Woodworking is fun

[Pablo]

You did a nice job, the screws are evenly placed, the ends accurately cut.

I noticed that. Nice. Me building my own work bench, etc something NOT for decoration or just NOT generally in view of others, fack, HELTER SKELTER - fast and structurally sound.....................

I wouldn't finish such a workbench. Let it age naturally. I even do that sometimes with indoor stuff. I have a printer table, old growth doug fir, and a walnut slab shelf under my workbench. I just sanded them at the end, letting them patina naturally.

 

[Astro14]

danish oil 100%.....excellent for heavy use wood.

i use it on gunstocks

Agreed. For a work surface, you really want a penetrating finish. Something that is durable, and repairable.

Here, you don’t want a film finish, like a varnish, because they’ll just get chipped and beat up.

 

[Pew]

Thanks all! I'll add the diagonal braces and I may start building shelves this weekend. It was really hard to not turn into HD for more lumber today. I was between danish oil and polyurethane yesterday. Is one suited better for home projects vs the other?

 

[Astro14]

Thanks all! I'll add the diagonal braces and I may start building shelves this weekend. It was really hard to not turn into HD for more lumber today. I was between danish oil and polyurethane yesterday. Is one suited better for home projects vs the other?

They are both great. It depends on what they’re being used for.

Now, on something like furniture, that’s not going to get hit by a hammer, or have parts dropped on it, then sure, a film finish like polyurethane would be great. It protects the wood, it’s resistant to things like water and alcohol, both of which tend to get spilled on furniture.

If you were going to use your workbench like furniture, then I would go polyurethane.

If, however, you are going to use your workbench like a workbench, where the possibility of impacts, scrapes, and other damage is relatively high, then I would go for a penetrating finish. That way, you can touch up the finish by soaking in a little bit more, after the surface of your workbench gets dinged, scraped, or bumped.

You can always reapply more of a penetrating finish, wipe off the excess, and it’ll look pretty good.

 

[burbguy82]

Is one suited better for home projects vs the other?

There is not a "better" in this case. It all has to do with the application. But if I were to choose one between the two, as a general purpose finish, it would be Danish Oil.

Danish Oil is a more a treatment
Polyurethane is more a coating

Poly will look nicer, IF DONE RIGHT.....until there is damage to the surface.

 

[Lubener]

I love a good vice….

Even better, a good vise…like the one I found at an antique store, and restored. A bit more than the current cheaply made, big box store junk available, but it is well made, durable, and will last forever. You’ve discovered woodworking, now, enjoy a bit of restoration, too!

View attachment 256963

The old ones are the best.

 

[barryh]

I was between danish oil and polyurethane yesterday. Is one suited better for home projects vs the other?

Don't imagine Danish oil is a wet finish that stays oily. It reacts to the air and polymerises providing quite a tough dry finish.

 

[Pew]

I made shelves for the garage today and the three shelves are the same height as the three levels of the workbench, so I can stretch out storage or work space. I'll be adding diagonal braces on the back and sides later tonight or tomorrow. How did I do?

 

[Pew]

So I was wanting to build a better actual workbench and give my current one to a friend some a pizza. I'm practising on other little projects like different joints on a 1x8ft table for the garage. I started to rip some 2x8 syp from HD and messed up pretty bad. I started with a circular saw for the first half and ended up curing my cut so I finished with a hand saw. Is this saveable? I have a no4 hand plane and wanted to buy a no 5 or 6 to flatten this. The pieces are already glued together.

 

[D60]

I'm glad you like it, working with wood is my least favorite thing in the world of building and fabrication .... but it makes good heat

It's a good skill to have, though, so good for you!

 

[Pew]

I'm glad you like it, working with wood is my least favorite thing in the world of building and fabrication .... but it makes good heat

It's a good skill to have, though, so good for you!

It's definitely giving me a new found appreciation on hand built furniture. Having a table saw would make things much easier though. I've been scouting FB marketplace for a used Skil, Rigid, or DeWalt one.

 

[dlundblad]

I love a good vice….

