Posts Tagged ‘home and garden’

This one comes from my friend Greg the Who Dat from Lumberjocks.  He built this really cool table that can be extremely helpful in organizing the shop.  Not only does it sit flush to the saw, but it gives you a perfect extension for cutting large pieces of stock.  Now all it needs is a router insert plate! (but he has a seperate table)  Looks like he pulled out all the stops by using an Incra fence system.

I recently moved my table saw from one end of my shop to the other side and no longer had the nearby shelves where I stored my table saw accessories. I decided to build a storage shelf that would also act as a extension for my table saw top.
It is nothing fancy…just useful, and it gave me a use for the 3/4 sheet of ply and the maroon formica that has been gathering dust in the corner. The trim around the top is cumaru…hard as a rock…and the plugs are walnut.
I wanted something to hang the woodpeck “T- Square” on without scratching it so I drilled the springs out of 2 wire nuts and screwed them to the cabinet side.
It took about 3-4 hours to build it. I am now thinking I probably will build a face frame and some doors to keep the dust out.

Here is an interesting video review that is good to watch and re think some items no matter what your skill level is.  One of the best things about using Pattern cutting templates and bits is that they really make easy work of your woodworking projects.  I like templates because once I remove the stock, the router really makes me look good.  The key is having a good template.  Take your time when making your template and the output will be good.  If you rush your way through it, it will not.  If you are doing any type of production work, or selling a particular item over and over again, these templates can be a lifesaver.  They almost take your woodworking to a cnc type of production without the overhead of the unit.  Here is the video and a brief bullet type summary of that video.

• The bearing and the cutter are on the same side
• Good rule:  What the bearing feels, the cutter cuts
• The difference between a pattern bit and a flush trim bit
• Taping a template to the stock
• Rough cut the stock outside the line on bandsaw makes less work for router
• Clamp stock to template and bench or tape
• Set bit height in plunge router
• Using thicker wood then your bit height

Rockler Pattern Cutting Bits

I like looking at new and tidy offerings. I found this little gizmo from the folks at Rockler. It shows some very interesting items without having to go through the whole site. Of notable intersests were the outlet section. After the beating my wallet took over christmas, saving money is always a welcome sign. I also liked the kitchen pull out shelf kit in the top sellers section. I was thinking about adding that feature to a cabinet in the kitchen for a better garbage set up. Currently we use a bucket with trash bags and its not working very well. I did price some slide out kits at Lowes, but all you get is the hardware and no real directions on how to make the rest of the items you need.

The last step is the assembly.  Hopefully you will have figured out your joinery technique before you have even started to cut any stock.  I knew mine was going to be assembled with screws and glue.  Now I know that some of you die hard woodworkers are snubbing your nose at my choice but I do have a reason.  Originally I built the chairs with dowels which worked pretty well.  But, I had to ship the chairs whole and the mortality rate from Federal Express was enough to make your stomach churn.  You have to outsmart the guy working third shift who is cold and tired and really wants to go to bed instead of handling your package with utmost care.  So I choose to have the chair ship flat and have the receiptaint put it together themselves.

In order to dress it up a bit, I did choose to buy birch buttons, paint them and have them cover the screws.  This gives the chair a kind of a mission look, but it is better than looking at the screws in my opinion.  If the chair did not have to be shipped, I would go back to dowels and call it a day, but that is not the case and if you are thinking about selling some, you will have to cross this road too.

Table Skirt

The table skirt is basically a wood box with the table legs attached to the inside.  Very easy, very simple and quick to build.

Table Top

The top started out with a 30″ piece of Plywood, edged with a round over bit and then primed and painted.  This also is pretty straight forward.  Attaching the skirt to the top can be a little tricky, but again the name of my game is shipping the table, so I opted for these neat little 45 degree corners that I made on the miter saw.  Screw one end to the top and one to the skirt.  This allows seasonal movement and and easy assembly.

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.

Skirt to Leg Assembly

Placing the skirt and leg assembly

Clamping the chair for drilling the holes

A small cleat to hold the seat in place

Table Top with Artwork

Finished chair with artwork

Carved Chair back with name

I have always said that woodworking has really evolved.  In my humble opinion there has always been some “old school” woodworkers and there are “new schoolers” too.  I have some relatives that build kind of the old school standards, like paper towel holders and scounces.  This bores me to death to be quite honest.  I say if your going to be in the shop, make something that works for you.

This months deal is from Rockler, and its pretty cool because its useful.  Yeah I know there is still snow on the ground in most places, but hey that is when you get some good shop time.  A nice barbeque set really is very helpful when you are in the battle of the coals and raw meat.  This one I really like since it gives you a lot of the tools you really need and you get to brag about making the handles and take all the credit.  Having the ability to download the plan for free is a great thing too.  I can easily drop $50 on a decent set of barbeque tools so the $15 for the hardware is pretty slick.

Go directly to this Deal of the day here.

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

I have been toying with a woodworking business idea for some time now.  So I thought I would share with my readers.  Feel free to respond if you like.  I really like this CNC machine made by Rockler called the Shark.  It is compact enough to fit in my small space and do some really neat work.  My office is on the other side of the workshop, so the idea of me working on my computer on one side and having the cnc running on the other is appealing for some reason.

Woodworking businesses

2009 has been a tough year if you are in business, this year should be better.  If you are thinking about starting something I think this machine or one similiar can be very helpful.  Most woodoworkers tend to think old school when they want to start something up at home.  I say why not go out on the edge a bit and use the machine to create some buzz in the community and a little cash in your pocket.  About the only downside of this particular machine is that it does not do bigger pieces of wood, however you will have to shell out considerably more cash to make get a bigger size.  The next size up seems to be a 4 x4 sized machine but it seems the offerings are slim.  Shop bot seems to be the only one with a machine that size and its really not covered or presented that well.

Use this machine for:

• Making plaques
• Signs for garages (men’s toys)
• Kids items
• kitchen signs
• decorative art
• copies of photos

I have a few good ideas in my head.  If I were just starting out, I definetly would harness the power of Ebay to get started.  Ebay has spent gajillions of dollars on marketing and that makes perfect sense for someone who is just starting out.  Lots and lots of people go to Ebay looking for something unusual or custom made and you don’t have to drop a lot of money to get a website going.

Specs  You can see the Rockler CNC Shark or read further:

Improvements over the original CNC Shark:

• Twice the workable area
• Increased strength
• Includes updated version of VCarve software (5.0)
• Includes 1/2” Dia. V-Groove Router Bit
• Includes two Hold-down Clamps

Additional features:

• High speed traverse
• Less than .001″ resolution
• USB interface with removable memory card interfacee
• Includes mounts for a Bosch router (router sold separately)

Capable of interfacing with the following CNC programs:

• VCarve Pro
• 3D Cut
• Photo Carve
• BobCadt
• BobArt
• BobNestCad
• Mach 3
• Lazy Cam

MACHINE

• Travel: X: 24″ Y: 24″ Z: 4.25″
• High Speed traverse
• Bearings: 12 Precision Linear Bearing Guides (4 on each axis) that maximizes rigidity
• Resolution: less then .001 of an inch
• High Power Hybrid 1.8-degree steppers
• USB interface with on controller memory storage
• 24V Supply to provide full power to the steppers
• VCarve 5.0 program included (you can swap with BobCad 21)
• Rockler Holding Clamps included
• Rockler Router V bit included

This is the follow up for the router table that I reviewed here. I think that you will find that having a video can help you get a better idea of the features of the table and give you some more information. The fence turned out to be an interesting feature. I am going to post a separate video going over how it works and what makes it unique.

 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.

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