Sleepydog's Wood Shop

I am Moving My Blog

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 06 Oct 2012 01:00:00 +0000

Hello Everyone
I will not be updating this blog no longer because I am moving it to Wordpress. You can find me now at http://sleepydogwoodshop.wordpress.com
I am changing so I can improve and expand my site, so I hope you will come visit me at my new blog and while there let me know how you like.

Thank You again for all of your support and remember I can now be found at http://sleepydogwoodshop.wordpress.com/
Joey

Thinking About the Basics

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 00:56:00 +0000

So what are some basic skills for a woodworker? This is a question that I was thinking about yesterday working in my shop. I think the most basic of skills is to be able to take a rough piece of lumber and dimension it down to the finished size needed to be able to be used, this includes cutting it to length, width, planing it to straight and to thickness, and making both all four sides parallel. That process is repeated many times in a project because that is the bases of each piece of wood you use in the project, unless you work with plywood or already dimensioned lumber in which case some of them steps have already been done for you.

The question for most woodworkers is " what tools and techiqnec do I use to get from rough lumber to dimensioned, ready to use lumber"? Some use only handtools, some power tools and some use a mixed shop picking the tool they feel that is the best for the job. Me, I like to keep it simple, I use the simplest tool and method I can to get the job done, sometimes thats is a handsaw to cut an 8' board down to a 5' board, but if I have more than three or four cuts I get out my circular saw and let it do the manual labor, if I have some wonky cuts I might get out my jig saw, if I am cutting really thick boards I'll use a sawz all with a tree trimming blade in it, or if I am cutting timbers I use my electric chain saw. There are many times in my work flow or I am working with dimensioned lumber and need repetitive cuts so I set up my miter saw with a stop on the fence and use it. Which ever tool I use it falls back on me knowing my basic woodworking skills and going for the tool that is the safest, simplest and quickest to get the job done.

Since one of reasons I write this blog is to create a record for my grandsons to read one day, I think I will start a series on basic woodworker skills for them. Most will find this repetitive and thats alright with me, some might even disagree with how I do things and again thats alright with me, but to those that this series may help remember there are many ways do this thing we call woodworking, learn the basics then go out and develop your own ways of doing it, be safe, have fun, don't over complicate things REMEMBER it's only wood, and BUILD BUILD BUILD.

Miter Saw Stand, From a Water Bed?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 02 Jun 2012 00:33:00 +0000

I don't know how many of these I have seen in the trash, its drawer bases from the old water beds. Well last week a neighbor ask me if I could help her carry one out to the dumpster because she didn't want it any more, it was left over from a long ago wash up water bed that she was now using under a bunk bed. It was missing a drawer but other than that looked to be OK so I ask if she mind if I recycled it, which she thought was great idea. I thought at lease I could salvage the wood for a clamp rack I need to build, so off to the shop it went. I sat it up on my bench and while moving another table around that I had my miter saw on I happen to sit my saw up on top of the drawers and bingo I got the idea. It appeared that the center section was just wide enough for the saw with some modifications, I could set the saw into it and have a drawer on each side to hold odd and ends that you always need at the saw like a tape measure. Next I needed legs, then I remembered I had some folding legs, which are prefect, that means I can take it on job site with me. The frame wasn't the most ridged so I made a strong back from 2 x 4 for it to rest on this also raised to a height that I like for sawing, I really hate beaning over a saw trying to see my mark. I knew the 2 x 4 wasn't going to stay true so I am giving them a couple of days to adjust to my shop then I will use a straight edge and adjust the table top so it and the saw is in one plane then I will screw everything down using wedges that way if it needs adjusted in the future it will be easy, put some new rubber feet I got on the legs and add a power strip so if I do take it on a job site its ready to go to work. I used it to cut 2 x 4s for my clamp rack, and while it still needs a fence it worked great. A friend of mine who is a carpenter already tried to steal it from me so now it's on the look out for an waterbed frame so he can build his own, but I bet he just builds one from scratch.

Fine Woodworking's Comment and Apology

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 25 May 2012 02:47:00 +0000

I would like to start by saying that I have been a reader of Fine Woodworker for thirty year I even have issue #1 (no it's not for sale). I have depended on the high level of expertise in their article's since I started my career as a cabinetmaker, and the same with Fine Homebuilding for my career as a carpenter.

I have work as a professional cabinetmaker and high end trim carpenter both residential and commercial and consider myself very good at it, I have always been passionate about it and never stop trying to learn my trade that why I am still a reader of FWW, I was trained at the University of Cincinnati as a cabinetmaker, but even with all that I still don't consider myself an expert. working in this field you get boxed in and while you get to do quite a large assortment of jobs you really don't change up the way you work very much, when you are on the clock you go with what works. You become very both proficient and efficient at the task you have do like installing crown, or building kitchen cabinets. After doing it every day it seems to narrow your view on how things are done, thats where the internet comes in for me. Its where I get to sample everyone else take on how things are done from the beginner to other seasoned woodworkers like myself and that is where the value is for me. It also reminds me of the passion I had when I was twelve years old, collecting pop bottles so I could buy my first jig saw and drill from Oakley Hardware to build my first woodworking project.

I listen to Fine Woodworking's podcast and for the most part enjoy it, I heard the show where Asa but his foot in his mouth, I think where Asa Christiana made a mistake, is he was wearing his editor's cap and thinking in comparison to the magazine, and not thinking as an everyday woodworker would who reads and enjoys woodworking blogs. I still have to say I am glad this blew up and brought the internet woodworking community to his attention and I am looking forward to Fine Woodworking working with this community in the future. I think Asa has gone a long way to apologize to anyone who might of been offended and that say's a lot about him, I think this whole thing will only improve things between a great magazine and the woodworking blog/podcasting community.

