> Wood isn't as strong along the axis parallel to the end grain, therefore you tend to make things thicker when using end grain. <S> For example, if you slice off a 1/4" piece of a 2x4, you can easily snap it in half with hand pressure. <S> A 1/4" piece cut from the length of a 2x4 is much harder to break. <A> The effect of this over time is that the knife edge stays sharper and thus requires less frequent sharpening. <S> Additionally, the end-grain board will be subject to less damage by the knife.
| According to John Boos , end grain blocks are used because the fibers of end grain absorb the impact of the knife better than the face grain.
|
How to make proper pilot holes This is related to the question about Replacing small drill bits without buying new sets (or preventing breaks) but I wanted to expand on this. I think I'm just using cheap bits and much like the OP in the above question I am going through them like balsa wood. I also find that when I make pilot holes and countersinks that my wood is still prone to splitting. That and my bits are burning in hardwood (oak I think) so something is wrong there. Should I always be using brad point bits on wood? It is what they are for is it not? How do I know how big my pilot hole should be? In general I try to use a bit the same size as the shaft of the screw I'm using (width without the threads to be precise). How can I make better pilot holes. I've seen videos where you clip the end of a nail and use that but that seems more of a kludge than a solution. Worst case this could be a dupe of the other question. <Q> There are some that are hard enough that making the pilot hole larger than the shaft but still smaller than the threads is useful, but these are pretty hard woods and it is mostly to ease the driving of the screw. <S> The other two issues that could cause splitting would be putting the pilot hole to close to the edge of the board, and/or putting the screw in too tight. <S> when you have pilot holes and counter sinks in hardwoods, you don't need to over-tighten the screws, good and snug is perfect. <S> It is easy to over-tighten with a power drill and the head of the screw with shaped funnel of the counter sink <S> makes it easy to go to far and split the end of the board. <S> Comments from BrownRedHawk <S> Also, if your bits are burning, they could be overly dull and/or not enough feed pressure. <S> Allowing the bits cutting face to slide can cause this. <S> I've also had second hand bits sharpened inappropriately so the cutting face is narrower than the shank of the bit that caused excessive burning and poorly shaped holes. <A> If the screw has threads that stand proud of the shaft, then it may be necessary to drill two different-sized holes: <S> the base piece receives a hole determined by the size of the shaft (softer woods may receive a slightly smaller pilot than harder woods); the piece being attached requires a hole that will allow the threads to pass through easily, so that the threading action pulls the two pieces together. <S> I have a set of bits that do both at once, but I find them a bit small <S> , so I regularly have to go up a size (use #10 for a #8 screw, etc.). <S> Maybe it's just my kit (Makita); I haven't tried others. <S> Also, make sure you're using a fine thread screw, if you're working with hard woods. <A> I like to put a piece of masking tape over the wood before drilling a pilot hole. <S> It's not 100% fool-proof, but does cut down significantly on splitting. <A> I also find that when I make pilot holes and countersinks that my wood is still prone to splitting. <S> The first thing this suggests is that the holes aren't large enough, however some woods are particularly prone to splitting. <S> The size of the hole in relation to the thickness of the wood is also a big factor. <S> I've read suggestions that you should slightly over-drill the clearance holes to help prevent this, but this is bad practice. <S> Just shy of the screw's total length is the correct depth. <S> That and my bits are burning in hardwood <S> (oak I think) <S> so something is wrong there. <S> Drill more slowly. <S> Some woods are prone to scorching, oak is one, but slowing down is rarely a bad idea anyway. <S> It's not a huge deal if you get some scorching in screw clearance holes (it is when drilling for dowels as it can prevent a proper glue joint from forming) <S> but it is still best to avoid it if possible. <S> Also holding the drill as straight as possible can help, so that the shaft of the bit doesn't rub the hole, but you can still get burning when using a drill press <S> so this isn't a sure fix.
| For most hard woods using a pilot hole the size of the shaft of the screw should be good enough to prevent splitting, since it is the shaft that would be 'pushing' out on the wood.
|
Tiny core bits for broken screws I have on several occasions broken screw heads in pieces where I can't readily access or cut into the joint they're securing. Is there such a thing as a tiny core drill bit for cutting around what's left of the fastener so I can remove the rest of the wood piece it was securing? Or is there any other technique for dealing with this situation when I can't cut the wood piece loose from behind using a reciprocating saw and can't just tear the piece free? <Q> http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/set3hollowscrewextractors.aspx <S> http://www.amazon.com/WoodRiver-Screw-Extractor-1-4/dp/B0032YWQ26 <S> Unfortunately, they may be difficult to get started if you're unable to fit the part into a drill press and you aren't able to make a pilot hole the size of the extractor. <S> In that case, you can try making a guide of the appropriate diameter and clamping it to your workpiece, or try the more typical type of screw extractor that Matt mentioned. <A> Sounds to me like you are describing a use for screw extractors <S> (source: asklaptopfreak.com ) <S> Your drill needs to have the torque in order to get them in what's left of the head or shaft. <S> They are drilled forward the reverse direction (lefty loosy) so that when the bit gets enough catch on the screw it gets pulled out. <S> It can be harder to use these when you don't have a head to work with <S> but they could still work if you can't find what Rob suggested (Which is a good answer). <A> I think the best method I've seen to remove small screws with sheared-off heads is to drill access holes on opposite sides of the shaft, just large enough to accept the tips of a needle-nose pliers, get a firm grip on the shaft and twist it out. <S> Obviously this marrs the wood noticeably but if you use pliers with very fine tips (if necessary by grinding them even smaller) the damage isn't too bad. <S> With brass in particular it is possible to drill right through the screw itself with a small bit, basically turning what remains into shavings. <S> It's difficult to do by hand <S> , I've only ever done it successfully once, but with a drill press this is much more viable (assuming the workpiece can fit the bed of the drill of course). <S> So possibly kept as the technique of last resort.
