Door Frames with Acoustic Fabric? - Question of the Week

May 12, 2008 | Filed Under Blog, Question of the Week | 3 Comments 

This week’s question comes from Gary. He writes:

I built the cases out of MDF, and was thinking of just doing a poplar frame, and installing those push-in speaker clips on it, so the face can be removed. Speaker fabric will cover where a panel typically would be (to be acoustically transparent, of course). I’m struggling with how to do the frames though with the speaker fabric. At first I thought I’d just use the same cabinet door bit set I used on these so the profile would match. But, now wondering if it should still have the panel groove in it, and if so, how does the fabric install that way? I thought maybe, I still use a ¼” piece of stock only about ¾” wide or something, wrap the fabric around one edge, and insert it in the groove, and pin nail it or something so it stays (??). Not sure what the best way to go is here, and so far, cant find any advice online about that type of installation. I’m guessing I definitely would want to keep the same profile on the frames, right? Not fine furniture by any means, but ldwaet me know if you get a chance, any thoughts you have… Thanks dude.

And here was my response:

Hey Gary. This is actually very similar to a big built-in project I did about a year ago. Lots of frames with fabric. What I recommend is using the same bit you’ve been using (I assume it cuts the profile and the panel groove all at the same time). And instead of trying to get the fabric into the groove somehow, just rip the back end of the groove off, so that the groove becomes a rabbet. Then you can lay your fabric right into the rabbet. Now if you have an upholstery staple gun and a 23 gauge pinner, this whole thing becomes a whole lot easier. Use the upholstery gun to attach the fabric to the rabbet and be sure not to punch through the profile. Keep your gun pointed back on an angle to make sure it goes into the meat of the frame. Then stretch the material over to the opposing side and secure it in place. Do the same for each side and the hard part is done.

At this point the door looks a little ugly on the inside. Depending on the with of your tablesaw blade and the depth of the groove, that cut-off piece from ripping the groove may be just the perfect size to fill in the rabbet. So drop it into the corner of the rabbet, and use the 23 ga pins to secure it in place over the fabric. If the strips are too small, just cut some new ones.

If done properly, it will give you a nice finished look. Hope that helps.

Thin Strips More Stable? - Question of the Week

April 28, 2008 | Filed Under Blog, Question of the Week | 7 Comments 

I starting my first real project. It is a mission style sofa table of my design constructed with semi rough cut oak. I am very pleased with the results so far. The wood is turning out great, the mortise and tenons are good (room for improvement here), and the overall look is just what I want. I have finished the four legs. Sooner than later I will have to make the top. The dimensions will be roughly 17″ x 50″. The wood I am working with is 15/16 thick and in widths of 7″-9″. I will plane the wood down to just over 3/4 thick. The guy I bought the wood from suggested that I rip the top to 3″ strips and alternate the end grain to help prevent warping of the top. I agree totally, but thought that 3″ widths was excessively small. I see photos of other people work that is much wider than this and it seems to work. I will be using a couple of biscuits to edge glue the top together. I was hoping to glue it up in about three 6″ planks. I think that six 3″ strips would cheapen the look. What do you think?

And here was my reply:
Hey Luke. Not doubt that 3″ strips would stack the cards in your favor in terms of stability. But wow, does anyone really want their table to look like a gym floor??? The bottom line is, if the wood is kiln dried and properly seasoned, it should not cause you any unexpected MAJOR issues over the course of time. Not to mention it will be secured to the base which will help keep it flat. And on a table of this size, I think the 3″ strips would be completely unnecessary. Think about how many beautiful dining room table tops are out there with nice wide boards and overall widths of about 4′, and those are nearly as flat as the day they were glued together.

