Confidences

[Robatoy]

A friend of mine and I were discussing, last weekend, an experience we both enjoyed a few years ago. The event was put on by a 5-foot-0" German fellow who demonstrated how to cut dovetails. He built a foot-locker, right in front of out eyes, without using a marking gage, guide, template...just a pencil and a backsaw. The pins and tails were large...about 3", but it 'clicked' together just fine. He basically blew our little minds.

I remember thinking how confident he must have been of his abilities to pull that off in front of 20+ people. He had this cocky little grin.. it looked kinda cool on him, because it wasn't arrogant.

That, in turn, made me think about which tool, if any, I am pretty confident in using with predictable results.

My conclusions?

Belt sander and biscuit joiner. I can make those do things.

I'm working on the jigsaw...right now I'd grade myself a solid 80%....

75%? See? Confidence.

How about you guys?

[Swingman]

ShopVac ... just upgraded from a broom and getting wicked with it.

[Leon]

Kreg Pocket Hole jig and the biscuit jointer.

[Leon]

I have both, Leon said with a smug look of accomplishment.

But my shop vac is a Craftsman that would puts out a sound that a jet fighter ready for take off would be jealous of.

I did finally buy a large aluminum dust pan and much prefer that to the vac. I really hate dumping the vac and cleaning out the pleated filter. It stays hooded up to the router table most of the time. I am beginning to believe that these dust collection devices simply collect all that fine dust and waste into a single compact area that eventually gets all over you when you empty it.

[Leon]

Uh Hum.... Biscuit JOINER.

[Robatoy]

Of we make an 'L' shape from 2 boards, which method will be stronger: a) we run the screws from the piece along the grain nto the board with the cross grain.. or: b) we screw from the cross-grain side into the long grain.

I dunno if my kwestion is clear.

lemme try this;

The one board is vertical, standing up in front of you as you look at it. The piece to be joined, is to the right, running horizontally. The seam will be vertical. Do the screws run from right to left. or left to right?

[fredfighter]

I've seen a few very large chests or trunks down at the antique shops near Baltimore's Inner Harbor that had similar large dovetails. Some had a single tail per corner, and were cross- nailed to secure them. Simple, strong, functional.

Wrecking bar.

[Robatoy]

Funny you should say that. I'm due to remove a kitchen which was built 'in situ'. The kicks are 4x4 lumber nailed to the joists with very long, big nails. Judging by the size of the smileys left behind by the sledge..they used a 10 pounder. All-in-all a huge nightmare. A friend of mine suggested I'd buy one of them Swedish renovator bars.. not the Gransfors..but the other bar ..starts with a T... It's supposed to be close to 100.00 Can$...

If I cut those nails, I'd never be able to get a hold of them again..and the have to come out...somehow.

[Robatoy]

And they look great too.

[Leon]

Assuming an orientation like if you were assembling a face frame with pocket holes drilled into the wider side of the board.

If like a face frame, screw the horizontal piece into the vertical piece. This way the screw threads go into the cross/side grain of the vertical piece. While the head of the screw can split the grain on the horizontal piece if tightened too much the use of larger washer head pocket hole screws helps spread out the load. If you screw the vertical piece into the horizontal piece the screw threads would be going in to the horizontal piece end grain and that would be a weaker connection.

[fredfighter]

The local home depots carry digging irons in with the gardening tools. Basicly, they are like an all-steel carpenter's slick with a very long handle, up to 6 feet long. You might be able to grind the edge down so it could be driven between two boards and then pry away. ISTR they were priced well below $100.00.

You are supposed to thrust these into the ground and then pry to break up hard dirt, sort of like a linear pick so they may take the prying. OTOH, they are usually used in post-holes so they aren't used being pried at large angles.

Best bet, of course, is if you can get to the point and drive it back out.

[Connor Aston]

Using both blunt and sharp tools to cut myself whilst at all times keeping the blood off the workpieces/wood. Great skill required.

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[Jay Pique]

I've got one labeled QSP for "Quiet Super Power" with a 6hp sticker on it. I can't even imagine how loud the un-quiet ones must be. And I'm absolutely amazed that companies can get away putting a 6hp sticker on something that draws less than 10amps.

I've got the gore-tex filters, but I don't think I'm getting any net benefit from them when I wallow in a dust cloud for 10 minutes trying to clean them. And how is it that bags cost like 3 or 4 bucks *each*? Can't some company in Chaiwan churn 'em out for us at a reasonable cost? Hmmm....maybe that's how I'll make my millions....

JP

[Leon]

I would like to take a closer look at Festool or Fein.

I have the gore-tex filter also and my findings also when cleaning. My filter is probably 8 years old and working fine. I use no bags. Each time I clean mine I try to think of a way to put the blowing end in the filter and toss both in the large trash can, close the lid, and turn on the blower.

[Enoch Root]

Waterstones, 85% (plane edge), 80% (chisel). After ~20 edge tools, and several of them multiple times due to use (and others multiple times because they were new and the edge was a bit crumbly before getting down to the good stuff) I can keep the blade at a fairly steady angle while freehanding on the stone. Sharpening chisels gets a lower score because I haven't figure out a way to get the microbevel consistent wrt to the main bevel, every time.

I figure the last 10% or so might take me a few years... unless I stop responding to goofy threads. There oughta be a way to do it while getting uniform wear on the stone.

er

[Rick M]

"Robatoy" wrote

Rob, cut the 4x4 with the sawzall about 3 cm on either side of the spike location. With your trusty Stanley chisel, split the remaining 4x4 on either side of said spike, removing the remaining piece of 4x4. Back the auto wrecker up and attach the chain to the spike, lift ... and repeat. Quicker and easier than trying to rescue a piece of 4x4 with spikes and donkey tracks all over it.

Regards,

Rick

Oh yes, my fee? Tip a nice lager for me.

.... and WHEN are you getting YOUR ShopBot???????

[mac davis]

I'm getting pretty damn good with the bench brush... (now that I put magnets on the damn thing to prevent all those screws being brushed up)

I can still ruin stuff easily on the belt sander but I feel pretty good about my use of the 1/4 sheet palm sander... I mention it because sometimes when I pick it up to use it, it feels like an old friend... or maybe an old, comfortable shoe....

I pretty good on the drill press too, does that count?? Mac

[mac davis]

Fred.. I've used digging irons many times when building fences... you can wear 2 guys out trying to pry roots out before you'll bend a bar.. *g*

Mac

[Jay Pique]

Yeah - me too. I've got a Festool Rotex sander and it really is an excellent, excellent tool. Next big check I get I'm going to purchase another Festool (tool) and a vacuum to boot. The combos save you a

*little* money anyways.

I usually take mine out to the big & beautiful American Basswood in the front yard and try to stay upwind while I clean it out.

JP

[RicodJour]

There's that anecdote about Toshio Odate - there was the usual milling about before the seminar started. He walked in quietly without saying a word and started laying out and cutting a complex joint. Finished it, snapped it together and the crowd, which had grown quiet as he started working, stood in awe. No explanations or descriptions necessary - do what THIS guy does! Or at least try to.

That's an entirely different ballgame than the taped stuff you see on the tube, where they film it until they get it right, or leave out the "oops!" When you see Frank Klausz's videos, you _know_ he gets it right on the first shot, then the film crew sheepishly asks him to do it again as he went too fast to capture it on tape, so he does. No performance anxiety there.

I always have 100% confidence at the outset, which decreases the more I think about it, then increases as the project turns out well. Sometimes the task at hand doesn't cooperate, but that's the task's fault and I don't let it affect my confidence! I try not to let my thinking get in the way of my mind. ;)

R