Archive for the ‘Articles’ Category

Cuttting Dados on the Router or Tablesaw

So your project calls for some precise dados to be cut.  Some are through dados and some are stop dados.  Having never cut one before, which tool do you reach for?

 The thought process:

Router:

Never having done this before, you will have to thing about what you need.  If you use the router, you already have one (assumption).  A straight bit will do the trick for the cutting portion.  What about a dado jig?  How will you guide the router?  Do you need to buy a jig or make it?  Do you have time to make one?

Once you have or make one, you need to practice using it.

 Tablesaw:

Do you have a Dado blade?  Can you afford one?  What is the best brand?  Is your saw big enough to hold one? (check your arbor length, a bench saw arbor are sometimes shorter)  How do I cut the stop dado on the saw?

 These are good questions.  Its better and easier when you already know the answers.  Deciding the first time is what takes all the research and time.  After that when you have the tools, you can easier figure out how you want to tackle the dado proposition on your project.  One of the things I like about the tablesaw, is that it is fast.  I can cut a groove or dado quite quickly.  But I love using my Router Table, and any chance to tweak or improve its capabilities is fun.

The last thought is of course budget.  If you think that you are going to cut a lot of dado’s then the dado blade on your table saw would most likely make the most sense.  If you are budget minded and the only project you may need it on is the one you are working on then the router may suffice.

It has been an interesting week in reference to router table insert plates.  Lots of questions and lots of comments on different types of plates.  One of the biggest comments has been why are router plates all different sizes?

I think the best way to describe it is money.  If a manufacture can make their shape conducive to their own brand they will keep you locked in as a customer.  What I mean is this, say you buy a router plate from Bench Dog and later on you want to upgrade to a router lift.  If you made your table, or bought a Bench Dog table, you would have to buy a Bench Dog Lift because nothing else will fit.  Its that simple.  Most guys will not start over.  It is similiar to computers.  I am a PC, but  I would really love a Mac.  Why, well to be honest PC’s kind of suck.  They are bloated with a pig of a operating system, they crash a lot, have all kinds of problems and are always being exploited by hackers.  But I am “all in” because of the software I need and use is not available on a Mac and starting over from scratch seems more of a pain than its worth.  There is also the money.  The Mac costs more than the PC and there you have it.  Back to the plates, is one any better than the other?  Nope.  Just know you may be committing yourself to a brand in the name of budget and time.

Last thought.  There has been a lot of questions abot aluminum verses phenolic or acrylic.  Aluminum plates are very expensive so does that mean they are better?  Not necessarily.  You will always have the guys that have to have the very best of everything so aluminum is great for them.  But what you really need to look at is what size router are you hanging from the insert.  You should never store your router on the insert in the table.  Most of us do and that is where the problems start.  After a while the gravity bandit comes and your insert is now not flat (acrylic or phenolic).  To complicate the matter, some people thing they need the big 3 1/2 HP router in their table. (cause bigger is better right..uh no) So they buy this monster 23lb thing and hang it on a phenolic insert and let it sit in the table for a year.  You guessed it, bad news for the insert plate.  Why in the world do you need a 3 1/2 HP router in a router table in the first place is beyond me.  You still can only shave off so much in a single pass unless you love the smell of burnt wood and dull router bits.  If power is your game, buy a shaper.

About four years ago I built this loft for my son.  He had the smallest room in the house and it has given him a lot more room.  Its kind of a cross from a giant tree fort and a stilt home built near beaches.

If you have a small bedroom and want to maximize your space, building a loft in your child’s room can be a great project. They are surprisingly easy to do and can be completed in a weekend. You will be amazed at the ton of room that you gain by not having a bed on the floor plan. Didn’t have one in college? Then the key to building one is planning. I am not talking about a glorified bunkbed, I am talking about a room defining space that will change your child’s bedroom

The key to preparation is looking at your room and figuring out what you have to work with. Do you have high ceilings? Is your closet internal or external?

High Ceiling Homes

Obviously, the higher your ceilings are the better your loft possibilities are. Standard 8 foot ceiling rooms are not conducive to building lofts. However in today’s building market 10′ and 12′ ceilings are becoming more and more common.

Closets

 A room with a bumped out or external closet looks like this. It creates a natural ledge on the top of it and has some room from the ceiling. An internal closet is just that, it fits inside the internal dimensions of the room. The closet is a great point to use for stabilizing your loft, we will discuss that later. The example shown here is with an external closet, in my opinion it is just as easy to build one for both examples.

In the last part of the preparation phase you want to note the closet style so that you can plan your posts. In this example two of the main posts actually attach to the wall next to the closet. Internal closets loft styles are free standing.

