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23K views 42 replies 12 participants last post by  Redoak49 
#1 ·
Organizing for the New Year

I like to start off a new year by getting my shop in shape. After the busy holiday season, offcuts are piled everywhere, edges are dull and the deficiencies in the workspace are sharp in my mind.

Shortly after Christmas, I set to work making a new stand for my lathe. The old one was designed to stand in the middle of the room and had storage on both sides. I ended up pushing it against a wall, which made that space either worthless or terribly inconvenient. The new stand-not a thing of beauty-has everything accessible from the front. This one will shortly have (ugly but functional) doors to keep the insides mostly dust free.

Wood Wood stain Floor Flooring Hardwood


That done, I turned my attention to inventory. I spent the day yesterday hauling sticks of lumber around the shop, cataloging and organizing it. So far, I've itemized about a hundred different sticks of wood, some big, some small. Some, I completely forgot I had. It's mind numbing, thoughtless work-a long way from the normal creativity of woodworking-but worth it, if only for the neatness I get in the end.

Still to come this week: hand tools to sharpen and a pegboard to reorganize. Also, I really, really need to open up the planer and figure out why I'm getting so much snipe.
 

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#2 ·
Beetle Kill Pine

I finished up my year-end inventory yesterday after counting almost 180 different sticks of wood, from full-sized logs to tiny sticks of exotic scraps I can't bear to burn. Counting meant cleaning and organizing, so I took advantage of the suddenly clutter-free benchtop and built up some cabinet doors for my new lathe stand.

Table Wood Rectangle Tree Wood stain


Out here in the Western U.S. there's been an ongoing infestation of bark beetles in our softwood forests. I've seen areas where the dead trees were removed and assumed that the logs were worthless as lumber. As it turns out, as the tree dies, the wood is spalted with an interesting blue-grey color and some of it is available. I haven't found any rough cut lumber with this characteristic, but Home Depot carries it in 8" ship lap, and it's cheap. I picked up a few boards for my doors, which I simply glued together and reinforced with battens.

Wood Table Wood stain Workbench Hardwood


I sometimes envy woodworkers who build perfect, furniture grade cabinets for their shops-it looks so neat and clean! But, that's not my approach at all. My shop fixtures are sturdy and functional, if not much to look at. As I was assembling this lathe stand, I was struck by how much fun I was having. Measure, cut, assemble . . . joints that are tight and strong, if not perfect-and no sanding!

Wood Tool Hand tool Metalworking hand tool Circuit component


To finish up the day, I worked up some scrap oak into a rack for my turning tools. I had my tools in a box, previously, which wasn't very convenient. I liked the way this turned out, (the tools sit firmly in their rests) but I'm not terribly happy with the location. (I have to reach over the lathe to get to them.) So, secure, if not really safe, but still an improvement.
 

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#3 ·
Beetle Kill Pine

I finished up my year-end inventory yesterday after counting almost 180 different sticks of wood, from full-sized logs to tiny sticks of exotic scraps I can't bear to burn. Counting meant cleaning and organizing, so I took advantage of the suddenly clutter-free benchtop and built up some cabinet doors for my new lathe stand.

Table Wood Rectangle Tree Wood stain


Out here in the Western U.S. there's been an ongoing infestation of bark beetles in our softwood forests. I've seen areas where the dead trees were removed and assumed that the logs were worthless as lumber. As it turns out, as the tree dies, the wood is spalted with an interesting blue-grey color and some of it is available. I haven't found any rough cut lumber with this characteristic, but Home Depot carries it in 8" ship lap, and it's cheap. I picked up a few boards for my doors, which I simply glued together and reinforced with battens.

Wood Table Wood stain Workbench Hardwood


I sometimes envy woodworkers who build perfect, furniture grade cabinets for their shops-it looks so neat and clean! But, that's not my approach at all. My shop fixtures are sturdy and functional, if not much to look at. As I was assembling this lathe stand, I was struck by how much fun I was having. Measure, cut, assemble . . . joints that are tight and strong, if not perfect-and no sanding!

Wood Tool Hand tool Metalworking hand tool Circuit component


To finish up the day, I worked up some scrap oak into a rack for my turning tools. I had my tools in a box, previously, which wasn't very convenient. I liked the way this turned out, (the tools sit firmly in their rests) but I'm not terribly happy with the location. (I have to reach over the lathe to get to them.) So, secure, if not really safe, but still an improvement.
Your lathe rest looks great Steve and I love the beetle kill pine.
 

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#4 ·
Cabinet Drawers for Me (And Some Lathe Fun)

My kitchen doesn't have a dedicated pantry, so we use biggest cupboard we have for food storage: a large, deep cave above the oven. Not surprisingly, things stack up and easily get lost in the depths. I've been wanting some kind of slide out storage system for that space, and this month I finally had the opportunity.

I designed a couple of tall, deep units and ordered some soft-close under-mount sliders that can take the expected weight. A single sheet of medium quality 3/4" oak faced plywood from Home Depot was enough to build the structure and a sheet of 1/2" birch (no oak available) was more than enough for the shelves and small trim pieces.

Wood Flooring Floor Wood stain Hardwood


I rather dislike working with sheet goods in my small shop. Full sheets are especially difficult to store and they are too bulky to comfortably work. I end up rough cutting them down with a circular saw, which is inexact and splintery at best.

I used dados for joinery, and the final products were strong and solid. The rough plywood edges were covered with birch iron-on edging, which only looks a little odd on the oak panels.

While working on these, I bought a new Nova chuck for my lathe. Wanting to get it set up, I went to remove the drill-style chuck I had mounted in my headstock to hold the mandrel for bottle stoppers. The taper on that chuck hadn't held well, so I had resorted to a few drops of red Locktite to hold it in place.

Wood Machine tool Gas Toolroom Lathe


I spent a good hour trying to knock that old chuck out. I heated it, tapped it and even took a few good swings with a maul. Nothing worked. Finally, with a pipe wrench with a 3 foot cheater pipe I was able to twist it free. The chuck was destroyed, but it appears I didn't do any lasting damage to the lathe itself.
 

