Year Long Hiatus

So, again, I forgot about this blog.  It has been nearly a year since I posted and I’ve done a little bit of woodworking and have purchased a few new tools.  I built some pegboard storage in the garage which helped out a ton with the clutter and being able to find tools I needed quickly.  I built four “bookcases” for use in a closet in my house.  I built them from 1x2s and 1/4″ plywood.  I will never do that again, but it was cheap and my closet is now organized so they at least serve the purposes I intended for them. I also built a tool bench which is now the home of a Jet JML-1014 Lathe I purchased from Craigslist.  I got a very good deal.  $250 for the lathe, some turning tools, an aftermarket chuck, and a ton of pen turning supplies.  The lathe was not in the best of shape, but I was able to get the rust off with some T-9 and got it running smoothly.  I had to buy a new tool rest from Rockler since the original one essentially broke off the second I tried to turn something.  Today I bought a Rikon grinder from Woodcraft for $99.  It was on a great sale which is currently good I think, until the end of the month.  I will be using that to sharpen my chisels.  I think the lathe was my only big purchase in the past year and I just bought it a few days ago.  I purchase a circle cutting jig for my router because I plan on building a Crokinole table at some point this year.  I also bought some new bandsaw blades.  What a difference good blades make.  They are Timberwolf brand and well worth the price.  I also upgraded to cool blocks on my bandsaw.  I purchased guide holders from Grizzly which they told me would fit my saw.  It turn out they do not make block holders that fit my saw so I had to modify them to make them work.  Three hours of filing later and they worked.  Cool blocks are definitely the way to go.  They are much quieter than roller bearings and are pretty easy to adjust.  My next few purchases are going to revolve around the lathe.  I plan on picking up Penn State Industries Wolverine knock-off sharpening system.  It will take the guess work out of sharpening chisels and is quite a bit less expensive.  I’m also picking up some DVDs from Tim Yoder the guy who did the TV show “Woodturning Workshop” which is probably the reason I wanted to start turning in the first place. (http://wtwtim.com/) His show is now off the air, but he has produced some DVDs some of which help the new woodturner.

Well, I suppose that is all I have to tell for now.  We’ll see how long I go until I post again! Take care and thanks for reading!

Current state of things

So, as I do with every blog I start, I tend to forget I have it and go long periods without posting anything.  Well, I was thinking about things and it just popped in my head that I had this blog and I felt I needed to post some entries and try to get back into it again.

Well, what has been happening since my last post back in August?  I finally purchased that Rigid table saw I had been considering for the better part of a year.  It’s a great saw, but was a little difficult to get tuned up just right.  I expected that for the price so I’m only complaining a little.  I got the saw back in October and really haven’t done much with it except tune it up.  I had to save some money to get a few more tools.

I recently picked up a set of 15 router bits from MLCS.  They aren’t the best quality bits in the world, but I feel it is a great starter set with more than enough to complete some nice projects.  For under $50 you cannot go wrong!

I think the major reason I haven’t done any actual woodworking is because of the weather and the trip the family and I went on during Christmas.  It wasn’t cheap to say the least.  And since my garage is not insulated (I live in base housing so I don’t ever plan to insulate it since I don’t own the home) it is very cold and I can only stand to be out there for about 20 minutes before I want to come back in.  I would say it isn’t very safe to work around power tools in a winter jacket!  Maybe next year I will invest in a propane heater and try to seal up the garage the best I can.

The major reason I finally made a post in this blog was because I just made a major tool purchase and the excitement may have triggered my memory.  I went on a trip last month that paid pretty well for me and it was money I didn’t expect to get so when I told the wife I was considering buying a new tool with the money, she gave me the green light!  That tool is the new Grizzly G0555LX 14″ Deluxe Bandsaw. I had been considering their more expensive models due to the fact that they had cast iron wheels, but when I saw this new model for a couple hundred dollars cheaper with cast iron wheels, I knew this was the model I had to have.  So for a little over $600, I will have an amazing bandsaw delivered to my door next week.  I could have purchased a few other tools with the same money, but a lot of the woodworking I am currently interested in will require a bandsaw.

I have a bedroom full of stuff that I plan on selling on eBay to get some other tools to include a drill press, miter saw, and possibly a jointer. I think those tools will essentially be it and I will have all the shop I will need. Well, for the time being anyway 😉

My first few projects will definitely be shop oriented.  I need to build some storage solutions as well as a workbench because it will be pretty difficult to get much done without one.  Then I really want to build about a million picture frames 😉 With the bandsaw, I want to build some boxes, puzzles, and I saw some really cool wooden locks I would consider building, too.  I’m definitely looking forward to building some projects finally and with March right around the corner, I’m sure the weather will be warming up and I can finally spend some time out in the garage without being too uncomfortable. I can’t wait!