 

 

Preperation

The first step in building the loft is building the posts. Posts are easy to build and can be very simple in construction. If you have experience in woodworking, it will be even easier. All four posts can be built from two pieces of ply wood. You will want to rip the plywood into four even strips of wood to build a hollow box. The diameter is up to you, but the bigger the posts the more stable the loft will be. I kept my posts fairly big around 8 inches square. Do yourself a favor and buy the cabinet grade plywood at Home Depot or Lowes. This grade costs about $40 per sheet but it is worth it when you go to finish the project. You will use simple butt joints and you can screw them together. Make sure you counter sink the holes and then fill in the screws with either a plug or with wood filler. Take your time here, and sand them up real nice and clean. These posts are multifunctional, they will hold the electrical work that you run inside for the lights that shine up on the ceiling. When you are done with the posts paint them to your desired finish.

Bring the posts into the bedroom and put them in the approximate spots the will go to. You will then need to cut the two long support beams that connect to the posts. You can use any time of wood you like. If you are going for a rustic look, you can use 2″x6″ lumber. Make sure you do not get the pressure treated variety. When you have the supports cut, sand them, and then finish them with paint. Bring the supports into the room and get ready to install them to the posts.

 

 

 

 

Supports

This is really the trickiest part of the assembly since you will need some help holding the support up against the post. Use carriage bolts to bolt the support to the post. You may have to reach down into the post with your arm to attach the nut to the bolt. Once you have the main two supports bolted on, repeat the process with the two cross supports. You are basically building a big box, or something similar to a deck that would be outside your house.

While the unit is still movable move the loft into the desired position. If you are going to attach it to the wall through a closet you would do that next. For mine I went and bought 14″ carriage bolts and ran them through the loft post, through the wall and through a homemade washer. (A piece of wood)

Add the rest of the cross bar supports. As you add the supports the unit will get more stable. (and heavier) If your loft is free standing, use this time in the framing stage to access its stability. The bigger the posts are the more stable the loft. If it is not stable, add whatever bracing you need. (keep in mind the floor will add a lot of stability) The loft I made was 8 feet by 8 feet, so it was very stable because of the materials and the size of the unit.

Floor

Well it is the holiday’s and if you have some woodworking skills (and I assume you do) then putting them to work as gifts seems like a natural idea.  I originally started out making kids furniture to sell on Ebay (highly recomended by the way, so go ahead and steal that idea).  Of course this year we have a new munchkin in the family so it only seemed naturally to dust off the old kids chair project.  I use to make the chairs the hard way which is cutting all the sides and doweling them together and hoping it comes out flat.  I have (fnally) learned that this takes way too long to do and there is a different way to skin this cat.  This year I redrew the design to be cut on the cnc machine.

I had the CNC cut all the parts and it tool like 5 minutes and they came out perfect.  Next we rounded over the edges with a palm router.  Anytime you finish an edge, wood becomes furniture in my opinion.  I do realize that not everyone has access to a CNC machine, but if you do, this can be really fun.  Next up was some good old fashioned hand sanding.  I used MDF on this project.  I know what your thinking, it will break, or its cheap, or whats your problem?

Here is my reasoning, and it comes from making a lot of these.  First of all, kids do not weigh that much, so weight is not an issue.  If you use decent joinery along with glue, they really cannot break it.  I use to build the chairs and ship them out assembled.  They were made out of maple, which is about as tough as it gets.  Federal Express still managed to destroy them, so I switched to building them as flat stock with “some assembly required” (like the rest of the world)  Once you put it together, its amazingly strong.  I had the conversation of building it out of other materials, it went like this:

Maniac: maybe we should cut them out of plywood?  CNCoperator: You will spend forever filling the voids and somehow chinese plywood has infiltrated the lumber yards and its full of voids, you will have to sand the heck out of it and I know you hate that.  You could go with Russian Birch, but thats like $80 a sheet.

Maniac: How about getting some 12″ hardwood like poplar and cutting it from that?  CNCoperator: If you can find it, its not very stable and chances are it will split.  If you send it out west where the humidity is low, it will almost always split and then you have that to deal with.  Smaller pieces with intricate joinery always make for better stability, or you can use this MDF.

Maniac: How about some other engineered material?  CNCoperator: everything is so expensive are you sure you want to go that direction?

Maniac: How about if we make the outsides out of hardwood and the support pieces out of MDF to save money?  CNCoperator: Now your bugging me.

Maniac: Or we could use decent hardwood cut on the CNC from like 6″ pieces and then pocket join them together?  CNCoperator: not a bad idea but do you want to see all those holes?

Maniac: Or we could make it out of MDF.  CNCoperator: You drink too much coffee.

See part 2 for video of the CNC and of the finished product (gift).

Here are photos of the final assembly.  You can gather a lot of information from looking at the pictures.  The real fun is in the finishing artwork for your projects.