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#5 ·
Planer Fun

I dug into my planer yesterday as part of my January shop rehab. Over the course of the year, I occasionally scrub off the pitch buildup on the rollers, inspect the knives and lube up the moving parts. Annually, though, I dig out the manual and check off the bigger items, like cleaning the drive chains and inspecting the v-belts.

Wood Creative arts Machine tool Sewing machine Engineering


On pulling the gear cover, I discovered that a bolt holding one of the drives had come completely out. The gear didn't come off the shaft, thank goodness. The bolt and washer were undamaged, even though they'd been rattling around in there for who-knows-how-long. I drove it back in, nice and tight, then snugged down every other bolt I could put a wrench on.

Gear Crankset Automotive tire Bicycle part Auto part


Today I'll be changing out the gear oil on the beast. Simple enough to get the old oil out through the drain, but the fill hole is nearly inaccessible and I've forgotten now how I managed to get clean oil into it last year. Once I figure it out, I should probably write my 2019 self a note on how I did it.

With all the shop maintenance going on, there's not a lot of woodworking happening. I did, however, finish up the sliding drawers I built for the cabinet over my oven. The soft-close sliders I used snap into place when they're seated, and man, that's one satisfying sound.

Wood Shelving Interior design Shelf Wood stain


Furniture Wood Shelf Wood stain Hardwood
 

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#6 ·
Planer Fun

I dug into my planer yesterday as part of my January shop rehab. Over the course of the year, I occasionally scrub off the pitch buildup on the rollers, inspect the knives and lube up the moving parts. Annually, though, I dig out the manual and check off the bigger items, like cleaning the drive chains and inspecting the v-belts.

Wood Creative arts Machine tool Sewing machine Engineering


On pulling the gear cover, I discovered that a bolt holding one of the drives had come completely out. The gear didn't come off the shaft, thank goodness. The bolt and washer were undamaged, even though they'd been rattling around in there for who-knows-how-long. I drove it back in, nice and tight, then snugged down every other bolt I could put a wrench on.

Gear Crankset Automotive tire Bicycle part Auto part


Today I'll be changing out the gear oil on the beast. Simple enough to get the old oil out through the drain, but the fill hole is nearly inaccessible and I've forgotten now how I managed to get clean oil into it last year. Once I figure it out, I should probably write my 2019 self a note on how I did it.

With all the shop maintenance going on, there's not a lot of woodworking happening. I did, however, finish up the sliding drawers I built for the cabinet over my oven. The soft-close sliders I used snap into place when they're seated, and man, that's one satisfying sound.

Wood Shelving Interior design Shelf Wood stain


Furniture Wood Shelf Wood stain Hardwood
An inspiring blog Steve. I keep my machines well adjusted for accuracy, but I have to admit that maintenance has not been a high priority for me, even though it is vey important. Regular annual maintenance seems like a real good idea. I will try to follow your example.
 

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#7 ·
Sharpening

Sharpening day yesterday. I don't do this often enough, especially with my planes. Not sure why I procrastinate; it's not an unpleasant job and the results are worth the effort.

Wood Spoon lure Table Kitchen utensil Hardwood


The chisels on the bench are new-a gift last year. Some sharpened up right away, others took some scrubbing. Today I'll be cleaning and inspecting my table saw blades.

Wood Table Gas Flooring Hardwood


I did take some time to do some actual work, though, tightening up some antique chairs. I don't do furniture restoration as a rule, but a friend begged me to take these on. There are a few finials missing from this chair and it's mate. Today I'll be working at the lathe to make some replacements.
 

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#8 ·
Sharpening

Sharpening day yesterday. I don't do this often enough, especially with my planes. Not sure why I procrastinate; it's not an unpleasant job and the results are worth the effort.

Wood Spoon lure Table Kitchen utensil Hardwood


The chisels on the bench are new-a gift last year. Some sharpened up right away, others took some scrubbing. Today I'll be cleaning and inspecting my table saw blades.

Wood Table Gas Flooring Hardwood


I did take some time to do some actual work, though, tightening up some antique chairs. I don't do furniture restoration as a rule, but a friend begged me to take these on. There are a few finials missing from this chair and it's mate. Today I'll be working at the lathe to make some replacements.
I picked up a Extra fine Black Arkansa oil stone to touch up blades and use a maple block with green compound at the bench for a quick honing. I hollow grind all my blades so the oil stone seems to work okay between major re-sharpens, regrinds? Still go back to the water stones for some reason!
 

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#13 ·
Chair Finials and Lathe Disaster

It took a few efforts, but I was able to turn replacement finials for my client's antique chairs. The first few attempts were close in shape to Christmas light bulbs. Comparing them side by side, I could see that the shape I really wanted was more like a candle flame.

Wood String instrument String instrument Wood stain Hardwood


I made two with tenons that fit into existing mortises. (The original finials came loose some time in the past and were lost.) A third had broken off at the waist and the client wanted to save as much of the original as possible. For that, I created a partial finial and used a toothpick as a dowel to hold it in place.

Wood String instrument Bicycle part Musical instrument Hardwood


I tried to make these on my full-sized lathe-the first time I'd needed it since removing the stuck chuck (with excessive force). I didn't think any damage had been done, but in twisting the chuck free, I apparently bent the drive shaft in the headstock. I could feel a vibration with a workpiece between centers. Watching it run with a faceplate in place, the wobble was pronounced. Needless to say, a delicate part like this just came apart while I turned it. I used my mini-lathe for this job.

A new lathe was not in the budget for this year, but a drum sander was. I looked at a few mid-priced lathes from Grizzly, but they were all back-ordered, some not expected to ship until mid-summer! I found a Nova, their model 1624, with good reviews and put one on order. I hope to have it by the first of February.
 

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#14 ·
Chair Finials and Lathe Disaster

It took a few efforts, but I was able to turn replacement finials for my client's antique chairs. The first few attempts were close in shape to Christmas light bulbs. Comparing them side by side, I could see that the shape I really wanted was more like a candle flame.

Wood String instrument String instrument Wood stain Hardwood


I made two with tenons that fit into existing mortises. (The original finials came loose some time in the past and were lost.) A third had broken off at the waist and the client wanted to save as much of the original as possible. For that, I created a partial finial and used a toothpick as a dowel to hold it in place.

