Tag: planingvssanding

This Episodes Questions:

Brian’s Questions:

I know planing before face jointing is sacraledge but I was recently visiting with an older experienced wood worker who noted he never face joints. Planes both sides then edge joints and it’s fine.

Thoughts? Thinking if you want it dead flat perfect or board is not great to start with jointing certainly makes sense. But anybody just plane it? Perhaps starting with a decent board it would work for most applications?

My 20” planer is a breeze to put wood through, the jointer is great but takes more effort/time if it’s not needed would be a nice step to drop.

Curious on your thoughts, Matt Wendig

I’m preparing to build a set of kitchen cupboards from white oak. The style will be Mission, with some Frank Lloyd Wright Prairies Style touches. I have several questions.
I need to cut up a lot of 3/4″ plywood. I have a good track saw and a cabinet tablesaw with side and outfeed tables. When watching videos of some people constructing kitchen cabinets, I’m surprised that they cut the sheet goods with the track saw but then cut them again, to final size, on the table saw. I imagined myself using the track saw only—to do very precise cuts to final size and not cutting the panels twice. What is your process? Any advice on maximizing my chances of getting near-perfect panels with the track saw only and avoiding the two-cuts process? Darrin

Guy’s Questions:

Hey guys, love the podcast. I’m making a screen door for the porch out of cedar that is 1.5” thick, 36” x 84” with 5.5” wide stiles and rails (top, middle and bottom). I have a festool DF500, if I used 10 x 50 dominoes for the joinery would that be strong enough or should I use traditional mortise and tenons?

I’ve read that cedar is pretty dimensionally stable. I was thinking about just staining or oiling the door (I don’t want it to turn gray) but does it need an actual topcoat to help keep it from warping? Just don’t want to use a finish that is going to flake off and I will have to sand and refinish every year or so. If it needs a topcoat could you recommend a finish?

Thanks,
Scott in Birmingham.

Throughly enjoy the pod cast. I am almost up to date on all past episodes and they hve been quite informative. Little back story on my question. Had a client contact me about repairing a dinning table they had built for their home. For clarity I didn’t build the table. The top is a solid wood glue up with breadboards on the ends. On one end of the top the breadboard sticks out about 1/16” past the rest of the top. On the other end 2 boards have a split between the glue line that stretches roughly 2 feet along their length. I’m sure it is from the wood contracting. Any pointers on how to repair the issue? I’m 99.9% sure the table top is made from southern yellow pine. It is stained with a top coat of poly acrylic. Robert

Huy’s Questions:

Hello guys,

I love the podcast and have learned a ton from you. Keep up the great work and thank you for your time.

I have a question on how you store your tools that require precision/calibration. Specifically, I have an Incra 5000 cross cut sled. When not in use, I store it standing on its side on the shop floor. Is there a better / more correct way? Similar question goes for any other shop made sled / jig that you expect to use over and over again. How do you store it?

Max
Greddie Woodworks

It was mentioned that one of you repalced the wheels on his band saw, do to it wearing out and it was a pain. I have bought a used 14 inch delta bandsaw, and I have no idea how to know if parts are worn out beside the obvious part being the blade. So how can I figure out parts are worn out, sources to shop for replacements ( no home depo in Okinawa) tips and or youtube videos on how to do these maintainance tasks? Oh and what you do to increase the function of a band saw, like would you buy a bow system fence for it?

Many thanks,
Paul Mitchell
Oki Mitch Crafts

This Episodes Listener Questions:

Guys Questions:

Hello Guy, Huy, and Brian,
Loving the content you guys are dishing out. Keep up the good work!

I have my sights set on a jointer in the near future as I would like to save time and energy squaring lumber. My preference up until now has generally been to buy new tools and the thought of refurbishing/repairing anything used has not appealed to me. However, the cost difference between a new/used jointer has me thinking differently. Also, the jointer seems to be one of, if not the easiest, of the big woodworking machines to refurbish given its simplicity. Correct me if I am wrong in this thinking. Curious to hear your thoughts if you think it is worth my time and effort to buy a used jointer or should I go new? What should I look for if I were to go used? I realize that moving a big machine like an 8″ jointer will be challenging, but I can easily get some friends together and rent a trailer to get the job done if the cost savings are great enough. Plus some beers and pizza for the helpers will help. Thanks! -John

Hey Folks,
Thank you for for the podcast. I love how quickly you jump right into the questions! Here’s mine: I’m building a set of screen doors for a cottage. The doors will be exposed directly to the weather in Quebec.
The doors will get a lot of abuse. They will close with a spring and slam frequently. The screen will run the full length of the door. I’m hoping to use a domino for the joinery.
3 questions: 1) what glue should I use? 2) what wood should I use? 3) How should I finish the doors?
Thanks ! Larry