Do you buy reconditioned tools or does it scare you a bit?  Some people will not think twice about buying a used tool on Ebay, but stop short when buying a reconditioned tool new from a site or a retail storefront.  The funny part is, if it breaks you still have to take it to the same place to fix it whether it is new or used

Repairs to Routers

Most manufacturers do not do any type of repairs themselves.  In fact if you have ever had a problem, they usually state that they do not want you to return the item to where you bought it.  However that is what most people do if the tool is brand new and defective from the start.  Otherwise the rest of us are stuck with taking routers to a certified repair center for repairs.  This can be a good thing or a bad thing.  The good thing is that the tool now gets a thorough look over from the repair shop and is tested for proper functioning.  This does not happen in the factory.  The bad news is that these repair shops can be a bit pricey and then you have to neogiate with the manufacturer about who pays the bill.

Reconditioned

Here is what I like about reconditioned.  Most of the time, the tool is brand spanking new.  A good portion of the time you have a tool that had a very minor problem such as a bad switch or broken accessory and its repaired easily and quickly.  The best part is the tool is looked over and tested.  That means I know that someone has given it the green light and I can feel good that its going to run like its supposed to.  There is always the person that buys something and really has no idea how to run the tool, and returns it for some reason or another.  That tool cannot now be sold as new even though it works properly.  These are all good opportunities to save some money.

There a couple of places that sell reconditioned routers, usually you have to look around a bit since the offerings vary from day to day or week to week.  I like Tool King and CPO Bosch.

Tool King Routers

CPO Bosch

 By Jennifer Akre

Once you finish a cabinet remodel you still need to install the new cabinet pulls. There are a few simple tricks to use to ensure the job goes quickly, smoothly and will look great. So here’s a quick guide on how to install cabinet door pulls.

The first thing you’ll need to do is figure out just where you want to put up the new door pulls. Use a little bit of paste to tack the first cabinet pull up onto the cabinet door. You can adjust the pull up, down, left or right until it looks just right.

Now go to the furthest cabinet and stick up another knob in the same general location. Adjust it until it’s in line with the first handle you stuck into place.

Grab a chalk line and a buddy.

Snap the chalk line across the row of cabinets above and below the two knobs you stuck up with the paste. This gives you a reference point for the height of the door pulls. You won’t have to worry about them sitting uneven on the door fronts.

Now you can just measure how deep the door pull is from the edge of the cabinet and you have the measurements you need to install all of the cabinet door pulls.

Now you’ll want to construct a quick template so that all the pulls go up in the same location.

Grab a piece of wood and mark off the offset you just measured.

Drill holes through the wood that line up with the cabinet door pull and attach bolts.

Now you can take the template and hold it up to cabinet door. Stick a pencil through the door and mark the front of the cabinet.

Next use a cordless drill to put holes in all the cabinet doors at the same time. This will save you time from having to switch out between screwdriver and drill after each cabinet.

Once you drilled out all the pilot holes grab one of the bolts from the cabinet and use it as a test fit. Increase the size of your drill bits until you reach the size of the bolt.

Go back and enlarge all the holes to the same size.

Now you can put down the drill and switch to the screwdriver for good.

Slide each bolt through the back of the cabinet doors. Use the screwdriver to tighten the cabinet pulls to the door facing. You don’t want to crank down too hard on the screws you’ll risk stripping the screws and warping the door pulls.

All that’s left to do is clean up all the saw dust from the drilling. Just vacuum it all up and you’re finished!

Hopefully this guide on how to install cabinet door pulls will make your remodeling job a little easier. These are but a few tips to make the job go smoothly. Just snap a few chalk lines make a template and you’ll have new cabinet pulls up in a few short hours.

Author Jennifer Akre is an owner of a wide variety of online specialty shops including that offer both items and information on how you can easily furnish and decorate your space. Whether it is knobs for your bathroom or cabinet hardware for your kitchen there are many tips you can use to make those spots both functional and beautiful. Click today and indulge your senses.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jennifer_Akre
http://EzineArticles.com/?How-to-Install-Cabinet-Door-Pulls&id=2557483

By Woody Samuals

Router Bits – Defined as “a cutting bit used in a router”, these multi-tasker tools are a very important part of our lives. You may scoff at such a thought, but consider the number of things in our lives that we come into contact with everyday that a router bit has touched… CNC router bits are used for the sign on the front of your workplace and the numbers or name on your mailbox, stile and rail router bits are used to make the windows of your house, and dovetail router bits are used to make your dresser drawers. Router bits have been used in some kind of mechanism used to create a high speed spinning action for many years, but it was only recently that routers and the router bits that are designed to be used with them came together in a marriage that has made this tool combination so useful to the woodworking tools craftsman of today.

