Easy woodworking

[Horwin]

I'm kind of paranoid about the things. I had one come apart on me once. Mostly a bad design,or bad QA on the part of the manufacturer,and no one got hurt. I like them-but can't quite bring myself to trust them.

Yeah I've had many bits break apart when working the bearing against a metal surface for some projects. They save hours of work anyway.

[somedaysoon]

Yeah I've had many bits break apart when working the bearing against a metal surface for some projects. They save hours of work anyway.

This wasn't the bit. Ryobi was trying to save money,I guess,and it looked to me like they'd glued the depth adjustment assembly to the motor housing. Or maybe the chinese slave ran out of the right kind of glue,or who knows?

Thankfully,I had it mounted upside down on a tablesaw table,so I could round off edges easy. Turned it on,turned around to grab the board,heard this "clunk",and heard the sound change.

Turned everything off,looked at what had happened,and that glue joint had given out,and everything was just sort of dangling loose. Scared the hell out of me. I still use routers all the time,but I keep them where I can see them now.

[Horwin]

Wow that's pretty scary. With how close you put your hands to that thing that's the last thing I want to happen to me.

[somedaysoon]

Wow that's pretty scary. With how close you put your hands to that thing that's the last thing I want to happen to me.

Yeah,Kek was watching over me that day. If the thing had held itself together another 30 seconds,it would have all come unwound when I had a board against the bit. No telling what would have happened,then.

[Isolated]

Good topic.

Carpentry ranks just under masonry as my favorite crafting skill.

[Samsqwantch]

Porter Cable has a router that's design hasn't changed since like the seventies. DeWalt kept the design the same when they bought Porter Cable because it is so reliable and durable.

Never used a pocket hole kit. I always do that by starting a drill on a 90 into the wood then tilting to the desired angle.

Metabo grinders ftw btw.

[somedaysoon]

Yeah,the router I use now is a very basic Makita,wherein there isn't much chance of anything breaking. Mostly because there are very few parts,so there's very little that CAN break.

I really wish more manufacturers understood the "Simple Is Good" concept.

[BlueEyes]

Pocket holes aren't really intended to be used as a primary joinery method. It's more of a niche thing that can be used in specific instances where more common joinery isn't possible or would be aesthetically unpleasing. Not trying to be rude, just letting you know.

[somedaysoon]

Pocket holes aren't really intended to be used as a primary joinery method. It's more of a niche thing that can be used in specific instances where more common joinery isn't possible or would be aesthetically unpleasing. Not trying to be rude, just letting you know.

Oh,I know. I'm not pretending that it's an anywhere-and-everywhere technique.

But what I like about it is that it's fast,it's relatively easy,and that it serves as a good intro. Like I said,a lot of the required skill and precision is built into the equipment,so a rank beginner can produce work that ranges from acceptable to plain good.

It's also nice for the quick and dirty type jobs where appearance doesn't matter. The molding flasks in the image above are an example of that-they didn't have to look good. They had to be built so they matched up,and they have to tolerate a certain quantity of pretty hard use,but since I'm the only person who sees them,appearance doesn't enter into the figuring.

[Wrightwinged1939]

Is it weird I prefer manual drills and would rather work with them?

I just like the laboring feel and sense of natural craftsmanship when I use those.

[somedaysoon]

Nothing at all strange about it. I enjoy a lot of chores that involve hand tools,for the simple satisfaction.

To this day,I prefer to split firewood with an axe,instead of using a hydraulic log splitter. Good exercise and there's no feeling quite like seeing a chunk of wood fly apart when you hit it just right.

[Wrightwinged1939]

I am shortish and thin so I lack the force for that. Not to say I cant ever but not in my current condition.

However I have a skill for craftsmanship when it comes to the more delicate aspects.

[Blitzkind]

it may sound retarded to you but to actually see another man that think like them is an absolute must for the single mom raised urbanite boys and young men

A retired buddy and I built a single engine four seat bushplane from a kit.
All told it was a two year build after work and on weekends, we're into it for roughly fifty thousand plus another ten for the hangar at a grass nordo airstrip.
There is nothing in the world like flying a small plane, and it's one helluva valuable asset if civilization falls apart suddenly.
Many old duffers go out to their hangars on saturday mornings and fart around wishing they had someone to talk to.
If non-scummy looking guys are interested in getting into recreational aviation they just need to find a coffee shop near a small airport and hang around.
Talk to the waitressess, ask em who's into flying and who might trade rides for help around the shop or washing the plane afterwards.
Most recreational aviators love sharing their passion to fly.
Try it

[WhiteBaron]

Why is that?

[WhiteBaron]

You don't need to be macho man Grizzly Adams to split wood, you let the splitting axe do most of the work for you.

[BlueEyes]

I was cutting a cord of wood throughout the winter by age 8 or 9. You don't need size.

[Sassy]

I saw that on TV.

[Sassy]

My problem is handling a circular power saw. I bought the mini one and it works pretty good for thinner pieces of wood. I want a work bench and electric mitre saw.
I put a lot of molding in my house with urethane and I use a mitre box and hacksaw. This is why caulk is my most favourite thing in the world. lol

I want to build a tree house in my wooded area.
It's hard for me to get help. I don't have a lot of strength.

[Sassy]

Oh yeah. I want a router tool also.

[somedaysoon]

My problem is handling a circular power saw. I bought the mini one and it works pretty good for thinner pieces of wood. I want a work bench and electric mitre saw

Check the local classified ads for used equipment. There are always a couple or three of them for sale on any given day,here.

But learn how to square the miter saw. Not difficult-you just loosen the bolts that hold the fence in place,and tap things around gently with a rubber hammer or a block of soft wood,checking the fence against the blade with an accurate square.

And for whatever it's worth,those aluminum speed squares are very accurate,especially when brand new. I worked with a machinist who used one to set up stuff on a milling machine. He told me that it was more accurate than it needed to be for day-to-day jobs like cutting keyways in a shaft,and suchlike.