Tools

Tools & Jigs–Must Have Shop-Built Upgrades & Add-ons

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Tuning Your Band Saw Blade

Tuning Your Band Saw Blade

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Quick and Easy Ways to Apply a Finish

Quick and Easy Ways to Apply a Finish

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Router Table Secrets

Router Table Secrets

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Make a Quick-Release, Oversize Base for your Router

Make a Quick-Release, Oversize Base for your Router

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Quick Tip for Routing Accurate Dadoes

Quick Tip for Routing Accurate Dadoes

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New Business Cards

I just thought that I'd share my new Business Cards that I had Printed by http://www.vistaprint.com/. Not a Bad dea. 250 Free business cards with the only cost of shipping which wasn't that bad as well at a whopping 5 bucks.

Althou I kept the advertisement for Vista Print on the back of the Business Card, you can have it removed for a Fee, you can have a Calander added for a fee, or other prints added for a fee.

Until Business Kicks up a little, Free Prints with the Price of Shipping and a Little Advertisement for Vista Print isn't too bad of a Juggle I suppose.

Enjoy the Scan of my Business Card.

Handi

The Secret to Perfect Dadoes and Grooves

The Secret to Perfect Dadoes and Grooves

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Routing Edge Profiles and Dadoes, Part 1

Routing Edge Profiles and Dadoes, Part 1

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A Terrific Gift: Table Saw Tough Cuts Made Easy

A Terrific Gift: Table Saw Tough Cuts Made Easy

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Wax your Table Saw Table for Performance

Wax your Table Saw Table for Performance & Protection

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What to Consider in a Rip Blade

What to Consider in a Rip Blade

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Cross

This is a cross that I done for my Aunt. It's Hung on my Mantel with Care posing for a Picture to be posted!

The cross is pretty close to 16" Long and about 6" Wide and 1/2" Thick.

Giving real life Situations, it took me close to 3 weeks to finish up, some of that 3 weeks was dreading working on it. Oh don't get me wrong, I love working on my Scroll Saw.

I however don't like scrolling out thicker woods, expecially Plywood because you go threw blades like kids goes threw candy, 1 right after another.

The Glue between the plys just eats the blades up pretty quickly, but that's Ok, cause I got 4 uses out of a Single Blade on this project.

By Triming off 1/4" of the Blade on the bottom and tom of the Blade, you make the Blade 1/2" Shorter. Which gives you a 1/4" on bottom and top that's not worn down, So where the blade was orginaly 5" Long, it's now 4 1/2" Long, But of course this is after you use both ends of the blade before you trim off the ends to give you new areas to work with.

Anyway, This was also cut from 1/2" Baltic Birch Plywood. And with a FD-TC #1 (Flying Dutchman Two Way Cut), I like using them over #3's and #5's.

Thanks for tuning in for another Post and taking a gander at my New Finished project!

Handi

What A Mess.

This is one hell of mess I got from ebay. The pictures showen here to the right is the Iron that came with my Stanley #4 (H1204) Handyman.

As you can see the picture on the right here, it has some REALLY Bad Nicks in it. It was unbelieveable how someone could misstreat such an item.

I am new to Hand Tools, and will be for sometime til I learn the ropes, but I do know that you you treat them with respect, and they will give you years of great quality in the process for taking care of them like your own.

I have taken great care in sharpening my Tools, mostly my kitchen Knives which are different, but my Saying is "If you Can't Shave with it... It's not Sharp" I have a Bi-Grit Griding Stone, I don't know the Grit Count on this stone, but it gets the Job done, It has a Course Grit on one Side and a Fine Grit on the other side. Then I have an even Finer Grit stone I call my Buffer or Polisher.

When I sharpen my Knives, I always use the Course to Knock off some extra material and to shape my blade the way I want it, expecially if it has nicks and all in the blade. Then I take it to the Finer Grit to take out the Scratches and to fine tune the Edge, when then I take to my Buffer to Polish it up or buff it up and get an even Crisp edge on my Tool.

With that Said, here is the After Picture of my Stanley #4 Iron after I sharpened it, It's quite different then sharpening a Knive. So until I get used to Hand Sharpening without a Jig, I'll have to Purchase or Design my own Sharpening Jig to get the Job done better then what I have.

But this is a Start of a Beautiful Sharp Relationship!

Thanks for sticking around and listening to me, Hope this post was Informative a little even thou it wasn't that related to woodworking talk, but more of Sharpning and Old Tools.