Wood String instrument Bicycle part Musical instrument Hardwood


I tried to make these on my full-sized lathe-the first time I'd needed it since removing the stuck chuck (with excessive force). I didn't think any damage had been done, but in twisting the chuck free, I apparently bent the drive shaft in the headstock. I could feel a vibration with a workpiece between centers. Watching it run with a faceplate in place, the wobble was pronounced. Needless to say, a delicate part like this just came apart while I turned it. I used my mini-lathe for this job.

A new lathe was not in the budget for this year, but a drum sander was. I looked at a few mid-priced lathes from Grizzly, but they were all back-ordered, some not expected to ship until mid-summer! I found a Nova, their model 1624, with good reviews and put one on order. I hope to have it by the first of February.
Very nice job on those finials. Hardest thing to do in wood turning is matching old work.(in my humble opinion)

Good luck with your new lathe. Post a review when you get some experience with it.
 

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#15 ·
Wainscoting

It's been relatively quiet in the shop the last week or so, as I've taken some time off to repaint most of the downstairs rooms in my house. The colors we chose, bluish-grays for the most part, seemed like a nice match with the beetle-killed blue pine I used for the doors on my lathe stand. I worked up a few sample boards and got my wife's buy-in to install some wainscoting.

Wood Floor Flooring Hardwood Wood stain


Dog Light Wood Carnivore Flooring


After testing out a few stain options, I treated some shiplapped boards with teak oil (of all things), furred out two walls in our den and got to work. Along the way, I was also able to dismantle and hide an old, non-working fireplace, recovering some space in the process. You can see the scar on the floor where a marble tile hearth had been laid over the oak planks.

Furniture Cabinetry Building Window Wood


Also, you can see by the clock that for some reason I was still working, even though it was well into cocktail hour.

The final result was a much more den-like den. I love the look of the pine and liked using a material that would otherwise just go to waste. I still need to mill and install some trim pieces, but for the next few days, my live will be masking tape, rollers and brushes.

The paint and remodel project should be wrapping up next week, which will be a relief. I've got a bunch of logs to mill, as well as a new lathe arriving.
 

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#16 ·
New Lathe

I eagerly awaited this lathe, tracking it daily as it made its way across the country. When it got here, I realized that it was far too heavy to lift onto the stand myself.

My shop hoist was tucked away behind a vintage Thunderbird that hadn't been started for a while, so the setup for the lathe took a back seat to auto repairs for a day or so. (But that's the topic of a totally different blog.)

Wood Shelving Automotive design Luggage and bags Bag


Once the hoist was free, I used to to move the old lathe bed off the stand and lift the new one up. Even with the lift, the process was a little sketchy-there were no good lift points, so without a steadying hand, it wanted to flip over on itself. Thus, no photos of the lift in process.

Getting the factory grease off was a little unpleasant. They recommend "any petroleum-based solvent" for the job, so I used acetone, which was efficient. It also eats into the paint, though, unless you're careful. The only real assembly was installing the motor to the headstock. It took me a couple of tries, as the instructions are not terribly clear on which bolt goes where. Once everything was together, it ran smooth and quiet.

Wood Audio equipment Machine Gas Hardwood


I haven't done any turning yet. As it turns out, the threads on the headstock don't match those on my chuck, even though both are Nova products. I ended up having to order a new adapter. I expect to be turning a few test pieces early next week.
 

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#17 ·
New Lathe

I eagerly awaited this lathe, tracking it daily as it made its way across the country. When it got here, I realized that it was far too heavy to lift onto the stand myself.

My shop hoist was tucked away behind a vintage Thunderbird that hadn't been started for a while, so the setup for the lathe took a back seat to auto repairs for a day or so. (But that's the topic of a totally different blog.)

Wood Shelving Automotive design Luggage and bags Bag


Once the hoist was free, I used to to move the old lathe bed off the stand and lift the new one up. Even with the lift, the process was a little sketchy-there were no good lift points, so without a steadying hand, it wanted to flip over on itself. Thus, no photos of the lift in process.

Getting the factory grease off was a little unpleasant. They recommend "any petroleum-based solvent" for the job, so I used acetone, which was efficient. It also eats into the paint, though, unless you're careful. The only real assembly was installing the motor to the headstock. It took me a couple of tries, as the instructions are not terribly clear on which bolt goes where. Once everything was together, it ran smooth and quiet.

Wood Audio equipment Machine Gas Hardwood


I haven't done any turning yet. As it turns out, the threads on the headstock don't match those on my chuck, even though both are Nova products. I ended up having to order a new adapter. I expect to be turning a few test pieces early next week.
That's A nice lathe, I imagine you have a 1"Ă—8 thread on your chuck and a 1 1/4"Ă—8 on the lathe. They also make adapters for the lathe so if you have a bunch of faceplates also, any woodturning catalog sells them.
 

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#18 ·
Back to Work, Finally

My personal projects are winding down, and I'm (almost) through the maintenance process for my shop tools. So, for the first time in a while, I was able to get down to work.

Earlier this week I was finishing up the last few bits of trim for my wainscoting when my three year old DeWalt miter saw began to screech. After just replacing the lathe, I had a sinking feeling that a new saw was also in my future. However, with some help from forum members and a morning of exploratory surgery, I was able to trace the noise to the belt. Even though it's supposed to last the life of the saw, it was slipping at startup and squealing. I also noticed a bit of fraying:

Hood Automotive tire Automotive lighting Grille Tire


I was able to order a replacement from the manufacturer. The new one should arrive next week. In the meantime, I tightened the old one up a bit to stop the racket.

Last on my list is replacing the router in my router table. The current motor is some 20 years old and also making disturbing noises. I have a new Bosch motor queued up and ready to go; I'm hoping to get to that project today.