| Yes, there are hollow screw extractors like you describe, such as these two examples:
|
Can clamps be too tight? When gluing pieces together, I've always used an abundance of clamps and tightened them with all my might. Is it possible to tighten them too much? At some point, could I squeeze out so much glue that the joint becomes weaker? I can see how tightening too much can cause warping or damage to the wood. Here, I'm mostly curious about the effect the tightness has on the performance of the glue. <Q> Hoping to run into some more tests and calculations but this is a good start. <S> I found this out by accident using spring-style clamps to repair a break in a board. <S> I left it out overnight for the glue to set with 3 spring clamps keeping it in place. <S> The spring tension increased slightly during that time and it started to pull the piece away. <S> While it still bonded, the extra tension was enough to set the break at an angle. <S> I had to re-break and reset but the damage was done and the joint was never perfect. <S> I now use C-clamps for most of my gluing since I can control the amount of pressure exerted from them <S> and I know that I can leave them alone long term and they wont move. <S> I would suggest using a non-spring clamp for gluing. <S> The amount of glue is important as well as you don't want sliding to occur. <S> To continue on how much glue to use that would depend on your wood you have. <S> Softer woods can be more porous and take in more glue than some of the harder woods. <S> Gluing SCIENCE! <S> A post from WoodGears.ca performs a series of experiments using some maple and varying amounts of pressure. <S> If you scroll to the bottom you will see the overall results. <S> The pictures are very telling as you would see excessive pressure removed most all the glue from the joint. <S> The summary findings from that post. <S> Only applying glue to the mortise of a mortise and tenon joint is a bad idea <S> Excessive clamping force can weaken the joint strength by up to 20% <S> A very smooth scraped surface is just as good, if not better than a sanded surface, as long as not clamped excessively hard Gaps in a joint, as long as they are filled with glue, do not adversely affect joint strength. <S> Note <S> I found this article when researching this topic. <S> According to the comments the numbers and advice referenced could be considered flawed. <S> Just be aware if you find yourself reading this article. <S> Read the comments as well. <A> Yes clamps can be too tight but <S> not for the reasons stated above. <S> TL;DR <S> The fear is that over-clamping will lead to a starved joint is largely baseless. <S> In practice it is nearly impossible to do without severely damaging the wood. <S> Necessary clamp pressure has been studied extensively by scientists for the timber industry, who, unlike woodworkers, can't rely on hearsay, half-truths and best guesses. <S> They have to know how to create the strongest possible joint. <S> And such testing has proven that very high clamp pressures are required for the strongest joint to form, beyond 1,000 pounds per square inch for some species (NOTE: <S> this is at the glue-line, so the pressure applied by the clamp face is many thousands of pounds) For the home woodworker <S> here's the take-home message: short of crushing the timber <S> it's nearly impossible to over-clamp. <S> The persistent myth that you can starve a joint by over-clamping it is based on a flawed understanding of how glue works in a wood joint and/or misinterpreting individual experiences where this appeared to happen. <S> The actual cause however was one, or a combination of, other factors. <S> These include: too little glue applied, which leads to incomplete wetting of the opposite face waiting too long before bringing the workpieces together, which also leads to incomplete wetting of the opposite face not glueing freshly-worked wood surfaces — wood surfaces cut, planed or sanded can 'glaze' over time, meaning they're no longer as absorbent and therefore they can't be wet properly by the glue wood surfaces not flat or smooth enough, wood must be very smooth for a good joint to form with the mating surface clamps being removed before the glue had dried sufficiently <S> Note: <S> the above apply to conventional wood glues, including polyurethane adhesive, but not to epoxy. <S> Lastly let me clearly state that Matthias Wandel's glue test linked to above is highly flawed and not at all scientific. <S> He acknowledges himself that he didn't give epoxy a fair test (which he didn't) and yet he did not repeat those tests. <S> That's the first hint that you might want to take the results with a pinch of salt. <A> Yes joints can be clamped too tight. <S> Dry fit joints for good fit. <S> Big strong clamps are band aids for poorly crafted joints.
| Yes Clamps can be too tight and the joint could weaken or even warp, in a sense, if too much pressure is applied.
