Journal entry Thursday 8th June 2017 Election day Nope! Not political choices, electing to do what you feel called to do with your life. I preach my own words to myself most days, “It’s not what you make but how!” I could write a book on this sentence alone. Perhaps no one would read it. …
Read the full post Election day! on Paul Sellers' Blog.
This week’s book giveaway celebrates the release of a new book on building tiny houses and backyard buildings (from sheds to studios to recreational retreats). “Building Small” is written by David & Jeanie Stiles, who have authored numerous bestselling books on building sheds, cabins, workshops and other small structures. The book is a bit of an outlier for our category, but it’s filled with great fundamental building instructions that cover everything […]
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I love routers and this elliptical router jig makes me love them even more. I’ve made countless circles with router jigs over the years, but this simple jig for creating a multitude of oval shapes is slick. Ovals are tough because it’s a mathematical equation to get the shape correct. While I love routers, I’m not so fond of math. By creating an elliptical jig you take the math out […]
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I’ve been trying for weeks to write this editorial; it is difficult to do because my idealist view competes with reality. I have long been ambivalent about woodworking shops and classes specifically for women, because I don’t want them to be necessary. But they are. As a woodworker who happens to be a woman, I have experienced time and again what it feels like to be a “woman woodworker.” Yes, I […]
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Terminology is important. If we aren’t all using the same definitions, we can’t communicate. Using sloppy language is one of my pet peeves, and I spend lots of effort just defining terms. Here’s a term I often hear misused: overspray. Overspray is the sprayed finish that misses the target. It’s less common on large targets such as tabletops or cabinet doors, but it’s very common on narrow targets such as […]
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Total cost: Approx. $670
Hours spent: Approx. 225 (started 3/3/2017 and completed 5/5/2017 – 2 month duration)
This is my first furniture build. My original intent was to a build a table for a game board I recently made. When I came across this walnut slab I knew I didn’t need something this big for that application, but I couldn’t pass up this beautiful “chunk of tree!” So after researching the possibilities of what could be done with my purchase, I decided to build a bar top table based on a trestle design.
The walnut top is 8 ft. x 27 inches and has some incredible imperfect edges, with live bark attached when I purchased it. I considered leaving the bark intact, but ultimately made the decision to remove it. The revealed “live” edges were still very unique.
The first order of business was to clean up and flatten the slab. I pursued using the proven method of a router sled and mortising router bit to do the job. The only problem was the router bit I had used for smaller jobs was not substantial enough, and only discovered this with my first attempted pass across the slab. Immediately when the bit came in contact with the slab edge, the torque forced the bit from the router collet and it “rocketed” across my garage (see picture). Luckily no one was injured. After some research, I purchased a “monster” router bit from Infinity Tools–the Mega Dado bit–and a collet extension. This new tool did the job, cutting the top of the slab like butter. It’s the most expensive router bit I have ever purchased but was worth it.
A few substantial cracks and holes in the slab top were filled using System3 epoxy, tinted with an ebony-color powder product. I had never used card scrapers before, but I purchased a set to shave off the epoxy overflow after drying. The result is that the filled cracks now appear to be part of the walnut grain design. A very cool technique that worked perfectly.
The next step was to come up with a table base design. I chose African mahogany which provided a nice contrasting color to the dark slab top. The design of the legs and leg supports is simple, and involved mortise/tenon work, lag screws and glue for the assembly. The goal was to ensure strong functional support with a table base design that did not compete with the live edge top feature.
The defining characteristic of a trestle table is the “stretcher” that runs between the table legs to add stability. I used two walnut 1×6 boards (S4S) with very unique grain and color, glued them together to ensure strength, and shaped the ends with a curved design. The small “wedges” which act as tenons to hold the stretcher securely to each table leg are made of mahogany.
I accidentally introduced a unique design element to the leg supports which support the table top. I needed to create a subtle curved shape to the front edge of these supports so they wouldn’t protrude beyond the front leading edge of the table top (the front edge of the table top has a live edge which has a significant curve – see pictures). I successfully routed a nice curve to the edge of one of the leg supports, but when attempting to repeat this on the second support, my router template slipped and I inadvertently cut a deep gouge into the wood. Luckily I was able to turn the mistake into what I think is a cool design using sand paper and chisel so that it appears to be a planned design element. I repeated this on both leg supports. Sometimes luck yields good design (at least that’s what I tell myself).
