Posts
March 9, 2011
Woodworkers Journal 270 Q & A's
Removing Rust Rings from Cast Iron?
Could someone tell me how to clean rust and rings left by someone leaving glass on my table saw? It made a real mess and no one is admitting they did it. The rust is my fault. I look forward to your eZine. Lots of tips and just plain good old advice to us wood-be woodworkers. - Bob Bean
Tim Inman: There is a pleasure in having and using a perfect, bright, shiny table top on our tools. It is often, sadly, a short-lived one. Those stains can be very very difficult to remove. A simple sanding with very fine wet-or-dry sandpaper (400- or 600-grit) will remove the roughness. A good paste waxing rubbed in with #0000 steel wool will make it slick again. But the chances are that you'll always be able to see that visual blemish. That said, I have many antique tools in my shop that aren's so much "lookers" as they are great to use. My late 1800s Crescent brand jointer is one example. It was salvaged from the Beloit Wagon Works factory, in Beloit, Wisconsin in the early 1980s. It had been relegated to a leaky storeroom and was just one huge rust bucket when I found it. It is now polished, painted, and fully functional - but the top shows the rust stains to this day. It also shows the hand scraper marks where the original top had been HAND worked flat and true; something no new tool in a wood worker's shop would show today. I wouldn't trade it for a shiny brand-new one, ever.
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Anchoring a New Railing?
My son has a split-level home and the upper living room has a wrought iron railing along the stairs. I want to replace it with a walnut railing, but I’m not sure how best to anchor it so it will provide proper support and safety. Any suggestions? - John Blessing
Tim Inman: There are some very well designed commercial anchoring systems available. Rockler is one source I have used personally.You are right to want a well-anchored installation. The balustrade must be more than an ornament. It is a functional safety system which should be supported by the framing members (joists, headers, stringers, etc.) of the building whenever possible, not the facia or mop boards!
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How Thick Should a Butcher Block Countertop Be?
My son has asked me to build a butcher block countertop for the new kitchen in their newly remodeled home. Will build it out of soft or hard maple. It needs to be 50" x 90". Question: on a top that large, is it appropriate to build it in 12' - 13' sections that then are glued together for the final phase? Also, how thick does the butcher block top need to be? I've seen plans that look to be about 1" or 1-1/2' thick. It has been suggested that the top should be 2" thick because of the large size. Should that contribute to the thickness of the project?- Doug Selfe
Tim Inman: One man's butcher block is another man's (or woman's) idea of just another wooden workbench top. There are differences in definition. Traditionally, a "butcher block" was made so the end grain was the working surface. This involves gluing up thousands of little blocks to get the end product on a job like yours. Expansion and contraction is the enemy, and the "force majeure." The top made this way will be stable in the vertical dimension, but it will swell and shrink like crazy in the horizontal directions. A lot, and often.
Most often, the "butcher block" countertop is actually wood pieces laid up with quarter cut wood, so the swelling and shrinking is directed more to the vertical dimension, like an old-fashioned wooden porch floor, making the counter more dimensionally stable along the horizontal dimensions.
Either way you make it, dimensional stability is your goal, and your worry. Making small workspace-sized pieces that can insert into a visually pleasing frame system that will tolerate some movement is a great idea.Whatever you do, allow for wood movement so you won't be disappointed a year or two after the installation.
February 11, 2011
Here are some Q&A's from my Woodworker's Journal Ezine replys.
Saving Spongy Wood?
I am restoring an old oak rocking chair that has been outside in the weather. I have sanded down the chair, removing the old dirty surface. The oak wood seems to be unusually soft on the surface. I plan to use spar varnish on the new surface. Is there anything special that I should do to prepare the chair for finishing? - Bill Barker
Tim Inman: That soft surface is evidence, more than likely, that the wood fibers have been broken down by the sun. Ultraviolet light and weather destroy everything. UV light attacks the lignin that holds those wood fibers together. Then, the actual cellulose of the fibers begins to decay. Water just hurries things along. Sometimes one can sand off the ruined surface and expose a nice new one to finish and enjoy. Other times, the damage is too deep. Varnish alone will not "consolidate" the surface and make it hard enough for use. There are things like epoxies and polyesters which can be used. Caution: Test first to be sure this will be right for you. The damage you're seeing is part of the history of that chair. Maybe you could keep some of the damage, and tolerate the imperfection, without doing further damage to the wood.
