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Use Baby oil instead of mineral oil on cutting boards I use mineral oil when I make cutting boards because it makes it pop. But I have not been finding any. Would baby oil be a good or decent replacement? Is there any other oils that would work, maybe even better than mineral oil? <Q> Baby oil is just mineral oil with fragrance added - so you're not going to kill anyone, but there may be a smell.. <S> I normally use Olive Oil on cutting boards. <A> You should be able to find food quality mineral oil online fairly easily in most locations. <S> (Should be able to get unscented baby oil). <S> Mineral Oil is also typically available from pharmacies/chemists where it will probably be called paraffin oil. <S> If you can't find online, or at a chemist, you can (I have been told with nothing to back this up), buy bulk quantities of mineral oil from farming supplies stores, where it is sold as a laxative. <S> If I was going down this path <S> I'd make sure there was MSDS available to verify it <S> was 100% mineral oil with no additives. <A> I probably wouldn't use baby oil. <S> It's filled with other ingredients that's may not age well, or mix well with cooking foods. <S> If you can find a pharmacy they'll be bound to have both oils. <S> I for one am a monster that slices onions on a woodcutting board, but I'm not such a crazed individual that I want my onions to taste like babies. <A> I use baby oil that can be purchased at dollar stores to treat cutting boards. <S> No scent whatsoever. <S> If it is made for babies, you know it is safe, since babies put their mouth on everything. <A> If you’re looking for alternatives, you might find suitable ones in the cookware sections of shops. <S> I wouldn’t use baby oil as it’s not intended to sit on a wooden surface for a long time, so might not last as well. <S> I’ve got a light wax with a pleasant orange scent (doesn’t taint food!) <S> which is intended for chopping boards and wooden surfaces. <S> I found it in the kitchenware section of a department store. <S> It’s called “town talk wooden surface wax”, and - if you happen to be in the U.K. - I found it in John Lewis. <S> I’ve also got some “Catskills butchers block oil” which describes itself as a “pure mixture of mineral oils and vitamin E”, again intended for kitchen use and food safe. <S> Again, came from a kitchenware shop. <S> I use them on anything which comes into contact with food or small children, though I prefer the wax, I find it easier to use and a nicer smell. <A> Over the years, my family has used a lot of oils on butcher blocks on bbq trailers and prep tables. <S> We only use "food grade" mineral oil. <S> There are no additives whatsoever, as with regular mineral oil and baby oil. <S> It's clean, filtered, scent-free and resists bacteria. <S> We use it on wood and metal surfaces, including knives and cleavers. <S> Plus, it's only about $17/gallon on Amazon. <S> That works out much cheaper than small bottles of "cutting board oil", which is the same oil. <S> Just don't use cooking oils or olive oil. <S> They turn bad in the wood, smell bad and start bacteria growth. <S> Wipe the board with plenty of oil and let sit overnight to soak in and always do BOTH sides of the board (very important). <S> Oiling top only can cause warping. <S> Many wipe the oil on boards with their clean bare hand. <S> No waste <S> and it's great for the skin.
| Baby oil is probably okay, but I would shy away from the scented stuff.
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Sealing plywood from moisture completely - for use as damp-reptile habitat What would you guys suggest to completely seal wood (probably plywood) from moisture.I'm building a new tank/vivarium for my lizard and while it is not going to be as damp as something like a frog tank, I still want it to be 100% sealed so I never have to worry about it (even if the inhabitants change down the road to something that needs to have rain-showers several times a day). I've heard from reptile groups that people have used Pond Sealer, some people advise Drylock... You are wood-working people though so I was hoping to get a more consistent answer here: What will leave the wood 100% moisture-proof, be completely vapour-free when cured (ie. safe for the inhabitant), and as a bonus: resist being scratched by smallish-reptile-claws (she digs at the walls in her tank occasionally). <Q> I'll preface this by saying that this may be a question that would be better asked on a forum of like-minded animal owners, some of whom will have tackled similar builds and they'll be able to report what worked and what didn't. <S> It is very difficult to seal wood off completely from moisture using common coatings and finishes. <S> Most of the time when woodworkers say "seal the wood" they're speaking informally...... <S> very informally, because most coatings only do a partial job of isolating the wood from its environment and some do almost nothing! <S> Products <S> that will 100% waterproof wood include bartop finishes, marine epoxy coatings and fibreglass resin, but in addition to their waterproof nature for a complete seal it also requires them to be put on thickly, the equivalent of perhaps 20 coats of regular varnish, so there is a very significant coating on the surface. <S> The good news is I don't think you need to go that far. <S> Because many similar habitats I've seen, built mostly from plywood, seem to be finished off in basic coatings (probably varnish, based on the appearance and guesswork) and not in something visibly thick and with a slick, high-gloss finish. <S> For this I'd use polyurethane* which has good scratch-resistance. <S> Apply four full-strength coats minimum, but six or seven would be better. <S> If you wipe the varnish on to make it easier to apply (see wiping varnish ) <S> you'll want to use at least 7-9 coats for an equivalent to four unthinned coats applied by brush. <S> * <S> I mean oil-based poly here and not the waterbased type which is a completely different thing. <A> I think your best bet would be epoxy. <S> Although it is a pain to apply on large surfaces, it will address all your concerns. <S> It's 100% moisture proof (or as close as you can get), quite scratch resistant as it is very hard when cured, <S> vapor free when cured (at least to the best of my knowledge, I researched this quite a lot a year or so ago and opinions vary on this point) <S> When working with epoxy I'd read up a bit on the topic though and watch a few tutorials and make a test piece at first. <S> This stuff has a nasty smell while working it and there are more than a few health and safety concerns when handling epoxy one should be aware of. <S> One thing that might not be evident in most tutorials/guides: As you want this in a vivarium i guess there will be a heat-lamp. <S> One aspect of the epoxy is that it will start to cure further when heat is applied. <S> Meaning that if you let the epoxy cure at ~20°C (68°F) and then put it in the vivarium where right under the lamp you have temperatures exceeding <S> 35°C (95°F) <S> the chemical process will pick up once again and there will be vapors. <S> That means you might want to cure the epoxy at a temperature exceeding the final temperature of your vivarium. <S> This will make it even harder, but take even more time to cure (up to several days). <A> It may be a little expensive depending on how much you need, but the phenolic-impregnated WebbWood materials (webbwood.com) may work for you. <S> When it is being made, all the moisture is removed using a heat and vacuum process, then phenolic resin is introduced & is pulled in to replace the moisture. <S> We put a piece of WebbWood PH material in a water bath for six months, then weighed it to see how much water had been absorbed - as far as we could measure, there was zero absorption.
| My suspicion is that if you use a decently water-resistant material (e.g. a suitable grade of plywood and/or any solid wood that naturally does well outdoors ) and simply varnished it thoroughly that you'd get the performance you want.
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Safest way to cut very small blocks I'm looking to create some dice out of scrap mora wood I have, similar to the photo below. The d20 (twenty sided die) requires many cuts on a very small block of wood. What is the safest method for creating something like this? A hand saw seems like it would be too difficult to hold the block down during the cut, but power saws just seem outright dangerous. <Q> First of all, you need a very precise cut to make a balanced die. <S> The precision needs to be in the thousandths of an inch, if not ten thousandths. <S> That is nothing you are going to do with run of the mill woodworking equipment. <S> Making custom fixtures to do something like this would be very laborious and complicated. <S> Normally items like this are made using a compound dividing head on a vertical mill. <A> I don't think it's feasible to cut exactly enough for this to work, especially on the more-sided dice with their odd angles. <S> Besides the meticulous precision you need there is also the point of repeatability. <S> The angles of those dice are so odd that building fixtures for them would be very very hard as Treow Wyrtha mentioned. <S> Nevertheless, if you found a way to repeatably be very precise, these dice would be awesome and my D&D playing friends would sacrifice a char for one of those :) <S> The Mold Ask someone with a 3D-printer if they can print you a mold of half the die. <S> You could try molding clay or liquid molding silicone, but i think the results wouldn't be accurate enough. <S> Then start cutting/sanding/filing your die and try to fit it in the mold and repeat the process until it fits perfectly in the mold on either side. <S> CNC <S> Routing <S> The Dice <S> I know you said you want to do it with scrap wood and that pretty much rules out the CNC option, but in general I think it's a viable way to go when one wants to cut intricate shapes repeatably. <S> Besides needing a CNC machine (which may exceed your budget) there is still a lot of handwork to be done afterwards, once the basic shapes of the dice are milled. <S> Routing Halfs <S> On The Table <S> I imagine that you could mill halves of the dice to as close as you can get them to perfection. <S> After they are milled you can glue them together and sand/file away the steps the CNC will leave you with. <S> Routing Them Out On A Spinning Dowel Wihile looking up the feasibility of my CNC idea <S> i found this YouTube Video <S> that explains this way better than i ever could with words. <S> A Combination Of Those Two <S> The methods support each other quite nicely and can be used without each other as well, although, if you already have a CNC, the mold would probably not be that much of a problem, and if you don't... buying a CNC for carving some dice is probably a bit much :) <A> you need to clamp the workpiece in some way, regardless of using hand or power tools. <S> toggle clamps (on a little sled, say) and wooden handscrew clamps are very helpful to accomplish this for small pieces.
| So the approches I think could work are either a mold, a CNC or better yet, a combination of those two.
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Where to get end caps for chisels or what to use instead? Often, chisels bought new will have end caps, as shown in the image below. However, I have a number of old chisels and gouges that lack end caps. What can I use to protect their edges and protect myself and my stuff from their edges? Making a box for them is not really an option, since they're not part of a set and I try to pick up more as I come across them in thrift stores, flea markets, and so on. <Q> The simplest solution of all is seems to be to just to buy plastic end caps/edge protectors, which are available from some online tool vendors: <S> But these have a few problems. <S> The available sizes won't fit all chisel widths you might eventually collect (both Imperial and metric), and while you can always go up a size in theory as vintage chisels are often thicker than modern ones getting a good fit may still prove impossible. <S> So making your own is going to work out a better solution for a lot of woodworkers, especially those building a collection of vintage chisels. <S> And taking the DIY approach allows you to make matching protectors for gouges of any sweep and potentially any other edge tools you want to protect as well. <S> The 'high-tech' solution is to use a dip product or a mouldable rubber or plastic. <S> Dips include the Dip Seal mentioned by LeeG as well as the classic Plasti Dip beloved of toolheads <S> *. <S> Mouldable products include Sugru or the homemade equivalent and for something harder a thermo-forming plastic like Utile Plast, Mold-It or ThermoMorph. <S> A low-tech solution is one of the oldest, and that is a leather cap. <S> These are still fairly common today on some very large chisels like slicks and used by some woodworkers for their smaller chisels too. <S> You can buy them from a few sources but some are homemade. <S> I go even lower-tech than this and make simple tight-fitting cardboard sleeves. <S> They work out a bit cheaper too since the cardboard is free, harvested from packaging such as blister packs or small boxes, scored and folded to fit and glued together with PVA glue. <S> The results aren't pretty but they get the job done: <S> If aesthetics matter to you you can pick the cardboard with more care, or paint it after the glue has dried :-) <S> *See a hybrid method using Plasti Dip as the topcoat from Chris Schwarz here on Popular Woodworking. <S> The older method he mentions in this piece he presented back in 2009 as Origami Chisel Protectors . <A> I use a product called Dipseal for stuff like that. <S> If you have ever had a saw blade sharpened, this is the stuff that the edges are covered in when you get it back. <S> It can be melted and reused. <S> I bought a 5 pound container of it years ago, and use it to coat forstner bits, chisels, and really anything with an edge that I want to protect. <S> You can purchase it from Enco and a couple pounds will last a lifetime. <S> Machine shops use it to protect milled surfaces from damage. <S> EditHere are some photos of one of my corner chisels with the covering <A> <A> I keep my good set of bench chisels, which are always razor sharp, in a leather roll. <S> The problem I run into with keeping chisels in a roll is that if you want to put them in edge end first, they tend to cut right through the back of the roll in any material I've come across. <S> This way I can slide the chisel in by placing the edge on the plastic and the chisel will slide right in. <S> https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001C26RFM/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
| What I did to solve it was to buy some craft clear plastic like I've linked below, and cut out pieces that fit in each roll slot. A fabric or leather tool roll is another classic solution, if you're willing to protect the set rather than individual chisels.
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Gluing boards from big-box stores An answer to a previous question of mine suggested gluing two boards bark-side to bark-side in order to compensate for possible cupping. I'll likely be buying the boards at a big-box store (Lowes) and am wondering if the boards are really suitable for gluing as purchased? Are the edges flat and true and square enough, or should I do some cutting beforehand? I have a table saw and router (with table), and have seen some interesting jigs on youtube to square up faces and such, but would prefer to avoid the extra work if I can. <Q> Nothing straight from the store will ever be as flat as you can make it, just because wood is always moving a bit. <S> However, S4S boards will have been jointed/planed flat before they reached the store, so at one time they were dead flat and might still be flat enough for laminating. <A> As with many answers, it depends. <S> You should check all the boards with an accurate straight edge. <S> You might be in luck and they are still flat enough to glue, in which case go for it. <S> Or they might have bowed, cupped or warped in which cases you will need to joint/plane them to get them flat enough to join. <S> And of course, sorting through the wood at the big box store is always worth your time to ensure you get the best lumber you can. <S> One thing to note however is that some of the SPF lumber you get at the big box stores will have the edges rounded ever so slightly. <S> If this is the case, and you glue them together, the resulting surface will not be perfectly flat. <S> You can rip 1/8-1/4" off each side to get rid of the round-over. <A> and am wondering if the boards are really suitable for gluing as purchased? <S> Different woodworkers would answer this yes <S> and no. <S> Note that this is if they were looking at the exact same boards :-) <S> See also, What do I need to do to prepare wood for gluing? <S> Are the edges flat and true and square enough, or should I do some cutting beforehand? <S> Because of the way wood like this is machined, with rounded edges, you will have to rip off some wood to end up with square sections when you're done. <S> This can be done ahead of time or after the glue-up as you prefer. <S> I have a table saw and router (with table), and have seen some interesting jigs on youtube to square up faces and such, but would prefer to avoid the extra work if I can. <S> Anyway, in short sections it's very likely the wood will be flat enough for you to work with since you're unlikely to buy any pieces with a bad warp or cup to begin with <S> I would just make sure they're reasonably flat (flat enough that they'll come together using just hand pressure, or light clamp pressure), lightly sand the glue <S> faces to clean the wood, then glue and clamp.
| Regardless of individual standards for 'good enough' you should prep the wood prior to glueing it up because ideally this should be done using freshly worked wood . Squaring the faces of boards is a job for some kind of plane or a wide-belt sander, not a table saw or router.
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Hinge a 25mm worktop to fold upwards I have started to rebuild my home office and due to a shortage of space have to have a 3-section desk. The first is fixed in place over the top of the void above the stairs with supporting cupboards underneath. The second piece (the one in question) will need to hinge upwards (too long to hinge downwards) to allow for an extending bed used occasionally. The third is not in question here as will be clip on so easily removed and light use. My question is, how best to hinge this piece of desk. The desk is 25mm thick laminated MDF, the framework below is 18mm Laminated MDF. I obviously want the two pieces to sit close together, and thought about attaching a protruding 18mm piece of wood to the fixed desk and using full overlay cabinet hinges (6 of) that way the weight of the desk when closed would rest on the wood rather than the hinge, and it would only be opened about 6 times a year when people visit. But if anyone has any better ideas...I would happily listen right now. <Q> However, you would only need 2 or 3, rather than 6. <S> However, why hinge at all? <S> Support both ends, and add dowels and holes (1 per end) to keep the piece from shifting, and just lift it off and store it out the way when you want to use the bed. <A> If you want it to fold down, this is basically a drop-leaf table. <S> If you want it to fold upward, it's more like a drop-down table Searching those terms should find some designs you could base yours on. <A> I would recommend using a Soss style hinge: example <S> This will be fully concealed, and will be strong enough to support the weight of the top all the way through the movement. <S> A Euro style hinge is not made to support the weight of a top in this orientation, and, at best, you would be looking for a blind corner Euro hinge to operate in this situation. <S> Any type of butt hinge will show through the top, if not protrude and create a catch for any objects that may slide over it. <S> Soss hinges also will create the thinnest reveal gap between the two tops, at 1/16". <S> They make these hinges for many different thicknesses as well. <S> I had to make a custom maple bartop for a restaurant, and they wanted the pass through to fold up, and we used this type of hinge.
| I believe you have the right idea, and overlay hinges are the way to go. The more hinges you add to a surface, especially if they are independent, the greater the chance that they will interfere with easy operation due to their rotation axes not being aligned.
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Are factory edges of plywood straight? Watching some videos on youtube, it seems that sometimes they use the factory edge as a straight edge (e.g., run it along the table saw fence to cut a parallel side). Other times they trim off that edge by running an edge they cut along the table saw fence. Does it depend on the type or quality of the plywood? <Q> In fact it's common to use one of the factory edges as a straight reference when building a jig or tool guide. <A> It depends. <S> For the most part yes they are 'straight'. <S> But, more often than not, they are marred and damaged through the course of their transit from manufacturing to you, and will have indentations, of even small fragments protruding from the inner layers. <S> It is always good practice to start with a clean cut on any store bought wood, and most carpenters, framers, and woodworkers will do this as a standard. <S> If you intend to apply edgebanding, or any finish, or any type of joinery, you should be cutting a new edge. <S> Now that being said, if you are tight on your yield, the factory edge can be used, depending on the project. <S> For sheathing and framing, the factory edges will always be used for full sheets. <A> Are factory edges of plywood straight? <S> Yes. <S> No. <S> But in general you can trust the edges to be straight (and the corners to be square) but never assume they are , check they are. <S> How straight the edges remain depends on many factors, not least of which are what has happened to the plywood since it was made, including storage conditions, handling and stacking.
| If not damaged, factory edges of plywood sheets are straight and square enough for most practical purposes. You can check for straight pretty quickly just by eyeing down the edge.
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How to avoid damaging the ends of mortise holes when chiseling? I've watched a couple of videos of making mortises. What technique should I use to remove (bulk) waste from the hole without damaging the ends of the mortise hole? Clearly levering against them will bruise or dent the wood. I'm really looking for a technique which allows me to reliably clear the debris without risking damage. I'm especially looking for answers more specific than "be careful". Edit: I'm not talking about the paring stage, I'm talking about bulk waste removal. <Q> First, as Aloysius says above, you should stay away from the ends of the mortise during bulk removal. <S> 1/16 of an inch or 1-2mm should be sufficient. <S> Now, when you have done a bunch of chopping, and you have chips clogging the mortise, you need to clear them out, as you said. <S> Use a bench chisel that is one "size" below your mortising chisel. <S> For example, a 1/4 inch if you are doing a 3/8 inch mortise. <S> Guide the chisel with the thumb and forefinger of your non-dominant hand as you work it into the chips. <S> Then, still lightly pinching the chisel, rest your non-dominant forefinger on the board and use it as fulcrum as you lever the waste out of the hole. <S> The chisel should not touch the end of the mortise if you do this correctly. <A> Don't lever. <A> Paul Sellers is a master craftsman, author of several books and some very good video tutorials. <S> He does several on cutting mortises - this one probably being most relevant to this topic. <S> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPBkO2chZxk <S> I've learned a lot from watching his videos, still dont have the skill to implement the lessons very well as yet - very much a novice at this. <A> Are you looking to use only hand tools? <S> If you have a router, this can get the majority of the mortise bottom flat with a flat bottom bit. <S> Then the corners will be easier to chisel out. <S> A drill with a forstner bit can be used to accomplish this as well. <S> If you have a drill press, that would be ideal. <S> There are also hollow chisel mortising attachments you can buy for drill presses that will make perfectly square mortises, and many woodoworkers will "drag" this along the bottom to achieve a relatively flat mortise bottom. <S> If you want to use only hand tools, a router plane would be capable of achieving this, coming from both directions to get into the corners. <A> Borrowing from my own answer about this very topic : Auger Bits <S> Whether you are going for traditional techniques or powered/hand hybrid auger bits would be a tool of choice for this. <S> Using auger bits that are the exact width of you hole you are trying to make, in a brace and bit or drill, you can easily remove waste and not have to worry about going "outside the lines". <S> Stagger the holes and you will get a similar shape like that of the ones you have pictured. <S> From Chris' Project Page As you can see from the above image (mortise in a workbench) most of the wood was removed with auger bit. <S> The screw tip and the shape help to naturally create straight holes. <S> I'm really looking for a technique which allows me to reliably clear the debris without risking damage Be careful when/if you are exiting out the other side. <S> To mitigate damage you can Used waste/scrap wood (clamp well) <S> Count <S> the rotations it takes until the screw (eye) just shows proud on the other side (A Roy Underhill suggestion). <S> Mark the depth of your bits using masking tape. <S> Feel for the screw/eye coming out <S> Most of those suggestions will work in tandem. <S> This way you can turn the work over and have cleaner edges on the outside.
| Pare straight downward into the opening, taking it in multiple passes if necessary, and letting the chisel act as a wedge to do the work.
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How to use a router to cut a thick wood board Having purchased a trim router just recently, I'm practicing some simple woodworking. At the moment, I have a 4 feet x 4 feet plywood board (3/4 inch thick) that I want to separate into 4 square pieces of 2 feet x 2 feet (approximately, plus or minus an inch-ish accountable to kerf). Should I go for it with the router using a Straight bit like this one ? If so, how do I cut so deep as the board thickness (3/4 inch)? <Q> Make sure you have sacrificial material on the underside <S> so you don't cut into your workbench or floor on the last pass. <S> That said, the work will go a lot faster and easier with a table saw or circular saw . <A> Something else to always consider when using routers is that the bit is rotating perpendicular to what a saw blade would be, so when making a linear cut like you are describing, you would be surrounding the bit with material, forcing it to cut essentially on three sides. <S> This is very taxing on both the bit and the router, and can be dangerous if you aren't used to it. <S> If you don't have a table saw, or a very good circular saw, you can use a jigsaw or handsaw to break down the wood into rough sizes (maybe 1/16"-1/8" oversize) and then use a straight edge and your router with a flush trim bit or a collar to get a clean and straight cut. <S> Routers are very versatile and useful tools when used right, but very dangerous and can lead to disappointing results when not used right. <A> Routers are great for shaping corners and edges, or cutting recesses into a surface, but are generally not the optimal choice for through cuts except template-guided ones. <S> Is there a reason you aren't using a saw for this task?
| If you are in a pinch and your router has a plunge base, you certainly could cut all the way through the plywood with a spiral or straight bit, using a straightedge and cutting in 1/8" deep passes.
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How to remove sticker price tags from wood without leaving residue I have this poplar hobby wood that has price tag stickers on it. When I am peeling them off, they kind of tear, and of course it seems to leaving a residue behind when portions do come off. How can I get these price tag stickers off in a way that the wood will okay to take stain in those places? <Q> How can I get these price tag stickers off in a way <S> that the wood will okay to take stain in those places ? <S> Re. <S> the highlighted portion, you shouldn't need to worry about that because the surface of the wood should be worked enough that this stops being a concern — it's good practice never to attempt to stain, or otherwise finish 1 , any wood bought pre-dimensioned without at least doing something to prep the surface (these days usually light sanding). <S> For the sticker residue, scraping should get most or all of it off. <S> This can be done using a card scraper, any sharp blade or the long edges of a chisel, whatever works best for you..... or whichever happens to be closest :-) <S> Any traces remaining will be dealt with when you surface the wood, either by planing, scraping or sanding. <S> Note: although the right solvent 2 will deal with 99% of sticker residues if you use this as the only step on wood there's a risk some of the dissolved adhesive will soak into the surface wood fibres, which will act as a 'resist' (stain-blocker). <S> This can sometimes be visible even if only varnishing. <S> So physical or abrasive means are the right call here. <S> 1 <S> This includes primer or paint. <S> 2 <S> Usually either mineral spirits or denatured alcohol (UK: white spirit or methylated spirits). <A> A cabinet scraper might be another solution, removing the wood the glue adhered to. <A> I'd use mineral spirits or another solvent (lacquer thinner, denatured alcohol, etc.) <S> to remove the residue. <S> You should verify compatibility with your finishing product before use. <A> Guide a razor blade along the lifting edge of the sticker as you peel it off. <S> This will usually get most of the adhesive. <S> Afterward, sand the entire surface lightly with a fine grit so the surface takes stain uniformly.
| If you have remains of a sticker left, you can skim off most of the residue and sticker remains with a razor blade or sharp chisel, being careful not to gouge into the surface or cut through the top veneer if working with plywood or other veneered material.
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Flattening the face of a board without using a jointer I've seen a lot of jigs to do edge jointing on a table saw or router, including this question . I haven't seen much for flattening one of the faces, though. If the board is narrow (less than ~3"), I can run it on the freshly-jointed edge through my table saw and flatten and square the face that way. But what about wider boards? Hand planes would work, of course, but are there other methods using a table saw, router, and/or jigs like there are for edge jointing? <Q> There are abundant versions of this posted online so this is just a sample: <S> It must be said though, this technique is perhaps best kept in reserve for major stock removal, e.g. taking out most or all of the bow or twist from particularly hard or gnarly woods, flattening wide boards or glue-ups and for slabs, not used for everyday flattening of stock. <S> It can however be considered the go-to method for flattening the tops of stumps or trunk slices, and for conventional butcher blocks, where you're dealing with all end grain which is punishing to plane manually and dangerous to run through a thickness planer. <S> If you want to see these in action here are a few YouTube links: Joint and Thickness-Plane with a Router from American Woodworker Flattening Boards with a Router Sled from Matt Cremona 174 - Flattening Workbenches and Wide Boards With A Router from The Wood Whisperer <A> There are jigs which are used for flattening the face of large slabs, which are basically a rail on each side with a rigid beam bridging them to carry a router. <S> As far as I know, the folks who use these follow up with jointer planes and winding sticks to make sure the surface is really flat without dips or twist. <S> If you have a planer, a jointing sled on the planer might be a suction. <S> If you have a large drum sander, a simar sled on that might be worth trying. <S> Depending on the size of the job and what you are starting with, going straight to a traditional jointer plane might be just as fast as any of the powered solutions. <A> Two additional methods using a planer. <S> Planer Sled <S> The first is to make a jig consisting of a flat length of ply or mdf. <S> Put the wood to be jointed on top, and use a series of wedges to "level" the bottom of the board and stop it rocking. <S> (Double sided tape helps to keep them in place. <S> Once ready you can pass the board through the planer as normal to make side level, then flip and level the other side. <S> Picture below for clarity - but if you're going to try this I would recommend watching one of the many youtube videos demonstrating it. <S> Handplane and Planer <S> Contrary to popular opinion, a board doesn't have to be 100% <S> perfectly jointed to run through a planer - particularly if it's thick or short. <S> You can use a hand plane to roughly level the board, making sure it sits roughly flat and fairly stable (ie doesn't rock). <S> Once this is done, you can pass this through a planer, roughly flattened side down. <S> When the top is planned flat and smooth, then flip again to level the other side. <S> This has worked well for me for wood up to about 3' or 4' in length. <S> If I had need to flatten something longer I would probably try the sled method above. <S> Cheating <S> I mill a fair chunk of my own lumber - <S> often this leaves me with wood less than 3' long, but about 2" - 3" thick. <S> Provided the milling left a reasonable surface <S> I'll run it through the planer as is. <S> The wood is too thick and short to banana in the planer. <S> The main thing to watch out for here is that the board is hitting the planer relatively level. <S> If the bottom of the board is curved, the curve itself will lift up the board as it goes through, resulting in a non-flat bit of wood.
| Possibly the best method to flatten the face of a board using power tools not specifically designed for that job is with a router mounted in a planing sled/levelling sled. The other option is to use a handplane to roughly level the board.
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Is it necessary to apply finish to both sides of a table top? I am building a very large (110" X 48") dining table. I intend to finish the wood by applying Danish oil and a water-based, oil-modified, polyurethane. Since it won't be exposed to wear, is it necessary to seal the underside of the table? <Q> Bob Flexner says it is unnecessary to finish both sides of a table top: ...finishing the undersides of tabletops or the insides of cabinets or chests has only limited impact on reducing the likelihood of future problems. <S> The only reasons to go to the trouble are for looks and feel — both of which are perfectly legitimate. <S> But neither has anything to do with stabilizing the wood... <A> I think it should be considered depending on the use the table is intended for. <S> I deal poker in a casino where I sit at the table as high as I can, this means my legs are often up against the bottom of the table. <S> I have picked up a lot of small splinter over the years. <S> I think in some cases it would be nice if there had been some finish on there that would of kept the grain and splinter from rising. <A> Wood species, dimensions, grain patterns, moisture levels, and how the boards are joined will be the primary factors regarding movement. <S> The only reason to seal the underside is for the aesthetic appeal of a fully finished piece. <S> My current dining table is walnut veneer over walnut with an unfinished underside. <S> It was made in the 1950's and is still in excellent condition.
| No, sealing the underside of the table is not necessary.
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How to make shallow flat-bottomed hole on 5mm thickness wood slice? I want to make a wood slice magnet which an extra thickness magnet is inserted on a 5mm thickness wood slice. Here is my material. The trouble is that I couldn't find a suitable forstner for it, and a pilot hole may break the thin slice. After deep research, I found someone use router: (The left one) It looks nice, but soon I found holding a small wood slice for routing is different case. Is there a better tool for my need? <Q> If you have a plunge router, I'd clamp the wood slice from above with a larger chunk of wood. <S> To help a little with maintaining position, I'd tack two tracks onto your worktop. <S> (Make them shorter than your wood slice, of course. <S> If you're doing more than a couple, I'd screw the larger chunk of wood to the base of the router for perfect alignment. <S> (If that's too bothersome, plunge the bit into the hole you've made -- power cord unplugged, of course -- to maintain alignment when you're clamping everything in place. <S> This will take a few attempts, as you can no longer see your slice for alignment.) <S> Then clamp everything up and go for it. <S> If you haven't screwed the guide wood to your router, then you'll need to clamp the router down as well. <S> With the hole established in the larger chunk of wood, you should be able to put crosshairs on the slice and eyeball the alignment. <A> I think a drill bit is clearly the better option. <S> If you can find a suitable flat bit/spade bit cheaply you might also like to try this proposed modification from a previous Answer. <S> Regardless of the method used to mill the recess <S> your main difficulty is in holding such small pieces so that the wood is secure and the operation is safe, so that's the thing to concentrate on. <S> With a router you'd need to build a custom clamping rig with jaws that were the same thickness as your slices or slightly thinner, and additionally the wood needs to be held tighter because of the very high speeds that routers run at. <S> It's much simpler with a drill bit since the clamping device or aid can be thicker than the workpiece (much thicker in fact because of the long shaft on the bit) and it won't get in the way. <S> One of the standard ways woodworkers hold small parts is with a handscrew: <S> These both show routing operations but you can see how you could just as easily do the same for drilling. <S> You probably don't own a handscrew and although a simple version is easy enough to make at home a number of other clamp types are capable of holding the work in a similar way. <S> F-clamps, quick clamps and even a shorter sash clamp could all be used for this without any problem. <S> Personally I think you could safely hold the workpiece by hand if you have a drill stand or pillar drill, but if you want to be more careful than that another trick would be to attach the slices to a long piece of wood that you can clamp firmly off to one side or hold by hand with your fingers safely away from the spinning bit. <S> But if you find it's not secure enough <S> I suggest you try using superglue between two strips of tape as I describe in <S> How do I temporarily attach two pieces of wood together for machining? <A> Using a Forstner or brad point bit or router, you can cut the recess before cutting out your circle and slicing it to 5mm thick. <S> Optionally make a guide and grind off the center spur, if using a Forstner bit. <S> Alternately, drill all the way through, then slice thinner slices and glue each O-shaped slice onto a circle of the same diameter.
| Either a router or a Forstner (or similar) drill bit are both good ways to make the recesses you want, but in a small piece of wood There are various ways to temporarily bond one piece of wood to another, and here double-sided tape may work perfectly well.