Handi

Hand Tools

I have just Started my Hand Tool Journey. I have been for sometime wanting to Journey into Hand Tools, But a few things has Been Stopping me.

The First is my Right Shoulder, I have Rotery Cuff Damage, and this stops me from doing some things to a Degree, My Left Elbow has been experiencing some Clicking and Pinching as well, and the fact I'm in a Chair limits my Hand Tool use to Smaller Projects and I didn't know if I wanted to spend all this money on New and or used tools to find out I may not be able to use them that well.

Then I decided to Change that Though into Reality and decided to Purchase some and just make due with what I had and learn how to use them the best I can as accuratly as I can.

So without Further Ado, here is my First Tool I purchased off ebay!

Stanley #191 Rabbeting Plane SW (Sweetheart)

Stanley #H1204 (Handyman)

Stanley #35 Smoothing Plane and Stanley #110 Block Plane

This is my Journey into Hand Tools, My First 4 Planes I purchased for under $100.00 On eBay, the Smoothing and Blockplane without Shipping cost was only $26.00, The Rabbeting Plane was $11.00, and the Handiman was $29.00.

So I don't think I've done too bad so far into my Journey. I do have a Hand saw a Disston Rip Saw, but I've not received it yet to take pictures of it cause the picture wasn't 100% Great on eBay, so once I get it I'll take a picture and post it also.

Thanks for watching and following along my Woodworking and Scroll Sawing Journey.

Handi

A Great Gift: Setting Up Shop

A Great Gift: Setting Up Shop

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Cutting Better Looking Plywood Panels

Cutting Better Looking Plywood Panels

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Creating a Stub Tenon on the Router Table

Creating a Stub Tenon on the Router Table

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2 More Sites Added

I've just added 2 more Sites that I've been keeping track of, I hope they are as Informative to you as they are to me.

The First one is:

Woodworking Seminars -- www.woodworkingseminars.com This has site has some Great Seminars on woodworking, From tips to Jigs for your table saw and more, Check it out.

The Second one is:

Woodworking Online -- www.woodworkingonline.com I'm sure alot of you have already checked this site out or already know about it, the site has Woodsmith and Shopnotes and Woodnet.net all accessible from this site and if I'm not mistaken, Woodworking Seminars is also part of this.

Hope these 2 come in use and informative to others that may not know about these, they are listed in my Blogs I follow, to let you know when a new Post is available along with my woodworking links at the bottom of my blog.

Once again, if anyone else that follows my blog has some educational blogs/sites, tips/hints blog/sites, please contact me with the links and I'll be happy to add these to my blog so it will be easier to goto them as you visit my blog.

Thanks,
Handi

Setting Up Shop-SIB

Setting Up Shop-SIB

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Magnetic Stop Block

Magnetic Stop Block

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Making a Tongue

Making a Tongue & Dado Joint

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Sterling Machinery Exchange

Here is another site that was just sent to me by James from Sterling Machinery Exchange, Please have a look, It appears to provide New and used Machines, I've not had a chance yet to fully Review this site -- http://www.sterlingmachinery.com/ But here in the next day or two.

From the looks of it, It looks to be a Useful Resource of machinery of all kinds for some of us woodworkers looking for a good new or used deal!

Anymore Sites are also welcome, Please keep them coming, I'd like to see this as a Resourceful Blog with Many different woodworking and scroll sawing blogs, information and the likes, and everyone can make it happen!

Handi

3 More Sites Added

I have added 3 more sites to my List for all to enjoy, they are listed as followed.

The Sharpening Blog -- http://hocktools.wordpress.com/

Martin J. Donnelly Antique Tools -- http://www.mjdtools.com/

HOCK TOOLS -- http://www.hocktools.com/

If anyone has any Great Woodworking and or Scroll Saw Sites they would like to see added to my list for future enjoyment, Please, don't hesitate to Contact me or simply leave a comment with the desired Site and I'll be sure to add the sites to my list.

Thanks,
Handi

Trivet - Snow Flake

Below is a Snow Flake Trivet I conjured up.

Handi

Deal of the Day!

Deal of the Day!

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ON SALE! - DeWalt DW788 Variable-Speed Scroll Saw with FREE Stand and Free Light - While Supplies Last! - Rockler Woodworking Tools

ON SALE! - DeWalt DW788 Variable-Speed Scroll Saw with FREE Stand and Free Light - While Supplies Last! - Rockler Woodworking Tools

Types

Types & Grits of Sandpaper

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Here is a Great Video Tip from Woodsmith as well. Check it out!

