Tips from the forum

[Birchwoodguy]

So think of this idea, we each post a woodworking tip under this new posting, in short order we will have a long list of great woodworking tips from each other to benefit everyone.

Ok I will start:

Tip: to keep a mortise perfectly centered when using a drill press and forstner bit set up, double drill the row of holes for the mortise once from each side of the piece. This will then match up with a tenon cut on the TS referencing each face on the table.

Ok Guys keep it going, who has a tip to share?

[matt in golden]

Hey Robert,

Check out this recent thread: http://forum.canadianwoodworking.com...highlight=tips

Great subject, worth doing again .

Matt

[stevem]

i think that the most important part of a woodworking project is to watch grain patterns

flat sawn vs rift sawn vs 1/4 sawn

nothing detracts from a great project worse than poorly chosen material

[Birchwoodguy]

I agree Steve. and nothing MAKES a project like carefully chosen material!
I was looking at that posting Matt when I got the idea for this one, but wanted the emphasis to be tips at all levels rather than just the "advice column/words of wisdom" for a beginner. I am constantly looking out for the small things that great woodworkers do to make the work easier, faster, or more controlled. Think of the great tip from Steve on this thread:http://forum.canadianwoodworking.com...s-and-dowelmax

of adding the slot to the Dowel Max so it can work with the Veritas guide. That is a great tip that most of us would not think of (I dare say) and I spotted that as the most important part of the thread for me.

So if we can entice some of our member experts to share their combined wisdom, I bet in a months' time we have the most incredible listing of tips around. Lets share some great tips from the shop guys.

Robert.

[Pat from Elora]

Here's a tip I learned a number of years ago.

If you have a part cut to length and need another one the exact same length, set the stop on your mitersaw or crosscut fence at least 6" bigger than you need. Butt the piece you need to copy into the stop and butt an offcut into the end of the end of it. Cut the offcut, then move it so its against the stop. Now you can cut your additional piece by butting it into the offcut knowing it is the identical size as the original part

[Birchwoodguy]

Now that is the kind of tip I'm talking about. Great tip Pat. (how many times have I needed to do this ) wish I could say I thought of it!

Ok another tip:

If your trying to make perfect miters around a case with some moulding, (and assuming the case is spitting distance from square to start) don't bother trying to cut each joint with equal angles for a perfect fit: cut the first piece at 45-degrees (or what your saw set up says is 45) then cut the next piece of trim at the matting end only (don't cut to finished length yet), play with the angles as needed to make the first and second pieces fit perfect. Once this is done then cut the piece to length using the "45 degree saw setting" on the other end. Repeat the process. On the last piece of trim that completes the circumference of the case, fit the first end to the third piece of trim, then cut the last miter on a scrap, play with the angle until the correct perfect fit is achieved, then without changing the saw set up cut the last end of the moulding for a perfect fit.

[redlee]

Buy a Woodstove! Woodworking for 30 plus years, some parts of my projects still end up there.

[Birchwoodguy]

Tip: Setting up a lock mitre router bit can be a finicky process with lots of trial cuts to ensure the bit height and fence are correct for the stock thickness. I keep section of 3/4" (most common thickness) sample of the lock mitre in the router drawer with the bit (one edge cut in vertical and one edge cut in horizontal position). When setting up for a lock mitre for 3/4 inch stock, I just line the bit and fence up with the sample.
Robert.

[JustSomeGuy]

Ok, I got one.
Pick up some bathroom tiles. Simple plain, shiny 4 or 6 inch bathroom tiles with no texture. I picked up an almost full box of 4 inch white ones for 4 cents per tile some years ago. They were end of lot.
They make great pallets for mixing epoxy or holding a project off the work surface while you paint or finish. You can glue on a small sheet of sandpaper and you have a hard flat sanding or honing surface. I've also used them as small weights around the shop. The possible uses are endless.
If they get caked with epoxy or paint, you can just scrape it off with a box cutter knife. If it gets too dirty, toss and pull out another.
All for just 4 cents each

[Lost in the Woods]

I cut off the tops and bottoms off of various sized plastic containers and use them to slip my wrapped power cords into. I do like to use the Cable Clamps that LV uses, but for some, they don't fit as well with some of the tools when packing them into their containers.

