Rediscovering the Wheel, repeatedly

[Greg Guarino]

My recent flurry of woodworking has required a lot of head-scratching and problem solving; the work isn't intricate, but there's a lot of it to do and my experience is limited. I'm trying to be careful and efficient. Along the way I have made certain discoveries that I'd like to share. The reactions to my "discoveries" usually fall into two categories:

1. Yeah, people have been doing that since 1942 (or 1492)
2. No, that's really *not* how it's done.

So here goes:

**The Disposable Work Surface These bookcases are my largest project to date, and my bench is too small for it. I made a table from sawhorses, 2x4s and a couple of pieces of MDF. It's a lot bigger than I'm used to, and I've been keeping it uncluttered as well.

'm finding the "sacrificial" nature of the table a great boon. Besides allowing me to screw down the dado jig to make it stationary, it has spawned a couple of my other discoveries.

**Poor Man's Bench Hold-Downs I had to rout out some long rabbets to receive the backs of the bookcases. In the past I'd probably have struggled to clamp the piece to the edge of the work surface without the clamps getting in the way of the router travel. But hey, it's just a piece of MDF, so...

some quick work with a hole saw and a couple of QuickGrips and voila! Quick, secure and out of the way.

**Extra Surface for Router to Ride On Since I could clamp the work so that all of it was on the table, I was able to clamp another strip of 3/4" ply parallel to and a couple of inches away from the work piece:

don't know if steadier hands would need the extra slat, but it made me feel much more secure to have a surface for the other side of the router base to ride on.

**Mounting Guide Blocks and Strips on the Work Surface

clamped down a couple of plywood slats to help with the dry fitting, and it got me thinking. I could dry fit and square up a unit, then screw "guide" pieces into the work surface that would help me get back to that same successful alignment quickly during glue up. This sounds promising, especially as glue-up (especially of a number of joints at once) tends to make me anxious.

That's it for now. But never fear; the project isn't nearly done yet.

[Lew Hodgett]

------------------------------------------------------ There are usually lots of solutions to a problem.

What ever floats your boat.

Have fun.

Lew

[Swingman]

if the opportunity presents itself to rebuild another wheel:

I probably have access to more used doors than you do, but even a cheap hollow core door from the Borg will cost roughly the same as MDF, will most likely be lighter and stronger, and has a better chance of being/staying flatter:

As a sacrificial table for cutting sheet goods:

an assembly table:

many projects a 24" door is ideal because it is easy to clamp from both sides ... they also store easily in your sheetgoods area/rack.

[John Grossbohlin]

A viable solution... I'd make sure that the work surface is not twisted though. The floor upon which the saw horses sit may not be flat and their could be variance in the sawhorses and 2x4s that result in a non-flat work surface. Being level may or may not matter but being flat does if you are using it as a reference surface. Shims or trimming can be used to true up the surface...

I mention this as an associate of mine made a similar workbench to build a relatively large cabinet. When he was done the cabinet was twisted and didn't fit the "hole" where it was to be installed... the problem was traced back to an untrue work surface.

John

[tiredofspam]

Greg when you get a chance you may want to countersink your jigs screws. You will find that you will keep your jigs, and screws sticking up will scratch your good wood when you are not paying attention. So glue and screw, but keep them out of the way.

Welcome to the world of woodworking. A thousand ways to do something, and a thousand ways to screw up too.

Choose the right one, and nirvana, choose the wrong one and learn. Make the same wrong decision over and over and we've got a letter for you...

[-MIKE-]

Next time, try melamine. Glue doesn't stick to it and it's white, so it reflects light making it easier to see stuff.

As to the rest of your post. I'm finding with the more woodworking I do, I enjoy the satisfaction I get from the problem solving and creating solutions for increase efficiency, accuracy, etc., as much, perhaps more at times, than the satisfaction of seeing a completely project. Maybe it's human nature to seek fulfillment in shorter intervals than what would only come at times when an entire project in finished. I don't know. Maybe it's pride and/or stubbornness that makes a man want to solve a problem on his own and not look to another for the solution. That certainly wasn't me in high school. :-)

You may have found yourself on a fun path of making all your own jigs and fixtures... which, again, is often more enjoyable than the actually project you're working on. It's a fun path and a stimulating path for your brain. Some people like to read a book or two a week. I like to create/invent/solve a thing or two a week. :-)

[-MIKE-]

I have 3 of those hollow, hanging, closet doors left over from our bathroom remodel, standing in the corner waiting to support my current bookcase assembly. They did not go in the Bagster. :-)

[Swingman]

Absolutely true, and very well expressed!

Notwithstanding all the furniture and cabinets I've built down through the years, if someone asked me what I considered my best work, it would probably be some damn jig I cobbled up to solve a problem in the most elegant way possible.

IOW, to design this:

do this with to utilize an available tool:

infinitely more satisfying than building any number of chairs and bar stools.

:)

[-MIKE-]

That looks like one a guy can work with in place.

[Swingman]

[Swingman]

BTW, because it attaches to the back end of the table itself, and as long as there is nothing (like a necessary fence part/bracket) there to impede installation, I see no reason why it can't be made to work on a table saw with a good cast iron top.

I no longer use it, but have promised it to Pat Barber hereabouts a few years back, that is when either of us get the time to address it, and do all that is necessary to ship it.

AAMOF, I bought it ten years ago from another old time wRec'er from San Antonio, Preston Andreas.

[Amy Guarino]

The MDF has performed well for what I have done so far, and the "clamping through holes" method wouldn't work very well on a hollow core door. But I have been thinking about how to do the glue-up, and "flatness" will become an issue then. I suppose I could buy a door for that purpose, but I have very limited space to store it afterward. It would have to be a pretty big one too, as two of the units I'm building are 30" wide. I'm still tossing it around in my head.

[Swingman]

No sympathy whatsoever ... if you're shop space is smaller than mine, it is illegal to call it a shop.

[dadiOH]

Got a floor?

[Dave]

You're a homebuilder. Surely, you must have some bigger location you use to stage your projects???

[Swingman]

Nope ... except for two years while I rebuilt it after it flooded one too many times, and I moved it here temporarily:

is not much bigger ... the first link above has been the shop I've built everything in for 12 years.

It ain't the size of the dog in the fight Bubba. :)

[-MIKE-]

>>> That's not a workshop, that's a storage shed filled to the gills.

But it would certainly be a lot less frustrating and more efficient to have more room. I get so sick of moving everything in and out and around, just to use another tool.

Then there's the fact that the shop doubles as my "ready area" for gigs. It's near impossible to have music and woodworking projects going at the same time. If I ever get to the point where I have plenty of room for both, I'll probably get cancer. :-)

[Mike M]

>>>>> That's not a workshop, that's a storage shed filled to the gills.

Don't say that, I finally doubled my shop size to 960 sq'. It's nice being able to move around with out banging into heavy iron. I can use any tool now with out having to rearrange the shop. I even have an easy chair to take a break in.

Mike M

[-MIKE-]

>>>>>>> That's not a workshop, that's a storage shed filled to the gills.

All you need is a mini fridge and kegerator.

[Richard]

>>>>>>> That's not a workshop, that's a storage shed filled to the gills.

My old shop was 1450 square feet. The house was 1300. Get your priorities in order!

When you stick the wings on, they take up a LOT of room.