Jig Saw Project

    I was at my Mother's house last week and when I went upstairs I noticed a woodworking project for years and years ago.

 

you can see the none-shrinking wood filler that I put in the voids in the plywood.  Now I wouldn't use plywood, but this was long before I had a table saw, or clamps or skills.

   This laundry hamper has been in the upstairs hallway since the early 70's and the replacement lid was made by me in the very early 1980's.  It was probably one of my earliest jig saw projects.  I took the broken lid off and used it as a template and cut the top out of 3/4 plywood.  I remember staining it and telling a friend of mine from school that it was zebra wood. 
   This plywood project is also interesting to me because the edge of the plywood was veneered.   I remember buying a roll of veneer and going out of my mind putting it on with masking tape.  However, I must have been successful as the top is still there and the edge is still hidden.


 

Makita 3.7 amp VS. Orbital Jig Saw

  This is actually the jig saw that I have in my shop and while I turn to the band saw often times, I would not be without my little jig saw.  I wrote a blog in April 2012 saying that a jig saw was an important and useful tool for an "Apartment Tool Kit" but it is also useful for any wood shop. If push came to shove the band saw could go and I would keep my jig saw.

 I have another little project to share.

  I really think that every wood shop should have a wood burning pen in  drawer some place. Mine is a  pen with one tip and don't pretend to be an artist, but the burned lines add a bit of eye appeal to simple projects.  In this case there isn't any paint or ink that would last on a fingernail brush, but burned lines will be fine.  

  As you skills improve you may not be able to build furniture because of lack of space or cash.  I believe that if you can't build large complicated things in your shop you should, keep building small projects and add to them with burning, carving or some other technique. Remember much of the shop time is good for the soul as much as anything else.

cheers, ianw 

 

 

Happy Hallowe'en

   

  At this moment I sitting at our kitchen table awaiting the annual attack of the ghouls,goblins and ghosts.  We moved into this neighbourhood five years ago and as the sub-division has filled in there have come to be more and more little Trick or Treat people. (which I think is great) I have a personal policy of good treats for little kids and not so much for teenagers.  It is my feeling that you should have out grown Trick or Treat by middle school age.

  Anyway, I thought I would look through thetoolstore.ca's website and see what I thought would be a treat.  

   In no particular order:
    Bessey Utility Knife kit;

  I've talked about this kit before, but I still believe it to be a great value.

   A Bosch Jig Saw, you'll only ever have to buy one.

    I sold lots of them and I don't think they ever worn out, they just got abused to death on job sites.  And, the prices have come down in the last few years.

   The weather is turning against us, right now it is raining hard and the wind is blowing a gale.  Good gloves are a must if you are going to work for any length of time out doors from now until March.

and if you have to work in the wet

I have had my Estwing for 30 years
and it was 25 years old when I got it

  Cheers,

   Have a nice evening with your kids.

Apartment Tool Kit part 3

  A while ago we added the 1/2 variable speed corded  hammer drill to our apartment tool kit. That drill can be very useful, with the correct attachments you can use that drill to sand, polish or mix paint, all jobs that come up and can be done without a work shop.

  The next tool I think a person needs is a jig saw.  Many people buy a circular saw but they are an aggressive tool and also single purpose.  A jig saw is much easier for a beginner to control and more versatile.  A jig saw will cut a pretty straight line, almost as straight as a circular saw in unskilled hands but also the jig saw will cut curves and inside curves, things that the  circular saw can't do.  Sometimes an apartment or 1st time home owner needs to cut plastic or copper plumbing pipe too, with the correct blade the jig saw does that job well too.


  Jig saws, like all tools come in a variety of price ranges.  When you go to buy your saw ask to hear and hold it plugged in and running.  As the saws improve in quality they usually get quieter and run more smoothly, the smoother the saw runs, the easier it will be to control while you are making your cuts.  Also if the saw is very noisy your neighbours on the next balcony or next yard may start to complain.


A site reviewing and rating Jig Saws