WOODWORKING FINISHES – WIPE ON POLYURETHANE

Over the past year we have been building and finishing custom kitchen cabinets for our home. Being somewhat of a wood purest, our cabinets were made of solid hardwood, no particle or veneers allowed. The final design was a blend of many ideas; the same can be said about the layout of each cabinet. I can’t tell you where each idea came from, the concept evolved over time to something we are really happy with.

One thing we were sure of when we started was that the cabinets would be stained and top coated with Polyurethane. After discovering the joys of stains by General Finishes, we felt it only made sense to also use General Finishes Polyurethane. I am not a chemist, so I can offer no scientific proof, but it seems logical to me that the formulation of Polyurethane from one manufacturer would work best with stains formulated by the same company instead of mixing top coats and stains from different manufacturers.

As the name implies, Wipe on Polyurethane can simply be applied by wiping it across the across the project with a lint free rag. We choose to use disposable foam brushes instead of the rag method, we found it less messy. One of the draw backs or maybe a blessing is that by wiping on the top coat, the thickness of the coats tends to be thinner then when the traditional polyurethanes. A draw back, because this will requires more coats and a blessing because there is less chance of the top coat getting that plastic look when too much Polyurethane is applied.

We choose to use a semi gloss finish as the first coat, and then following up with several coats of satin wipe on polyurethane. Using the same logic, both were from the same manufacturer. Is there anything we don’t like about General Polyurethane? Yes.  General products are not carried by our local DIY centers, so we need to visit the local Woodworking store to get this great product and this is much farther away from our home. Of course, you really need to twist my arm to get me to visit a woodworking store!

For more help and tips check out my main blog at http://www.sawdustonthefloor.com

WOODWORKING TOOLS – THE NEW CRAFTSMAN MITER MATE SAW

Its 6:00 Am on Saturday morning and any normal person would still be in bed, but not me. For some unexplainable reason, I just can’t sleep in anymore. So I took my coffee and went channel surfing, and much to my amazement, I found a very interesting show, HGTV Pro. While most of the show was about products that professional contractors would use, there was a segment on new tools. One of the tools that they previewed was the new Craftsman Miter Mate Saw.

What got my interest was not that it was a new tool, well okay so yeah, that got me going. But this saw is a totally new concept as far as miter saws go. Before you start saying the obvious, a miter saw is a miter saw. Some are bigger then others, some can do compound cuts, some have lasers to aid you in that perfect cut. What could possible be new?

Well, Craftsman went back to the drawing board on this saw. The first change is that the fences on the Craftsman Miter Mate Saw are not fixed, the blade and motor are. The Miter Mate comes equipped with what Sears is calling a removable “Angle Finder”. The Angle Finder works much like a digital protractor, where you will place it into a corner, move the arms of the finder to meet both walls. After locking the angle in place, the Angle Finder is then taken to the saw, where it is locked into the saw base. Now both the left and right fences are adjusted until they meet the angles of the angle finder.

The Angle Finder is then removed and you’re ready to cut your wood. After you adjust the fences to the proper angle, they can be moved further away from the blade allowing room for your stock, while maintaining your angles. A really neat idea. The Miter Mate saw is also equipped with a Laser to aid you in proper alignment of your stock.

The Miter Mate is NOT in store yet. Sears is projecting a late summer release of their new saw. The suggested price is around $200.00. Is this the newest greatest tool ever invented, I don’t know. I certainly like the concept that this saw is built around. I think it combines the best of the miter saw and a good miter gauge for your table saw. I really like the idea of the laser, some thing that my compound miter saw doesn’t have. I can tell you this, I plan to mark my calendar and will be making a trip to the local Sears store to check this out when it is finally released.

If you’re like me and find this an interesting idea, take a look at the video from the 2009 Tool show.

For more help and info check out my blog at http://www.sawdustonthefloor.com

NECESSITY IS THE MOTHER OF INVENTION

I don’t want to make this statement lightly, in fact I have thought deeply about it before ever saying anything aloud. But the current economic turmoil that has put millions of hard working people on the unemployment roles, may actually have a silver lining.

I know that for those who have been down sized or whose company has completely closed, it’s hard to see anything bright about this. And that is why I have hesitated making this statement. If you look very closely, not at what Washington or Wall Street is doing, but instead look at your neighbors and friends, you will see a resurgence of the spirit that made this country great in the first place.