Handi

Sanding Disc Alignment Tool

Sanding Disc Alignment Tool

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I will perodically be posting Woodsmith Tips along with Woodworking Tips of The Week as long as they keep coming to my Email, so Stick around for some more Great Tips from both Woodsmith and Woodworkingtips.com

Thanks,
Handi

Trivet - Square

Here is a Square Trivet I just finished earlier this evening.

Hope this will be of use to some other scroller.

Handi

Luminarie Base and Face

I've been trying my Hand at creating my own Unique Scrollsaw Designs/Patterns.

It don't seem to be too bad to design, at least some of the easier stuff. So I've decided to Post my Luminarie Base and Face Design I just came up with this evening.

I think that it would be a Great Valentines Day Gift. Yeah I know, It's not Valentines Day yet, it's not even turkey day yet. But hey, It never hearts to start shopping for the Holidays ahead!

Enjoy the Design, You are welcome to use it as many times as needed, can post it elsewhere if you like, Just give credit where to the Designer!

Handi

2 New Christmas Ornaments!

Here are 2 New Additions to my Scrollsawing Projects.

These Patterns or Designs are from one of my Christmas Ornament Scrollsaw Magazines.

I thought these 2 would be a great addition to my Store to hopefully Share the love and the closeness of families during the Christmas Seasons.

Give me your take on these, All comments welcome and appreciated. Hopefully Soon I'll have some Orginal Designs by Me, but until I learn the ropes of Pattern Designing, all of my designs or designs will come from the Holliday Magazines.

Be looking forward to another addition in the next day or two, my Train Set. I don't know about you guys, but as a Kid growing up, I always loved putting the Train around the base of the Christmas Tree, it was a Family Tridition we used to do, expecially more so when I crafted a Woodworking Kit for my mother Many hears ago that consisted of a Wooden Train.

So I hope that each and everyone of you keeping tabs on my blog enjoy and share the love of my Wood projects with each and everyone.

The Gift of a Smile is a wonderful Gift and can carry you away for sometime on Cloud #9!

Handi

Nativity Set

Here is the Nativity set that I just finished Scrolling out lastnight and finished the Glue up This morning.

It's now sitting and Drying, I did however forget to Glue on the Shepards Hooks before I took the Picture.

This Set is about 6" High, 3" Deep and about 10" long.

The Base is made from Oak Plywood along with the Manger. The Figures and Star are made from Cherry Plywood Donated to me by David Pruett over at The Folding Rule Blog.

I'd like to Thank David for sending me Such Beautiful Plywood and it has Been great to work with and do this project, there are a Few more Projects Underway which will be blogged about in the Near Future.

So thanks for checking in, Hope you like the Nativity Set.

Handi

Episode 002 - Audio Podcast on Tater Bin!

Click to Play

Welcome Everyone,

This is just a Small under 5 Minute Audio Podcast, giving you a brief Detail about the Tater Bin that's in my Future Project to build for a Friend of mine. Just Small Details, Sorry about no Visuals just yet, as soon I get out to my Shop, I'll be taking some Pictures and probably doing a little Audio Podcast along with the Pictures to show my progress work. So if you are interested in tagging along with me on my journey you are more then welcome to do so, I hope that You will shower me with comments, tips and Hints that might help me out in my journey.

Handi

Hand v. Power Tool Showdown: Watch it Live Online Nov. 12 - Fine Woodworking

Hand v. Power Tool Showdown: Watch it Live Online Nov. 12 - Fine Woodworking

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Woodworking Tip of The Week - Simple Flush Trim Fence

The easiest way to trim edging applied to a plywood panel is to use a flush-trim bit in the router. With a hand-held router, this can be an awkward and tricky operation. Doing the job on the router table is a much better option.

The only catch is that you still need a way to support and steady the panel as you pass it across the bit standing on edge. My answer to this challenge falls into the quick and simple category.

As shown in the drawings, I make a flush-trim fence by temporarily attaching several strips of hardboard to the router table fence with carpet tape. The bit is then aligned with the surface of the hardboard strips. This arrangement provides plenty of support as well as the clearance needed to trim the edging flush to the panel.

Apology

Hello everyone.

I'd like to apologize for the Infrequent Post of the Woodworking Tip of The Week. I have been experiencing some Computer Problems on my Laptop, which I have just worked out earlier this week.

I had to reformat my Hard Drive and Reinstall Windows Vista and all the Programs on my computer, I was experiencing Lock ups, Internet Delays and some other things, I've tried just about everything to fix them with some programs tried fixing with the Restore disk to fix errors but nothing.