I always use the widest boards my jointer will allow. And if I find a nice wide plank of 12″ or more, it would be a travesty to cut that board down under the hopes of increased stability. Wide boards are harder and harder to come by these days so furniture made with wide boards is more elegant and more appealing, in my opinion. So if I were you, I would go with your gut and assemble the top from three 6″ boards. And as long as it doesn’t make the face grain look bad, go ahead and alternate the growth rings. Conventional wisdom says that will keep the top balanced. Good luck.

Avoiding Gaps in Your Glue Up - Question of the Week

April 23, 2008 | Filed Under Blog, Question of the Week | 6 Comments 

This week’s question comes from Mike. He writes:

My most recent project as I’ve mentioned to you before is a baby crib for our first child. This crib will later convert to a day bed and then a full size bed. Therefore there are several legs that must be built first, 6 in total. These legs are built up of 3 pieces of 3/4″ maple laminated together. The center piece is planed slightly thinner to match the thickness of 3/4″ maple ply for the rails that will be mortised into the legs. Once I began to glue the boards together I realized I have some difficulty when it comes to clamping, more specifically knowing how to clamp properly.

I recently purchased some of Rockler’s F-style clamps. I love them and started with them however I quickly realized that they were probably not the right clamps to use for this application. I then grabbed some of my hand screw wood clamps. They seemed to give me a better spread across the boards which are 2 3/4″ wide. I supplemented with the f-style clamps using wood blocks to spread the clamping pressure evenly I do not own any small parallel jaw clamps or I would have used them for this job. What I ended up with was some of the legs went together well with no gaps in my glue joints while others has small gaps in the glue joints the full length of the legs that will have to be filled. How can I avoid this in the future? I’m not concerned that they will come apart because there will be some fasteners that go through the legs to attach the railings, but I would like to have tight glue joints when laminating several boards together so I don’t have to do so much gap filling before I go to finishing.

And here was my reply:
Hey Mike. Excellent question. Using “less than optimal” clamps is something many of use have to deal with. And there really is no big secret. It just comes down to lots of clamps and lots of pressure. I would recommend using cauls that are at least as long as the leg is wide. Then, I would use the F-style clamps to clamp down over the cauls. And since one clamp in the center of the caul may still not apply enough pressure at the edges of the leg, I would recommend putting two F-style clamps at the ends of the neighboring caul. So in effect you will alternate: one centered, two on the edges, one centered, two on the edges, etc… Do this across the leg every 4-5 inches (the closer the better), and you should have enough pressure. From your description, it really sounds like you had enough pressure at the center of the leg, but not at the edges. Of course this means you need a lot of clamps! But as they say, you can never have too many. And kust so you know, the way I do this: I use the parallel clamps and alternate the sides they clamp from. Then I actually reinforce the clamping with F-style clamps in between the parallels. Good luck.

End-grain Through the Planer? - Question of the Week

April 14, 2008 | Filed Under Blog, Question of the Week | 15 Comments 

This week’s question comes from Matt. He writes:
After reading much debate on this issue, I thought I might like to hear your input. What does the Wood Whisperer think about running end-grain through the planer? I’m SOOOOOOOO tempted to try it because it would be so easy to clear up some high spots, but I’ve read that this can cause serious kickback, possibly turning the planer into a large grenade. (At least my portable anyway). I’ve read where people have done this their whole life with no issues other than tear-out at the end, which can be prevented by rounding over the end first. Others state stories of boards flying through neighbors windows, planer blades causing decapitation, and planers actually being knocked over from this process. At this point I think it’s safe to say that I’m not going to try it but, what do you think about it? “But, I was only taking off like 1/128,000th at a time”.

And here was my reply:
Hey Matt. I know that many people have done that procedure many times without a problem. I also know many folks who have done it and experienced disaster. That’s enough to scare me into NOT doing it. My biggest woodworking injury occured early on in my career when I tried to run the end grain of a board over the jointer. Big mistake! The board snagged and exploded in my hand. No MAJOR injury other than a huge blood blister and some numbness. But enough to make me almost poop my pants! The principal is the same with the planer, and as a result, I never do it. So…….. the final choice is up to you. But its an operation I do not recommend.