|
Best way to make a small detachable ramp on a dog house? I hope you guys bear with me on this as it's a little bit of a silly project. I'm mainly doing it to practice some joinery. My aunt has a Pomeranian and she's wanting me to make something better for him than a blanket on the floor. They have a lot of beach themed stuff, so my thought was to make a little indoor dog house that looks like a beach house. Beach houses tend to be up on stilts, so you can park underneath and it won't flood. I'm going to do the framing with 2"x2". I plan to have it 2' square at the outside. I will have a floor downstairs that has a little built in food and water dish. Upstairs will be a pad for sleeping on and a little fan in the ceiling they can turn on if he's warm. My issue is that the dog is scared of steps and while he can mount them, he's typically scared to. He'll stand at the bottom and bark till someone carries him up them. In this vain I want to build a ramp. It'll need to rise ~2' from the floor to the level of the second floor. I'm figuring all measurement based on him plus clearance. he's roughly 8" wide when his hair is grown out, so I figure the ramp will be 12" wide. I plan to attach safety rails and I've figured them out already. I'm also going to add grip tape to the ramp. I think it'll give solid traction and make it look like a boardwalk. My current plan is to use the some triple-ply plywood as the ramp. I figured I could use a flat hinge at each point where bends. That way, instead of trying to get the angles perfect, it'll just go where it needs. I thought to support it, I could cut a 6" piece of the 2"x2" and drill a hole through it's center and the vertical leg. Then run a bolt through to the other side to secure it. The platforms at the top bottom and corner would rest on these. I would permanently attach these to the dog house, but my fear is that this is going to be almost 3' wide exactly. Most exterior doors are 3' and at best it'll probably scrape the door or the house. If the ramp was only on one side, it wouldn't be an issue, but due to his small stature and the rise, I think I need to use two sides to give the ramp a gentler rise. I'm also not in love with the way I want to attach it, since it will look bad. I could possibly use an L-bracket, but I don't want it to stand out and I think removing the screws too often would bore the holes out over time. I will be painting the frame, probably white, so I could cover something like that. I just haven't had anything hit me. Do you guys know of a good way to make this ramp and have it detachable? Thanks. <Q> If you want to be able to screw and unscrew it many times, instead of using wood screws, use threaded inserts in the main structure and use machine screws to hold the ramp to it. <A> Personally, I would have a little 'door jab' across the door into it, maybe a 2x2. <S> then on the end of the ramp have two hooks that hook over the 2 x 2. <S> it makes installation and removal easy. <S> Hooks like these: <A> I think it might be easier if you draw a facsimile of what you want. <S> Obviously, for good reason, you don't want to use screws but could you use some washers and bolts to keep <S> is secure? <S> In theory, it would make for a sturdy, detachable construct. <S> Should also help prevent long term wear.
| If the ramps have a small frame which the plywood sits on you could conceivably hide them underneath on the frame with the plywood on top.
|
Can you make a small wooden sail boat from cedar? We have a lot of trees we've been removing from our property for one reason or another. Instead of throwing them on the burn pile, I thought I might be able to make something of them. I've always wanted to make a small wood sail boat. Something along the lines of this: That's probably not what I'm going to start on as I'll most likely screw something up and have wasted a massive amount of effort. I'll probably start with a canoe. My question is what type of wood can I use from my property, properly dried of course. I'll either let it air dry or build one of those drying boxes you can build that act like a kind of oven. I love the look of cedar and we have a lot of it, but we've taken down a lot of oak as well and I know it's strong. It would probably be good for the ribs and the big beam along the bottom. (Transom?) I'm really just starting to look into this, so I don't know the right questions to ask. I assume with the wood, it's simply a strength issue, because it gets coated in fiberglass sheets. I've seen videos where they do that to seal it and when the coating goes on, it makes it look like there is nothing on the wood. This sailboat will only be run on a fresh water river. Thanks for any help. Feel free to include references. <Q> Yes, provided you use fiberglass, and the technique is often called "cedar strip construction". <S> This method of construction is a very forgiving method of building small boats compared to other techniques. <S> Pretty much any wood will work, though cedar and other rot-resistant woods are better because when you invariably bump into rocks or other stuff, and expose the wood through the fiberglass, that it doesn't rot away between when it gets damaged and you get around to fixing it. <S> The reason why the wood doesn't really matter is because virtually all the strength of the construction comes from the fiberglass. <S> The wood only serves to keep the two layers of fiberglass separated, in what's known as a sandwich structured composite . <S> In typical fiberglass boat construction, foam is used between the layers, instead of wood. <S> After the fiberglass is applied, without a gelcoat, it dries to be almost completely transparent. <S> With all that said, this works well for canoes and kayaks, however sailboats have many extra steps involved as they need to be much more rigid, are much bigger, and have hull shape needs that are challenging to accomplish with cedar strip construction such as provisions for a keel or centerboards. <A> If you're looking for a simple project you might consider a skin on frame canoe or kayak. <S> Cedar is a good choice for skin boats and actually works better when it's 'green'. <S> Take a look at skin-boats.com to get some ideas. <A> You're definitely thinking right in planning to use oak for the keel and frame and cedar for the planked skin. <S> This sort of construction, traditional plank on frame, is quite common for small boats up to about 20 feet in length, and is most likely the construction used for the boat in your picture. <S> The cedar strip plus fiberglass construction mentioned in another answer is an option, but traditional construction was used for hundreds of years before fiberglass arrived. <S> Do a little research on the courses offered by the Wooden Boat School in Brooklin Maine. <S> (I have no affiliation with them, but have enjoyed their courses.)
