Mike Circo
04-01-2014, 11:13 AM
So I posted a while back with the above title. Had a mess of rookie mistakes on a seemingly simple project (rolling kitchen cart + cuttingboard top)
Well a few weeks down the road (I really only get a few hours a week of free time to woodwork), I have recovered many of my lost skills.
I managed to edge four sides of a plywood base with maple perfectly flush with the ply. All four miters dead-nuts on, no gaps. Then hit the dual pass on the router table to round-over the edges just right. One minor victory.
Then made the drawer. Used tongue and rabbet connections and a false front as it's utilitarian, not art. Again, tight fit, no warp, square and flat. Checked the fit with the full extension drawer slides and... phew! It will fit perfectly.
I had a reminder of why to not buy cheap tools. Got a plug cutter and countersink set from (yuck) Harbor Freight. The drill bits had to be FORCED through maple and burned more than cut, and the plugs fit so loose you could slip a sheet of paper between the plug and the countersink hole. Maybe that's why it was only $8 for a 6 bit set of countersinks and a similar cost for the plug cutters. Got a good pair (#8 size only) from Lee Valley for (gasp) $30. But it works perfectly. By lining up the grain, you can't see the plugs from a few feet away. Again, an old lesson re-learned, don't buy cheap tools.
Finally I had a successful tuneup session with the Planer and Jointer. Both had ridges from a knick. Must have passed the same nasty bit over both at some point. But was able to shift the knives on both to eliminate the ridge. So now it is on to the last scary job. Sawing, jointing, planing, gluing and flattening a bunch of thick maple for the cutting board.
Wish me luck!
The lesson is that you never forget how to ride a bike.
Well a few weeks down the road (I really only get a few hours a week of free time to woodwork), I have recovered many of my lost skills.
I managed to edge four sides of a plywood base with maple perfectly flush with the ply. All four miters dead-nuts on, no gaps. Then hit the dual pass on the router table to round-over the edges just right. One minor victory.
Then made the drawer. Used tongue and rabbet connections and a false front as it's utilitarian, not art. Again, tight fit, no warp, square and flat. Checked the fit with the full extension drawer slides and... phew! It will fit perfectly.
I had a reminder of why to not buy cheap tools. Got a plug cutter and countersink set from (yuck) Harbor Freight. The drill bits had to be FORCED through maple and burned more than cut, and the plugs fit so loose you could slip a sheet of paper between the plug and the countersink hole. Maybe that's why it was only $8 for a 6 bit set of countersinks and a similar cost for the plug cutters. Got a good pair (#8 size only) from Lee Valley for (gasp) $30. But it works perfectly. By lining up the grain, you can't see the plugs from a few feet away. Again, an old lesson re-learned, don't buy cheap tools.
Finally I had a successful tuneup session with the Planer and Jointer. Both had ridges from a knick. Must have passed the same nasty bit over both at some point. But was able to shift the knives on both to eliminate the ridge. So now it is on to the last scary job. Sawing, jointing, planing, gluing and flattening a bunch of thick maple for the cutting board.
Wish me luck!
The lesson is that you never forget how to ride a bike.