I am Regular, but my Boards are Warped
December 8th, 2008Soup & Planers
The stuff from Woodpeck.com arrived a while back. It looks pretty good. Maybe it was stupid to get a router lift, but people who use them seem to like them.
I got my sliding miter saw set up on the woodworking table. I am still amazed at how big the saw is. I’m worried it may interfere with some router work, because it’s to the left of the router. But it will only matter for pretty big items. I think the answer is to mount the miter saw using lag shields and easily removed bolts. That way I can yank the saw off the table when necessary.
One problem: the table has an edge near the right side of the router, but the left edge is over three feet away, and between the router and the edge, there’s a saw. So I can’t use a conventional router sled. But I can think of ways to get around that.
I need a jointer. Or rather, I need boards that aren’t crooked. I know very little about tools, but I have learned that you can avoid buying a big, noisy, expensive jointer if you are willing to buy a hand plane and use a clamp. You learn something new every day.
The vegetable soup came out great, although I should have stuck some herbs in it. I know absolutely nothing about vegetable soup, but it seems to be programmed to taste good no matter what you put in it. One hazard I am aware of: soup made with red cabbage looks so disgusting it’s hard to eat.
It’s really sad; for 13 bucks I made like a gallon and a half of soup that is like ten times as good as anything you can get in a can, and I am sure a person who actually knows how to make soup can do it much better than I did.
December 8th, 2008 at 6:28 PM
“I’ve heard you can use a hand plane…”
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Ah. You start to speak my language. You really need to google Christopher Schwartz, and read his woodworking blog. Hmm. Here: http://blog.woodworking-magazine.com/blog/. Chris is a *philosopher* of woodworking, and a joy to read.
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Next. You don’t *have to* have a jointer: you can use your tablesaw to cut certain types of crooked boards straight. In it’s basics, you affix a straight edge to your crooked board, and run that straight edge against your fence (in other words, you rip off the crooked parts).
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As for mounting the miter saw. Just mount it to a stout board and clamp the board to your workbench. When you need to get it out of the way, it will be easy to do so.
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December 8th, 2008 at 6:30 PM
I miss oinking for daddy.
December 8th, 2008 at 6:36 PM
The big issues are space and convenience. That’s why I put the saw on the table. I want it to be sitting by the wall ready to go, and I don’t want to have to find a place to store it. The clamping idea will work, but I think the wood will add bulk and weight, and this thing weighs 70 lbs.
December 8th, 2008 at 6:44 PM
My wife’s woodshop is 20′ X 40′, and we’re running out of room. To alleviate that somewhat, some of the machines are on casters. The cutoff saw is on a small metal table that has 2 rollers on the back, mounted to the back of the upright legs, with the wheels just clearing the floor. Grab the angle-adjusting handle on the saw, tip it back, and you can roll it out into working position. Tip it back, and you can roll it towards the wall to its storage position.
The router table and spindle sander will be on casters as soon as I get one or 2 of those ‘Round Tuits’.
December 8th, 2008 at 7:24 PM
If you think on it for a bit, the miter’s going to live on your bench most of the time anyways, so there’s little additional storage or convenience issue …and “convenient” is more how easy it will be to move out of the way by unclamping it vs. unscrewing it. An adequate base (3/4 plywood), is only going to add a few pounds. Though it will raise the height another 3/4 inch.
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Further on hand planes. Old Stanley’s go off on eBay all the time, and often for reasonable prices. You could get by with a No. 4 (a smoother), a No. 6 (use it as a jointer in lieu of the larger 7 or 8), and a 9 1/2 block plane (it has an adjustable throat), one of the handiest planes around a shop, guaranteed.
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Any Stanely earlier than about 1955 is “good” as far as you’re concerned (reject later ones from consideration). Too, these sizes are as common as dirt, and even nice examples will set you back maybe less than $30 (each) on eBay.
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Keep in mind that you’re going to want to sharpen them regularly though …hand tools in particular have to be sharp to be appreciated …and sharpening is a lost art (used to be handed down from journeyman to apprentice), so you’ll need a book on the subject (although the Internet will generally suffice). Google “scary sharp” to get an idea.
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December 8th, 2008 at 8:55 PM
Here’s an excellent video of handplanes in action: http://khalafoud.com/media/roubo.wmv. You – any woodworker – will likely enjoy the video.
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The workbench itself is a Chris Schwartz inspired “rediscovery” of a centuries old French design. It is high on my list of desirable “tools”. *And* on my to-do list. When I get over the whatever-I’ve-got-maybe-Lyme-disease that is currently plaguing me like an Egyptian curse (which I wouldn’t mind a prayer or two about, if anyone’s got any room on their list).
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(Sorry for hoggin’ up the thread. I love me some hand tools.)
December 8th, 2008 at 9:43 PM
With soup, I always make the base stock separately, with raw and roasted bones, and also with “stunt vegetables” (onion, celery, and carrots) to add flavor and texture. Then I strain that and make the final soup, adding the real (roasted) vegetables and roasted meat about 2 hours before launch. Egg noodles go in at relatively the last minute.
Roasted bones, by the way, can also be the carcass of the chicken I cooked the night before, so nothing goes to waste.
Now, another html experiment, for my own amusement. <!–
December 9th, 2008 at 8:29 AM
If you go the handplane route, it helps to know how to “fettle” one. An unfettled handplane is an exercise in frustration.
December 9th, 2008 at 8:59 AM
I learned a few years back that if you try to make shrimp etouffee with red onions it will taste very good (except that it is too sweet!) but look really, really ugly. It’s a good lesson to learn when you aren’t planning to serve at a dinner party. You’ve probably noticed there are as many ways to make soup as there are times you make it.
December 9th, 2008 at 10:47 AM
So Roland, how is Warren these days?
December 9th, 2008 at 4:44 PM
If you have a table saw, the easiest way to true one edge is with a straight-line jig, aka ripping jig.
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Here’s a pic http://www.plansnow.com/tablesawacc.html
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A jointer or a hand plane will work but one is expensive and the other requires more skill (especially sharpening) than you might think.
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If you don’t have a table saw, get one. Otherwise you’re just not serious.
December 9th, 2008 at 9:51 PM
What Hog said but also use a hollow ground planer blade and you won’t have to touch the edge with anything else.
December 10th, 2008 at 9:04 PM
I agree with most the comments here. A handplane is one solution. But it’s not as difficult as some might think, if you really have an interest in learning the skill. Once learned, it’s a skill you can rely on for a lifetime. Here’s a great overview video that gives some pointers on hand plane basics that might help: http://woodtreks.com/how-to-use-a-hand-plane/21/