| Yes you can use both cedar and oak from your property, especially for small boats like canoes and kayaks.
|
What is the minimum length I can thickness plane? The thickness planers I've seen have a cutter head between two rollers. The rollers grab the stock and feed it past the cutter head, counteracting the force applied by the blades. If the rollers do not have a secure grip on the stock, the cutter may kick the piece backwards if a blade catches. (Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Thicknesser.gif ) What safety risks does this present when planing short stock?How can I determine the minimum length which can be safely planed? <Q> It varies by model, check the manual online for the model you're looking at. <S> Generally the shortest recommended length is also the distance between the center of the rollers. <S> Basically, you never want the possibility of a piece of wood being 'stuck' under the cutter head but not being held down by a roller. <A> Technically there's no minimum length you can send through a thickness planer if you 'cheat'. <S> There are various tricks that allow planing of material both too thin and too short <S> and they can work well. <S> For short stock you use outriggers, pieces of scrap wood glued to either side of the board you want to plane. <S> Like this: (Source: http://www.diynetwork.com/how-to/how-to-plane-short-boards/index.html ( archive )) After you've planed to thickness you simply pop the outriggers off with a chisel. <A> I have the Dewalt DW734. <A> From experience of a few different thicknessers, I'd say no shorter than around 300mm (approx 12"). <S> It's worth noting though that if a piece does get stuck (i.e. the outfeed roller doesn't have a good enough grip to pull the piece all the way through) <S> then you can often push it through with the next piece <S> you are thicknessing or with a thinner piece of timber. <S> I don't think I've ever had a piece "kick back" out of the thicknesser as the infeed roller seems to stop this. <S> I have however had pieces of timber "explode" but this has always been because there was a split in the timber <S> or I was trying to thickness it to too small of a size. <S> The pieces ejected were not travelling at what I would call dangerous speeds, however as with any woodworking machinery I would advise the use of safety specs or goggles.
| You can counteract this limitation with some variation of a sled that holds short stock securely to the bottom with sacrificial 'rails' that ride the rollers and get planed down with the short stock itself. As a rule of thumb, i never plane anything shorter than 12".
|
How much grit do I need? At my woodshop, it's typically suggested that I sand up to 220 grit or 320 grit. I'm always amazed at how smooth my surface feels after a good 320-grit sanding. However, when looking online I sometimes see advice to sand up to 600 grit. 600! That must be like glass! I understand it's a matter of taste vs effort, but at some point there must be too little improvement to take another pass with a higher grit. How do I know what this point is? Does it depend on the finish that I'm going to apply? <Q> I understand it's a matter of taste vs effort <S> Actually not as much as people tend to believe. <S> Sanding to 320 grit may itself be too high, and above 400 you can definitely run into problems. <S> Some woods <S> burnish when rubbed with higher-grit papers and this can prevent the proper penetration of finish, which helps ensures a more even colour and the formation of a proper bond between it and the wood. <S> Burnished wood can resist finish, even to the point that it will bead on the surface sometimes and to fix this you need to re-sand at a coarser grit to 'open' the surface of the wood again. <S> What determines the grit <S> you need to sand to is not so much personal preference but rather whether you are finishing the wood and with what. <S> Oiled finishes require a more meticulous approach to final smoothing because they don't build a film and after oiling minor surface imperfections are magnified, not hidden. <S> With a film-building finish (shellac, varnish, lacquer) <S> you get a filling-in of minor surface imperfections, including sanding scratches. <S> This is why you can get away with sanding up to a coarser grit and still achieve a very smooth final surface. <S> Using a film finish, depending on the species, even 150 can be high enough. <S> But the normal range to finish sand is between 180 and 240. <S> If you do not intend to apply a finish — which can be used for dense hardwoods, particularly tropical species with a naturally high resin content — then you can sand to very high grits indeed because you're actually polishing the wood itself. <S> Even beyond the 600 you mention, I've seen the results of sanding past P1600 <S> and you do get increasing shine, up to a limit dependent upon the density and resin content of the wood. <A> Adding to glw some of it depends on the wood. <S> Some woods I've used 220 is as good as you are going to get, anything higher doesn't do anything and sometimes actually makes it look worse. <S> Pine and other softwoods really don't benefit much from higher grits. <S> Red oak maxes out at about 320 anything higher and your just wasting your time. <S> White oak is debatable, 400 is does a little but isn't really necessary. <S> Hard Maple <S> I've sanded to 600 grit and you almost get a semigloss finish before you put anything on it. <S> The denser the wood (with a closed grain) <S> the higher the grit can actually make some difference. <S> I suspect ebony would glow with a sanding up to 1000 grit. <A> (I suppose the same would be true if you intend to use an oil finish too). <S> Nothing wrong with 320 - if that's all the store has, it works more or less the same. <S> Higher grits are really for sanding the film finish after you've built up enough thickness not to sand through it. <S> These higher grits will allow you to create ever more polished finishes. <A> Adding again to the above answers I'd say that it hugely depends on the type of wood and finish, but also on the method of sanding. <S> Sanding by hand, with a "pad" type orbital sander, or with a disc type random orbital sander with the same grit will give you pretty different finishes. <S> We use random orbital disc sanders for finishing at our joinery workshop on Sapele, Idigbo and European White Oak and always use 120 grit. <S> This gives an excellent finish when painted with a spray-applied water-based microporous paint or stain for external joinery. <S> I also find that with certain timbers and in certain conditions, finer grit papers tend to "gum up" - you get dust stuck to the paper which then leaves indentations in the timber rather than continuing to sand it, which can be counter-productive.