I would love to hear everyone’s experience with this technique, good or bad.

Oil finish on cocobolo? - Question of the Week

April 7, 2008 | Filed Under Blog, Question of the Week | 7 Comments 

This week’s question comes from Brad. He writes:
“Hi Marc, I have a question about finishing..I’m making a small decorative box with a sliding maple top and cocobolo sides. I’ve read that it is not advisable to use an oil finish on this wood. Any experience or advice??”

And here was my reply:
“Hey Brad. Woods like cocobolo have a certain amount of natural-occurring oil in them. When you coat them with an oil-based finish, the oil in the wood itself prevents the finish from oxidizing and curing properly. So we have a few options. We can either use something like shellac or lacquer instead of an oil-based finish. Or, we can seal the wood first, preventing the oil from contacting the oil based finish. Shellac is a great sealer for this purpose. A good coat of a 2lb cut (I use Bullseye Sealcoat) dewaxed shellac should do the trick. Sand lightly with 320 after the shellac and proceed with your oil-based finish. Now keep in mind you want a straight varnish at this point (not an oil/varnish blend). But you should have no adhesion issues with the varnish at that point. Hope that helps.”

And for more information on finishing oily woods, check out this article from our friends at FineWoodworking.com: A Finish for Oily Woods

Wood Acclimation in Hawaii - Question of the Week

March 31, 2008 | Filed Under Blog, Question of the Week | 1 Comment 

This week’s question comes from Robert. He writes:

“I live on an island in Hawaii (surrounded by water of course) where the humidity is always high and it rains a lot. All the material that I’ve been reading says to dry your wood to about 6% before working on it. Then you leave it in your shop for several days to let it become equal to your humidity. My humidity is always super high. A lot of times in the 80’s and above. Do I still dry my wood to this dryness (6%) even though it will probably go up to 12 to 14 % after acclimated to my place (I do my work in a garage that is open on two sides)? Do I store my wood here in the open garage or somewhere else? What % humidity should I be working on my wood? BTW, the items will probably stay here in Hawaii and we don’t use heating and not a lot of us use air conditioning in their homes. So I believe the humidity inside and out are pretty similar. And it rains a lot here. Sometimes 3 to 5 times a week. I’ve seen charts that show the moisture in wood left on its own here will have between 11 and 14% moisture content throughout the whole year.”

And here was my reply:
“If you are buying kiln dried wood, it will most likely be shipped in at around 6-8%. But if it sits in a lumber yard for a while, you can count on the moisture content going higher and higher every day, until it reaches equilibrium with the environment. So by the time you get it, it is probably up in that higher range anyway. And just like in anyone else’s shop anywhere in the world, you want to let those boards acclimate to your shop’s conditions. And if there is a lot of humidity, your boards will have a higher than average moisture content. Remember that humidity is not necessarily our enemy. CHANGES is humidity are the real problem. So if its relatively constant inside and outside, you should have no problems working with wood that has as higher than average moisture content. Probably not a bad idea to get a moisture meter so you can monitor theses things and figure out just what percentage these boards get to and how they change over the course of the year. But it sounds like you already have a head start on the research. You are wise to be cautious. But I think your actual workflow will not be all that different from anyone else’s.”

For more information on wood, the science behind it, and proper ways to dry it, check out these great articles provided by our friends at FineWoodWorking.com:


All about Wood Science

Video: How to Dry Lumber

When should I throw away sandpaper? - Question of the Week

March 24, 2008 | Filed Under Blog, Question of the Week | 2 Comments 

This week’s question comes from Jonathan. He writes:
“So I’ve been doing this woodworking thing for a long time (even though I’m just 40) :-) So there I am in the shop listening to my ipod, hand scraping some stuff, sanding some other pieces (long story) and after a while, the brain starts to drift a little… “I wonder when the hell I should be throwing out these sanding disks…” What is -your- rule for deciding when the 5″ sanding disks on your little Festool have generated enough dust and are ready for the fireplace? (I mean, the disk isn’t frayed or torn. I use klingspor and Norton disks so the things are pretty good quality, and i know after a while a 80 disk probably ends up more like a 120 as the abrasive wears down).”

