Nancy Today: Billy’s woodworking shop

Posted by The Woodworker on Mar 10, 2010
NancyToday asked:


Billy’s nearly finished table top; his home grown and dried, chemical and additive free tobaccy and his shop.

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The Benefits of Pleated Air Filters

Posted by The Woodworker on Mar 8, 2010
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Woodturning Tool Sharpening & Use : Woodturning Parting Tools

Posted by The Woodworker on Mar 8, 2010
expertvillage asked:


A parting tool can be used for turning a specific cut. Learn how to use a parting tool from a woodturning expert in this free crafts video. Expert: Lou Zabohonski Bio: Lou Zabohonski was introduced to woodturning 25 years ago when he took an introductory class for a 5-in-1 machine. For the next 20 years, he experimented on his own, doing all types of turning. Filmmaker: Christian Munoz-Donoso

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Helpful Garage Storage Ideas

Posted by The Woodworker on Mar 6, 2010
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Finding Woodworking Jig Plans on the Internet

Posted by The Woodworker on Mar 5, 2010
Greg K. Hansward asked:




If you’ve decided to set up your own woodworking workshop then some of the vital equipment that you will need are woodworking jigs. These are very useful to make repetitive tasks much easier when working with wood. They can also make complicated projects much easier to manage. You will be able to find many jigs which are premade, or you can find plans to make your own. Depending on the project you’re doing you will need different types of jigs.

Jig Varieties

There are many different types of jigs, one such type is a dovetail jig. These are very useful to accurately create dovetail joints. They are fairly reasonably priced if you decide to buy one, or you can make your own. You can find plans on the internet if you are willing to look hard enough. You can find templates in a number of different sizes.

You can of course find a bit which fits into your router to allow you to easily to dovetails when you use a dovetail saw. If you plan to make your own jigs then these are very useful tools. The templates allow you to vary the spacing’s in certain projects. You can also buy a kit containing all of the pieces you will need. These will save a considerable amount of money compared to when you purchase all of the required items separately.

Dovetail saws can also be used to cut very fine joints, they’re not just suitable for making dovetails. These saws have thicker blades than most other saws which makes sure that they are very accurate. You need to purchase a high quality saw so that you can produce nice looking pieces of furniture. A good quality saw is typically fourteen to seventeen points per inch.

Another jig which you might be interested in is a dowel jig, this is used to make consistent dowels. If you are working with very thick wood then you should use a self centering jig so that you can use it accurately. You can buy many different sizes of jigs which are suited to many different sizes of dowels.

Yet another jig is the kreg jig, these are very useful if you are making cabinets. It is necessary to have perfectly positioned drawer slides if the drawers are going to move smoothly. Kreg jigs save a considerable amount of time as you don’t need to always measure and mark the sides of the cabinets when fitting drawers. Mounting drawer slides with a kreg jig is made very easy.

Making your Own Jigs

It is also possible to make your own jigs, this saves you quite a lot of money as you don’t need to buy expensive jigs. You can actually make these out of scrap materials or inexpensive materials which will save even more money. Jigs are typically only used for a single project and so you shouldn’t waste money on expensive materials. If you do want to reuse the jigs which you make then use a higher quality material to make them.

You can find many plans and guides to making your own jigs in books, magazines and on the internet. The ones on the internet can be printed off and stored for future reference. It’s a good idea to store all of these designs in a folder so that you keep them all safe.

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Router Tables – Key to Beautiful Finished Work

Posted by The Woodworker on Mar 2, 2010
Johnathan H. Bakers asked:




Router tables have become increasingly popular in recent years, as more people become interested in improving the appearance of the home and furnishings. With a bit of education and some patience most people can learn to carefully guide a fine piece of wood through a router, to create shapes and designs anyone can be proud of. This wonderful piece of workshop equipment has become a common site in the professional’s shop.

One of the first facts the uninitiated should learn is that routers and the work that comes from routers are defined by the various bits used and the quality of those bits. Rather plain pieces of lumber can be given a completely different appearance with beautiful shaping and design with commercial router tables or homemade router tables.

Even those who are willing to cut their own finish pieces sometimes avoid using a router, because they believe it is just too difficult. But with some practice and patience, nearly anyone can learn to produce fine bevelled edges, shaped pieces and so on, using a good router. In fact, some people who have experience with routers state that if a person can guide a piece of finish lumber through a stationary power saw or table saw, then they can also make good use of a router.

Companies that produce woodworking equipment such as routers also offer a range of educational material and design plans specifically for mastering the router. Plans and designs clearly show the shapes and designs that can be produced with different angles, different bits and different motions. Some of the plans and designs are free of charge and easily found on Web sites.