Even better, a good vise…like the one I found at an antique store, and restored. A bit more than the current cheaply made, big box store junk available, but it is well made, durable, and will last forever. You’ve discovered woodworking, now, enjoy a bit of restoration, too!

View attachment 256963

Dare I ask what you paid for it?

What’s that paint color called? I love it. Very era correct IMO.

 

[Astro14]

Dare I ask what you paid for it?

What’s that paint color called? I love it. Very era correct IMO.

I paid $400. Cash. At the guy’s shop in Staten Island. Retired NYC crane operator, and this is his retirement gig.

I thought the price was fair, and I was happy to pay it.

This is his ebay site:

https://www.ebay.com/usr/diecastzoo

 

[Astro14]

So I was wanting to build a better actual workbench and give my current one to a friend some a pizza. I'm practising on other little projects like different joints on a 1x8ft table for the garage. I started to rip some 2x8 syp from HD and messed up pretty bad. I started with a circular saw for the first half and ended up curing my cut so I finished with a hand saw. Is this saveable? I have a no4 hand plane and wanted to buy a no 5 or 6 to flatten this. The pieces are already glued together.

View attachment 262250

View attachment 262251

Yeah, you can save it, but it will take a lot of work. A lot.

A no. 6 or no. 7 would be best. Get a set of winding sticks and check your work frequently. Get your plane blade honed to a perfect edge before starting. Might need to touch it up mid-job.

When you’re ready to get a table saw (best option for ripping), read up on tablesaw safety. They’re powerful, and they can kick back the workpiece with disastrous results. My daughter, the hand surgeon, reattaches fingers every week, but some injuries from table saws are too severe to be fixed.

My advice for a tablesaw is to go with an entry level contractor’s saw with a good fence. Something like this: 5000 10-in 15-Amp 120-Volt Table Saw with Fixed Stand https://www.lowes.com/pd/DELTA-5000-10-in-Carbide-Tipped-Blade-15-Amp-Table-Saw/1002689938

I know it’s expensive. You can get a tabletop (AKA Job site) saw for much less, something like this: 10-in 15-Amp Corded Portable Jobsite Table Saw with Foldable Rolling Stand https://www.lowes.com/pd/DEWALT-10-in-Carbide-Tipped-Blade-15-Amp-Portable-Table-Saw/50040968

The tabletop circular saws use a universal motor, and they don’t have a ton of torque. It’s easy to overpower them, and their lightweight means that when you’re pushing on a piece of heavy stock, they can shift. They’re OK for small jobs but not for ripping big boards.

For your 2x4 pine, they’re fine. For bigger stock, or hardwood like Oak, they’re inadequate.

A contractor saw should have a cast iron top, with an induction motor, that’s hanging out the back, and that’ll have a lot more torque. The increased weight of the saw, and the increased torque of the motor, make it a lot safer for ripping.

Blades have gotten pretty expensive, but if you’re actually gonna do a fair amount of ripping, you want a dedicated ripping blade. Get a good quality ripping blade. Forrest makes the best, Freud is decent. Get a combination blade for most work, but a ripping blade for ripping.

Figure out what you’re intending to do for future projects. If you’re planning on doing the kind of work that you’re doing now, then you won’t need the increased power and weight of the contractor saw, and the table top will do well.

The best is an actual cabinet saw, like this: 10-in 15-Amp 115-Volt Corded Contractor Table Saw with Fixed Stand https://www.lowes.com/pd/Powermatic...tractor-Table-Saw-with-Fixed-Stand/5015847607

Power and precision for any task.

Whatever you choose, spend the money on a good blade.

 

[Pew]

Yeah, you can save it, but it will take a lot of work. A lot.

A no. 6 or no. 7 would be best. Get a set of winding sticks and check your work frequently. Get your plane blade honed to a perfect edge before starting. Might need to touch it up mid-job.

When you’re ready to get a table saw (best option for ripping), read up on tablesaw safety. They’re powerful, and they can kick back the workpiece with disastrous results. My daughter, the hand surgeon, reattaches fingers every week, but some injuries from table saws are too severe to be fixed.