And here was my reply: “Excellent question Jonathan. Sometimes its really is hard to tell. One common misconception is that as the abrasive wears down, its like sanding at a higher grit. In reality, you aren’t sanding at a higher grit. You are just sanding at the same grit with much less efficiently. :) I usually just look for a few specific signs that tell me the sandpaper is ready for the trash. First is visible wear. That’s an obvious one. For paper that has no visual indicator, I actually just feel the surface. Eventually, the paper will feel a lot smoother when compared to a fresh piece. So how do you know when to switch? Well that’s a personal decision. If you want to save paper, you can wait a long time. But you are doing it at the expense of time and sanding efficiency. In a professional shop where time is more expensive than sandpaper, you switch out more often to get the job done sooner. Its hard to describe just how much smoothness I look for, so you kind of have to decide for yourself. But you should be able to tell when your sanding efficiency is going down. And keep in mind that even dull paper will continue to sand…..but very slowly. Hope that makes sense and gives you at least some guidance. Good luck!”

For some more information on surface preparation and sandpaper, check out this article from FineWoodworking.com

All About Surface Preparation

Smooth and Blotch-Free Finish - Question of the Week

March 18, 2008 | Filed Under Blog, Question of the Week | 1 Comment 

This week’s question comes from Jeff. He writes, “Love your videos have learned so much, only wish there were more! I have a problem and can’t find a layman’s answer. I like how you break down things so simply that even dumbass’s like me can understand. I built my nephew a computer desk out of Birch Plywood. I wanted to get this super nice cherry finish. The guy at HD told me to stain it with Cherry Stain (Minwax) then top coat it with Polyurethane (sp) Well, as I am sure you know it looks like “S**T” fortunately I did this on a test piece…please please please give me a layman’s answer as to how I can get a nice looking smooth finish, one that I would be proud of.”

And here was my reply: “Well this may not be super easy, but its the easiest way I know of. You can start by sealing the surface so that you get even stain absorption. I use a product called Bullseye SealCoat. This is a 2 lb cut of shellac but you might want to dilute it down to 1 lb. with denatured alcohol. Simply wipe on a good coat using a rag. It dries quickly so make it snappy. Let this dry for a few hours, then lightly sand the surface (by hand) with 220 grit sandpaper. Blow or wipe off the dust. Now you have a sealed surface on which to apply your stain. You can try the Minwax stuff, or you can try a gel stain. Gel stains are thicker and tend to sit on the surface more than regular stains. This means more even coverage over blotch prone woods. Once the stain dries, you can topcoat with shellac, varnish, lacquer, or any other topcoat of choice. But be sure to sand lightly between coats with 320. I like to actually increase the grit each time I sand. So after the first coat I use 320. After the second I use 400. After the third I use 600 and stay with it from there. And in general, as far as top coats go, I find wipe on varnish to be the easiest to work with. Remember, always practice on test boards. You never know how that stain is going to look until you actually try it. Good luck!”

And here are a few good related articles from FineWoodworking.com (made free for a limited time just for Wood Whisperer readers):

Avoid Color Mistakes and Learn How to Fix a Blotchy Stain

Dyes Can Do It All: Color bare wood without blotching, tint topcoats, and touch up blemishes

Gel Stain User’s Guide: Easy to apply, these stains are forgiving, even on blotch-prone woods

Differing Viewpoints on Design - Question of the Week

March 10, 2008 | Filed Under Blog, Question of the Week | 13 Comments 

This week’s question comes from Richard. He writes: “I understand your desire to design on the fly, so to speak, even though I’m exactly the opposite. What I don’t understand is why you design on the fly in the final medium, making the FINAL project. Why not use inexpensive and easy to machine materials to build a prototype. I bet you would find it easier to be adventurous and you would find all the problems and develop creative solutions for the final product. Then build the final product utilizing all the experience gained building the prototype. Despite my misgivings for your method, I do like the design of the table legs. Now for the top.”