Craigslist Chronicles Volume I: Thickness Planer

My first craigslist tool purchase concluded with a great experience yesterday afternoon.  On Saturday night, I checked my RSS feeds for craigslist and what do I see, but the exact bench-top planer I was hoping to buy for myself in the near future and it was listed at half the retail price!  On top of the great price was the fact that it looked in fantastic condition with the seller saying it had been used only once!  So on Sunday around noon I called the guy, his name was Russ, and he said it was still available and I could come out and take a look at it.  I told him I would be there around 3pm.  It took about 45 minutes to get out there, but the drive was really nice.  Russ lives in farm country so it was a bit out of the way passed the city limits.  When I got there he was out in his garage and I got to see floor model planer so I could see why he wouldn’t need the one he was selling me.  He confirmed my suspicions and asked if I wanted to see his shop.  We walk around the corner and he flips a switch and from where we stood looking to the back of his shop was about 30 yards of different tools.  Plus there was another thickness planer in there.  It looked like a Grizzly floor model.  I was very envious.  We talked for awhile and I found out he had been in the Air Force for about 5 years along time ago and had been stationed in Hawaii back then.  Tough break! 😉  Then he came back to Ohio and retired from what sounded like an electrical business of some sort.  Now in retirement he fixes tractors during the summer months and works part time for an auctioneer or as an auctioneer.  And of course he does woodworking.  He said he likes to make bowls and different kinds of furniture.  The property he owned was a really nice size, too.  Speaking of his property, after we loaded the planer into my vehicle he asked if I wanted some tomatoes. Weird… but it turns out that he has a descent garden and usually ends up giving away most of his tomatoes so he offered me some.  They were 100% organic and looked really good!  I got about 12 of them and they are ripening on my window sill as we speak!  All in all it was a very enjoyable experience and this will hopefully be the start of more good fortune in my craigslist adventures.

Oh yeah, I didn’t even talk about what planer I got!  Well, it was the Makita 2012NB 12″ Planer which normally retails for about $520-560 and I got it for $250! Nice deal, right?!  On top of that I got to enjoy and very scenic drive, free tomatoes, and good conversation.  Can’t beat that!  I went and did a more in depth inspection of the planer when I got home and everything looked really good.  It ran well when he fired it up at his shop so it was nice to have that piece of mind after opening it up and checking everything.  There was some pitch on the blades, but he told me he ran about 10 boards through it and I would say the amount on the blades is consistent with that many boards being run through it.  Another bonus was he included the dust hood addition which will make hooking up dust collection a breeze!

Overall this was a great experience and it feels good to knock off a tool from the list without breaking the bank!  Thanks for reading!

-Joe

Decisions, decisions…

I’m telling you, the more time you have to ponder and do research, the more you change your mind on what you want.  Of course I’m talking about tools.  Specifically table saws, but my research has permeated into other tools as well… I really wanted the Rigid 4512 table saw, but after more research and learning more about table saws, I learned there is a big difference between table mounted trunnions and cabinet mounted trunnions.  Apparently blade alignment is easier and more accurate with cabinet mounted trunnions and the Rigid has table mounted… sad face.  This “revelation” caused me to do more research and I am now looking at table saws from Steel City which are actually really great saws.  Unfortunately, they are a little pricey at the moment, but they have sales twice a year so I may be able to get the saw I want for around $650. This main table is cast iron with sheet metal wings.  For $100 more I could get the entire table in cast iron.   $750 would be a lot more than the $530 for the R4512, but I would be getting a better saw.  Well I’m not making any decisions until October and there is still a chance that something nice may pop up on craigslist so I’ll just have to wait and see.  It’s all about saving money and clearing out my garage and putting stuff on eBay to sell and hopefully get some additional funds to buy the other tools I need to really get going.  With money in my pocket I will have more flexibility and I’ll be able to jump at some craigslist tools when they pop up!  I was dead set on new tools at first, but I’m starting to come around ever since I started seeing some great tools for sale for great prices on CL.  If all goes well I could have a fully stocked shop by the end of the year!

Edge Jointing on a Router Table

Considering that I have a router table, I wanted to learn the best way to edge joint on it.  I probably won’t by purchasing a jointer for a long time so if the router table does a descent enough job then I won’t feel too bad about waiting to buy one.