| For most cases in which you intend to put on a film finish (like shellac, lacquer, or a varnish) it is enough to sand the wood to 220.
|
What is the best way to enlarge a hole with my cordless drill? Whenever I try to make a hole slightly larger with my cordless drill, the drill bit catches and wanders, and doesn't stay centered. Normally I use twist bits, but I'm pretty sure I would have the same problem with most (or all?) other types of bits (e.g., brad point, spade, hole saw, Forstner). I know I could fill and redrill the hole, but that would be a pain, I'd have to wait for the filler to dry or cure, and I'd have to re-mark the center. How can I quickly and easily enlarge a drilled hole without moving the hole or having to resort to some other tool like a drill press (which often wouldn't be practical) or a router jig (as mentioned in Enlarging a stepped through hole -- which would not work for small holes)? <Q> If you use some sort of bushing to guide the drill and keep it on course. <S> I use these from Big Gator Tools at Woodcraft. <A> The short answer is to use a guide. <S> You can take a larger piece of hardwood and drill a hole of the larger size through it, then clamp it over the hole you wish to enlarge. <A> There are times when Bondo can save the day. <S> Fill the hole then 10 minutes later re-drill. <S> Yeah <S> I know, Bondo is crass, but it works. <A> Personally if the bits are small enough that they are 'solid' not spades or forsner etc, I generally have no issue running a larger bit through, sometimes I even use small bits to make a pilot hole to follow. <S> However, as the holes get bigger it becomes difficult to impossible, without a guide or a drill press. <S> But there are stepped drill bits and these can help enlarge a hole, they are basically 'self-guided' bits.
| If you're lucky and the hole you wish to embiggen is the 'next' size up, a step drill bit may work, too.
|
How do I make a mortise and tenon joints by hand I am starting a new project and intend to use more joinery techniques. I am going to make a chair, and I was hoping to create some mortise and tenon joints for the chair that I am making. I do not have access to a router at this time. How do I create mortise and tenon joints by hand? <Q> Chisel to create the mortise -- you can save a huge amount of work by drilling out most of the waste. <S> Saw the tenon to slightly over the final size (saw outside the markup lines), then fine tune with plane and chisel (shoulder plane will avoid the need to chisel). <S> There is always a traditional hand-tool solution. <S> It may or may not be more work, and <S> often that depends on how many you need to make. <S> Note that dowels, loose tenons, lap joints or other joinery options may also be worth consideration. <S> M&T is elegant but not every joint needs elegance. <A> The old way to cut a mortise purely by chisel is the following: <S> You need a mortising chisel which is a chisel of the width of the mortise with the sides narrower than the blade, and a mallet. <S> The chisel is held straight up and driven into the wood near one end of the mortise with the flat of the blade facing the near end. <S> The blade is then walked away from the end and another blow struck. <S> A chip should fly out. <S> This continues until reaching the other end of the mortise where the chisel is turned around and the blade is driven exactly true to the end <S> The blade is then walked back again towards the first end. <S> Ideally this pass should cut the depth of mortise exactly to what is needed. <S> Obviously it takes a great deal of skill so that each blow sends the blade to the correct depth and no further. <S> When the original end is reached the blade turned around a second and final time, cutting the first end exactly true. <S> Notes: <S> A mortise is always cut across the grain <S> The chisel should never be applied to the sides of the mortise, only from end to end <A> The previous answers are well written and describe the process well. <S> I can only add my personal experience to this which, of course, may vary from one person to the next. <S> Not that work is a bad thing; but the process will take some time. <S> Using a mortise chisel had the benefit for me of ensuring that the walls of my mortise were parallel. <S> As to the tenon, I found it tricky to get the sides and shoulders perfect using only a chisel and ended up buying a shoulder plane. <S> In fact, I bought this one [from Lee Valley.] <S> This made it much easier to get the tenon sides and shoulders to fit well. <S> For some reason, these shoulder planes are always expensive; I was unable to find one on Ebay, or any of the online tool dealers that was both in good condition and less than $100 USD. <S> So I just bought a new one and the one from Lee Valley <S> is very nice to use. <S> Most importantly, it is easy to adjust.
| I find that both the "bash it out with a mortise chisel" and the "drill it out and clean up the edges" methods work about equally well and are both a lot of work.
