Summer Projects - Outdoor Living!

Sweet summer is here. The days are long and warm. How, oh how, does a woodworker spend his time? After all the summer chores are done, I like to turn my attention to woodworking projects that reflect the glories of the season. Here are some summer project ideas for my fellow woodworkers.

Porch swings, chaise lounge chairs, and wooden benches . . . patio and yard furniture are useful, fun (and quick) to build, and can really set off a yard.

A bird house. If you have kids, this is a great project to involve the kids with. They will have a ball, you can teach them a bit of the craft, and it occupies some of that time they have on their hands. Of course, when I say bird house, I mean four stories of architectural wonder for our fine feathered friends.

If you have the yard space make a gazebo. This is the sort of project you can tell your wife that it is 'for her'. Add decorative touches and planters and such things and the female in your life will be grateful that you made her such a beautiful gift. As a bonus feature, a gazebo needs some patio furniture!

Another project with and for the kids is a tree house or play house. Just check for local by-laws and restrictions first. It would be a shame to build a beautiful tree house and then be forced to tear it down by a regulations addicted city council. It would also break the kids hearts. Permits are cheap, do it right and get one.

Of course, now might be the best time to finish the winter project that got set aside :).

Finally, if you are anything like me, one of the best parts of woodworking is shopping for tools. Visit our store Woodtoolstore.com and have a great summer and build some great summer projects.

The Most Important Tool

One of the most common questions I get asked by friends, work associates, and fellow woodworkers is, 'What is the most important tool for a workshop?' It really is a good question. For someone who is just starting a woodworking shop, or is looking to upgrade some tools it is good to know where to invest their money.

By far, the most important tool for any workshop is the table saw. There are very few projects that do not go through the table saw. Of course, the table saw is one of the biggest ticket items for the workshop. If you can't afford a table saw you can sometimes make do with a circular saw and a cutting guide. But, this is really just a poor substitute that can only do half of the things you need it to, and it does those poorly.

After the table saw, the most important tool you can own is a good router. Preferably, with a router table. The router can be used to cut dadoes, substitute as a jointer, function as a circle cutter, and about a thousand other jobs as well.

Finally, I don't think I've ever made a project that didn't need clamps. I use clamps to hold pieces while I work, I use them in dry fitting, I use them for glue up, I even use them to hold other tools out of the way some times. I don't think a woodworker can have too many clamps.

With these three item, a table saw, a router, and a good selection of clamps, any decent craftsman can get to work.

Summer Jobs

Let's face it, as woodworkers, we sometimes do jobs that aren't exactly fine furniture projects. Sure, we would all love to spend every minute crafting some marvelous piece, but the reality is that projects come up that are more along the line of construction than woodworking. I call these jobs instead of projects. They are jobs even if they are something I need to do around the house. Just because I'm not getting paid doesn't mean I don't consider it a toilsome grind . . . that is to say, a job.

So, what job is on my mind? Re-roofing the garage. The shingles are a mess! I would love to hire an outsider but, why pay for someone to do what I, myself can easily do. Roofing is one of those things that crosses my mind every time summer rolls around. I don't know why. It just seems that as soon as the weather heats up my eyes start traveling to rooftops.

I don't want to do the garage. No one ever wants to climb up on a roof and toil away. Yet, what better time is there but now. Plus it gives me an excuse to buy another tool. There is a very nice Air Coil Roofing Nail Gun on sale at the store right now as part of the summer promotion. I wonder if they put this on sale just for me. Everyone at Woodtoolstore.com knows that I need to do the garage. Are they helping me out? Or, are they just tempting me?

Anyway, summer is here and that means all sorts of jobs are rearing their heads. How about you? What nasty jobs do you have to do?

Summer Sale

Father's day has come and gone. Things were busy over at the store. Tools make such great gifts for Dad.

However, with the passing of Father's day, summer has arrived. That means we are beginning our summer promotion. Go visit Woodtoolstore.com for great prices on woodworking tools.

The Metric System and the Woodworker

The metric system . . .

There are only three countries in the world that don't use the metric system Myanmar, Liberia, and the United States. An odd group of countries to say the least. I'm not overly concerned with the first two. No offense, but they don't land on my woodworker's radar. As a wood worker what I am concerned with is the American reality. America being non-metric has significant ramifications for woodworkers.