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Sun-burned Woodworking?
The recent mention of the pyrography book reminded me of something I had read recently – solar wood burning. I can see some benefits from using the sun and a magnifying lens to burn wood, such as low operating cost and the burn point will glide effortlessly over opposing grain and other bumps or uneven surfaces. However, I am wondering if the concentrated spot of light will be damaging to eyes, and what sort of precautions may be reasonable to take before trying this. Your thoughts are appreciated. - Lance Gardner
Tim Inman: As a boy, I remember fondly learning of the energy of concentrated beams of light focused by my grandmother's magnifying glass. What power I had in my hands. The ants, however...
Yes, solar power can be concentrated to the degree needed to burn wood. Laser cutters are, after all, nothing but concentrated and highly specialized forms of light. If I were interested in doing artistic woodburning, and willing to spend the time to execute my designs, I think I would opt for either a laser, or a conventional burning knife setup. Skimping on my tools has never worked to my benefit, in the long run. It might be fun to try the solar option, though!
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Right Speed for Bowl Sanding?
I have read Betty Scarpino's article on Lathe Sanding Secrets [on woodworking.com] and would like clarification on one part of it. When hand sanding a bowl, she recommends sanding at a slow speed. Can you be a bit more specific, please? 300 - 500 - 800 ? After turning a project at 1,800 rpm or better, everything to me seems slow. Appreciate your help and keep up the great work! - Gary Kostick
Tim Inman: Well, this might give everybody a headache, but let me just say two things about speed and sanding: One, sanding speed is a very personal preference based upon the operator (you), the wood type, the size and shapes of the object in question, and the results you're after.
Two, rpm gets all the press, but it is actually fpm that is more important. Here's the headache part, because math gets involved. R stands for revolutions. This is easy to measure and understand: how many times per minute does the object spin around? The answer is the same for a thimble as it is for a big punch bowl. Easy to count. But the really important issue is F, which stands for feet per minute. This varies depending upon the diameter of the object being turned. In other words, how many "feet" of wood surface actually show up to be sanded in one minute? If the object is a thimble, with a diameter of .5 inches, then the fpm would be something like 65 fpm at 500 rpm. On the other hand, if you're turning a punch bowl with a diameter of 18 inches, then the fpm would be about 2,355 feet at 500 rpm: over 35 times as much sanding surface in the same time spinning on the lathe. Considered another way, the thimble represents running a piece of sandpaper the length of your shop and back in one minute. The bowl means you need to run that same sandpaper almost half a mile in one minute!
Fpm is important to understand because not only is there more surface to sand on big projects, the faster that surface passes under the sandpaper, the hotter that sandpaper gets - and heat is ultimately what kills sandpaper and spoils good surface prep. Use the slowest speed that does the job the way you like it; that's my rule.
Saving Spongy Wood?
I am restoring an old oak rocking chair that has been outside in the weather. I have sanded down the chair, removing the old dirty surface. The oak wood seems to be unusually soft on the surface. I plan to use spar varnish on the new surface. Is there anything special that I should do to prepare the chair for finishing? - Bill Barker
Tim Inman: That soft surface is evidence, more than likely, that the wood fibers have been broken down by the sun. Ultraviolet light and weather destroy everything. UV light attacks the lignin that holds those wood fibers together. Then, the actual cellulose of the fibers begins to decay. Water just hurries things along. Sometimes one can sand off the ruined surface and expose a nice new one to finish and enjoy. Other times, the damage is too deep. Varnish alone will not "consolidate" the surface and make it hard enough for use. There are things like epoxies and polyesters which can be used. Caution: Test first to be sure this will be right for you. The damage you're seeing is part of the history of that chair. Maybe you could keep some of the damage, and tolerate the imperfection, without doing further damage to the wood.