Automotive tire Motor vehicle Automotive lighting Bumper Gas


In the meantime, I fired up the lathe yesterday and turned a bottle stopper from a nice piece of figured cedar (part of a juniper that a neighbor cut down a few years back). The lathe performed well-smooth and powerful. I'm already finding the belt and pulley speed system a bit of a pain. My drill press is like this, and I don't mind it at all, but the lathe uses a ribbed belt that both resists moves and complains if it isn't perfectly seated. Hopefully, practice will make it more routine.
 

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#19 ·
Almost Up to Speed?

It's been cold in my shop this week-temperatures hovering around the high 40's or low 50's. Those who live in cold climates will laugh, but with cold like this so rare, I don't have any provision for heat. Even though the temps really aren't that low, it's not long before I've got numb hands (and a short temper).

Despite the weather, I spent a lot of time at work in the shop, though most of it was spent on actually finishing a lot of personal projects. First, I did a final sand and applied finish to this quilt stand, which was a gift for my wife last (ahem!) November.

Wood Flooring Floor Wood stain Hardwood


I also put a finish on a medicine cabinet I started back in December. (Still need to make shelves for this.)

Wood Wood stain Hardwood Rectangle Natural material


In both cases, I used shellac. In reading about it over the years, I'd gotten the impression that shellac is finicky to get right: hard to apply, prone to expire without warning and time consuming. Granted, I just used what I found in a can at my local hardware store, but I found it easy to apply, quick drying and a far deeper, much superior finish to polyurethanes or even Danish oil.

My last bit of shop maintenance was replacing the motor in my router table. The previous one, a 25 year old DeWalt router, was at the end of it's life.

Wood Floor Table Hardwood Flooring


I built my router table using a cast iron top from an old Sears table saw. The underside is ribbed and rough, so the router has to mount to the insert. I found a way to get three screw holes lined up with the router base within the confines of the opening and made a new insert from oak.

Wood Space Machine Metal Engineering


On the first try, the router base interfered with the ribbing on the bottom of the table. There was some grumbling, serious consideration of cutting the router base to fit, then final acceptance that I would need to make a second run at it-which, of course, came out better than the first.

Wood Floor Wood stain Rectangle Hardwood


I had some sentimental attachment to the old DeWalt-it had been around a long time-but it was never meant to be mounted in a table. The Bosch replacement allows for height adjustment from above, through a hole in the mounting plate, which is a welcome upgrade for me.

With that done, it's time to get busy. I ran out to the local yard and picked up some walnut and sapele, which should make for a fun couple of weeks.

Furniture Table Wood Rectangle Flooring
 

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#20 ·
A Productive Week

Getting my resaw blade in place really opened the floodgates this week. I finished gluing up and planing my mid-century modern boards. I also finished up some leftover chaotic pattern boards that were still hanging around from the holiday rush. By mid week, I was looking at a stack of some 17 cutting boards, ready for sanding.

Brown Rectangle Wood Textile Architecture


The chaotic boards were made 1 1/2" thick and haven't sold well in that size. As a test, I sawed one into two 3/4" boards and ran them through the planer. Surprisingly, they came through fine. (I kind of expected them to fall apart under the stress.) Since the first worked so well, I ran the rest through the same process.

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After digging out (yet another!) thin cutoff blocking the dust collection hose in my table saw, I finally made a zero clearance insert. This one works with a thin-kerf blade; eventually I'll need one for my standard blade as well.

Rectangle Wood Automotive exterior Floor Flooring


I found this collection of glued up sticks in my scrap pile-a remnant of some failed idea from last year I guess. It was just big enough to work in this situation, and it adds some jazziness to the saw that I didn't know I needed.

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I milled down some of that rough timber I hauled into the shop a few weeks back. These sticks are well on their way to becoming jewelry cabinets. The sapele came through this process clean and straight.

Wood Rectangle Floor Flooring Wood stain


The walnut is #2 common lumber, which means lots of knots, voids and unrelieved stresses in the wood. On the plus side, there's a lot of figure and interest in the grain. Since I use small pieces, I can generally work around the larger defects and warping-the end result is usually worth it.

In the back, you can see bowing in the longer sticks of walnut. Those two didn't clean up at the half-inch I need for the cabinets. I'm thinking these might end up as "close the box" games.
 

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#21 ·
Box Joints and Jewelry Cabinets

I have a chance to exhibit at a local winery in about two weeks, so I put myself on a plan to get some jewelry cabinets finished in time for the event.

These cabinets were based on plans for a hanging Shaker cabinet in Fine Woodworking a few years back. I'm on my fourth generation of design iteration. These are now taller than the original and have two doors instead of one. In this go around, I've changed from lap joints for the carcass to box joints, which should give a cleaner look when the cabinet doors are fully opened.

Wood Flooring Floor Hardwood Beige


I first tried ganging together all four elements of the carcass to cut the joints, but the process was fraught with difficulties. It was difficult to get all the pieces lined up right and sometimes a piece would slip during the process, ruining the entire cabinet. Also, getting the pieces arranged properly for the second cut was a puzzle-sometimes I'd end up with corners that simply didn't mesh.

Wood Flooring Natural material Floor Wood stain


I found that the process of cutting each piece individually took no more time than trying to do them all at once. I started with eight cabinets-64 ends to cut-and had them done in an afternoon. Before sweeping up for the day, I was able to successfully test fit them all.

Wood Drill Flooring Floor Tradesman


Yesterday, I rabbeted the frames to accept plywood backs and began the sanding process. I like to have the interior faces pretty smooth before assembly, even though there's the chance I'll have to go over them again. I also took the opportunity to start sanding my backlog of cutting boards.

I lost one cabinet while rabbeting the top. Somehow the fence came loose (I'm blaming the dogs) and moved during the cut. The piece was gouged beyond saving, so I'm now down to seven cabinets (with a few extra pieces in reserve, I guess).
 

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#22 ·
Really Lousy Estimating

I started out with a goal to produce seven jewelry cabinets by the end of this week, three in sapele and four in walnut. Along the way last week, I had to set three aside-to be finished later.

Wood Road surface Flooring Wood stain Floor


Milling up the door frame elements, I only made enough for one (and a half!) sapele unit. I thought I would have lots of extra walnut, but it was just enough for four. I normally mill these with an up cut straight bit, but changed things up this time. This setup produced pretty good results-consistent cuts in depth with very little wandering.