Gentlemen,
First let me thank you for the podcast. I recently stumbled upon it and you three are now my regular company on my daily commute. Thank you! I consider myself a beginner hobbyist woodworker. My shop is the third bay of a 3 bay garage. My question is about when it is appropriate to use 3/4 inch vs 1/2 inch plywood. 3/4 inch plywood is so common, I wonder if it is needed as often as it is used? What kinds of applications need 3/4 inch plywood and what are some examples of when 1/2 inch plywood would be sufficient? I know that I am often guilty of over building projects and I suspect many woodworkers are. 🙂 Thanks for any information you can provide.
James Aydelotte

Huy’s Questions:

One more quick question, I’m working on getting into proper jointery. Is a nice hand saw worth investing in or is there an affordable option I can go with. I do mostly custom trim work but getting into more furniture grade work so it’s not something I will be using all day every day. Arntz Construction

Huy,

I am considering a clearvue and Oneida cyclone dust collector. I know you have the clearvue. What is your opinion of its performance? I have heard that it is very loud, what do you think? Thanks! Don

I’ve been doing more and more hand tool woodworking, so less and less dust-producing activities, but I still have occasion to use regular power tools for certain things. I’ve been striving to get better performance from my roll-around single stage D/C (with add-on cyclone pre-separator) and upgrading my hand-held power tools to ones with better built-in dust extraction… but there are still operations (edge cuts on the TS or with the router) that just spew crap everywhere. One area I need to probably do better on is wearing some sort of dust mask and/or respirator. I’ve avoided wearing them in the past, due to having a beard and knowing that masks get a very poor if any seal as a result. I’m considering getting something like a Trend AirShield (powered respirator / face shield), and was wondering if you have any other suggestions? Monte

Guy’s Questions:

Guys,
Recently I’ve been trying to expand my meager wood shop with budget friends older tools. (Most recently a delta x5 6” jointer to fix up and repaint for example).
What would you look for when shopping for a used band saw you’re hoping to re-saw with? Where do you look for parts for older/discontinued tools? Any advice on tools that are best to just buy new?
Many thanks, Dave

Can you share about your design process? My biggest challenge is coming up with designs or finding plans (or redesigning plans) that are going to come out terrific without being too far above my skills, the tools I have, or my available time. Do you ever make prototypes or miniatures first? Do you do your planning in Illustrator, Sketchup, Rhino or ? Or do you just make notes and sketches on paper? And where do you keep your notes so you can recreate the same results?
For context: I discovered woodworking during the pandemic and fell in love with it. I’m a senior woman and it’s a wonderful hobby for me (not a career or a side hustle). I’ll never make lots of the same item for selling, but making only one doesn’t work because I don’t get good at it until I make at least 3. Trish

Thank you so much for covering my question about building a Butcher Block. I was shocked that Guy could speak French!!! I should not be surprised as Guy is a French name (pronounced Gkee). However, I am not familiar with the expression he used, but he is excused since he prefaced it with “Pardon my French”. Guy, you are forgiven, but if you want to use some really good French salty words to punctuate a thought, I am here for you buddy. We frogs need to stick together. On a side note, I have another question. I would eventually like to purchase a drill press. I really like the Nova Voyager and its direct programmable drive. My question is, what is the advantage of a free standing vs a bench mount drill press. I can see the advantage of a bench mount as it can provide storage space below. But why would any wood worker prefer a free standing unit? I believe I saw in huy’s video he does have the Nova drill press. From Thailand, Bert Plourde

Huy’s Questions:

Hi guys! Thank you for the great podcast. I look forward to listening to half of your show on the coincidentally timed drive to our local Woodcraft, and the other half on the way home. You put out great information, and humbly have the best show out there.
I have a question about sanding mops, and don’t know if any of you have experience with them. I’m currently making a large batch of ‘Contemporary Door & Drawer Pulls’ based on Larissa Huff & Robert Spieces’s article in FWW issue #289. Using Walnut.
One of the last steps in the article says, “To further refine the shape, and give the pull a nice soft quality, we finish up those hard to reach edges with a flap sander in the drill press. This sanding tool gives the pull a wonderfully tactile feel…”
After looking at the sanding mops in the Klingspor catalog, I’m a bit overwhelmed by the many options.
I’m curious as to which grit (grits) you might suggest to get that oh so important ‘wonderfully tactile feel’. I also wondered if there is a particular manufacturer you’ve had success with.
Thank you for your help!
Kevin Long