So I had to Result back to about a 4 hr process with formatting, copying and installing. Quite a process, but had to be done.

Anyway, I should have the Tips on time every Tuesday now that my computer is back up and running right again.

Thanks,
Handi

Woodworking Tip of The Week - Adjustable Taper Jig

I recently needed to cut some tapered pieces for a project and didn’t want to invest in a manufactured jig. So I built the simple jig you see in the photo below.

It doesn’t take much material to build the jig. You probably have just about everything you’ll need lying around your shop.
Best of all, it’s accurate and can accommodate a wide variety of workpiece sizes. It also works great for ripping a straight edge on rough lumber.
The base of the jig is a piece of ¾″ plywood with three long slots used to attach an adjustable fence. Each slot is recessed on the bottom so the head of a carriage bolt sits out of the way (see detail A).
An adjustable ½″ plywood fence sits on top of the base. It has slots to match the slots in the base for adjusting the angle of the taper. And four holes in the fence accept ¼″ carriage bolts for the hold-downs.

I made the four hold-downs from 1″-thick hardwood (see detail B). A slot at the top allows you to quickly position and then tighten them down with a wing nut.
To use the taper jig, adjust the fence to the desired taper and lock it in place. Then swing the hold-downs over the workpiece and tighten the wing nuts. Finally, set the rip fence of the table saw so the blade lines up with the edge of the jig. Then simply push the sled along the fence. That’s all it takes to cut perfect tapers everytime.

Woodworking Tip of The Week - Outfeed Roller

Ripping long boards or panels on the table saw can be difficultwhen you're working alone. You usually need to find a friend to help you to get the job done safely. A good outfeed support can solve this problem. And you don't need to spend a lot to meet your needs.

The outfeed roller shown in the photo is simple and inexpensive to build. And, as you can see in the drawing, all it takes is some scrap lumber, a short length of PVC pipe, a dowel, and a few screws.

The roller is designed to be clamped firmly to a solid support, like the sawhorse shown in the photo. This way, once it's set up, the outfeed roller stays in securely place, and you won't need to worry about it falling over or shifting out of position.

Have a nice weekend,

Phil Huber
Editor, ShopNotes

Woodworking Tip of The Week - Two Tips for Installing Hinges

Installing a door on its hinges can be one of the trickiest parts of building a cabinet. Here are a couple tips I've used in the past to help install a cabinet door with less hassle.

Steel Woodscrews

During the installation process, I often end up putting on and taking off the door a few times. And one added frustration I try to avoid is breaking one of the screws.
So until I'm satisfied with the fit of the door, I only put one screw in each leaf, as shown in the photo. And instead of brass screws, I temporarily substitute steel screws, since they're less likely to break.

Finally, when it's time to add the other screws, I run steel screws in and out of the pilot holes first. This way, the steel screws cut the threads for the brass screws.

Installing Hinges

If a hinge mortise is cut too deep, there may not be enough of a gap between the door and the cabinet. As you can see in the photo at right, a quick fix for this is to add a paper or thin cardboard shim.

A shim also comes in handy if the gap between the door and the cabinet tapers from top to bottom. This time, though, you'll only shim one of the mortises.

Good Woodworking,
Ted Raife

Editor, Woodsmith

Woodworking Tip of The Week - Push Block

At first glance, the push block in the photo at right appears to be rather simple. But don’t let its appearance fool you. The right push block not only makes the work safer, it also improves the quality of your work.
One thing I like about the push block shown in the photo is the “high-mounted” comfortable position of the handle. It keeps your fingers well above and away from the spinning saw blade.
Best of all, you don’t sacrifice any control. The forward sweep of the handle lets you place constant downward pressure on the work-piece for a steady, controlled feed into the saw blade.

As you might expect, the body and cleat are going to get chewed up after you pass them overthe blade a number of times. So this push block is designed with replaceable parts. All you need to do is flip the body or cleat over when you need a new edge or simply replace them with new ones. Then you can quickly attach the handle with a screw and get back to work again.

Have a nice weekend,
Phil Huber

Editor, ShopNotes

Woodworking Tip of The Week - Edge Trimming Panel Supports

Whenever I use plywood to build a project it usually means having to deal with exposed plywood edges that need to be covered. But you’ll find a few challenges to applying edging and making it look great.