Rectangle Wood Wood stain Flooring Floor


I don't have a photo of the crosscut sled set up to cut the tenons on the door elements, but I was very happy with the results. The joints were square and snug.

Wood Hardwood Flooring Composite material Rectangle


Gluing up the doors, I discovered that I hadn't milled enough panels for four walnut cabinets. Given my deadline, there was no time to stop and go back.

Wood Table Flooring Floor Wood stain


Today, I should be able to start on the interiors of the cabinets. Afterwards, I can hang the doors and put a finish on them. Next week, I can tackle the leftovers.
 

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#23 ·
Postponed

My planned weekend show was postponed a week due to heavy rains. (It's an outdoor event, and apparently ducks have taken up residence on the lawn where my table is supposed to sit.)

The postponement was a bit of a blessing, as it relieves the pressure to get items done on a tight timeline-there's a impulse to cut corners that I have to resist. Shortly before the cancellation was announced, I had resolved to focus on two cabinets, one sapele, the other walnut-get them done right then come back to the others.

Wood Rectangle Building Flooring Floor


Here's the walnut cabinet as I was installing the earring holders. The slots are cut in a larger board with a standard kerf blade on the table saw; I then rip thin strips and cut them to length. While doing this, I remembered past requests for watch and bracelet storage-something I'll incorporate into another cabinet next week.

I've toyed with a variety of necklace hanger designs, starting with store-bought oak dowels, roughly cut. I later moved to decorative upholstery nails, which buyers liked. But I struggled with the fact that they were not hand made. Also, they don't seat deeply and could come loose over time.

Wood Flooring Floor Wall Wood stain


In this go-around, I turned pegs for the hangers, starting with material cut from the same stock as the cabinet itself. These were time consuming, but I got faster with experience. I made about 50 hangers, which took about 3 hours.

Table Wood Chair Wood stain Flooring


By the Thursday, I had the first coat of shellac on two cabinets. Parts of the walnut cabinet exhibit quilting in the grain-pretty exciting. I'll be working more on the finish in the next few days to ensure it's smooth and lustrous.
 

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#24 ·
Postponed

My planned weekend show was postponed a week due to heavy rains. (It's an outdoor event, and apparently ducks have taken up residence on the lawn where my table is supposed to sit.)

The postponement was a bit of a blessing, as it relieves the pressure to get items done on a tight timeline-there's a impulse to cut corners that I have to resist. Shortly before the cancellation was announced, I had resolved to focus on two cabinets, one sapele, the other walnut-get them done right then come back to the others.

Wood Rectangle Building Flooring Floor


Here's the walnut cabinet as I was installing the earring holders. The slots are cut in a larger board with a standard kerf blade on the table saw; I then rip thin strips and cut them to length. While doing this, I remembered past requests for watch and bracelet storage-something I'll incorporate into another cabinet next week.

I've toyed with a variety of necklace hanger designs, starting with store-bought oak dowels, roughly cut. I later moved to decorative upholstery nails, which buyers liked. But I struggled with the fact that they were not hand made. Also, they don't seat deeply and could come loose over time.

Wood Flooring Floor Wall Wood stain


In this go-around, I turned pegs for the hangers, starting with material cut from the same stock as the cabinet itself. These were time consuming, but I got faster with experience. I made about 50 hangers, which took about 3 hours.

Table Wood Chair Wood stain Flooring


By the Thursday, I had the first coat of shellac on two cabinets. Parts of the walnut cabinet exhibit quilting in the grain-pretty exciting. I'll be working more on the finish in the next few days to ensure it's smooth and lustrous.
Those are some nice looking cabinets. You should post one as a project.
 

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#27 ·
Four Done, Three . . . for Later

The weather cleared last week, and I was pleased to be able to field four completed cabinets at the spring opening of a local winery. Sales weren't terribly brisk, but March is normally completely dead. Any sales at all are an improvement.

Of the cabinets I completed, three were in walnut, the other in sapele. I finished this first cabinet in amber shellac.

Wood Wood stain Rectangle Hardwood Varnish


I have a lot to learn yet about this finish, I've looked at a few videos for guidance, and they tend to show an application on a large, flat surface. Working around corners and elements like my jewelry organizer adds a level of difficulty. I found it particularly hard to do any meaningful sanding on the turned necklace hangers between coats, so they came out rougher than I would have liked.

I also used amber shellac on the sapele version, too. The color plus the straight grain made for a very formal looking piece.

Furniture Wood Table Shelf Wood stain


On the walnut cabinets, the box joints disappeared in the finishing process. I liked the way they stood out here.

I'm a fan of glossy, high-sheen finishes, but I know not everyone feels that way, so I finished one walnut cabinet in a satin polyurethane. I put the poly on the wood directly. Normally, I'd start with a Danish oil or something to enhance the color. After the first coat, I wished I'd done that, as this was a little too light for my liking.

Brown Wood Rectangle Floor Wood stain


The last cabinet was again in shellac, though with less amber in the mix. No room for earrings in this one, and you can imagine the frustration of trying to sand all those little turned elements. Next time, I'll pre-finish these.

Wood Rectangle Hardwood Wood stain Varnish


Even with slow sales, it was hard to complain about spending a spring afternoon in the vineyard.

Plant Table Wood Tablecloth Cabinetry
 

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#28 ·
Four Done, Three . . . for Later

The weather cleared last week, and I was pleased to be able to field four completed cabinets at the spring opening of a local winery. Sales weren't terribly brisk, but March is normally completely dead. Any sales at all are an improvement.

Of the cabinets I completed, three were in walnut, the other in sapele. I finished this first cabinet in amber shellac.



I have a lot to learn yet about this finish, I've looked at a few videos for guidance, and they tend to show an application on a large, flat surface. Working around corners and elements like my jewelry organizer adds a level of difficulty. I found it particularly hard to do any meaningful sanding on the turned necklace hangers between coats, so they came out rougher than I would have liked.

I also used amber shellac on the sapele version, too. The color plus the straight grain made for a very formal looking piece.



On the walnut cabinets, the box joints disappeared in the finishing process. I liked the way they stood out here.

