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  • ATOMonkey

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Jun 15, 2010
    7,635
    48
    Plainfield
    If you're a lumberjack, sawyer, or carpenter, I'm interested!! I have always enjoyed making things out of wood (and I'll admit steel as well). I've finally got to the point in my life where I can take my hobby up a notch. I'm moving up from circular saws and screws to table saws and dovetails.

    I recently tried to get the harborfreight dovetail jig to work. It's not a bad concept, and is VERY affordable. However, I couldn't find a single one that was square and flat... :rolleyes:. Very disappointing. So, I had resigned myself to spending about 3 or 4 times as much on the Porter Cable jig when I ran across this little beauty.


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    $47 at Menards. Much better quality, as this is cast instead of bent plate. Clamp is also very near the cutting surface which is nice as well. That is one nock I have against the other jigs. The clamp is over 6 inches away from the actual jig. It is VERY small though, so lots of re-positioning if you're cutting more than about 4 inches. It does come with a very handy tool to re-position the jig in a previous cut, so that's nice. Haven't made any joints yet, so jury is still out. The other thing that is nice is that you can use this on a table or with a hand held router.
     

    Mr Evilwrench

    Quantum Mechanic
    Emeritus
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Aug 18, 2011
    11,560
    63
    Carmel
    You can do some good work with a lot of budget friendly tools. As the saying goes, it's a poor craftsman that blames the quality of his work on his tools. For example, I have a 20 year old loss-leader promotional table saw from Craftsman, but I can get good work out of it. Cabinetry quality stuff. I could make furniture. A dovetail jig, however, is one of those buy once cry once tools. It's worth getting a good one if you plan to use it. You will drive yourself absolutely toys in the attic trying to get a functional joint out of a cheap flimsy jig.

    I'm on my way up to Lowe's to get the lumber for a ramp up to my front deck. It's primarily for my mobility scooter that I use part time, but I'm going to put in some holes up top to mount a winch so I can pull heavy things up without messing up my back. I get an indescribable sense of confidence and pride from being able to do all these things for myself.
     

    spencer rifle

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    66   0   0
    Apr 15, 2011
    6,544
    149
    Scrounging brass
    Got to do some more backyard hack woodworking recently. Took down the old treehouse (our youngest is now 16, the floor was rotting away, and raccoons were trying to move in) and used the parts for a "new" chicken coop. We have been without chickens for a few weeks since the cursed raccoons killed the last one. We now have quality digs for 4 more soon - after doing more to secure the run.

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    Used to use a lathe to make cedar candlesticks and various project parts, but haven't been able to get it out for a long time.
     

    HoughMade

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Oct 24, 2012
    35,615
    149
    Valparaiso
    Most of my woodworking goes towards the house these days. Here is a project I finished this spring- used to be ugly carpeted stairs:

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    These are the stairs to the basement. I still have to complete the stairs to the 2nd floor.
     

    bocefus78

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    39   0   0
    Apr 9, 2014
    2,023
    63
    Hamilton Co.
    I just cut up my neighbor's weeping willow tree that came down in yesterday's storm. Weapons of choice today were my stihl ms192t 12" and my ms361 20"

    Tree wasn't big enough to break out the 066.

    I'm a weird one in that I enjoy all things chainsaw. Even the sweat from running them.
     

    ghuns

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    2   0   0
    Nov 22, 2011
    9,308
    113
    Last summer was the kitchen. All new cabinet doors, countertops, shelves, and an additional cabinet...

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    Then my wife found these giant slabs of old, weathered oak that the logging company left behind in our woods. I saw her wheels turning the second she laid eyes on them. At 3.5"X12"X90", SOB was HEAVY...:rolleyes:

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    Then this spring, we decided to add a porch and deck. The wife has always wanted a porch all the way across the front of the house. My only requirement was that we use composite decking. We got several estimates, none that I liked a whole lot, and things were pretty slow at work, so back in April, I decided to tackle it myself...

    The old porch came off. Grandpa didn't mess around when he built stuff, so it resisted our efforts. The slab had to be busted into quarters for the tractor to pick up the pieces...

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    The weather in April and May sucked royally, so progress was slow. It should also be noted, I am slow. I'm a toolmaker by trade. Woodworking, framing, and carpentry don't lend themselves to holding the tolerances I'm used to dealing with...

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    Speaking of tolerances, I wanted all those 6X6s notched to accept the rim joists and beams. Keeping everything level and the notches plumb was a concern of mine. I know my limitations with a circular saw so I wanted a way to cut notches that I couldn't screw up. And the posts closest to house needed notched on the house side, so space was an issue. I came up with some c-channel rails that I could screw to each side of the post to guide my recip saw to keep my cuts straight...