Joey

Controlling Moisture in my Shop

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 20 May 2012 03:38:00 +0000

One of the big draw backs of the space I am using for a shop is the total lack of climate control. I have said in one of my last post that it is like an above ground basement, let me explain that statement, what I have is a block building with a brick face and a concrete floor with no windows or doors except the main entry door. There is no heating or air conditioning and it seems to sweat moisture around the wall and floor joint. With no windows I also have no air circulation except the fans I have placed to keep it moving in a around the shop.

Now I know I am going to have to address the heat, but I still have six months to work that out, and with the wall being 12" of cement and brick it stays fairly cool although damp and with two fan constantly moving air ti has been comfortable, but a dehumidifier would help to at lease keep moisture levels to a decent place to store wood and build furniture and on my list of must haves, I am just trying to find a used one before buying new.

I am also considering painting the walls with a moisture blocking paint made for block walls like Dryloc, and cleaning and caulking the seam between the floor and wall with a hydraulic blocking caulk made for wet basements to try to stop any water that may be getting in that way. This would help stop the walls from sweating and collecting on the floor around the shop where I have been seeing most of the moisture. The I would like to seal the floor with a good cement floor sealer.

I could go all out and fur out the walls with some 2x3 and put up some 1 1/2" solid foam board and cover it with plywood or OSB, but since I rent this space I really think my money right now is better spent else where, like on wood for projects. I really don't want to turn this into a project where I build a great shop, but a shop where I build great projects.

Do I really need a Table Saw?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 16 May 2012 15:23:00 +0000

Now, that I have a larger shop than I have every had, having space for a table saw isn't a question of room any more, I have plenty of room for my saw with an out feed table, but I have been working without one for a while now so I wonder if I really need or want one.

I guess this will become a question of what kind of work I will end doing in my shop, right now I plan on doing hardwood furniture and sculpture, none of that would use sheet goods which would be the main reason I would use my table saw these days.

I have really gotten comfortable with cutting hardwoods down on my bandsaw then planing them down with one of my hand planes, now this is where I would of used a joiner to straighten the same board then the table saw to cut it to size, but you all know this drill.

Both work just as well as the other and it really comes down to personal choose. The thing I really do have to remember is now that I do it for my enjoyment which method is the one that I enjoy. Another think I need to remember is that because I have worked in the field for a long time I just know that as people find out that I have a shop again I will end up somewhere along the line doing a job for someone that will require me to build some cabinets or something else out of sheet goods. With that in mind I know I need to keep my table saw even thought I don't see it any more as my go to saw when I want to rip a board down, but then again with it sitting there luring me with its seductive power I could just fall back into old habits.

Now What!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 13 May 2012 02:19:00 +0000

view from front

view from rear corner

Well, I have all my woodworking goodies moved in, can you believe I had this stuff stashed in a tiny one bedroom apartment (well most of it ) some things were in a 5 x 5 storage locker but it was mostly wood. I still am missing my Jet 10" tablesaw, it is being used by my nephew, and I have another Shopsmith Mark V that I still need to be collected.

I got everything moved in the weekend before finals. Finished up my finals at school and then took a week off, so now I need to put this place in shape thats when I had that moment where I just looked around and said "Now What"! if you can bare with me and my many moments of mental meltdowns, I will share this journey with anyone that is interested.

This shop has some challenges, it's like a basement above ground, but I think I can overcome most of them, or at lease live with the one I can't. This will be the first shop that I have build that wasn't for a business which gives me free rein not to worry about maximizing profit and it lets me build it for my creative side. I want it to be a studio as much as a woodworking shop since I want to explore woodworking as art more than function, along with doing some large sculptures and since my major at school is media production and graphic arts I really want t start pushing out some videos which I have already started filming .

view from other corner

My honest wish is that my journey putting this shop together will help others, I am sure I will do things that some of you would do different, but in the end I have to work to my own strengths and try to improve on my weakness's by using better designs, being flexible, and being open to new ideas and giving them ideas a try to see if they can help me work better, or safer or not that I am worried about it, but faster.

In my professional career as a cabinet maker I used very few handtools, I was trained use them at U.C. , but just never really got the chance, and now I am looking forward to using them more in my work. Now I am not going to give up power tools by any means, but the combination of the two I feel will enhance both my experience and the end product and since I am not worrying about making money as much as I am about making art and learning, I can take my time and enjoy the process as much as the finish product. As always if you have any comment please feel free to leave them here, or contact me on Twitter , Facebook, or Google+ and have a great day.

"Coming Soon" My New Shop

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 03:44:00 +0000

Yes finally, I found a place to work at again. Its been four years and five months since I have had a actually shop to express myself in and do some honest to goodness woodworking in and man am I looking forward to it. Right now I am waiting on some electric work to be finished up, so I can start moving in and you could say I got shop fever. I know I should be studying for school and I have three papers to write, and a project to work on, but all could bring myself to do today was look at old woodworking magazines and think about all the projects I need to build, not only for the shop and home, but I already have people wanting me to give them prices on some work for their houses, that I hope is a good omen. I am going into this with the hope of that at lease I can make enough money the pay the rent, beside that what I hope is to use this space to finally explore wood as an art form. I want to do a lot of craving, sculpting, some painting, and stain glass. maybe even keep exploring this screen printing which has been cool, and I would love to find I way to incorporate screen printing into woodworking somehow. I also plan on doing a video podcast soon, it is what I am studying in college and doing a video podcast would be great experience for me as long as I can do a good job with it. So any feedback or ideas you have like always, feel free to contact me. You can find me on twitter, facebook, and google plus, or leave a comment here and have a great day.