Since I want to be sure the edges are completely covered, I like to start with the edging just a hair wider than the thickness of the plywood. Then once the glue dries, the edging can be trimmed flush. I like to use a hand-held router with a flush trim bit to do this. But the challenge is balancing the router on the edge of the plywood to make a clean cut.

To provide stability to the panels while I routed the edges, I used to clamp two panels on edge with 2x4 scraps between them. But accomplishing this always seemed to take more hands than I had to get everything clamped in place. To make the job easier, I made the panel supports shown in the photo at right.

The supports are easy to build and can be made from scrap pieces of stock. I made mine from 3/4″ plywood.

Each support begins with a long base to provide an area to clamp the support to the workbench. Next, glue up two layers of plywood to create a center divider and attach it upright on the base. This separates the two panels to be trimmed and provides a wide surface for clamping the panels securely in position. Then, to hold the plywood panels in place while I attach the clamps, just add a shorter outside support on either side.

The supports are easy to set up and simple use. All you need to do is align the two supports with one another and then clamp them to your workbench. After slipping a panel between the center divider and each outside support, clamp the panels to the divider at each end, as shown in the drawing below.

Both panels are now securely supported, making it easy to trim the edging flush. Just be sure to rout each panel in a clockwise direction to avoid kickback.
Have a nice weekend,
Phil Huber

Editor, ShopNotes

Woodworking Tip of The Week - Revolving Finish Station

First I would like to say that I'm sorry for not posting these tips every week. There has been a week or two that I have forgot.

I am a BIG Gamer, as well as Scroll Sawer and getting into Woodworking, and having so many Hobbies and all, you have to Juggle your time here and there.

I have been Stuck on World of Warcraft which i'm sure some of you woodworkers and scrollers out there are familure with or have even heard of the game it's self. And this is what I have been doing, Spending most of my time on World of Warcraft.

Anyway, Here is the Woodworking Tip of the Week.

One of the biggest challenges in a small shop is having room to apply finish to a project. I needed something that wouldn’t take up much room but would still provide easy access to all sides of the project. The station you see here is the solution.

First, the top sits on a lazy Susan. This allows you to rotate the project and apply finish easily on all sides. Second, the hinges allow you to set the station up and tear it down quickly. And third, it can be set up in a corner of my shop out of the way and without taking up a lot of valuable space.

The base consists of two side panels made from 3/4″ plywood and connected by a hinge. Another hinge connects one side panel assembly to the turntable, which is made up of two plywood disks and the lazy Susan (left drawing).

Then you set the station up, swing the two side panels open. The top will rest on the side panels and fit down onto a dowel pin (drawing above right). The dowel acts as a safety catch to lock the station open and adds stability. When you’re done with the station, all you have to do is lift the top up, fold the panels together, and hang it on a wall hook, as you see in the drawing above.

Have a nice weekend,
Phil Huber

Editor, ShopNotes

Woodworking Tip of The Week - Shop-Made Pull

When it’s time to choose drawer or door pulls for a project, there’s an option that’s often overlooked. Rather than buy something off the shelf or order from a catalog, save the cash and make you own pulls.

Shop-made pulls have some neat advantages. I like the fact that you’re not limited to what’s commercially available. When the work stays in the shop, you can better match the style, size, and wood of the pull to the project. You use up some scrap wood and get unique-looking, custom pulls out of the bargain.

So to get you started, here’s the step-by-step process for one great-looking, easy-to-make pull.
The real key to making this “cut-out” pull is doing things in the right order. I started by laying out the pulls on an extra-wide blank and drilling pairs of holes (upper drawing). You’ll get two pulls from each section. After ripping the blank down the center, the cutouts are completed by removing the waste between the holes on the band saw (left lower drawing).

Then, before cutting the individual pulls from the blanks, you’ll want to bevel the sides on the table saw, as shown in the lower right drawing.

Have a nice weekend,

Phil Huber
Editor, ShopNotes

Woodworking Tip of The Week - Adjustable Assembly Table

Projects come in all different sizes. So I found that a one-height-fits-all assembly table was not very practical. To solve this problem, I built an assembly table that can be adjusted to suit the project, as shown in the drawings below.

My simple design features two-piece legs that are hinged in the middle. At its full height, the legs are firmly locked in position with barrel bolts. When a shorter table is needed, the top can be lifted off and the legs folded down (Figure 2).

The construction is simple and solid. I used 4x4s for the legs and 2x4s for the stretchers. The removable top is cut from 3/4″ plywood.