The base is attached to the table top using hanger bolts. The course wood thread end of the bolts were screwed into the underneath side of the table top. The opposite thread on the hanger bolts attach through the leg supports using a hex nut, flat washer and lock washer. This design makes it simple to remove the legs from the table top in the event the table needs to be disassembled. The holes in the leg supports which accept the bolts were made larger than the bolt diameter to allow for expansion/contraction of the walnut slab top.
General Finishes “Arm-R-Seal!” This is an incredible product, but as with most finishes application technique is critical. I had never used the product before. I sanded all wood components to 220 grit to start, and then applied the finish to the raw wood. I lightly sanded by hand with 600 grit between coats. The table base received 4 coats and the plan for the walnut top was 6 coats. I chose the satin sheen. I initially used foam brushes to apply the finish. Applying the finish to the table base went flawlessly. It was simple to apply and the result was beautiful.
Finishing the large walnut top started just as well, but turned into a bit of a challenge. The first 4 coats were great. When I got to the 5th coat, things went south as I introduced some significant streaking (witness lines). I think the culprit was when I retraced a few brush strokes. I eventually had to re-sand with 220 grit to remove the witness lines. I didn’t attempt to re-sand to the original raw wood, but estimate I removed 2-3 of the previous coats of finish. After some research, I decided to thin the Arm-R-Seal with some mineral spirits, and abandoned my foam brushes and resorted to the cloth wipe-on application technique. This solved my problem, but the required rework was very frustrating.
I seriously considered using a pore-filling product prior to applying finish. Both walnut and mahogany are porous wood species, and I had read articles that pore-filling eliminates the risk of the open pores creating a “pitted” look after a finish is applied. After practicing the pore-filling method, I decided it was too much work and I also discovered that using a satin sheen finish will avoid the rumored “pitted” look. If your objective is to create furniture which has a very formal, glass-like finish then pore-filling might be appropriate. My application, however, didn’t call for a museum-like finish (after all…. I’m planning on spilling a few beers on top of this beautiful pub table!).
In my opinion most of the credit for creating an awesome live edge slab table goes to Mother Nature. If you can find a nice slab that has unique grain pattern and interesting live edges, that’s the “secret sauce.” Adding a good finish and basic, sturdy leg supports is challenge for the woodworker.
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June 2017 I recently concluded developing a new pair of stepladders, actually I made two pairs in the perfecting of the video series we made. In the mix of everything I used two woods that made me conscious of how much we do indeed take our wood for granted. When I went to the US …
Read the full post Step Ladder Making I Enjoyed on Paul Sellers' Blog.
Whenever I make legs for a table or chair, I find it difficult to leave them square and flat on each face. Ever since I saw David Marks pillow the outside faces of his Bubinga Coffee Table, I always like to consider the possibility of using that technique to spice things up. In fact, I did the same technique on this Outdoor Sitting Bench. This simple detail can have a huge visual impact but it certainly isn’t going to work for every furniture style. With some simple layout lines, we can use a block plane to do all of the shaping. The final smoothing can be done with a card scraper or sanding.
That’s a good question. I have 5 chairs to make and 10 legs will receive this detail, so this question certainly popped into my mind. But I quickly reminded myself that details are the magic ingredient of our craft. What separates your work from the average manufactured piece? That’s right: details! So if you feel a few extra details will benefit the overall design of the piece, it’s well worth your time to add them. Never aim for average! Aim for spectacular and settle for great if you have to.
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The Maslow CNC is a CNC kit that costs just $350. For that price, you should expect a few compromises. For one thing, you have to put it together. Of course you’ll have the key mechanical, electrical and electronic parts, however, you will need to provide plywood and a couple of 2” x 4”s to complete it. The good news, after using one for a while, I can confirm that […]
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Today it’s easy to make glazed doors and mirror frames by using a router to rabbet a mortise-and-tenon frame after assembly: Cut your joints, glue the frame together, rout the inside edges on the back using a special rabbeting bit, then chop the corners square with a chisel and mallet. Before the invention of the electric router, frames for glazed doors (which include doors with mirrors) were built from rabbeted stock, […]
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It’s difficult to argue against perfection in woodworking. That’s because the counter argument is something like: “You’re a hack and can’t get it right, and so you say that your imperfections are intentional.” Or put another way, you can’t be too rich, too thin or have joinery that is too perfect. Here’s how I think about perfection: We now have the technology to abolish time zones. Each person’s phone could […]
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What’s saddest of all is what I said about new woodworkers picking up the saw. There is something thats true about all of us when we start any creative craft. We tend to think buying something less expensive will match our amateur-status skill level and that “it will do until we find out of we …
Read the full post Two-Cherry Picking on Paul Sellers' Blog.