Just this morning I saw a news item about a local company which sells sewing machines, that decided to offer low cost classes on how to sew, and guess what, they have a waiting list. On the way to the local DIY store today, I saw a guy who had opened his own barbeque stand in his yard, he had people waiting for the meat to finish cooking. I am sure that you can think of several people who have taken the bull by the horns and done something to make their lives better and I support these people 1000%. Using an old expression I learned in the military “Necessity is the Mother of Invention”, these people needed to find a way to make income and they found it. Without the help of Washington or Wall Street.

Nature has a way of continuing the growth of the forest, through a method that may seem destructive, but in the end brings new life to the forest. Forest fires are seen as totally destructive to us, but in reality they are required to get rid of the dead wood and make way for new growth. Perhaps the current economic woes are our forest fires and we are clearing out the dead wood and making room for new growth. I think I see that new growth already starting.

For more woodworking tips and info check out my blog at http://www.sawdustonthefloor.com

HOUSEHOLD TOOL BOXES – ELECTRICAL REPAIR TOOL BOX

There are some electrical repairs that almost every home owner can handle.  The important thing to remember is that there is no substitute for safety.  There are only two logical times when you would ever want to work on a live electrical circuit, one is to check the current draw of the circuit, and the other is when you are troubleshooting a circuit for loss of power. Both of these problems will require some knowledge of electrical principals, and special tools.  In all other cases, please turn off the power to the circuit before you make any repairs.

Basic Tools for electrical repairs:

Diagonal pliers, also known as Dykes:

Used for cutting electrical wiring. Diagonal Pliers have an insulating cover on the handles, make sure that the covers are in tact. Never use Diagonal pliers that do not have covering, in case you inadvertently cut into a live wire.  **

Linesman’s Pliers:  Used to twist electrical wires together, Linesman’s pliers also have insulated handles.  Make sure the handles are in good condition.

Utility Knife:  Used to cut the insulation coating of electrical wiring. Have a supply of sharp replacement blades on hand.**

Needle Nose Pliers:  Used for working inside electrical boxes.  Select a sturdy pair.  Check the handles for good insulation. **

Electrical Fish Tape:  Used to pull electrical wiring through electrical conduit, or through the walls.  These come in either 25 or 50 foot lengths.

Fish tape lubricating grease:  Used to lubricate the wiring as you pull it thought the conduit or walls. Non corrosive, will not harm the wiring or electrical devices.

Drywall saw also known as a keyhole saw:  Used to cut into drywall when you want to install a new outlet or switch.

Torpedo Level: Small level used to verify that electrical boxes are installed level.

Wire stripers:  Pliers used to strip the insulation off of the individual wires.

Test Equipment:

Non Contacting voltage detector:  Used to determine the presence of voltage in any AC Circuit.

Digital volt Meter also known as DVM:   Used to measure the voltage in any AC Circuit, AC or DC.  DVM also can be used to measure resistance in household wiring (checking for broken wires)  Can also be used to check the fuses currently used in some electrical devices.

A less expensive meter is an Analog meter, same capabilities as DVM, but uses a meter on a sliding scale to display voltages or resistance.  A little harder to read then the DVM, can be difficult to read in a dark location.

Clamp On Amperage Meter also known as Amp Probe: Electrical device used to measure to amount of current flowing through a circuit.  The meter is “clamped” around the wires. Available as an Analog or Digital meter, Digital meter will have an option to store to maximum current detected which is sometimes very helpful.

NOTE:  Amp Probes are used on live circuits,  Use proper precautions when working on live or energized circuits.

Circuit breaker detector:  Used when working alone to determine which circuit breaker controls the power to the circuit you are working on.

** Also in the Essentials of a Basic Toolbox

For more help and tips check out my main blog at http://www.sawdustonthefloor.com

How Strong are Your Joints?

A recent article in Fine Woodworking magazine caught my eye for several reasons. The first was the subject matter, the strength of woodworking joints, and the second was the method of testing.

Fine Woodworking commissioned an independent lab to conduct testing on most of the common woodworking joints used in frame joinery. To control the test results, all of the joints were made from Cherry, and glued with Titebound III waterproof adhesive. Each joint was clamped for at least one hour, and allowed to cure for five days before the joints were tested.

The joints were then subjected to a controlled compressive load in a Servo Hydraulic Test system. This is basically a hydraulic actuator that presses down on the joint at a controlled rate. This method of loading the joint, was designed to simulate what is known as a racking load. Racking force or racking load is the force that causes what started out as a rectangle to become a parallelogram. Or in other words it is the load felt on the non supported side of every door. The joint is what keeps the frame squared up, but as soon as the joint fails the door will droop or fall away from the supported side. This same racking force is also seen on top of table legs where they join the frame of a table, when the bottom of the leg is struck. When the racking force is great enough the joint fails. As each joint was tested the actual force or load felt on the joint was recorded by the servo hydraulic system.

