Woodwork / carpentry resources

[dgaddis]

I have a chop saw, jig saw, and a circular saw, and a drill. I've built some workbenches and an aquarium stand - all are highly function and very solid, but they're all ugly. Which is fine for the workstands, but the aquarium stand sits in the living room. The dark brown paint hides most of the flaws and no one really looks at the stand anyways, but, there's lots of room for improvement.

We're moving in a few weeks. There's lots of projects around the new house I want to do, and we're going to be in this house for a while (hopefully), so I want to do a damn good job. Project list includes:

>Converting a wet bar into a butlers pantry - we don't drink, so we don't need a bar, and this looks like a great spot for some additional storage and somewhere for my wife to display some things she inherited from her grandmother (our china cabinet is already full).

>Library/office - the house has a bonus room off the master, current owners use it as a sewing room, we're wanting to build in some bookshelves, add a desk, and a big comfy chair, and turn it into an office/library/reading nook.

>Aquarium stand V2.0 - I've sold our current aquarium/stand/etc and am going to set up a new tank at the new house. This gives me the chance to upgrade to a larger aquarium, and build a nicer, better looking stand.

>Southern Wheelworks shop - once we sell our current house, I'm going to have a shop building built, and I'll build out the interior, work benches, storage racks, etc.

I know very little. Any good resources you recommend I check out? I've read this, and it was immensely helpful and opened my eyes to all sorts of ideas and methods and way better ways of doing things. What else?? I'm not looking to make fine furniture, mostly just cabinetry type stuff. I just want to a good job and have it add value to the house.

Some pics.

Wetbar that will become a butlers pantry


Bonus room/future office/library


First attempt at building an aquarium stand. 2x4 frame with plywood skin. Super strong, pretty dang ugly though.

[TMB]

Good quality hand tools are a must:

chisels
Rasps and files
planes

Most people will die for their table saws. I have one, to be honest I prefer my radial arm saw. I think it is more versatile.

I built a large assembly table/router table. The router is mounted at one end and the rail channels are inset into the table top running the other direction.

A large work surface and a mounted router will allow you to do a lot of amazing things.

A good random orbit sander.

Everything else is just stuff that is neat and sometimes handy, but basic skills and these tools will go a long way.

[lumpy]

"Hand Tools - Their Ways and Workings" by Aldren Watson is a pleasure to read and very useful.

[rowdyhillrambler]

Buy every clamp you can find. When you feel like you have enough, you are halfway there..!

I go to a lot of auctions at woodwork/steel facilities, the most usable stuff such as clamps and hand tools usually sell cheap. Everyone wants the big ticket items. It is a hobby you can do wth a pretty basic set up.

Table saw, get a good set of Dado blades
Belt sander
Chop saw
Hand held sander
Hand tools
Get at it!

I also find that plywood is only ever going to look like plywood, I know, but start with a little better grade material.. You know that. Plywood has a time and place, but good woods will set you free. Your aquarium stand is nice buildsmanship, but a little better material and you would be stoked on it.

I am heading to Greenville at the end of November, early December for a trade show. If you think of something you need, tell me. I keep spare everything.

[JoB]

What Rowdy said.

I will say that a Kreg pocket hole jig is a pretty nice complement for what you propose to do (e.g, the aquarium stand). Later down the road, whether you get a jointer (first) and a planer (2nd) depends on how patient you are (CList around here offers some great deals on old Craftsman/Delta cast iron if you are willing to wait and replace bearings) and how far down the rabbit hole you want to disappear in prepping your stock.

OWWM.org is an amazing resource for those wanting to find out more about old US-built woodworking tools.

[dgaddis]

Pocket hole jig is on my Christmas list for sure.

Tablesaws. I don't have one, or really have space to set up one up properly. I've had a few folks tell me using clamps like this is a great alternative when it comes to cutting sheets of ply, and some feel it's easier to use since you're not handling the whole 4x8 sheet.

Thoughts?

[lumpy]

A medium size plane that has some heft to it is really nice to have around. I have an English Stanley plane that's maybe 7 inches long, I paid maybe 25 bucks for it, I keep it sharp and it's a go-to tool. Block planes are a pain in the butt to use if you ask me. The little teeny tiny finger-size plane comes in handy though. Also I picked up a huge-ass rusty double cut file and a big gnarly rasp at a tag sale and I use them more than I ever would have guessed.

[ryker]

^I have the track system for a circular saw and a table saw. Table saw is a lot more satisfying and faster to setup. My wife is an expert table saw outfeed handler and we cut full sheets of plywood with excellent accuracy. Without an interested helper, the track saw can be easier. Look into the Festool version.