Joey

Advice for Beginners

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 02:02:00 +0000

One of the biggest setbacks for a beginners in art, craft, or woodworking for many is that their abilities don't match their expectations, for most this isn't a matter of talent, but a lack of experience in the technical techniques that is needed to achieve their goals. This happened to me the first time I tried oil painting, what I saw in my head was a long way from what I painted on the canvas and it wasn't that I didn't have the talent or the skills I just lacked the knowledge of the process.

I'm a professional woodworker and the first thing I learned was the basics then I started learning more advance techniques then with confidence I started to experiment, a lot, and with that I developed my own style. When I tried to start oil painting I skipped learning the basics and was so disappointed in my results that ended up just putting it all away with the feeling that painting just wasn't for me.

Well now, I am a student at Wilmington College as a art major, and one of the things that I have noticed is that many of these younger student go though the same thing that I did with oil painting, with some of the different medias they are trying working in, they forget that they are there to learn the technique and instead they get wrapped up into the expectation of their finished pieces of work, which is easy to do. They need to remember that these beginning pieces are just a byproducts of learning the techniques of the process. Many just need to take some time to try do the work a different way and to feel the freedom to experiment while not being afraid make mistakes, however it being a class, the emphases is always on the finish piece, and not the how it got there or if we were willing to take chances along the way. What I noticed is many of the students keep doing the techniques that they felt comfortable with, so they didn't risk any mistakes and while there pieces came out good, some could be been much better, but as with all students we always have that grade to worry about and our senior portfolios to fill.

I think for beginners its important just to do a lot of work, do a large body of work that will help to develop your style and teach you more then any class or book. If your a beginning artist, crafter, or woodworker learn the basics then color out side the box when you get the chance, take them chances, experiment with your work, yeah you will make mistakes and sometime you will do work that is total junk, but them are the ones you are going to learn the most from, but more than anything else have fun with it, don't take your failures to serous and when one does go bad look at it to see what can I learn from it, that failure is a great learning opportunity and then go try something else.

The Furniture at The Cincinnati Art Museum

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 02:45:00 +0000

Over Spring Break from school I went to the Cincinnati Art Museum to see the Cincinnati exhibit, mostly to see the woodworking and carving that was on display. Cincinnati was home of some great carvers and some well known furniture builders during the 19th century. I thought I would share some of the pictures with everyone so enjoy and if you are ever in Cincinnati the Art Museum is well worth a visit.

Learning to be a Student Again

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 01:40:00 +0000

Hello woodworkers, no I have not given up woodworking, I have just been busy pursuing my education. I decided to go back to school at Wilmington College in Wilmington, Ohio a private Quaker college where I am studying for a dual degree in Fine Arts, and Media Productions. yes friends I do plan on using this in my online woodworking hobby. What I am hoping to do is to get into producing online content for applications like ibook or working for a magazine. I am hoping that there will be a need for people who know SketchUp, video, photography and how to write, so they can produce manuals for products like Ikea bookshelves or Cannon cameras in iBook. Content that is straight forward and easy to follow with SketchUp models, art work, pictures, easy to follow writing, and videos of professionals assembling or using the products. Theses books can be downloaded from ibook and and will give the user a better experiences.

I’m on spring break this week, so I am catching up on my art work. I am also preparing my images for my screen printing classes which has been a great class, now I can make my own company T-shirts. I have noticed one thing watching some of the other students in class that I also noticed in some woodworker classes I have taken. Students take classes to learn how to do a technique, but somewhere long the way they get so wrap up in their project that they get tunnel vision where the whole class becomes about that piece of work instead of learning as much about how to do the techniques needed to do that project. For me any art piece or woodworking piece I make in a class is a by-product of the class, a by-product of learning the process and I try not to get to focused on it, but instead put all that energy into learning as much as I can. I do that by talking to other students and helping them when I can and excepting their help and advice. I ask them about their mistakes and try the make note of them so I don’t repeat them and I tell them about mine and how I fixed them. I also started making better notes with pictures that I keep in Everynote, a program that I have came to love. This has made me a better student this year and I am sure that in the long run will improve my work whether its art or woodworking.

Joey

Thanks Bessey for The 12 Days of Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 19:58:00 +0000

I don't often about companies unless it's a product that I use in my work or have used in my years on the job a trust and I'm doing a review, to many tool companies try to lure us to add their tools to our tool boxes and workflow with fancy adds or gimmick like big give always or big flashy adds. This Christmas Bessey did something on Facebook that I thought was a very nice jester to their customers, they did their 12 Days of Christmas, where each day they ask a question on their Facebook page and if you commented on their post you received a small give of one of the clamps or one of their metal cutting snips. Now some might say its a gimmick, Ok maybe it is, but I think it is a great way to honor and give back to their customers besides being a great way to introduce themselves and products to new customers like I have been using Bessey clamps for years, but I didn't know they sold metal working tools.

I have many clamps, its what happens when one works wood for thirty years but as the saying goes "you can never have enough clamps" and the same goes for me. Over the years I have have change not only the project I build but the style I build them now. I build more instruments now, I do more carving, and I use more hand tools in my work flow, all making me be as creative with my clamping as I am with my project and Bessey has already thought of most of these solutions for me, thank you Bessey.

More than any thing else I just wanted to say Thanks to Bessey in a time where we hear a lot about corporate greed it's nice to see a company giving back to the people that buy their products. I know it will a factor in my future clamp purchases, if Bessey have what I need even if it is a little more $ I will more than likely go with the Bessey clamps. So again Thank You Bessey and Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays and I hope you have a most prospers New Year.