I'm a fan of glossy, high-sheen finishes, but I know not everyone feels that way, so I finished one walnut cabinet in a satin polyurethane. I put the poly on the wood directly. Normally, I'd start with a Danish oil or something to enhance the color. After the first coat, I wished I'd done that, as this was a little too light for my liking.



The last cabinet was again in shellac, though with less amber in the mix. No room for earrings in this one, and you can imagine the frustration of trying to sand all those little turned elements. Next time, I'll pre-finish these.



Even with slow sales, it was hard to complain about spending a spring afternoon in the vineyard.

Nice looking cabs… your joinery is clean and tight.
 

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#31 ·
Milling Around

For Christmas last year, I received an Alaskan Lumber Mill from my wife. I think she gave it to me as a form of self-defense; over the past couple of years, the neighbors have identified me as they guy to call when a tree falls and they need help hauling it away. I've accumulated a stash of California live oak, avocado and juniper (cedar).

There are not a lot of lumber mills in my area, and those we have charge more to cut logs into lumber than the resulting boards are worth, especially for something like oak. As a result, these logs have been stacking up around the yard.

I didn't have a chainsaw, so I picked up a cheap 20" model with decent reviews from Amazon to go with the mill. (For those of you not familiar, the Alaska Mill is basically a guide fence attached to the blade of a chainsaw to make cuts of a more-or-less even depth.)

Automotive tire Tire Wheel Wood Tread


I haven't used a chainsaw much, and the videos I saw online proved the process to be slow and arduous. Still, I had logs to cut and the weather turned nice enough last week to eliminate any last excuse to procrastinate.

I set up the rig and picked out a couple of smaller logs, one of juniper, the others avocado. I geared up with noise protection and safety goggles, but next time I'll use a full respirator-this setup blows both engine exhaust and sawdust directly into my face. Tasty.

Wood Road surface Tints and shades Font Asphalt


Consistency, I found, is highly dependant on the first cut. I picked out fairly symmetrical logs with few irregularities, but still found that a slight taper or small bump could lead to the saw hanging up or cutting a "J" shaped board. When I do this next (and there's lots more to do), I'll used a couple of two by fours as guides for the initial cut.

As promised, the work is exhausting, and it certainly doesn't help that most of it is done on the ground. I did try milling with the log resting on a couple of sawhorses, but pushing the saw forward through the cut moves the log forward as well. I didn't care for the mental image I had of the log flipping off the horse, saw-and me-running, so I got back down on the ground.

I milled up two avocado logs. Both revealed some nice spalting in what is otherwise a pretty plain fruitwood. I cut up the juniper as well, which I already knew would be beautiful. I've already put some of the juniper to use, turned as this whimsical bottle stopper:

Wood Jaw Art Metal Auto part


Wood Audio equipment Metal Cable Still life photography
 

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#32 ·
Milling Around

For Christmas last year, I received an Alaskan Lumber Mill from my wife. I think she gave it to me as a form of self-defense; over the past couple of years, the neighbors have identified me as they guy to call when a tree falls and they need help hauling it away. I've accumulated a stash of California live oak, avocado and juniper (cedar).

There are not a lot of lumber mills in my area, and those we have charge more to cut logs into lumber than the resulting boards are worth, especially for something like oak. As a result, these logs have been stacking up around the yard.

I didn't have a chainsaw, so I picked up a cheap 20" model with decent reviews from Amazon to go with the mill. (For those of you not familiar, the Alaska Mill is basically a guide fence attached to the blade of a chainsaw to make cuts of a more-or-less even depth.)

Automotive tire Tire Wheel Wood Tread


I haven't used a chainsaw much, and the videos I saw online proved the process to be slow and arduous. Still, I had logs to cut and the weather turned nice enough last week to eliminate any last excuse to procrastinate.

I set up the rig and picked out a couple of smaller logs, one of juniper, the others avocado. I geared up with noise protection and safety goggles, but next time I'll use a full respirator-this setup blows both engine exhaust and sawdust directly into my face. Tasty.

Wood Road surface Tints and shades Font Asphalt


Consistency, I found, is highly dependant on the first cut. I picked out fairly symmetrical logs with few irregularities, but still found that a slight taper or small bump could lead to the saw hanging up or cutting a "J" shaped board. When I do this next (and there's lots more to do), I'll used a couple of two by fours as guides for the initial cut.

As promised, the work is exhausting, and it certainly doesn't help that most of it is done on the ground. I did try milling with the log resting on a couple of sawhorses, but pushing the saw forward through the cut moves the log forward as well. I didn't care for the mental image I had of the log flipping off the horse, saw-and me-running, so I got back down on the ground.

I milled up two avocado logs. Both revealed some nice spalting in what is otherwise a pretty plain fruitwood. I cut up the juniper as well, which I already knew would be beautiful. I've already put some of the juniper to use, turned as this whimsical bottle stopper:

Wood Jaw Art Metal Auto part


Wood Audio equipment Metal Cable Still life photography
I screw a straight 2Ă—10 to the top of the log before making the first cut which ensures that the first cut will be straight. I have 3.5" setup blocks that ensure the mill will be set to clear the screws and I have another set of 2" setup blocks because that's the thickness I most often mill to. Enjoy your mill. It's good clean fun.
 

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#36 ·
Experimenting with Black Acacia

Some time last year, a local lumberyard cleared out the last of their black acacia for dirt cheap. The lumber wasn't great-lots of splits and narrow pieces, but for the price, it was worth a gamble. After a few months in the shop, I finally broke out a couple of boards to make some beer flight paddles and a wine rack or two.

Wood Tool Wood stain Hardwood Font


For the paddles, I wanted to create a flat-bottom surface for the tasting glasses. Boring a partial hole with a forstner bit would leave a score around the circumference and a depression in the middle. I don't have a CNC machine and trying to route such a thing seemed difficult, if not impossible, to do right.

Wood Wood stain Hardwood Plywood Circle


Instead, I decided to laminate a cleanly bored top to a flat, smooth bottom section. In this case, I bored out the acacia for the top, then laminated it to some jatoba and maple scraps had sitting around. It was a bit of a trick to keep glue from squeezing out into the cutouts, but I was pleased with the results.