Richard then provided three links to articles that apparently cited instances where other folks recommended designing in a less expensive and easier to work material. Two of the links didn’t work for me but here is the one that did (from David Marks); http://djmarks.com/stories/djm/designing_a_chair_92876.asp

So here was my reply: “Hey Richard. You pose an interesting question. First and foremost, there is no doubt in my mind that a prototype with cheap wood makes more sense. And remember that I did do a prototype for the most difficult part of the project: the leg. Now if I planned on making multiples of this piece or if this were for a client, I probably would have mocked up the entire thing. I also would have done a mock-up if I were using a really expensive wood for the final piece. Walnut certainly isn’t cheap, but its not even close to the price of other exotic hardwoods out there. Another reason I like this method is the fact that the finished product, while maybe not the perfect execution of a particular vision, is usually a serviceable and beautiful piece that can be given to a relative or put in a spare room if I really don’t like the final result. Fortunately, I have never had a piece turn into a complete disaster. Prototypes can be beautiful too. :) Another reason would be time. Sometimes I have a real good idea of where I want to take a piece, but I don’t really have the time to work everything out in a prototype. So, in many cases, I jump right into it.”

“I suppose the final reason is to prove a point. Prototypes, scale models, and developing exact plans and drawings can sometimes be deterrents for the average woodworker who wants to venture into the design process. Most of these people barely have time to build a finished piece let alone build it twice! My goal is to show them that sometimes you can just throw caution to the wind and have some fun. Hopefully they understand that I am just presenting ONE way to build….not THE way to build. As a professional custom woodworker, prototypes are just a fact of life. But as a person just looking to build a nice piece and have some fun without making “design” out to be a daunting task, designing on the fly is a reasonable and fun alternative. Hope that explains it a little better.”

For more viewpoints and opinions about design, check out this excellent assortment of articles provided by FineWoodworking.com:

9 Tips for Better Design

A Good Guide to Design

A Quick Course in SketchUp

Fine-Tune Designs Before You Build

All About Furniture Design

Pro Portfolio: Masterful Apprenticeship

Pro Portfolio: When East Meets West

Ceiling Height Installation Concerns- Question of the Week

March 5, 2008 | Filed Under Blog, Question of the Week | 10 Comments 

This week’s question comes from Brad. He writes: “I have to build a set of cabinets for an 8ft room. I have to build off site, so how do I determine the proper height of the cabinets so that I can stand them up in the room? Is there a formula or just a guessing game? The depth of the cabinets are 16″ and 24″. Can you help me?”

And here was my reply: “The key is to make sure that the diagonal measurement, from the front of the top, to the back of the bottom, does not exceed 8 feet. This way you can carry the piece into the house on its side, then lay it on its back. Then simply tip it upright. Not sure how much you remember good old algebra and geometry class, but that stuff actually will come in handy here. Remember the Pythagorean Theorem? A(squared)+B(squared)= C(squared). A and B are the cabinet’s height and depth and C is the diagonal. You already have two pieces of the equation since you know the height and the depth. Just make sure you make the cabinet slightly smaller so that it fits within those numbers. Keep in mind this will get you close to the ceiling, but there will still be a gap. A good place for crown molding. Good luck!”

**** I should mention that I am by no means an expert on built-ins and installation. My experience in this area is limited to about a dozen jobs. So I look forward to hearing other perspectives on this topic.

Next Page »

  • What's New???

  • Check this out!!

    Loading the LumberJocks Widget

  • Extra Reading

  • Google


  • SuTree Videos

    Find free how-to videos
Close
E-mail It