Sleepdog Woodworks

How I Wood Do It "The 1/2 Lap Joint"

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 13:58:00 +0000

This is the first of a monthly feature we are calling "How I Wood Do It" each month a few of us bloggers will be posting how we would do a different technique in our shops. Hopefully this will give you, our readers a different point of reference on a simple techniques. Well lets get to it shall we.

The Half Lap Joint

The half lap? Really how often is the wood joint really used in every day woodworking? It is a strong basic joint, that is fairly fast and easy to make, and is one of the first most people learn in classes.

It is used in everyday woodworking! Well, I worked in a shop in the 80s that build pine face framed cabinet and the owner swore by half lap joint to assemble the face frames, so I learn to cut them quickly and accurate, we had many heated debates in the shop over this joint compared to using the mortise and tenon as well as some other joints for the same application. We really wasn't set up to to cut mortises in the shop and didn't want to invest in any more tooling and we could do the half lap quickly with the tools we had. Since then I have used this Half Lap Joint for a lot of projects since it is a strong easy joint.

This is how I cut the Half Lap Joint.

If I have to cut a lot half laps, I like to do it on a table saw either using a single, or a dado blade. I like the table saw better, because if you screw up and the wood happens to lift up off the table top the blade cuts into the waste material and can't cut into the material that is the joint and you won't ruin the cut by cutting into it. If you did this on a sliding miter saw or radial arm saw and the wood lifted up it would cut though the waste and into the joint itself.

If I just have a single joint or two to cut, I use a making gauge and a hand saw to cut out the waste and clean and ﬁt the joint with a shoulder plane. Some times if I have more than a couple or if I am in a hurry I will use my band saw to replace the hand saw part of the operation, but the rest is the same.

I first make sure the sides and face are planed flat and square and put a X on my reference face and edge.

Then I find center with my marking gauge.

Setting the marking gage for center

I do this by marking a dot from each side then by trusting my eye to judge center I readjusting my gauge to the center then checking it from each side again and repeating again if needed, the more you practice this the better you will get at doing it in just a couple of try's.

Checking the right side

Checking from the left side

I then mark three lines on both boards, one on each side and the end the board, and then square a line the width of my boards from the end. marking from my references face which I always layout from I also mark the waste on my reference side.

The waste marked with an X

Both sides laid out

I saw down the waste side of the line, and then crosscut across following my squared lines until the piece falls out

Starting the rip

Following the line down to the crosscut

Following the line

Defining the line

Finishing the cut

I then use a shoulder plane to clean up and adjust the lap joint till it fits.

Adjusting with a plane

Easier to plane when they are clamped side by side

My power tools solution since is to use my band saw. again I make sure the sides are planed straight and all the layout is the same as using a handsaw

Crosscutting on the bandsaw

Ripping on the bandsaw

Ripping the the 2nd lap on the bandsaw

I carefully cut the crosscut till I get down to my layout line then I rip it on the waste side till the scrape falls out then I clean and fit it with a shoulder plane. if I had more than a few to do I would set up a fence for this part with the waste side toward the fence.

Checking the fit

Clamped together @ 90 degrees

Another view

Next Month we will be doing "Mortises"

Below are some of the other Blogger and Podcaster that will be joining in this monthly feature next month will be the official start and not ever person on this list will be able to participate each month, but hopefully enough will that we will get a wide variety of experience and insights that we will all learn something. As other bloggers join in I will add links to their sites so you can just post though to them right and each bloggers will do the same making it easy to find all the postings. If you are a blogger or a podcaster and you would like to participate let me and I will give you the details.

Oldwolf Workshop Studio
Sandal-woodsblog
Tomsworkbench
Sawdustislife
Thewoodninja
Penultimatewoodshop
Scottmorton
Flairwoodworks
Ravinheart
Americancraftsmanworkshop

My First Woodworking In America

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 01:34:00 +0000

This year was my first Woodworking In America, and I thought I would share a few thoughts with everyone. I went as a volunteer this year to run a camera for Ron Herman's first two sessions classes, which worked out good for me because that as two of the classes I wanted to attend. The classes was combination planes and shooting boards. both subject Ron is very knowledgeable in. I had some technical problems like when I first got in the class room there was no camera and when I went out to see if I could find out where I could get one someone just drop a camera off back in the class without even giving me a few minutes of instruction in the operation of the camera or telling me if they wanted me to record the class. so I got everything working and faked it until I made it, all the while trying my best to to stay out of Ron's way and using the camera when it was needed. I wish there would of been more chance for hands on, but I can see where the amount of people who attend and time we had how it would be a problem.

The classes where interesting and informative, but they where short and kind of like a condense lecture that went over mostly material that we have gotten from the magazines over the years. Now I am not saying they wasn't interesting and they there wasn't nothing to learn, because that not true it's just there was small nuggets of information about lots of different things to learn there. If you where going to just learn something like say, how to improve cutting dovetails while you might get some great tips I think you would come away disappointed overall and would better off spending your money on a class at Chuck Benders school. Now if you when there wanting expand your ideas about woodworking in general, and meet some great guys, see wonderful tools and have just a fun filled weekend talking, eating, and drinking woodworking, then you surly won't be disappointed as I wasn't.

Like I said the classes where interesting and informative, but the market place was where all the action was. there where some wonderful tools that honestly as a tradesman I could never afford to own, but they where fun to play with. The toolmaker where great to talk and are a wealth of information. There was a mix of power tools and hand tools I even saw some air nailers and the neatest air brush by Grex. Getting a chance to talk to guys like Chris Wong who makes top escapement hollow and round planes, and Shannon at the Hand Tool School, and of course the guys at Lee Valley was a treat for me and my wife.