So what about this article peaked my interest? Well, for one, the results of the test were surprising. Some joints scored much lower then I would have suspected, others were much higher. The other reason is that I happen to work for the manufacturer of the Servo Hydraulic Test System used in this test. It was really neat to see something you have worked on end up in print.

The results of the test are listed below, what surprised me was that the plain and simple half joint had the highest peak load, while the much touted cope and stick joint had a low peak load. Does this mean that we should all abandon joints like the cope and stick, or the Festool Domino for the half lap? Of course not, the half lap and bridle joints are very strong but let’s face it, they are not the most handsome joints.

I do think that having this information will help each of us make more informed design decisions when it comes to selecting frame joints. If you are building a door that will end up with a very heavy insert , like a piece of plate glass then I would tend to shy away from the biscuit or the Domino joints in favor of the 3/8 ” Mortise and Tenon or the splined miter. But if the door were to have a simple raised panel insert, then the traditional Cope and Stick joints make sense.

We all have to balance the look and feel of the project with the mechanical properties of the joints we are creating. Building a piece that is going to just be displayed versus table with a heavy top, or one that will get daily use require different types of joints.

Joint Peak Load At Failure

Half Lap 1603
Bridle 1560
Splined Miter 1,498
3/8″ Mortise and Tenon 1444
3/8″ floating Mortise and Tenon 1396
Miter 1374
3/8 ” wedged Mortise and Tenon 1210
3/8″ pinned Mortise and Tenon 1162
5/16″ Mortise and Tenon 988
Beadlock 836
Dowelmax 759
1/4″ Mortise and Tenon 717
Pocket Screw 698
Domino 597
Biscuit 545
Butt 473
Cope and Stick 313
Stub Tenon 200

 

For more info and hep please check out my blog at http://www.sawdustonthefloor.com

The Essentials of a Basic Tool Box for the Homeowner

There are certain things that every home needs, some are quite obvious, some not so apparent. One of the things that I feel every one needs is a basic tool box. Now yours doesn’t have to be as full or occupy as much space as those that I have, in fact your tool box may even live in a closet in your home. No matter which end of the spectrum you find your self at, here are the things that I think you should have in your tool box.

A Complete set of screw drivers:
Select a set that has a handle that is comfortable in your hand. If yours are broken, bent, or the handles are held on with tape, it’s time to replace them.

Claw Hammer:
Select one that you can easily swing, Pick it up and practice driving a nail, if it’s too heavy, select a smaller one. Look for an Ergonomic handle.

Tape Measure:
Tapes come in a multitude of lengths, look for one that is at least 12′ long. Extend the tape, make sure that you can retract the tape easily, also check that the tape is stiff enough to take a horizontal measurement without collapsing. Also make sure that the end of the tape is secure.

Allen Wrenches:
Also known as Hex head wrenches. An amazing number of products today are assembled using Allen wrenches. Consider getting both an English and Metric set.

Level:
Every home should have at least one good level. Stay away from the Plastic levels. Look for a sturdy wooden or metal level. Consider at last a 24″ level.

A Square:
Look for a good metal square: Used to check that your work is at the correct angle(s)

Wrenchess:
I could write a whole book on the different types of wrenches, and the pro’s and cons of each, but that is for another time. Your tool box should include the following wrenches.

Combination Box End Open End Wrenches both in English and Metric sizes.

12″ Pipe Wrench, make sure that the mechanizing moves smoothly.

Adjustable wrenches, also known as Crescent Wrenches. These wrenches come in varying sizes and qualities. The cheaper wrenches tend to slip and will damage the heads on the nuts you are trying to secure or remove, please avoid these, check that the adjustments move smoothly, both in and out.

Strap Wrench: useful for securing hard to hold round objects.

 Pry Bar:

Useful to remove those stubborn nails or to give some leverage for lifting heavey items. Large and small pry bars are indespensible for home repair projects.

Pliers:
There are several different types of Pliers that you should have in your home tool Kit.

Vise Grips Pliers: very useful for removing that rusted rounded off nut.

Wire Cutters, also known as Diagonal cutters. Make sure that the handles have a good cover and the cover is intact. If you should contact a live electrical wire, the handle covers will offer some protection against shock. Better to turn off power first.

