Bob Hoffmann
01-14-2006, 12:36 AM
What I noticed “working” woodworking instead of doing it as a hobby:
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I worked at a commercial millwork shop – and now have got back into my telecom career and allowing my woodworking to go back into a hobby.
<O:p</O:p
The work was making laminated desks, break rooms, display fixtures, etc. No joints more complicated then a rabbit and all assembled with screws, staples, and glue. Now to some observations:
<O:p</O:p
it is important to use a single stop (don’t move it) until all of the pieces with the same measurement are cut.
using a single measuring tool for all measurements is a myth – in a multi person shop, it is not possible to have a single tape measure that all use. A measurement is taken, and then the stop is set to the measurement, and then the cut is made. It is more important to know your machines – is it accurate to what you measure, or do you have to tweak it a little!
Know your machines – know how to make them do what you want – each machine has its idiosyncrasies, and you have to know how to get around them, or how to use them for the most accurate cuts / operations.
a 3 HP table saw with an 80 tooth carbide plywood blade will cut through any ¾” material without slowing down.
a PM66 TS is a lot easier to change blades because it has enough room for your hands to get at the nut then my contractor saw at home.
a pin router is an amazing machine for duplicating parts.
pegboard works fine for cutting shelf support holes – it is cheap, easily marked, and easy to offset to many different sizes.
MDF is heavy – especially 5x8x ¾ “ sheets.
I use a TS blade guard at home, and not at work. I always find that I am extremely careful where I place my hands when are using the TS. My choice would be to use a guard always, but for speed and multiple users, I understand why we don’t have one at work.
I find that certain operations I see being performed by others make me squirm – thinking that they are asking for trouble. Others have said that some of the things that I did on the TS made them squirm. Bottom line – it seems to be a good idea to have others review what you do to get another’s view on what you think is safe!
I found that working with woodworking takes the “fun” out of it – you can’t spend your time to get it just right (you time is what cuts into the profits) and it was more important to get it out in acceptable condition then one in perfect condition.
Laminate edges can be sharp, really sharp. I had more cuts from laminate then any other cause at work.
We only used the sticks to separate the laminate from the surface once in 2 years. We align the laminate along one edge and make sure that the laminate is even across that edge, then lay the laminate down. It works for laying up 4x8 sheets. While it seems counter intuitive, we work from a narrow end for lay-ups. It is easier to align a short edge then a long one.
Commercial panel saws are amazingly accurate and repeatable.
Cordless drills (I can’t but others could) can be used without the clutch by pulsing the trigger, and noting that the drill will only provide smaller amounts of torque with less trigger push. Note that this won’t work with drills that provide constant torque at any speed.
Nobody used the slow speed on drills – it only takes longer to drive a screw. The high speed has sufficient torque to drive 1.25” and 2” screws in plywood and MDF.
<O:p</O:p
I worked at a commercial millwork shop – and now have got back into my telecom career and allowing my woodworking to go back into a hobby.
<O:p</O:p
The work was making laminated desks, break rooms, display fixtures, etc. No joints more complicated then a rabbit and all assembled with screws, staples, and glue. Now to some observations:
<O:p</O:p
it is important to use a single stop (don’t move it) until all of the pieces with the same measurement are cut.
using a single measuring tool for all measurements is a myth – in a multi person shop, it is not possible to have a single tape measure that all use. A measurement is taken, and then the stop is set to the measurement, and then the cut is made. It is more important to know your machines – is it accurate to what you measure, or do you have to tweak it a little!
Know your machines – know how to make them do what you want – each machine has its idiosyncrasies, and you have to know how to get around them, or how to use them for the most accurate cuts / operations.
a 3 HP table saw with an 80 tooth carbide plywood blade will cut through any ¾” material without slowing down.
a PM66 TS is a lot easier to change blades because it has enough room for your hands to get at the nut then my contractor saw at home.
a pin router is an amazing machine for duplicating parts.
pegboard works fine for cutting shelf support holes – it is cheap, easily marked, and easy to offset to many different sizes.
MDF is heavy – especially 5x8x ¾ “ sheets.
I use a TS blade guard at home, and not at work. I always find that I am extremely careful where I place my hands when are using the TS. My choice would be to use a guard always, but for speed and multiple users, I understand why we don’t have one at work.
I find that certain operations I see being performed by others make me squirm – thinking that they are asking for trouble. Others have said that some of the things that I did on the TS made them squirm. Bottom line – it seems to be a good idea to have others review what you do to get another’s view on what you think is safe!
I found that working with woodworking takes the “fun” out of it – you can’t spend your time to get it just right (you time is what cuts into the profits) and it was more important to get it out in acceptable condition then one in perfect condition.
Laminate edges can be sharp, really sharp. I had more cuts from laminate then any other cause at work.
We only used the sticks to separate the laminate from the surface once in 2 years. We align the laminate along one edge and make sure that the laminate is even across that edge, then lay the laminate down. It works for laying up 4x8 sheets. While it seems counter intuitive, we work from a narrow end for lay-ups. It is easier to align a short edge then a long one.
Commercial panel saws are amazingly accurate and repeatable.
Cordless drills (I can’t but others could) can be used without the clutch by pulsing the trigger, and noting that the drill will only provide smaller amounts of torque with less trigger push. Note that this won’t work with drills that provide constant torque at any speed.
Nobody used the slow speed on drills – it only takes longer to drive a screw. The high speed has sufficient torque to drive 1.25” and 2” screws in plywood and MDF.