Crossing the Rubicon - measure, shape, smooth & assemble

   We have smoothed a pre-assembled wooded box. And have decided that is not enough, now we wish to begin with a couple of boards and make out own thing. There may well be saw dust in  your blood after all.

  When you decide to make your simple project, costly and over blown measuring technology is not necessary. A ruler, metre stick or length of string will do the job for a while. I sharp pencil is useful. If you must buy something, I like a folding wooden ruler as a starting place. They are solid, low cost and no tech.

  The next step can be intimidating and/or confusing. Shaping wood can be done with dozens of different tools, similar tasks can be completed with many different tools that require different skill sets. You know the old saying 'there is more than one way to saw a board'. At this point, the beginner in a small space with a limited budget needs to basically drill holes and cut the boards to size. Nearly all wood working can be done with very basic hand tools. If you search the internet you can see excellent wood working done by people is distant countries.  However, you need to be aware they often have skills that they've developed over many years, and they are spending hours on each aspect of the task.

  I know local wood workers that do lovely work, all by hand and for them the process is where the satisfaction lay, so they're happy to spend all winter making a jewelry box. I use a mixed shop because I enjoy the process but also enjoy sharing the finished project. If you read my blog you will also see that I try to match the quality and refinement of the project to its intended use. Out door flower boxes are not a carefully crafted as jewelry boxes. Storage boxes in the basement are less refined than things featured in our living room. 

  So, this is an easy 'made from scratch' project:

 Practically speaking you buy a length of dowel or use bamboo skewers  from a craft store or a big box supplier. The square wood my be free pallet wood from behind a neighbourhood store. (with enough time and tools you can make your own dowels, if you are a purest, I guess)

  To begin your wood working journey you need to drill 8 holes and make a few cuts followed by sanding and finishing.  This stand was the prototype and so it sits on my desk, roughly sanded and unfinished. Don't fear painting wood. Not all wood grain is worth showing off.

  To drill.  A couple of generations ago you could buy a reasonably priced egg beater type hand drill

egg beater drill

  Now, this type of drill when cheap is not worth buying. There are quality drills available but...they are for serious hand tool workers, are a life time tool and cost lots of money.

  The alternative is a corded electric drill. I suggest buying one from a name brand company and a 3/8 variable speed/reversing corded drill will do most of what you want and need for a long time.  Buying a drill with a cord also means that you do not need to decide what battery system to join. I'm on my fourth battery system since beginning wood working seriously 25 year ago. A beginner, small time DIY person will do fine with a corded drill, which will last their whole life and can be had for reasonable money. Also it will be  cheaper than any brand name cordless drill.

  Once you get your drill you find that there are tonnes of specialized accessories for grinding, sanding, pumping what ever.  I used my drill with a disk sander accessory for ages before buying a dedicated sander. Again, on the internet there are many how-to videos showing tips and tricks for using your hand drill. 

Now, we've bought our drill and a small set of drill bits. The square wood needs to be cut to size, how to do that best.  For straight cuts a back saw with a mitre box is not a bad place to start.

  There are plenty of good basic hand saws for less than $50.00. These saws only cut straight lines. ( and are worth owning if you  are going to continue to play with wood) This project has no curves but the next one may be more stylish and cry out for flowing curves. I think a corded jig saw is a good place to start. A jig saw can make adequate straight cuts with care and especially can make curves and shapes. Also jig saws have many different types of blades available  designed to cut wood, metal and plastic.  While not being the very best saw for all jobs it is easily the most versatile.

  Again a jig saw with a cord will not become obsolete and will last many years and projects.

  Once everything is cut, drilled and sanded it is assembled with white glue.  Most projects do not require high tech water proof rapid setting costly glue.

  At this point  you have around $200.00 including taxes invested in your new hobby and gifts for everyone one you shopping list.   Little kids like cut out toys, (lots of curves). 

You are on your way to a rewarding and cost effective hobby. 

  What tools you need next has everything to do with what direction you want to go with your wood working projects.

 cheers ianw 

  

 

All the Tools You Need ?!?

  My friend David asked me to repair a sieve that he used to sift earth he uses in his garden. He told me that it needed some serious work, I said " no sweat" .

  Truly the wood frame on the sieve was whipped, still no sweat.  I took the screening off the few bits of rotten wood and set about making a useful tool with the screen.

  All of the wood I used was laying around in my shop, old chunks of barn board mostly. What I decided was to make solid corners by adding bracing to the butt joints. Probably the screwed and glued butt joints would have been enough but while I had the project there I added the corner braces.

  Then I stapled the mesh back on and decided that I didn't like the exposed mesh on the out side of the frame.

notice the fold ruler,
old school still works

 I added an outside frame to cover the wire mesh's sharp bits.

 The photo is the hand tools that I used in this little project. I also used a joiner, a planer, a table saw and an sliding mitre saw. 

 Did I need all those tools to do this job? No. but having them at hand meant that it was a quick, easy job with good results. Since I had the tools it was easy to add the outside frame which makes the sieve a stronger and nicer tool to use.

 Since I had the tools handy I planed the wood nice and smooth, not necessary but nice none the less.

 Having clamps means that one person can work much more comfortably. It is great to have Kieran to hold things while I work but he's not always here, clamps are.

 Pliers are another of those tools I love to have easily at hand. Pulling out the old staples and trimming the wire mesh is just easier with the correct tool. 

  We know air tools are good but a quality hammer is still well worth the money. I got my Estwing hammer from an estate sale and though I have several other hammers, it is the one that I reach for first.

  I have begun using nails more and more lately for projects in soft wood or for outside. Ardox nails have good holding power and are easy to install.

  I love to be able to make things that fill a need.

cheers, ianw

Folding Rule at Jula Hardware in Gavle Sweden

  Jula part of a chain of tool stores in Sweden sort of like Canadian Tire at home in Canada.  Jula stocks sporting goods, car and scooter parts as well as paint, tools etc.  I always wonder through the tools sections of store when I travel because I am always interested to see what other folks use in their lives.  Eva likes to walk through grocery stores for the same reason.


  As I walked through Jula something that really stuck me was how many folding rules there were and how few tape measures. There were at least a dozen folding rulers of different lengths, makes and qualities were there were three tape measures, one insanely expensive, one tiny and one eight footer that was fairly cheap quality.


  The ruler in the photo is 1 metre long, divided into ten sections and cost $1.50 or 10 Swedish Crowns.  


  Over dinner we tried to decide why the Swedes use folding rulers instead of tape measures.  Needless to say all ideas were just speculation, the folding rulers are very light, much lighter than a good quality tape measure but we really couldn't think of another reason that a ruler would be better.
But clearly the folding ruler is the choice of working Swedes.