My advice for a tablesaw is to go with an entry level contractor’s saw with a good fence. Something like this: 5000 10-in 15-Amp 120-Volt Table Saw with Fixed Stand https://www.lowes.com/pd/DELTA-5000-10-in-Carbide-Tipped-Blade-15-Amp-Table-Saw/1002689938

I know it’s expensive. You can get a tabletop (AKA Job site) saw for much less, something like this: 10-in 15-Amp Corded Portable Jobsite Table Saw with Foldable Rolling Stand https://www.lowes.com/pd/DEWALT-10-in-Carbide-Tipped-Blade-15-Amp-Portable-Table-Saw/50040968

The tabletop circular saws use a universal motor, and they don’t have a ton of torque. It’s easy to overpower them, and their lightweight means that when you’re pushing on a piece of heavy stock, they can shift. They’re OK for small jobs but not for ripping big boards.

For your 2x4 pine, they’re fine. For bigger stock, or hardwood like Oak, they’re inadequate.

A contractor saw should have a cast iron top, with an induction motor, that’s hanging out the back, and that’ll have a lot more torque. The increased weight of the saw, and the increased torque of the motor, make it a lot safer for ripping.

Blades have gotten pretty expensive, but if you’re actually gonna do a fair amount of ripping, you want a dedicated ripping blade. Get a good quality ripping blade. Forrest makes the best, Freud is decent. Get a combination blade for most work, but a ripping blade for ripping.

Figure out what you’re intending to do for future projects. If you’re planning on doing the kind of work that you’re doing now, then you won’t need the increased power and weight of the contractor saw, and the table top will do well.

The best is an actual cabinet saw, like this: 10-in 15-Amp 115-Volt Corded Contractor Table Saw with Fixed Stand https://www.lowes.com/pd/Powermatic...tractor-Table-Saw-with-Fixed-Stand/5015847607

Power and precision for any task.

Whatever you choose, spend the money on a good blade.

Thanks! It took about an hour but I was able to shave off 1/4in off the top with my no4 to at least get rid of the wandering cut. Im about to purchase a no6 for flattening but it was good practice on hand plane use and sharpening.

I was considering that DeWalt; I don't plan on doing too much, just weekend warrior hobby stuff. I wouldn't be able to do much in my townhouse and wouldn't be able to store a contractor saw in my garage. I've been watching videos for the past few weeks on table saw usage and safety just to get mentally prepared as well. I don't like to unsafely handle tools but I've cut myself in my chisels a few time already.

 

[Pablo]

I almost bought the DeWalt 120V portable but compared to my brothers my Bosch seems more accurate and powerful motor

Cherry, oak, walnut and hemlock that needs processing

 

[4WD]

And a place to put hooks for more storage. Can't ever have enough of that!

I’m looking at some bare studs in that picture - shove some insulation in there held in place with pegboard panels …

 

[Pew]

I almost bought the DeWalt 120V portable but compared to my brothers my Bosch seems more accurate and powerful motor

Cherry, oak, walnut and hemlock that needs processing

View attachment 263736

What's your plans with the wood?

I saw a few Bosch table saws for sale on FB marketplace; I'm open to any table saw since I don't plan to use a battery powered one so I won't be beholden to an ecosystem with this.

 

[Pablo]

What's your plans with the wood?

I saw a few Bosch table saws for sale on FB marketplace; I'm open to any table saw since I don't plan to use a battery powered one so I won't be beholden to an ecosystem with this.

Mostly 2 and 3 layer floating
shelving

Cordless table saw seems like a bad idea imho agree

 

[Kestas]

That's a nice workbench. I would further affix it to the garage wall if you can with a couple screws to reduce wobble when you muscle things on it.

My style is to start with three 2 by 12s for the top and frame it solidly underneath. Then add a sheet of 1/4 inch plywood on top so the gaps don't give you problems.

If you really want to go top shelf, buy a section of used bowling alley wood for the top. They're expensive. I got mine for free.

And yes, properly mount a bench vice at one end of the top. Many people don't know how to mount a bench vise properly. The plane of the vice face surfaces needs to go beyond the edge of the bench. The base is nonsymmetrical for this reason.