Learnings from last project.

[NewDIYer]

As a new DIYer I have learnt a lot from people on this forum who have done wood working (which my boss wants me to call that as wood fun - to him it is not work) but doing a project makes you learn the hard way.

In my latest project I wanted to use dowels and glue (the design was very fancy which my LOML changed it for me to make it simple with the KISS principle). I learnt the following:

1 - you need good / straight wood to ensure good joints
2 - dowels work well if you hold your work piece solidly otherwise the hole will walk. I landed up buying a drill guide from HD yesterday on clearance for 14 bucks from 35 original price. Hopefully this will help me to be better wood fun guy.
3 - be generous with the glue and use a good quality glue. Is there a glue out there that starts setting quickly and is highly recommended?
4 - you need to hold the pieces together for a long time for the glue to take a set. My project fell apart and I had to screw the wood down.
5 - Measure twice (and one more time again and write down the measurement) and cut once.
6 - A dado slot would have provided me some anchoring for the floating shelf that I built.
7 - You need some good clamps for the wood once glued.
8 - You do not need all kinds of tools for projects but the right kind.
9 - Square of the wood or else you will have gaps.
10 - Dowels do not behave as you would want them to if the holes are not perfectly aligned. Well! Duh!

My next project will incoporate the Kreg hidden fastner kit and will likely buy better wood plank. Any advice of how I could improve and what wood cutting skils I could have incorporated in this project?

Thanks to all for allowing me to share.

[RAFlorida]

NEW guy, you learned a lot

in a short period of time it looks like! Welcome aboard the best woodworker's forum around. If and when you've got a question, ask away. For goodness sake, don't be shy. We ALL had some hard times, and some of us didn't have this or any other forum to ask questions. Just cut and learn. You'll do just fine, and what ever happens, don't throw up your hands and quit. Maybe just call it a day and take a break till the next day. Glad to have you on board sir.
Dang, sorry didn't tell you that your project looks cool and functional too. Hope loyl is happy and proud!

[jseklund]

Sounds like a great start! For me, the #1 thing in woodworking is to be able to make a piece of wood square. This is a skill that requires you to know your tools more than anything, and be able to adjust and fine tune, and pay attention. If you can get a piece of wood flat and square when you need it to be, you are going to be a better woodworker. It seems so simple, but I still haven't fully mastered this skill.

The more flat and square you can make things, the better the joint.

As for the glue, I am a huge fan of Titebond III for most of my woodworking. It's got a long enough open time, but dries in an hour or two and is ready to handle in about a day or so.

It sounds like you will need to start getting some clamps. (2-4) 12" and (2-4) 24" clamps will go a LONG way.

[LCHIEN]

...
2 - dowels work well if you hold your work piece solidly otherwise the hole will walk. I landed up buying a drill guide from HD yesterday on clearance for 14 bucks from 35 original price. Hopefully this will help me to be better wood fun guy.
...

I see you work like I do:
Step 1. Do project.
Step 2. Go out and buy appropriate tools for project just done.
Step 3. Plan new project using different tools and techniques. Go to Step 1.

Maybe that's why many of my tools are bright and shiny and never used...

[LCHIEN]

glue, clamps, and brad nailers

Serious comments now:
1. Glue working time is very important property. You'll find that you don't want to have it set too fast so that you can complete a complex assembly that all locks together without it setting up before you have finished. I think todays glues like Elmers Wood glue and Tightbonds are all formulated to have appropriate working times for most woodworking projects even though you will sometimes wish it were faster, but when you make some small mistakes you will be glad you can still move the joints.

To this end you need lots of clamps (there's many posts on this site about the best kind and how many (as many as possible). My faves are the Irwin 6" mini quick grips frequently on sale for four for $20 ($5 each) -one hand convenience non-marking.