The hand tool Olympics had to be funniest spot on the floor, the guys and girls that works that event not only are friendly and helpful they have a great sense of humor. I really have to say I haven laugh as much that weekend as I did standing around ribbing the other bloggers as they cut their dovetails. I even stepped up and cut the first hand cut dovetail I have cut in twenty five years, and to be honest I have been rethinking using my router and start cutting them by hand. maybe? but the point is if I wouldn't of tried them there I would even be considering it now.

The best thing about Woodworking In America for me was the people. This was the first time I have had a chance to meet most of the bloggers that I talk to on google, twitter or face-book and read their blog's everday. I had a chance to meet and talk face to face with these guy, to laugh and drink with them, and now I feel like I made some friends that will last a life time even if I never see them again in person.

Will I go back? well I all ready started a coin jar and I'm saving for WIA12, and even if I don't get to go back as a volunteer I will find a way to get there somehow.

My Journey to Becoming a Woodworker

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 17:53:00 +0000

I started on my adventure as a woodworker early in my life, my first project was converting a basement coal bin into a bar for my mom. I collected pop bottles to buy a Black & Decker jig saw and drill them an old key hole saw and a hammer were my whole kit, I was eleven and I was hooked. I would stay up late at night reading popular mechanic and dreaming of the day that I could own my own shop smith, hey I was eleven.

At fourteen I got a summer job hanging drywall for $2 an hour and by the end of the summer I was also doing some taping which I had a knack for. I did that for two summer and after school and weekends.

High school came and I got into the carpenter Vocational program and work experience program which let me go to school in the morning until 11:00 am then go to work the rest of the day. The summer before I started with an older semi retired carpenter who was the father of one of the guys I was drying for.

I was lucky in many way to get that job even at the time I didn’t know it. The old carpenter that I started working for was semi retired and in his 70s, his father was a jointer and a carpenter, and his grandfather was also a craver and a cabinetmaker who came from Europe to Cincinnati in the 1880s to work as a carver. He was a tough and demanding employer who was a wealth of knowledge that influenced me more then I would have admitted at the time.

I was one of three that he hired that summer and the only one that lasted for the all summer. I knew to keep my mouth closed and my eyes open and only ask questions when I didn’t understand something. For few months I wasn’t allowed to touch a power tool, I had to use a hand saw to make any cuts I had to make and he made me cut quite a bit more than you would expect. He showed me how to sharpen that saw only once and every friday I had to sharpen it and after he thought I got fair at sharpening saws I had to sharpen all the saws that needed it plus the chisels and planes, let me tell I hated it!

I wanted to be a carpenter, but I gave my word I would work for at lease two years for him and I was going to keep my word. After about eight mouths of grunt work he started letting me start doing other type of work and it all started out of the blue one afternoon when he asked to build a set of stairs I was flabbergasted this was the first time he has asked to build any thing and it was a set stairs, now they were not a particular hard set only 4 rises going from a garage to the kitchen. I knew I could do this I had helped him make several set and watched carefully plus I did well on this section at school, so I got all the lumber I need and an hour later I had them done and called him over to see if they passed mustard which they did and it was the beginning of more serous training. I asked him later why he had me start with a set of stairs and not something easier and his reply was that by this time in you're training if you couldn’t build them steps you were just be wasting my time to try to teach you anything else and you would been better off finding something else to learn to do for a living. He told me that day that a lot of people can build, but not every one can be a true craftsman it is something that gets into your blood and becomes part of your life a carpenter or cabinetmaker isn’t just what you do for a living it is who you are. Its how you see and interact with the world, and to this day no truer words have ever been said to me. I worked for him for a year and ten months until I enlisted in the Army He passed while I was in the army and I think of often he was the foundation of my career and I couldn’t had a more solid well rounded education even if I couldn’t have known it at the time.

Kreg Jig Review

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 15:52:00 +0000

Recently I had the opportunity to use a Kregs Deck Jig on a small deck. I want to start off by explaining that I have build more than a few decks in my career as a carpenter most as a sub contractor from builders and a few that I contracted myself. I have always been less than happy with a surfaced nailed deck but finding a blind screw system that the builders would use was always a challenge, so except for the decks I build for myself I always ended up either surface nailing them with a nailer or screwing them down with deck screws. Both of these methods presents their drawbacks as well as strengths when using treated lumber. composite decking always needs to be screwed or blinded screwed with a system that is designed for the purpose of holding that type of decking. Most composite decking also has a slot milled in it that is designed for a system for blind screwing they're decking down and a screw they recommend. Kreg Jig has come up with a jig that will work universally with composite deck boards, Also works great with native softwoods such as Redwood and Cedar, along with certain Tropical Hardwoods like Ipe, Red Balau, and Ironwood. Works exclusively with 4/4 to 5/4 (3/4″ to 1-1/8″) stock , as well as treated decking; however, a lot of people don’t recommended using it for the treated lumber because of the amount of wood movement, and it was not designed for use with 2x material including 2×4′s, 2x6’s, 2x8’s, at all.

The kit comes with the jig, two sets of three spacers each ¼” and 5/16”, a drill bit, a driver bit, two stop collars, an allen head wrench, and a sample pack of screws.

before using the jig you will need to install the three drilling guides to the jig body, and the small rubber non skid pads. Then install and adjust the stop collars on both the driver and the drill bit.

