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26K views 74 replies 49 participants last post by  TheBossQ 
#1 ·
Working with Melamine

This is a re-edit of the video that got me started doing videos. Unfortunately I knew very little about shooting and editing video at the time. In fact, I shot the video with a web cam, so the video quality is poor in parts. The re-edit gives it a nice face lift, but perhaps in the future, when I run low on topics, I can re-shoot the video. (Full steam ahead on Router Inlay!)

Here is the link: Working with Melamine
 
#2 ·
Nice job on the video Brian. I do have a comment on attaching the melamine, mdf or plywood. I have been using the confirmat screws and the drill bit that is required. I will tell you that I will not go back to regular screws when assembling sheet goods, especially mdf. The screws are easily instralled and pull the joint together really nice. I have not had 1 joint fail nor split when assembling. Using the confirmat screws is just like any other screw. The drill bit for the pilot hole has the correctly sized countersink built in. I purchase them from McFeeleys and yeah they are a little expensive but the plus is not as many screws are needed for assembling. There are different sizes for the different thicknesses of material to be joined. My experience is only with the screws for 3/4" material.
 
#3 ·
Now I know 20x more than I did about melemine ;-)) Nice video. What is the point about the screws? Use hardened steel because regular wood screws break too easily?
 
#4 ·
Brian - Great job on the video. Lots of good information and well presented. Regarding the sharp edges on the freshly cut melamine, I keep a small block of MDF with self-adhesive sandpaper handy to quickly run over the edges right after they're cut. It can slow down the production flow a little but, it reduces the sliced fingers if you don't wear gloves when your handling the melamine during assembly.

I'll be looking forward to more of your videos.
 
#5 ·
MedicKen: I was not aware that McFeeleys carries confirmat bits and screws. (I buy most of my fasteners from McFeeleys.) Either I just never noticed, or they have started carrying them recently (within the last year). Their kits and bits look reasonably priced compared to what I have been quoted by local suppliers. Perhaps I will give these a try. Thanks for the tip.

TopamaxSurvivor: Yes, because the drywall screws and the general purpose screws snap, not very often, only when it is most inconvenient. :) I have yet to break one of the hardened steel screws. I also find that the philips head can strip and that it is easy to slip the driver. The hardened screws have a square drive, which does not strip easily.

Jack: Good tip on softening the edges. I used to use gloves when handling, but I forgot to take them off a couple of times before using the table saw (very bad!), so I quit wearing the gloves.
 
#6 ·
Hey Brian
Nice video good primer om melamine . I would add that melamine cabinets can be made with dado and rabbit joinery with out screws but screws are more common in production work. Rue glue is different than yellow glue in that it's softer and more flexible than yellow glue.There are other brands of melamine glue such as Titebond melamine and Franklin melamine . Any gluing of melamine should be with a melamine glue yellow glue does not work any where close to as well
 
#7 ·
Brain, this is another nice video. I remember seeing the original version but it certainly was nice to see it again.
Thanks for taking the time and effort to produce these videos. I know that they tend to slow down production but they are helpful and informative.
 
#9 ·
Thanks everyone!

Jim: Thanks for mentioning dados/rabbets. I have used dados/rabbets before, for a tablesaw workstation (before I got my Saw Stop). I think that the reason dado/rabbet joinery is not used to often with melamine is that cabinet shops that use melamine are using "system 32" (Euro/framless) for fast production. One other thing that I have heard-and perhaps you know more that I do about it and can comment on it-is that the strength of a melamine panel is compromised by cutting a dado in it. The argument is that the melamine coating also adds strength to the panel the same way the skins on a torsion box do. On the other hand, it seems that if a box is constructed correctly that any loss in strength is regained when it is assembled.

One tip I did learn when making the workstation using dados/rabbets, is to do the edge banding before cutting the dados/rabbets. It is easier than having to trim by hand. Also be careful when inserting and removing panels into dados, as the melamine is brittle and can easily chip.

Thanks again.
 
#10 ·
Hey Brian
I thinks your 100% correct about "fast production" That's kind of been the whole point in screwing them together and with melamine glue it's an acceptable production cabinet . I've used dado and rabbit construction on a lot of melamine projects with out any structural issues. I was not trying to lessen the points you made in your great video just thought I'd add an alternative,even though a lot of folks like the quickest way to build cabinets. I really appreciate the time and effort put forth in making a well produced an very informative video. Good point about banding before dadoing.
 