Have a nice weekend,

Ted Raife

Editor, Woodsmith

Woodworking Tip of The Week - Rattle-Free Doors

When building and assembling raised panel doors, I’m always careful to account for normal expansion and contraction of the panel in the frame. The precaution involves leaving a small gap between the edges of the panel and the bottom of the frame groove and then allowing the panel to “float” in the groove without glue. But this technique can lead to another problem. As the panel shrinks in dry weather, the loosened fit can cause it to rattle as the door is opened and closed.

The fix I came up with is very simple and effective. Before assembling the door, I put small dabs of silicone caulk in the bottom of the groove and allow it to dry. Once the door is assembled the caulk cushions the panel in the frame, both keeping it centered and rattle-free.

Have a nice weekend,
Ted Raife

Editor, Woodsmith

Woodworking Tip of The Week - Reading The Grain

Jointers are a great tool for straightening an edge or flattening the face of a workpiece. But it’s not unusual to get a cut that’s rough in some areas. Instead of a nice smooth surface, the wood has patches of lifted grain or areas of chipout or tearout.
In some cases, this may be caused by dull knives or working with highly figured woods that are difficult to joint smooth no matter what you do. But most often the problem is the result of the orientation of the grain in the workpiece.

EDGE JOINTING Determining the proper feed direction of the grain is easier when you’re passing the edge through the jointer. Simply examine the face of the board and determine whether the grain slopes up or down. Then feed the piece in the direction that allows the grain to slope away from the knives. This keeps the knives cutting with the grain, as shown in the drawings below, instead of against the grain, which leads to tearout or chipout along the edge.

FACE JOINTING Jointing the face of a board can be a little more challenging. That’s because the grain pattern may appear to be going in one direction on the face and actually run in the opposite direction, like you see in the drawing above.
If there’s a V-shaped surface grain present, it’s tempting to look at the face of the workpiece and then feed the board into the jointer with the V-shaped grain pointing away from the knives. But you’ll actually get a better picture of grain direction if you take a look at the edge.
In a similar manner to edge jointing, you’ll want to check out the edge to see if the grain is rising or falling. But this time you’ll want to feed the board into the jointer in the direction that keeps the knives cutting with the grain direction visible on the edge of the board. You’ll find these same principles apply when you use your planer.

CHANGING GRAIN DIRECTION The grain direction may also change within a single workpiece. When you see this, you can sometimes avoid rough cuts by slowing down the feed rate when you get to the point the grain makes a change in direction. This way, the knives take smaller “bites” and you’ll be less likely to end up with any chipout.
Determining grain direction is the best way to get better results with your jointer. The nice thing is it only takes you a few extra seconds, but it’ll save you a lot of sanding time in the long run.

Have a nice weekend,

Phil HuberEditor,

ShopNotes

I would like to Appoligize for lastweek, I have gotten busy, and I lost track of time and the day and I didn't get out my Tip of The Week. Well not actually My Tip of The Week, but Tips Submitted by others to www.woodworkingthips.com and I get them in email and I submit them here with no credit at all, just helping out fellow woodworkers that may not of heard of the site and all.

Handi

Woodworking Tip of The Week - HandSaw Rack

I own a small but very useful collection of handsaws. My problem was finding a handy and safe place to store them. The answer was a simple wall storage rack that keeps the saws out of the way but still easily accessible, as you can see in the photo.

The design of the rack is shown in the drawing below. Basically, it consists of a couple of pieces of hardboard that sandwich a series of beveled blocks. The spaces between the blocks hold loose sections of ¾″-dia. dowel. And a kerf cut through the outer face allows entrance of the saw blade.

The rack works by pinching the saw blade between the loose section of dowel and the fixed block. To hang up a saw, you simply slip it into the kerf from below and then let the saw drop until the dowel grabs it. To remove a saw, you push it up and out of the kerf.

Good Woodworking,

Ted Raife

Editor, Woodsmith

New Nail Gun by Dewalt

New Nail Gun by Dewalt - It can drive a 16-D nail through a 2 X 4 at 200 yards. This makes construction a breeze. You can sit in your lawn chair and build a fence. Just get the wife and kids to hold the fence boards in place while you sit back, relax with a cold beer, and when they have the board in the right place, just fire away. With the hundred round magazine, you can build the fence with a minimum of reloading.

After a day of fence building with the new Dewalt Rapid fire nail gun, most wives will not ask you to fix or build anything else for a very long time.

This was Sent to me by a Cousin of mine in Texas. I thought it was pretty funny and thought it would be a great addition to my blog for a little Woodworking Comedy!