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Considerations for using smaller diameter blades on table saw? I need a 1/16" kerf for a project. All the 10" blades I can find that thin are into hundreds of dollars. Meanwhile, I see thin-kerf 7.25" Freud Diablo blades selling for under $15 . These say they're rated for 10,000 rpm. (My saw says no-load speed is 4,800 rpm.) I don't need to make deep cuts, nor am I doing high volume. So other than reduced cut depth, and heat concerns with extended cutting, is there any reason not to put one of these smaller-diameter blades in my 10" table saw? <Q> I use 7.25" and 8" blades on a 10" table saw all the time, with no problem. <S> You will have less depth of cut, of course, and also a reduction of rim speed,which will slightly increase chances of tearout, and slightly reduce risk of burning, both to a negligible degree under most conditions. <S> Go for it. <A> It's common to use 8" dado sets on 10" table saws. <S> There is also going to be a reduction in the speed at which the teeth meet the wood, and increase in torque. <S> (Circumference is pi*diameter, so this is linear with blade size for a given RPM). <S> That may affect cutting behavior, but I'm not sure what the effects might be. <A> If you are doing through cuts, your table saw's stock riving knife will not be close enough to the back side of the blade to prevent kickback. <S> To address this, you can create a custom throat plate with an appropriately-sized and -located splitter. <A> To add to rob's answer, it is unlikely that your saw's factory riving knife/splitter will be thin enough to pass through the smaller kerf. <S> This may require you to remove the splitter or purchase/make one that will work safely with the blade kerf and diameter you are considering. <S> If, however, your saw is not currently equipped with that safety measure, nothing really changes by moving to a thinner blade.
| The main disadvantage of a smaller blade is simply that your maximum cut depth is reduced.
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How can I accurately cross-cut a board that is too wide for my table saw? I have some 0.75" x 14" wide boards that I'm trying cut to lengths in the 50-60" range. It's important that the cuts be precise, and true. However, 14" is too wide for any of my sleds or miter slides on my table saw. I'm having a very difficult time cutting these. The closest I've got so far is to attach the miter slide to the board and slide it through. The problem is it's 1) very difficult to position the edge of the blade at the cut line while also positioning the board on the slide, and 2) at the start of the cut the slide is barely in the track, maybe a half inch or so, and it doesn't stabilize until it's about 6" in, so it's extremely difficult to keep the cut straight (this also makes problem #1 even harder): (That drawing is not really to scale but hopefully it is clear.) The right edge of that board isn't actually straight, so I couldn't put, say, a fence over there. I also tried building a really long sled but I haven't been able to make anything satisfactory, esp. having problems making long straight slides that are smooth in the tracks, and making it strong enough to support the piece. So far either that seems to be an impossible task, or I don't have the skill for it, or a combination of both. What are my options? I don't mind building other sleds, I'm just... not sure what to do. Note that it is not the 50-60" length that is the problem, it is the 14" width that is the problem in relation to the front-to-back size of my table saw. <Q> This is something that I would not want to cross cut on the table saw in this case. <S> If you had a sliding panel saw, you could but not in this case. <S> This is a perfect scenario for a track saw. <S> As I am assuming you do not own one, or you would have already used it, you can make your own straight edge for a normal circular saw fairly easily. <A> For just a few cuts, a handsaw, properly sharpened, is way faster than fooling around with jigs or fences. <S> A 3/4 inch board will cross cut at about one inch per stroke.... <S> Do the math. <A> Another good idea, especially if you're making multiple cuts, is to build a jig out of plywood that has runners to fit into the mitre gauge slots on the bottom, and a square to blade raised edge on the top side to rest your boards against. <S> You can use dimensional lumber for square edge to be sure it has flat surfaces to work with. <S> The piece of plywood needs to be wider than the board widths you want to cut, and long enough to reach across two guide rails to remain square and true when pushing long boards across the table top. <S> You can add stops if you want using a simple "C" clamp, but the jig needs to be long enough for your stop yo mount to. <S> A small bridge across the leading edge at the cut will keep the two pieces of plywood (across the blade) together. <S> You should have a short side to provide under-support on both sides of the cut to help prevent tear-out on the back side; but it's not 100% needed. <S> Example: <A> In this case you need to use a circular saw (or handsaw). <S> You will need 2 saw horses. <S> (If you were cutting in the middle of a long board, you might need 3 saw horses or even 4 if you want to maximize stability.) <S> You set the board up on the saw horses and then use the circular saw in conjunction with a square. <S> There are many different commercial circular saw squares you can buy, such as the Kreg "Square-Cut" (just one example). <A> I use a track saw for all cuts like this. <S> I have the Festool, but the Dewalt or Makita ones work well also, or you can make a DIY version of one with some 1/2" plywood and a circular saw. <S> I place the plywood on a sheet of foam insulation on the ground so it is supported on both sides of the cut. <S> Much easier than trying to manhandle large sheets of plywood or MDF, and quite accurate as well. <S> I use the Seneca Parallel Guides for making repeat cuts. <S> I like this so much that I cut down the fence on my Unisaw from 52" to 34" since I never use the table saw for sheet goods any more. <A> If you have a miter saw you could make one cut and get about halfway (or more, depending on the blade size) through the 14". <S> Flip the board over so the side with the cut is facing out, line the blade up in the kerf of the first cut, and finish the cut that way. <A> This is not a cut you should be using a miter gauge for. <S> Instead you should be using the fence as the guide. <S> If you don't have a good reference edge you can attach a scrap board that is parallel to the cut you want to make to push against the edge. <S> Check which side of the table saw is bigger, that is where the big piece should be supported. <S> Put the fence on the other side. <S> If that is not enough support you can use a sawhorse or two to act as a table extension or actually build table extensions if you expect to do more of these kind of cuts.
| If it were me, I would cut it close with a jigsaw, and then use a straight edge, and a flush trim bit on a router to get it exact
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Storing a tree trunk for furniture We are cutting down a large hardwood tree that we would like to use for table tops. Can we store the tree trunk before cutting it into pieces for drying and if so, how should it be stored? Or... do we need to go ahead and have it milled as soon as possible? Ideally...It might be a year before we would have the trunk milled. We have no experience in this area. Thanks <Q> In general no, you can't store large pieces of downed hardwood trees for extended periods and expect to get usable lumber out of them down the road. <S> Although you can 'age' a section of log (even whole tree trunks) it's not something you can get reliable results from*. <S> This applies particularly to hardwood species as the heartwood (which is dead wood even when the tree is living) tends to begin to rot. <S> The rot can then spread to the sapwood, although in most cases it is the heartwood which is most desirable. <S> So it's a much better idea to get it sawn into slabs/planks as soon as possible <S> and then dry it in that form, suitably stickered and under cover if necessary, depending on your climate and local weather. <S> * <S> This is done on a very limited scale commercially possibly because it's difficult to control the outcome. <S> It's so rare that many people working in wood at mill level don't even know of it. <A> What I have seen in some wood working videos is wrapping plastic around it. <S> So get some plastic wrap and wrap all the way around the log. <S> This would keep it safe and stuff <S> but it will also trap in the moisture the wood would have. <S> Which if you do not want then, well sorry <S> but this is all I could offer as a answer. <S> But wrapping it in plastic usually will not allow cracking and some other problems. <S> If you do mill still wrap it up. <S> That will prevent cracking and wrap for sure. <A> It is advisable to debark the trunk, because the bark might harbor insects or fungus. <S> After debarking it, rough sand it just to make sure you have a nice clean surface. <S> Seal both ends of the trunk with polyurethane. <S> This will prevent cracking and splitting, and will also prevent entry of excessive moisture. <S> Store the trunk in a dry place, like a de-humidified basement. <S> If you have to store it outdoors, support it a good 16 inches from the ground and protect it from the rain with a plastic tarp. <S> Use brick or cinder block to keep it off the ground. <S> Make the supports every 30 inches or so, don't just support it at the ends or it will bow. <S> The tarp should be air-tight on all sides except the bottom. <S> Even a small hole on the outside will allow rain and flying insects to come in. <S> Flying insects will not normally enter through the bottom. <S> Crawling insects should not be a problem as long as the supports are made of brick or cinder block. <S> (do not make the supports out of wood) <S> Nevertheless, periodically inspect the supports to make sure termites are not making a mud tunnel to the trunk. <S> Normally borer type insects will only plant their larva on a live tree. <S> There are some insects that will attack dead trees, but they are not a concern, except for termites and carpenter ants. <S> As long as the trunk is kept dry and inspected, they should not be a problem. <S> If desired, the trunk can be dried by making a charcoal bed 12-16 inches underneath it such that the bottom of the trunk is maintained around 180-degrees Farenheit and is rotated frequently to keep the heat even.
| As long as the trunk is protected from moisture and insects, it will be preserved.
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How can I carve out an inset in butcher block? I am trying to create a topper for my subwoofers to turn them into an end-table/subwoofer. My plan is to get a piece of 1⅜" butcher block and take about ½" out of the middle so it will fit over the top off the woofer so it doesn't slide around. How can I remove just the middle part of the wood? I'm not sure if this is called an inset or not. <Q> Then if you use a flush trim bearing bit, you can create a template the size of the cutout, and work your way out from the middle until your are flush trimming to the template. <A> It would be way easier to add edging to a board, rather than to rout out a pocket in a single, monolithic piece of wood. <S> To connect edging to a board you would first cut 45-degree angles on each of the 4 pieces of edging (if you have a mitre saw). <S> To attach the edging to the main board there are multiple options: <S> (1) glue, (2) biscuits, (3) dowel pins, (4) nails, or (5) dovetail (fancy). <S> You can also make a rabbet in the main board and a matching rabbet on the edge pieces with a table saw. <S> This will make for a firmer joint, if desired. <S> One advantage of making a rabbetted joint is that you can screw the edging in from bottom, so the screws will be hidden. <S> The basic idea of rabbetted joint is shown below: <S> Note that you can either cut the rabbet from a single board, or just screw boards together and get the same effect, which is even easier. <S> To mill a pocket, normally a woodworker will use a router and then chisel out the corners. <S> This is necessary because a router has a round bit, so the corners will be rounded. <S> To make them square, they need to be cut out by hand with a chisel. <A> If you are able to make the butcher block yourself, you could create it with the outside blocks longer than the inner ones. <S> Similar to the answer from @Treow Wyrhta but instead of long boards, match the butcher block. <S> My in-laws had a an old butcher's table that was made this way. <S> You also would not need to miter the corners as it would all be vertical blocks. <S> Basically replace the brown in his image with vertical blocks matching those in the rest of the top. <S> (Sorry, I cannot comment here at this time)
| One option would be to mount a long baseplate on your router (like a long piece of plywood or mdf with a hole in it for your bit), so that it spans across the width of the butcher block at all times.
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Recommended tools for a lathe I am making a homemade lathe with a drill. I have previously done some wood carving and looking to get into some lathe / turning work. I have a few chisels from some wood carving and wondering what the difference is and what type of tools I could use for that. <Q> While for a some turning work you probably could get away using some chisels as I have seen it done <S> but I highly recommend you invest in a semi-decent set of tools just to get yourself started out (pre-assembled set or your own custom <S> set if you buy the tools individually). <S> The main difference in the types of tools are the bevels and grinds on the tool as well as the metal type and hardening as that determines how well the tools will hold an edge and how/how often they will be need to be sharpened <S> (I assume you have some knowledge of this <S> is you have done carving before?). <S> In addition the metal quality is important due to the heat generated from the rpm of the wood as it passes over the metal. <S> The type of tools you are going to want is going to vary some depending on what you are turning (Spindle, bowls, pens, etc) <S> but here is a list of tools I would recommend you get to start out. <S> These tools should allow you to do most turning just it may be more difficult to make certain cuts or do certain tasks dependent on what you choose to turn. <S> Tool List <S> Parting Tool - Used for, well parting a piece when you finish it as well as making tenons and precise cuts. <S> Skew Chisel - Used for making a smoother cut but also gives you the capability to do so in a more controlled tighter fashion. <S> Spindle Gouge - Same idea as a roughing gouge just a smaller more controlled area. <S> Round Nose Scraper - Used to again make a smoother cut but in rounded parts of the wood <S> (you could get a square end scraper <S> but I would recommend theround nose just based on my own preference). <A> You can use chisels and other tools that were not specifically made for turning <S> but you shouldn't expect their edges to hold up for very long. <S> Even with commercial turning tools made from steel frequent sharpening is the norm, so with anything less robust than this you're going to be sharpening a lot <S> so be prepared ahead of time. <S> As much as the hardness of the wood being turned the speed of rotation and the size of the piece are factors — remember that for any given RPM the edge of a larger piece of wood is moving faster than a smaller piece of wood, so it becomes more abrasive and there is greater chance it can fracture or crack the cutting edge of a tool. <S> Some related info in a couple of previous Q&As: <S> Can I use sculptor chisels with a lathe? <S> What should one consider when purchasing an intro turning chisel set? <S> How can I tell if wood turning (lathe) chisels are sharp? <A> Not listed in mvr007's answer is the bowl gouge . <S> Historically I have used a large bowl gouge (e.g. Ellsworth 1/2" Bowl Gouge) for 90% of my work turning, only shying away to another tool for some tight spindle details, parting, and really tough roughing. <S> More recently I have been using scrapers with replaceable carbide tips (e.g. Easy Wood Tools). <S> Since starting to use them they have served about 70% of my needs.
| Roughing Gouge - Used for making rough cuts and taking lots of wood off rapidly.
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Orbital sander papers coming off I'm own a Black&Decker orbital sander ( can be found here , using hook and loop papers), which is generally a good tool except for the fact that the sanding papers fall off before their sand becomes unusable. I tried using different paper brands, but same result - paper usually comes off way before it becomes not-sandy. Anything I'm missing? Or do I need a better sander/papers? <Q> This is the "hook" part of the hook and loop system. <S> This is a typical point of failure for orbital sanders, so it should be fairly easy to find one. <S> If you find you are going through them frequently (in addition to the steps in Rob's answer) you should consider using a "pad protector". <S> This is just a two-sided sheet with "hooks" on one side and "loops" on the other. <S> They are made for mesh sandpaper where the hooks are destroyed under normal use by poking through the mesh and contacting the workpiece. <A> Be sure to check whether the hooks (part of the hook-and-loop) on the backing pad are intact (not melted) and not clogged, all the way out to the edge of the pad. <S> Usually the hooks around the edge become damaged first. <S> If this is the case, you will need to replace the backing pad or the sander. <S> It looks like replacement parts for your model are readily available online. <S> If you find that you are regularly burning up the hooks on your sander's pad, try turning down the speed if your sander has a speed control. <S> I burned through 2 or 3 sanding pad attachments for my oscillating tool before realizing this. <S> Also try connecting a vacuum or dust extractor to the sander to help get more airflow for cooling, as well as helping to prevent the paper from becoming clogged and overheating. <S> Or, as Jacob Edmund suggested in a comment on your original question, you may be able to replace the backing pad with a smooth one designed for use with adhesive-backed sandpaper. <A> You don't need to use different paper or replace the bottom pad with a smooth one for adhesives. <S> You just need a replacement pad. <S> A search for "Black & Decker 5" replacement pad" will show you what you need. <S> You can buy them at hardware stores that carry Black & Decker or online. <S> If you look at the bottom of your sander you will see the 8 dust holes <S> but you will also see a few holes that to down to screws. <S> You can unscrew them and remove the bottom pad and screw the new one on. <S> You can avoid damaging your new one in many ways, many said already, including minimizing heat and pressure. <S> But the most important thing to do is align the dust holes on the pad with the holes on the paper . <S> The downside of this is you need to get sandpaper that has holes that align, probably brand specific. <S> But anytime you leave a hole on the paper over the pad's hooks, you will be sanding down those hooks as if there was no paper on.
| It sounds like you need to replace the pad on your sander.
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Do I need to laminate both sides of plywood or can I coat one side and laminate the other I am relatively new to woodworking. I am in the process of laminating plywood (which will be used as a tabletop and also to hide the actual support for the table). I have googled alot and found different answers. Some are not even for plywood.My question is do I need to laminate both sides? The cost and time will be high if I do laminate.. Some parts of the plywood will be sealed to the wall so that will be useless to laminate. Can I get away with laminating one side and just coating the other side with varnish or something else (please recommend me). The humidity here is almost constant, <Q> Part of the answer depends upon the size of the piece, its thickness, and possibly the number of layers in the panel. <S> I do not know any hard and fast rules for making a determination but here are some considerations. <S> The grain in each layer is set perpendicular so that strength in the panel resists the tendency of adjacent layers to curl as moisture and temperature generate distorting stresses. <S> Plywood panels have odd number of layers so that the opposing forces are balanced helping the panel keep a flat profile. <S> If the plywood panel is small (<18" width and depth) and the panel is thicker (3/4") adding a thin veneer layer on one side only will probably work. <S> As the dimensions increase or the thickness decreases the risk of distortion increases. <S> Of course, if the surface applied on the face is thicker, it will generate more stress in the panel. <S> Painting one side will not prevent moisture penetration and curling. <S> Moisture is tenacious and will find a way in generating stress in the panel. <S> The edges of the panel will be especially vulnerable to admitting moisture. <S> However, the steady humidity in your chart is a good thing and will help. <S> There are other panel materials such as MDF or particle boards which can be used as a substrate that are not subject to the same stresses that could be used. <S> For instance, kitchen countertops are only laminated on one side (with a waterproof membrane no less) and maintain a flat profile for long periods. <S> despite humid conditions. <S> If there is a design reason such as maintaining a specified thickness for only veneering one side, then it is worth a shot, otherwise I would recommend surfacing both sides. <A> On the other hand, plywood is much more stable than solid wood, so a thin veneer on the top only will probably be OK. <S> Please note that it is not necessary to use the same wood for the top and bottom veneer. <S> Traditional veneered work used expensive high quality veneers (for example, walnut burr), for the outside and a much cheaper "backing veneer" on the inside. <S> That kept the forces balanced, without having to waste money on expensive veneers that wouldn't be seen. <A> For one sided, good one side panels, we will apply a backer to the unfinished backside to maintain a balanced panel. <S> If you have laminate on the face, you ideally want a laminate on the backside. <S> The liner can be a commodity product, and doesn't need to match the color of the face, so it can be something less expensive. <S> Plywood is a core that is far more likely to warp than other options like MDF or even particle board. <S> Laminating a single face will certainly exacerbate the warping, depending on the size and application. <S> Here is a really great resource from Formica on the subject. <S> Formica <S> ® Laminate byformica Group / Avoid Laminate-Clad Panel warPAGETECHNICAL BRIEF
| As a rule of thumb, when laminating or veneering any panel, you want to keep it balanced, meaning applying the same, or close to equal finishes to each side. As others have said, "it depends".
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What is the best way to transport (ply)wood on the roof of a vehicle? I just bought an SUV, so I can now transport boards much more easily than in my sedan. However, the SUV is not big enough to fit 4x8' or 5x5' sheet goods, even with the 2nd and 3rd row seats folded down. I may be able to tilt the sheet goods, but that still may not fit. I do have roof racks, so thought that might be a better way to go. I worry about wind getting under the sheet goods and lifting them, though, especially since my hardwood dealer is ~20 miles away via highways. Is there a good way to tie sheet goods to an SUV roof rack, that would prevent them from lifting up from wind? Or is there a jig I can build to more safely transport wood on the roof rack? <Q> Drive Very Slowly, and Do Not Overload. <S> The Car Talk guys have a story about a friend who sheared off most of the front of his car when he stopped suddenly but the pile of plywood on the roof didn't. <S> Personal recommendations: Install a proper roof rack, secure strongly to that without exceeding it's cargo rating, consider a leading airfoil, and drive slow. <S> Or tTpransport plywood inside the vehicle. <S> Cut it down to rough sizes first if full sheets won't fit. <S> Mist yards have panel saws and will make some number of cuts free or cheap. <S> If it still wouldn't fit, borrow a van or pickup, rent a truck or pay to have it delivered to site. <S> The risks from doing it wrong greatly exceed the cost of doing it right. <A> I transport 4x8 plywood on my roof racks, I usually run a couple of 2x4s under the roof racks the full length of the ply and strap to those at the front and back as well as strapping to the actual roof racks. <S> Makes it a lot harder for the winds to lift it up. <A> Even then, I personally would't be very comfortable hauling more than a couple hundred pounds on the roof. <S> I was only hauling across town so didn't have to worry about highway speeds in those cases, but I would have taken a tip from truckers and added dunnage or blocking to help focus the pressure of the tie-downs (possibly flexing the sheets slightly) and help keep multiple sheets from sliding against each other and prevent the edges from getting marred by having ratchet straps wrapped directly around them. <S> Note also that most cars these days only come with the roof rails, and you have to buy the cross bars separately. <S> If you do not have cross bars, it will be more difficult to properly secure your cargo and keep it from sliding forward and backward as you decelerate and accelerate. <S> That said, I much prefer using my 4'x8' utility trailer. <S> It is very easy to secure the load so it doesn't slide around, and if you get one with sides and/or a fold-down ramp on the back, it's even easier. <S> I've also used it to haul heavy stationary tools, yard waste, and water-damaged basement carpet and pad. <S> Granted, it requires some space for storage, but there have been quite a few instances in which it was way easier to load and unload my trailer than it would have been to use a roof rack or truck.
| I've hauled sheet goods on a roof rack and even on the top of a car without a roof rack, and it is not easy lifting full sheets up there.
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How do I cut this corner joint? I'm not sure what this joint is even called, but I saw it on a youtube.com video where the guy was showing old joinery that isn't used much any more. I'm including a rough drawing I did of what it look like. As you can see, it's basically a butt joint, but there is a small piece on the edge where he's made a 45deg bevel. They come together to make it look really nice, but I don't know how I'd easily make that cut. He used a compound miter saw, but ours doesn't tilt. Dowels and glue are what hold it together. Does anyone have an idea? Thanks. <Q> One with piece upside down and the blade at 45 degrees, the other after flipping the piece over and setting the blade at 90. <S> The Side could be done with 2 passes as well if a dado blade is used. <S> Otherwise it would be 3 passes with the first having the board on edge and hopefully a tall feather board in place. <S> For the first two cuts pay attention to blade tilt, fence location and don't bind the final piece of wood between the fence and the blade. <S> Sorry, I do not have tools to show this in pictures. <S> Another option would be router blades and a router table. <S> There are bits to make a joint similar to this, which produces the same result. <S> Also note that the dowels may be overkill, especially if this results in any frame around the top. <S> They will surely be a pain to align. <A> Given the right dimensions, it's possible to make a cut almost identical to that in one pass with a special "miter fold" dado set . <S> The specialized blade in the dado set was originally designed by Andrew Klein to simplify cutting and assembling drawers. <A> I'm not sure what this joint is even called <S> In English terminology this is a dowel-reinforced mitred rebate joint (US English substitute rabbet for rebate). <S> It is not an easy joint to form on powered equipment (fairly challenging to form by hand as well!) <S> if you want it dead accurate, which it needs to be to work at all. <S> The basic joint, without the dowels, gives the neat corner appearance of a mitre joint but adds long-grain glue surfaces to improve the strength of the glue bond. <S> But the dowels alone strengthen the joint. <S> So actually there's no point in going to the trouble of creating this joint for strength purposes. <S> I'd suggest only doing it if you want the challenge, or you want to show off the joint on an exposed edge in the finished piece (e.g. the front of a bookcase or the corner joints on a jewellery box). <S> As an alternative I would recommend this joint instead, the lock-mitre: <S> Source: <S> Lock-Mitre on Canadian Woodworking. <S> If anything it's more attractive, as the name suggests it self-locks which helps to remove the need for dowels, and as you can see from the picture <S> it is much more easily formed since you use the one router bit (and the one setup on the router table) for both end profiles. <S> Tip: if you want to go ahead with trying the joint you posted, drill the dowel holes before shaping the edges of the boards . <S> Possibly not obvious <S> but it's much easier to drill those accurately when your edges are still square. <S> Also, drill the holes that go into the end grain slightly deeper than needed so that there's no possibility of the dowels bottoming out, which would prevent the joint from closing up. <S> Not part of what you asked about <S> but I wanted to touch on it anyway. <S> He used a compound miter saw, but ours doesn't tilt. <S> You can still do this cut using a standard mitre saw for stock that isn't too wide. <S> You set up a temporary fence at exactly 45°, clamp it well <S> so it can't move (with the clamps safely positioned so they don't foul the saw body and the blade), then run the saw once to trim the fence to length. <S> Then it's just a matter of holding your workpieces upright against the fence to get accurate, repeatable edge-mitre cuts.
| The "top" piece can be cut with 2 passes on a table saw.
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Is it safe to keep the bark on a fresh/green slice of tree trunk? I just got a freshly cut slice of a big tree trunk from my friend. Thinking of using it as a table. Sanding it down etc. Now I know there's all the drying etc to consider, but the first thing I need to know before I even take this home into my house is: is the bark/tree slice a risk to bugs damaging other furniture/things? I did some research and one SE post ( https://diy.stackexchange.com/a/14371/32148 ) said certain beetles like power post beetles live and lay their eggs in the bark. Is this true? Are there other things I need to consider/treat it with?I'm wondering whether I should remove the bark, to be on the safe side from any bugs infesting my new apartment/furniture, but he bark looks really nice! (Yes, the slice in the photo is currently indoors but at the office, as my friend dropped it off at the office) <Q> First off the bad news, that's almost certain to crack on you as it dries out. <S> You might get lucky in which case you dodged a bullet, but the wood already has natural defects radiating from the centre and it is from there that many natural cracks arise. <S> To help lessen the risk of cracking the first thing you should do when you get it home is coat the flats with something to slow moisture loss. <S> And the best thing you could use for this is melted wax. <S> Doesn't matter how you get it on there, just apply it in a thick layer to both sides (one side at a time will keep the mess to a minimum). <S> I wouldn't use a brush for this because it might be impossible to clean the wax residue from the brush, so improvise something else — a wad of paper towel held in tongs will work perfectly. <S> It's very difficult (sometimes impossible) to preserve the bark on wood. <S> It depends on many factors, the species being one of the major ones, but there is a lot of variation possible even with one type of tree. <S> As a very rough rule of thumb the thicker the bark the more likely it is that it'll want to flake off or crumble. <A> Your picture looks like Douglas fir bark. <S> I have built 3 tables with Doug fir bark with great success. <S> I simply air dryer the slabs to 15 percent and handled the wood very gently as the bark will separate easily when it is dry. <S> I used resin to finish the top as it helped with the bark staying on good. <S> Tables in use for over 3 years with no problem. <S> Doug fir sometimes has pitch pockets that bleed which is a bigger problem. <S> Never had any issue with bugs. <A> I live in the Pacific Northwest. <S> If I leave bark on air drying green Douglas Fir slabs inevitably I have bark beetles digging holes and leaving frass (sawdust) behind. <S> If your round is green, I would worry about beetles. <S> But if it's already quite dry then I wouldn't be too concerned. <A> Remove the bark. <S> I have heard so many people complain after the table is finished and within a yrs time they are gluing pieces of bark back on only to have it break off again. <S> Sometimes the bark gets stepped on <S> and then it is impossible to get it back on. <S> It will look nice even without the bark on it.
| It is safest to remove it now because of the risk of wood-boring insects, but some people do retain the bark on this type of thing.
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Make one end of a board thicker than the other? I have a 1"x8"x3' solid composite board that I need to cut diagonally through the 1" dimension to compensate for an unlevel underlying surface. Is there any way to do this? <Q> The best way to do this would be to put it on a slanted sled and run it through a planer repeatedly. <S> How you make the slanted sled is up to you. <S> You could also use shims (like for hanging a door) and nail them down to a piece of plywood. <S> Regardless of how you build the sled make sure that the piece you're planing is fastened securely to it (being careful not to allow your planer to hit any metal fasteners). <A> You may be overthinking this. <S> For flooring, framing, and other larger-scale applications, it is much simpler to just shim components into alignment rather than planing the outermost component to an inconsistent thickness in order to mate with the underlying structure. <S> Just shim it. <A> I'm not familiar with the PVC board material you're using but if it is uniform throughout and cuts like wood this is doable using a hand plane. <S> Ideally you'd want to use one with a cambered iron (a slight radius on the cutting edge) to be able to remove material fairly quickly, but without that I would start with power tools and then do the final bit using the plane. <S> Another option that I would give serious consideration to is working on the underfloor plywood rather than the AZEK. <S> You could work the floor in place (again with the belt sander) checking periodically by putting the AZEK down and seeing how it lays. <S> The plywood will get chewed up a bit no matter what angle you sand it <S> and it will look ugly as hell, but it'll be flat enough for this purpose. <S> I can't visualise any way you could jig this or use guides, <S> no matter which option you go with. <S> So either way it would be vital to stop work periodically and check fit as you go.
| I would consider cutting a series of wedges from plywood and gluing them to a flat piece of plywood. So assuming you don't have a plane fitted with a cambered iron you could use the belt sander to hog off the bulk of the material (fitted with a fresh, very coarse belt in case that's not obvious), then dust off well and switch to the plane near the end to help not overshooting the mark.
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What can I put on a wooden dowel to have a good grip? There’s a wooden dowel in which I will put ties on. Something like this: How can I add a grip to the wooden dowels so the ties would stay on firmly? <Q> My first instinct is to try plasti-dip. <S> You can get it in brush on or spray on. <S> I made a wooden multi-guitar stand many years ago, and it worked great to protect the guitars and keep them from slipping at all. <S> Plasti Dip <A> Rubber tubing Ever replaced a bicycle inner tube and wonder what to do with it? <S> Or other tire tubes or a snow tube that broke? <S> I should think that scraps of tubing would create enough friction to stop them from sliding off. <S> Some inner tubes have a coating on the inside, like functioning as a sealant, so you would need to place this inside in. <S> Staples might not be ideal since it risks having material get caught or tear. <S> If it is small enough and placed on the bottom of the rung, where ties wont likely touch, this might not be an issue. <S> Some glue from a hot glue gun would help hold it in place easy. <S> Rubber in general is my suggestion. <S> It would also be easy to experiment without causing damage to the hangar. <A> My first thought is to just put a bead of hot glue along the top of the dowel. <S> Let it dry, and it will provide enough friction to keep the ties in place. <S> You may experiment with the amount of glue needed, as several small dots might be better than a single long bead. <A> The stuff that shrinks 3:1 would do it. <S> Try http://www.heatshrink.com/ <S> - No connection, just a satisfied customer. <A> If it wasn't intended for clothing, I'd suggest sandpaper or stair-tred grip tape -- but those are too aggressive for this application. <S> (Great for jigs, though )
| You would not need to much and small scraps can be glue or have small staples hold them in place. If you have access to one end of the tube, put some clear heatshrink on it.
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Is Marine Grade Plywood the same as Baltic Birch Plywood? I have searched the website of my local big box hardware store (in Australia) for Baltic Birch Plywood with no results. They do, however, have Marine Grade Plywood . The product description states: Hardwood Plywood with "AA" grade face and back and marine grade bond. Excellent veneer quality makes this product ideal for staining and painting. Marine bond will not deteriorate due to moisture exposure. Excellent strength and stiffness. "AA" grade face and back Marine strength bond Full hardwood construction Excellent strength and stiffness Are these products the same or similar? <Q> No. <S> Baltic Birch is a specific product. <S> What you're looking at is not necessarily the same. <S> I can see a few differences right offhand. <S> Baltic Birch is all birch. <S> The product you're looking at specifies "full hardwood construction" but doesn't specify that it is birch. <S> It could be poplar or balsa or any other type of hardwood. <S> Baltic Birch has a high ply-count (13 ply for 3/4"). <S> The product you're looking at doesn't specify this so it would probably be a lower count (thicker individual plies.) <S> The face and back grade is just that, how the front and the back look. <S> That has nothing to do with the construction. <S> You can get Baltic Birch (or any other type of plywood) with various grade and species of face veneers. <S> Buying plywood is, unfortunately, very complicated. <S> It's pretty hard to establish exactly what you're getting without actually working with it, or at least checking it out in person. <A> If it doesn't say Baltic birch, the wood is probably not Baltic birch. <S> It doesn't say marine, it isn't intended for continuous exposure to water. <S> Different adhesives, and again possibly different woods. <S> It sounds like the marine ply might be similar, depending on how many layers of veneer it has per inch and how void-free they are ( <S> both things that the Baltic birch plywood is usually good on). <S> And as hardwood plywood goes, Baltic birch tends to be relatively affordable. <S> There are other kinds of hardwood plywood too, of course. <S> One of those might or might not be easily findable... <A> Fellow Aussie here. <S> Marine grade plywood is not the same as Baltic Birch. <S> In Australia you will need to get it from a specialist supplier such as Plyco <A> Marine plywood had no voids. <S> Other types of plywood often have voids in the inner plys. <S> This is why marine plywood is so expensive. <S> I assume baltic birch has voids. <S> In marine plywood these voids have been filled with inlays to insure strength and reliable performance under the stresses that a boat is subject to. <S> It's my understanding that the glue is the same for all plywood these days. <S> It did not used to be. <S> Other that the absence of voids, I don't think marine plywood is any more resistant to water than other plywood.
| Baltic Birch plywood is made from Baltic Birch, a species of wood not commonly found in Australia (or the southern hemisphere as far as I am aware).
