OK. So I can be ok with not being Norm??

[Mike W.]

Thanks for the advice.

I was to get to the cart before the horse. I wanted to build the greatest of furniture without mastering the simple box. I think I'm starting to 'get it' thanks to all of you and the wisdom you've all shared.

I have listened to what you all have said and I must admit that I'm backing up a bit further than I thought I would. I'm going to build a good bench starting next weekend. I spent all day looking at bench plans and trying to convince myself I dont have to have the very best out there. I've decided on building this one....

a nice bench.. I think I can build it over a few weekends to lessen the financial blow. What are the cheapest vises I can use to cover the plan and still do a decent job for a beginner... anyone?

I think just building this bench is going to help me learn sooooo much. And this guy's site is awesome.. really good instructions and pictures to boot. And I'm hoping I can build one as nice as his young son did. I don't have all the tools he has, so hopefully I can get by with what I have with the few Im gonna buy shortly (hand tools).

I doubt my sheet of mdf and sawhorses will do the job. :-)

Thanks everyone for the advice. Mike

[Mike W.]

Thanks for the advice.

I was to get to the cart before the horse. I wanted to build the greatest of furniture without mastering the simple box. I think I'm starting to 'get it' thanks to all of you and the wisdom you've all shared.

I have listened to what you all have said and I must admit that I'm backing up a bit further than I thought I would. I'm going to build a good bench starting next weekend. I spent all day looking at bench plans and trying to convince myself I dont have to have the very best out there. I've decided on building this one....

a nice bench.. I think I can build it over a few weekends to lessen the financial blow. What are the cheapest vises I can use to cover the plan and still do a decent job for a beginner... anyone?

I think just building this bench is going to help me learn sooooo much. And this guy's site is awesome.. really good instructions and pictures to boot. And I'm hoping I can build one as nice as his young son did. I don't have all the tools he has, so hopefully I can get by with what I have with the few Im gonna buy shortly (hand tools).

I doubt my sheet of mdf and sawhorses will do the job. :-)

Thanks everyone for the advice. Mike

[Phil Crow]

Snip

You know, there's a lot to be said for the plywood/sawhorse bench. In fact, I couldn't have built my bench bench without my plywood/sawhorse bench. And, with 2 16' 2x4s, I can build a sawhorse that you can set a bunk of lumber on.

Well, you need two of them.

-Phil Crow

[Mark Jerde]

Actually you need 4 same-height sawhorses, so a single person can cut sheet goods safely.

-- Mark

[B a r r y B u r k e J r .]

No, you need (2) sections of 2'x8' 2" foam, so you can cut the sheet goods on the floor.

Barry

[LRod]

Two plastic garbage cans work, too. Who cares if you cut through the rim; it's garbage.

LRod

Master Woodbutcher and seasoned termite

Shamelessly whoring my website since 1999

[Edwin Pawlowski]

"B a r r y B u r k e J r ."

Might work OK for you young guys, but some of us would end up spending the day down there. Ed

[Nate Perkins]

My advice (FWIW, I am not a pro, just an amateur for a bit more than a year and so recently up against some of the same questions you pose.

- You can make a quick cheap bench from 2x4's bolted to the wall, some

2x4 legs and frame, and a sheet of MDF on top of it. A quick-release woodworkers vise can be had cheap from Harbor Freight. The result sure isn't a fine European woodworker's bench, but it is good enough to get you through your first few projects.

- Avoid buying wood at Home Depot or Lowes, etc. Unless you are looking for warped pieces of wet knotty pine :-) Instead, go check out your local hardwood yard, tell them you are just getting started and begin with some less expensive wood like red oak. Try to buy it S4S (planed on all 4 sides), and look for boards as straight as you can get them.

- Get a decent handsaw. For example, the dozukis aren't too expensive from places like Lee Valley or Woodcraft, etc. You'll also need a small machinists square, a straight ruler, a couple of bench chisels (probably 1/4 and 3/8 or so), and a mortising chisel (probably about

3/8" again). You'll also want a radial orbital sander. You'll need a couple of clamps, too (Harbor Freight has okay clamps).

- Check out some books on joinery from the local library. The Taunton book "Basics: Essentials of Woodworking" is a good overview. For more advanced stuff the Tage Frid v1/2 woodworking book is good.

...

Cool. I do amateur astronomy, too. Intes MN61 Mak-Newt.

(snip)

Have fun and remember safety.

[Luigi Zanasi]

On Sat, 04 Oct 2003 01:53:55 -0400, Silvan scribbled

Just FYI, it's called a "blurfl" in this newsgroups, not a "floowhutzit" . :-)

"no" with "yk" twice in reply address for real email address

[Mike W.]

What would my ' local hardwood yard' be? All I know is Lowes, Home Depot and Woodcraft... Lowes and HD have the crap you speak of, Woodcraft has smaller way more expensive stuff? Is there something in between?

Thanks, Mike

[Mike W.]

Thanks for the advice... I will follow it.

Forgot the scope part in the previous post...

Again you are ahead of me :-). 8" Celestron Starhopper Dob and Orion Skyview Deluxe 4.5" Newt on a GEM. Not much to speak of, but (unlike my woodworking tools) they do a fine job for me... since I know how to use them and tune them (again, unlike my woodworking tools).

Speaking of Scopes, one of the reasons I began woodworking as a hobby was that I wanted to build a nice dob platform and rocker box out of some beautiful apple play or even a Tiger Maple if it's possible. That has taken a back seat to the starter projects for now, but one of these days...

Thanks again, Mike

[Mike W.]

Thanks for the advice... I will follow it.

Forgot the scope part in the previous post...

Again you are ahead of me :-). 8" Celestron Starhopper Dob and Orion Skyview Deluxe 4.5" Newt on a GEM. Not much to speak of, but (unlike my woodworking tools) they do a fine job for me... since I know how to use them and tune them (again, unlike my woodworking tools).

Speaking of Scopes, one of the reasons I began woodworking as a hobby was that I wanted to build a nice dob platform and rocker box out of some beautiful apple play or even a Tiger Maple if it's possible. That has taken a back seat to the starter projects for now, but one of these days...

Thanks again, Mike

[Mike W.]

Thanks for the advice... I will follow it.

Forgot the scope part in the previous post...

Again you are ahead of me :-). 8" Celestron Starhopper Dob and Orion Skyview Deluxe 4.5" Newt on a GEM. Not much to speak of, but (unlike my woodworking tools) they do a fine job for me... since I know how to use them and tune them (again, unlike my woodworking tools).

Speaking of Scopes, one of the reasons I began woodworking as a hobby was that I wanted to build a nice dob platform and rocker box out of some beautiful apple ply or even a Tiger Maple if it's possible. That has taken a back seat to the starter projects for now, but one of these days...

Thanks again, Mike

[Prometheus]

I can tell you what you need for that! A hand saw, a miter box, and a hammer... :) Some shims couldn't hurt, either.

[Prometheus]

Vaughn makes a real nice hand-saw with a flexible japanese-style blade and a narrow kerf that is a real beauty for a lot of cuts. It leaves a nice finish and saws almost as fast as a power tool. This is the one I've got, and it's really swell.

did a lot of trim carpentry with one of theses and a good ol' miter box, and it worked like a charm.

[Mike Reed]

Trying to bring this thread back from the dead?