I had planned to make all these boards a little oversized, then stick them to my template and flush trim to the final dimensions. I see this technique mentioned all the time in magazine articles and on-line videos. It's an appealing process-simple and repeatable in theory-but I've never been able to make it work for me.

Crosscut saw Wood Hand tool Tool Hardwood


If you trim all the way around the workpiece, eventually you'll come to a side where the bit is working uphill against the grain. Even with the lamination, I had significant tearout on two paddles while trying to trim them down. One broke apart against the bit. With three left to go, I abandoned the method. Two of the trimed paddles can be salvaged, I think, One, shown above has a significant "design modifications:" thinner than I wanted and the handle trimmed down.

I had planned to trim up the wine rack pieces the same way, but needless to say, I used a spindle sander instead to achieve the final size. As you can see from the photo, the design incorporates a lot of thin elements (maybe too thin!) already. The flush trim bit would have torn it up.
 

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#37 ·
Wine Rack Prototype

I spent the majority of the day yesterday finishing up the last elements of the wine rack I'm making from black acacia. I needed four stretchers to hold the front and back together, and as it's been for all aspects of this project, I was afraid that the design was too flimsy.

The stretchers were to be turned from acacia as well with tenons on each end. I decided on through tenons only because I could drill through both sides at the same time, ensuring that the mortises would line up properly. (I'll have to add the locations to my template, so I can drill the tenons only partially through for a cleaner look in the next go-around.)

Wood Automotive tire Gas Engineering Automotive wheel system


It's always a bit stressful trying to make identical elements on the lathe. I turned each stretcher down to 5/8" using three guide points: two at each end and on in the center. For me at least, it's a lengthy process of shave, stop, measure, repeat. It gets faster with a practiced, eye, but that's also when I can get over-confident and turn things just a little too thin.

Hand tool Wood Tool Hardwood Saw


In this case, I got the first four right. The stretchers are 6" shoulder to shoulder, with 3/8" tenons on each end. After I had two done, I put the rack together and tested with a handy wine bottle. Even with just two, the structure seemed pretty secure, so I went ahead and finished the rest.

Hand tool Wood Handheld power drill Snips Tool


With four, the rack is very sturdy. I'll do some sanding on this today, then trim the tenons and assemble the unit. Still haven't decided what sort of finish might work on this.
 

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#38 ·
Run-Up to Another Show

It was a hectic push to get ready for my last show, which was a fun time (if not terribly lucrative). This time, I set more reasonable goals, and even after a flurry of sales around tax day (which was unusual), I have plenty of wares on the shelves or easy to finish before May 5th.

Wood Sculpture Art Flooring Hardwood


This wine rack is a new product. I finally decided on a thinned coat of Danish oil for the finish, followed by multiple thin coats of satin polyurethane, which should be able to take a little abuse.

Musical instrument Table Wood Rectangle Wood stain


I also finished up 6 of these beer paddles, finally. Two became gifts, but the other four will be up for sale in early May. I finished these with just Danish oil. These will see moisture, drops and other knocks, so I thought something easily renewed would be best. Tung oil would have been better, but I didn't have the time to wait for that stuff to dry.

Lastly, four different "drunken" cutting boards are in the works, one of which was pre-sold. The buyer in this case wanted a drip gutter around the top. I've never done this, as it always seemed like an unnecessary risk for an otherwise finished project.

Furniture Table Wood Flooring Floor


I set up my plunge router with a bullnose bit and collar, made a template and did a few test cuts, which were reassuring. Still, I don't often route freehand, so it was a bit nerve-wracking, especially coming around the last corner and hoping that the end of the cut met the beginning with no visible bobble. The results were better than expected, so I may be encouraged to do this more often.

Rectangle Wood Tablecloth Beige Flooring


These particular boards are also unique in that I used two relatively dark woods, sapele and jatoba, with a light wood (maple) as the parquetry strip. Hard to see now, but with some mineral oil, the contrast should be striking.

These routine items wrapping up, I'll be working on two custom items in the coming days, a soap cutter (of all things) and a bathroom cabinet of unusual size.
 

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#39 ·
Odd Custom Projects

I generally see a trickle of custom requests in my shop, so it's unusual to have two under way at the same time.

The first was a soap cutting device for a friend who makes and sells boutique soap. Essentially, it's cutting wires strung over a frame, then hinged so the entire device can be pulled down through a large cake of soap. Most of the comparables I saw on Etsy were bolted together plywood contraptions. I used some scrap maple for the frame with lap joints and dowels at the corners. The wires are strung around 1/2" dowels to produce bars of soap 1/2" thick.

Wood Rectangle Flooring Hardwood Font


The client is supposed to provide me with a cake of soap for testing. I'll let you all know how it goes.

Wood Rectangle Automotive exterior Floor Flooring


The second project is a bathroom cabinet based on my jewelry cabinets, which are made about 15" wide and 17" tall-a good scale for my shop. This version is 24" high and 19" wide-about as big as I dare to make.

Window Wood Fixture Wood stain Hardwood


These photos are of a dry fit of the carcass. So far, so good. I'll be working on the doors next week and hoping they scale up as well as the basic box.

My last spring show is coming up this weekend, so a lot of smaller projects are getting finishing touches, like these two cutting boards. I loved the way these came out.

Brown Rectangle Wood Sleeve Beige


I also wanted to make some additional wine bottle stoppers before the event (as it is being held at a local winery). I'll have six to sell; the seventh being more of a hard lesson:

Wood Tableware Hardwood Beige Natural material
 

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#40 ·
Odd Custom Projects

I generally see a trickle of custom requests in my shop, so it's unusual to have two under way at the same time.

The first was a soap cutting device for a friend who makes and sells boutique soap. Essentially, it's cutting wires strung over a frame, then hinged so the entire device can be pulled down through a large cake of soap. Most of the comparables I saw on Etsy were bolted together plywood contraptions. I used some scrap maple for the frame with lap joints and dowels at the corners. The wires are strung around 1/2" dowels to produce bars of soap 1/2" thick.