You may also find that brad air nailers are your best friend. Brad nails have small heads that are easily filled over with wood putty and don't show, they fire from a hand held air-powered gun so you can hold work in position with one hand and nail with the other. Old-fashioned nailing requires three hands, one to hold the work and one to hold the nail and one to hammer with. Actually that still doesn't work out so well - the work jumps around with four or five hammer strikes before the nail enters the second piece and you may hit your thumb by then. In contrast the air nailer goes in in one trigger pull so the work doesn't tend to shift after you line it up. One nailed, you don't need clamps to hold the assembly together if you are gentle with it. The nails don't do the real holding - the glue does but the nails hold it together long enough to set.
The best nailer is the single (not dual nailer-stapler) 18 gauge brad nailer that takes 5/8" to 2" standard brads. You'll also need a small air compressor, although a larger one is convenient for blowing dust off workpieces and other tools. You can frequently find a combo kit of compressor and 18 ga. nailer. Nailers of 23 gauge pins (small work), and 16 gauge finishing nails (larger work) are also available and useful as are bigger nailers for framing and house-building work. Staplers for upholstering and holding panels are also available if you need reason to justify the compressor. Believe me you won't see how you got along without an brad nailer once you get one. I can recommend for starters the Harbor freight 18 ga brad nailer usually under $20 and one of their small compressors with a tank, you can get by under $100, or more if you use their 20% off coupons. Again, lots of posts on this forum about air brad nailers, compressors and hoses.

[NewDIYer]

Agree completely..

Loring,

I agree completely on the Brad nailer. I have an electrical one which (is also a stapler) can go max of 3/4 Brad nails and would not have worked with this project.

I do see the need for the air nailer and the compressor/holding tank. I will look into HF (I have been going there once a week Saturday..it is unbeliveable).

Thanks to all for your support thus far.

[pelligrini]

Pretty neat design. You might get some sag on those cantilevered shelves over time. Be sure to keep the load light on them.

HF air tools are decent, especially for a hobbyist. You might take a look at their 22ga pin nailer. Watch out for the combo brad/staplers, they can have a tendency to mar your surfaces. Search the forums for "Harbor Freight gems", there's a few good threads on the place. A lot of their tools with electric motors fall on the duds list, especially handheld. A dado really helps with alignment during assembly, and it makes for a stronger glue joint.

I find dowels to be a pain, especially if my wood is a little warped. Starting with good stock, and knowing how to get it into true square and flat shape is key to woodworking.

Dados are great, but you don't have to have a dado stack to do them. They can be done with a router, and even with just a regular sawblade. Many of my first projects were done with multiple passes on a tablesaw, then I learned about chisels and was able to take fewer passes. Sometimes I'll still use a regular blade on my tablesaw for them, but I clean them up with a router plane. A dado really helps for alignment during assembly, and it creates a stronger glue joint by providing more surface area.

First time I've heard someone wanting less open time for their glue. I'm usually wishing my TBIII had even more open time. You don't want to be too liberal with glue, it'll create more cleanup and finishing problems. I like putting down a bead then spreading it out thin and even with a acid brush, or little model paint brush (both great HF stock items). It doesn't take much glue to create a bond between parts. I like seeing just a tiny bit of squeeze out when clamping.

+1 on the little quick grips. I think I've got a couple dozen now. Clamping can also be done with wedges and cauls. You don't have to have a shop full of parallel clamps, but it can make things a lot easier when you do. I'll pick up a pair or two when there is a good deal, or just when I have some cash burning through my pocket.

You take a subscription to Wood Magazine or Popular Woodworking. There's a lot of info and tips to be had from them. Check out their websites too. The library is a good place to look for issues.

[pelligrini]

2 - dowels work well if you hold your work piece solidly otherwise the hole will walk. I landed up buying a drill guide from HD yesterday on clearance for 14 bucks from 35 original price. Hopefully this will help me to be better wood fun guy.

Another thing about drilling is using good bits and marking the spot properly. If I'm using a twist bit I like using a spring loaded punch to mark my starting point. I prefer brad points though.