#11 ·
Brian, Thank you for putting this together! Very educational.
I sure hope this video stays on here for along time…so much to learn, so little time. I've watched this three times and each time I pick up more information. It stopped one expensive mistake before I commited it.
What an education this web site is! Thank you! Thank All of you! Rand
 
#12 ·
Great Stuff Brian! I liked the Ikea part, Its like a bad dream where your being captured by IKEA agents and you find yourself sitting up in bed Screaming NOOOOOOOOO.
Anyway I need a refresher course .

Thanks for posting this video you done good !
 
#13 ·
Brian , all I can get is the audio portion of your video at this time …..The area where the video should be is a blank , white screen which at first I thought you were filming a sheet of Melamine LOL
 
#14 ·
Hi Brian , I received your PM and gave this another try and it worked perfectly today. The only thing I couldn't do was make it go to full screen mode.Do I need to download that specific player for that feature to work ? Thanks….this was another informative video : )
 
#17 ·
Router Inlay Basics

Here it is. My next video… finally!

I feel like I got over a lot of learning curves on this one. I found this a particularly challenging subject to present because router inlay can get involved and there are often several ways to go about the different steps. Trying to cram all that into a video, however, is more likely to discourage folks from trying router inlay. My goal in this video was to present the essential knowledge and skills that one can start building on, thereby removing the intimidation factor. If you say to yourself while watching this video "That does not look so hard to do", then I have done my job.

Special thanks go out to Todd Clippinger for all his help. It seems that, in spite of being insanely busy, he is always available to bounce ideas off of. :)

Oh, and there is a small tribute at the beginning, to a master from whom I have gotten a lot of inspiration. :)

Here is a direct link to the video:

http://brianhavens.us/resource/router-inlay-basics

Enjoy
 
#31 ·
Not Another Video on Card Scrapers

Some time ago, 105 days ago to be precise, I posted a forum question asking woodworkers who do not use card scrapers "why not?". The intention was to get information which would help me make a video. As life has a way of getting in the way of plans, it took some time before I could make the video, but it has finally arrived.

I look forward to your feedback.

Here is the link to the video and the writeup from my video page:

http://brianhavens.us/resource/card-scrapers

If you have been getting less than satisfactory results with your card scraper, then perhaps this video is for you. Often it may seem that the process of preparing a card scraper is downright mystical, and that those can do it have some sort of magic. However I do not like mysticism and magic, and I find more often than not, that there is simply a single link missing in the chain that keeps woodworkers from getting shavings out of their card scrapers. Hopefully this video will help you flush out whatever is keeping you from getting those sought after shavings, and send you on your way to scraping utopia.

P.S. I noticed, this morning, that in IE7 the tabs on my website are a little funky, but that everything otherwise functions OK. I am looking into this issue and should have it fixed shortly.
 
#32 ·
Brian - You put together one of the most comprehensive videos I have seen to date. The way you laid out the various types of sharpening and acknowledge the value of each was great.

I think that this is an important thing to note, in woodworking there is always more than one way to do something.
 
#48 ·
Turning Urban Lumber

I am happy to release my next Straightedge video. I am also exited that the topic this time has to do with turning.

When I finally got the footage to make the funny bit at the beginning of the video, I was overjoyed to finally proceed with making a video that addresses the issue of using logs from trees cut down in urban areas. This was supposed to be an easy video to make, but it turned out to be my most difficult yet. The original title of this video was "Turning Green Wood", but I realized about half way through the making of the video, that neither the content nor the title was hitting the mark. That is because the general topic of turning green wood has already been well covered. What I realize I needed to do is address the subject from a hobbyist turner's perspective, especially from the perspective of a hobbyist who rarely has time to drop everything to rough turn a dozen bowl blanks just because he was fortunate enough to score an entire tree of logs. Hopefully I am on target this time.

Enough of my rambling. Here is the write-up and the link to the video, enjoy!:

Every day, in urban areas, trees are cut down for various reasons. These trees are a veritable treasure trove of lumber that can be reclaimed, as opposed to finding its way to the junk yard or fireplace. As well, many of the species of wood growing locally in your area may be otherwise unavailable from lumber suppliers. This episode covers the steps required to reclaim such wood for turning.

http://brianhavens.us/resource/turning-urban-lumber
 
#55 ·
Brian - one of the best videos i've seen here on Lumberjocks! The videography was great! The google sketchup explanations were even better! You must have spent so much time on this!! i really enjoyed it a lot!!!

WOW! Thanks!
 
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