Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

homestead - [Homestead] Woodworking

homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Homestead mailing list

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: Rob <becidawa AT hctc.com>
  • To: homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [Homestead] Woodworking
  • Date: Sun, 05 Sep 2004 16:53:57 -0700

I've been out building a table. I had some scrap 3/4 ply (the top), some 1x4 (undertable support) and a couple of 33" long 2x6es and a gallon of Titebond wood glue (after a long discussion on a woodworking list Titebond looked like a good choice. I buy it by the gallon as this small bottles just go too fast). Looked like enough to me!
I have a tablesaw (bought used), a jig saw (bought new 19+ years ago to build a cradle), an orbital sander, a router (a Christmas present many years ago) & a dovetail jig. As a plus I have a couple of drills and a lot of drill bits. Looks like enough to me!
I hadn't used the router much in the last few years and seem to have left my router bits in MN, I did find one bit in with the router.... This seemed like a good time to try some different things.

I made the undertable support by cutting dovetail joints in the ends of the 1x4's and gluing them. I had some scrap wood and practiced with that until I got making dovetail down... still room for improvement but they'll work.
I laid the legs out in the 2x6's, two legs from each 2x6. I cut them out with the jig saw (spent $2 on new blades). One side of the leg is a straight line and the other side is a taper. Using the jigsaw left kinda rough cuts, tool marks that had to be taken out. I had a few 7" 50 grit disks laying around but no way to use them and keep the surface flat, what I needed was a disk sander. I took an old 7" circular saw blade for a backing, put the 50 grit disk on it and mounted that in the table saw. Once I fired the saw up the disk lay flat against saw blade and worked great as a disk sander, taking the tool marks out was a snap.
Next I wanted to use the router and put rounded edges on the legs. I borrowed a bit from a friend but was not able to figure a way to anchor the leg while I routed it (needed to do all 4 sides and it's an odd shape). I needed a router table to hold the router while I moved the legs over the bit. Did I mention that I have a few woodworking books? I pulled out "The Router Handbook" and another book on "Jigs & Fixtures", that showed me the basics on a router table, plus I had watched a couple of shows on PBS "Router Workshop". I knew what I needed to do. I took a 17x19 chunk of 3/4 ply, cut a square insert (1/2 ply) to mount to the router and made a table. I used the 1/4 straight router bit I had to cut an insert depression into the router table to allow the square insert to sit there flush. I cut a hole into the center of the insert and marked where I needed hole to hold the router. I needed to get some 10-32 screws 3/4" long to hold the router to the 1/2 insert (89 cents).
I mounted it to my saw horses and was ready to go. I'd really wish I'd had some more scrap to practice on but most of my scrap went into this project... After a few passes for learning I was ready. I used the 1/2 round over on all 4 sides of the legs, even the curve at the top & it came out really well. Not perfect but I like it. After I sanded the legs (100 grit then 220) they came out looking great.
One thing I can use is more clamps, I have a bunch but could use more. In the spirt of "you can't have too many clamps" I picked up another 6 "C" clamps at an auction while in MN, those came in handy today, plus the eight 24" bar clamps I've picked up over the years for other projects. My 2 vice grip clamps didn't fit.
The table support has been glued & screwed to the top and it's drying. Once I get done putting it all together I can see how the poly-stain in a can works...
FWIW I'm still not sure how I'm going to attach the legs yet. I'll let you know how it works out.



Rob
becidawa AT hctc.com




Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page