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What is the weight limit for shaker pegs? I am looking to build a simple wood coat rack and would like to utilize shaker pegs to hold the coats. I am a bit concerned with the strength of the individual pegs, especially during the winters (i live in the Midwest United States). Does anyone know how much weight each peg should be able to handle (assuming its properly secured)? The ones I am looking at are 3 1/2 inches long. I think the insertable length is 1 inch. http://www.homedepot.com/p/General-Tools-3-1-2-in-Shaker-Pegs-317000/202252115 <Q> Arranging the grain to be vertical will be strongest. <S> In practical terms, if you hang coats (even heavy ones, multiple, and/or with junk in pockets) rather than use them for gym equipment they are likely to be just fine if they are at all well made. <S> Those look to be a bit bigger than the ones that have all that sort of stuff hung on them in my hallway. <S> They were originally designed to be able to hang (lightweight) chairs, mirrors, cabinets and lamps as well as clothing from. <S> The usual problem, rather than breakage, is that the hole they are in deforms or loosens and the pegs fall out. <S> Few vendors seem to have opted to thread the peg and hole, which I think helps with that problem. <S> Wedging from the back can also help, but requires mounting the pegs to the board before the board is mounted to the wall (or some creativity in wedging.) <A> Use wood glue to secure the peg in place. <S> As long as the peg fits snugly into the hole it is being inserted into, you should have no problem. <S> Drill the hole to the same diameter as the portion of the peg being inserted. <S> You're aiming for the pegs to be tight enough that you have to press them in by hand, but not so tight that you'd have to pound them in with a hammer. <S> From the Q&A on Home Depot, it sounds like they are just a tad under 1/2". <S> So a 1/2" drill bit would probably do the trick. <S> Make sure the holes are straight and you don't accidentally ream them wider. <S> If you're careful, you can do this by hand. <S> A drill press would certainly help, if you have access to one. <S> Or you can fashion a simple drill guide like this one: Image credit: The English Woodworker <S> As long as the pegs fit snugly in their holes, wood glue will keep them there. <S> It doesn't need to be anything special; standard PVA glue such as Titebond I, II, or III would do. <S> They should have no problem supporting the weight of coats and anything else you're likely to put on a coat rack. <A> Excluding a physical limitation of the individual peg (see note bottom) <S> I don't think you'd easily exceed the weight limit for pegs like this with any reasonable loads you'd subject them to. <S> And my definition of 'reasonable load' here would extend to maybe six or seven heavy jackets with whatever is in their pockets, along with a shoulder bag, a couple of scarves and a hat. <S> That's on just one peg. <S> This does assume a few things, the first being how tightly the round tenon fits its corresponding hole in the wall board — a very tight fit is good (requiring taps from a mallet to seat the peg) and a loose fit you should make every effort to avoid, although it can be compensated for if necessary <S> *. <S> Then second is the grain orientation of the peg, which is of paramount importance. <S> The one in the sample pic for example, if installed exactly as pictured would be very much weaker than if rotated 90°. <S> Note: because these pegs are mass produced without special care being taken as to grain orientation some will be significantly stronger than others, just as with modern hammer, axe and sledge handles. <S> If possible you should select pegs where the grain along the long axis is as straight as possible, not running at a distinct angle. <S> But in any case orienting the grain vertically (viewing the peg end-on) will maximise strength. <S> *Wedge the round tenon or skew-nail it with a small brad or panel pin, glue in with epoxy, or some combination.
| How much weight they will bear is dependent in part on how they are installed - as with any wood object, the grain orientation matters.
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What is damaging this finished oak surface? I have a lovely oak table; most of its surface looks as pristine as the day I got it, e.g.: Parts of the table surface are getting damaged -- the finish is wearing off and the pores of the grain are exposed and feel pitted to the touch, e.g.: Any ideas why this is? It looks like the areas where this is happening are the areas that get the most sun (through a skylight, not directly overhead), but I haven't seen sun damage like this. Perhaps somebody else has? I can rule out water damage or heavy use -- the table is lightly used and wear doesn't seem to be a factor as some of the most used parts look the most pristine. Any suggestions for an intervention, short of or including refinishing? <Q> Red oak seems to do this more often. <S> Not sure why. <S> Maybe sunlight interacts with the tannin's or the pits don't let the finish cure evenly across the surface. <S> Either way, I've seen lots of old red oak furniture that has that wear pattern, and it's much faster to appear on items that have sunlight able to beat on them. <S> It is possible that using a grain filler before putting on a finishing coat could help prevent this from happening. <A> I would refinish with a couple light coats of oil and/or wiping oil-varnish blend, making sure to wipe away the surface residue completely. <S> The oil should help with the discoloration some, as it looks like the current finish has some tint to it. <S> Oil will not be nearly as protective as what's currently on there. <S> If you use a wiping blend, it will provide a modicum of protection, but you have to be a little more careful in applying it to blend it in with the surrounding area... and again, very light coats. <A> This is an old question, but when I saw this I immediately thought of silicone contamination. <S> Silicone is in a lot of modern products such as caulk and even furniture polishes to make the shiny look last longer. <S> The silicone usually has to be on the wood before the finish so without knowing more of the story, it's hard to say for sure if this was the issue. <S> If it is silicone it's hard to remove. <S> There are silicone removers, but it takes careful use of clean rags wiping each spot while turning the rag as you wipe to avoid just moving the silicone to other spots. <S> Ammonia can work, but it can darken oak by reacting with the wood. <S> Another option for keeping the silicone from interfering with the new finish is to spray it with several very light coats of shellac to seal it in. <S> What seems clear is that this is contamination or damage from a spill of some kind. <S> Without more information it's hard to tell what from exactly. <S> You say you can rule out water damage, but alcohol or other things can spill and be wiped up without obvious immediate damage. <S> The finish does look slightly compromised all over, so a spill could get through then be compounded by UV rays.
| To me it looks like damage to the finish from sunlight. The problem is silicone interferes with wood finishes and a spill of it could cause the spotting shown here.
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How to go about cutting more "organic" shapes out of wood without machines like a CNC I recently had a friend ask me if I could help him repair some office chairs by replacing the entire back piece with a wooden one as there are some cracks progressively getting worse down the back of the support which you can see in the photo. So when brainstorming ideas on how to actually go about this there were only really 3 things I could come up with that could work but they all had their own issues: Making some sort of jig to then use a router - Would still require a lot of sanding and the jig wouldn't work all too well Using either one of the rasp or plane blades for an angle grinder on a big blank - Would not really be easily replicable and also extremely easy to screw up the entire piece CNC machine - CNCs are only recently really becoming super mainstream in woodworking so many people still do not have one So after that it got me wondering how this could actually be done in a replicable way. Now I see that a CNC would be the easiest way to make this "organic" shaped piece and others like it but I can't be the only person without a CNC so was wondering what ways people make pieces such as without machines like CNCs <Q> Lamination FTW <S> If the chair were a different type I'd have suggested solid wood (note: grain must go horizontally), but not for one like this. <S> Laminating up a curved plywood back is the way to go here IMO as already suggested in @keshlam's Answer. <S> Only one potential problem with this plan, and that is getting the thick veneers to do the lamination or cutting them yourself. <S> BTW you know these have to be glued up on a curved form <S> , don't underestimate the amount of time making that will take. <S> And if you don't also make a reverse-curved one as well (female or male, depending on whether you decide to go curve-up or curve-down on the main form) you'll need a lot of clamps to make each back, and it would probably be worth using clamping cauls as well. <S> Figure at least eight strong clamps tied up each time while the glue dries <S> so factor that into your estimates of how long the whole process will take. <S> If you did want to make it from solid wood Even though I'm a handtool guy primarily because of the relatively specialised nature of the shaping of one side of each back <S> * this has power tools written all over it. <S> And the main one to get this type of thing done repeatably and accurately is the router, with an appropriate jig. <S> You're underestimating the surface you can get with a router. <S> Just generally if your bit is sharp, you use good technique (appropriate feed rate, best routing direction relative to the grain) and you take a very shallow final pass you can get nearly finish-ready surfaces straight from the router. <S> Plus anyway, if the surface left by the shaping operation on this project were a little rough you should always be looking at planing or scraping before sanding. <S> Scraping is like sanding on steroids. <S> It's faster, produces a better surface and it doesn't use up a consumable product. <S> What are the differences between sanding and scraping? <S> and the jig wouldn't work all too well <S> If made well and used right jigs for this type of shaping can work superbly. <S> Here are a few images showing the usual types made: <S> *Ideally done with a compass plane, which are rare and can be expensive. <A> If the back is curved, I would suggest laminating layers of bending plywood over a form to get that curve, then trim to the oval shape with bandsaw/saber saw/handsaw, a trifle oversize, then file/rasp/sand to final shape and size. <A> You can either make the template for the entire back, or slightly more than half of the back (since the left and right sides will be mirror images of one another). <S> If you do the half-template, make sure you have some registration marks to help line it up when you flip it. <S> If you want the face of the back that has padding attached to it to also be slightly concave, you have at least a couple options. <S> You could shape the concave/convex faces on your bandsaw if you first rip the back into strips small enough to resaw, then glue the strips back together. <S> If you don't have a bandsaw or don't want to mess with ripping and gluing, you can use the same technique that is commonly used to carve the seat of a chair. <S> Drill holes at various locations to appropriate depths across the back, then use hand tools or power tools to slowly carve away material until you can no longer see the holes. <S> If you use hand tools, you could simply use a smaller size hand plane or specialty plane to scoop out the concave face. <S> Another power tool technique is to use an angle grinder with a power rasp or carving/planing attachment to gradually carve away a little at a time in smooth sweeping motions. <S> A couple example manufacturers of these attachments are King Arthur Tools and Arbortech. <S> You could also potentially use a very aggressive sander, but that will take a bit longer.
| You can create the outer shape by making a template for the back, cutting the workpiece to rough shape with the saw of your choice (probably bandsaw or jigsaw if using power tools), and using a router with a pattern bit or guide bushing. Making some sort of jig to then use a router - Would still require a lot of sanding
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Should I resaw before or after gluing up thin panels? I want to make some thin (1/4-3/8") panels out of hardwood rather than plywood. My panels will be up to 8" wide, so I may need to glue up two or three boards to get the width I need. I'm starting off with 3/4" thick material, so I'll need to resaw the boards in half at some point. Should I glue up the panel first and then resaw it to the desired thickness, or resaw the individual boards first and then glue the thin boards together? Not sure exactly what wood I'll be using, but it will likely be maple, walnut, or cherry, if that affects the answer. <Q> I would resaw first. <S> An 8" resaw is going to take lots of skill and luck to achieve. <S> If the 8" board is only slightly out of plumb (an issue of skill) at any point during the cut, you will very likely end up with a place where the thickness goes below 1/4", necessitating a do-over. <S> If you make a resaw on a 4" board, the effect of a bit of jiggle out of vertical would only be half of what would happen in the 8' cut. <S> Saw, thickness plane, then glue. <S> Finally, sand or once again thickness plane to final dimension. <A> Even with good gluing platforms to hold the boards flat during glue up and a good clamping setup, there will always be a bit of unevenness. <S> The amount of offset will be the same regardless of the thickness. <S> If you resaw first you will have the same unevenness twice, doubling the waste that must be planed off for truly flat panels. <S> In addition, if resawing in a bandsaw, the result is never perfect and more material will end up on one side than the other. <S> When you take this into account along with the unevenness, planing, and sanding using 3/4" stock will barely be thick enough for 1/4" panels. <S> If you want it any thicker, start with 4/4 stock. <S> More margin for error means less do-overs. <A> I would resaw first. <S> Easer to resaw <S> and you can some times get beautiful book matched panels. <S> Although glue up will be a little harder.
| I would recommend gluing them up first.
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What is the name of this joint? I'm looking to make a table with a removable panel, which would require a joint something akin to a dovetail joint. My question is, what is this called, and can I buy wood precut with it? I've attached a hilariously bad drawing of what I need. <Q> This is called a "sliding dovetail". <S> It is often used as a more secure alternative to a dado. <S> A typical use would be in a middle shelf in a bookcase to prevent the case sides from bowing outward. <S> I don't think there is any way to buy something like this pre-cut. <S> The closest I can think of is "slatwall" which is paneling with t-grooves to hang accessories in. <A> In modern US parlance that is a sliding dovetail. <S> In British parlance it's a dovetail housing joint. <S> Older American books may refer to it that way too. <S> More specifically your drawing shows a through sliding dovetail or through dovetail housing since the groove isn't 'stopped', or shorter than the piece that slides into it. <S> Note: <S> the housing portion, the groove (dado in American), is usually cut into the sides of a bookcase or other casework, and along the edge of the shelf that it mates with. <S> So it's important to note that the grain commonly runs perpendicular to the joint, not parallel to it. <S> Source: Good Wood Joints by Albert Jackson & David Day. <S> Both stopped and through versions of the joint can have a dovetail on one or both sides. <S> As tricky as these joints are to cut manually for extra Woodworking Merit Points they can even be tapered O_o <S> can I buy wood precut with it? <S> I don't believe so unless it's part of a complete piece of kit furniture with these joints milled out ready for assembly by the buyer. <S> If you need to form this joint it is quite straightforward and fast to do with a router, which in theory can cut the dovetailed groove in a single operation (in practice, especially on harder woods, the centre is often milled out first using a straight cutting bit to relieve stress on the dovetail bit which must cut to full depth because of its shape). <S> If no power router is available <S> it's usual to carefully saw and chisel the joint, after some very careful marking out of course. <A> You can make it with a router. <S> Or a saw + chisels. <S> I think it is unlikely that a store will pre-stock <S> the dimensions you need but you could try.
| That is called a sliding dovetail joint.
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What is the name of the joint used in these lattice designs? I am looking for a way to join 3 pieces of wood that would intersect each other. This is the project I am working on : Example of joint : This is the japanese cidori joint system. Though, I don't like the system of cidori with the protruding members. I had a very hard time finding a suitable joint on the internet. So my question is : 1) Do you know of a simple joint that can achieve this (3 branch intersection), if so can you provide name and or plans? 2) I found images of a fairly complicated joint that could do it. The images are in too poor quality for me to analyze how it is made. Can anyone point what is the name of that joint, and if possible how to make it? (plans) Thank you <Q> The standard three-way corner joint is the Kane Tsugi. <S> It is very complicated. <S> A much simpler option is the sampo-gumi-shikuchi, but the disadvantage is that beams do not meet all at the same point, but one is offset. <A> Use long pieces that extend for the whole length/width of each side. <S> In that case, on the sides, you only ever have two pieces intersecting (although it looks like three), and you can just use lap joints. <S> For the corners, use a lap joint for two of the pieces, then pierce them both with a mortise that accepts a tenon you cut into the third piece. <S> I'm certain there are much more complex approaches, but this is simple, clean, and will work. <A> For #2, I can't name the joint, but might be able to unpack it enough for you. <S> Let's call the tall upright in the first picture the X axis. <S> It has two mortises. <S> Y is like a pinned scarf joint. <S> I suspect that it has one long tenon (that mates with a mortise on top of the other half) and one stub tenon that simply nests into X and provides stability (and resistance to rotation). <S> If I was building this, I'd try to make the two halves symmetrical, but they clearly didn't. <S> Z looks like a relatively simple mortise/tenon that's been pinned for stability. <S> Unless you built this with fairly large stock, Z is quite weak. <S> The rest have had so much material removed that they aren't great, either. <S> (TL/DR: not for heavy use in earthquake country.)
| The five-way joint is the shachisen-tsugi-shikuchi-no-shihousashi.
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How to achieve slightly rounded edge? I am new to woodworking and I am trying to reproduce a picture frame I found in a catalog. I wonder how they achieve a slightly rounded edge (see picture below). I suspect that they use a router and router table, but I can't figure out what bit they would use. Can someone please help me understand how this can be done? <Q> You can use a roundover bit in a router You can use a router table or not, and there are several different size roundover bits. <S> In your picture, it looks like maybe a 1/8" bit was used. <S> You can also round over the edges slightly while sanding. <S> This may be the better option if your picture frame isn't very big <S> and/or you're not looking for a big roundover. <S> You'll be sanding anyway, so rounding the edges is an easy thing to do at the same time, and doesn't require getting out the router. <S> Product links / images are for example only <A> You can break the corners a few times with a block plane set to take a very shallow cut. <S> First make a 45 degree pass to make one facet, then break both corners of that facet, repeat on both corners of each additional facet, and so on, as needed until it is sufficiently rounded. <S> With each pass, it will get closer to being round. <S> You can sand lightly to further smooth it out. <A> A router is overkill for doing a very slight roundover like this, although it will do the job well and very repeatably of course once you've dialled in the setting on the router or the router table. <S> But not everyone has a hand plane or wants to get one <S> so it's important to mention that you can do this simply by sanding alone. <S> This is one of the few times I'd recommend sanding as a viable shaping technique, but here it's appropriate since it's such an easy thing to do <S> and it gives such good results. <S> On an edge like this perhaps two passes with 80 or 100 grit paper (using a soft block or with the paper backed just by your fingers) followed by a couple of passes with 150 or 180 paper will give you very even, consistent results just about any time you need it. <S> No setup involved, just a few moments' work and after a quick dust off you're ready to apply finish. <S> *Doesn't have to be a block plane, they're just handy because they can be used one-handed with the work held by the other hand. <S> Mind your knuckles doing this on narrow stock!
| As already described well in the Answer from @rob, you can do this sort of thing very well with a hand plane*, followed by light sanding with finer paper (whatever your finishing grit is).
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Is it OK to use WD-40 to clean wood? I'm comparing it to mineral spirits essentially. Are they the same on wood? Mineral spirits seems to strip off any finishing on wood, will WD-40 do the same? <Q> WD-40 is not equivalent to mineral spirits at all. <S> Mineral spirits should normally be just naptha, where WD-40 has multiple different petroleum base oils, as well as a few other ingredients. <S> Their compositions can be seen in the material safety data sheets: WD-40 MSDS <S> Mineral Spirits MSDS <S> Edit:As Allman and Keshlam say, the short answer is it will leave a residue that will be undesirable and most likely hazardous to a new finish. <A> Is it OK to use WD-40 to clean wood? <S> I think this is an <S> it depends more than a clear no. <S> I wouldn't ever use it on bare wood, but then I don't think people should use mineral oil on wooden products and that is widely done these days. <S> I have actually read of WD-40 being used as a finish of sorts for bare wood fairly recently on a blog somewhere, either for refinishing tool handles after the remains of the original finish had been sanded off or to finish new handles. <S> The one case I think WD-40 would be acceptable to use on wood would be to clean and polish <S> finished wood that was very grimy or greasy, essentially using it as a ghetto furniture polish. <S> There's something else <S> I think I should cover <S> and that's this: <S> Mineral spirits seems to strip off any finishing on wood <S> Actually mineral spirits (UK: white spirit) won't dissolve most finishes once they are dry/cured. <S> Spirit and waterbased stains would be unaffected, it doesn't interact with most varnish (especially modern ones made using synthetic resins), it has zero effect on shellac, most lacquers and all the waterbased finishes I can think of. <S> It will strip away wax however, because mineral spirits is a solvent for wax. <S> But wax is rarely used as a standalone finish (for good reason, it provides little real protection by itself). <A> Get a quality spray bottle, fill with Luke warm water, add a couple teaspoons of Dawn. <S> You now have an amazing cleaner / bug killer / <S> pre wash dish spritzer / insecticidal soap for plants. <S> Not bad for some things, but it will act as a bad finish more than a cleanser on wood.
| WD 40 is paint thinner and fish oil.
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How can I dye my hardwood inside deeply so I can laminate something like this? I found someone used the recycling skateboard for making great creations. So just what kind of oil or paint I can use for dyeing on hardwood inside deeply(for laminating)!? Not just coated on the surface. <Q> The handle in your photo is laminated, each colored strip was individually dyed before the lamination process. <S> It's been 40 years since I dyed wood but the process worked well. <S> I made my own purfling and binding for my guitars. <S> I believe the dyes I used analine dyes in powder form that dissolves in water. <S> The other thing I did was to soak overnight in very hot water. <S> I had a galvinized trough that I used for this. <S> The wood I used for this was maple, birch would be good as well. <S> You want a wood without open pores. <S> This can be a messy process, especially if you want several colors. <S> You might also check to see whether what you want is commercially available. <S> One place to look are luthier suppliers such as LMI and StewMac. <A> Wood dyes can be very expensive or very reasonable. <S> You can use water but that will often raise the grain. <S> I use rubbing alcohol from the big box which does not affect the grain. <S> It goes on fairly evenly, dries fast and does not raise the grain. <S> Other answers point out that your example uses veneer layers which are thin and can absorb the dye through the entire depth of the layer. <S> IF you use thicker pieces, the dye will not penetrate all the way through. <S> You may have to run a few experiments including rubbing on the dye and fully soaking the wood to find out the best technique for full color penetration. <A> Well that is not dyed hardwood <S> , it is laminated (layered) pieces of wood which are brightly colored individually then glued together. <S> Afterwards you sand or plane the surface and get the contrast like that. <S> You can also buy blocks which are already brightly colored. <S> I think usually people will turn them. <S> Sometimes they put layers of acrylic in as well to add more bold colors. <A> There are sources where you can buy them pre-dyed which would probably be at least worth looking into as a reference point, if not eliminate the need to dye them yourself. <S> Dyed-Veneers Woodcraft
| Check out suppliers such Transfast wood dyes which come in a powdered form and can be tinted darker by adding more dye to the liquid base.
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What kind of fire extinguisher should I have in the shop? Apologies if this is off topic. I realize it's only tangentially-related to woodworking. In my 12' x 16' workshop, I have a lot of lumber, projects in mid-construction, tools, a computer and accessories, chemicals (fiberglass resin is probably the nastiest one), and a ton of electrical outlets. What sort of fire extinguisher should I get that, if used in this small space, won't destroy everything? I try to keep things clean, but there's inevitably sawdust and what-not on the floor. Edit I wholeheartedly agree with the "get out and stay out" comments: sticking around to try and put out a significant fire to save some tools and equipment is not smart. However, when you're dealing with something small that has either just started, or clearly will - smoldering in a pile of scrap or sawdust or instance - it would be nice to have an extinguisher to at least try and put it out before things get out of control, rather than throwing the baby out with the bathwater, so to speak. I have kids - I'll err on the side of getting to build a new shop rather than using up my life insurance to save a PC and a bunch of saws. <Q> There are certainly oils and other flammable liquids, plus possible electrical malfunction, so I would indeed suggest an ABC, preferably a larger one. <S> Remember that you always aim an extinguisher at the base of a fire, not at the flames. <S> However, it's important to note: Unless the fire is one <S> you are sure <S> you can put out quickly and easily <S> , the most important role for a fire extinguisher may be to help you get to safety. <S> Things are replaceable. <S> You aren't. <S> In case of fire, save people first. <S> Also, if you are asking this question: Do you have a first aid kit in the shop, openable with one hand, preferably where you can reach it even if you can't stand up? <S> Ditto for phone? <S> Are you keeping volatiles tightly sealed and preferably in a metal cabinet where a fire would have some chance of smothering itself? <S> Are you keeping the workshop clear of sawdust, tripping hazards, and the like? <S> Do you have an air filter and dust collection if you are producing sawdust, ventilation if you are producing fumes? <S> Fire may not be the biggest hazard! <A> You could probably get away with just a type A (for burning solids), but type ABC are so ubiquitous that it may be more expensive for the single purpose extinguisher. <S> if used in this small space, won't destroy everything? <S> I kind of question this mentality, though. <S> Yes, fire extinguishers are for dealing with small fires before they get out of hand and you want to limit damage from the extinguisher itself, but the primary goal of a fire extinguisher should be to extinguish the fire. <S> Damage to surroundings is a secondary concern, since if the fire is not controlled, there will be (much) more damage to your lumber, projects, shop, and any attached or nearby structures like a house. <S> Put out the fire first. <A> Blowing ash around with a CO2 extinguisher will make everything in the room dirty but most things can be cleaned of ash. <S> That would be good for electricals. <S> For wood, water or foam would be better (half a large CO2 extinguisher does very little for smouldering wood that can be dealt with by a cup of water). <S> Powder is supposed to spread all round the room as well and is harder to get rid of; most types are corrosive to metals. <S> Foam beats water as you've got flammable liquids. <S> An interesting new option is water mist (ABCF): the fine droplets do not cause flammable liquids to splash or float, and the gaps between drops mean that they're rated to 1000V if you're at least a metre away. <S> I've never seen one in use though. <S> More important than an extinguisher is keeping your way out clear at all times. <S> Being able to kill the power (emergency stop switch) <S> so you can use water on a wood+tool fire <S> seems like a good idea and would also serve in other emergencies. <A> Alternative answer: <S> Don't get a fire extinguisher at all. <S> They are only any good for tackling something the size of a wastepaper basket fire. <S> It is far too easy to think "I can deal with this". <S> The right way to tackle a fire is: Get out. <S> Stay out. <S> Call the big red truck out. <S> (Source: I mishandled a fire from a toaster that caught light, and ended up spending the night in hospital under observation.)
| You're probably OK with a typical 'multi-purpose' type ABC extinguisher, as that will handle most of the fires you would see in a typical woodshop.
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Respirator / Dust mask for hand tools? Whats the safety regarding hand tools and dust masks? My hope is that in general hand tools will not produce fine enough dust to be concerned with. My assumptions are that using hand planes taking decent sized shavings or chisels/gouges should be fine without a mask. I am a little more fuzzy on: smoothing planes taking very thin shavings,card scrapers which seem to create some dust along with tendrils (especially as they approach resharpening time),hand saws (dovetail, coping),brace and bit (hand style drill) And it goes without saying that using any power tools I should wear a mask. <Q> My hope is that in general hand tools will not produce fine enough dust to be concerned with. <S> While it is now fairly widely known that the finer dusts are the most hazardous (as produced primarily by certain power tools) this can tend to obscure the fact that all wood dust is a potential health hazard. <S> This position is considered overly cautious by the standards of some woodworkers, and it is erring on the side of caution, but the one thing you want to be careful not to do is fall into the "it won't happen to me" mentality as we all know where that can lead <S> *. <S> It is true that many people have gotten away with a working lifetime of occupational exposure to wood dusts with no apparent harm, but equally there is the occasional unlucky person who is exposed only to small amounts of dust periodically in their hobby woodworking and that is enough for them to develop an allergic response (which can quickly become bad enough that they have to stop using one or more species of wood completely, the reaction can be that severe). <S> Needless to say there's no way of knowing in advance where on the spectrum you might fall <S> , so it does make sense to take precautions as though the dust is harmful to you. <S> Because it might be. <S> So IMO any extensive sanding, even if exclusively by hand, should either be done with an efficient dust-collection system in place (e.g. over a downdraft sanding table) or wearing a well-fitting dust mask. <S> Planing or chiselling don't generate any airborne dust to speak of so the risk there is too small to reasonably worry about. <S> Hand sawing, scraping as well as file or rasp work you'll have to weigh for yourself based on the species you commonly use and how much of the work you're doing. <S> Related Q&As: <S> Why and when should I wear a dust mask? <S> What kind of wood dust is toxic/dangerous and requires usage of dust mask? <S> *Things like removing the safety guards and riving knives from table saws and never putting them back, building router tables without a guard despite it taking almost no time to fit one, running wood over an unguarded jointer holding the workpiece in the hands. <A> The reason I say you should is because even hand sanding can but enough in the air. <S> But for those other things I would not worry about it. <S> Don;t think there is much more to be said, somebody else may think different. <A> Regarding planing - from my experience with hand planing porous wood (locust, oak) there is flying dust. <S> It accumulates on glasses, therefore easy to detect. <S> Mask could be useful even with hand planing... <A> Following the safety instructions hurt no1. <S> You should use at least FFP1 grade mask. <S> FFP2 grade is better with finer particules. <S> Whatever grade, masks with valves are better.
| I do not think there is anything to worry about unless your doing a lot of sandpaper. If you work with chemicals, you will need a FFP3 grade mask.
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FIlling up gaps in an old wooden floor I'm currently in the process of renewing an old wooden floor. What would one use to fill in the gaps between the planks? I've asked in the local home repair store and they gave me a silicone like mass that resembles the color of the wood. That seems to work ok for the nail holes, but is kind of soft and somewhat expensive for filling out all space between the boards. I have seen some youtube videos in which people are mixing sand dust with either wood glue or some special liquid. Does anyone know something on the pros and conns of these approaches? <Q> I'm currently in the process of renewing an old wooden floor. <S> What would one use to fill in the gaps between the planks? <S> Nothing unless there's a draft problem. <S> The gaps aren't generally an issue except visually <S> but they can make for a cold floor depending on the rest of the structure of the house and how much air movement can take place through the floor. <S> Some argue such gaps are supposed to be there, and if you look at old floors 99 times out of 100 you'll see gaps between boards, sometimes quite wide ones, and in many cases there's no filler and no trace that there ever was any present. <S> See more discussion on the issue and solutions at these links: How to Fill Gaps <S> In a Wide-Plank Wood Floor on This Old House. <S> My home's pine flooring has large gaps in between some of the planks, especially in the kitchen. <S> What can be done to fill or seal them? <S> on Quora. <S> How to fill gaps in a wood floor? <S> on HomeOwnersHub. <S> Filler for ancient wood floors? <S> on the WoodenBoat forum. <S> I've asked in the local home repair store and they gave me a silicone like mass that resembles the color of the wood. <S> That seems to work ok for the nail holes <S> That stuff is no good for filling nail holes on a floor. <S> This type of flexible filler is for filling gaps that require some movement to take place without cracking, as in gappy installations of skirting to walls, one wooden moulding piece to the next where some shrinkage and expansion will take place through the year. <S> If you must fill the nail holes (you don't have to, it's quite normal for them not to be filled) <S> you want a rigid filler and ideally a strong one if it's to take direct foot traffic, i.e. if there's no carpet going on or any rugs being put down. <A> You do not want to fill the joints between the boards. <S> The gap provides room for expansion which normally occurs across the width and depth of wood over the seasons. <S> The amount of expansion can be calculated. <S> (See the tag wiki info under the wood-movement tag for links to tables for how to do so.) <S> A flexible sealant may be used but it will bulge in some gaps as the wood expands. <S> The screw holes can be covered and your proposed methods will work as will some manufactured wood putty products that can be found in hardware or woodworking stores and websites. <A> The old school way I have seen to fill large gaps in wide plank flooring is with rope: 1 Scrape debris from between flooring planks with putty knife or painter's tool. <S> 2 Vacuum floor clean of all dust and debris. <S> 3 <S> If desired, tint rope with wood stain to match floor; let dry. <S> 4 Force rope into gap between planks with putty knife or painter's tool. <S> This minimizes what can get caught in the gap, stops drafts, while allowing for wood expansion and contraction. <S> This Old House <A> I have done the Sawdust/glue approach before a few times. <S> I made a large mixture and tinted it with stain to match the brown color of the floor. <S> Press into gaps with putty knife, let dry and then sand and varnish. <S> It's not a fun process but it works!
| In the past where gaps were filled they used various methods, including the same way gaps were dealt with on ship decks, using oakum and tar (!), as well as with melted wax or wax/resin compositions (also used as a filler material for furniture in this era).