|
What should I use to apply a water-based varnish? I've used in the past foam brushes to apply my water-based varnish. I'm wondering if there's other types of brush that can be used and what are the advantages and disadvantages. <Q> Generally, besides foam there are synthetic bristle brushes and natural bristle brushes (as well as sprayers, air-brushes and rollers, which I'm not going to discuss). <S> There is great debate over which to use for what; that debate rages from house painters to fine artists. <S> Most agree synthetic bristle brushes for water-base varnishes, acrylics and the like and natural bristles for oil-based mediums (the solvents can damage some synthetic bristles). <S> For me, both types work well but have slight differences in how much paint is held, how the paint leaves the brush, etc. <S> I find I 'get use to' how the brush handles fairly quickly. <S> There is the question of shape, which for most furniture folk, is less of an issue unless you are doing decorative painting, stenciling or similar work. <S> But if you have something else that you like, great; use that. <S> Your experience with foam will guide you regarding shapes you like (for getting into corners, for example) and widths. <S> While slightly off question, it is worth noting that you can tweak your finish to work with your brushes. <S> For example, by adding more thinner (water in your case) you can create a thinner coat that dries with less visible brush strokes. <S> This also applies to binders and in the case of paints, the pigments as well. <S> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brush#Paintbrushes https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paint#Components <A> I'd recommend spraying water-based varnishes. <S> They dry out really fast and, unless you're working in a very small area, it's easy to get brush strokes showing in the finish. <A> Compared to natural hair brushes synthetics are better in one key respect: they don't soften in water. <S> Natural bristles "lose their spring" when wet, they are still usable with waterbase finishes <S> but they become slack and unresponsive <S> so they don't perform at their best. <S> The best modern synthetics have a mixture of filaments of varied diameter and they may in addition taper towards the tip, both of which contribute to improved capillary action <S> (helping to match the performance of natural brushes). <S> Another feature of better modern synthetic brushes is ends that have been frayed, which mimics the natural 'flags' found on traditional hog-hair brushes. <S> In my experience foam brushes are not ideally suited to application of waterbase finishes, primarily because they increase the tendency of bubbles to form as you brush over the surface. <S> Because of this I think foam brushes are best for oil-based or spirit-borne finishes which are less prone to bubble formation. <A> If you are doing a large area you might consider a popular method used to apply water-based polyurethane to wood floors - which is to use a "T-bar" applicator that has a thin foam or fleece-like cover. <S> The applicator is not intended to absorb much material and again release it the way a brush does. <S> Instead it quickly reaches saturation and then just pushes the liquid around on a flat surface. <S> This allows for a very smooth and quick application. <S> Apparently the finish also comes out very even I guess due to its own viscosity and the minimal weight applied to the tool; you apply no down-pressure at all. <S> I doubt this could be applied to a small project <S> but if you were doing say a tabletop it might work very well. <S> As a caution, it could be that a method intended for a floor would leave some imperfections you wouldn't notice on a floor, but that nonetheless could be visible on something closer to the eye. <S> But the floor I did with this method didn't appear to have any flaws related to the finish that I could see even when I looked closely. <A> I use golden taklon brushes for WB finishes. <S> The very fine bristles dramatically reduce brush marks. <S> Also, the quality WB finish manufactures also sell an extender/retarder to slow the drying, necessary if brushing something of any size with waterborne. <S> It is better to spray them.
| Synthetic brushes were originally specifically intended for application of water-borne finishes. For transparent finishes, a flat tipped brush is most common.
|
How do you plane end grain? I tend to like power tools, because I need a lot less 'skill' to get the same quality product. However, I do like learning hand tool techniques and sometimes they are just as good or better than power tools. Sometimes faster if you only have one or two 'pieces' to do, instead of setting up the power tools to do it. So I keep catching comments in different places about planing end grain. Do you need special planes? Special technique? Just use a beltsander? :) What kind of plane and how do you use it (them) to plane the end grain of a board and are there any gotchas to look out for? <Q> These will generally give the best result, but any plane can do it if the iron is sharp enough and you take a very light cut. <S> Terminology note: a plane's blade is traditionally referred to as an iron, in older books sometimes as the cutter. <S> are there any gotchas to look out for? <S> Yes, tearout of the long grain at the edge of the board is always a concern. <S> There are three common ways of dealing with this. <S> The first is to plane in from both ends, but I find this least satisfactory because you tend to see an obvious difference in the finish of the end grain when planed from opposing directions. <S> The second is possibly the simplest and most effective, which is to clamp a piece of scrap wood onto the edge of the board which supports the long grain at the end of the cut. <S> This is the method I favour personally. <S> The above techniques are shown in this image. <S> The third method is to plane a small chamfer onto the end of the board, then plane down to meet it. <S> Another general tip that can help regardless of the technique used is to dampen the end grain, which makes it softer and therefore easier to shear through. <S> You can use water, although you risk raising the grain on the faces of the board, so some woodworkers use denatured alcohol. <S> Just use a beltsander? :) <S> Joking aside <S> that isn't the worst way to deal with finishing end grain on a board, as long as you can hold the 90° angle accurately. <S> Although you will commonly want to sand beyond the grit that belts are available in. <A> For end grain a razor-sharp blade is most important, and you can skew your cut to slice the fibers rather than chop them. <S> The type of plane isn't particularly important, but one with a low cutting angle works best. <S> For instance, you can use a low-angle block plane or a bevel-up jack plane with its blade sharpened to a low angle. <S> You can also convert a bevel-down bench plane to a low-angle plane by replacing its frog with a low-angle frog. <S> For reference, a low-angle block plane typically has a 12 degree bed angle and 25 degree bevel angle, for a combined 37 degrees. <A> I just hand-planed several dozen blocks for an end grain cutting board using my shooting board. <S> It worked pretty well <S> , there was minimal tearout on maybe 10% of the blocks. <S> I could have improved on this with a sharper blade and tighter tolerances on the shooting board. <S> A temporary shooting board is pretty easy to make, might be worth a shot! <A> Use mineral spirits to wet the grain. <S> More lubricity than water or denatured alcohol, stays wet longer than denatured alcohol, and does not raise the grain
| In Western woodworking at least low-angle block planes are favoured for planing end grain.
