CPOworkshop.com Experience

[Bill]

didn't occur to me until today but it seems I be leaving some space between my 5 fir/pine running boards (2x8s) to allow for their expansion due to humidity and temperature. Please advise as to how much space I should leave. I would prefer to leave as little as possible.

I apologize if this seems petty to anyone. It seems like the closer I get to doing something the right way, the more nervous I get about it. When I was hammering in my wire staples this summer, I didn't catch my finger with the hammer until next to the last one! I didn't whimper, I forget the exact phrase I used. :)

Thank you, Bill

[Bill]

Among several I read, this was the most useful article I found:

guessed, with all the snow outside here in Indianapolis, that there was high humidity outside (currently-52%). But from looking at an annual chart, I see I was mistaken, it is just the opposite. I infer from the article to leave a nickel's width between each pair of 2by8s. Mike M., I hope they don't mean buffalo nickels. : )

Bill

[Morgans]

If you put them tight, I'll bet you a nickel that they will have more than a nickel's gap by the time 6 months goes past.

Hint: Framing grade lumber is 12% moisture, or higher. Wood in a heated and cooled space will easily get down to 9%.

[Bill]

Thanks for yet another lesson. In my case, the materials are in an attached garage, with big temperature swings depending on the season. I'm not sure if that fits your definition of a "heated and cooled space"? Put 'em in snug, huh?

Bill

[Morgans]

"Bill" wrote

Yep. It will still shrink in a garage.

[Bill]

Jim (I thought this post was a better place to ask my question, so Please ignore that I'm asking here too),

Did you use (soft) angle steel stock to make your own pieces? If so, it seems like hardening it would be necessary too, no?

Bill

[Morgans]

As shipped is plenty strong.

[Bill]

Recall my little project

not tried my router yet, I was thinking of getting a "piloted

1 1/2" flush trim bit" to trim my "running boards" to size--taking off very little of the ends of my twobyeights. I assume it may leave an even nicer edge than my circular saw did (too).

Rockler advises a router table for this bit. Is this a safe enough cut to do by hand? The wood is fir.

Thanks, Bill

P.S. The "Woodworking Shows" is coming to Indianapolis this weekend--should be fun!

[Larry Jaques]

Realize that SPF tubawood is more like 1-5/8" thick and get the 2" length cutter, Bill. Then clamp a backing board to the end for single-swipe trimming.

I do.

Don't get your hopes up, but have fun. (Pinch all the cute demo girls for me, will ya? I can handle the slaps.)

-- Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air... -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

[Lew Hodgett]

---------------------------- It's only a 1/2" dia bit.

Use in hand held all the time.

Lew

[Bill]

I'm not sure I need it this time, but I think I'd rather have the 2" one anyway.

Then clamp a backing board to the end for

Good idea--Thanks!

[Max]

Let me know if you get any tearout at the end of the "cut".

Max

[Max]

Pshaw!! The ad shows a 1 'foot' cutter height. No wonder they advise a router table.

Max

[Bill]

I won't get tearout because I'll have something clamped there to keep that from happening! :)

Has anyone noticed any good deals on bits at The Woodworking Shows that I should be on the lookout for? I think I'd like to get a small set of "round-over" bits. I am obviously not running a production shop, but I'd rather not buy cheap bits, or ones from Fiddler on a Roof if you know what I mean ("If I were a rich man..."). Which ones would you be buying (do you have a set in mind)? I think I better start investigating my choices before I go!

It may seem that I approach ww at a snail's pace sometimes, but at least it doesn't all show up on the same credit card statement! --I'm not sure I can afford to work alot faster. :-) I may start keeping a project/idea notebook (an idea that was suggested in the "Design" thread) to help me keep track of my project ideas. Think spring!

Bill

[Ecnerwal]

Just shop - don't sweat the pay to get in, pay to get out shows...you can usually do better on-line and miss the hype.

I suggest just buying bits as you need them - otherwise you'll end up with a bunch of bits you don't use. Or buy a set of "cheap bits" and see which ones wear out and replace those with better ones.

IMHO far too much money/effort is often spent on complex router bits to accomplish in one pass what can be done in 2-3 passes with simple bits in combination, on projects where 2-3 passes is not that big of a deal in the overall time, and time isn't money, but bits are.

While the true believers will wail that the angles are all wrong, for straight spiral bits, I veer into the metalworking suppliers to save up to 80% off (that does take a good sale) WW suppliers for what certainly appear to be the same bits (end mills, in metalworking parlance), and the angles work just fine for me. Pay attention to shank size ;-)

[Bill]

I enjoyed your post. I spent the last 2 hours or so comparing roundover/beading bits. Naturally, I ended up looking at Freud's 6 pc set for $109. Of course, just the 1/2"R bit is about $35, I think, and the set comes with the even more expensive 3/4"R bit.

As you suggested, I should probably just buy the 1/2"R bit I want now, even though I know I'll need some smaller ones in the future. Woodcraft has the set of bits I mentioned above. Now if they publish a WW Show coupon like Rockler did, for this weekend, then I'll be in business! At

25% off, I think I'd take the bait! : )

Bill

[Bill]

Yep, Rockler's 3/8"R roundover bit, for $30.99, less 25% off of that this weekend. That keeps me in my "comfort zone"--and is still a little high for one bit...lol. When I took a second look, I noticed Freud's 6 pc set only includes 5 bits--they counted a bearing as a pc. So it wasn't as great of a deal as I thought at first.

Bill

[krw]

MLCS recently had an email sale on 1/2" shank round-over, cove, and straight bits. IIRC they were two sets of four each (take your pick) for $30. I don't know how good these bits are but I figured what the heck. I've found other MLCS bits to be at least passable. The various e-tailers often have some pretty good specials for their spam victims. ;-)

[Lobby Dosser]

Was looking at some end mills just the other day for their intended use and a light bulb lit up that they looked just like spiral router bits. Do you have a particular vendor you recommend?

[Swingman]

I use end mills exclusively in my Multi-Router. I've found Travers Tool Co to have a large selection and the best service:

to choose from, so unless you know exactly what you want prepare to spend some time researching.