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How deep will sandpaper penetrate? This may not be important, but it was something that I would find pretty neat to know. And the question is simple, how 'deep' will a given grit (36,80,120,etc) tear into the wood. I do not think there is much more to be said. <Q> You can see the diameter of the average grit in a piece of sandpaper here: https://www.gessweincanada.com/category-s/11328.htm Assuming the grit is embedded at least 1/3 of this diameter, you would "cut" into the wood about that far per row of "grit". <S> So it depends on the length of your sandpaper (a 1 inch piece of 80 grit sandpaper is going to cut less than a 10 inch piece per stroke, probably about 10:1 if I had to guess). <S> But really sandpaper does not "cut", it more tears or smashes the wood fibers. <A> This is a "How long is a piece of string?" question. <S> Lots of factors: <S> What type of sandpaper is being used (open coat or closed, abrasive type <S> * etc. <S> etc.) <S> ? <S> How hard is the sandpaper being pressed into the wood? <S> How fast is the sandpaper moving? <S> A key factor obviously, how hard is the wood? <S> And last but by no means least, how long are you sanding for ? <S> user patience (who hasn't gotten bored sanding?) and the time available (sanding is rarely the fastest way to do something in most home woodworking environments). <S> With powered sanders what's feasible to do with sandpaper have opened up enormously — just look at the type of stock removal <S> someone with a belt or disk sander is comfortable doing versus someone who has to sand by hand — but the traditional way(s) <S> the same task was done are worth investigating and trying out for oneself..... <S> bearing in mind that in time almost everyone seeks to reduce the amount of sanding they do to a minimum. <S> *Different abrasives have different hardnesses and the individual grains are different shapes, some with sharper edges than others, and each type wears down in its own way. <S> So some papers initially cut fast but quickly lose efficiency, others can be slower to begin with but the falloff in sanding efficiency can be much slower. <A> What exactly do you mean by "penetrate"?Since the sandpaper will rip small particles from the wood you can actually cut into wood as deep as you want as long as the sandpaper is still sharp and the sanding dust does not block the sandpaper. <S> For example you will remove top one or two millimeters from a parquet floor using a belt sander to remove the varnish and small dents and scratches in the wood. <S> This is done using a sandpaper belt which surely is thinner than those two millimeters.
| In theory there's no limit to the depth you can sand to, with any grit within reason, but obviously in practice there are limits in terms of cost (paper wears out, or fills or corns develop),
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Dresser conversion to media stand - hinge help required Hi, I need some help please. I am upcycling an old dresser into a media stand. I want to put hinges on the top left and right drawer so they fold open to 90 degree. The issue I have is the drawers are curved therefore I will need a hinge that opens and pushes out. My only requirement is the front face when closed is flush, I don't mind a gap when the drawer front is open so that PS4, Direct TV, DVD player can be used. Can anyone tell me the name of the hinges I would need to use? Thank youChella <Q> A few suggestions: blum-170-degree-face-frame-hinge soss-door-hardware-208-invisible-door-hinge <S> soss-door-hardware-218-invisible-door-hinge <A> You might be able to get Soss hinges to work, but they are danged finicky, and require someone with more than average skill to install them. <S> but if its curved where the cup hole is bored that will increase the amount of expertise required, if its even possible. <S> The fact that the "door" will be 2.5x wider than it is tall will mean you will be fiddling them forever, because no matter how perfectly you align them, they will always sag. <S> You have very little tolerance in those openings. <S> Unless you use a piano hinge, but those will eventually sag, too, and you cannot hide them. <S> There is a way to sort of hide a piano hinge in an overlay scenario, but not in this inset one. <S> Good luck! <S> "Upcycle". <S> Thats funny. <A> Maybe to late.. but try these hinges.. <S> POJJO Home Depot $24.50 a pair 1.25 <S> x 3.75 90 Degree Extend Tip Out Hidden Hinge in Chrome (1 Pair)
| You might be able to finagle a 35mm cup hinge of some kind ("Blum" is one company that makes them)
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Should I seal my bed slats, and if yes, with what? I hired someone to put together bed slats for my new bed. The bed frame comes with center support for the slats that he's building and the slats will be screwed down onto the center slat and the side rails of the bed frame. He ordered furniture grade hard maple wood which has been planed and sanded. He thinks that the bed slats might warp if I don't use a sealer. I really like the look of the hard maple without a stain or sealer though. Most do it yourself manuals for bed slats online don't even mention using a sealer. So this is what I want to know. Should I use a sealer and why? If so, what sealer should I use that won't be noticeable or discolor the wood and still do the job? <Q> He thinks that the bed slats might warp if I don't use a sealer. <S> A 'sealer' won't make much or any difference to this once the slats are fixed in place and in use. <S> I use quotes above because the idea that we seal wood with a finish is widely misunderstood. <S> Various finishes do protect the wood's surface from dirt to various degrees (even a thin application helps a bit) but much less from changes in humidity which is what he is referring to. <S> Even the best finishes in this regard* have to be built up to fairly thick, consistent coating to do so. <S> Should I use a sealer and why? <S> * <S> What are called film finishes because they build a film on the surface of the wood, these include shellac, varnish, lacquers and epoxy coatings. <A> I'm trying to picture a situation where you would see the slats in an assembled bed. <S> Is this a bunk bed? <S> I've made several beds and have never sealed the slats. <S> If there's concern such as incomplete drying of the maple, but you wish to leave the wood bare, you might want to seal just the end-grain. <S> My preference for this is shellac. <S> I mix my own but <S> the Zinsser brand off the shelf is fine if it's fresh. <S> I typically dilute the first coat for better penetration. <A> Personally I had a king sized bed on 4" slats spaced with 5-6" gaps with vertical support on every 4th slat of so. <S> It really wasn't enough support and it lead to my first mattress failing when it was only 4 years old. <S> When I removed the mattress the slats without vertical support were warped downward 2-3". <S> Now my new mattress has a rock solid surface to rest on. <S> It's not super pretty, but it's not seen at all when the mattress is on it, and this was a strong case for function over form.
| You can apply a finish to the slats if you want to, but there's no need and they are very commonly left unfinished (hence why DIY manuals won't normally mention applying anything to them). I ended up reinforcing these with more vertical supports and then to sure the whole things up I screwed down 1/2" plywood across the whole thing.
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My contractor sanded our plywood seating... Is there any way to fix the finish? Just like the title says... any way to make this look less bad? <Q> Depending on if you have multiple other matching finished end conditions, you could create a new trim detail that covers over the affected areas. <S> It looks like he face screwed, and then filled the holes with epoxy filler or possibly plugs of some sort, and then did an abysmal job of sanded them flush. <S> I work for a commercial millwork company, and if one of our installers did something like this, after firing them, we would replace that finished end panel completely. <A> One other possible solution is to apply a decorative trim pattern that covers over the screw/blemish locations. <S> I would begin by sanding the entire surface to provide a surface to accept glue and new finish. <S> Then glue and clamp new trim over affected areas using trim in a profile and design that compliments the project's style. <S> You might also use fine gauge finish nails to reinforce the attachment of the trim if there is difficulty clamping it. <S> Clean up any glue squeeze out with a wet cloth immediately. <S> Let it dry, lightly sand and apply new finish. <S> Oh yeah, finally, I would offer to repair the contractor's furniture using the same techniques used on yours:) <A> Already proposed re-veneering is a good idea but not easy (removing edges) and veneer is probably difficult to find. <S> My ideas involve some cheating: <S> Get some artist pencils with suitable colors and try to create missing grain back. <S> Then spray shellac from a can. <S> I am not sure if during finishing area should be horizontal, but that wont hurt for sure. <S> Those darker dowels are probably more difficult to fix than brighter areas. <S> Make a good photo of veneer from other areas, print and glue into whole area inside edging. <S> Maybe some moisture resistant paper + wood glue or some self adhesive paper? <S> Good luck <S> , it is not an easy fix. <A> Just a thought on the cheating side: <S> Might those infills be colored beeswax? <S> If so, might you be able to melt/ <S> syphon some of that muck with an iron and a cotton cloth? <S> At least enough to backfill with a more suitable base color. <S> Then you could apply @omark's fix with pencils. <S> We use oils, ourselves, to add grain or knots to minor blemishes. <S> But the operative word is "minor", like a blemish in a library full of panels. <S> I cannot imagine lying on my side for hours fixing your panel - but everyone is different, and that could be an appealing solution. <S> I mean that without a trace of sarcasm - I am always amazed at how things I detest can be found satisfying or beautiful to others. <S> @Omark's other idea definitely has merit, if you can't find that veneer. <A> New veneer would definitely be the best solution if possible. <S> You might also consider a laminate you can apply only to the sides on both ends, balancing the piece and making it look like the original design was to do that. <S> Another alternative would be to lacquer over the side panels, though if you've never applied lacquer before be sure to practice on some scrap - it can be hard to get a good finish and you'll want to either sand/fill or remove enough of the patch your contractor applied to restore some amount of grain (any open grain on the wood will show up on the lacquer coats). <S> If it were me, I'd remove the end panels and remake them (sorry!).
| Paint it, or pull off the hardwood edges, veneer over it with a new piece of veneer of the same species, and then apply new edges.
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Considerations for cordless circular saw blades - effects of kerf, coating and geometry on performance? I recently acquired a low-budget ($80) 18V cordless, hand-held circular saw. The saw came with a low-budget 18-teeth ripping blade. I intend to use it mostly for cross-cutting wood planks, and cutting thin (at most 18mm (2/3’’)) plywood and laminated particleboard for making simple furniture: shelves, boxes etc. I might want to use it occasionally on other materials (plastic, aluminum), but wood and engineered wood are the main applications. I’m aware of the limitations of this tool, and I can live with a bit of sanding, if I have to. I am looking for an optimal cross-cut/general purpose blade in order to achieve the smoothest possible cuts given the limits of this machine. The tool is very small, the maximum blade diameter is 150mm (6’’). Few manufacturers produce this blade size, so given my location and budget, my options seem to be limited to the following: (kerf/blade thickness, no. of teeth, geometry+hook angle, “non-stick” coating, price (all dim. in mm)) More expensive:no1 (3.2/2.2, 48 teeth, ATB +15, coated, $45); no2 (3.2/2.2, 36 teeth, ATB +15, coated, $42); no3 (2.6/1.6, 36 teeth, ATB +10, coated, $43.5) thin kerf Cheaper:no4 (2.4/1.4, 36 teeth, ATB +15, not coated, $21) - thinner kerf, not coated; no5, multi material (2.0/1.4, 42T, HLTCG -5, not coated, $27) – thin kerf, different geometry My questions are the following: As far as I understand, increasing number of teeth, smaller (or negative) hook angle and larger kerf all increase the load on the saw’s motor. Should I be wary of an overload if I choose the “smoothest” blade (i.e. full kerf, 48 teeth)? Which of the factors listed above is the most important with respect to motor load/potential burning of the workpiece (kerf, geometry, hook angle, or no. of teeth)? Does blade coating have a significant effect on performance (by reducing friction, which could be important given the low power of the tool)? Is this effect (and better materials) worth double the price? Does anyone have any experience with ATB (Alternate Top Bevel) vs HLTCG (High-Low Triple Chip Grind) geometry? Would the negative-angle HLTCG blade result in better cuts on laminated particleboard, plywood, etc.? Is HLTCG significantly worse for other wood applications (i.e. is it specialized to composites and plastics)? Would it significantly increase loads on the motor, or does the thinner kerf of the Multi Material blade compensate for the negative hook angle? Thanks for your input, your help is most appreciated. <Q> You're overthinking this. <S> Presumably, the tool was designed to work with any off-the-shelf blade you might buy, and does not require any space-age coatings, specific grind, etc. <S> Depending on the manufacturer, there is a good chance that any aftermarket blade you buy will be higher quality than the blade that came with the tool. <S> Often when it comes to blades, there is a justifiable reason for a higher price, such as carbide vs. steel (a carbide blade stays sharp longer and may last you many times longer than a steel one), or thicker carbide that can be sharpened many times vs. very thin carbide cutters that cannot be sharpened as many times (and in those cases, it is usually just as cost-effective to treat the blade as disposable). <A> Handheld (cordless) circular saws are the disposable razor blades of the sawing world. <S> Mostly, you see them used on construction sites for rough work (trimming 2x4s and similar tasks), so the cut quality doesn't need to be all that great. <S> A contractor is going to be more concerned with number of cuts/lifetime vs. cost, hence why you see a lot of carbide blades for construction. <S> Personally, I consider circular saw blades to be disposable, even if they have carbide teeth. <S> It's often much more cost-effective to just buy a new blade than to have it sharpened. <S> You can go to any Home Depot, Lowe's, or Menards (in the US, anyway) and get a quality circular saw blade for under $25 that will do what you want it to. <S> Adjust the number of teeth per inch based on the task at hand (finer tooth count for finer work, generally). <S> The blade will say what task it's good for (i.e., rough framing, particleboard, laminate, etc.). <S> The manufacturer knows what their blades are good for, so it's not worth second-guessing them in most instances. <S> As @rob says, you're overthinking it. <A> Thanks for the answers. <S> As stated in my question, I already have a low quality blade for rough cuts. <S> I also wanted to make finer, smoother cuts, but I was concerned that the machine would be underpowered for a blade with too many teeth or a thick kerf, hence the "overthinking". <S> Based on input from this and other forums, I got the following answers to my questions: Kerf seems to be the most important factor for cordless circular saws when choosing a blade. <S> One should aim for a thinner kerf to reduce load. <S> Non-stick coating does not significantly affect load, because most of the blade should not touch the cutting surface (the part with the teeth is slightly thicker than the blade disc itself). <S> It increases the longevity of the blade tough. <S> I could not find detailed answers on teeth geometry, however most people recommend using ATB geometry for general woodwork, while HLCTG is more for composites, plastics and non-ferrous metals. <S> Based on the above I chose option 4, (2.4/1.4 kerf, 36 teeth, ATB +15 degrees, not coated, $21).
| Of the factors you've mentioned, a thin kerf blade will make the most noticeable difference, and perhaps you will observe a longer run time of the saw between charges.
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Should I use Mr. Clean Magic Eraser to remove pencil marks from unfinished wood? Just got bed slats made by someone who repairs furniture. The slats are made of maple wood, have been planed, and are unfinished. However, he made a bunch of pencil marks on the slats and I want to remove them. I tested denatured alcohol and acetone on a wood sample, but these solvents don't completely remove the pencil marks from the wood. But, when I tried Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, all of the pencil marks came off completely. I don't know if it's okay to use Mr. Clean Magic Eraser to remove all the pencil marks on the bed slats since it uses water. And I always hear water shouldn't be used on wood. I don't know what else would work. Is it a bad idea to use the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser? <Q> Acetone is my go to for removing pencil marks - I'm not sure why you're having trouble with it. <S> Perhaps the builder has left very heavy/deep marks? <S> Water is fine to use on wood <S> - I wouldn't leave it soaking in a bath over night, but it's fine to wipe down with water. <S> The magic erase markers are also probably fine. <S> They're mildly abrasive so you'll be removing a little bit of wood, but not anything significant. <S> If you were planning on applying a finish to the wood, I'd suggest testing first to make sure that any residue wasn't going to mess with the finish. <S> Alternatively, you could just leave the marks in place - they're almost a signature by the maker and if they're going to be covered by a mattress you may be better off leaving them there. <A> And I always hear water shouldn't be used on wood. <S> It's perfectly OK to use water on wood, many processes require you to wet the wood surface down with plain water or a watery liquid. <S> And anyway Magic Erasers don't need to be used with water :-) <S> I tested denatured alcohol and acetone on a wood sample, but these solvents don't completely remove the pencil marks from the wood. <S> These are the two go-to solvents for those who remove pencil marks that way. <S> But unfortunately neither is 100% effective in all cases. <S> You can try wiping multiple times and really bearing down on the paper towel, most of the time for me with stubborn pencil marks that'll get rid of them or get you 90-95% of the way there. <S> Any remaining can usually be dealt with easily by gentle scraping, sanding or scuffing. <S> And a Magic Eraser could work well for that last bit. <S> [there are] a bunch of pencil marks on the slats <S> and I want to remove them. <S> This is a rhetorical question but why? <S> Nobody is ever going to see them. <S> In case you don't know there's a long tradition in furniture work of not bothering to do work on surfaces that aren't seen in service. <S> On old furniture (even really good quality stuff) not only can they have pencil, chalk or gauge lines on them they were commonly left unfinished and could even still be rough from the saw or have scrub-plane marks on them! <A> I would like to add that as a comment but rep thing did not allow me (at least; for the moment).I would try an regular erase first as mmathis said. <S> Be aware that some erasers work better (depending on quality). <S> If you do not get a satisfiying result you may try sandpapers. <S> Try 400 grit first and go further with higher grits if necessary, until you get a satisfactory result. <A> Magic Erasers are just melamine foam . <S> They work by abrasion, there are no chemicals involved. <S> The effect on the wood should be similar to rubbing it with very fine steel wool.
| I don't know if it's okay to use Mr. Clean Magic Eraser to remove all the pencil marks on the bed slats since it uses water.
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Why are bed slats not attached? Planning a wooden bed frame. I am considering why bed slats I've seen seem to always just rest loosely on top of the frame rather than join to both sides. I know wood expands and contracts with heat/humidity but since the ends of the bed are also expanding and contracting in the same direction, why would these need to be separate? Perhaps it's for easy replacement as they more likely break. Maybe it's due to the weight of the mattress and occupants? If I made then of similar strength to the header and footer rails, I would think these problems would go away. <Q> I've just checked the two cheap bed frames in my house and they are fixed down with a screw at each end. <S> I made a rough bed this way a while ago and it was fine. <S> In cases I've seen where they are not fixed the slats have been pretty thin and with an upward curve so that when you lay your weight on them they flatten out. <S> I'm guessing they do this either to give the bed extra spring or to save money on wood. <S> As they flatten they effectively get longer so you cannot fix them rigidly at each end. <S> You could fit the end of each slat into a mortise without glue but that would be a lot of work for little benefit. <S> And as you say it would make replacement difficult if one broke. <S> I would recommend making the slats for your bed reasonably thick (3/4") and screwing them down. <S> Or you could rest the ends loose on the bed frame and use spacer blocks to keep them correctly positioned. <A> Probably because they don't need to be attached. <S> The weight of the mattress holds them in place. <S> Screws that come loose or are not firmly set could tear the fabric of the mattress. <S> Why add an extra step in assembling and disassembling of a bed if it doesn't solve a problem and potentially introduces one? <A> I know wood expands and contracts with heat/humidity <S> but since the ends of the bed are also expanding and contracting in the same direction, why would these need to be separate? <S> The slats aren't moving in the same direction as the ends of the bed just because they're both going side to side, they're at 90° to each other in the other axis (the ends being upright, the slats being flat). <S> So this means the ends will tend to expand up and down, the slats along the long dimension of the bed. <S> Just in general, when boards are not joined together movement tends to be very easy to deal with because it's only each individual board's movement that you need to account for, which can be small enough in many cases you can ignore it 1 . <S> It's when boards are joined together and these small movements become one larger movement that we have to pay attention. <S> As to why bed slats are frequently not attached I think it's simply because they can be <S> , they don't have to be fixed in order to work. <S> But where it is important for one reason or another 2 bed slats are fixed to bed frames. <S> 1 <S> As in the apron of a table for example. <S> 2 Bed slats are stronger when fixed at the sides and quite a bit stronger when fixed very firmly, e.g. when glued down or mounted into a housing groove or dado.
| Bed slats often are fixed down at the ends. And by not fixing them you save time and effort in drilling holes, driving screws or whatever.
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Why does an impact driver have some 'wobble'? I noticed how any impact I use has a little 'wobble' in the bit. Really noticeable in a long Philips or a spade bit. I own a Ryobi, but I have used Rigid, Bosch, and Dewalt. Every one with the same thing. Is this meant to be? Will it cause problems when driving screws into my projects? <Q> I'm going to address the "what advantage would there be over a regular drill" part of the question first. <S> Impact drivers are much better at driving fasteners, drills are much better at drilling. <S> (Hence the different names...) <S> When you're drilling you want a thin, continuous cut. <S> This means that you normally don't need a ton of torque, but you want it continuously. <S> Drills are built to do this because they just turn at full torque the whole time. <S> With a fastener you don't really care if you stop and start, but you want as much torque as possible. <S> So an impact driver applies more torque, but it does it intermittently (hence the "clicking" when you use it.) <S> This also has the added benefit of not causing "reaction" torque, when a drill binds up and tries to twist your arm. <S> So you can apply a lot more torque with an impact than you ever could with a drill. <S> All that said, since an impact is intended to be used with fasteners <S> it doesn't really matter if it wobbles. <S> You're normally using it on something that isn't prone to walking around like a twist drill bit does. <A> In my experience impact drivers have a short head with a short hex-shaped recess to receive bits and drivers, where a drill has a chuck with a much firmer grip on bits. <S> Hence the greater wobble factor using the impact driver. <S> For me it is like the difference between a broad heavy masonry chisel and fine woodworking one. <S> Different tools for different applications. <A> All impact drivers have deliberate nose wobble <S> so the bit centres itself in the screw used eg square , philips, flat etc
| An impact driver is great for rough framing where I am not predrilling for screws, but I do not use it on better quality woodworking projects.
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Best way to join pieces of L shaped desktop I am building an L shaped office desk from pipe, structural fittings. The top will be in two pieces cut from a 4x8 sheet of Baltic birch plywood. I'd like the desk, including the top, to be disassemble-able and, if at all possible, for there not to be a leg at the inside corner. I'm looking for recommendations on joining the two top pieces given the above objectives (includes orientation of joint - see image) Some thoughts I've had (NB: effectively total noob to this sort of thing) simply glue it (permanent) dowel, biscuits, spline (permanent, complex/hard for me) apron across the edge with the joint piece across joint on underside screwed into the top pieces (prob. can't disassemble too many times) dog bone fasteners Thanks <Q> I have redrawn your desk top and would suggest the following: Don't mess around with a mitered corner (At best you're just wasting wood with the triangular cut-offs. <S> Most of the load will be carried by the leg and little load <S> needs to transferred from one piece of the top to the next. <S> The leg labeled as optional is necessary only if you are anticipating heavy loads (e.g. lots of books) <S> I have seen tables with pipe legs like you plan to use. <S> They have seemed remarkably stable and will hold up quite nicely if not abused - move by lifting, not dragging; it's not a chair <S> so don't sit or dance on it. <S> The ability to knock down and re-build a piece of furniture is over-rated for the needs of most people. <S> While young, still getting an education, moving every year or two years, it is handy, but in the end, modular furniture is re-assembled at most a handful of times. <S> So, listen to Benchwerks, if the screw holes become too loose, relocate them. <S> After thought: <S> My experience with Baltic birch has been that it comes in square sheets 60" on a side. <S> You can make your top without piecing together parts. <A> There are several considerations you have to address for you concept. <S> Appearance-wise, consider the direction of the wood grain at the various joints. <S> You show a 38" x 24" butting to an 18" x 54". <S> If you are using a single piece of plywood you must change the grain direction at the joint, so if appearances are important decide of other joint directions work better. <S> Material thickness and strength. <S> Your desktop material is thin and dowels or splines may too weak to support weight and/or movement, it depends on how it will be used. <S> A stronger joint option for this application might be to screw <S> /glue attach a second piece of plywood (4"x 24"+/-) to connect the two pieces from below. <S> The joint location will be the weakest point of the desktop (think of the connection as a hinge location. <S> Interrupting the desktop with a joint in the middle (more or less) of the span is asking for failure unless that joint is adequately supported below. <S> Connecting legs with flat plates to the underside of the desk will not be stable. <S> See this question for additional thoughts on this problem. <S> In order to adequately support your desktop you should consider aprons at least 3-4" deep. <S> The inside corner of the desk where you wish to avoid a leg must carry across the entire width of the desk (56") and connect to an apron on the 54" side that is supported by the corner legs. <S> Consider the height of the top, seat and clearance for the persons body when determining the length of your legs. <S> (BTW, it is always helpful to draw your project to scale.) <A> Given your level of experience, I would choose the "piece across the joint" option. <S> It's been used in the countertop industry for eons. <S> Since you are using Baltic Birch for the top (excellent choice in terms of stability and relative strength) you can glue and clamp everything together. <S> Or not, if you plan on taking it apart - you can always change the location of the screw holes. <S> Other issues, such as what sort of load this top will carry, require more info. <S> But you got a good start!
| Assuming you plan on using flanges to join the legs to the top, overlap one flange so that it attaches to both pieces of the top. Make the top of two rectangles joined with the lap joint(easy) or the dog bones (fun to work out).
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how to fix very light scratches in polyurethane finish? I just got a nice new wooden table, and, being completely clueless about wood, scrubbed it with the rougher side of a dish sponge because it had some weird rough spots on the surface. Now it's slightly scratched all over - the scratches are very shallow (the color is fine and I can't feel them with my fingers), but I see them in reflected light and they get on my nerves. What can I, a person who has never dealt with wood before, do to fix this? The table, according to the manufacturer, has a polyurethane finish (on top of a walnut veneer). It doesn't look glossy, so the scratches aren't too much of a disaster, but I'd still like to fix them if that's reasonably doable. So far I tried Howard's Orange Oil Wood Polish and Old English Scratch Cover for Dark Woods (both rubbed in with a cotton cloth), but neither worked, although the Scratch Cover maybe helped a little. <Q> You're going to have to make this look worse before it looks better. <S> The first step is *gulp* to lightly sand or scuff the entire surface until the existing scratches aren't evident, and then do one of the following to restore shine: polish the surface of the existing varnish add fresh polyurethane. <S> Polishing the surface is the harder of the two options here and not one <S> I'd recommend a first-timer try on a completed piece of furniture. <S> It's not too difficult to do but it requires practice <S> and you don't have anything to practice on so that really only leaves option no. 2, which I think is the better route anyway. <S> The second option probably sounds daunting if you've never used varnish before but by using what's called wiping varnish (which can be bought readymade or made at home) <S> it's quite easy to get a very good result without prior experience, as long as you follow the instructions. <S> After the sanding/scuffing of the existing varnish it's simply a matter of applying wiping varnish* as normal, layer by layer until you have a uniform sheen that you're happy with. <S> There is more than one application method you can employ, but for simplicity you should probably use the wipe-on/wipe-off method which is the easiest and most straightforward and will virtually guarantee good results. <S> Full instructions on how to go about this in this extract from Flexner on Finishing <S> : Finally - Answers to Your Wood <S> Finishing Fears & Frustrations by Bob Flexner. <A> The polyurethane will be well cured by now. <S> Without stripping everything back and starting over (which you should NOT do cause it's far too much work for a few scatches) <S> As the existing finish will be completely cured, you will need to give the entire surface a very light (scuff) sanding first with high grit sand paper. <S> This will hide/blend the existing scratches and give the new coat of poly something to physically bond to. <S> I would use a wipe on poly (homemade - 50/50 mineral spirits + poly blend) and apply at least 3 or 4 coats over a couple of days (following directions on can for timing). <S> You'll definitely want to try this on the underside of the table first (or on some non visible part) <S> - I'm sure you'd hate to end up making the problem worse (or <S> at least more visible) <S> Bear in mind that the new finish will be comparatively soft for up to a month and may also be quite stinky for the first week or so. <A> For scratches that are not through the finish, you can simply make them vanish by scratching the finish more, and then scratching those scratches with smaller scratches, and stop when it suits you. <S> Depending exactly how large they are, this is sanding and or buffing the finish - the only thing you need to be quite careful of is not making any of the new scratches go through the finish. <S> If you do that, you'll need to refinish it. <S> You need to be particularly careful if you are working near an edge, as edges are easy to over-sand on. <S> You might try starting with 600 grit sandpaper, and if that does not seem to affect the scratches, go to 400 grit. <S> since you say it's not glossy, there's likely to be a point in the 1200-2000 range where more sanding is not called for.) <S> You need to clean every time you change grit going coarser to finer - any loose grit from the coarser grade will make scratches you don't want. <S> With each grade, you only want to use it until you can no longer see the scratches from the preceding grade. <S> For flat work, using a sanding block is highly advisable. <S> Don't press very hard at all.
| Sand just until you can't see the original scratches any more, vacuum and wipe the surface to remove any loose grit particles, and then work with progressively finer grits up to a point that suits the finish you started with ( all you can do is try and mask them (which you say you've tried and not had much success with), or apply a few coats of poly on top.
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How should I fix a broken chair stringer? This part of the chair was damaged during shipping and I was wondering if it would be safe to glue together. The part on the left is a leg and the horizontal bar on the right supports the front of seat. I would imagine that the broken joint supports a bit of weight. Would glue be sufficient to hold it together? The tenon is stuck firmly inside the mortise, I don't think I can extract it. If I were to attempt to glue it back together would I apply glue on the entire side face of the leg or just the broken tenon? Here is a side view: I have very little woodworking experience, so any advice would be greatly appreciated. Additional pictures: [ 2 [ 3 <Q> I lack confidence that the glue joint would hold. <S> The loading on the chair was great enough that it separated the grain in the wood. <S> Part of the reason for the failure was that the seat support rail did not have straight grain carrying the load across the entire width of the chair rail. <S> Instead the grain angled to the outside leaving little of the length to support the loads. <S> While it is argued that the glue joint would be stronger than the original wood, the strength is still limited by the small area wood grain to support the stress. <S> I would be inclined to replace the piece by drilling out the remaining rail segment in the leg tenon and making a new chair rail with a better piece of wood. <S> This will take a bit of woodworking experience to do <S> so you may want to find an experienced woodworker to repair the chair for you. <A> I agree with Ashlar's answer and I was going to say many of the same things, so I will just add some alternatives. <S> My answer will depend on exactly what the break looks and <S> how easy you think it will be to work with but if you want to try a little DIY here are some suggestions <S> The easiest option would be to glue it and then drive a screw through the joint, but that would probably not look very nice. <S> An alternative to the screw is to run a dowel though the leg and into the support. <S> To do this you should glue the leg together and once the glue sets up drill a hole into the support then glue in the dowel and then cut the dowel flush. <S> This image shows the theory I am describing but in your case you would want to run the dowel in from the other direction as your tenon is already stuck in the mortise. <S> Animation from technologystudent.com <S> but it is possible. <S> Image from Wikimedia Commons <A> While it would be my preferred fix <S> I think that you could get a satisfactory fix by gluing it back together with a high-quality marine epoxy. <S> I would NOT use normal wood glue (Titebond or similar), but I believe that something like West or Entropy epoxy, with a suitable filler, would hold securely enough for normal use for a non-load-bearing piece like this. <S> Of course, you will still have the issue that the piece has grain runout in that area.
| If you are really worried about the outer face then you could try to embed the dowel inside the joint, this would be harder and require you to be very careful about hole size and placement
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Connecting the MDF corners, so there's no gap TL;DR How do I connect the MDF sheets on the corners (in left-hand-side picture), so they align nicely, and there's no gap? As you can see in the sketch, the angles are not always multiples of 45 degrees. Backstory: One day I got bored, and wanted to play some Pac-Man. Playing it on PC didn't really feel right, so I decided to buy an arcade cabinet. After checking the prices on eBay, I made the best decision... "$1,500 for a cabinet? I can build this myself!" Needless to say, it's a great idea for someone with no prior woodworking experience... Anyway, I am moving forward quite nicely, but I've stumbled upon a problem for which I can't seem to find a solution. I am wondering how I can connect MDF sheets together, so that there isn't be a gap between them - basically, how can I cut them at an angle (and what tools would you recommend for that purpose?). In the image I am attaching, you can see my rough sketch of arcade cabinet on the left. How am I to connect the top sheet and back sheet together? They join at a slight angle, leaving a visible corner gap, and I want to achieve the result on the right, where the joined pieces blend together seamlessly. <Q> The other answers are great from a technical standpoint, but they overlook the much simpler solutions which are actually used on mass-produced arcade cabinets. <S> For example, the TMNT "Turtles in Time" cabinet that is disassembled in my garage has a recessed top which is captured with dadoes in both sides. <S> Another design might use cleats around the interior perimeter, allowing you to simply drop the top into a recessed area and optionally screw it down. <S> You don't need to miter anything for an exact fit, because nobody will see it if you build it right. <S> One not-so-obvious woodworking skill is knowing when appearance matters, and in this case it doesn't because the back of an arcade cabinet is not really meant to be seen, and the particular joint you are concerned about can be easily hidden by extending the sides above the top of the cabinet, as is the case on commercially-produced arcade cabinets. <S> The point is, you can tweak your design to hide any eyesores, allowing you to save yourself a lot of work and frustration by using simpler construction methods. <A> It sounds like you want a mitered corner . <S> You will want to find the overall angle of the piece in relation to the vertical one. <S> Just a guess <S> but it looks like it is 15-20 degrees above horizontal level from the corner. <S> Lets go with 20°. <S> The overall angle is 90 from the vertical piece to the level + our 20 above for a 110 degree inside angle. <S> This means the outside is (360-110=) 250. <S> You can come at this two ways, since the line of the angle through our imaginary 360° circle goes through both sides. <S> You can take 110/2=55, but you aren't cutting your piece on end <S> so that's the wrong plane. <S> You don't want 55, you want 90-55=35° Or, 250/2=125-90=35° <S> Either way, you want a 35° angle on your saw. <S> They will come together at our 20°. <S> (You can also think of it that if you started with a square 90 <S> ° corner you would have two 45° miters, but you want to raise it 20, <S> so you take 10 off of both. <S> That may help you visualize it) <S> This process will work for any of your corners and is easy for any corner 90° or more. <S> Sharp corners with inside angles <S> less than 90 will not be possible with saw a that only miter up to 45°.Also note <S> , this is only for single angle miters. <S> Pieces that come together with angles on two planes (ex. crown moulding) require additional calculation. <A> Welcome to Wood Working Stack exchange. <S> I would get a table saw for this cutting. <S> It will allow you to cut any angle from 0 <S> * (90 <S> *) to 45 <S> *. <S> It is not necessarily going to be 30* and 30 <S> * to get the angle you need. <S> You may have to use two different angles. <S> When you find the angles I recommend that you take another piece of wood and cut the angle used onto that piece. <S> It can be scrap. <S> It will serve two purposes. <S> 1) Use it again to re-position the blade. <S> 2) <S> Test piece. <S> All ways good to double check that your getting getting what you want. <S> To glue I would try the tape method to glue your project together. <S> With the two pieces next to each other lay the inside part of the board on the table, with the back facing towards you. <S> Take some good tape and put strips connecting the two pieces together. <S> Flip the board over and glue the one side (I only do one side, others do both) and find a way to clamp the pieces together. <S> The tape will help with holding the board were you want it. <S> It does not necessarily need to be glued on hard. <S> Of everything goes right <S> then you got what you need. <S> There is another way to go about this project. <S> Make the side piece. <S> I would use a rabbet router bit to make a groove on the top and back. <S> To help along the boards. <S> You will still need to make the top and back with the right angles. <S> But this time don't worry about gluing the back and top (as much). <S> Glue the top piece to the side (make sure 90 with a square). <S> That should get you a nice turn out as well. <S> Note: You don't necessarily need a table saw. <S> A circular saw would work but I highly recommend to use a straight edge to run the saw against to ensure a straight cut. <S> So there is the two things I thought you could. <S> Good luck with the project!
| You need to find the angle(s) in which you have to cut. You could also hide it with some tape or trim. Then take the back and line the back with the tops angle, also glue that and the back to the side at the same time. If you have a table saw or skill/circular saw you can set the angle to 35 and cut the edge of both pieces. If you look at commercially-produced arcade cabinets, you will find that the construction methods are much simpler than you might expect. Now you want a matching miter on both pieces so they line up, which means you will put half of the angle on each piece so they add up to 20.