Typically made of HSS, or high speed steel, router bits are designed to withstand very high temperatures and still maintain a sharp cutting edge that enables the router bits to glide through the material it’s cutting with relative ease. Most routers and the router bits they use have recommended RPM ratings to help insure tool longevity and safety to the user. Carbide tipped router bits have the cutting surface covered with carbide, and some router bits contain no steel at all being made completely of carbide. These carbide router bits are slightly more expensive than the traditional HSS router bits, but offer a longer, sharper tool life and are designed to be used when cutting composite woods such as MDF, plywood, and other manmade materials.

It won’t take long to realize that there is no shortage of router bit manufacturers to choose from, so how do you know which one is right for you? Some of the best known names in the industry such as Freud, MLCS, CMT, Amana, and Jesada were put to the test and the results may shock you. In all, 17 different company’s router bits were put to the test known as the Router Bit Matchup. When the sawdust had cleared, Whiteside Router Bits emerged the winner proving to stay sharper, longer and producing the fewest imperfections in the material used for the test. For full details on this test, search “Router Bit Matchup, Whiteside” on your search engine.

Whiteside router bits is a small, 30 year old company located in Claremont, North Carolina. Featuring over 300 different styles of router bits in just about any size requirement, Whiteside router bits is a great choice for the beginner hobbyist or the experienced craftsman. Whiteside router bits are made in the USA and offer the perfect tool for any woodworking project you may be working on.

Once you decide to try Whiteside router bits, you will need to find a dealer who carries the Whiteside product line. There are a few local stores who may carry a limited selection of Whiteside router bits, but for the best selection and pricing, the Internet is the best place to shop for your router bits.

You can also find more router bits and router bit sets here.

Woodshed Tools, Inc is proud to offer Whiteside Router Bits. We offer secure purchasing, great customer service, and the small company attention for your big company needs. For more information about Woodshed Tools, Inc or to browse the entire Whiteside Router Bits product line, please visit http://www.woodshedtools.com or http://www.router-bits-shaper-cutters.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Woody_Samuals

http://EzineArticles.com/?Router-Bits&id=341179

By Ken Schulte

Everyone that is interested in woodworking wants to make something that makes others say ‘wow”
A router table adds a new dimension to your woodworking because of its amazing versatility. For such a simple concept, a spinning blade, the router table has so many different profiles.

I have always said that when you put your project on the router table it is wood, when you take it off, its furniture.

Here are the top reasons why you want a router table in your shop.

· Amazing versatility

· Versatile edge profiles

· Template following capabilities

· Dado and groove cutting

· Raised panel doors construction

· Precision joinery

· Rounding over wood

· Tables available in Large and bench top sizes

· Tons of accessories are available

· Router bits are available for almost anything

· You can make your own router table, but not your own table saw!

Just think, if you bought a 50-piece router bit set and brought it home, you could literally do 50 different types of cutting. That’s like getting 50 different machines in your shop.

Here are some cool things you can do with “unique” router bits

· Glue Joints

· Mortising

· Lock Mitres (for strong joints)

· Architectural moldings

· Stile and Rail joinery

· Box joints

· Panel raising

· Tongue and groove joints

· Finger joints

· Laminate trimming

· Face framing bits

· Dovetail joinery

· Sign making

· Rabbets

· Biscuit joining

· Slot cutting

· Round overs

· Fluting

· Multi beading

· Picture hanging bits

· Mullion cutters

One of the better aspects of routing on a router table is the ability to attach a dust collector to your router fence. I personally like a portable dust collector that is dedicated to my router table. If you can split the dust hose using a “T” you can collect dust at the router fence and again at the bottom of the table. This keeps your shop clean and organized.

There are so many accessories out there, it can boggle the mind. You can find almost anything for the most demanding project. With so many accessories available, I find it valuable to have a router table cabinet with drawers. Under the table portion of the cabinet is open so the router can breathe. Underneath I like having two drawers that keep all my router table items in one place. I could never keep all the little knobs, allen wrenches, collet wrenches and speed controls, to name a few, all organized. Imagine how easy it is with a couple of drawers to help you keep it all together.

So how do you learn more about your router table? You read, read and read some more. Thanks to the Internet, there is so much out there (for free) that you can learn. Hopefully this article has inspired you to go out and buy a router table and make something amazing.

If this article has inspired you, you may want to learn more about what type of router to purchase when you set up your router table. There are a lot of choices out there and the Internet can either help you or confuse you. I will be posting another article on this very subject.

Ken Schulte is a contributing editor to Router Table Depot. You can find other articles directly related to woodworking with routers and router tables at http://www.routertabledepot.com/Articles.html This site is dedicated to woodworking with router tables. Inside you will find not only lots of products to choose from, but extensive resources to extend your workshop knowledge.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ken_Schulte
http://EzineArticles.com/?Why-You-Want-A-Router-Table-In-Your-Woodworking-Shop&id=369924