If workbenches were like automobiles, then I’d consider the tail vise to be like the heated seats in a car. They’re an option, of course, but they are by no means standard equipment, like tires. Out of economic necessity, my first three workbenches didn’t have tail vises, and so I was thrilled when I was assigned to review a full-size European workbench with all the bells and whistles, including a […]
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This week I picked up a brand new gent’s saw straight from the pack made by the famous German tool makers Two Cherries. I noticed the unusual tooth shape, which strangely resembled the edge of a tin can when we used to open it with a multipurpose survival knife. I wondered how it would work …
Read the full post Shame On You Two Cherries, Shame On YOU! on Paul Sellers' Blog.
Show notes are underway.
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It’s time for another book giveaway! This week I’m giving away a book on making wooden toys: “Making Classic Wooden Toys: 21 Step-by-Step Projects.” Who hasn’t at some point been inspired by a kindly yet mischievous woodworker who gave them a mysterious wooden puzzle and challenged them to figure it out? These days I have my suspicions whether some of the “puzzles” my own grandfather handed me actually could be solved […]
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A reader had a problem with the paint on his front doors, which he thought might be caused by exposure to strong sunlight for many hours each day. Fortunately, he sent pictures, which told me a different story. From the pictures, it seemed more likely that the damage was caused by moisture. UV sunlight causes painted surfaces to fade, dull and eventually chalk. The paint on these doors appears to […]
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When I started making YouTube videos regularly last year I really wanted to deliver in 4k, but my 2010 vintage computer (custom build), wasn’t up to the task. Thus, in July of last year i set out to rectify that issue. The Machine I came up with was able to burn through 4k content, with […]
I so enjoy designing and building pieces and, as I always have, it’s predictable that I always will. Whereas I always got a buzz from people choosing me to design pieces for their home or their office, and then of course making them too, I now have something even more special in my work. It’s …
Read the full post Building My Laptop Desk on Paul Sellers' Blog.
A workbench designed for hand tool woodworkers but made (partially) with a CNC. Each bench features a unique 3D carved leg vise. Here’s a video introduction into how they were made. The BARN workbench was designed for the Bainbridge Island Artisan Resource Network. BARN is a Seattle area community group that built a wonderful community facility for artisans to share resources, education, and workspace. To give them a hand, I […]
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Traditional woodworking starts with a shaving horse and a drawknife. Used with both green and dried wood, woodworkers have relied on these two tools for centuries. Simple to use, there are just a few things to be aware of before getting to work. In this short video, Windsor chairmaker Elia Bizzarri gives a valuable overview of what features are important when choosing a shaving horse and talks about proper grip, […]
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Woodworkers often find themselves doubling as the resident fixer-upper. As the go-to person who has the tools you’ll often be asked to “fix this” or “build that” for the house. I recently did some window repair on my own house, and I must say that all of the things I’ve been learning about the craft helped me do a better job than I might have a few years ago. Regardless of what you […]
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In 2010 I got out of the Air Force and decided to try my hand at owning my own woodworking business. My plan was to start with making shadow boxes for military retirements and expand from there. In 2012 I got divorced and lost almost every tool. Five years later, remarried and a new baby, I’ve finally built back up to a fully capable shop. I had to make compromises as some of the tools are more entry level compared to what I had before but I’ll be upgrading if resources and needs dictate. To be honest, I wasn’t that successful the first time I tried this. I had to remind myself that even Steve Jobs was fired from the company he started and he needed that life lesson to make Apple what it is today. I think I’ve learned a lot from my experience which primarily drove the planning this time around. I hope the pictures speak for themselves and I’m happy to answer any questions. One issue I’ll address right away is that I skipped the big 4″ central dust collection and opted for smaller shop vacs/dust deputies throughout the shop. So far I’m happier with the performance. Overall I’ve tried to use as many “lean manufacturing” principles as possible. The bottom line is the most important thing in endeavors like this is to GET GOING so keep that in mind when you see things like a workbench from Harbor Freight and etc. Wish me luck. Thank God I still have a day job, for now.
