Dremel accessories are expensive - Also, am I on the right track?

I have a book about japanese joinery that I'd been wanting to read for sometime, but never got round to it. The idea came from visiting the Van Gough museum in Amsterdam and while everyone was absorbed into the Van Gough paintings I was absorbed into the minimalist chairs designed by a japanese guy for the museum (because Van Gough was an admirer of Japanese culture, they had a Japanese guy design his new museum).

Anyhow, I finally can't wait to make some stuff, and don't have time to learn joinery, therefore decided to just use the simplest possible method, and for me that was those L-shaped metal joints and just screwing them into the wood after drilling holes.

I looked for the cheapest tool I could get and there was a cordless screw gun that had some drill extensions, so I decided I'll take that one. I also noticed that the dremels looked the same size or shape but were a lot more expensive. It then occured to me to ask someone at the store if the cheapo own brand one (it must be good, it's a good store) will take the dremel accessories and he said no, so I thought perhaps I ought to get dremel in case I'll need those. But then decided to have a look at what those accessories are and I was a little shocked at how expensive they were, many of them were as expensive (though just one piece) as that whole screw/drill gun set with all its stuff.

It felt like a rip-off.

I decided since what I liked most was simplicity that I didn't want anything like that. So I'll just use that own-brand cordless screw/drill gun, because, after all, all I think I'll ever want will be to drill holes and put screws into them. I want minimalist designs. (I plan to buy a basic, manual wood saw, and perhaps after I'd read the japanese joinery book a set of chisels and a mallet, and other than drilling, I don't want anything electric. I will never, ever do anything ornate, all I'll do will be plain).

Am I on the right track?

Sorry for the post if it's not good, and many thanks.

Reply to
casioculture
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Fri, Feb 24, 2006, 8:24pm (EST-3) snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com doth clameth: don't have time to learn

That pretty well explains everything.

JOAT If you have something to say, raise your hand. Then shove it in your mouth.

Reply to
J T

I think you're going to need a hot glue gun to reinforce the L-shaped metal joints. You don't want it coming apart years down the road when someone sits on the chair.

Reply to
Roy

Nah, hot glue is too fancy, I recommend just putting some chewing gun inbetween the joints before adding your L brackets, that outta hold it.

Reply to
Locutus

Let's not take things out of context. Japanese joinery is an artisan's craft and I don't have time to learn it before I do this project today, hence I'm using drill/screw gun. I have books on the floor, I can't wait till I master an intricate skill to put them on shelves.

Reply to
casioculture

Fri, Feb 24, 2006, 10:13pm (EST-3) From: snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com J T wrote: Fri, Feb 24, 2006, 8:24pm (EST-3) snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com doth clameth: don't have time to learn =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0That pretty well explains everything. JOAT If you have something to say, raise your hand. Then shove it in your mouth. Let's not take things out of context. Japanese joinery is an artisan's craft and I don't have time to learn it before I do this project today, hence I'm using drill/screw gun. I have books on the floor, I can't wait till I master an intricate skill to put them on shelves.

Then get some cement blocks, and some boards. Two cement blocks. Board on top. Repeat.

JOAT If you have something to say, raise your hand. Then shove it in your mouth.

Reply to
J T

AKA The Zen of Seement Blocks. If the shelf sags, stick another one in the middle. Personally I always like the thin decorative blocks, as they don't take up as much shelf space as the generic blocks.

Reply to
Lobby Dosser

The simplest solution - when I was a student - was to buy concrete cinder blocks and plain lumber.

Second cheapest is to buy a bookshelf. Some are particle part, with a cardboard back sheet for stability.

The problem with those l-shaped brackets is that they don't take twisting stress well. You at LEAST have to put a back behind the bookshelf, such as a sheet of plywood with a nice grain showing, or the paper-based backs they use in book cases.

Otherwise, you will load up the bookshelf, and watch as the whole thing collapses sideways.

Also - you asked about screws - they don't hold particle board well.

Do you want functional and cheap, or do you want something nice to look at.

For a beginner woodworker, I'd suggest you use dado joints. Or you buy a bookcase.

Reply to
Bruce Barnett

Part of the beauty of artistry and craftsmanship is that what appears to be simple is inherently complex and intricate.

It seems that you are seeking to replicate the simplicity that was achieved with exquisite skills by using primitive techniques. You are likely to be disappointed with the results, both aesthetically and structurally.

To get the books off the floor, you might want to consider other courses of action.

Chuck

Reply to
chuck

So don't have it. Stop buying tools. In particular, stop buying tools because _tool_makers_ are telling you you need them. Don't you think they might have a bit of a vested interest there?

Get some hand tools. Go hog-wild on buying hand tools. Get good ones, get lots of them. You'll still spend less than you would on a Dremel. This is plenty to start making furniture on the Rietveld screwed-together-two-by-fours plan (Google up the "Red Blue chair").

Then find some space, then find a real workbench. After that think about a cordless drill, because drilling is boring and a ten-buck cordless is insanely cheap. They're lousy screwdrivers though.

There is an awful lot of woodworking you can achieve, and should attempt, with no more powered tools than this.

I do use a Dremel, or a Dremel copy, from time to time. For small pieces in stone, glass or eggshell you can't beat them - you need high speeds in small spaces, which means a powered drill. I certainly have no use for one in the "workshop" though.

Reply to
Andy Dingley

I got this drill/screw gun and I love it. I'll be using metal joints, which I find easy and quick. I also want to get an electric jigsaw. I already have a tape measure.

What else could I need? I measure, mark with a pencil, cut with a jigsaw, and join with screws.

What tool would I need to smooth the surfaces of crosscut wood? is it a sander or a planer?

Thanks.

Reply to
casioculture

how long you think you can keep this going...?

you're using some pretty good bait...

Reply to
John Emmons

Well casioculture posted what appeared to be a fine piece of trolling in a fountain pen newsgroup a while back, but then he turned out to be keen and genuine. Be nice to him, we'll have him neandering in no time.

Metal joints look ugly because they're visible. Rietveld (who you really ought to research) crossed three timbers together and screwed through them instead. Easy and solid.

The best jigsaw to get is an expensive blue Bosch. They _are_ better than the cheap ones and cut far more easily and accurately.

For finishing edges, then start with a 1/4 sheet sander (cheap, much better than a delta sander or a random orbital sander for the same money). A block plane is also very useful at this level, but a decent one (Lee Valley) is incomparably better than a Stanley.

Reply to
Andy Dingley

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