A quality bit can make a big difference too. A few weeks ago I was installing some pin hinges for a door idea on my doghouse. I was using some cheapo twist bits as the doghouse was just construction grade lumber and the holes weren't critical. I was having some problems drilling, it was slow and the holes ended up being bigger then the bit. Upon inspection, the bit was bent and dull. I grabbed one of my good brad points for the rest and it was like drilling butter.

[LCHIEN]

Loring,

I agree completely on the Brad nailer. I have an electrical one which (is also a stapler) can go max of 3/4 Brad nails and would not have worked with this project.

I do see the need for the air nailer and the compressor/holding tank. I will look into HF (I have been going there once a week Saturday..it is unbeliveable).

Thanks to all for your support thus far.

Avoid the combo nailers, the hammer for the staples is wide and leaves a big long indent in the wood no matter if you shoot a staple or brad. The brad-only nailer has a small hammer and leaves a small hole.

The rule of thumb is you want 2/3 of the nail in the backing piece. So nailing 3/4" material (a 1-by in the lumber-speak) to something you should have 1.5" into the backing... that's 2.25" but I get by with the 2" brad nails.

by and large I find the electric nailers don't have enough poop to drive a nail satisfactorily, air nailers use the compression of the air as a spring so it can store a great deal of energy which is why they make good nailers.

THis one: http://www.harborfreight.com/18-gaug...ler-68021.html is a pretty good deal at $18 before you apply the 20% off coupon.

My other highly used tool from HF is their digital caliper: http://www.harborfreight.com/6-inch-...per-47257.html
or the fractional one:

http://www.harborfreight.com/6-digital-caliper-with-metric-and-sae-fractional-readings-68304.html

See my tutorial: http://www.bt3central.com/showthread.php?t=54664

don't get the composite one - its plastic...

[LCHIEN]

Tutorial on clamps here:

http://www.bt3central.com/showthread.php?t=27489

[NewDIYer]

Outstanding feedback

Loring, Erik, et al

This was some outstanding feedback. I understand the value of clamp more than before. I will put my new learning to use.

I do have the callipers so that is great (have used that as manual and not digital - no battery in it )

Next time when I am drilling butter......

Thanks for all your support thus far. Truly an outstanding forum.

PS - I have subscribed to Handyman magazine and was very inspired which led me to getting a TS but the video on Youtube sold me to BT3K.

[Pappy]

A word of caution on air nailers that no one has mentioned. Keep your free (work holding) hand out of the line of fire of the nail/brad, or at least back as far as possible from the joint. nails/brads, especially 18 ga and smaller brads tend to follow the grain of the wood and will sometimes exit at an angle. If your hand is over the joint it may temporarily become part of the project. Of course you could always claim that is not a blood stain, it is a DNA signature!

There is also the posibility of a double fire with the nailer. If the head jumps the second brad/nail may miss the wood completely.

I have the older, purple version of the HF brad nailer and don't ever recall having a jamb or miss fire.

HF is also a good source for a starter set of clamps. The F body and alumionum clamps go on sale regularly. The only complaint I have ever heard is that the longer (over 24") F body clamps tend to flex. If you need that much pressure to pull the joint together, re-cut it. It is destined to fail. Their pipe clamp fixtures are also good. Get the 3/4" with the plate style locks, not the lever type. Black pipe to put them on is relatively cheap.

As to glue, the project has a lot to do with what you will need. My standard choice is Titebond II. For outdoor projects that won't see a lot of stress, or ones that will be subject to higher humidity like a bathroom shelf, go with Titebond III. For maximun holding in outdoor projects go with polyurethane (aka, Gorilla) glues.

[LCHIEN]

this is what Pappy was talking about. Be careful with air nailers. They can turn the brad around 180 degrees and come back at you if the grain is right.

see how this brad followed the grain?

Here's two pictures I posted once before:

Blowouts like this don't happen too frequently but they can happen so you need to keep a brad's length away from any possible course from the point of entry.

[chopnhack]

Looks like the brad went right through the summer growth ring, but when it hit the late growth (harder), it bent the tip of the brad - see photo - redirecting is along the grain through the summer wood.