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I’ve reported previously on Sherwin-Williams buying Valspar and PPG’s attempt to buy AkzoNobel, which would combine the two largest coatings suppliers in the world. To complete the purchase of Valspar by Sherwin-Williams, Valspar was required to spin off its wood coatings division to Axalta, which it did. (I had never heard of Axalta before, but it is a large company headquartered in Philadelphia with lots of coatings divisions.) The sale […]
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My skew and I have a troubled relationship. It is by far my favorite turning tool and when things go right I feel I can do anything. We also fight a lot. To the level where those “never again” words cross my lips. It usually takes some form of counseling to get us back together. Our latest blowout was over rolling a bead. I think video is one of the best […]
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I don’t care for gizmos, jigs and silly accessories. So even though I spend a fair amount of time on the lathe, I resisted purchasing the Galbert Caliper for many years. In its place, I used go/no-go gauges, box wrenches and traditional turning calipers (which are the worst). But while at Handworks this year, I broke down and gave Peter $60 for a Galbert Caliper. Today I put it to […]
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Among the goals of the #WhyIMake campaign (from infosys.org) is to inspire people to make things with their hands, to spread the importance of maker skills and to share resources for doing so. It began as a foundation aimed toward encouraging children and K-12 educators of underrepresented groups, and has grown into a celebration of the maker movement at large. Among well-known people with whom the foundation has partnered to get out the message are […]
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Y’all are funny – picking the winner of the Ridiculous Woodworking Books contest was a difficult task. But I had to choose a winner, so…I chose two. Each of the winners gets a copy of our reprint of David Denning’s “The Art and Craft of Cabinet-Making.” One is Wittefish’s birdhouse homage to one of my favorite books, “Go the F**k to Sleep,” by Adam Mansbach, illustrated by Ricardo Cortes – of which […]
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Two years ago, I built a jig to help me cut sandpaper sheets into a few different practical sizes for our classroom. The sizes that we use are eighths, quarters (long strips) and half sheets. The eighths pieces are very useful for hand sanding and for working small to medium sized projects. We mount the long quarter sheet on our beloved Preppin sanding blocks, and the half sheet is useful […]
The post How to Keep Kids From Wasting Sandpaper – Part 2 appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.
Lumber from large commercial suppliers typically comes with straight-sawn edges. But when you saw your own logs or buy from smaller outfits, you have to find your way along the live edges and around the defects to get the best yield from a board. Or maybe I shouldn’t say you “have to”; a happier way of thinking about live-sawn lumber is to realize that it affords creative, structural and aesthetic […]
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Recently in my neighborhood, there has been an alarming outbreak of stumps. The City of Cincinnati has been removing trees that are encroaching on and breaking up the sidewalks, in anticipation of the replacement and repair of said walkways – a cost that is the responsibility of homeowners…which has caused some anger. I understand why we need passable walkways (I also understand the disgruntlement at having to pay for them, particularly with […]
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Sitting at your workbench does not make you lazy. Many times it makes you smart. Chopping out the waste between dovetails requires endurance and patience – especially when building a large piece of casework with drawers. If you sit while chopping, you conserve energy and your eyes are closer to your chisel, improving accuracy. The same goes for mortising where exactitude is important. During the last few weeks I’ve been […]
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In my youth and from my background, Father’s day was never featured and really, I don’t remember any hint of it in the culture of my time. Perhaps that was a northern thing, perhaps the great divide between the haves and the have nots, the North and the South, the then Working classes and the …
Read the full post Father’s Day on Paul Sellers' Blog.
Today we’re talking about a range of topics including why I don’t think you should build a table out of construction grade Douglas Fir. Here’s the rundown:
The post Down with Douglas Fir! – Friday Live! appeared first on The Wood Whisperer.