|
How do I achieve a "piano black" high gloss finish on wood? I'm building some speaker cabinets for my living room out of MDF. I'm wondering how to achieve that "high gloss" / "piano black" look, like on B&W speakers or, well, black pianos... Any ideas? I'm pretty sure it involves lots of layers of lacquer, but does anyone have any specific advice to give - spray or brush, how many layers, surface preparation, what kind of topcoat? <Q> I think the link in LeeG's reply covers all the necessary steps but just to have it spelled out here. <S> Good surface prep is very important, <S> imperfections 'telegraph' through paint very easily <S> so the more perfect you can get the surface initially the better. <S> The flatter the starting surface the less paint you have to use too, so it does have both time and cost benefits. <S> Build up of colour in multiple layers. <S> Just as with most painting and varnishing multiple thin coats are better than one thicker coat. <S> Flattening off using a sanding block to maintain a good flat surface. <S> Special care must be taken at edges and corners as it is very easy to sand through to the primer coat. <S> Final smoothing by wet-sanding to a very high grit, while still striving to keep the surface flat; it is possible to introduce waves and other dips into the finish even after switching to very fine grits. <S> Polishing . <S> This can be achieved in any number of ways, from the old traditional methods used in furniture finishing such as using powdered rottenstone lubricated with a light oil or water, to modern cream polishing compounds and powered rotary polishers. <A> I have used this guy's technique before and it works great. <S> Basically, you apply very thin coats, then sand to about 400 grit, and after that, do wet sanding to about 2000 grit, and then switch to the polishes. <S> There is a pretty complete step-by-step here <A> It seems nobody bothered to mention French Polish. <S> Sigh. <S> That is the standard piano finish for quality pianos, period. <S> French polish is a series of steps that fills and smooths surfaces using shellac. <S> Over a stained and filled (grain filler) prepared surface: <S> The first step uses rottenstone (like pumice) mixed with 1/2 lb or 1 lb cut shellac; rottenstone comes in grades (particle size). <S> You work through grades of rottenstone + shellac from coarser to finest. <S> The final multiple passes are shellac only. <S> The reason this is not used more often is not the quality of the result, but the cost of paying someone with experience to do it. <S> Mass produced pianos would have to be finished in places where wages a far lower than Europe or The US in order to compete price-wise with other finishing methods. <S> I've touched up some baby grands and estimate that one square yard of surface is about two hours of work for minor touch up. <S> I do not know firsthand, but am told a full grand piano can take 160 man hours or more for all finishing steps. <S> The good part about french polish is that it can be touched up to look completely new, but damage on nitrocellulose lacquer may require complete refinishing. <S> By damage <S> I mean spills, not where little Tommy takes a hatchet to a piece of furniture. <S> Pictures do the best job of conveying the idea: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqYENoVuySo <A> I know this is an old topic <S> but hopefully this helps someone out. <S> Painting MDF can be very frustrating. <S> End "grain" in MDF will soak up paint faster than you can apply it. <S> Sand that with 320 then 600 then 1200. <S> 3 coats block down with 400-600 and repeat until the end grain no longer soaks up your paint and has the same look as the face of the panel. <S> Now you can paint. <S> The important part is before the paint. <A> If you're using MDF spray it with epoxy primer blocks <S> sand it and shoot it with black acrylic enamel if it doesn't appear flat enough blocks and sand it with 320 grit sandpaper shoot it again then <S> buff it <S> this is far easier and faster I restore old wood boats <A> All high gloss pianos are polyester. <S> They are not lacquer of ANY stripe, nor are they shellac. <S> Neither lacquer nor shellac can look good for long, except they be cared for tremendously meticulously. <S> Polyester is a 100% solids, vastly harder than lacquer, and can be built ten times thicker than lacquer without cracking. <S> It takes serious buffing equipment, and quite a learning curve. <S> For black, contact Allied International ( http://alliedintlinc.com ); for clear, find a nearby Duratec dealer. <S> (Only Allied has a true piano black; others have a blue cast.)
| I use a tinted oil base primer. I have had good luck using Nason 2 stage automotive paint (base coat/ 2k clear coat).