Enjoy

Woodworking Tip of The Week - Custom-Fit Dadoes

Routing dadoes or grooves to hold a plywood panel can be a challenge. The problem is it measures a little less than the stated thickness. Whenever I need to rout a perfectly sized dado to match a piece of plywood, I turn to a pair of guides like those shown in photo at right.
The guides consist of a hardboard base with a fence on top. I use the router and a 1/2″ straight bit to trim the base of the guide.

Once you’ve made the guides, using them is straightforward. You can use a combination square to set one of the guides square to the edge of the workpiece. Then place a plywood spacer alongside the guide and clamp the second guide against the spacer.
Now, you can rout along one edge guide then turn the router around and make a return pass to complete the dado.

Have a nice weekend,

Phil Huber

Editor, ShopNotes

Shop Time!

Hopefully here real SOON, I will be having some Shop time. The Weather hasn't been permitting me to go outside here lately, as it's been raining A LOT.

Well I suppose that's ok I guess... I've not really got any good wood nor money to purchase any just yet, and if I did I'm not sure what I would accomplish just yet in the shop.

I do however have a Project planed in the near future, I'm a real big Fan of Billiards, others call it Pool, I call it both. Anyway for anyone that is familiar with Billiards or Pool or any form of it knows that a Pool Cue is the most Important piece of equipment, without it you can't play, of course without a table nor Billiard Balls, you aren't able to play as well.

Well for anyone that is familiar, I have a Mali Pool Cue, Blueish Green Marble in color, and my cause I was using... Well I had it in my trunk, and the zipper seized up on me. So with what little Skills that I have in Woodworking and the likes, I will be applying this to build me a New Pool Cue Case, equipped with a Chalk Holder, probably a little quarter area to hold a roll of quarters like a poker table holds poker chips.

I will of course be doing a Podcast on this project to show everyone the process of me applying my woodworking Skills...

Design is still a little flaky, but once it's worked out it will look great, I'm also thinking about doing some Inlay work, which will be my first ever attempt as well. So be looking Forward to a few projects, in the mean time, Please enjoy my Woodworking Tips of the Week from Various people from "Woodworkingtips.com"

Thanks for stopping by and checking my blog out, I should also in the neat future be providing another video and audio podcast. Time and weather hasn't been on my side lately.

Handi

Woodworking Tip of The Week - Router Table Indexing Jig

Recently I had to cut a series of evenly spaced dadoes across the sides of some small display shelves I was making. I wanted to make the dadoes on my router table, and I needed a way to space them evenly. That's when I came up with the idea for an auxiliary table fitted with an index pin as shown in the photo.

To make the auxiliary table, I started by cutting a piece of ½″ MDF (medium-density fiberboard) that fit on top of my router table. Then I drilled a hole in the center of the MDF for a router bit.

Next I inset a strip of wood into the top to serve as an index pin for spacing the dadoes, see Figure 1. I made sure that the distance between the router bit and the index pin equaled the spacing I needed for my dadoes, then I clamped the top to my router table.

Now cutting evenly spaced dadoes is easy. Simply butt one of the workpieces against the index pin and push it forward with a backer block to cut the first dado. Now just shift the workpiece so the dado you just cut fits over the index pin and cut a second dado. Repeat this process until all the dadoes have been cut, as you can see in Figure 2.

Have a nice weekend,

Ted Raife
Online Editor, Woodsmith

Woodworking Tip of The Week - Organizing Drawers

Drawers are a good way to organize tools and other supplies. The problem is, it’s all too easy for stuff to get lost in deep drawers. To solve this problem, I like to divide each deep drawer into two layers, as shown in the photo below.

Dividers. For the bottom layer, I made a divided box. When you measure for the box, you’ll want to leave a 1/16″ gap between the box and the drawer. This way you can take the box out if you ever need to.

The dividers are dadoed into the sides of the insert box. They also accept subdividers, so you can customize the box for whatever you need to store (drawing below).

The Totes. To take advantage of the space above the box, I made some totes to rest on top. Each tote has a pair of fixed dividers and a handle. Besides making it easy to organize small items, you can remove a tote from the drawer and take it right where it’s needed.
Making the totes is similar to making the divided box. But there are some things to keep in mind while building them.

It’s a good idea to allow a 1/16″ gap between the totes. This makes it easy to slip one tote in place while the other is in the drawer.
You’ll also notice that the rabbets and dadoes for the tote dividers are cut in the front and back pieces, not the sides like in the divided box. And don’t forget to cut notches for the wood handle and the groove for the 1/4″ hardboard bottom.