The jig has three drill guides each with a steel insert. One of the guides is angled left, one right, and one at a 90 degree angle. The center guide, the 90 degree one is the one normally used. Each of the angled guides are used either if you run up against an obstruction to the left or right, or if you need to secure a joint over a joist. The jig is handheld this is a deviation from all the other Kreg jigs

One thing different from other Kreg jigs in that it is designed to be used to insert the screws. The screws are proprietary and have been sized to fit same hole as the guides that the drill uses. This results in an extremely small head size. Once you drill the hole for the screw, you switch to the driver insert the screw and drive it to the correct angle and depth.

“Kreg Deck Screws were designed specifically for use with the Kreg Deck Jig™, although they can also be used as simple face-screws for a variety of outdoor projects. All Kreg Deck screws feature a KTX #1 Square Drive to reduce cam-out, a flat-bottom head which resists splitting, and a self-tapping tip which drills its own hole as it’s driven.
Deck Screws are available in two weather resistant finishes; Protec-Kote™ and Stainless. Protec-Kote™ screws feature three anti-corrosion layers which protect against rusting in a wide variety of decking applications. A good choice for a wide variety of decking applications, including ACQ treated lumber. For even more protection, choose Stainless. Kreg Stainless screws provide the best protection against corrosion in the long-term”

I used Kreg Deck Jig™ on a 12’ x 10’ deck that was decked with 5/4” x 6” ACQ treated lumber, and here is my thoughts, at first it felt a very slow compared to using a air nailer, but like everything new it takes a minute to figure out the best way to work with it. One of the problems I had almost right out of the box was the stop collar on the diver keep coming lose, now I was using a impact driver and I don’t know if that was the cause of problem, however after a few tightening the set screw broke so I stop using the jig to drive the screws and just drove the screw free hand, with my helper standing on the deck board, this did speed things up considerably and after a few screws it was easy to get a feel of were to stop the screw.

I used the ¼” spacers that comes with the kit for the deck spacing. The wood was still on the wet side, this was the smallest spacer the kit comes with, I always try to get and install the decking on the same day so it is not setting around in the sun drying and warping. After two weeks I measured the gap and the dried down to 3/8” which didn’t surprise me in the 98 degree heat we have been having. I checked closely for any splitting or lifting expecting to have to run some screws through the surface to tighten things down, but after a close inspection I couldn’t find none. I will inspect the deck again in a few months when the weather changes again. All in all I give the jig a C+, will I use it again? Yes, but not if I was building decks for a living again. For the price of this jig, I do wish it had some other use’s besides just decks.

Theres Gold in Them Hills

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 04:35:00 +0000

Gold! if you love wood as much as these guys who own and use these band-mill saw mills do it might as well be gold. As a woodworker it is more precious than gold, I mean what lumber store can a woodworker walk in to and get a piece of stag-horn sumac, yes thats what I said stag-horn sumac, or redbud, gold brother, pure gold.

I first met Randy at a guild show where he was selling frames that he makes from some of the wood that he saws, he picks out some of the best looking cuts and then makes them into a frame and places a picture of the tree from the specie of wood that frame is made of. It is a very nice piece of art both wood and photograph. After talking his frames for a couple of moments and he started telling me about his saw mill which got my attention, because like all woodworker I am always looking for a good source of wood and from Randy's frames I could see he would be a great source for lumber. He said he cuts a lot of quarter sawn and burls which is two things I am always looking for. I ask Randy were he gets is logs and he told me that he manages his own small forest on his farm where he cuts logs, plus he will harvest logs from neighbors farms, firewood, and what loggers leave behind after they cut a stand of timber. He said some of his best and prettiest wood comes from what the logging companies leave on the ground to rot. The logging companies are looking for the straightest highest graded lumber they can get and anything with a deformity, twist, or big burls get left my most logging companies and he can get them at a nominal price or some time even free.

Later I attended a class he gave on saw mills, where he explained how he saws for the best results, he showed how he loads logs on the mill and set them up cutting the different cut like: flat sawn, riff sawn, and quarter sawn. how to calculate board feet in a log, and he touched on drying and sticking his lumber, but said that was really another class. One of the best things about the class is I got to meet a couple more local owners of saw mills and one is not far from my house, and he has a solar kiln.

Lately I have gotten interested in making stringed instruments and I have found in that community that there is a need for high quality wood, so I am thinking about selling wood for instruments and have talked to the one mill owner about doing some special sawing for me, then I plan on doing the drying and milling of parts and then offering the wood and parts for sale online. I know I won't get rich doing it but hey in these times you have to think outside the box.

Carving Mallet on the Cheap

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 14:50:00 +0000

I have been doing a lot of carving this winter, and not a lot of writing, sorry about that to five people that read my blog. I did however discover that sometimes while I am caving I need something to use to get a little more forceful with my chisels than just my palms. I tried using a hammer, I tried the face and the side, while this worked it wasn't idea for what I was doing.

I have a large wooden mallet and it is great when I am working with my flat chisels, but there again it is to big for fine carving and didn't give me the control I needed, plus I found that I had to spend more time watching the mallet rather than my chisel so I didn't whack myself in the hand. My hands have taken enough abuse in thirty years of working as a carpenter and cabinetmaker so I didn't really think they needed any more at this point.

The answer to my problem was one of those nice little brass mallets you see in all the catalogs, except they cost way more than I really had to spend. the cheapest one I seen being like $69 dollars and if I was going to drop that kind of money it was going to be on something with a edge, really I could buy two nice gouges for that.
Well one day last week I was out at the Goodwill with my wife shopping and I saw a little wooden handle that went to and mortal and pedestal and it was 50 cents and it looked just like the handle on the brass mallet I was saw in the catalog, so I put in the cart figuring I would go and try to find some brass and make my own.