[Birchwoodguy]

I find a power bar to be great in the shop, and often leave several tools plugged in at once. But then I noticed spending time looking to see which cord was for which tool when I needed to un-plug a router to change bits safely. I figured I needed a better way to distinguish the proper plug for each tool. My solution was to put a band of coloured electrical tape at each end of each tool. (You will find packages of five or six tape colours at HD or Can-Tire) Use the same colour at each end of a tools' cord to positively identify the correct plug. If you need more than five colours, put two bands at each end of a cord.

Robert.

[bohdon]

An old credit card or phone card makes an great glue spreader, even better if you cut some notches in it. I use 2, one with small notches for a thin layer of glue & one with larger notches for a thicker layer of glue. After they dry the glue just peels right off and you're good to go for the next time you need it.

[Rusty]

Here's my glue spreader. It's the inside of a foam paint brush. Tear the used foam off and away you go. DSCN2235 (Small).JPG

[Dusty Lady]

Thanks Pat. What a great tip for crosscutting equal lengths. I've used it already.

And here's one in return. I bolted a couple of pieces of 2" plastic pipe to the side of my table saw stand. One holds my miter guage and the other my push stick. Handiest and safest thing I ever did!

[stevem]

when im starting a project, big or small, i always saw joint and plane extra material in barn pine, its cheap and easy to use later for checking machine setup

say im building a coffee table, shaker style. while im jointing and planing my "nice" stock i'll run enough "barn pine" to make a leg and a rail at the same time plus some extra for checking the joinery in breadboard end etc etc

the extra material is great for checking mortise and tenon setup and its cheap

[Birchwoodguy]

Thanks Rusty, Aways wondered what was inside a sponge brush to make it more rigid in use.

ok a tip in return, most of us do not have a scoring blade attachment for the TS. If your working with an expensive Walnut (or other) veneered plywood, you can get a similar effect to the scoring blade.

Set up your TS fence for the cut you are after. Set the blade height to only about 1/8" or less. score the ply.
Now reset the blade to the full ply thickness plus the blade gullet and run the cut again. Since the bottom ply was already scored it will not chip when you cut full depth.

Robert.

[Dusty Lady]

Good one Robert. I have a bunch of melamine shelves to cut so will try your method. Up until now I've been cutting my pieces 1/16" larger then trimming with a router to exact size. A lot of work and double the dust.

[Cynthia from Central Vancouver Island]

I'm a Rookie with 9 mos. under my belt. My advice for the New Woodworker is make sure you have enough light in your shop. I don't care if it's a couple of old goose-neck desk lamps when you're working at night or you have to run 3 extension cords through the house DAMHIKT. Until you get your shop appropriately wired and lit up, jerry rig something to have enough light.

--it's no fun to work when you can't see what you're doing.
--you can't do good work when you can't see what you're doing.
--and most importantly, it's not safe when you can't see what you're doing.

[Matthijs Heerschap]

As an old woodshop teacher used to tell us, Measure twice, cut once ;)

[Doug G]

I find a power bar to be great in the shop, and often leave several tools plugged in at once. But then I noticed spending time looking to see which cord was for which tool when I needed to un-plug a router to change bits safely. I figured I needed a better way to distinguish the proper plug for each tool. My solution was to put a band of coloured electrical tape at each end of each tool. (You will find packages of five or six tape colours at HD or Can-Tire) Use the same colour at each end of a tools' cord to positively identify the correct plug. If you need more than five colours, put two bands at each end of a cord.

Robert.

I use the same idea with coloured duct tape. For stationary tools like my bandsaw where the tool end of the cord is around back I also add the tape out front where it is more visible. I use the same colour coding on wrenches and allen keys so I can quickly grab the correct one.

Doug