As mentioned earlier, the various bits used with routers are really at the core of what this marvelous item can do. For example, notching and edging in different patterns is possible with certain types of bits. Edge bits create bevel edges for a mantle piece, as another example. Straight bits and other specialty bits can be used to create deep grooves and notches, even with perpendicular sides. If a craftsman wants to create a tight fit for a high-quality cabinet drawer, he or she may use a dovetail bit. There are also slot cutters and finger-joint bits, often used to hold cabinet fronts snugly in place.

Those with some expertise in the use of commercial routers, such as Wolfcraft router tables, might use a “stile” bit for such special tasks as post caps and fence work. Experienced craftsmen sometimes use the same bit and make two or more passes through the router to create a certain look. Miniature bits can be used with some routers to create toys and doll houses, as well as to detail fine furniture.

If workshop space is limited, several companies can supply bench top routers, some with height adjustment to make the work more comfortable. With router work and other finishing tasks, it is essential that the equipment be placed so that it is comfortable to use.

For finishing a one-of-a-kind fireplace mantle, creating crown moulding unlike any other or for more practical tasks such as capping fence uprights, the router can be an ideal piece of equipment. In some cases, only a router will provide the detail and beauty required by a home improvement project.

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Woodturning Tool Sharpening & Use : Woodturning Skew Sharpening

Posted by The Woodworker on Mar 2, 2010
expertvillage asked:


Shiny areas on a skew typically means the tool is not sharp. Learn how to sharpen a skew from a woodturning expert in this free crafts video. Expert: Lou Zabohonski Bio: Lou Zabohonski was introduced to woodturning 25 years ago when he took an introductory class for a 5-in-1 machine. For the next 20 years, he experimented on his own, doing all types of turning. Filmmaker: Christian Munoz-Donoso

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Guide to Using Woodworking Jigs

Posted by The Woodworker on Mar 1, 2010
Guy J Morris asked:




Woodworking jigs are extremely useful pieces of equipment, it only takes one time with a jig to discover that you could never do the job without one in future! It’s always annoying if you drill holes too deep, or you can’t hang pictures straight. There are so many tasks which can be made so much easier by using the right woodworking jig.

A jig doesn’t have to be anything expensive or too fancy. In fact it’s often possible to create your own jig for smaller tasks. If you are a professional woodworker then you should already have quite an extensive collection of jigs! These will save your time and so allow you to be more profitable, not to mention the amount of wasted materials you can actually use.

The Short List of Jigs Long on Performance

If you don’t have much money to spend on woodworking tools then there are some important jigs which you should bear in mind.

A dowel jig is used to make precision holes for your dowel. This is a very useful jig if you are making furniture as dowels can be used in a number of locations, including holding the draw fronts onto the frame.

Another jig which is very important is the dovetail jig. By being able to do a dovetail joint you are making your work look much more professional. Old things used to have dovetail draws, a piece of furniture 50 years old is still around today because it was made very well. Dovetailed joints make it very strong and durable. Purchase a dovetail job with your jig and then you’re able to create fine pieces of professional furniture.

More important jigs include router jigs, these are used to support the wood as it passes along the saw to be cut. These can be used to help the craftsman create very fine detail.

Kreg – The Leader in Jig Creations

Kreg woodworking jigs are very popular, these normally come with face clamps so that the drill jigs can be secured firmly in place. You can use these jigs to drill to very specific and accurate depths.

If you don’t have a jig available but need to drill to a certain depth then one solution is to put a thick ring of masking tape around the drill at the depth that you want to drill to. When you drill you will see the marker so you will know when to stop drilling. This isn’t as accurate as a professional kreg woodworking jig however it really does work. It’s also extremely quick to do and you don’t need any additional equipment. These things are fine for the occasional job, however if you’re a professional then you really need the right tools for the job!

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Woodturning Tool Sharpening & Use : Woodturning Roughing Gouge Sharpening

Posted by The Woodworker on Mar 1, 2010
expertvillage asked:


A roughing gouge should be sharpened perpendicular to the rest of the shaft. Learn how to sharpen a roughing gouge from a woodturning expert in this free crafts video. Expert: Lou Zabohonski Bio: Lou Zabohonski was introduced to woodturning 25 years ago when he took an introductory class for a 5-in-1 machine. For the next 20 years, he experimented on his own, doing all types of turning. Filmmaker: Christian Munoz-Donoso

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Woodturning Tool Sharpening & Use : Woodturning Spindle Gouge Tool Cuts

Posted by The Woodworker on Mar 1, 2010
expertvillage asked:


Spindle gouges are used for cutting coves, roughing cylinders and cutting depressions. Learn how to use a spindle gouge from a woodturning expert in this free crafts video. Expert: Lou Zabohonski Bio: Lou Zabohonski was introduced to woodturning 25 years ago when he took an introductory class for a 5-in-1 machine. For the next 20 years, he experimented on his own, doing all types of turning. Filmmaker: Christian Munoz-Donoso

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