Have a nice weekend,

Phil Huber

Editor, ShopNotes

Woodworking Tip of The Week - Pickup Plywood Rack

I discovered that hauling large sheets of plywood in a small pickup truck isn't a good match. So to make my truck a little more accommodating, I built a simple plywood rack.

The rack is made from common 2x4s. As you can see in the drawing, it's nothing more than three supports connected with two cross rails. The rear cross rail is positioned just behind the tail gate to keep the rack from sliding. I positioned the front rail to clear the wheel wells of the truck.

The detail drawing shows how the supports and rails are fastened together with hex bolts and lock nuts. The heads of the bolts and nuts are counterbored to prevent damage to the sheet stock or the truck.

I also placed washers between the supports and cross rails. This allows me to easily fold the rack and store it out of the way when it's not in use.

Have a great weekend,

Ted Raife

Editor, Woodsmith

Woodworking Tip of The Week - Over-the-bench Tool Rack

Since my workbench is in the middle of the shop, there isn’t an electrical outlet nearby to plug my power tools into. And trailing an extension cord across the floor is a safety hazard. So I decided to hang a strip of outlets above the bench. With the cords running up, there is less of a chance of tripping on them or accidently cutting through them. And to make it even more useful, the outlet strip is attached to a plywood tool rack, so I can store tools and clamps near the workbench.


As you can see in the drawing at right, there’s not much to this tool rack. You just cut a piece of ¾″ plywood to shape and screw a power strip vertically in the middle of it.


Then to hang it from the ceiling, I drilled two holes in the long end and hung it from a pair of bicycle hooks that were screwed into a cleat attached to the ceiling. This way the power strip/tool rack can be easily removed if I need the extra space for working on a tall project.
Next, I made a couple of shelves and holders for the power tools I use most often at the bench: a sander, drill, and jig saw. All that’s left is to run an extension cord across the ceiling and plug in the outlet strip.


Have a nice weekend,


Phil Huber

Editor, ShopNotes

Thank's to Woodworkingtips.com for the wonderful Tips on a Better Workshop.

Table Saw Bumper

All my large power tools are on casters. So when I need to make extra floor space in my small shop, I simply roll them up against the wall. But I found that my table saw created a problem. As I backed it up to the wall, likely as not, the protruding motor would hit with a “thump”.
The solution to this wall (and tool) abuse turned out to be pretty simple. As you can see in the photo, I added a scrap wood bumper to the caster base of the saw. The bumper extends out from the base to end just beyond the motor. Now I can push the saw up to wall, confident that the bumper will stop its progress before the motor puts another dent in the wall.

Have a great weekend,

Ted RaifeEditor,

Woodsmith

Installing Drawer Slides

Installing metal drawer slides can seem a bit intimidating, but I’ve found a simple method that eliminates complicated measuring for each drawer slide. For this, I like to use the drawers themselves to mark the position. The idea is to use an MDF spacer to install the slide accurately, and keep both sides level. The photos show this procedure on a frameless cabinet, but it works for face frame cabinets as well.


Getting Started. The first step is to install the slides on the drawers. For convenience, I usually place them on the lower edge of the drawer. Here, I use the slotted horizontal holes to attach the slide. Using these holes allows me to make small adjustments as needed. Then, I assemble the slide so both pieces are attached to the drawer. Now, with the cabinet turned on its back, I put each of the drawers in position, as shown in the photo above. The drawers simply rest on the back of the cabinet.


Mark the Location. Once the drawers are in the proper place, I mark the bottom of each of the slides on the side of the cabinet, using a square. Once that’s complete, I remove the drawers and cut a spacer to the length of the mark for the top drawer.
Using Spacers. After clamping the spacer in position for the top drawer, you can use it to support the slide while you attach it to the cabinet side, as shown in the left photo below. For this, I use the slotted vertical holes.


Now, using the same spacer, you can attach the slide to the opposite side. Once both slides are in place, insert the drawer and test it for a smooth-rolling fit. You can then make small adjustments both horizontally (on the drawer piece) and vertically (on the cabinet piece) to fine-tune the position. Once you’re sure of the placement, you can add a couple of screws in the round holes to fix the position.


Cut the Spacer. The next step is to transfer the mark for the next drawer to your spacer (middle photo). Using that mark, you can cut it to the correct size and repeat the installation process for the rest of the drawer slides.



Good woodworking,
Phil HuberEditor,
ShopNotes