[EricKeller]

I would probably go with an actual tracksaw instead of a track clamp. The Festool is the gold standard, and it's not cheap, but it's well liked by owners

[jmgorman]

Follow Frank Howarth over on youtube (and pour through his videos). He's not tackling anything too complicated on here and he uses some techniques and methods that I've never seen before but make tons of sense. Plus, they're fun videos to watch.

[summilux]

Buy every clamp you can find. When you feel like you have enough, you are halfway there..!

Very true. The dowry of a cabinet maker’s daughter is measured in clamps.

The Tauton series is a great set of books for most DIY home renovation projects. Fine Homebuilding and Fine Woodworking are also great magazines to browse. The public library is also your best friend here. You can see what you like and don’t like.

Don’t overdo the tool thing. I spend no more than 10% of a project budget on tools. I also try to work with a “one project, buy only one more tool” scenario. All the rooms that I have renovated were primarily made using a table saw, cross cut saw, Kreg pocket screw kit, two cordless drills, orbital sander, jack plane, block plane, Japanese hand saw and some antique wood molding planes. And a workbench with vises.

For hand tools, you should start with three: jack plane, block plane and a combination square. Nearly everything at Lowes, HD or Harbor Freight (Princess Auto in Canada) is unusable crap. Don’t waste your money and buy your last tool first. I like Lie-Nielsen planes and while I have many of them, the low angled block and the low angled #5 are my most used. Veritas planes are also good. Learn how to sharpen a plane blade. Google “Scary Sharp” for techniques to sharpen a plane blade using sandpaper and a glass plate. Removing a long, transparent shaving from a piece of wood is as viscerally satisfying as nailing a tight corner on a 50mph descent. I cut my own wood moldings by hand because it is really fun to see a three dimensional shape appear out of lumber. If you get into handtools, Google “Galoot Woodworking” or “Electronic Neanderthal” for hand tool, primarily vintage hand tool, resources.

A Starrett 12” combination square is another must. Don’t cheap out on this one. For measuring, you need a tape measure obviously but using a story stick is better for the actual work. That way you never measure and mark (which can cause errors), you are just marking against a reference. A good set of levels is also necessary: 8-12", 24", and 36". You will likely use them all.

A workbench with vises is very useful. I got mine from Lee Valley. A Black and Decker Workmate is also nice to have as a complement in the room you are working on.

For built ins, I make cases and shelves from veneer core plywood with a paint grade surface. While my construction method will make a true woodworker pale in anger, my cases are screwed together using 1½” decking screws. Screw holes are covered by applied molding or face nailed plywood, which is then painted. Other “joinery” is done with Kreg screws. My table saw is too small to cut a 4x8 sheet to size so I get this done at the lumber store. In my experience, Home Depot does this poorly. Find a lumber supplier with a dedicated cutting department that will give you 1/16 to 1/32 accuracy, give them a precise cut list and let them do the heavy lifting. For doors, drawer fronts and drawers, I have made my own but it is a lot of work to do it right. You may want to consider buying them. I have used Scherrs to great success (Manufacturer of Cabinet Doors, Dovetail Drawer Boxes, RTA Cabinet Kits... Scherr's Cabinet and Doors). If you want to make your own, you will need a router table (mine is a Jessem), a 3HP router and some proper cope and stick bits. If you factor in the cost of these tools, buying doors will be cheaper.Much less satisfying though. My cabinets are all face frame with flush doors and cock beading. These are the most challenging doors to install properly, but to my eye they look better than other options. You will find that doing the finest quality case work is not that much more time consuming than doing average quality. You are going to be looking at things for a long time, so do the best job you can.

Another worthwhile thing is to immerse yourself in the philosophy of wood and the craftsmanship of perfectability. These books have been a great inspiration to me and I have read them many times, particularly Nakashima’s and Grey's work:

The Soul of a Tree, George Nakashima
Japanese Woodworking Tools, Toshio Odate
Worker in Wood, James Krenov.
The Art of Kitchen Design, Johnny Grey
Creating a New Old House, Russell Versaci

Good luck. Take your time. Enjoy the process.

[MarkC]

Have no use for it but want the Festool track / circular saw system.

A must have for wood working is a good router and a router table.

A decent orbital sander is a nice time saver too.

The KREG pocket screw system looks worth having for joinery.

[cp43]

I first heard of Lie-Nielsen here on Vsalon, and was sent this video by them yesterday. I thought you guys would enjoy it, even though it doesn't directly contribute to this discussion.




Chris