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Sun-burned Woodworking?
The recent mention of the pyrography book reminded me of something I had read recently – solar wood burning. I can see some benefits from using the sun and a magnifying lens to burn wood, such as low operating cost and the burn point will glide effortlessly over opposing grain and other bumps or uneven surfaces. However, I am wondering if the concentrated spot of light will be damaging to eyes, and what sort of precautions may be reasonable to take before trying this. Your thoughts are appreciated. - Lance Gardner
Tim Inman: As a boy, I remember fondly learning of the energy of concentrated beams of light focused by my grandmother's magnifying glass. What power I had in my hands. The ants, however...
Yes, solar power can be concentrated to the degree needed to burn wood. Laser cutters are, after all, nothing but concentrated and highly specialized forms of light. If I were interested in doing artistic woodburning, and willing to spend the time to execute my designs, I think I would opt for either a laser, or a conventional burning knife setup. Skimping on my tools has never worked to my benefit, in the long run. It might be fun to try the solar option, though!
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Right Speed for Bowl Sanding?
I have read Betty Scarpino's article on Lathe Sanding Secrets [on woodworking.com] and would like clarification on one part of it. When hand sanding a bowl, she recommends sanding at a slow speed. Can you be a bit more specific, please? 300 - 500 - 800 ? After turning a project at 1,800 rpm or better, everything to me seems slow. Appreciate your help and keep up the great work! - Gary Kostick
Tim Inman: Well, this might give everybody a headache, but let me just say two things about speed and sanding: One, sanding speed is a very personal preference based upon the operator (you), the wood type, the size and shapes of the object in question, and the results you're after.
Two, rpm gets all the press, but it is actually fpm that is more important. Here's the headache part, because math gets involved. R stands for revolutions. This is easy to measure and understand: how many times per minute does the object spin around? The answer is the same for a thimble as it is for a big punch bowl. Easy to count. But the really important issue is F, which stands for feet per minute. This varies depending upon the diameter of the object being turned. In other words, how many "feet" of wood surface actually show up to be sanded in one minute? If the object is a thimble, with a diameter of .5 inches, then the fpm would be something like 65 fpm at 500 rpm. On the other hand, if you're turning a punch bowl with a diameter of 18 inches, then the fpm would be about 2,355 feet at 500 rpm: over 35 times as much sanding surface in the same time spinning on the lathe. Considered another way, the thimble represents running a piece of sandpaper the length of your shop and back in one minute. The bowl means you need to run that same sandpaper almost half a mile in one minute!
Fpm is important to understand because not only is there more surface to sand on big projects, the faster that surface passes under the sandpaper, the hotter that sandpaper gets - and heat is ultimately what kills sandpaper and spoils good surface prep. Use the slowest speed that does the job the way you like it; that's my rule.
January 25, 2011
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Here are some more of my Q & A's. These are from Woodworkers Journal 267
How Often to Clean Saw Blades?
I know a clean table saw blade will cut better, but I've never read anywhere how often I should clean my blades. Once a month, once a week, every other day? - Max Harnisch
Tim Inman: The best answer I can possibly give is this: Clean it when it is dirty. Without being impertinent, it is a matter of judgment and objectivity. If you're doing the finest of fine work, you're going to notice your blade needs cleaning frequently -- probably daily. If you're making chicken coops from scrap lumber, you may not notice much difference whether the blade is clean or not. Clean, sharp blades are not only a pleasure to use, they yield better work -- and they are a lot safer!
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Fixing Indentations on Faux Wood?