My basic view of the smaller planes called block planes is that they might occasionally prove handy but they have only limited real value in terms of general woodworking use unless you are working on smaller work at say finer levels where larger planes may perhaps be a little cumbersome or for some other specialist …
Read the full post Planes to Buy and Planes You Best Avoid on Paul Sellers' Blog.
Sometimes the best Father’s Day gifts are the ones that you pick up at the very last second…right? We understand that some of our readers haven’t taken advantage of our free shipping deal – which runs through this weekend if you want to hand Dad a receipt of a product that is in the mail – so we have curated a list of 11 products from our store that be […]
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A workbench designed for hand tool woodworkers but made (partially) with a CNC. It features a 3D carved leg vise and a workbench top designed to improve ergonomics. I designed the BARN workbench for the Bainbridge Island Artisan Resource Network. It’s a Seattle area community group that has built a wonderful community facility for artisans to share resources, education, and workspace. I wanted to help my new neighbors, so I […]
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Any experienced woodworker will tell you that the first secret to good work is keeping your tools sharp. “The Perfect Edge” by Ron Hock is one of the best books out there on sharpening woodworking tools. If you don’t have it, you need it. From choosing a sharpening set-up to in depth coverage of different sharpening methods, this book takes the mystery out of this crucial set of skills. I’m […]
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Yesterday, a member of our Guild Facebook group described some difficulty they were having making mortises with a hand-held router. This is something I do quite frequently and the person jested that I make it look too easy. Like anything, making mortises gets easier with practice but I believe anyone can find success with this particular process if they just follow some simple guidelines. So I decided to whip up a quick video that breaks it all down. And because I can’t stand when people/companies create acronyms and then force words into them, I’m proud to bring you LTBD (pronounced ltbd).
Without proper layout, you won’t know where the mortise is supposed to go and you won’t be able to set up your router properly. So I always fully layout one of each size mortise I need in my projects. If there’s more than one of a particular mortise, I only lay out start and stop lines since my edge guide holds the router a specific distance in from the edge.
I recommend a decent plunge router, an edge guide, and a nice sharp up-spiral bit. Here’s the bit I used in this demo.
Unfortunately, not every router manufacturer makes an edge guide, but common brands like Bosch, DeWalt, Festool, and Porter Cable have them available. There are also after-market edge-guides available like this one from Milescraft.
The narrower the workpiece, the more difficult it will be to balance the router. So it’s a good idea to double up or even triple up on your workpieces to provide extra base support. I often offset the support piece so it not only prevents the router from tipping side to side, but also provides additional support front to back (especially hand for mortises that are near the end of a workpiece).
Although mortise routing involves surrounding the bit with wood, you should still pay attention to your router direction. I recommend pushing the router away from you moving left to right. This keeps the router moving against the rotation of the bit and should yield a better cut, as the router tends to pull into the work keeping the fence tight against the workpiece.
If you follow LTBD, there will be very few workpieces you can’t safely and accurately route a mortise into. Get some practice with this technique and before you know it, you’ll be mortising everything!
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The 2017 Excellence Awards entry period will close on Friday (6/16) at midnight! The grand-prize winner gets a check for US$1,000, the winner in each of the five categories, and the overall Readers’ Choice winner, get a gift certificate to ShopWoodworking.com – plus, the grand-prize piece, and the Editors’ Choice and Readers’ Choice winners in each category will be featured in the November issue. There is absolutely no cost to […]
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When I was first learning woodworking, HVLP didn’t exist. That’s something I lament on occasion when I recall taking a deep breath (even with a face mask and decent air collection) before starting to spray a lacquer finish. The overspray cloud was amazing and there really wasn’t a way to avoid it – affecting my breathing and my ability to see what I was finishing! HVLP (high volume low pressure) […]
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I am almost through the series on making a beautiful stepladder. What makes a stepladder beautiful? It’s beautiful because I made it with my own hands, my own power, my own strength, my own mind. It’s beautiful because it’s simple to look at. It’s simple because it’s functional and it’s beautiful because I see form …
Read the full post Making Two and More on Paul Sellers' Blog.
The first big investigation I ever did for an article in a woodworking magazine was on paste waxes. I collected 13 different brands and tried to figure out the differences. I also read as much as I could find on wax. This was all brought back to me when I got into the long discussion about wax that I told you about in my last post. My friend was trying […]
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