[mpc]

Some other beginner tips that come to mind:
1: it's hard to buy really flat stock, especially at "home center" style stores. So much of that stuff is inconsistent in size & thickness and often has a high moisture content. As it dries it probably will change shape... doing its best to imitate a potato chip.

2: do a "dry fit" of the parts prior to reaching for the glue. This lets you verify things fit, verifies the planned order of assembly will work, and lets you get the clamps pre-set. Making things as sub-assemblies and letting their glue dry before the next assembly step reduces the number of clamps you have to have at the ready.

3: take time to make small alignment blocks, jigs, fixtures, etc. Anything that'll help line stuff up and/or hold it while you mark, cut, glue, etc. will improve your final results. Clamps are just one type of tool to hold stuff this way. Making 90 degree brackets that you can clamp to two workpieces helps make square corners. Make a "T" square type of jig that can be clamped to cabinet sides, then it supports the shelves during marking/drilling/gluing. A good combination square is handy for marking... but a jig that you can clamp to your workpieces frees up hands.

So how to get flat stock without a zillion dollars worth of tools? Several options:
1: sometimes you can pay a local cabinet shop or other woodworking shop (or a good lumber yard) to run rough stock through their tools to plane one side flat, then run it through a thickness planer to make it consistent in thickness. Trade schools, community colleges, or even local woodworking clubs may have tools you can use.
2: get a few hand planes and learn how to properly use them. There are lots of books on this.
3: Instead of trying to get a wide panel from one slab of wood, consider edge joining several narrower pieces. There will be less tendency to cup/twist typically. It's fairly easy to cut your own consistent "strips" on a table saw. Just use a push stick to keep your fingers safely away from the blade. Feather boards (another easy DIY project) will help hold the stock flat to the tabletop and against the fence keeping your hands free to push the workpieces.
4: When you buy/acquire fresh stock, store it in your shop for a while to let it acclimate and finish drying if necessary. Store it where it can lay flat and have air circulate around it. If you have several boards, stack them with thin wood strips between them so air can get to both sides.
4: for measurements, especially if a measurement has to be repeated multiple times (e.g. the distance of a shelf from the top or bottom of the cabinet - you generally want the same distance on each end of the shelf!) making a "story stick" and using that to guide your marking pencil/marking knife and especially to position the shelf when gluing & clamping (one side at a time, then use the same story stick on the other side) makes it much easier to be consistent. Using a scrap of plywood (or whatever) to make a big square/rectangle is a simple way to get consistent spacing on drawer slides. "Stop blocks" on your table saw, miter saw, etc. help get consistent length pieces too - more accurate than trying to measure & mark each piece individually. Just make sure your stop blocks don't cause you to violate safety rules for the power tools (e.g. pinching a cutoff between the blade and fence).

Wood is consistently inconsistent. I.e. a piece of wood is not a fixed size - it'll change a little bit in response to changes in humidity. This MUST be considered especially when joining parts; watch for "cross grain" situations. The size change is most pronounced in one direction relative to the growth rings and almost nil perpendicular to that direction. So when joining cross-grain one piece will want to change size more than the other... if glued along the entire joint something's gonna give - typically a piece will split/tear. You'll see project plans, TV shows, etc. mention this and suggest gluing only at one end or the center of a joint (leaving the rest free to move), using oversize or slot-shaped screw holes to allow movement, etc. This cross-grain can also be a problem even when the joint isn't "cross" grain if two different species of wood are used - they probably will have different expansion rates. Something to be aware of so that your project doesn't try to split/crack long after assembly is complete. Some materials don't suffer this issue - the "engineered" stuff like MDF and plywood for example. And when veneering (or applying paint/finish or laminate) to a panel it's a good idea to put the same veneer/paint/finish/laminate to the opposite side as well... otherwise the differential moisture absorption rates of that panel's two sides will make it want to warp/twist. You'll see references this on home made router tables for example.

mpc

p.s. edit: each time I use my brad nail gun I think about Loring's pic. I've experienced it myself - and had my hands plenty far enough away for safety.