Fixing Gap in Joint - Question of the Week
This week’s question comes from Kevin. He writes:
Hello, I love your site. It’s really helped me get started and inspired to do more. I’ve not been woodworking very long, and have a question that may seem simple. I build staved hand drums and every once in a while my jointer will put a tiny dip on the end which leaves a hairline crack (can’t quite get a fingernail in it) between the the two staves about 2 inches long at the bottom (I could just cut the drum off 2 inches shorter, but I didn’t plan for this and that would mess up the design of this drum. I’d hate to toss the drum aside at this point, and the crack is tiny and the drum still passes my strength test of me standing on the drum. Is there a trick or technique to fill in that gap so it’s not as visible? The miniwax wood filler I tried has grains too large to fit into the cracks. Any help would be great. Thanks.
And here was my reply:
“Hey Kevin. For a crack that small, I would recommend cyanoacrylate (CA) glue and sanding dust. I usually us a medium viscosity. Just put a little glue over the crack and start sanding. The mixture of glue and dust will give you a pretty close color match. It will also destroy that portion of the sandpaper. And sometimes it does require 2-3 applications depending on the crack. Now I’m surprised you didn’t ask me specifically why your jointer leaves a dip at the end of the cut. The CA glue is the band-aid but adjusting the jointer is the cure. Any time that happens to me, its a clear indicator that my outfeed table is just a bit too low. Even an adjustment as small as 1/64″ can improve the situation. So I usually nudge it up a bit and take a test cut. You may consider recalibrating the outfeed table all-together. Good luck!”
Note***- Several folks have requested links to the specific glue I use. I use Medium the most, but I always have a bottle of thin on hand as well.
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Quick-Set Glue Quick-Set CA (Cyanoacrylate) adhesive has a clear, fast cure and strong bond for a variety of materials, including wood, metal, glass, rubber, ceramics and plastic. .. |
Little Red Wagon- Project of the Week
Filed under: Blog, Childrens' Projects, Project of the Week
This week’s project comes from Art in Lake Forest, CA. Its a sturdy classic red wagon and is a design from the New Yankee Workshop. I actually built one of these with a student a couple years back. Its definitely not as easy as it looks. Great job Art! Let’s hear about it from Art himself.
I built three of these red wagons for my three grandchildrens’ families. It’s based on a Norm Abrams’ New Yankee Workshop plans. Most of the project is red oak, including the painted wagon sides. The most interesting challenge was the front and rear axle assemblies, especially the front with it’s steering table. The most difficult fabrication was the front axle support’s 16-inch long, 1/2-inch wide hole into the 2-inch square red oak’s end grain. The hole is for the threaded rod that runs through the support and the wheel axle holes. Bolts at the rod’s ends hold the wheels on the wagon. I only have a 9-inch Craftsmen bench top drill press. I made this l6-inch long hole with 7- and 18-inch drill bits and the drill press’s metal working vise that I turned perpendicular to the ground. I kept the vise in the exact same position throughout the process. Starting with the 7-inch drill bit, then ran the longer bit into the existing hole. It took a while, but I’m proud to say the holes all came out the other end close enough for it’s purpose.
On the Road Again
Well tomorrow we leave for sunny beautiful Tulsa, Oklahoma! Its gonna be a crazy weekend of fun and woodworking comradery. I was even interviewed by a local paper, Tulsa World. Check it out.Not sure what’s up with that picture though. LOL.
So if you are going to be in the area, be sure to stop by. And if you need more information about the event, check out the Green Country Woodworker’s Site.
As usual when I travel, I may get a bit behind on emails. But I always catch up. My fingers are like 10 little ninjas and the keys are the unsuspecting victims! So have a great weekend.
New Yankee Cam Live Today!
Just got the word from ToolMonger.com today that the New Yankee Cam is up and running today. And apparently this is the last time for this season. It’s no TWW Live, but it is Norm! So if you are bored at work and counting the hours until the weekend, this is a great way to pass the time!
The Wood Whisperer Store - Do Over
For those of you who don’t know, we have an Amazon.com affiliate store setup here at TheWoodWhisperer.com. It has served us well in the past and people really seem to like the concept. You buy something you need and the show receives a commission. About 8 months ago in an effort to improve the store, we stopped using Amazon’s free software and invested in a more powerful, more customizable, 3rd party program. The back end of the program is difficult to use and set up and I have never been happy with the product. Furthermore, I have had numerous complaints from shoppers about the crappy search function and the inability to find what they are looking for.
So its time to give Amazon’s free software another shot. Fortunately, they’ve made a few changes and my “coding skills” have improved. So now the store is fully integrated into our website. There are many improvements: its easier on the eyes, has a simple interface, and has a more robust search. Sometimes simpler is just BETTER.
I already set up several custom categories with hand-picked items. If there is a category you would like me to add, just let me know. And if you have any ideas for custom categories, I would be happy to hear your suggestions. So take a look around, maybe do some early holiday shopping. Or maybe treat yourself to a few new toys. As always, Nicole and I appreciate your support.
The New and Improved Wood Whisperer Store
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