I have refinished over 300 dining room chairs for two hotels. I learned a lot doing them and have done some other simple wood restorative projects. I have run across a very complicated challenge to repair scratch marks on a wood table that were not deep but looked more like indentations. It is the newer products being sold now that are manufactured rather than the old style of wood that is finished. I tried to do something with it but found that it is not like restoring actual wood. Usually these types of manufactured wood furniture are with a satin look and act more like resin. Is there any way to repair these types of damages? Thanks if anyone can steer me in the right direction. - Darlene Betterton
Tim Inman: If we could see a picture, it would really help. Otherwise, I feel like a blind man with no hands trying to solve your problem. So many ways, so little time...
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Getting the Hang of Hanging Doors?
I have a question about mounting cabinet doors. I normally make my cabinets with full overlay doors. My problem is mounting them. Is there an easy way to hold and mount the door so you have the same 3/8" overlay all around? I mount the hinges to the door first but have difficulty holding the door to mount it to the stile and maintain the proper overlay. - Ron Bohland
Tim Inman: Here are a couple of approaches. If you're just fitting one or two, I would use a piece of old-fashioned blackboard chalk and draw a line around the opening where you want the door to be. Fit to the lines. The chalk will wipe off cleanly when you're done, and nobody will be the wiser. (Use a piece of sandpaper to "sharpen" the chalk to a nice chisel point to make your line as fine as it can be.) If you're setting a lot of doors, then it might be worth your time to make up a little jig to hold the door while you do your work. Keeping the top and/or bottom edges of the doors in a nice straight line is important. You can do this by just clamping a scrap along the bottom edge of the cabinets. Set the doors on the ledge, which will set the vertical positioning, and then align "left-to-right" as needed so you can set your hinges.
Here are some more of my Q & A's. These are from Woodworkers Journal 267
How Often to Clean Saw Blades?
I know a clean table saw blade will cut better, but I've never read anywhere how often I should clean my blades. Once a month, once a week, every other day? - Max Harnisch
Tim Inman: The best answer I can possibly give is this: Clean it when it is dirty. Without being impertinent, it is a matter of judgment and objectivity. If you're doing the finest of fine work, you're going to notice your blade needs cleaning frequently -- probably daily. If you're making chicken coops from scrap lumber, you may not notice much difference whether the blade is clean or not. Clean, sharp blades are not only a pleasure to use, they yield better work -- and they are a lot safer!
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Fixing Indentations on Faux Wood?
I have refinished over 300 dining room chairs for two hotels. I learned a lot doing them and have done some other simple wood restorative projects. I have run across a very complicated challenge to repair scratch marks on a wood table that were not deep but looked more like indentations. It is the newer products being sold now that are manufactured rather than the old style of wood that is finished. I tried to do something with it but found that it is not like restoring actual wood. Usually these types of manufactured wood furniture are with a satin look and act more like resin. Is there any way to repair these types of damages? Thanks if anyone can steer me in the right direction. - Darlene Betterton
Tim Inman: If we could see a picture, it would really help. Otherwise, I feel like a blind man with no hands trying to solve your problem. So many ways, so little time...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Getting the Hang of Hanging Doors?
I have a question about mounting cabinet doors. I normally make my cabinets with full overlay doors. My problem is mounting them. Is there an easy way to hold and mount the door so you have the same 3/8" overlay all around? I mount the hinges to the door first but have difficulty holding the door to mount it to the stile and maintain the proper overlay. - Ron Bohland
Tim Inman: Here are a couple of approaches. If you're just fitting one or two, I would use a piece of old-fashioned blackboard chalk and draw a line around the opening where you want the door to be. Fit to the lines. The chalk will wipe off cleanly when you're done, and nobody will be the wiser. (Use a piece of sandpaper to "sharpen" the chalk to a nice chisel point to make your line as fine as it can be.) If you're setting a lot of doors, then it might be worth your time to make up a little jig to hold the door while you do your work. Keeping the top and/or bottom edges of the doors in a nice straight line is important. You can do this by just clamping a scrap along the bottom edge of the cabinets. Set the doors on the ledge, which will set the vertical positioning, and then align "left-to-right" as needed so you can set your hinges.
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