Shop tips and shortcuts

[Coo-wah-chobee]

Y'all know how you amass tools-well i do anyway. I think Pat b gave really good feedback! I learned how to make wooden bows with a hachet and a knife. Though the years i acquired a bandsaw,Scrapers,spokeshave,rasps blah-blah-blah.Things went faster sure ,but i made more mistakes (mind wasnt catching up with hands-like pat b said) and the thrill was gone so to speak. After a while I went back to a hachet and knife added a rasp and guess what-my work improved and the thrill was back- took longer-so what-for me a very peaceful pre-columbian attitude. Maybe this would appeal to others-dont know -we live in a fast pace modern world.-bob

[DanaM]

ttt

[carpenter374]

here's a few shop tips from our millwork shop.

Saw tables: try applying paste wax (such a minwax trewax) to your table saw top and buff it with a clean rag. wood slides easier for more accurate cuts with less binding.

vice: epoxy or screw hardwood to the inside of a vice if you're going to clamp finished or sanded wood in the vice (i use oak in mine). I've never had trouble with a vice marring wood this way.


Router table: a makeshift joiner can be made with a router screwed to the bottom of a home-made table. drill a hole in the center of the table for the router bit to stick through. clamp a board to the table if you want a fence. you can use many different bits for different things. roundovers and plain cutting bits are two i use often. the fence and a cutting bit can used to rough out a stave in a hurry if the grain is straight.

hope this helps somebody.

[PK]

Chalking the rasp HMMM

[eflanders]

1). Wax your bow form and work tool tables.  It helps the material to move, prevents rust and prevents glue from adhering where it shouldn't.

2). Use pencil marks to mark areas that need removal before sanding or scraping so you can see the progress you make.

3).  Let the tool do the work.  If you find yourself forcing the tool, it needs sharpening, cleaning or new paper.

[Stephen Zachary]

This all great advice, thanks guys

[peshikthe]

use disposable latex or exam gloves when using glues, sealers, etc, and when building bows out of staves and boards get an outside caliper, it will save you time and headache and almost make your bows foolproof, when the user isnt too tired to be making bows,save your sawdust for later boo boos on the your bows.

[cracker]

I use harsh incandescent light bulbs at low angles and over head when working with fine lines and looking for tool marks the over head ones help follow the lines and the low angle ones help tool marks show up. There is something missing in flourescent light and there is a difference in the two. Ronnie

[Young Bowyer]

Making bows at 3 am isnt a good idea when you have a razor sharp drawknife at your belly  ,
Experience can teach you better than any established education  .

[zdogk9]

Band saws; get some cool blocks, or if you're cheap like me cut your guide blocks out of hardwood, maple is good. set them up so that they are touching your blade. Set your thrust bearings so that they are 1/32" off the back of the blade with no load on the saw, you'll find your cuts are easier to control and that your blade wants to wander less.
Cabinet Scraper; you don't scrape with them, Think rather that they are a plane that cuts really fine, sharpen them properly and you'll get a super fine shaving as you push or draw them across your work, hold them at a slight angle to their direction of travel say 10 degrees off perpendicular.
Good sharpening stones are worth every penny you pay. and more