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Cutting a spherical depression in wood I am trying to create a smooth spherical depression in wood that, the depression is 1.75in in diameter and 0.5in deep. I have access to a drill press, fixed router, and some chisels but I am not sure about the best way to go about achieving this depression in the wood (I am working with cherry) any suggestions about how to achieve this? The shape I am hoping to achieve is attached in the link. http://imgur.com/1PMNsSw http://imgur.com/lmF6iiK <Q> If you want to create this with the tools you mentioned you'll need a "core box" bit. <S> This is a plunging router bit with a spherical profile. <S> To determine the size we'll need to determine the radius using the formula: r <S> = h/2 + w^2/8h <S> Plugging in h = 1/2 and <S> w = 1 3/4 we get an answer of 1 1/64". <S> Since core box bits are typically sold by diameter you'll need a 2 1/32" bit. <S> If you're ok with something close you could probably use a 2" bit. <S> I'd be VERY careful with this operation, though. <S> Plunging a 2" bit can be quite dangerous. <S> Make sure that your workpiece is well secured and you have your router very stable. <S> Honestly I wouldn't personally attempt this operation. <A> You might try using a number of hole saws, starting with the smallest diameter hole saw and cut to the lowest point of the concave hole, then progressively using increasing diameter hole saws cutting to various depths of the concave hole. <S> Ending with the largest hole saw that meets the diameter of the concave. <S> Then break out all the various levels of cuts and finish with a chisel and some sanding. <S> Forstner bits will also do the trick. <A> You could try using an angle grinder with the right accessories: <S> When it comes to carving, shaping and sanding wood there are many effective tools to consider. <S> Only one however, can be quickly adapted to accomplish all three of these common woodworking tasks with ease. <S> The angle grinder. <S> Keep in mind <S> though, the angle grinder will remove much wood in a hurry, and like all power tools, when using your angle grinder on wood, be certain to wear safety goggles and other appropriate PPE. <S> And for finely detailed woodworking projects you may consider other, less aggressive alternatives. <S> More information in the original article: Source: http://logfurniturehowto.com/how-to-use-an-angle-grinder-on-wood/
| If you are a woodworker looking for a fast and easy method to quickly carve, then shape, and finally sand out large gouges and even chainsaw curfs, the angle grinder is the tool for you.
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Minimum time between coats of Danish Oil? I'm refinishing an old spinning wheel and have one coat of Danish Oil on the wheel. I NEED the whole thing finished and assembled by saturday morning and was hoping to get three coats of oil on it in total. Is it possible to do two coats of oil in one day? I'd planned to leave 24 hours to dry/cure before sanding lightly and adding each coat but it was raining yesterday (and I have to work outside due to space constraints) so I let inconvenience and laziness get the better of me and took a nap instead. So, as far as I can see, my options are: do one coat tonight and be happy with two coats. do two coats tonight (one as soon as I get home and another immediately before I head to bed?) do one coat tonight and one coat tomorrow and assemble the wheel a few hours later. What is the minimum time required for each coat to cure/dry enough to put the next layer on? I REALLY want to avoid it getting tacky as I have heard that can be a problem with danish oil done badly. FWIW, I'm using the specific product "Watco". <Q> 24 hours per coat is definitely not necessary. <S> This is Thursday. <S> Do one coat tonight. <S> But in a couple of hours check for dry spots and reapply. <S> Get up a bit early tomorrow morning and put on another coat. <S> Put on another coat tomorrow night and give it an hour or two before rubbing it dry. <S> By Saturday morning you'll be delighted. <S> It seems to me that the tackiness to which you refer is most likely due to insufficient shaking or stirring. <S> (It has happened to me - <S> the tackiness can be removed by reapplying the oil and then wiping dry.) <S> Usual nod to properly disposing of oily rags. <A> There's no one answer to this. <S> The most important variables in finish drying times are not the finishes themselves but your local conditions, principally the temperature and humidity. <S> In colder weather or when the humidity is high (or worst, both) drying times for oil-based products are much longer, in warmer weather and <S> when the humidity is low drying times can be much shorter, in fact easily less than the minimum time specified in the application instructions. <S> In addition to the above "Danish oil" is not one product and even for a specified brand you can sometimes get variations from batch to batch. <S> do one coat tonight and be happy with two coats. <S> Two coats is often good enough with products like "Danish oil". <S> You're mostly finishing for looks and there's often little improvement, sometimes none, between the second and third coats. <S> Again though, variables. <S> do two coats tonight (one as soon as I get home and another immediately before I head to bed?) <S> Possibly doable <S> but I think you'd be pushing your luck. <S> do one coat tonight and one coat tomorrow and assemble the wheel a few hours later. <S> This is the least favourable option I think. <S> You stand a much better chance of having the surface still a little tacky from the last coat here. <S> What is the minimum time required for each coat to cure/dry enough to put the next layer on? <S> Completely different story for people living in hot states in the US who could have the surface touch-dry (sufficient for recoating) in only a couple of hours. <S> Remember to wipe away every trace of excess from the wood! <S> That's the key thing to ensure minimum drying time and a tack-free result. <A> It takes 4 - 8 hours for it to completely dry depending on humidity/temp. <S> Details here: <S> https://www.fine-tools.com/danish-oil.html <S> So, yes, you can apply 2 (even 3 if you time it right) <S> coats in a single 24 hour period.
| As always with finishing it depends. For most people it's somewhere in between. Where I am I would regularly not be able to apply three coats in a day and would often be pushing it if I tried to apply a second coat before the following morning.
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How does wood glue create strong joints? I've been reading about joining pieces of wood at a 90 degree angle, and the religious war between pocket holes and mortise-and-tenon joints. The thing I find fascinating is that both still suggest the use of wood glue. I understand how harsher glues work — typically they essentially melt two materials together. Wood glue on the other hand doesn't seem to do this, instead it just bonds the materials somehow, but I can't see that as being a very strong joint. Through what action do wood glue joints get their strength? <Q> Here is a pretty detailed, technical discussion of gluing wood. <S> Valence forces are forces of attraction produced by the interactions of atoms, ions, and molecules that exist within and at the surfaces of both adhesive and adherend. <S> Interlocking action, also called mechanical bonding, means surfaces are held together by an adhesive that has penetrated the porous surface while it is liquid, then anchored itself during solidification. <S> Here are a couple of key excerpts: <S> Mechanical interlocking is probably the primary mechanism by which adhesives adhere to porous structures, such as wood. <S> Effective mechanical interlocking takes place when adhesives penetrate beyond the surface debris and damaged fibers into sound wood two to six cells deep. <S> Deeper penetra- tion into the fine microstructure increases the surface area of contact between adhesive and wood for more effective me- chanical interlocking. <S> The most durable structural bonds to wood are believed to develop not only when an adhesive penetrates deeply into cell cavities, but also when an adhe- sive diffuses into cell walls to make molecular-level contact with the hemicellulosics and cellulosics of wood. <S> If an adhe- sive penetrates deeply enough into sound wood and becomes rigid enough upon curing, the strength of the bond can be expected to exceed the strength of the wood. <S> There's lots more information in the referenced document if this doesn't answer your question. <A> As a chemist, literally every explanation of chemistry in this thread is wrong. <S> PVA is not pv-alchohol, it is pv-acetate. <S> There is absolutely no such thing as "valence forces". <S> Wood fiber is made from a polymer, lignin, and the cells that make up wood fiber are impermeable to water, which is the king of OH groups. <S> It does not penetrate into the cell wall. <S> Wood glue is a polymer, forming long crosslinked chains, and that is where it gets its strength. <A> Describing the chemistry precisely is useful because it explains why good practice is successful, but perhaps you just want to know what good practice is. <S> Join long grain to long grain <S> (This explains the geometry of, for example, mortice-and-tenon joints, and why they are better than dowels). <S> Have a smooth surface not a rough one. <S> Have a well-fitting joint (goes together with hand pressure alone, but only just) Allow to set under tight clamping pressure (but not excessively tight, which will squeeze all the glue out) Clean oily woods with mineral spirit.
| There are two primary mechanisms of adhesion: valence forces, and interlocking action.
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Cutting a 45 degree bevel on all 4 sides of a small piece of wood I am trying to cut a piece of wood that will be the top to a ring box. The box is 2.5"x2.5" and 1" thick, I am trying to cut a 45 degree bevel on each side but I am unsure of how I should do this. Would using a mitre saw be the best option or is this piece to small to use a mitre saw? Essential I am trying to create this shape (section view): http://imgur.com/a/AqRPr In the way of tools I have a jigsaw, mitre saw, hand saw, mitre box, chisels, router, palm sander, and a drill press that I can use as a make-shift sander. I could also probably get access to a 10" band saw. Thanks! <Q> Normally, being rather new to woodworking, I refrain from providing answers to people's questions, but I think I have a method that might help here. <S> If you start out with an oversized piece of wood (say, 3x4x1) you should be able to clamp a sacrificial board to your piece and cut <S> at least 3 of the 4 sides with the mitre saw set to a 45° cut. <S> For the last side, I'd recommend clamping into a mitre box and using a hand saw. <S> Cleaning up the piece with sanding should be fairly easy at that point. <A> I used a similar bit to create the same (but smaller) bevels on MDF plinths we installed all throughout the house. <S> Unless you already have one, a quick Google/Amazon search should turn up a bit with the shank diameter that your router needs, with a 1" radius. <S> Also, make sure your bit has a bearing, as that'll help you keep your cut depth consistent. <S> Happy routing! <A> I'm not sure what you are trying to do . <S> Do you want a chamfered edge or a pyramid like top? <S> Note that cutting small pieces using spinning blades such as a tablesaw or miter saw is dangerous. <S> Work with larger/longer pieces or wood to shape the piece and then cut it to length/depth afterwards. <S> If you are beveling the edges, this can be accomplished with a hand plane or sander. <S> For a pyramid top you can use a tablesaw, miter saw, band saw, or handsaw. <S> Then sand it to perfection.
| Since you have access to a router, you could use a 45° Chamfer bit .
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Using a table saw in an apartment room I've began woodworking as a hobby a few months ago and so far I've been using just a circular saw, and all the cuts were done in the balcony due to the insane amounts of sawdust that it produces. I've recently acquired a contractor style table saw and would love to start using it, but it's gotten so hot outside that I think it could actually ruin the motor of the saw and let's just say it won't be easy for myself either. Anyhow, we might have a "free" room in the apartment soon and I was wondering about dust. I was "warned" about tiny airborne particles that could potentially fill the entire apartment and kill us all. OK, I'm exaggerating a bit (I hope), but anyhow, assuming the door is always closed and it's got that rubber thing around it to block noise, is it still dangerous? I have a shop vac, as far as dust collection is concerned. Still, lots of sawdust is expected to come out through the top, so it's not gonna be perfect. What do you think? <Q> Dust will be a concern, as you've noted, but noise will as well. <S> Make sure to wear hearing protection and a dust mask. <S> I'd check the noise levels outside the room, as it may be unbearable for others in your apartment or in other apartments. <S> If that's the case, you may just have to deal with the heat outside <S> - it won't damage the motor in your saw. <S> Contractor style table saws aren't the best with dust collection, but if it has a port at the bottom, definitely use it. <S> If not, you may want to rig up some kind of DIY dust collection port for it. <S> Most (but not all) of the dust on a table saw comes out the bottom. <S> You may also consider an over-the-blade type of dust collection, although that may start to tax your little shop vac. <S> If you have an air return in that room for central air, you want to make sure it at least has a filter on it, or all that dust is gonna circulate throughout your apartment. <S> You may consider covering up the return, or even turning off any forced air climate control, while you're using the saw. <S> Jay Bates has a couple videos detailing his builds, so check them out. <S> One thing you didn't mention, but you should definitely check, is the power requirements for the saw. <S> Apartments may not have each room on its own circuit, so it may be difficult to run the saw and not trip a breaker. <S> If that happens, you'll just have to go back to using the circular saw. <A> Look at setting up a portable paint booth, and putting the saw inside of it. <S> These are used when spray painting in garages to keep the over spray off of everything. <S> It would work just as well in containing the dust. <S> You can make one easily enough with PVC and some plastic sheeting. <S> As to heat damaging the motor, I live in Phoenix and tools sitting in the sun for even a few minutes are way too hot to touch, but they work just fine. <A> Get a window fan in addition to whatever dust control method you use. <S> If you set the window fan to blow the air outside, your room will have negative pressure compared to the rest of the apartment and you wont need to worry about airborne dust making it out the room.
| One other thing you can consider is an air cleaner cart - essentially a motor with some furnace filters around it to catch dust. Lots of people have shops in their basements with no big problems, so it is possible to work inside.
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How can I flatten the floor of a small carved box? So I've drilled and carved out a small box. The Forstner bit that removed the bulk of the insides left a load of little holes in the bottom. The finish is far from perfect. I've tried working it with a chisel but we're talking about a very small opening, around 30×40mm. I've also tried a flat-top grinding disk on the Dremel. That's not really gritty enough and spins so fast it just burns. Is there something else I can use to finish the bottom of this little box? I don't (yet) have a router but even if I did, I'd need to find an extraordinarily good way to clamp it. I do have a good drill press. I can handle the corners manually. <Q> Paul Sellers has a video on making a Poor Man's Router Plane using a chisel and a block of wood. <S> Depending on the depth of the box, this method may work for you. <S> NOTE: <S> I take no responsibility for sending you down the Paul Sellers video rabbit hole. :) <A> I'm going to expand somewhat on my Comment above. <S> Hide it <S> I don't think you're would be really happy with any smoothing option here <S> so I strongly recommend you just sidestep the issue and line the box :-) <S> This isn't the cop out <S> it might appear to be, small decorative boxes are commonly lined in various ways (baize, flocking, rouched fabric) <S> and it finishes off the interior nicely. <S> Certainly more attractive than a bland wood surface! <S> Thinking outside the box <S> The box bottom doesn't have to be a single piece with the sides. <S> Smooth off the sides with files (or sandpaper glued to sticks if you own no suitable files) and when you're happy with them you make a new bottom. <S> Mark through the hole onto the face of a board then cut it to shape and glue it in place. <S> The new bottom can be a matching or contrasting wood as you prefer. <S> In addition to working around the current problem without having to make any more purchases, and struggling to refine a difficult-to-work surface in a difficult-to-access position, the bottom of the box will become a long-grain surface and not end grain as it currently is. <S> End grain doesn't finish well that easily but long grain does. <A> A suggestion of perhaps the wrong tool but a good result nonetheless. <S> A milling machine uses end mills for removing material both from the sides and bottom of a work piece. <S> It is a very bad idea to use an end mill in a drill press to remove material from the sides of a work piece, but not as bad to use an end mill in a drill press to remove material from the bottom. <S> You may be able to find low prices online to meet your requirements. <S> Having the stability of a drill press improves your chances of a good result compared to a hand-held rotary tool. <A> Here's what 80-grit does: <S> The problem with this approach is a little ~2cm² disc of 80-grit can't wear away enough of the wood to hide the holes before it gives up the ghost. <S> I could rinse and repeat <S> but it also wears into the sides so it's not something I want to push too far. <S> The finish is much better <S> so this is definitely an option later on, and with higher grits to get a polished bottom.
| Additionally long grain is frequently more attractive if you want the bottom of the box to be wood and to be visible. The "bad" part is due to side loads on the drill press, which isn't a factor when using only the end of the mill. Drill out the current bottom, or cut it out with a coping saw, and throw it away. You can take a flat-end Dremel bit and hot glue sandpaper to it.
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How do I rip a 1 x 6 equally with a 45 degree bevel? How do I divide a 1x6 equally to make two 45 degree edge French cleats? <Q> Answers above are correct, but if your OCD is firing up, set the 45 degree blade to rip a smaller chunk closer to the fence (say, 2.5"), then run the offcut through the saw again at that same fence setting. <S> Easier than math, and accounts for multiple slightly different width boards. <A> You don't have to divide the board equally to make workable French cleats. <S> If you need to do multiples that match just pick a fence position that approximately divides the boards you're starting with, write down that setting <S> so you don't forget it, then rip each subsequent one the same as the first. <S> Attach the same wider or narrower piece to the wall each time. <A> A 1 x 6 will be 3/4" thick. <S> A 45° cut will have an offset of 3/4" for placement. <S> Half of that is 3/8", which will provide for the duplication you seek. <S> Obviously, you'll want to ensure that your angle is tilted the correct direction. <S> In this case, it's measure twice but also check your triangles, then cut once. <S> Not to scale, but pretty darn close. <S> The saw blade should be centered on the line in order to balance the kerf material reduction for both sides.
| Locate the midpoint of the board, move the line by that amount and make your cut.
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Upgrading a cheap bandsaw table? My journey into woodworking started with the purchase of a very cheap ALDI own-brand WorkZone bandsaw. I'll include a picture at the end. It's functionally not that bad but they had to cut corners to get this out the door for £79.99. The most annoying thing is the plate steel table: There's no mitre slot (making square cross-cuts very difficult) It flexes under stress The fence doesn't grip it well (again because it flexes under stress) So I've found myself doing more freehand and short cuts than anything else. But for all its flaws, there are still moments I need to use it for strange cuts where my table saw just won't... erm... cut it. For example, it's far more economical to use for cutting veneer strips for bent laminations, even if I do spend all day sanding them back. The next step up is ~£350 and takes up a lot more space. I'm really hopeful somebody's going to suggest a sub-£100 option to give me a rigid, flat table that has better options for accessories. There may be other arguments for throwing this one in the bin and replacing it. Let me know. <Q> That table looks like stamped sheetmetal with very little supporting structure underneath. <S> Make sure there is enough clearance for normal operation. <S> If that doesn't work for you, you can just scrap that table and replace it with a piece of plywood bolted to the same hinge construction. <S> Make sure to keep the rest of the sheet for future projects. <A> Get yourself a nice piece of hardwood and make a new table. <S> You can include a mitre slot and maybe make it a bit larger too. <S> Looks like a nice little saw for 80 bucks. <S> I imagine it's useful. <S> You should be able to put together a fence for it <S> that's at least as good as the existing one too. <S> I see a lot of plans/tutorials for building table saw fences on the Internet, so I'd guess that those could be resized appropriately <S> (Example: How to Make a Wooden Fence For Your Table Saw ). <A> A square block of wood against the fence makes a fair miter gauge for 90° cuts you can make a 45° for the 45's, I have to use this method on my 1930's vintage band saw. <S> Peter Millard's Bandsaw Makeover P1 <S> video # 293 shows his upgrade of his cheap bandsaw, there is also a part 2.
| Take a look underneath the table, see if it's possible to fill the empty space with wood to reinforce the entire thing.
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Drop-in threaded hole for screw? I've got a work bench I built, and the top is 3/4" MDF. I have a lightweight drill press that I'd like to be able to fix to the top as needed. My thought was to somehow have a couple of threaded holes in the top that I could then use to just temporarily bolt the drill press in place as needed. But how would I do that? Basically, I want a couple of threaded holes for bolts to go in, but I'm not sure if that exists or what it's called to even search for it. Any ideas what those are called? Or other ideas on how to do this? <Q> If you must bolt it on You could make your life a lot easier and just use through-bolts. <S> No fitting of nuts or anything, just drill clearance holes, thread bolts through and tighten a nut on the projecting end (on top or underneath, it doesn't matter). <S> It's really little more hassle than bolting into threading for periodic use as you only need two bolts (on opposing corners) to hold the press securely. <S> This is the fastest on/off system going for a stationary power tool that sees occasional use. <S> This is what I do for both my drill stand and bench grinder and most of my friends do as well <S> if they don't have space in the workshop for them to be permanently mounted. <S> You can use almost any clamp for this purpose, most commonly in the past handscrews, F-clamps or C-clamps but even the weaker quick clamp is fine for this <S> and of course it's the fastest to set. <S> Because your top is only a single thickness of 3/4" MDF <S> the attached base may help dampen vibration somewhat as well. <A> SaSSafraS1232 definitely has the right idea, although I would strongly prefer T-nuts <S> https://www.boltdepot.com/T-Nuts_Zinc_plated_steel.aspx for this application. <S> For me the main reason would be pull-out strength and resistance to "racking" forces (side-to-side movement, not <S> sure racking is quite the right term). <S> With the t-nut's broad face, it's unlikely to pull through unless there's a catastrophic failure of the board itself <S> (like you ran into the drill press with a forklift or something). <S> With the threaded insert, some side-to-side motion could gradually weaken the threads in the wood and cause the insert to pull out, probably leaving a crater in the surface of the MDF. <S> Also, I think even newly installed pull-out strength would be significantly higher with the t-nuts. <S> It would make an interesting test if you had some spare MDF handy. <S> Note that t-nuts also come in versions with brad holes instead of prongs, which might suit better in your case as they would resist popping out when you drop a bolt in to fasten things up. <A> You could use threaded inserts (like this: https://www.ezlok.com/inserts-for-wood ) or T-nuts ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-nut ).
| But easier still, no bolts needed You could attach the base of the drill press to a piece of ply or MDF and simply clamp this in its turn to your benchtop.
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Are "brass" wood screws liable to be fake, or am I just using them too roughly? I bought some "brass" wood screws yesterday at a local hardware store and they were bending and breaking off in the hole. I compared them to some brass screws I had ordered from Fastenal, a commercial supplier, last year and the hardware screws were lighter in color. Brass screws are supposed to be made of "high brass", 65% copper, 35% zinc. Is there a chance I have a substandard screw with too much zinc in it, or am just being paranoid and the lighter color is because the screws are newer? Is there a way to check the screws to see if they have the right composition? <Q> I'd say it's possible the composition and hence performance is different, but I don't think that's the only factor. <S> Where I work (at a commercial joinery making windows, doors etc.) <S> we go through thousands and thousands of screws per month <S> and even screws which claim to be made from the same stuff, by different makers, can vary wildly in terms of performance. <S> Generally I would say if you find one make of screws which works for you, then stick with it. <S> Even if the material composition is the same, I believe things such as heat treatment/how they are formed can affect the performance. <S> I'm no metallurgist but cold-forged screws seem to be better for at least some alloys as I think the metal "work-hardens" and <S> becomes stronger through the forming process. <S> If you're looking for good strong screws <S> then I recommend Reisser R2's if you can get them, but these are not "pretty" screws which you might want to leave on show. <S> They are super super strong through - hard to round out and they almost never snap unless you screw in and remove the same screw repeatedly. <A> Not the screws; your pilot holes and clearance holes were not big enough. <S> Brass is only about 50 % the strength of steel and things like steel deck screws are even stronger as they are heat-treated. <S> Brass ( yellow) is normally 60:40 or 70:30 <S> ( sometimes with 1% tin) ; the strength is more a function of cold work than alloy- <S> your problem has nothing to do with alloy. <S> ( On checking I found alloys from 95 Cu: 5 Zn ,to 60 Cu : 40 Zn) <S> Many fasteners have rolled threads which cold works to higher strength .BUT <S> the tapered threads of a wood screw don't work with rolling. <S> Brass screws are( typically) made by cutting cold drawn bar. <S> But cold drawing hardens the surface more than the core, so you cut off the hardest material. <S> If you cold head then cut threads you have a stronger head but the same low thread <S> strength.(The tensile strength of brasses can be from 40 ksi to 80 ksi depending on if it annealed or fully cold worked . <S> Ordinary cold rolled steel would be roughly 80 ksi ) <A> I think you are using them too roughly. <S> As <S> SaSSafraS1232 said in a comment, you should always screw in a steel screw of the same size and shape first (but it can be a Posidrive/Torx rather than slot head), and then drive in the brass screw by hand . <S> (The steel screw can obviously be machine driven)
| and I can tell you that 99% of the screws that you get are rubbish - just generally poor quality, easy to snap, soft heads which round out etc.
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Strong method for bottom of a box I want to make a box for a sewing machine. I can make dovetails or more likely simple box joints for the four vertical corners, but what's a good sturdy design for fitting a bottom so the weight of the contents doesn't mean it stays behind when you pick it up? I'm considering routing a rebate around all four sides, so the bottom fits in. It'll probably just be glued in. It'll leave a very shallow "cavity" under the box but that's no problem. I'm not sure how far up from the bottom edges of the sides the rebate should be, though. <Q> With a rabbet the glue joint is holding the bottom on, while in a groove the structure of the wood itself is holding the bottom in place. <S> This will prevent the bottom from sagging and then pulling out of the grooves. <S> (Note that this is assuming the grain of the sides is running horizontally around the box, not vertically. <S> This is how you would need to build for the dovetail or box joints you mentioned. <S> If your grain runs vertically you cannot glue the bottom in place because you will have movement issues.) <A> As SaSSafraS1232 mentioned making a box for the purpose you stated is much like making a drawer.1. <S> Groove all sides, front and back of the box/drawer, then glue the sides to either the front or back piece than slip the bottom piece of plywood into the grooves, (no glue necessary) and glue on the other end. <S> This captures the bottom completely.2. <S> If you wish to be able to someday replace the bottom, then make the back piece only as high as from the top of box to top of grooves so you can slide out the back for replacement. <S> You can secure the bottom from slipping out with a couple of small nails. <S> General rules. <S> A groove should be at least as deep as the bottom is thick and up to as deep as half the thickness of the sides. <S> Allow 1/16" for expansion of the bottom panel during humidity increases in the environment. <S> Make the groove as far from the bottom of the sides and ends as the bottom panel is thick (minimum). <S> Preferably as far from the bottom as half the thickness of the sides and ends. <S> If you are using the box for the sewing contents, I would use a 1/4" panel, if it is for the sewing machine, I would use 3/8". <S> For my shop drawers, expecting up to 100lbs. <S> , I use 1/2" plywood for bottom panels and 3/4" for sides and ends. <S> To learn proper box and drawer making, there are some very good tutorials on Youtube. <S> If you want to build a box style, search "make a heavy duty box", if you want to build a usually more flexible and stronger drawers style, search "make heavy duty shop drawers". <A> Wood glues (PVA) are fairly strong in tension (pulling apart) but weaker in shear, (sliding surfaces in opposite directions. <S> Although a rabbet joint should be strong enough, I like belts and suspenders when possible. <S> I would recommend creating a dado offset to use the wood shear strength in addition to the glue. <S> Locate <S> the dado approx. <S> 1/2" from the edge so that the wood shear strength can be used in addition to the glue strength. <A> Your making a box to hold a sewing machine? <S> They are pretty heavy items. <S> I don't think a rebate would be sufficient enough. <S> If you have 3/4 material, then the groove is usually 3/8 deep - more then sufficient for most needs, but a sewing machine? <S> I would go with a dado for aesthetics or <S> just glue and screw the bottom panel on. <S> If you're using solid wood (not so much plywood), you will get a lot of long grain glue surface and with the addition of some mechanical fasteners, your box will certainly be sturdy. <S> Add some nice looking box corner protectors and you're laughing.
| For added strength I would make the bottom out of plywood (so it doesn't change size) and glue it into the grooves. I think the most sturdy way to put a bottom in a box is to capture it with grooves on the sides.
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What would be the best glue to use for papermaking frames that are immersed in water & made from pinewood My son is making mould & deckle papermaking frames for me using pinewood. The frames are continually immersed in water. Could you please suggest the best glue to use for this job? <Q> Your best option would be a two part marine epoxy. <S> Many of the major adhesive manufacturers produce them and hardware stores <S> stock them <S> so it will be easy to acquire. <A> As with most things there's no one best option. <S> These are in no particular order. <S> The epoxy does not need to be marine-grade. <S> Additional point As well as going with a waterproof glue for this sort of application it would be best to use corner joints that have some structural strength, so that you aren't only relying on the glue bond. <S> So in essence use anything but plain mitres. <S> These are inherently not strong structural joints because two end-grain surfaces are being bonded together and this is the weakest of all glue situations. <S> If going with mitres some further reinforcement should be considered mandatory. <S> Preferable joints would be one of the following: Mortise and tenon <S> (wedged or drawbored ideally, pegged as a third option). <S> Bridle joint, which can be pegged if desired. <S> Halving joint AKA half-lap joint (can also be pegged). <S> End-grain to long grain butt joint, which can be reinforced with a through-dowel or screw*. <S> Note <S> these are in approximate order of preference. <S> *Stainless steel or brass/bronze in preference, although it appears plain steel fixings are used in the frames in use with many paparmakers as odd as that seems. <A> One more you could try: Cascamite. <S> Very easy to use, it's a powder that you mix with water. <S> Don't let that give the wrong impression though, once set it is completely insoluble/impervious to water. <S> I seem to remember it has a pretty good shelf life too, as long as it doesn't get damp.
| There are three good choices that aren't too difficult to obtain and should be absolutely reliable: Epoxy Polyurethane Urea-formaldehyde
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Finishing a wooden piece by oiling instead of varnish/paint/lacquer I have just been making my first guitar over the last few days from scratch and I have just gotten to the point of needing a finish for it. It is a solid body slide guitar. I was wondering if anyone had experience in oiling a whole guitar body instead of varnish. Pros and cons. Any advice? How long between oiling the next time? Any good oils for this? <Q> I have an old guitar (electric) that had a battered finish. <S> I stripped it completely and used linseed oil to refinish it. <S> I don't think it changed the tone in any noticeable way, and its been fine ever since. <S> That was about 40 years ago. <S> Some caveats though: <S> 1) Oil will never give you a really high gloss finish. <S> If that's what you want, use something else. <S> If you want it to look "natural" though, oil is great. <S> 2) <S> It should really be regularly maintained, certainly for the first few months. <S> Oil it and oil it again. <S> Keep going till it stops absorbing any more. <S> As I remember it, the rule was every day for a week, every week for a month, every month for a year. <S> 3) <S> Oil finish hardens inside the wood, not on the surface. <S> For flutes it's great. <S> For acoustic guitars, probably not. <S> As far as I know this has never been the method chosen for finishing soundboards. <S> The traditional finish there would be shellac which seals the surface rather than soaks in, and adds as little weight as possible. <S> 4) <S> As others have pointed out, oil offers little protection from scratches. <S> However it often still looks ok, and the finish can very easily be touched up. <S> The finish will never chip or peel off, because it actually becomes part of the wood. <A> I would say probably the same way you would use oil on any other piece of wood. <S> Oil will let the wood vibrate naturally and will give a more resonant tone. <A> While I am not a luthier. <S> My good friend Charles Fox is one of the top luthiers in the US <S> he lacquers his guitars, acoustic and solid bodies. <S> From my limited understanding oil dampens the resonance of the wood while lacquer or French polish accentuate the natural resonance of the wood which enhances tone and sustain in a guitar. <S> This is of course more important in an acoustic guitar. <S> But even in a solid body electric I wouldn't take the chance.
| I do think that oil is a better way to go than varnish or other types of hard sealant because it inhibits the vibration of the wood when you are playing.