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    A little over 4 weeks in, we were finally laying deck boards down...

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    We went with Azek decking and hidden fasteners. It's a cool setup, but it goes down slooooooow. Another 4 weeks before the porch was framed and decked...

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    Then I built the first set of stairs, which I hate. Should have been bigger and the treads should have more overhang...

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    Then I needed to come up with how to connect the deck and porch. The wife had some very complicated ideas that I vetoed. We kept it simple...

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    I was much happier with my next set of stairs...

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    The only part I was really dreading was the porch roof. Partly because I've never built a roof and partly because I knew I'd have to enlist some help. I really hate to bother anybody. Both of my little brothers have worked in construction, so one came over on a Saturday to help me cut and set the rafters, the other came on Sunday to get the plywood up...

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    The next Saturday, the one that helped with rafters came to lay the shingles...

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    So now we are on to finishing the inside of the porch. The wife decided on old barn siding for the ceiling and end walls...

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    The ceiling is now at the halfway point. The new light and two ceiling fans are in. And the porch swing is hung. Gonna need a longer chain...

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    My required completion date is September 7th. We are having a party for our 25th anniversary. I'm cutting it close, but I work better with a deadline.;)
     

    Tactically Fat

    Grandmaster
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    22   0   0
    Oct 8, 2014
    8,270
    113
    Indiana
    I wish I had photos of the stuff my step-dad has crafted.

    He's extremely talented - and LOVES wood working. But, sadly, he has no time to do much of it during the spring, summer, and first half of fall. They also run an organic produce business on 50 acres. Plus running a gas station / convenience store. He works from can-to-can't doing all that.
     

    ghuns

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    2   0   0
    Nov 22, 2011
    9,308
    113
    Love that porch!

    Thanks. It's freakin HUGE.:rolleyes:

    We originally planned for the full 30' width of the house and 7 feet deep. When it was decided that I'd build it, the wife asked to make it 10' deep. Her thought was that the porch swing she bought was 5' wide. At 10', that leaves 2-1/2' on either side of it. Seemed reasonable at the time. But then I started planning for the roof. Those second story windows were not getting moved, so it made the roof have to be much flatter than I'd have liked. It's a 3/12 pitch, and it's just a porch, so it'll be OK. I just think it'd look better with a little more pitch.
     

    BigBoxaJunk

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    3   0   0
    Feb 9, 2013
    7,314
    113
    East-ish
    Headboard made from old Yellow Pine tongue & groove flooring that I'd pulled up years ago out of an old house. I wanted to keep the character of the flooring, so I didn't plane it, just worked at it with alcohol and steel wool to take off the old finish, then put on several coats of tung oil when I was finished.
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    Now I'm working on two matching bed-side tables. 70 year-old Yellow Pine is really hard to work with. The boards aren't all the same thickness, from the way the floor had been sanded over the years, and the wood is alternating layers of softer wood and rock-hard wood. Haven't had room in my garage for a car in 15 years.
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    ATOMonkey

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Jun 15, 2010
    7,635
    48
    Plainfield
    Headboard made from old Yellow Pine tongue & groove flooring that I'd pulled up years ago out of an old house. I wanted to keep the character of the flooring, so I didn't plane it, just worked at it with alcohol and steel wool to take off the old finish, then put on several coats of tung oil when I was finished.
    fWSlYru.jpg


    Now I'm working on two matching bed-side tables. 70 year-old Yellow Pine is really hard to work with. The boards aren't all the same thickness, from the way the floor had been sanded over the years, and the wood is alternating layers of softer wood and rock-hard wood. Haven't had room in my garage for a car in 15 years.
    tPlQ5w5.jpg

    That is very interesting! I hadn't thought to reclaim flooring for something like that. I do have about 3 boxes of pre-finished oak flooring... hmmmmm....

    I wonder if I could make a countertop for a kitchen island out of that.
     

    NKBJ

    at the ark
    Rating - 100%
    4   0   0
    Apr 21, 2010
    6,240
    149
    Been making stuff in the hobby room re-do...
    counters, work desk, storage shelves, book case.

    Gathering the materials for the desk lamp. Made the light fixture. Got the rheostat, the switches, the Mexican chess board and most of the lumber and paint.
     

    ghuns

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    2   0   0
    Nov 22, 2011
    9,308
    113
    Many years ago, my first big woodworking project after we bought my grandpa's house was to knock a hole in the wall between the kitchen and breezeway and build in a large pantry. These doors about killed me...


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