Here is a great video I found that explains how to set up your router to joint some edges!

http://www.5min.com/Video/How-to-Use-the-Router-Table-As-a-Jointer-302212484

I’ll probably test this out on my next couple of days off on some scrap wood I have lying around my garage.  It seems, based on the video that having a straight bit with a bearing is the easiest way to line up your fence so I’ll have to see how it works out with a regular straight bit!

Also, here is a link to the article associated with the video: http://www.wwgoa.com/articles/one-great-tip/edge-joint-on-a-router-table/

Awesome Discovery: Harbor Freight

I’m sure there are plenty of people who know what Harbor Freight is.  I had never heard of it before except online as a inexpensive tool dealer so I put my name on a mailing list to get their flyer.  My in-laws were in town and my Father-in-law saw the flyer and wanted to go check the place out.  He had one about 40 minutes from his house in Wisconsin, but had never been to it, so he wanted to see what all the fuss was about.  So we both got into his van and drove down to Harbor Freight.  I was a little apprehensive because this particular location was in what I would consider a seedy location in town, but we pressed on anyway.

I am so glad we did.  When we walked in the store it reminded my of an auto parts store like Auto Zone or O’Reilly’s.  I was slightly bummed when I saw all the automotive  repair stuff, but as we ventured further into the store I saw more useful things to me.  They have great prices on tarps, I must say! Anyway, they had a descent power tool section.  Granted I probably wouldn’t buy any of those tools, except maybe the biscuit joiner, but that is a luxury item for me right now.  Where Harbor Freight shined for me was in it’s fairly extensive measuring tools inventory and their reasonably priced clamps!!!

I didn’t buy anything on this trip, but I will be going back soon to load up on clamps and get a few measuring tools that I don’t already have.

6″ Mortise Gauge – $9.99

12″ Quick Release Bar Clamp – $3.99

I don’t know what the quality of these tools are, but for the price, I’m willing to try them out.  Clamps were one of those things I was worried about spending hundreds of dollars on to get enough to build almost anything, but with these Harbor Freight clamps, I can get plenty of different size clamps for about $50.

Click the image above to visit Harbor Freight and hopefully you can find one in your area!

Thanks for reading!

-Joe

Tool Collecting: Building a Shop Slowly, But Surely

Like I said in my introduction, I purchased my first power tools about 7 years ago and have recently started buying tools again.  Since I cannot just go out and buy all the tools I need at once, I have needed to buy tools at a slow pace.  Besides the Skil fixed base router, Scroll Saw, and a cheap cordless drill, I did not have much.  I started researching the tools I would need and also weighed the prices and figured out what I should spend a little more money on, and tools I could buy that were a little bit cheaper.  Based on my research, here are the tools and serious woodworker should have in their shop:

• Table Saw
• Router Table
• Drill Press
• Dust Collection
• Planer
• Jointer
• Bandsaw
• Orbital Sander
• Chisels
• Drill+Impact Driver
• Clamps

I am sure the list could go on, but I felt these were the tools I should focus on getting.  My first thought when buying tools is price, then how much these tools actually weigh. Weight is an issue that will come into play when I have to move and I do not want to go over my weight allowance!

My current collection of tools are as follows:

• Craftsman Circular Saw
• Craftsman Orbital Sander
• Bosch Fixed Base Router w/ Interchangeable Plunge Base
• Grizzly Router Table
• Shop Vac
• Skil Scroll Saw
• Cheap Cordless Drill (Not Adequate)
• Skil Fixed Base Router (Not Adequate)

The main tool I need to get next is a table saw and I am looking a two contractor saws that might do the trick.  They are about the same price, have a reasonable weight, and should provide better cuts than table top saws.  One saw was from Porter Cable which appears to be unavailable to purchase online or at Lowe’s now so that one might not be considered now.  The other saw is from Rigid and is a 10inch 13 Amp saw which has a lifetime warranty and has a cast iron core which will provide a level surface to make some nice cuts. One bonus of this saw over what I knew about the Porter Cable is that it uses very little plastic so that makes one less thing that could possibly break. Once I get a table saw I need to consider getting a replacement blade right away as well as a zero clearance insert to make better cuts and improve the safety of the saw.  I will also probably purchase a dado set and zero clearance insert at the same time so that I can do some descent joinery.  I’ll also need to invest in some 1/2″ router bits, but I will probably buy those one at a time as needed for each project I build. I will also try to get the Oneida Dust Deputy system for use in dust collection so that I can prolong the life of my shop vac.