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Can this table support 150 KG? Ich currently have a 60l aquarium on my cupboard which weighs approx 85 kgs. I want to upgrade to a 100 liter aquarium which will weigh approx 140 - 150 kgs and wanted to be on the safe side and ask for your opinion. Thickness of board under aquarium is 3 cm while two wooden legs are 1.5 cm. On 4 sides the main board which is under aquarium is supported by screws to main wooden pillars which are 4 cm each. . I am adding pics as well. <Q> Properly speaking, this question can't be answered. <S> (Unless you can find the manufacturer and ask them...) <S> However, I have a few ideas to offer. <S> From a design standpoint, you have two relatively solid uprights supporting the weight. <S> That's a good thing. <S> I can't really comment on the rigidity of the entire unit, but if you feel brave, remove the existing aquarium and have 2 adults climb onto where the new aquarium would be (stand over the uprights). <S> If you do change the aquarium, pay special attention in the first month to see if there's any curving/bowing in the uprights, or sagging in the horizontal shelf. <A> If you have some heavy objects that are not valuable (such as scrap metal, anvils, large rocks, things that in the event that the desk will break will not cause much loss of money) you could try to load it in steps. <S> For example, load it at 100 kg for a week, while watching it structure, measuring the height in several points, looking for bowing, looking for joints starting to fail etc. <S> Then if this is ok move to 120 kg and further. <S> I would not try using people or pets as in the event of a sudden breakage they could get hurt or worse. <A> I don't particularly like the idea of significantly increasing the load on this piece of furniture. <S> Sure you have two uprights directly beneath but racking and twisting <S> are a potential concern. <S> In addition, water ingress, from a big enough spill or even small amounts repeatedly over time, could weaken the MDF. <S> Far more has been asked of far worse structures and been gotten away with I'm sure, but you will want to make a risk-benefit analysis here. <S> If you have your heart set on a heavier tank, perhaps consider replacement or at least some modification, reinforcement and/or mitigation of MDF moisture mushing. <S> (Also, apologies all around as arbitrary alliteration apparently aggravates)
| If it felt solid, I'd assume that the structure would hold up.
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Painting inside of carving With CNC router , I've carved the inner circle so I want to make hundreds of trays like this: what is the best way to paint the "brown part" without affecting the top edges. ( I don't want to paint the yellow part , only the brown side ) <Q> Make another ring (Piece A) that is somewhat larger in outside diameter than your final item, but with the same inner diameter and open at the bottom. <S> Make this from fairly thin material. <S> This will be the stencil/mask to keep paint off the unpainted sections. <S> Next, make a solid circle that is a close fit for the interiors (Piece B). <S> This should be thicker than the depth of the hole and the thickness of the piece above combined. <S> This will be the locator to position the above disc on your work piece. <S> To use, place B inside a tray, and slide A down over it. <S> Clamp A in place and remove B. Paint the inside with whatever you want, brush or spray. <S> Part A can be made from anything that is somewhat rigid - cardboard, wood or whatever. <S> You can make several of these so you can do sort of an assembly line. <A> I would try applying blue painter's tape to the plywood before I routed out the inner circle. <S> Then route the inner circle, which will also cut away the tape. <S> Then when you paint the interior, the painter's tape will be perfectly masking the top, so you don't have to worry about slop. <S> When the paint is dry, remove the painter's tape. <S> The downside to this is, tape residue will get on the CNC bit. <S> I'm not sure how hard this would be to clean. <S> If the path can be set up so it routes the outer part of the circle first and moves towards the inner part, that might make it clean off most of the residue as it routes the rest of the circle. <S> But maybe not. <S> Still, it would be a handy process if it worked, so I'd probably at least give this a try. <A> It looks like you have a solid disc of plywood, with a ring stuck on the top. <S> If so, proceed as follows. <S> Mark out the inner and outer circles of the discs. <S> Paint <S> the inner circle (but not the outer circle). <S> There is quite a bit of room for error here, so you can use a fairly large brush, or spray with a mask. <S> Cut out the upper rings. <S> Paint the inner edge of the upper rings. <S> Glue each disc and ring together (choose the surface with the fewest paint flecks as the upper surface of the ring). <S> Once the paint is completely hard, use a large sander to remove any flecks from the upper surface. <S> Edit <S> It turns out the piece is a solid piece of plywood with the hollow cut out with a CNC router. <S> In which case, I revert to my original (unposted) idea: <S> Make tray. <S> Once the paint is completely hard, use a large sander to remove any flecks from the upper surface.
| Paint inside as neatly as possible with a brush.
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Is a mess-free, high gloss finish possible? I have read the discussions regarding high gloss finishes, but haven't quite found the answer I'm seeking for my unique situation. I have a built-in cabinet in my condo. It has dark stain and varnish. I would like to give it a glossy, black finish. It doesn't have to shine like a Steinway, but I would like to completely cover the wood grain. Because it is a built-in and in my living room, spraying is not an option. Nor is any wet-sanding/polishing. I would also prefer to avoid stripping the varnish, if possible. Is there a way for a novice like me to achieve the finish I desire within all of these constraints? <Q> It's easy enough to get a glossy finish (see Graphus's answer), the hard part is getting it flat . <S> With a gloss finish any surface imperfections become very easy to see. <S> This includes the grain of the wood (particularly if it's an open-pore species like Oak), dust that may settle on it before the finish is cured, orange peel from applying too much or too little finish (particularly if spraying), brush strokes, previous surface imperfections, etc. <S> This is the reason that people often use a regime that involves finishing in thin coats and sanding repeatedly. <S> If you just want it to be shiny then any gloss finish should do. <S> Oil-based paints are a little easier since they self-level better and tend not to leave brush strokes, but the clean-up is more annoying since you need to use mineral spirits instead of water. <A> Paint it with gloss enamel. <S> Use a small brush or 'detail' brush for inside corners and tidying up edges, a foam roller for the flat surfaces. <S> You'll need to scuff up or lightly sand the entire piece before you start to ensure good adhesion so some dust will be generated but not an excessive amount. <A> Finishing is under most circumstances, messy and there really isn't a way around this. <S> No matter how careful you are, there will be drips, runs, splatter, etc. <S> You've already mentioned a few possible constraints like not spraying and finishing indoors. <S> Let me address the latter first. <S> The typical concern indoors is VOC's and explosion hazards. <S> Because of this, I would recommend a waterborne (water based) finish. <S> There are some good quality, WB lacquers that can be brushed or sprayed. <S> One I've worked with is Target Coatings Emtech EM6600 <S> (no affiliation to them <S> just a good product IMO). <S> A common reason people don't want to spray is that it is messy to due overspray. <S> I would suggest that regardless of what method you chose, you are going to need to mask off and cover parts of the room. <S> Covering everything in plastic drop sheets taping them down is a bit of work but at the end of the day is not all that difficult and will ensure everything near by stays perfectly clean. <S> Once you have this in place, spraying might be a viable option, or you might consider a hybrid approach (brush and sprayer) for different areas. <S> As far as refinishing the cabinet, you are going to need to sand it no matter what method you use. <S> You should then put down <S> a sealer coat - shellac is a good universal sealer and you can even find WB-based variants (see the site I linked to previously). <S> From here you will apply a pigmented coat - could be lacquer, latex-based paint, etc. <S> Optionally you can put on a top clear coat if the finish of the pigmented layer doesn't meet your required level of shine. <A> A couple steps I would suggest. <S> 1) Apply a deglosser. <S> Products like this soften the surface to allow for better adhesion to the substrate. <S> 2) Apply a heavy duty primer (it will smell) <S> I suggest BIN's red labeled alcohol based primer. <S> This will seal in the stain and even out the surface for painting. <S> 3) Let the primer cure. <S> Follow the label 4) Apply a black gloss finish of your choice.
| I'd suggest a gloss black lacquer if you really want that super shiny finish.
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Advice on fixing cam bolt hole Forgive me if I'm posting this in the wrong place. I'm assembling a tree hall that uses cam bolts but one of the plastic inserts was loose and when I tighten up the bolts the assembly is very wobbly. I removed the insert and tried using wood glue but it didn't hold. As you can see in the pic, the threaded end goes into a plastic insert and on further inspection 2 other inserts are loose. Any advice on how to glue these inserts so they will hold? <Q> You might actually be able to fix this using white or yellow glue <S> but it would be better to use a gap-filling adhesive. <S> The simplest option for this is epoxy. <S> You can use the epoxy as-is, or thicken it slightly if you want by mixing in a little filler. <S> Wood dust is the usual filler so use that if you have any, but wheat flour will work in a pinch. <S> Although you might be able to push them home using a pencil or screwdriver <S> I think you may need to use the cam bolt to correctly position the nylon inserts, but you don't want the bolt itself to get epoxied to the side of the hole. <S> To prevent this it would be advisable to lubricate the shaft with a thin smear of wax, oil or grease. <S> Any cooking or salad oil will be fine, you could also use mineral oil or baby oil if you have either in the house. <S> Don't get it on the outside of the plastic insert. <S> You'll want to clean the hole out as well as you can before adding in the epoxy so that it isn't sticking to the previous glue you used but to the wood itself. <S> If you have a drill bit that's a tight fit in the hole run that up and down the hole a few times with it spinning. <S> If you only have a bit that's slightly larger than the hole that's fine to use instead, you'll re-drill the hole at a larger size <S> but since you'll be filling the gap anyway this is no problem. <S> Possible alternative <S> There's no downside to trying this first if you want. <S> The projecting bits of wood can be snipped off with scissors. <A> Fill the hole with epoxy (added with some thickener like fine sawdust) and then drill a new hole. <A> It may be worth mentioning that you have many choices other than repairing the hole. <S> Furniture blocks (AKA assembly joints) and wood-screws. <S> A regular bolt and nut with repair washers to spread the load. <S> Dowels and wood-glue. <S> Replace the cam with a wooden plug , pilot-drill across the plug and use a long screw. <S> Cam-bolts make furniture easy to assemble and disassemble <S> but if you don't plan to disassemble the furniture often, or ever, the other methods might be a feasible solution.
| There's a chance that packing the hole out with thin slivers of wood (split matchsticks, toothpicks or bamboo skewers are all options) and then forcing the plastic insert in will give them enough purchase. Virtually any epoxy will work here, so buying the cheapest 5-minute epoxy you can find usually isn't a false economy (even dollar-store/poundshop epoxies are generally fine).
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Not sure how to successfully drill these pieces I'm trying to drill two pieces of wood similar to the angled pieces marked in blue. However, I'm not sure how to clamp these and can't drill them straight without the wood slipping. What's the best way to join them? <Q> There are a variety of strategies that can get you drilling the direction you would like. <S> One of the simpler methods requiring no special jig or prep is to begin by drilling a shallow starter hole perpendicular to the surface where you want your final bore to begin. <S> Once a starter hole is drilled, simply reposition the drill and drill in the direction you want to go. <S> You can dial in the accuracy by off-setting the location of the starter hole. <S> You may want to practice in some scrap material to get the feel of where your bores will go in relation to the angles and drill size you are using. <S> Sometimes, using a larger drill for the starter can be helpful but most of the time the same size bit can be used. <S> With practice, one can achieve a high degree of accuracy and repeatability applying this method. <S> This is essentially a rough approximation of carefully chiseling an alcove in the material resulting in a flat surface perpendicular to the direction of your final desired bore. <S> Creating a custom pocket hole jig would be an example of a more labor intensive process up front but may be worthwhile if highly repeatable precision is desired. <S> In that case, efficient and accurate positioning and clamping present their own learning curves. <A> I'm not sure how to clamp these Old trick <S> In certain situations you can clamp the wood and then clamp to the clamp. <S> This was a regular use of handscrews back when they were one of the only clamps around. <S> The workpiece could be clamped with one handscrew and then that was clamped to a flat surface with a second, to allow planing or chiselling to be done without risk of the workpiece moving when a vice was not available. <S> Depending on the size of the C-clamp used this may not allow you to use a commercial pocket-screw jig because a smaller clamps is sure to be in the way. <S> This may force you to drill the holes freehand by one method or another if done in situ, or you can use my final suggestion at bottom. <S> Even older trick Temporarily glue blocks to the outside of a workpiece to allow clamping. <S> Today this seems a bit odd but it used to be a common method used for assembling larger frames with mitred corners for example. <S> A modern alternative to glueing on blocks is given in this Q&A, <S> How do I temporarily attach two pieces of wood together for machining? <S> Done <S> right this method could definitely allow the use of a commercial pocket-screw jig. <S> If you find your jig can't be used... ...go a different way entirely. <S> If needed see a couple of previous Answers for more info, here on the difference between clearance and pilot holes and here for how to convert any screw to be self-tapping. <S> *Be sure to pad the jaws with scraps to prevent dents being created in the workpiece. <S> C-clamps are very powerful and can even bruise dense hardwoods. <A> Another approach is to drill from the back side with the pieces off the assembly. <S> It looks like a perpendicular hole from that side. <S> With a small hole drilled from the back side, you can enlarge it from the front if needed and also use it as a guide to drill the pilot hole into the back piece once <S> it’s in position.
| Drill the clearance holes in the angled pieces separately (not with them in place) and then rely on self-tapping screws to create their own pilot holes once positioned. So in this case, clamp a clamp that gets a very firm grip on the wood (e.g. a C-clamp*) at a suitable angle and then you can clamp against this clamp to the vertical member you're attaching to.
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Search for metal brackets to join 1/4" plywood boxes Ikea used to make these boxes that were made out of 1/4" plywood connected with 8 galvanized metal brackets that had an extra lip on the top that helped keep the box together. I wanted to use the same method for making some boxes but I can't seem to find these kinds of brackets (pictured) anywhere. I may be using the wrong keyword to search. I've tried box corner brackets with multiple variations to no avail. I've only found ones that don't have the lip at the top that grip the plywood. The ones I've found only seem cosmetic and not structural. Does anyone know where one could find brackets like these mass produced? I have asked local metal fabrication companies but they all say it would cost a lot to make custom ($30 a piece) I would need 8 that have a 1/4" lip that can grip the panels of the box into place. <Q> There are places online you can order a custom piece like this if you want. <S> You could even 3D print it out of a metal or other tough material. <S> That said, I don't think that upper lip is doing anything for strength. <S> If you put metal side brackets without any lip and you glue the joints, that can't move. <S> Is it for aesthetic reasons? <S> If so, could you cut something like this out with shears of sheet metal? <A> A quick search turned up this for example. <S> Though, on re-reading your question, the linked example does not have the extra lip you want, I still think this is the right terminology for the thing you are looking for. <A> A few search's led me the term " plastic stacking corners " OR " box stacking corners ". <S> Here is one example. <S> There are several kinds of those <S> but i was not able to find metal ones. <S> It seems you could also use a piece of angle aluminum fastened around the the outside corner ( or inside corner ) with screws, so it sits just higher then the top of the box. <A> The best solution at this point is to contact a local fabricator that can fabricate a piece like this since the exact thickness of the wood is needed in order to work with the bracket. <A> Try corner protector for boxes. <S> I found some similar ones using that search. <S> I didn’t try hard enough to find those exact brackets but some came close.
| I did find a metal corner that is not what you have referenced but could work. I think your best bet will be to look for "campaign furniture" corners.
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PVC duct for dust collection: Glue the pipe and fittings together, or will tape suffice? I am currently installing PVC pipe to act as duct for my dust collector. There will be a central pipe down the length of my shop, with a few branches coming off for specific tools. So far, I've hung some pipe and connected it together with PVC fittings. I had planned to get it all loosely fitted together, and then go back through and glue it together with PVC glue and primer. But as I've pushed a few fittings together, I started to question whether I need the glue. It occurs to me there are some advantages to leaving it only loosely connected. If I should ever have clog, it'll be a lot easier to unclog if I don't have to cut the pipe apart. Ditto if I ever want to add branches. Do I really need to glue the PVC together? Can I get away with taping the joints, either with the aluminum foil tape used on HVAC systems, or the X-Treme Tape for Dust Joints sold by Rockler? I'm using the thinner DWV pipe / ASTM D2729, if that matters. It's mostly 4" PVC, with one 3" run for some smaller tools. <Q> The system is run by a 1.5 HP industrial two bag dust collector and it runs fine. <S> In fact when I tried to take a portion apart last year I had trouble getting the dry fitted elbows apart from the pipe. <S> I always intended to glue it together, but the next project kept me from getting around to it! <A> Tape'll do it. <S> We've got a professionally-installed steel ducting system in our large joinery workshop, and we've since added some parts, offshoots etc. <S> just with duct tape <S> and it works just fine. <A> it would seem that the best thing to do is to test your dust collection system without any glue for a few weeks and see how it does. <S> I would venture to guess that the tape would probably be sufficient.
| Small losses in any extraction system are expected so you're likely not going to get much benefit or noticeable difference from gluing vs. taping. I've had a similar 4" PVC duct system with approx 50' of pipe, a large debris cyclone can, and three gated openings running for years without any glue.
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Is it appropriate for an 8 year-old to act as a 'helper,' ripping sheets on a table saw? Serious question. I know of a child who at eight years old was instructed to help the operator of a table saw guide large (8 X 4 foot) plywood sheets through it. Neither operator nor child were wearing any safety equipment, such as eye protection. Child has no previous experience operating power equipment and very limited experience with woodworking. Table saw is over 20 years old, and it is unclear what safety features it has, if any. Operator believes this was safe and appropriate, because child was holding edge of plywood furthest from the blade. What does the community here think? Is there ever an occasion in which a young child should be allowed to help with a table saw in such a manner? What could go wrong? Edit : Operator has provided the below diagram and photo to support the idea that this was safe and appropriate. Could you also provide specific feedback based on this? It's not certain the representation is accurate, but let's assume it is. Edit 2 : Operator has stated that he enlisted child because he could not perform the job alone, specifically because he needed someone to hold the plywood "so that it would not bind the table saw blade." Also that child did not want to help, because he was scared, but operator made him help anyway. Edit 3 : It sounds like context is pretty important here, specifically how much one can trust the operator to do the right thing. I've tried to avoid biasing the question by mentioning for example that the child is my own, or that the operator had also recently poured gasoline on an open fire (which resulted in the can itself catching fire as well as a secondary fire), or that the operator keeps insisting these are both perfectly safe and appropriate. But it sounds like it's not possible to separate the judgment of the operator from this question. <Q> Is there ever an occasion in which a young child should be allowed to help with a table saw in such a manner? <S> If there is a situation where an 8-yo could help with cutting on a table saw, this is probably it. <S> From your diagram, it appears that the child must have been about 7 feet from the blade. <S> I don't think there's much risk of the child being injured by the blade at that distance. <S> The child is also standing well to the side of the saw. <S> What could go wrong? <S> The real risk, as far as the blade is concerned, is to the operator: if the child were to push laterally on the plywood, then it's possible that the back of the blade could grab the plywood and hurl it at the operator. <S> Lack of eye protection is something of a concern. <S> Again, with the child standing 7' to the side of the saw, it's unlikely that any chips would be thrown at the kid. <S> The operator is a bit more at risk. <S> Mainly, though, I'd want to have both operator and kid wear safety glasses just to teach the lesson that one should always wear safety glasses when operating woodworking machines. <S> The shop looks well ventilated, and again, the kid is well away from the action, but wood dust isn't great for lungs of any age. <S> Bottom line: <S> If that project was accompanied by a safety lesson in which the kid learned that machines can be safe if used safely, but that a kid must never try to operate a saw without help from an adult, then the right thing probably was happening. <S> Ultimately, final decisions about what is or isn't safe for a kid should be up to the parents, but wise parents will let kids do some slightly dangerous-seeming things with good supervision. <A> TL/DR: child should not have been used as an operator. <S> Other answers go into more detail, but the thing that jumped out at me was that the child could unwittingly twist the ply off the fence, which could throw the entire piece at the operator and possibly slice the child on the way by. <S> As shown, this setup could be managed competently by one person. <S> If the individual wasn't comfortable solo cutting, they should have considered alternatives like crosscutting the sheet with a circular saw and edge guide and then finishing for width on the table saw. <S> I would have also liked for hearing protection to be used, but that's just a grumpy half-deaf carpenter talking. <A> No. <S> Tables saws are notorious for removing fingers and throwing back the wood being cut at dangerous speeds. <S> Both can be minimized as risks but the constant and full attention of the operator needs to be on the work at hand. <S> Eye protection is essential. <S> Kickback is more likely if the equipment isn't well maintained or correctly set for the operation at hand. <S> Kickback is more likely if the wood is hard to manage (like poorly-supported large sheets of plywood). <S> Assuming the child is responsible and not a distraction to the operator (which may be yet another risk factor), the mere coordination of work by multiple people at the saw table is risky. <S> Add to this, the child isn't tall enough to have the same field of vision as the operator, and the child is mostly like a bad height to be hit by anything coming off the table saw. <S> All this being said, having the child wait a few minutes somewhere safe and help collect and move the offcuts works well. <S> If they are used, setting up the off-feed rollers for smooth flow can be done by a child (and then double checked by the operator). <S> A child can help with the measuring and marking and even the setup of rails and jigs (assuming all is double-checked by the operator). <S> If the shop has dust filtration, having a child 'man' the dust filtration on/off switches may be engaging as well, else there always sweeping and vacuuming. <S> A little creativity will go long way to keep a child engaged and safe, protecting both the child and the child's interest in woodworking. <A> If cutting a panel requires two people to handle the material, then the setup used is probably inadequate. <S> Cutting large panels safely requires support at the infeed, side and outfeed faces of the table saw. <S> The single support frame at the side of the table will not allow the panel to slide correctly, nor support it throughout its travel past the blade. <S> There appears to be plenty of room to setup correctly in this shop. <S> There are other questions and answers on this site that discuss ways to do so. <S> Depending upon the child's temperament, in my opinion, eight years of age is not too early to introduce him or her to the shop, but safety should be a key primary lesson and this is not a very safe setup.
| Another blade-related risk is that the child might somehow distract the operator, who would understandably want to keep a close eye on the kid for the kid's own safety, and an accident could somehow result. It sounds to me as though the adult was doing all the real work, and the kid was "helping" in a way that seems pretty safe and would satisfy a child's natural desire to help a favorite adult with a project. Dust could also be a concern. Other answers for this question all make excellent points, but I see one overriding issue here and that is that the setup shown for cutting large panels is inadequate.
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Wood table treated with raw linseed oil, how to speed up drying? After sanding my wood table with sandpaper grit 80, 180 and finally 240, I applied a first layer of a mixture of 25% turpentine and 75% raw linseed oil, then two layers of 100% raw linseed oil. After 48 hours the table shows no signs of drying. I realize that I should have used turpentine or other drying agents on all layers, but it's too late. Is there anything I can do to speed up the drying process? Would sanding it again with a very fine sandpaper (grit 240?) help? Wiping off excess oil with a cloth lightly soaked in turpentine? Adding a layer of beeswax? Any other tip? <Q> I realize that I should have used turpentine or other drying agents <S> Turpentine doesn't really promote the drying of linseed oil despite many references to the contrary. <S> In a woodworking context what it does is thin the mixture so that less oil is actually applied, and that obviously dries more quickly than more oil. <S> Is there anything I can do to speed up the drying process? <S> Provide plenty of air for the linseed oil to react with. <S> Linseed oil 'dries' by oxidation <S> and it needs air to do so. <S> Higher temperatures help quite a bit too, but the main thing is to ensure there's plenty of moving air going over the table. <S> Assuming you do nothing to the table but give it plenty of air the surface should be reasonably 'dry' in about a week (assuming all excess was wiped away after every coat as should be done). <S> But expect it to take many months to be more fully cured. <S> Would sanding it again with a very fine sandpaper (grit 240?) <S> help? <S> You'll probably clog the sandpaper fairly quickly but sanding will remove oil-saturated wood and what's left in the surface will dry more quickly. <S> Wiping off excess oil with a cloth lightly soaked in turpentine? <S> Yes again this will remove some oil from the table and what's left will then dry faster. <S> Adding a layer of beeswax? <S> No. <S> This will slow the curing of the oil. <S> The problem with removing some of the oil is that you still need to oil further to give the table a proper finish. <S> In my experience four full-strength coats of linseed oil are the bare minimum needed for a decent finish, and 7-10 is usually much better. <S> With boiled linseed oil* this process takes as much as two weeks, with raw linseed oil <S> I guess it could take 3-6 months! <S> * <S> Not boiled but instead has metallic drying agents added to speed curing. <A> Your best bet is to wipe off as much of the raw linseed oil as you can using rags. <S> You can try more fine sanding, but the sandpaper will clog up very rapidly. <S> Once you get to a point where you are satisfied that no more raw linseed oil is coming off, apply multiple coats of boiled linseed oil. <S> One common adage is to apply one coat per day for a week, then one coat per week for a month, one coat per month for a year and one coat per year forever. <S> While this is extreme, it does drive home the point that a boiled linseed oil finish should be maintained regularly. <A> It will eventually dry and soak in. <S> Raw linseed not boiled is what the Military used to dip stocks in. <S> It is great at keeping wood from drying out and cracking. <S> They then turned to Raw Tung oil, which smells kinda like peanuts and is waterproof. <S> Both take forever to dry. <S> Both will dry in a week if wood is very dry( by oxidation) <S> I’ve seen wood soak it up but then slow down. <S> Linseed will darken wood a good bit, Tung oil just barely. <S> Linseed can mold Tung oil no. <S> Sometimes after thoroughly dry I put Tung oil finish or tru-oil on top to seal the finish. <S> Or boiled linseed, it has chemical dryers. <S> Raw linseed and Tung oil are non toxic and can be applied by hand.
| You really cannot speed up the drying of raw linseed oil - it takes somewhere between a long time and forever to dry.
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Can I use various grits of sandpaper to sharpen an old dull spade bit / bought for .75 for 1 time use Using to bore holes in hackle berry tree stump. Used, old, spade bit paid 75 cents for one time use <Q> You'd need to attach it to a backer board sized to fit between the spurs and the lip (see the picture below identifying parts of a spade bit). <S> The backer board could be wood or plywood or MDF -- anything with a flat surface sized to fit between the spur and lip. <S> Then you'd set about sharpening, working your way through progressive grits, trying to maintain a consistent angle. <S> With a little bit of cleverness, you could probably build a jig for this to help maintain the consistent angle. <S> Or you could just eyeball it. <S> But as you can see, this is a lot of effort to go through to sharpen a bit for a single use. <S> And if you don't already have the materials on hand (sand paper, scraps of wood, some means to fasten sandpaper to the wood -- glue or tape? -- <S> etc.) <S> , it's probably cheaper just to buy a new spade bit. <S> Alternatively, you might try to pick up a set of needle files, and use those to sharpen the bit. <S> You can find a cheap set for $4-$12 USD at various places online. <S> But again, I'm not confident these cheap needle files will last any longer than a single sharpening. <S> And even if they do, a new spade bit is going to be cheaper. <S> The needle files only make sense if you plan on sharpening it over and over (and in that case, you'd probably want a nicer set of files anyway). <S> Picture credit: Wonkee Donkey Tools <A> I'd use a file rather than sandpaper. <S> You won't be able to wrap the sandpaper round a block, and free-form sandpaper <S> will just mould to the contours of the surface (rather than giving nice planar surfaces). <S> If you are desperate, you could wrap the sandpaper round some sort of former, and use it as a make-shift file. <A> You can sharpen just fine with sandpaper wrapped around or on just about anything flat and firm. <S> Drilling implements are quite forgiving if you don't care much for the cleanliness of the bore. <S> There is a fair range of sharpness and form that will still effectively poke a hole in wood.
| Yes, you could use sandpaper to sharpen a spade bit.
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Can I stack wood finished with Danish Oil while it cures? This is my first time using Danish Oil. I'm putting in a pine ceiling and wanted to finish it with this because I love the look and because, it being a ceiling, I don't have to worry about too much wear and tear. Problem is: I have about 700 square feet to cover (that is a lot of boards). In order to apply and store them correctly, I need a huge space. Can I stack these on top of one another after I apply the oil? I would: A) Apply oil to several boards. B) Wait for it to penetrate.C) Wipe off excess oil.D) Stack and store so I can move on to the next set of boards. It's step D that I'm not sure about. Will it damage the finish if I do this? Any other advice is welcome! Thank you all so much. <Q> No, stacking will lead to visible marks. <S> Possible effects include dents (or indented stripes from board edges), extra-matte areas, patterns matching the overlying material. <S> Even you don't notice the effect directly, you will see it in raking light (or worse, you will see when installed as a ceiling above the windows). <S> Thinner coats will help but that leads to more coats. <S> You can have the boards vertical for drying, which helps in the space issue for drying. <S> Depending on the finish, polymerization takes time to become hard and evaporation of solvents also takes time (leading to a slight thinning of the thickness of the finish). <S> Both are easy to impress or mark. <S> If you like, do some small-scale tests. <S> Even when your fingernail can't mark the surface, prolonged contact will mar the finish. <S> Good luck. <A> In my experience, prolonged pressure (weeks on end) on a board that has been covered in fresh varnish or oil is likely to stick to whatever it's applied to. <S> If you're short on space, do give it a lot of time to cure, and use stickers between layers of boards to minimize contact area. <S> Wild guess here. <S> Depending on the shape of your boards (I don't know if you have round moldings, or tongue and groove, etc), you might be able to stack several next to each other standing on their edges, then cover one layer with stickers or transversal pieces, and repeat. <S> I.e. if you left a strip on each edge that you don't varnish, then you could put pressure on that edge. <S> With a small piece between two boards so that they are all at the same angle and there is air flow in between. <S> Worst case, only the part of the board that leans against the next will stick. <A> Typically you would use a drying rack like the one below in a cabinet shop. <S> The benefit to this is that none of your faces are touching anything, but you still get far more out of your floor space.
| Another option could be to stack them vertically, like you would a stack a ladder against a wall.