Well the next stop was to the Tractor Supple Warehouse were we need some things for our animals and some bolts. While we were walking around the store looking I spotted a bushing in the tractor section that looked like it would work perfect for the metal part of the mallet, it was about the right size and weight and only $2.49, so I put in the cart. That night after about five minutes worth of whittling to get the handle to fit inside the bushing I then cut a slot for a wedge and I epoxied it all together. The next day I cleaned off any squeeze out I had and cut the end flush with the top. Now I have a great little mallet that I have been using and the best part is it only cost me $3.00 and I made it myself, now I know I got lucky finding that handle, but a dowel rod would work just as well, or if your a turner or know a turner then you could make on in no time. They had some other sizes bushing at the store if you wanted a heavier mallet. Even though they are not brass and they are harden steel they will work fine as long as your not hitting steel against steel, and since all my chisels are wood handled or plastic I think I am ok. If anyone has any question feel free to E-mail me and I'll do my best to answer them

Joey

New Bench and a New Attitude

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 15:58:00 +0000

I finally finished my bench that I started on back at the end of summer. It now sit in my living room next to my computer desk where when I want to do some woodworking I can just get up and go for it, now since I live in an apartment that is carpeted working with just my handtools is the only option inside. This has giving me some time to really reconnect with what I fell in love with about woodworking in the first place. The intimacy of the work! When I'm carving or I am working a joint with some handtools I am totally involved with the work I am 100% focused on what I am doing, I am concentrating on this part till it is finished then moving on to the next part and so on thought the piece. This process let me enjoy the tools as well as the work.

Now, if you have ever worked on a large job especially if you are building that job in your own shop and you are responsible for the finished product being able the enjoy the process is a real pleasure. Normally if I am building a big job, say like a kitchen or a large set or office cabinets, I have show much on my mind that I stop finding pleasure in working with my tools any more. Instead my mind full of all the what ifs? This time is always being taken up by worry, I worry about all the many pieces of the job coming together. I worry about if I planed well enough. I worry about did I cover every thing in my bids. I worry about will the finish match the samples. I worry about did I do the take off right. I worry about will there be any delays in my material schedule and what will I do if there is. I worry that the architect or home owner will change something and not tell me. oh god I hope none of the carpenters on the job screwed anything up. I worry about getting sick or hurt. oh no my saw sounds funny I hope the bearings don't go out on me. The worry can just go on and on and on where just enjoying the simple process of building a fine piece of furniture or cabinets is no longer a pleasure. All the things I mentions above have happened to me at one time or another and while I learned to deal with them they always stick in my head as a constant little worry.

Now, I stand at this new bench, and use my hand tools just like when I was a boy, none of the old worries come to my mind, and again I find that I am 100% there with just that tool and that piece of wood. The rest of world just faded away and when I do screw up I get me another cup of coffee and sit at my computer and plan how I'm going fix it.

What I build now I build for me, and I am the only one I have to please and my pleasure comes from the wood and the tools and the journey to the finished piece but not the finished piece.

Joey

Cherry and Walnut Table SDC 2010 Build Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 15:03:00 +0000

This is my entry for the Sawdust Chronicle's, 2010 Build Challenge it is a 25" x 25" x 18" Cherry and Walnut table (Surfaces).


SketchUp Design

Finished Table

Well, since Sunday October 24th, I have manged to finish my table for the Sawdust Chronicle's Build Challenge. Well actually I build two tables the first one was a prototype that gave me the inspiration for the final design on my second table.

matching wood grains

splines cut in miters

smoothing out saw marks

homemade wedge vice

clamping miters

shooting the foots

I was going for lots interesting surfaces and negative spaces. I could made the intersection of the V on the legs a 90 degrees, but that would of gave me a square and I was going more for a diamond. so I cut the miters at 52 degrees and then splined them together for strength. I used oak and ran the oak at a 90 degrees to the spline so it wouldn't split down the grain line. Next the two V sections are halve lap together at the mid point, but not all the way. I cut the lap at 3/16 in both sections so that there would be a 3/8" step giving the legs the appearance that they are 1 1/8 " thick. I added a cove to soften the angles and added the walnut piece to highlight the diamond. Where the V sections are joint there are two 1" sq rails that connect the two leg section.u

3/8" steps

The top is a piece of 3/4" plywood trimmed in cherry with a band of pine and in the center is a piece of walnut burl, I order some more decorative banding that I had planned on using, but it didn't come in the mail in time, so I used the pine because it is what I had on hand. Maybe one day I will route in the banding and do a in lay in the center, because my wife has all ready said this is her table.

I used
2 bdft cherry,

3 ft 1/2 x 3/8" of walnut,

4 ft 1/2 x 1/4 pine,
4 sq ft of walnut burl

4 sq ft of 3/4 plywood

all of which cost me $ 5.00 at an auction I went to last year, I spent $11 on finish, I ended up using Minwax's Wipe-on Poly. I did manage to buy two wooden shoulder planes that I used for this project and a Stanley #45 that I didn't use, (but don't tell my wife) all for $30.00

trimming the top

The biggest challenge besides designing which was a lot of fun for me, has been working without a shop. I build both of these table out side or when I could inside sitting at our craft table by my computer.I carry my tools outside and set them up, do my work then pick everything up and bring it back in. I do most of the big and messy stuff outside and inside I cut all the small parts with a hand saw and then adjusted miters with a shooting board. The day I planned on doing all the joinery was the day we had the tornado's and we lost power all day so I ended up doing all the joinery with handtools, which was ok with me accept the wind was blowing and it was cold, reminded me of my days as a carpenter. All in all I have really enjoyed this challenge although I wouldn't recommend waiting till the last week to change your mind and start over, but working under them kinds of deadlines are really nothing new to me actually I think I work better that way sometimes. I hope everyone that entered has enjoyed themselves as much as I have and got something out of this I know I did and I just want to say Thanks to Rick and Neil for all you guys have done.