Other tools on my radar are the Skil 10″ Drill press, but I’ll need to build a table to put it on as well as an actual drill press table to take full advantage of the tool!  Then some where down the line, probably in 2013 I will purchase a Planer.  The one I’m looking at is from Makita and is in the $500 range.  It is a bench top model and from what I here, Bench Planers work just fine.  Jointers on the other hand need to be stationary and I am looking at a Grizzly Jointer in the $380 range. That is one area where weight is an issue, so I may just be satisfied with a Planer and just buy a few hand planes and attempt to joint the sides that way. I also would really like to have a band saw.  The only saw that I could see myself getting at this point is a 10″ benchtop model from Rikon. They also sell a base for it so it will almost be like having a floor model!  I will probably attempt to get a new cordless drill and impact driver soon after getting the table saw because of all the screws that I will be using to join wood together!

So these are my plans for right now.  More dreams than actual woodworking, unfortunately… I am sure once I get a table saw I will do some actual woodworking, but in the meantime, all I can do is save some money and plan my purchases wisely so I can get the most for my money.  If you have any suggestions, I would love to hear them!  Thanks for reading and have a good one!

-Joe

Introduction

So any new blog requires an introduction by the author, and this blog is no exception.  I have attempted writing blogs in the past, but none have really stuck around for more than a few months.  Hopefully this one will not follow the same trend, but I make no promises!

This blog, if you cannot tell, is about woodworking.  To be more specific, it is about my obsession with woodworking!  I actually have a slight obsessive personality and tend to dive head first into my hobbies.  Most of those hobbies die off as quick as they entered my mind, but woodworking has been an exception.  With that, here is my “real” introduction.

My first experiences with woodworking were shop/industrial arts class when I was in the 6th and 7th grades.  It was enjoyable to build things with my hands, but I was a little intimidated by the power tools we were using so I was a little timid in regards to pressing forward with woodworking.  Years later when I was in High School, I helped my Dad build a deck in the backyard which was fun, but nothing really came of it.  I was a teenager and did not have any real motivations in life besides sleeping, hanging out with friends, and playing guitar in my band.

When I was 21 I joined the military and with that came focus and motivation.  When I first joined I worked in aircraft maintenance which obviously required me to work with my hands.  The first year I was in I stumbled across a project that I wanted to build. The infamous MAME cabinet.  For those who are unfamiliar with what a MAME cabinet is, visit http://www.arcadecab.com/ for some examples of what I wanted to build.  I did a lot of research, which I tend to do when I become obsessed with something, and I decided to start buying the tools I needed in order to build my own MAME cabinet.  My first two tool purchases were a Skil scroll saw and a fixed base router.  Those initial purchases were as far as I got.  Lack of money and certain personal issues that I won’t go into here did not allow me to continue with this project and the tools were placed in a box and not used for several years.

Fast forward about 6 years.  I met and married my wife, Angela, and life was good.  During our marriage I started thinking about a productive hobby that I could get into.  I hung up my guitar years ago so I needed something that would fulfill a need that had been empty for some time.  I am sure there were plenty of contributing factors that lead to my decision to step forward into woodworking, but I think the straw that broke the camel’s back was finding out that my wife was pregnant with our first child and I wanted to have something that my son could be proud of.  My only other hobby was playing board games (www.boardgamegeek.com) which is a great hobby to have especially for families.  It is a hobby that I will always have, however it wasn’t scratching the right itch.  Like many years ago when I saw a MAME cabinet project and was inspired, this time I saw a Crokinole board (http://www.crokinole.com/) and was inspired.  I did a lot of research again and found out I needed all sorts of tools that I did not have.  Within that research I found how much I would enjoy building all sorts of things.  My wife mentioned building a toy box for my son which really lit the fire for me.  I could build things with my hands that others could use and possibly admire.  The only downside was how expensive tools are and when it comes to tools, or anything for that matter, I don’t like being too cheap and getting stuff that will either break or not work as well as a more expensive tool…  That’s where I am today.  I’m in the military and I honestly do not make a lot of money.  On top of that I have a family to provide for so I have to be patient and save money before I can buy tools.  Also, to make matters more difficult, I have to consider the weight of all the tools I purchase because I could move at any time and I have certain weight allowances that the military is willing to pay for.

I continue to do research and buy tools slowly. In future blog posts I will show pictures of tools I already have and the reasons why I purchased those tools specifically.  I will also discuss what tools I plan on purchasing next as well as how I plan on saving money in certain purchases and going all out on others.

Finally, the objective of this blog is to chronicle my woodworking obsession. At a later date I may be motivated to create a podcast and post videos, but in the meantime, I will be posting to this blog.  I think this initial post was fairly long-winded so I will stop typing your ear off.  Have a good one and thanks for reading!

-Joe