Now I have to say, I get the metric system. I understand, I really do. It is a far, far superior system. It is better built, it is easier to use, it makes more sense, it makes math easier, it makes all the sciences easier. It is certainly far less confusing.

The first problem is, I think in both systems. I measure height in inches and feet not centimeters but big distances come in kilometers (unless I'm on the farm where the roads are all 1 mile apart). I have no idea what a pint or a quart are; litres and milliliters are so much easier. I go for pounds before kilograms, I go either way with tonnes and tons, but absolutely I prefer grams before ounces . (I mean who thought it was a good idea to have ounces be a measure of weight and volume then make cups and pounds have different totals of ounces in them.) Fahrenheit is a ridiculous joke compared to Celsius. Yet, I'll take an acre over a hectare (heck I had to look up how to spell hectare). It causes no end of confusion in my life. Fortunately, almost everyone around me is in the same boat of split system thinking.

The second problem, and the one we as woodworkers need to deal with, is the fact that our profession/hobby is in the midst of system crossover. It has been years since I have seen a 3/4" sheet of plywood that was in fact 3/4". Now I wouldn't mind as much if it actually said 19mm (or whatever it is), but it is always labeled as 3/4".

I find that many of my tools are no longer the appropriate size. For instance, I can no longer use my router and 3/4" bit for making dadoes. Even my dado cutter needs little cardboard spacers to make it work. I've run into off sized dowel pins, I've had wrong length screws.

Maybe I am just complaining here, but I just find it to be annoying. There is no easy solution here. The whole world is not going to revert to an archaic and inferior system just for my woodworking convenience; nor would I want them to since I like the metric system in general. More and more, we are going to see imported tools and wood. Thus, an American can't just sit isolated. American wood workers using one set of items the rest of the world another. America seems to have decided that switching is just too hard. Suggest to your average American that they should just swallow the pill and make the switch and you will near get shot. I really don't want to carry two complete sets of tools. Help!

What is a woodworker to do . . .

Cutting Dados

Every woodworker, at some point builds 'cabinets'. They may not be true cabinets, but the follow that same basic process. They might be built in units, bookshelves, armoires, or actual cabinets. In any case, the heart of the process is pretty much the same - build a box.

These boxes are all built with the same techniques. They may get dressed up very differently but they start the same way. The root of this box construction is the dado joint. For those who don't know what a dado is, it is simply a groove cut into your stock that receives another piece of stock. A dado needs to be straight, square, and precisely the right width.

Over the years I have used and continue to use a variety of methods to cut my dadoes. Depending on the project, different methods offer different advantages. I will go through the 3 most common methods I use.

1) Table Saw with a stacked dado cutter. A stacked cutter in the table saw works well. Essentially, you pile up several blades and chippers on the arbor of your saw (see my article on a cheaper alternative to an expensive dado set here.) With careful measuring and a few test passes you vary the head width until it is precisely the width of the stock your work will receive. This method works well with pieces going through the saw lengthwise. Most cupboard size cabinets are easy enough with this method. However, I have always found it awkward to cut dadoes perpendicular to a long piece. Bookshelves are a good example of long narrow boards that are difficult to cut this way.

2) The stacked dado on the radial arm saw. Built in the same manner as with the table saw, putting the dado head cutter on the radial arm saw is the opposite component of that method. The radial arm saw is fantastic for cutting dadoes across a narrow but long piece. The drawback is that it has a limited cut length.

3) For those without the radial arm saw or even a dado head cutter, there is always the go to tool of the workshop - the router. The router is the most versatile dado cutting tool of all. It easily makes stop dadoes (dadoes that don't reach the edge), and can be quickly set to cut any depth. The use of a clamp on straight edge and some very careful measuring produces excellent dadoes.

There is a drawback to the router though. When I was younger, all wood was precisely the same width. Plywood came in 3/4, 1/2, 5/8, etc . . . this is no longer true. In recent years the thicknesses have started to come slightly undersized. I suspect this is due to the influence of the metric system. This does, however, leave us woodworkers with a problem. If we use our 3/4" router bit to plow out a dado, then it will be slightly too large. There are really only three solutions: go buy a metric router bit, if you can find one; or make two passes with an undersized bit. The first is difficult to do because the bits are difficult to find. The second requires an enormous amount of care and precision. The third solution is to cut a dado undersized and then trim down the stock going into the dado much like a tenon. Since this is sometimes done anyway, it can be a simple process, however, when it is unnecessary it can be a tiresome amount of extra labor.