This is my first design a folding saw stand

my 1st design

I did want to mention my prototype table or my Z table as I call it. it was what had in mind at first. living in a small apt I just wasn't sure what to build that we need and my plan for it was to use it as a saw table for my portable table saw. after I got it build my wife borrowed it for some crafts she was making for the craft show we were in on Oct 23, so I never did get to use it for my saw, but she tells me it works great. It folds up nice and flat and will hold my weight which is pretty good, I have a couple of tweaks I want to make on it, but will have to wait till next week.

The design is a good one and it can be made into a nicer looking table for camping, patios, or for just for a tool stands.

without the top for a better view

finally in use

folded up

the finished prototype or Z table

Thanks for looking, and I hope everyone enjoyed my little tables and have a peaceful day.

Joey

Build Challenge Update

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 05:14:00 +0000

Just wanted to drop an update to let everyone know I am still plugging away at my table for the Sawdust Build Challenge, I did change what I was planning building, after building the mock up I got inspired to build a higher quality piece. Not that my Z table isn't, it's just I designed it to hold my portable table saw and I build it out of 2 x 4s and plywood, nothing I would really want to enter in a contest, I know then why enter right, well it was all about the design challenge for me. I live in a small apt and didn't really need any more furniture that I could think of at the time, so I went with the fold up saw table. Then when I learned that the winner can have his piece shown at the New England Home Show, well I thought it might be a good idea to build a nicer piece.

So a couple of weeks ago I designed what I am calling my X table, it was inspired by my Z table, but a lot nicer. I cut most the piece last week and then had to put them away while I finished up some work on some wooden crafts my wife and I where doing for a craft show this pass weekend. We did OK, I got a couple of commissions for things and a sold a custom flute.

Today I did get the legs all glued up, and tomorrow I hope to finish the half laps and get most the base out of my way, the top is mostly done I still have some fusing to do with it, but what has my butt in a kink is doing the finish. I work outside in the yard and it has been so windy I might have to use oil instead of the water base poly that I was planning, or find someone who will let me use their shop to spray it in.

Shop Tour

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 03:07:00 +0000

Just wanted to show some you guys where I do my wood working these days. Yes its outside and its exposed to the weather so that can be good or bad. I do most my large work out in the grass on a portable work bench. The worse part of working this way is putting finish on my projects, between the wind which we have no shortage of here, and the neighborhood cats, and my own cats, finishing can be a challenge. I use oil for most of my finishing or shellac.

This is my old bench, I just build a new bench, but it's at my daughter's house where I have been using it to fix some of her furniture. I don't know what I am going to do with this old bench top when I move my new bench over?

Well thats my shop! I hope to show how I make the best use of what I got. I know it doesn't look like much but you will be surprise what can be accomplished with it, remember it's not always what you got, but how you use it.

I have always found the best way to work is to keep it simple, efficient, use quality tools that can be used for more that one purpose, keep your tools sharp and well maintained, and do the type of work you enjoy.

Have a peaceful day
Joey

New Table Saw

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 16:46:00 +0000

I got a new saw last month and have finally gotten a chance to do some work with it. so look for a complete review in a week or two of this Ridgit 10" portable bench top table saw. I can tell you so far I have been quite pleased with it!
Joey

Change of Focus

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 12 Sep 2010 23:39:00 +0000

Theres a change in the air as fall comes to Ohio and here at The Sleepydog Wood Shop. When I started this blog my focus was on starting a day to day working shop, but then the economy went south or somewhere and the shop never happened, and with the way things look now with my health it never will. Over the summer I finally accepted that I am not going to have a shop for a while if ever and started working on a way of start doing more project in the space I got rather than what I was doing, which was saying, I will wait till I get a shop to build in.

Now working out of a closet should not be a problem for me since I was a carpenter, it's no different than working out of a truck, so I am ahead of the game there. One of the first thing I started doing has been downsizing my tools which meant selling most my large shop tools and buying bench top tools to replace them and more hand tools. The next thing I want to do is change the focus of this blog to help the numerous other woodworker out there who work without a shop just like me. I really want to start including some video, but not till I can do it the right way, I do not want to but crappy video on my blog just for the sake of butting up content. I always welcome comment, suggestions and thought from you guys out there and I hope to keep improving my blog in the future, so if your out and your reading this drop me a line even if its just to say hi, or go to hell.

Heres to great and peaceful day
Joey

Sawdust Challenge Build Pt 2

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 12 Sep 2010 03:20:00 +0000

Today, I worked on the mock up for my table. I was going to use cardboard to make the mock up, but found some OSB that I had and I thought I would just use it instead. I decided to build the model @ 1/2 scale. I wanted to play with a couple of different designs one of which has parts that nest into each other when the leg fold up. This is the one I will be building the as a model, while the other design is a little more rugged that design will more that likely will be the full size stand I build for my table saw.

Doing a 1/2 scale drawing on a piece of plywood is not something I normally do for project like this, but I have been trying to show my grandson's how things are designed and build from idea to finished piece; however, doing the drawing did show me a couple of possible spots that are going to cause me some trouble. I noticed that I going have a tough time driving the screws for the hinges in the two upper leg sections because of the steep angles. Now that I know this and will not come as a surprise to me I have time work something out before I build it, and with building the model I can play with what will work and look the best, something you really don't want to do with the finished piece.

Joey