|
What is the functional purpose(s) of a central insert in a workbench? I was looking at different plans for making a workbench that, one day, I will have the space and materials to make. One sets of plans I ran into had a board cut and recessed with a handle. I have seen lots of bench plans but can't find more than this one using an insert (perhaps insert is a colloquialism?). Sure it makes a wicked paddle but what would the use of this space be? Image from http://www.shavingsandawl.com/ <Q> If you don't plan on using hand planes extensively, it isn't necessary. <S> If you do decide to use hand planes, you can get the same effect from bench dogs, or even just clamping a board to the bench. <S> My preference is still more toward a Roubo style bench. <S> It is more versatile and actually easy to build. <S> I built a mini version just using construction grade lumber from my local Home Depot. <A> If you search Youtube for split top roubo benches you will find many examples of this bench feature in use. <S> The insert board is loose in the gap and designed to be flush when oriented with one side up and as a bench stop when reversed so that the other side of the insert board is up. <S> This flush leg/top feature is very useful for clamping wood to the sides and top. <S> The center infill board is often made of two pieces of 1/2" thick continuous wood with a center 1/2" spacer. <S> This creates long slits in which you can place chisels, saws and other tools while working, a much better option than having them roll off the top. <S> Finally, if the center insert is removed you have a 1 1/2" gap in which you can pass bar clamps to clamp something down to the top slabs from the center. <S> This is a much better option than drilling more dog or hold down holes for rarely needed clamping positions. <A> I would find such a feature useful as a stop, in conjunction with the vise. <S> Rather than having to put in a bench dog at the end of a board to plane, you could just raise up the insert a bit.
| It functions as a plane stop, for planing cross grain with hand planes. The insert gap provides space in which two bench slabs can expand towards the middle while keeping the outside edges firmly anchored and flush with the legs.
|
How can I protect a desk top made from softer wood? A follow up to this question , which established that the hardness of the wood is less important than how you protect the surface. Suppose I use a very easily dented wood, let's say Chestnut(Hardness 500), what options do I have to protect the surface from physical damage? <Q> Most finishes, even the "penetrating oil" ones, don't penetrate very deep (maybe 0.020", 0.5 mm). <S> The soft fibers below the cured finish fail, leaving a dent. <S> Having a thicker, hard surface will prevent denting. <S> This could be achieved with a thick "bar top" type finish, or a matte or piece of glass over the center portion of the desk. <A> what options do I have to protect the surface from physical damage? <S> "Physical damage" is really too broad a category to answer simply. <S> It needs to be broken down a little in order <S> better define what protection certain finishes can provide. <S> With softer woods conventional finishes <S> don't really protect from significant impacts, such as would leave a dent, but do provide resistance to bruising (from lighter impacts, usually less focused by a sharp corner or edge) as well as the marking that typically arises from general use, mainly scratches and scuffs. <S> The harder ones — shellac, varnish and lacquer — will greatly improve even a soft wood's resistance to light markings. <S> But any significant impact is still transmitted to the soft wood underneath the hard surface layer, leading to a dent. <S> All such harder finishes are somewhat brittle and they can crack with such an impact, and begin to flake off. <S> The bartop type of finish as already mentioned in the answer by OSU55 are a step above this. <S> These are pour-on finishes usually, resulting in a very thick coating being applied by conventional finishing standards even at their minimum thickness. <S> That and the inherent strength of the material itself lead to an extremely tough and durable surface. <S> However, the thickness and the high-gloss surface is not for every taste — critics say it makes the wood look "plasticy" or like it's encased in glass. <S> And because of the application technique where you pour it on it leaves either a characteristic rounded edge where it has been allowed to drip over the edge, or a visible clear edge, neither of which suit many types of furniture. <A> You have several options. <S> A good reference is Bob Flexner's books where he compares all in terms of hardness (which is what you're looking for), reversibility, transparency, dent proofness, water resistance, etc. <S> I actually don't own the book (I borrowed it from my local library several times), but from memory, here's the order of protectability: Oil-based finishes (e.g., tung oil, boiled linseed oil). <S> Very low in hardness, moderate in water resistance, easy in reversibility. <S> Lacquer. <S> Moderate dent resistence, lowish in water resistance, easy reversibility. <S> Reverses with lacquer thinner. <S> Shellac. <S> Same as above. <S> Reverses easily with denatured alcohol. <S> Water-based polyurethane. <S> Better dent resistance than lacquer or shellac but harder to reverse. <S> (It requires a chemical stripper, but it's doable). <S> Good water resistance. <S> Oil-based polyurethane. <S> Less prone to wear than water-based poly and more water resistant. <S> Like water-based, it too requires a chemical stripper to reverse it. <S> Two part epoxy. <S> This is what restaurants use on their tables. <S> Really good wear and resistance but practically impossible to reverse <S> (should you need to repair the wood beneath the finish). <S> Bob also gives a series of tests you can do to determine which sort of finish works for your particular project. <S> To determine its scratch resistance, for example, you can buy art pencils (e.g., HB, 2B, 3B) and attempt to make tiny scratches in the finish. <S> Also, to determine water resistance, (if I remember correctly), he suggests placing a drop of water on a finish then covering it with a mug for 24 hours.
| Polyurethane varnishes are popular partly because they have some inherent flexibility (toughness, as distinct from hardness) allowing them to absorb impacts better without cracking.
|
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.