Hey guys,
As a hobbyist I like projects where I have to figure out something new (but not too extreme).
Sometimes I will modify a plan to make it more functional, more interesting, or just so I don’t get bored. Most of the time I don’t regret it, but occasionally I do kick myself.
As professional woodworkers how do you balance the need to be efficient and the desire to be creative?
Thanks, Chuck

Hello gentlemen,
I am in the middle of a remodel that will finish with painting the outside. I am going to make shutters for the windows and would like suggestions on what wood to buy. They will be painted.
I live in California and won’t have woods like alder or ash or southern pine available. The most common outdoor wood around here is redwood but that is normally stained and not painted. Can you use softwood in that application? Would even pine work?
I would love your thoughts.
Thanks, Rick

This Weeks Questions

Brian:
Hey guys, I just discovered this podcast and have been thoroughly enjoying the episodes so far! I am a guitar technician by trade and recently started to build my own solid body electric guitar. I have been studying up on tool safety and learning proper technique, as a beginner I don’t want to develop any bad habits or unsafe practices. I used a router table when creating the guitar neck from a template, but if i’m being honest I am a bit intimidated by it and would prefer to start routing with a hand held router instead. As a guitar player and thumb wrestling aficionado, I would like to keep all of my digits where they belong! With that being said, I have a few questions I’d like to ask specific to hand routers:
      1.    When edge routing hardwood, is there anything I need to be aware of that would cause the router to suddenly jump or kickback? Can I do this with a trim router, or do I need a 2+HP router? I am using figured curly maple for the neck and alder for the body. Does that make a difference?
      2.    How much wood can I safety remove per pass? (The neck thickness is around 1” and the body thickness is around 1.75”)
      3.    Any techniques or advice on how to minimize chipping, tear out and router burn? i.e. speed of push, router bit speed
Jordan

What is all the fuss about french cleats? Have you guys used them in your shop? Are they the organizational panacea they are made out to be or is there a better way to use wall space to keep your shop neat and your tools accessible?
Evan

Guys Questions:

Hey guys, I have a question about finishing.
I am about to purchase a solid Mahogany entry door and I’d like to finish it myself. (Not so much “like” inasmuch save a grand) But I’m not quite sure what to use. I’ve asked professional painters and looked online but get a ton of different responses. I don’t really want to stain it but rather get a color from an oil finish like you’d get from waterlox or Odie’s. From all my research I’m leaning towards Total boat marine wood finish.
I live in the south suburbs of chicago and my door faces directly west. It is covered by about a 4’ over hang and I have a 30 year old oak in front so it wouldn’t see much direct Sun, rain or snow.
Hopefully you get to this in the next couple episodes as I think it’s about a 4 week lead time and we’re ordering it this week.
Thanks!
Kurt

Hi gentlemen,

I love your podcast! It really gets me through tough hump days at work and gets me excited to get back into the shop each weekend.
I typically create midcentury modern furniture or pieces that are unique and allow some creativity, but I’ve developed a side-side gig of cutting boards and such by request for business to business type orders. Recently, my day job (I’m in biomedical research) requested Missouri shaped plaques with logos and script for visiting keynote speakers. I’ve avoided the CNC and laser world as I prefer hand tool woodworking, but one or the other would be necessary for this project and presumably a great feature in the shop. I’ve done my research and still can’t decide.
This will be an ongoing order so I don’t want to be too cheap, but clearly not industrial due to space. What would you suggest? Diode seems limiting, but it would quickly pay off. CO2 sounds ideal, but pricey. CNC (Shark?) sounds more useful to my main hobby and I could cut out the state shape too. I usually believe in “pay once, cry once”, but this is a significant decision.
Deana from Pomegranate Studios

Huys Questions:

Hi. You have a great show. I’m ready to buy my first track saw and am looking at the Festool TS55. I’m looking for opinions on whether the cordless model is worth an extra $170 over the corded. In the shop with a dust extractor it seems like the cord is not much additional encumbrance. Outside the cordless with just the dust bag would be advantageous. Thanks, John

Hey guys, as always, I love the show and how you guys are able to provide excellent information from various perspectives. Today I would like to pick your brains about food safe finishes for a couple different situations. My wife bought me an outdoor pizza oven for my birthday, and because I’m a woodworker, I promptly threw out the wooden pizza peel that I’ve been using for years so that I could make one. My first attempt was with cherry and spalted maple. The maple ended up being much more punky than I had expected so I made a second one with cherry, hickory, and bubinga. What would you guys suggest for finishes? The peel will be going into a 700 degree oven, and I plan on repurposing the one with spalted maple to a charcuterie or serving platter, so it might have hot pizza on it, but I would like it to be sealed. Keep up the awesome podcast!
Josh from the Blackdog Woodworks