Wood Rectangle Flooring Hardwood Font


The client is supposed to provide me with a cake of soap for testing. I'll let you all know how it goes.

Wood Rectangle Automotive exterior Floor Flooring


The second project is a bathroom cabinet based on my jewelry cabinets, which are made about 15" wide and 17" tall-a good scale for my shop. This version is 24" high and 19" wide-about as big as I dare to make.

Window Wood Fixture Wood stain Hardwood


These photos are of a dry fit of the carcass. So far, so good. I'll be working on the doors next week and hoping they scale up as well as the basic box.

My last spring show is coming up this weekend, so a lot of smaller projects are getting finishing touches, like these two cutting boards. I loved the way these came out.

Brown Rectangle Wood Sleeve Beige


I also wanted to make some additional wine bottle stoppers before the event (as it is being held at a local winery). I'll have six to sell; the seventh being more of a hard lesson:

Wood Tableware Hardwood Beige Natural material
That's a nice collection of projects. I like to use lap joints and the dowels are a great idea. Do you drill the holes undersized for that application?
 

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#42 ·
Single Task Table Saw Sled

I've built quite a few different table saw sleds over the years but been happy with only a few of them. At the moment, the one I use most is a large version based on one I saw in a magazine recently. It came out pretty square and has T-slots for hold downs, which can be handy at times.

For precise work, though, I found it to be a bit cumbersome. I cut a lot of quarter inch tenons from 1" x 1/2" stock for my jewelry cabinet doors. There are two doors per cabinet, so 8 joints and 16 separate cuts for every one. And I often do runs of 4 cabinets or more! Until recently, I was using an old, smaller sled I had on hand. It, too, was relatively square, but the runner was a little small and loose in the table saw track. Still, it was good enough-until I dropped it the other day and it broke in half.

I decided that I would finally build a dedicated sled just for these joints.

I started with a flat piece of 3/4" plywood. For the end supports, I used some oak I reclaimed from a neighbor's kitchen table. In the past, I've just lined up the supports with the edge of the plywood, then glued and screwed the pieces together. Usually, that results in the support squirming around a bit (and hence the "relatively square" end product). This time I cut a shallow dado to keep the supports in place during assembly.

Wood Wood stain Hardwood Plank Lumber


I clamped the supports after gluing, then installed screws through pre-drilled holes to apply downward pressure. A temporary brace across the top helped to ensure that the end supports remained coplanar while the glue dried.

Wood Floor Flooring Hardwood Gas


A shallow dado along the bottom of the sled holds a single runner in place. When everything was dry, I put a 3/8" dado stack in the saw and brought it up slowly to cut a kerf in the plywood.

Wood Font Ruler Tool Office ruler


As it turned out, there was a slight variation in the oak braces-enough that my small door frame parts would be slightly off of square when cutting. To fix it, I glued down a small piece of swamp ash using an accurate square to make sure it went in precisely 90 degrees to the blade.

Wood Tool Hardwood Flooring Wood stain


The depth on the tenons is critical, so I mounted a small oak block with a nylon washer inset into it. A bolt running through the block as a depth stop allows for accurate adjustments. This is a little dangerous, as the bolt needs to be in contact with the center of the workpiece-1/4" from the work surface-but the saw blade-set for a 1/8" depth of cut-will be right below it. Clearance is tight, but it works: this test cut worked out fine.

Wood Beige Sleeve Hardwood Rectangle


The real test came, though, when I made some door frames from redwood earlier this week. The tenons were clean and square. The result was some of the best doors I've produced so far.

Brown Rectangle Wood Beige Grey
 

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#43 ·
Single Task Table Saw Sled

I've built quite a few different table saw sleds over the years but been happy with only a few of them. At the moment, the one I use most is a large version based on one I saw in a magazine recently. It came out pretty square and has T-slots for hold downs, which can be handy at times.

For precise work, though, I found it to be a bit cumbersome. I cut a lot of quarter inch tenons from 1" x 1/2" stock for my jewelry cabinet doors. There are two doors per cabinet, so 8 joints and 16 separate cuts for every one. And I often do runs of 4 cabinets or more! Until recently, I was using an old, smaller sled I had on hand. It, too, was relatively square, but the runner was a little small and loose in the table saw track. Still, it was good enough-until I dropped it the other day and it broke in half.

I decided that I would finally build a dedicated sled just for these joints.

I started with a flat piece of 3/4" plywood. For the end supports, I used some oak I reclaimed from a neighbor's kitchen table. In the past, I've just lined up the supports with the edge of the plywood, then glued and screwed the pieces together. Usually, that results in the support squirming around a bit (and hence the "relatively square" end product). This time I cut a shallow dado to keep the supports in place during assembly.

Wood Wood stain Hardwood Plank Lumber


I clamped the supports after gluing, then installed screws through pre-drilled holes to apply downward pressure. A temporary brace across the top helped to ensure that the end supports remained coplanar while the glue dried.

Wood Floor Flooring Hardwood Gas


A shallow dado along the bottom of the sled holds a single runner in place. When everything was dry, I put a 3/8" dado stack in the saw and brought it up slowly to cut a kerf in the plywood.

Wood Font Ruler Tool Office ruler


As it turned out, there was a slight variation in the oak braces-enough that my small door frame parts would be slightly off of square when cutting. To fix it, I glued down a small piece of swamp ash using an accurate square to make sure it went in precisely 90 degrees to the blade.

Wood Tool Hardwood Flooring Wood stain


The depth on the tenons is critical, so I mounted a small oak block with a nylon washer inset into it. A bolt running through the block as a depth stop allows for accurate adjustments. This is a little dangerous, as the bolt needs to be in contact with the center of the workpiece-1/4" from the work surface-but the saw blade-set for a 1/8" depth of cut-will be right below it. Clearance is tight, but it works: this test cut worked out fine.

Wood Beige Sleeve Hardwood Rectangle


The real test came, though, when I made some door frames from redwood earlier this week. The tenons were clean and square. The result was some of the best doors I've produced so far.

Brown Rectangle Wood Beige Grey
Good looking sled…
 

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