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What screw is best with treated lumber? I have some projects coming up for the garden and I want to use some screws with the raised beds. I recently was told certain screws get 'eaten' by the chemical used for treating the lumber. If this is true, what screws will last longest with the treated lumber? <Q> Pressure treated lumber is treated with Alkaline Copper Quaternary (ACQ), an environmentally friendly water-based preservative that is free of arsenic and chromium. <S> However, ACQ treated lumber is more corrosive to metal, so the right fastener is key to a safe, long lasting deck, fence or other outdoor project. <S> When nails are exposed to ACQ, a chemical reaction occurs, which accelerates the corrosion rate of the fastener. <S> In addition, the organic components of ACQ attract water, further increasing corrosion on the fastener. <S> The wood treatment industry recognizes the corrosive nature of ACQ in relation to fastening systems, and recommends hot dipped galvanized or stainless steel nails be used. <S> Hot dipped galvanized nails must meet American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) <S> A153 Class D standards and stainless steel nails should be made from grade 304 or 316, to provide maximum corrosion protection. <S> If screws are used they must be rated for ACQ. <S> (source www.treeisland.com/company/news-events/what-fasteners-work-acq) <A> The first screws failed at about 10 years but a few lasted 20 years. <S> I expect the stainless replacements to last much longer; The box indicates they are 316 SS which is likely true. <S> Driving the heads down into the wood makes it worse because the recess retains water. <S> I looked at the reference regarding corrosion and it listed no source for the corrosion reference, so I still doubt it. <S> However I built my deck in 1996 so used CCA wood ; The EPA did not require the new crap until 2003. <S> I am/ was a NACE certified Corrosion Specialist ( # 1635 , I have not renewed my certification) so I am not impressed by random articles regarding corrosion. <A> Second answer:If you are using "deck wood" ( aka 5/4") it doesn't make much difference, the wood and the coated or galvanized screws or nails all last roughly 10 years. <S> If you build a deck with the much stronger, longer lasting 2" X lumber, use stainless screws, period.
| Galvanized and coated deck screws rust in treated pine; I am sure it has very little to do with the treatment.
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Stronger attachment method for B&D Workmate top I'm refurbishing my 70s vintage Black & Decker Workmate. It’s seen a lot of abuse, but the only thing that ever broke, besides working corners of the plywood vise jaws (which I'm replacing) were the screws that held the plywood to the 1/16" metal bracket underneath (2 screws on each jaw, per side). So I'm looking for ideas on a better, stronger method than the manufacturer used. I'm thinking of Ikea furniture I've seen, where they've used a machine screw that screws into the side of a larger tapped shaft, that you insert into a hole that's drilled perpendicular to the machine screw/hole — in my case, a long hole drilled into the vise ends (see photos). Seems to me it might suffer abuse a lot better than a dinky little, 3/4” long, wood screw? Any other suggestions out there? 1/16” metal plate into 1” Baltic birch plywood. I'm excited to hear what other ideas y'all have! Thanks in advance. <Q> Honestly I think you're overthinking this, after all how long does the original screw arrangement last in this model of Workmate generally? <S> It's only once they begin to fail that there's a problem <S> and I presume this takes years and years even with constant use. <S> But I'm all for over-engineering something if it's quick and doesn't cost much! <S> And that's certainly possible with this. <S> There are multiple ways you could go here, including my first thought which is using through-bolts (the heads recessed in the top) <S> but I think the ideal solution is simply to add more screws. <S> All this requires is drilling a few extra holes in the steel supports. <S> Flip over and drill from above to do this. <S> Keep the old jaws in place to support the brackets and simply drill through. <S> Just one extra screw in each bracket should be enough TBH <S> but if you want to go the extra mile drill two per, for a total of six screws per jaw if you want to also use the original holes <S> but I can't imagine four <S> each wouldn't be perfectly sufficient. <S> Just an extra point, you mention in the Comments that you've already bought the plywood but while standard Baltic birch is plenty strong <S> it's not ideal for this type of thing. <S> One great alternative is phenolic ply, which in addition to the phenolic glue used throughout also has films of phenolic resin on both faces, making it incredibly tough and long-lasting and highly water-resistant which might prove useful. <S> I think this is the type of plywood that Paul Sellers uses to line his vice jaws. <A> If you really want a more solid attachment, drill a few more holes in the metal brackets and just add more screws. <S> It looks like there's space for at least two more screws on each side of each bracket, so you could have up to six screws per bracket instead of the current two. <S> Routing recesses into the bottom of the top boards to accept the brackets could add some more strength as well, since some of the lateral force during clamping would be taken by the edge of the bracket meeting the side of the recess. <S> In my experience, you generally don't get a huge amount of clamping force from the jaws of a Workmate. <S> It's enough to hold work steady, like clamping a board while you're cutting it to length, but I wouldn't choose a Workmate for clamping a panel made from gluing several boards together. <S> So while it might make sense to add a few extra screws to increase longevity, you probably don't need to do more than that. <A> Option 1: Buy a new Workmate, <S> if this one lasted 40 years I'm sure the new one will last longer. <S> Option 2: <S> See piece #27 here:
| Mimic what the newer models are doing, which is a sunken through-bolt to hold the work-top in place.
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What tools were used to make this toy block? My daughter has these wooden blocks; they're about 5cm on a side. Two faces are machined(?) with various letters, as shown -- and my question is how this face was made? It doesn't look laser-cut, because the lower surface does not look burned or charred; It doesn't look CNC machined, because some of the gaps are impressively narrow and would require a ridiculously small machine bit; It doesn't look "pressed" because that would probably not work on such fine details, but would just squeeze them all flat; But then how was it likely done? I got them for free 2nd hand, but I know that (for just wooden toy blocks) these were very expensive -- apparently it's some form of name brand, plus the painting is actually very nicely done and the wood itself is a very pleasantly-smelling sort. Edit: Ooh, my wife explained it to me: They're Tree-D printed! <Q> There are CNC router bits as small as 1/32" (0.79mm) that would perform such tasks as this toy block. <S> For obvious reasons, the feed rates have to be carefully managed. <S> A skilled operator might create the design for a larger bit to take out the open areas, then perform final passes with the detail bit. <S> If one looks closely at the edge of the cut, it appears there is some roughness consistent with a cutting tool. <S> Due to the tight quarters, it would be near impossible to sand those areas smooth. <S> I would not reject a combination of methods. <S> CNC routing for the larger areas, detail bits for closer work, followed by hand cutting. <S> I add the latter because of the sharp points in the corner details that would be impossible even with a 1/32" bit. <S> If the blocks are expensive, that reinforces the aspect of some hand work. <S> It also allows that the entire block could have been done by hand, with appropriate tools of sufficient sharpness. <S> The consistency of the curves contradicts that concept, however. <A> Similar work is normally done on a pin router. <S> In the most common arrangement a router table is fitted with a guide arm that aligns a pin with the blade, similar to a turntable. <S> The pin is captured in a template and the work moved around to duplicate the design. <S> A web search should illustrate a plethora of home made and industrial versions. <S> In a similar vein, there were numerous machines for cutting wood block type which allowed for changing the scale of the template. <S> Hot metal typesetters (used for almost the entirety of the 20th century) have a maximum type size. <S> Display types, such as advertising, often had to be cut into wood instead. <S> Even though that's been supplanted by large format printers there was at one time quite a bit of machinery for mass producing intricate wood carvings. <S> Best guess is it was cut by a custom made machine provided by an industrial tool maker. <S> Otherwise it was probably a custom carrier/template on a pin router. <S> (Possibly two, one to hog out with a large bit and a smaller second pass for detail.) <A> Another possibility is that the work was not done by a router approach, or at least not all of it. <S> A possiblity is that the circle and larger corner walls were done using a router with a largish bit, say the inner diameter of the corner pieces. <S> Then the central letter and the inner corner details were cut from a matching thin sheet using a fret saw and then glued in place. <S> I'm pretty dubious about getting a router bit to handle the details of the central letter, especially the intersection of the vertical bar and the central horizontal bar. <S> A thin saw blade would have no problem, and would handle the sharp inner corners you see on the letter corner and the corner detail pieces. <S> While this would seem to be a lot of work, a positioning jig would make accurate assembly simple, and it would explain the apparently smooth bottom of the well. <S> I'm not sure how you'd get the tool marks out of the wood if you used a small-diameter routing bit, but that may simply reflect my lack of experience in a rather specialized technique.
| Even more radically, all of the internal walls could be cut from a thin sheet and glued in place, with a well cut into the face using a considerably larger router bit.
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Securing the cable chain on a CNC gantry I have laser cut the ends of a bicycle brake cable cable chain platform on a CNC I am building. I have looped the bicycle brake cables around one end and tucked the end of the cable through the loop. There is enough friction that the cables stay reasonably taught, though I suspect during normal use, this would sag. Does anyone have a suggestion about how to secure the ends to prevent slipping? I thought I might solder the cable together, but thought a mechanical option would be better, preferably one that would allow me to easily detach the cables should one of the wood brackets break. <Q> It's commonly used to join ground wire to an existing ground lead without having to break or cut the existing lead: <S> I've used them to secure 1/8" diameter steel cable for various purposes. <S> Inexpensive and common in big-box hardware stores. <S> So many links returned from my search making it impractical to suggest any specific source. <A> Seems like you could use a cable tensioner like they use in cabled railings. <S> The ones on amazon seem pricey <S> but I'm sure there's a plastic version you could get in the hardware store. <S> This Old House shows their usage in the railing system. <S> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNFalmwg3nY <A> I think I have found the ticket. <S> A cable stop that is 6mm in diameter should just barely fit the clearance between holes. <S> If I alternate the orientation of the bolt on top/bottom, I should be able to tighten with a socket too. <S> Blind dumb luck on the engineering tolerances there. <S> $15.50 with shipping for 5.
| One option you have is to use a product known as a split bolt.
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What are the best substitutes when nothing labelled as "Denatured alcohol" can be found in your area? In the process of replacing methanol solvents (methyl hydrate) in my shop with arguably less toxic ethanol-based "denatured alcohol", I've encountered difficulty in finding any product labelled exactly as "denatured alcohol", and at a decent price. I suspect this varies from area to area, as ethanol sales are often fraught with legal constraints. I am in Canada, BC. What is the best "thing" to use to dissolve shellac flakes, considering health side effects (fumes, spills, accidents, etc.), and price? I'll need to make a gallon (4L) of shellac. My original question was here , but I wanted a place to share new findings about potential substitutes. <Q> I've found two products readily available in BC that one might not suspect to be denatured alcohol, but despite not having "denatured alcohol" written anywhere on the product, they are denatured alcohol. <S> BioFlame: 95.6% ethanol, and 4.40% ethyl acetate. <S> LV <S> Lacquer Thinner: <S> 91% ethanol, 4% butanol, %4 isopropanol. <S> I'm not a chemist (please step in if you are), so I can't assess which of the following is the safest, but I think they are fairly comparable, prices set aside. <S> Manufacturers are not obliged to list ingredients on labels for non-food items, so one must rely on safety data sheets to determine their content. <S> These sheets do not accompany the products, so what is in the actual bottle might vary based on when and where it was purchased. <S> I recommend you double check your sources. <S> I was recommended BioFlame, which is available at Canadian Tire. <S> It is an ethanol-based combustible designed for alcohol burners. <S> Bioflame's sales department affirms (in email) <S> it is often used by woodworkers. <S> At the time of this writing (early June 2018), its constituents are: 95.6% ethanol, and 4.40% ethyl acetate. <S> I've contacted CDNTire's hazardous substances team, and they've kindly provided an up-to-date safety data sheet from the manufacturer (Recochem). <S> Safety Data Sheet (SDS): p1 , p2 (ingredients) , p3 , p4 , p5 (toxicology) , p6 , p7 , p8 (I also found an older sheet for the same product, and the product had different constituents back in 2010: 95% ethanol, and 5% 2-propanol.) <S> Shellac/ <S> Lacquer Thinner ($19CAD/946mL) <S> It's not labelled as such, but LeeValley's (LV) <S> Shellac thinner ingredients would classify it as denatured alcohol: 91% ethanol, 4% butanol, %4 isopropanol. <S> Safety Data Sheet (SDS): p1 , p2 (ingredients) , p3 , p4 (toxicology1) , p5 (toxicology2) , <S> p6 <S> I'm told "Isobutyl" is a mix of butanol, and isopropanol, and can be used as a flavor additive to make things taste extremely bad (and bitter) for non-consumption. <S> I'll take their word for it. <S> Do not taste it! <A> Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) seems to be fine for shellac and isn’t as toxic as methanol. <S> It should be freely available anywhere - I got it from a high street chemist in the U.K. years ago, or get it from amazon etc. <A> In the UK and Canada, at least, so-called denatured alcohol is usually sold as "methylated spirits". <S> The idea is that it is pretty much ethyl alcohol with some amounts of methyl alocohol and other additives (i.e., stuff like denatonium benzoate) <S> so people don't drink it. <S> In the UK it is also often dyed a nice shade of Kool-Aid purple, which I'm told doesn't affect shellac colour or function.
| I don't actually know anything about dissolving shellac, but if all you need is "denatured alcohol" then as other answers have suggested then you can use almost any low water content ethyl alcohol or ethyl-methyl alcohol mix. BioFlame ($26CAD/3.78L)
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Why is clear epoxy not often used to fill cracks in live edge slabs? I've worked with a few live edge slabs in the past, but the one I have now is the first one with a sizable crack. I don't like the look of butterfly keys, and I don't believe that this crack needs much reinforcement, but I was going to fill it with West epoxy just in case (and as a way to finally try using it). The thing that has surprised me in the videos I've seen is that all of them use a very dark tint, many going with straight black. It creates a very striking aesthetic effect, but I don't think I want to pull the visual focus away from the wood like that. I was considering using the epoxy without a tint so that the reinforcement is relatively invisible, and went with the 207 hardener for this purpose. However, I have not been able to find a single example of clear epoxy being used. I've done some googling but in addition to not seeing any examples, I also cannot find any discussion of why tinting is so common. Since it is done so rarely I assume there must be a reason, and don't want to ruin my slab due to my inexperience, so: Why is clear epoxy not used? What considerations should go into a decision about whether, and how, to tint? <Q> Why is clear epoxy not used? <S> Two related reasons I can think of plus a third unrelated. <S> The first is just because people don't want to make their fills transparent (or to put it another way, they really like coloured fills), at a guess this would account for most of it. <S> The related reason is that maybe some users know getting the fill completely bubble-free can be tricky <S> * so they're afraid to try. <S> If you want to fill with a clear resin then look into one of the clear casting resins that markets itself as having good UV resistance. <S> These will be invariably a polyurethane I think. <S> But two points to note, 1) these can be very moisture-sensitive, so you may have to ensure your wood is particularly well dried or apply a barrier of some sort before the fill is poured, and 2) a warning: some sticker shock may ensue. <S> in the videos I've seen is that all of them use a very dark tint, many going with straight black. <S> It creates a very striking aesthetic effect, but I don't think I want to pull the visual focus away from the wood like that. <S> Well you can colour a resin fill any colour you like, literally any colour. <S> From a tinted clear or 'candy' effect to solid colours to filled with powdered wood, metal or minerals, the choice is endless. <S> If you fill the resin with fine sanding dust from the wood you're using the colouring will be similar but darker, somewhat like end grain after the finish goes on, which can tone in fairly well since it's not that dark. <S> But if you'd like it closer in shade you need to either lighten the mixture somehow (add in a little white/cream/ivory paint or partially fill using a light-coloured/white filler material) or, mix it using the dust from a different piece of wood, possibly from a different species entirely. <S> * <S> Obviously if you have bubbles trapped in a typical solid-colour fill (and there usually are) <S> you can't see them, although some can be exposed when the fill is being made flush with the surrounding surface. <A> I've used clear epoxy and tinted, it just depends on the project. <S> Clear is generally harder to get right. <S> If you have contaminants they will show or cloud the final product. <S> For me, tinting is either with black or very dark brown, no matter the wood color. <S> I do that so that it does not look like I was trying to match the wood, which would be really tough with epoxy. <S> Plus, if the piece of wood you're working with is pretty enough it really wont pull you away from it. <S> I would disagree with aaron in that the choice is entirely aesthetic, cost plays a role too. <S> I recently did a piece of live edge cedar for a window sill that had several knots that needed filled. <S> I used West Systems 404 & 206 and since the knots were large I decided to add in some West Systems High-Density Filler (40415) to add some more bulk to the filling. <S> This helps with run-out, even though the backside was taped well, and I can get away with using less epoxy (expensive stuff). <S> In this application I went clear and learned a valuable lesson. <S> If you choose to use filler, always tint or by happy with a white/cloudy appearance. <S> I've not coated these spots yet with anything <S> but I don't expect them to 'clear up' once I do. <A> The choice is entirely aesthetic. <S> I have only ever used clear epoxy to fill cracks because i think that looks best. <S> Sometimes a striking effect is achieved with other fillers too, eg. turquoise.
| Third is that some users will have enough knowledge of epoxy to know it discolours (badly) with UV exposure, so a clear epoxy fill will eventually look just plain awful.
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What kind of finishes can kids safely work with and apply? I'm developing a hands-on workshop/demo series for elementary schools kids. At some point, I'd like the kids to apply a finish to the baubles I/we make during the workshops. What would be a good wood finish that's safe for the kids to work with, and apply to their creations? Maybe Shellac would be an option too??? I know it's normally made with denatured alcohol, which is poisonous. But I just found out our provincial liquor control board may permit the purchase of pure ethanol for medical, research, manufacturing, and other 'non-beverage' purposes. I understand that dry shellac flakes are safe. Is this correct? If so, I could mix up my own shellac with 'shellac flakes + pure ethanol,' which I'd regard as a fairly kid-safe mixture. Would this work, or am I missing something here? <Q> If you want something 100% non toxic then look for raw linseed oil a.k.a flax seed oil. <S> It's a traditional finishing oil but in its raw form it does take a very long time to dry between coats. <S> It's often sold in health food shops as a dietary supplement. <S> Be warned than most linseed oil intended for use as a finish is "boiled", which actually means it has chemicals added to make it dry faster. <S> They used to use quite nasty metallic driers but they may use something more benign now. <A> If it is woodturning you can apply pure beeswax, the friction will melt it, and it's a beautiful finish <S> (though not very durable)For woodworking <S> I think this will allow the kids to experience finishing without chance of harm, which I think is what you're aiming for. <S> Beeswax gives a nice layer of protection, water resistant, and has a visible effect. <S> Another neat idea is using water soluble non-toxic colors (even Crayola markers) - these would be susceptible to water, but when you apply and then apply wax, you kind of set them in - you can reapply wax as much as you want, use a paper towel to wipe off excesses. <S> And renew whenever you want. <S> Non toxi paste wax receipe: <S> http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-Non-Toxic-Paste-Wax/ Marker colored, wax finished spinning top (by: Eli Avisera): https://goo.gl/images/K3ebNY <A> Tried & True finishes are advertised as being safe, non-toxic, and free of heavy metal driers and solvents. <S> They're all based on polymerized linseed oil, so they'll dry much faster than raw linseed oil. <S> I've used the varnish oil and the original wood finish, and they both give excellent results. <S> You do need to use some elbow grease and be careful not to apply too much, but other than that they're easy to use and give excellent results. <A> Beeswax? <S> Paste wax? <S> Mineral oil? <S> Food grade mineral oil can safely be ingested (though too much will act as a mild laxative). <A> Food-safe waxes are available for use on chopping boards etc - have a look in a kitchenware shop. <S> They’re safe for contact with food, and safe and not messy on the skin - <S> the one I use has a nice citrus scent which my kids love, it was enough incentive for them to help applying it to a countertop! <S> I believe they don’t stain either, though I’ve not tried applying them to school shirts...! <S> Eating them would provide a laxative effect I’m sure, but presumably no worse than eating wax crayons, candles, or anything else kids have common access to, so don’t overthink that.
| I would suggest finding a non-toxic beeswax paste, or you can make it yourself, same effect
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Does a bandsaw up 18 inches tall or smaller exist? I have a really, really small work space and I would like a bandsaw and I'm looking for something as small as possible. Even the Proxxon MBS 240 is a bit too large for my space. Do I even have a chance of finding a bandsaw that would not be taller than 18 inches (450 mm)? Or maybe it isn't even produced by anyone? <Q> Do I even have a chance of finding a bandsaw that would not be taller than 18 inches (450 mm)? <S> If you're really looking for something like that, look for a three-wheeled bandsaw. <S> Two-wheeled bandsaws are much more common, and in that setup the hight of the saw is basically the distance between the wheel axles plus the diameter of one of the wheels, plus a little more for the enclosure, so the height of the saw is directly related to the saw's cutting capacity. <S> A three-wheeled model uses smaller wheels with the third wheel set off to the side to increase the width of the band's path and provide a deeper throat while limiting the height of the saw. <S> The downside of this design is that smaller wheels mean that the blade bends more, which can stress the blade and lead to breaks. <S> I wonder if this isn't an XY problem, i.e. one where you're asking about the solution you expect rather than the problem you actually have. <S> What capability does a tiny bandsaw offer that you couldn't get from, say, a scroll saw, a portable jigsaw, or a Rockwell Bladerunner (basically an inverted, stationary jigsaw)? <S> A scroll saw, for example, gives you much greater throat capacity than a small bandsaw would, and a handheld jigsaw can handle anything you can reach to. <A> Milwaukee tools makes a very tiny bandsaw designed to be held in one hand. <S> It is about 12 inches tall and built for commercial use, to replace hacksaws. <S> The cut capacity is quite small and you will need to make a stand to hold it upright for stationary use. <S> Milwaukee 2429-20 M12 <A> Although not a large production item, this bandsaw is a small DIY which many can build.
| In the history of the world, it's very likely that someone produced a very small bandsaw at some point, and if so, one will turn up sooner or later on Ebay.
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How to clean clogged sandpaper I recently bought a belt sander and noticed that while using it stationary it can get clogged (on a certain region) real fast. The sharpness of the area is not lost but it's just clogged with wood dust. What is a proper way to clean it? <Q> There are special products out there called sanding belt cleaners (one such is harbor freight sku 30766), they're essentially large gum eraser sticks that grab particles out of the sanding belt. <S> Another avenue to look at is consider why the belt is loading up. <A> In addition to cleaning your belt with a cleaning stick as rockerpult suggested, you should also take a look at the material you're sanding and the belt you're sanding with. <S> Finishes that form a film on top of the wood (paint, shellac, polyurethane, etc.) <S> often clog sandpaper, so if you're using the sander on a large finished surface, you might want to consider other options (e.g. chemical stripper or scraping) to remove the finish before sanding. <S> Woods that contain a lot of resin or oils can also build up easily. <S> In can help to keep a block of wood that's not prone to clogging on hand, and just run it against the sander when buildup starts. <S> Switching belts may also help. <S> I find that coarser grits tend to clog less, so take the time to switch to a coarse belt if you're removing a lot of material. <S> Also, some belts are coated with stearate, which is a sort of release agent that prevents clogging; using one of these could help. <S> (Some kinds of stearate don't get along with water-based finishes, though, so read the labels and think ahead.) <A> I've been using an old sneaker because I saw it recommended repeatedly. <S> Seems to work fine, and doesn't effect the remaining grit so far as I can tell. <S> https://www.familyhandyman.com/tools/use-a-sneaker-to-clean-sandpaper/ <A> I have one of the rubber sanding belt cleaners, but I've found compressed air to be just as effective, and most people would have at least a small air compressor in their shop.
| Try applying less pressure while sanding, or run a shop vac in one hand and the sander in the other.
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Cutting sawdust relief in sled I have a sled that I want to add a sawdust relief slot to: That’s an unsurprising side view. It’s about 24” wide. I want to cut a slot at the red thing. The shape doesn’t really matter as long as one side of is flush with (or beyond) the fence. The size doesn’t really matter either. However, I do not want to cut into the bottom of the fence itself, as I use this sled for very thin materials sometimes. I feel like this is obvious but for some reason I can’t think of an answer: What’s an easy way to cut this? I don’t really have any way to get in there with the router. The fence is too high for me to prop it up and cut a dado on the table saw and also that’s super sketchy. I don’t really have any hand saws that can get in there given the 24” width. The fence is taller than the flat part on my chisels. I can’t remove the fence because it’s glued on to the base. All I can think of is carefully, slowly, and painfully coming at it with a thick-ish cutting disk on a Dremel. Is there a better way to do this? The fence is plywood, the base is mdf. Like I said, this might be obvious, but I’ve been huffing xylene all day so I really have no idea. <Q> Take a blade out of a hand plane, press the back flat against the fence and run it along the width of the sled several times, creating a vertical cut into the base. <S> Then come back and use a chisel to create the other side of the notch. <S> Alternately, instead of using the flat side of your chisel against the fence flip it over and index the bevel against the fence. <S> It's not as big a surface, but with a large chisel it should be easy enough to feel when it's tight against the fence. <S> Another idea, if you don't have any hand planes, would be to take a blade out of a hacksaw, press it against the fence and work it back and forth. <S> I think this would be pretty slow though, as the teeth for cutting metal are very fine. <S> Other possibilities would be a ryoba blade, a reciprocating saw blade, or a jigsaw blade. <S> I might put a piece of masking tape on the fence to account for saw tooth set and prevent it from being scratched. <A> If you have an oscillating tool, the cutters that are part of such kit will do flush cuts. <S> I would not use the o-tool, even though I have one, as this particular objective lends itself well to a simple (sharp) wood chisel and mallet. <S> If you require more depth or more width, it is easily adjusted with additional passes. <S> A flat bottom groove is a simple matter of yet a few more passes. <A> There are two easy ways to do this: <S> You can do this easily with a knife alone, or knife and chisel. <S> Basically you set it up like a "first class saw cut" or in Paul sellers terms, a "knife wall" - just deeper than you'd normally go. <S> The key is starting shallow and going progressively deeper as you remove chips. <S> The vertical part of the groove (continuation of the vertical fence line) you cut with a knife. <S> Then come it at an angle for the angled (obviously!) <S> part of the groove - that can be either with the same knife or with a chisel. <S> The chisel will be more solid and easier to control than a knife, but a knife could do it, just perhaps a little sloppier. <S> Then remove the chips. <S> Scribe and pare, going successively deeper with every pass. <S> You could go all the way through if you wanted, thereby forever eliminating the need for saws ;) <S> Remove the fence, then run the panel upside down over the table saw to create a very shallow dado in the right location. <A> I can’t remove the fence because it’s glued on to the base. <S> This seems to be the major impediment to getting the job done. <S> The other options are all hacks to get around the apparent immobility of the fence. <S> There are plenty of ways to remove a glued part. <S> Depending on what kind of glue you used, any of the following can work: <S> A few solid blows from a stout mallet. <S> Heat. <S> Solvent. <S> Cutting along the glue line, or right next to it. <S> For example, if the sled doesn't extend behind the fence, then you can put the back of the fence down on your table saw with the bottom of the sled running along the rip fence. <S> Set the blade height to the thickness of the sled fence plus 1/8", and cut through the glue line. <S> Then just attach the fence to the sled again. <S> The extra 1/8" will give you a shallow 1/8"-wide channel in the sled surface to catch sawdust. <S> If you go with one of the other methods, you'll need to clean up the mating surfaces before you replace the fence. <S> But the fence and the sled are both wood, and you're a woodworker!
| You can drive the chisel straight down at the fence edge, along the entire width and return with the chisel held at a slight angle to the base of the sled to remove a clean V-shaped groove. The right solution is to remove the fence.
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How to cut a quarter-pipe shaped block of wood? I want to build a custom dice tray from wood. Here is my design: The tray features small compartments for holding various polyhedral die, with curved ends so that the die can be scooped out of the compartments easily. How do I cut these curved blocks? They are 1" x 1" x 1" in dimension: <Q> <A> 1" thickness is well within the range of most saws. <S> A bandsaw would be the best bet, followed by a scroll saw (if the wood is relatively soft) and finally a handheld jigsaw. <S> Simply mark the curve and cut. <S> Ideally you would cut the profile from a longer piece of wood (so that you have something to hold on to or clamp), and then crosscut to length, with the off-cut being your finished piece. <A> These curved blocks can be carved with a router, using a template and a template bit. <S> Make a template, and screw it onto the end of the work piece. <S> Mount the work piece vertically; use a Workmate, vise, or clamp it to the bench. <S> Remove material 1/4 inch at a time. <S> After removing some of the material, take the template off and finish to the full depth. <S> This method will result in a better finish than a bandsaw or jigsaw. <S> Template bits are much less expensive than a 2" cove bit.
| If you don't have access to a bandsaw or scroll saw as noted in the excellent previous answer, you can also cut a 2" diameter hole in the piece of wood with a hole saw, then slice away the corners to get four ramps from a single square of wood.
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Are mortises with angled walls cut the same way as square mortises (handtools)? What are the usual steps to carve out a non-90degree mortise that will be married to a sliding wedge/key? Should the wedge be cut first? When chiseling a usual mortise, plumb can be used as the reference. In tusk-tenons, the angle is generally kept low to prevent the wedge to slip out -- but much lower than the bevels on most chisels. I've thought of different options to guide the carving, from a pilot drill hole, to a workpiece jig (that allows the chisel to be held plumb), or an angled guide block (against which the chisel can slide up and down), to altering the walls of a square mortise with a rasp. Can it be simpler than that? Examples of angled mortises: Note: Tusks for locking shelves, or tusks for locking moravian workbench legs. There are ways to avoid the angled wall, but they're not what I'm looking for: Folding wedges , which allows the usual mortising method , but gives a different look. In the second image ( Moravian bench ), it would be possible to use a router to make space in the center of the laminated tenon. Like an inlay plane. Update : I've found video material online which describes one way to cut these mortises, and included links in this answer . <Q> The thing with hand tools is that the angles are all arbitrary and require no resetting of stops or fixtures. <S> If you can saw to a line, you can saw 90º and 33.4º <S> equally well. <S> Similarly, if you can chop a conventional 90º mortise, you can do any other angle. <S> Here, you'd chop it out the same way. <S> It's a through mortise, so you mark both sides of the joint first. <S> A good angle is around 5º, so you can set a sliding bevel to something around that as a way to locate the angled side of the mortise. <S> (BTW, don't forget to make the other end of the mortise longer than necessary - it will be buried inside the vertical member, and you want to make sure the wedge never hits it.) <S> To help guide your eye, you can do either one or both of the following: <S> Keep the sliding bevel near to your mortise as you chop the angled end, and periodically check that you chisel <S> is parallel to it. <S> Using the sliding bevel, pencil in the correct angle on the side of the mortised piece (ie, the larger tenon), and periodically check progress. <S> In both cases, use a one-sided tolerance approach. <S> Err on the side of too high an angle (coming in from the top), then when the bulk of the mortise is clear, pare away to your marked line on the lower/exit side of the mortise. <S> Note that the above is for the more common example seen in your first picture. <S> For the wedges in the moravian workbench stretcher, it will probably be easier to start from the bottom of the mortise and pare to the top - the key is just always working down the grain so you don't spelch out the other side. <A> What are the usual steps to carve out a non-90degree mortise that will be married to a sliding wedge/key? <S> Just to clarify the need here, this isn't an angled mortise you're looking for here <S> , it's merely a mortise with one angled surface. <S> Should the wedge be cut first? <S> Having the ability to set a given angle and then repeatably mark <S> it is why bevel gauges exist and why they're a part of the normal toolkit for woodworkers. <S> I've thought of different options to guide the carving, from a pilot drill hole, to a workpiece jig (that allows the chisel to be held plumb), or an angled guide block (against which the chisel can slide up and down) <S> The highlighted portion is a very good idea for critical chisel work in joint making generally (if needed) but really not needed here. <S> You're just chopping out a mortise with three vertical walls and one angled one, you'll find it's not actually that much more difficult than doing a conventional mortise once you have pencilled lines on the exterior to guide your chiselling. <S> As with all mortises you should chop in from both faces, the primary intention of this being that you don't 'blow out' (chip out) at the back if you chop right through. <S> But this has another advantage here in that you'll easily create good top and bottom edges to your mortise, and if between these the internal surface is a bit undercut that actually doesn't matter. <S> Ditto if it ends up a bit ragged due to end-grain tearout. <S> While any irregularity inside the mortise often bothers the person doing the chisel work :-) <S> it'll basically never be seen by anyone else and on this joint it doesn't matter in the slightest in terms of functionality — if the angled face of the wedge bears only on the top and bottom edges it should still work perfectly well. <A> The technique for the key and tenon in the Moravian workbench (the image on the right in the question), was publicly published (Sept 2018) in a YouTube miniseries called "Make a tusk tenon joint with hand tools", which consists of 5 segments probably taken from the full-length DVD. <S> In the video, the woodworker first cuts the key, then uses the key as a stencil to mark angled lines on the outside of the tenon, and then chisels out the mortise, using the pencil lines to guide the orientation of the chisel. <S> Making the Key: part 3/5 . <S> Marking the mortise: part 4/5 , and Cutting the mortise: part 5/5 . <S> Not that it's the only way to do it, but it would seem that Myers' technique involves a lot of "just eyeballin' it down the back of the chisel". <S> Which matches some aspects of the answers here. <S> It's not as daunting as it may seem, because precision is not super critical (not in that project, anyways). <S> The tenon in the bench is formed by laminating two 2x4 boards. <S> It would be possible in theory to use a router to cut out half the mortise from each board, and sandwich them, but in the video the mortise is chiselled out after lamination, not before.
| But yes, you can just make the wedge first and use it to mark the angles on the outside of the tenon (as well as to mark out all the subsequent wedges if your cutting method doesn't easily allow you to make duplicate wedges at the start).