Those three methods make up about 95% of the dado I cut. There are some other ways, including the old fashioned chisel, but these are so rarely used that I don't think they are worth detailing.

Good Woodworking.

Lathe: toy or tool?

Alright, I admit it, more often than not when I use the lathe it is more of a toy. The call for turned pieces is rare for most woodworkers. sure, there are some folks that specialize in turning, but that is not me.

Most of my projects are cabinet pieces. Bookshelves, wall units, entertainment centers, heck even furniture pieces like hutches and dressers. All of these tend to follow the more box-like construction of cabinet making. Even my fanciest projects (I'm about to start on a grandfather clock) rarely use the lathe.

Not that I never use the lathe. I've had projects requiring at least some turning. I'll often throw in a turned element to dress up a project. For example, I usually turn the upright on the armrest of benches and seating. I once made a deacon's bench where I turned the uprights to match the stair posts in the clients home.

By for the most fun project I have ever had was for the Government of Alberta. I replicated two copies of the official mace of Alberta for their information services and mock parlament. Of course, this project had all sorts of unique and challenging components, but a big part of it was turning the maces. It was a great job! I loved every minute.

These sorts of projects, though, are the exception. In spite of this, if asked what my favorite woodworking activity is . . . I will invariably answer that I love to work on the lathe. I know this to be true for many other woodworkers too. My father, for one, loves his lathe; though he rarely needs to use it. There is just something about turning wood that calls to the craftsman. How about you? Is the lathe a toy or a tool?

I hate computers, I love wood!

So we had a disaster over here at the office. The computer we use for both the blog and for running the actual online store, Woodtoolstore.com, blew up. Quite literally, I was working on the site - adding items and bringing you more great tools at discount prices - when, pop, it sounded like a small handgun went off. Components actually exploded!

Why am I telling you this? Simple, as we were repairing (and replacing), the old machine I started comparing working with wood to working with computers. Now, I am a woodworker by trade, so I might be biased but wood is so much better to work with. Wood working brings joy to the craftsman. Sure from time to time you might get a little frustrated if you make a mistake, but that is the low end. Most of the time, wood working is producing a thing of beauty, and you can see the fine product slowly forming in your hands. Computers . . . well frustration is the de facto emotion! At best you are nervous that something is going to crash, at worst you see the blue screen of death and feel like tossing the infernal contraption through the window.

Looking inside the machine all I saw was a mess of wires and components. It was an ugly sight. By comparison, I relish the opportunity to peek inside a fine piece of carpentry. I love to see the structure and frame. I take joy in spying the tricks and techniques of another craftsman.

In the end, I need computers . . . I love wood.

From Firewood to Furniture

Every woodworker knows that finding just the right source for your wood can be tricky. The lumber store sometime just doesn't have what you want. Recently I had the most unusual experience.

I was at a relative's home. They had a big pile of firewood in the yard. We happened to be standing near the pile having a conversation but my eyes kept drifting to the wood pile. Finally he asked what I was looking at. In the woodpile were several huge logs, both long and wide, and even from the end cut I could tell the grain was spectacular. It was just another log to him.

In the end, I came home with some choice pieces of birch in my vehicle. I wasn't sure exactly what I wanted to do with them so they sat for quite a while in my shop. Eventually a project presented itself.

I had to make useable lumber from what was essentially raw timber. Of course, the first thing I did was reach for the woodworkers first solution. I made a jig. I made a jig for the band saw so that I could cut nice 5/4 and 3/4 stock off the logs - slightly oversized of course. Next I cut my edges on the table saw. Once I had my rough lumber it was a simple matter of running them through the planer and jointer to make some of the best birch lumber I have used in years.

Becuase I was working with the source material I was able to nicely bookmatch my panel. I also had more than enough material so I was able to waste some in order to get the angles on the grain just perfect. In the end I produced a fantastic birch piece with the best looking grain patterns that have come out of my workshop in a long time. There would have been no way that I could have produced the same result with store bought lumber.

Never let your eyes rest. You never know when you are going to come across your next piece of timber.