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Joining on an angle I am trying to build this at home. I was just wondering what the best approach would be to join at these angles? I was thinking about using pegs/dowels and glue, any suggestions would be much appreciated! <Q> Depending on the use this will see it's possible the top doesn't need any reinforcing. <S> Just plain glued joints could be sufficient because glued end grain | long grain butt joints are stronger than commonly supposed, see What are the different grain directions, and how do they affect joint strength? <S> for a bit more. <S> However because it'll take very little to add strength here I would recommend it. <S> The bottom of this does need reinforcement to be on the safe side. <S> In addition to glue you could just use screws which seems the easiest option <S> but it may not be because you should drill both pilot and clearance holes, plus a countersink or counterbore to hide the screw head. <S> So unless you have a purpose-made combination bit that does this in one shot each screw will require three different drilling operations. <S> Now this isn't a huge project so that's not too much work <S> but there's an easier way. <S> I was thinking about using pegs/dowels and glue <S> I think this is the best option here as all the joints can be secured using dowels, but it's not immediately obvious how you'd use them. <S> Normally dowel joints need very precise drilling both in terms of angle and position. <S> This can be tricky even with 90° joints, it's much more challenging once you introduce an angle. <S> But here there are two simple workarounds that'll make this a snap. <S> Top first since you need to do some work prior to assembly. <S> In one piece (I'd suggest the sides) you drill conventional fitting holes for the dowels and glue them in so that just a short nub projects. <S> Then you drill oversize holes in the other piece for these to locate in. <S> The oversize hole makes exact fit a non-issue, and by using a gap-filling adhesive <S> * you can still ensure the joint is very strong. <S> Now the bottom, here you assemble first and then simply drill right through both pieces <S> so alignment is automatically guaranteed. <S> Make sure your holes are slightly deeper than the length of your cut dowels and you'll be able to tap them home without needing <S> to saw/pare/sand/plane them <S> flush after the glue has dried which saves some work. <S> Many people don't like to see exposed dowel ends <S> but here they're hidden on the underside <S> so it becomes a non-issue. <S> *I'd suggest the easiest is filled epoxy . <A> So would biscuits, if you had access to a biscuit joiner. <S> If your standards were low, you could even screw them together. <S> (But that would look a little terrible on top...) <S> I would, however, just screw on an angle (with glue) for the bottom joints. <A> I would not just glue any of these joints as it is an end grain glue up. <S> Several biscuits (3 or so)on each joint would definitely make a much stronger joint, although biscuits do not normally add strength to a joint. <S> Dowels or Dominoes would be a better choice, dowels would be hard to drill and the Domino machine is expensive. <S> Contrasting dowels through the top might look good by calling attention to the joinery. <S> Screws in the bottom is a definite.
| Dowels (and plenty of glue) would work for the top joints, though it'd be hard to get them exactly right. You could also go nuts and do dovetails.
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Can you use smaller dimensions of hardwood than softwood and have the same strength? I am planning on building some furniture which has to support 2 aquariums. I have found many examples online of a simple design which uses 2x4s constructional softwood to build a box for the aquarium to sit on. I am wondering if I picked a hardwood to build it, if I would be able to use smaller dimensions of the wood for the same strength? For example, if I used maple could I achieve the same strength using 1x3s? Update The aquariums are going to be 300 litre 120cm x 50cm x 50cm (48" x 20" x 20"). So lets round up and say a live weight of 400kg per tank. I was thinking of using this design: https://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/data/attachments/129/129127-077d722003f604ee5ee3f8dc284d5061.jpg https://youtu.be/jN4Y9AYuwcQ?t=980 The key parts are: Going to put ply on the back and the top Weight is supported by the timbers not the screws 8 legs in total (two in each corner) <Q> Weight is supported by the timbers not the screws <S> The tank will crack, because the support is in the four corners. <S> You need to support the entire perimeter of the tank's base. <S> Water tanks sit on small edges with the floor of the tank unsupported. <S> In the video reference example, the tank would have to sit with the footprint near the edge of the table to ensure safely. <S> The tank should be on a flat surface that is level and will not deform under the weight of the tank. <S> So the surface itself needs to be evenly supported. <S> The stand should be able to resist a tanks weight from a lateral force. <S> So you need the stand to support 400kg of force from the side. <S> Picture a small child running upto the tank and slamming into it with their hands. <S> If you are in doubt about how to build a tank stand, then I advise you to purchase one from a pet store that is rated for your tank. <S> You are describing a large tank and the forces there are huge. <A> It depends. <S> Hardwood and softwood are not terms describing the strength of the timber - they describe whether the trees are conifers or broad-leaf trees. <S> but as I say "it depends". <S> Both ebony and balsa are hardwoods, and their structural properties are ... not identical. <S> Having said that, for most timber the difference in strength and stiffness is not that great. <S> I would not expect to be able to go from a cross-section of 8 square inches to 3 square inches - more like 4x2 to 3x2. <A> There are tools on the internet such as the sagulator (click on the 'design' tag and select more info to find a link to the sagulator) that can assist you in determining if a piece of wood can support the weight of an aquarium. <S> In all likelihood the corner posts will easily hold the weight, but the horizontal spans will be much more questionable. <S> You will need to consider the species of wood being used, the length of span, and the depth of the beams (the beam width should not be less than 3/4"). <S> Remember that water weighs 8.4 pounds per gallon. <S> To that you must add the weight of the aquarium and any rocks or other decorative items added to the tank environment. <S> Beyond weight bearing, the most critical consideration is with the connections. <S> Heavy loads will have a tendency to twist the individual beams and posts that may also affect the entire frame assembly. <S> The connections between members must be able to transfer the weight and resist any lateral loads that occur in the assembly. <S> One way to resist these loads is to include firmly secured plywood panels at the sides, top and near the bottom of the frame. <S> I do not recommend screwed connection but instead use traditional woodworking connections including mortise and tenon connection and plenty of water resistant wood glue.
| Different timbers have different strengths and in general, hardwoods tend to be harder than softwoods ...
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What features should I look for when buying my first circular saw? I am about to buy my first tools! I am considering getting a circular saw and am looking for: recommendations of what features I should pay attention to? something that would be suitable for a novice? I plan to use these tools for work at home, but for nothing too complicated. <Q> As a novice/beginner, no brand or model # recommendation should be necessary as almost all the common drill and saw brands should meet your non-commercial home use requirements. <S> Those "Best" tool lists are usually filled with tools targeted to the commercial user and will likely exceed all your requirements and cost a lot more than necessary for your usage. <S> Battery powered drills and saws are not recommended for the beginner as battery maintenance and tool compatibility <S> adds another layer of complexity to tool ownership. <S> Batteries also have a limited life span, even when unused. <S> With a salesperson that can answer any generic questions you have about the tool and its accessories. <S> If you have a local tool store or home improvement store, you should check those places out first. <S> Around here I would expect to spend around $50 for a decent general purpose corded drill, and around $100 for a decent 7-1/4 inch corded circular saw. <S> All the ones for sale in my local home depot/lowes around that price range are good enough for the novice. <A> I would strongly suggest that you look at a track saw rather than a circular saw. <S> You will be able to do all the cuts you would with the circular saw but with a much higher degree of accuracy. <S> I went through a circular saw, then a sliding mitre saw and finally got my track saw about 2 months ago. <S> It has probably made the biggest difference to the quality of my work than any other tool. <S> Almost every brand has a track saw at all different price points. <A> As with any tool, would recommend the best quality saw you can afford. <S> Beyond that an aluminum base plate and good blade visibility (not obstructed by the motor) <S> so you can see what you are doing are the most important features in my opinion. <S> Rail saws are fantastic but expensive. <S> You can achieve fairly straight cuts by just clamping a straight edge to the work.
| What will make a big difference for the beginner is after-sales support, you need to buy the tool from a place with competent customer support.
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Morse taper #2 to #1 converter I have a wood lathe with a #1 morse taper. Most of the accessories that I can get locally have an #2 taper. I need an adapter that will let me -for example- use a MT#2 pen mandrel in a MT#1 lathe. Is there such a thing in existence (or any other tool that I can use)? I've seen the opposite adapter being sold but for the life of me could not find the one I'm describing. <Q> The #1MT is smaller than the #2MT, so essentially such a setup would be less safe than investing in the better equipment (a #2MT lathe). <S> The "animal" would basically be a #1MT on one end, and a #2MT at the other end, leaving you hanging nearly 5 inches off your bearings before you even attach to your project. <S> In any case, any variance in concentricity would be multiplied and the effective wear on your bearings (not to mention the quality of the work) would be significant. <S> The reverse situation (#2MT to #1MT) has adapter sleeves (where the #1 sits inside the #2) <S> you can use such as: https://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/p/113/5484/Turners-Select-Morse-Taper-Reducer?term=#1mt&term=#1mt <S> That said, there are many #1MT accessories at Penn State, Craft Supply, and Packard, if you look. <S> Someone mentioned a blacksmith, which may be an option, or a machine shop. <S> Either could be more expensive than a new lathe that meets your needs. <S> Good luck with your search. <S> I know getting started requires either creative thought or lots of money. <A> If you search for "Morse Taper Extension Socket MT1 to MT2" on Amazon you'll see several examples. <S> However, the best deal I found was from a seller on Etsy . <A> Penn State Industries and other suppliers of pen turning may have what you are looking for. <S> I have a #1 pen mandrel some where in my shop ordered by mistake. <S> A decent mini lathe can be had for under $250 that has a MT#2, I have turned 200+ pens on it.
| The thing you're looking for is called an extension socket.
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How do you drill concentric holes of different diameters on a drill press? Often times I need to drill maybe a 1/4" hole, all the way through the piece, and then a 3/8" or 1/2" hole half way through the piece in the same spot. It is often imperative that these holes are exactly concentric. With a smaller drill press, you cannot just keep the workpiece clamped in place because to remove the smaller bit and replace it with a larger bit (or vice-verse) will end up breaking the alignment and it's nearly impossible to get it back again (within a few thousandths of an inch) by eye. Are there special drill bits or guides for this purpose? <Q> Forstner bits have a small point on the end which leaves a slight indentation in the wood in the center of the hole. <S> Use this to align your drill bits after changing them. <S> But, to do this, you'll have to drill them the opposite way you're thinking - drill the biggest (but shallowest) hole first, followed by the next smallest / deepest. <S> This keeps that slight indentation from the point on the drill bit present in the wood, allowing you to align the next drill bit. <A> You can drill the smaller through-hole first, then use a counterbore tool . <S> The end of the counterbore will use the through-hole as a guide and will cut a flat-bottomed hole of a larger size exactly centered on the smaller hole. <A> Similar to the other answers, but for any drill bit type: <S> Drill a very small pilot hole deeper than the shallowest, big diameter hole. <S> Use a standard twist bit. <S> Limit depth if this is to be a stopped (not through) hole. <S> Use your small pilot hole to center the new bit while you drill the largest diameter, shallowest hole. <S> Lather, rinse, repeat until you have the smallest, deepest hole. <S> If you use, say a 1/16" bit for your pilot hole, your 1/2", 3/8", and 1/4" bits of any sort should line themselves up quite nicely on that 1/16" hole. <S> Additionally, as Graphus pointed out in his comments on the OP accuracy within a few thousandths is highly unlikely with home- or even commercial-grade woodworking drill presses. <S> You'd likely need an expensive CNC drill press to achieve that accuracy and a much harder, or at least much more consistent material (plastic or metal) to achieve that kind of precision. <A> If you use brad point drill bits drill the larger one first then carefully center the smaller one over the point (left in the hole) of the larger one then drill through. <S> OR Drill a very small hole as a center point through the board use this as a center for the 1/4" and the 3/8" hole. <A> Are you able to drill the bigger hole first? <S> That way there will still be some wood there to hold the smaller drill bit, and the pointy pilot tip in the middle will act as a center. <S> If the workpiece is too thin, try clamping a scrap piece below the planned hole to give the pilot tip somewhere to indicate onto.
| Use your small pilot hole to center the new bit while you drill the next smaller diameter, slightly deeper hole.
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Recommendations for a 3’ diameter wooden pipe? total amateur here. I’m trying to figure out some options for building, essentially, a pipe with these attributes: 3-inch walls (can be hollow) inner diameter of about 3 feet length of this tube/pipe/tunnel would be also 3 feet I’m thinking that the end caps would be easy - basically cut out two donuts with a router. What’s been challenging for me is figuring out the middle section without having to steam bend plywood to form the body of the tube. Any suggestions besides steam bending? For more context as to why I’m trying to build this, I run a soft play rental business for kids under 5. I have some of these foam and vinyl wrapped tubes that are supported by wood understructures. The bent plywood that was previously used was very thin and essentially got punched through. Replacement costs are too prohibitive to reimport from China so I’m trying to recreate the wooden structure so that I can rewrap in foam and vinyl. Picture reference (it’s the blue tube in the foreground): <Q> Flexible plywood can be used for this. <S> It typically has a bend radius of about 12", so your 3' diameter should be fine. <S> You would need some kind of form to bend the plywood and to construct the double layered wall. <A> I think the best way would be to make multiple of those "donuts" out of a thicker plywood, and use them as bulkheads down the length of the pipe. <S> Run stringers to link them together, then bend a thinner plywood around and either glue, nail, screw or a combination to the bulkheads. <S> Or, if you think you can pull it off, figure out <S> how many 1x4's <S> it will take to go around the circumference, and cut the angles accordingly rip-style on a table saw. <S> How structurally strong does it have to be? <A> this is how barrels are made: You make it out of individual staves that are then compressed with a band to hold liquid. <A> Maybe not quite what you are looking for because you don't say why this needs to be solid wood, but you could re-purpose something like ABS or PVC pipe (or even those forms used to make smaller foundation pilings) and cover it in quality wood veneer.
| Do note that flexible plywood is usually pretty thin, so to get the 3" wall thickness you'd need two layers of plywood with some solid wood spacers between them.
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What can you put on a joint to make it just a little tighter? I've been making laser-cut objects out of 1/8" birch plywood using a variety of different joints (mostly finger and lap joints). When a joint turns out a little too tight, I can sand it lightly to get it to fit together properly. How can I treat a joint to make it fit just a little tighter, without fixing it permanently together? Wildly speculating, I'm guessing paint, wax, some kind of glue that doesn't bond too well, mud... <Q> without fixing it permanently together? <S> This is the real challenge here as the ideal conventional fix for many loose joints forms part of the final assembly process where the pieces are being glued together. <S> One fix that is a separate operation, glueing on thin slips of wood to fatten fingers/tenons/dovetails may be too fiddly to be practical in material this thin <S> — I'm visualising the fingers in 1/8" ply as being numerous and small. <S> Plus you need a hand plane and source wood to make the packing material yourself since commercial veneers are almost certain to be too thick. <S> So, since you've clarified in the Comments that the items don't need to be disassembled often and thinking outside the box <S> , I think a possible solution would be to use hot-melt glue . <S> Hot-melt glue sticks wood together surprisingly strongly but yet is easily reversible using heat of course, and even if not fully meltable at low temps a hairdryer will usually prove sufficient to get it to weaken its hold. <S> In addition hot-melt glue can easily be dispensed in various ways to tack adjacent surfaces together, in a manner akin to welding. <S> This isn't normally how conventional woodwork would be fixed* and in this glue the joint formed wouldn't be particularly strong, but it might be sufficient for the type of things you're building. <S> Lap joints could be glued conventionally, then heated through with an iron when they need to come apart. <S> Another option might be to actually glue the joints the normal way, but using a reversible adhesive. <S> Hide glue (the OG hot glue although room-temperature versions can be made or bought) is probably perfect for this since with heat and moisture joints can be separated at any point in the future. <S> But the moist heat needed does pose a risk of warping the thin ply. <S> * <S> Although something like this is done in epoxy. <A> Wildly speculating, I'm guessing paint, wax, some kind of glue that doesn't bond too well, mud.. <S> That is pretty wild. <S> Wax would probably make it functionally looser. <S> Paint has a nasty habit of welding to other contact surfaces. <S> Wood filler might give you a functionally tighter joint (and allow you to tune it) but it will stop you gluing that surface. <S> Many fillers will deform under pressure of a stressed joint too, though probably at an acceptable level in a finger joint where the load and direction is limited. <S> Tacky glues and hot glue are okay <S> but again, they have functional stress issues when used as a filler. <S> Again, that might be acceptable in your specific joints. <S> My main problem with them is they're visible. <S> One option you may not have considered is —and I expect this to attract the full wrath of the WW.SE Gods— something like physical fasteners . <S> An internal steel brace. <S> A careful screw through the underside of a lap. <S> They don't have to be metal. <S> Even (lower grade) antique furniture has its share of wedges and pin dowel to hold things in place. <S> There are some great options you can borrow from modern flat-pack designs to really pull and hold two pieces together. <S> They're usually designed for glueless butt joints so adding in the strength from your existing joint leaves you with something that should survive well and be reversible. <A> You might try wood veneer in the joint or even paper.
| So you could for example assemble anything with finger-jointed corners and then apply dots of glue, or a continuous bead, along the inside corner.
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Should I put mineral oil or wax on an axe head to stop it from rusting? I have an old ax head that I soaked in vinegar and salt to remove the outer layers of rust. That worked just fine, but after I removed all of the rust and let it sit while I shopped for a new handle. After about a week there is a new thin layer of rust that came back. I live in Florida so tools rust quite often. Should I put mineral oil or some other kind of oil on there? I've also read that butchers wax can help as well. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. <Q> I've used water displacers like <S> WD-40 (or Jig-A-Loo -- whatever is on sale) to coat saws and such (I'm in SW Ontario, parts of which are basically the middle of a swamp in the summer) with good results. <S> Just a thin coat and rub with a cloth. <S> For longer term storage I've been known to wrap tools in home-made "oil cloth" which is basically a cotton t-shirt thinly coated with WD-40. <S> My fine woodworking tools (i.e., those tools that might stain some of the prettier projects if I coated them in any oil) are stored in a separate toolbox with handfuls of those silica gel pouches I've saved over the years. <S> You can buy silica gel, of course, but I'm too cheap. <S> Now, Evapo-Rust, as a brand, is very keen on getting their products seen on Youtube, so a lot of those sightings are because they aggressively sponsor YT channels. <S> So, your kilometerage may vary. <A> If you are less than 20 miles from any salt water ,rust protection is a challenge. <S> Not to be repetitive but oil, any oil, applied repeatedly as needed will give good protection. <S> Very long ago , refineries used wax on storage tanks; Not because it is better than oil but because they had it as a byproduct. <S> Next time you clean off rust try "navel jelly" , aka - conversion coating . <S> Phosphoric acid removes oxide and leaves a slightly protective coating of iron phosphate. <A> I'm in the mid-South. <S> Lots of humidity here. <S> Rust speed and amount always varies by metal. <S> In my shop, I keep automotive carnauba wax on metal surfaces fairly often. <S> Cheap, easy, doesn't stain wood. <S> Also, for some older tools I've restored, I used gun bluing <S> and I actually like the look. <S> Obviously, bluing isn't a complete rust stop, but it is better than nothing. <S> For some tools and surfaces in my shop, that are constantly getting used (or covered in sawdust!), there's rarely call for any additional protection. <S> Just my opinion.
| I've never used it, but there is at least one Floridian Youtuber who uses "Evapo-Rust" sealants after refurbishing metal tools.
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rabbet cut from middle of board along length how do I make this cut into a in the middle of the length of a board? <Q> I'd recommend cutting this using a router, if you have one. <S> You could use a rabbeting bit with a bearing, a router table with a fence, or clamp a board on top to act as a fence for the base of the router. <S> These would all involve carefully starting and stopping the cut in the right place and will and leave rounded ends where the rabbet starts and ends. <S> If the ends of the cut really need to be square, you can finish it with a chisel. <A> In principle, you could use a plane, particularly something like a mortise butt plane. <S> You'd need to define the edges of the rabbet with a chisel, then plane out the rabbet. <A> Attach the edge guide to the proper distance from the edge. <S> This might require several passes with increasing distance from the edge. <S> If the channel is deep mill in several passes from shallow to deep. <S> If square corners are required a chisel will be needed to achieve them, as the router will leave rounded ones.
| A router (palm or plunge) can do this, using an edge guide. I wouldn't recommend it, since the plane would have little bearing surface at the edge, and keeping the cut depth uniform across the rabbet would be a miserable job.
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How to fix a gap in plywood screwed joint I've knocked together some plywood to make a shoe rack and I've messed up the cuts. There's a gap that I thought I could live with but I'd like to try and fix if possible. Notice the slight bulge? I thought I might get away with using clamps to pull it together but I'm worried I'll end up ripping the screws out when I release the clamps. Short of replacing the top shelf or shortening the middle and bottom shelves, which I'd rather not do, is there something else I could try? <Q> This looks like a problem commonly encountered when the clearance hole in the first board (the one on the outside of the joint - in your case the vertical piece) is not wide enough. <S> This hole should be at least as wide as the widest part of the screw threads. <S> The true pilot hole in the second piece should be sized appropriately for the screw and type of wood. <S> The screw basically should not be grabbing into the first piece - the head of the screw should simply apply force sideways (in this case). <S> All the grabbing should be to pull your horizontal piece against the vertical piece. <S> Does that make sense? <S> Otherwise, you'll have to widen the holes in the vertical piece somewhat. <S> Be careful when you do this to keep the holes approximately centered. <A> The issue is that the top shelf is shorter than the other two. <S> You have three choices (four if you count do nothing). <S> Shorten the other two to match. <S> If you don't have access to a saw that can cut that fine, go buy some veneer banding from Home Depot. <S> Two or three layers should do it by the look of things. <S> Get some thin washers to stack on the screws between the boards. <S> Structurally ok but will look... not ok. <A> Edge banding is nothing more than veneer sold in strips 1 or 2 in wide, preglued (usually). <S> Unscrew the offending shelf and layer one, two or three strips of banding over each other on the end until you get a snug fit between the uprights. <S> Trim the excess with a sharp utility knife and use some leftover stain to match. <S> Screw back in place and keep it movin. <S> I'm sure <S> that using a more aggressive screw and "pulling it in" may work.....for a while. <S> The problem is that plywood only has good strength for fastener holding through the plys....not within (latitudinally). <S> Building tension (stress) into a piece usually ends with that stress self-relieving in the weakest spot in wood. <S> JMHO. <S> Also....if you look carefully in your third photo....you can see that the middle or front screw is already pushing up some of the plys on the shelf... <S> using a more aggressive screw is going to make that worse and possibly tear out a chunk of shelf. <S> Ask me how I know....
| Widen the top shelf with a shim cut to match the gap. You might be able to solve this problem by backing out the screws, clamping the pieces together tightly, and rescrewing.
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Best way to hollow-out mantle (at least 4" deep) I would like to hollow-out the backside of a mantle board, and I'm trying to think of the best way to do it. I have various tools at my disposal, or can procure a needed tool. The purpose is to hide various cords. Ideally, the hollowed section would be 4-6" deep and not noticeable from the sides. My current thinking is to use a handheld plunge router with a bit at least 4" long and many shallow passes. Would a spiral upcut bit be best? Or would a double flute bit be better? Perhaps the router is the wrong way to go. What is the best tool (and cutting attachment) for this task? <Q> If the hollow back doesn't need to be perfect, use a Forstner bit and cut overlapping holes in it to get the desired depth. <S> The glue line on a clean cut with the grain is hardly noticeable. <S> You could also just build a new mantle as a hollow box and cut up the existing one and use it as veneer. <A> I'd use a handheld circular saw. <S> Clamp the workpiece securely. <S> Plunge at one end, run full depth all the way along. <S> Stop before the end. <S> Repeat, on ~1/2" spacing. <S> Clean out the mess with a chisel. <S> You won't get 4" (unless you find a saw with a 10" blade), but you should get a decent enough depth for cords. <S> ** <S> When plunging, do not be tempted to drag the saw backwards to get to your starting line. <S> If you missed the mark, plunge again. <A> You might consider passing it along a table saw with the blade set to protrude 4" from the reference surface (if the blade is big enough for that!). <S> Make several cuts as long as you want the hollowed out area to be, up to an inch apart, and use a big chisel and mallet to chisel out the waste pieces in between the cuts. <S> The challenge would be to make it invisible from the sides. <S> If the mantel piece has any molding or trim pieces on the ends which could be removed and re-attached later, that would make it easy.
| You could also treat it like a big bandsaw box, and cut all of the sides off, and glue them back together.
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Will waterproof toolbox prevent rust I have quite humid workshop and I would like to protect some smaller tools like chisels and hand planes without waxing/oiling them. There are some waterproof toolboxes(for example https://www.screwfix.com/p/stanley-fatmax-28-waterproof-tool-box/53892 ). Do these prevent all moisture from getting in or does it only protect from some accidental spills/rain etc? My idea is to throw in the tools together with some silica packs and after few months of storage opening the toolbox, finding the tools in pristine condition. Will it work or will I be disappointed? <Q> If a toolbox is waterproof, it is generally also air tight, which would prevent water vapor from entering the box once it is sealed. <S> The water vapor already in the box could cause rust, so that is where the silica packets come in. <S> They will remove the moisture from the air. <S> If the box isn't fairly air tight, that dry air will be replaced with moist air until the packets can no longer absorb the moisture, at which point the tools will start to rust. <S> A light coating of light machine oil wiped clean followed by paste wax or a product such as Protec Tool Wax or TopCote® table and tool surface sealant works well also. <S> Avoid silicon based products on hand tools as they can cause issues with the finish on your work piece. <A> As LeeG mentioned in his answer even if the toolbox is air tight, moisture is going to get in it when you open it <S> and there may be moisture on your tools when you put them away. <S> Silica packets may reduce the moisture within the box enough but depending on the humidity levels and how often you are opening the box they may become quickly overwhelmed and become a headache to replace. <S> I recommend coating your tools with shellac. <S> It's a natural finish that can be applied to virtually any surface and will provide protection from rust. <S> It's easy to wipe on <S> but you can also get it in spray cans if you prefer. <A> Silica packets are probably overkill, but they won't hurt.
| So, with the sealed box, and a sufficient amount of the silica, it should prevent rusting during storage. Yes, you should be able to open the tool box and get your tools out in the same condition you put them in.
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Do modern glues make dovetails obsolete? I am a novice woodworker. I have been told that modern glues are so strong that they make a bond which is stronger than the wood itself, and consequently complex interlocking joints are, in many cases, obsolete, and that, in fact, a glued joint may be stronger than a joint where the wood has been cut up, like a dovetail. Is this true? <Q> Dovetails can be obsolete in the sense they aren’t entirely needed depending on how strong the joint needs to be. <S> Glues can be stronger than the wood in the sense that the surface fibers the glue is adhered to will pull apart and fail before the glue does. <S> That doesn’t mean a glued joint is stronger than one that is dovetailed and glued. <S> One of the advantages dovetails and things like box joints <S> have is they create more long grain to long grain surface area that can be glued together. <S> That greater area creates a stronger joint than a simple glued butt joint. <S> The other advantage that dovetail and box joints have is there is continuous wood fibers running into the joint from two directions. <S> Wood fibers are much stronger along their length than they are in separating from each other the way wood in a simple glued joint fails. <S> In all destructive tests I’ve seen, dovetail joints beat a glued joint by a wide margin. <S> Box joints are a little stronger than dovetails usually. <S> And the greater the number of boxes or dovetails in a joint <S> the stronger it is up to some point. <S> See Matthias Wandel’s destructive test videos. <S> But that may not matter in a given application <S> if the joint is strong enough, it may not be worth the extra work to create the dovetail or box joint. <S> As others mentioned it’s a matter of aesthetics and quality too though. <A> The simple answer is yes <S> and no. <S> Having said that many other corner joints will be very strong and durable, but much easer and quicker to make. <S> Dovetail joints are not generally used in plywood, Baltic birch ply is my usual choice for drawer boxes as it is more stable and less expensive than solid wood. <S> Do a search for drawer and/or box joints. <A> Not to repeat JustSaying, I would say the answer is no, they are not obsolete. <S> While strength is one component of a joint, esthetic is another. <S> Who doesn't love a good dovetail? <S> It's a detail that makes one piece stand well above another that could be stronger.
| It is true that modern glues are stronger than the wood but only on long grain to long grain joints, dovetail joints are mostly used on long to short grain joints like corners on drawer boxes.
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Wood Still Rough After Finish Preface - I'm a woodworking novice. I applied a polycrylic finish to an Ikea Gerton (solid beech wood) table top. I only lightly sanded with 220 by hand before applying the finish. I wasn't aiming to smooth the wood as I was under the impression the finish would smooth things out based on the following: The whole idea with sanding the wood is not necessarily to get it as smmoth [sic] as glass. Rather, its to give the wood a clean, even, and scratch-free appearance. [...] Sanding up to 400 really isn’t going to give you a smoother finish in the end. Because after the first coat of finish is applied, you are no longer dealing with the raw wood. You are dealing with the finish. Source However after applying 3 coats, with a light 220 hand sanding between coats, the wood feels pretty much the same as before applying the finish. Should I have sanded more before applying the finish or did I do something wrong in the application? Would sanding the finish help achieve a smoother feel to the surface? If so any tips would be appreciated. <Q> One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is to make sure no tiny dust particles settle onto the finish while it's drying. <S> I've overlooked this in the past when trying to diagnose this same problem. <A> I only lightly sanded with 220 by hand before applying the finish. <S> Should I have sanded more before applying the finish With wood that is already well prepped like on a Gerton worktop from Ikea (already finish sanded in the factory) <S> this would normally be the right amount of sanding. <S> You can sand more, and many people do (there's a lot of over-sanding these days), but just a light hand sand should be all that's needed to refresh a previously prepared surface and make it amenable to a waterbased finish (i.e. to help prevent beading). <S> However after applying 3 coats, with a light 220 hand sanding between coats, the wood feels pretty much the same as before applying the finish. <S> Given that a flat/smooth wood surface sanded to 220 is pretty smooth that may be what you should expect. <S> You can't achieve a surface like a sheet of glass until you've built up a thick film finish and sanded and buffed it smooth 1 . <S> One other point possibly worth noting is the sort of "silky" surface that well-sanded wood has isn't quite like the glossy surface of a varnish or other film finish, and consequently they don't feel exactly the same. <S> did I do something wrong in the application? <S> Can't be sure <S> but I don't think so. <S> As my previous Comment indicated I was initially concerned that the finish had raised the grain 2 and you were now dealing with a rougher surface, but your comments seem to indicate you have a surface as smooth as it was prior to the finish going on which is fine. <S> The above is based on the updated Question with the added details requested (thanks for that BTW, often we don't get those!) <S> so it's just the title <S> has me wondering, it shouldn't still be rough since it shouldn't have <S> previously been rough...... <S> 1 <S> See Evening reflectivity of a finish after "finishing the finish" and Leveling a finish/finishing <S> the finish 2 <S> Some sources state that all finishes raise the grain to some degree, but waterbased finishes do this much more than others because of the water they contain (although even with these it varies somewhat product to product). <A> In my experience, the key to a smooth-feeling finish is to sand lightly with a high-grit (I've used 320) paper between coats of poly, as well as lightly sanding at the end with the same grit. <S> I don't blame you for not sanding the factory surface on the Ikea top, I'm not sure what materials they're using and if it's any kind of plywood you could go right through the veneer and ruin the table top- <S> so good call there. <S> For next time, try sanding in the same way in between coats of poly (making sure to wipe away any dust with a tack cloth or similar), and you should have a smoother feel. <A> Unless the finish applied is one with a very thick film, it will not make the wood smother, in most cases the surface should be sanded smooth 150 to 220 (some will differ on how fine to sand). <S> Water born finishes tend to raise the grain much more than solvent based finishes, though most do to some extent, sanding or using steel wool, or abrasive pads between coats will provide a smoother coat.
| For your situation, I would recommend lightly sanding with a high grit paper, somewhere around 320, and see if that smooths out the feel of the table.
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