Channel Lock Pliers, also known as Water Pump Pliers. These come in many sizes and shapes, Very useful for connecting and tightening hoses, and water lines.

Needle Nose Pliers: as the name implies, a long Nose, very useful for working in a tight location. Available as both straight or curved. One of each would be a good addition to your tool kit.

Stud finder:
No not that type, the type that is used to locate studs in the walls. very useful for hanging pictures and shelving.

Flash Light, and spare batteries

Jewelers Screw driver set:
Very useful for removing those battery covers on all those toys.

Tweezers:
For removing splinters

Clamps:
There are a surprising number of applications for clamps in the everyday home repairs. Look for both Spring clamps, and a couple of 12 or 16″ bar clamps.

Sand Paper:
Some place in your tool kit, you should have a selection of sandpaper or sponge sanding blocks.

Electrical Outlet tester:
A simple plug in device that will check if a suspected outlet is working correctly. Also will check for possible wiring errors or problems.

Garbage Disposal Wrench:
I know that every new garbage disposal comes with one, but are you sure where yours is. Nothing replaces this when your disposal is stuck.

There are other things that while not really tools, should be in your tool kit:

Electricians Tape:

Teflon tape:
Used when installing plumbing fixtures, such as a new shower head.

Hose Washers:
Used in the end of garden hoses.

Electric ties:
Also known as tie wraps or cable ties, these plastic strips have an amazing number of household uses.

Collection of molly bolts:
Used for mounting pictures in dry wall.

W-D 40 or Silicon spray:
Used to lubricate stuck or binding hardware.

Small can of light weight Plaster:
Also known as Fast Patch. Used to patch small dings or fill nail holes in plaster walls.

Inspection mirror

Utilities Knife and spare blades

And probably the most important addition;

A Good First Aid kit:
Including Band Aids and Antiseptic spray or ointment

Having these items on hand in yur home should cover most basic repair needs. In future posts we will put together a suggested tool box for more specific uses such as plumbing and electrical repairs.

For more info and help check out my main blog at http://www.sawdustonthefloor.com

 

How Do I Replace a Door Knob

Replacing a door knob on an existing door is a relativity easy project that almost anyone can tackle. In most cases the only tools that you will need is a Phillips screw driver, a utility knife, and maybe a chisel

Let’s start with the easy part, removing the old door knob. There are basically two styles of door knobs, and depending on which type you have will determine how we take the old one off.

The door knob handle and the trim ring will either be a one piece unit or two separate pieces. Start by looking under the handle of your existing door. Look for a small set screw, which is loosened by using a Hex Head wrench, (also known as an Allen Wrench) or a small rectangular button. If you have the set screw, simply back out the setscrew, and pull the handle off. If your door knob has the button, use a small screw driver to depress the button, and the handle will pull off the shaft. If the old knob doesn’t have either the set screw or button, it is a one piece and the handle and the trim ring will come off as one piece.

Door knobs are made up of two pieces, one on the face side of the door and the other on the back side of the door. There are two screws normally installed on the back side the door which hold the two pieces together. Removing these two screws will remove the two halves of the knob.

Now you will have to remove the mechanism from the edge of the door itself. Simply remove the two screws, and pull the mechanism out of the door. Now you can remove the strike plate, which is on the door jam itself. This is also held on with two Phillips screws. Congratulations, you’re half way there.

We start by installing the new mechanism (plunger assembly) into the door. Look at the end of the part, the plunger will have a flat edge; this always goes away from the door jam. When you install the part into the edge of the door it must fit flat. Sometimes the new piece will be a bit larger then the part you removed. If your door is made of a soft wood, you can carefully cut out the offending wood. If the door happens to be made out of a hardwood, then you may need to use a sharp chisel to remove the wood. Once the plunger assembly fits flat, fasten it with two screws.

Now let’s install the two halves of the door knob. Start with the face side. It should simply push into the existing hole. On some door knobs, you may have to depress the plunger to get the parts to fit together correctly. The face piece will have a shaft that passes thru the plunger assembly and out the other side of the door. Then place the back side of the door knob on the shaft. Just like the two screws that held the old knob together, the new one will have two screws that hold the two halves together. One word of advice, tighten the screws evenly, if one side is too tight the knob will bind.

The last thing to do is replace the strike plate on the door jam. Simply install the new one using the new screws. Check your new knob to be sure it functions ok. If the plunger binds, then check the screws hold the halves together. If the door will not latch, check the strike plate. You may need to move it further away from the door stop. If the door rattles when closed, move the strike plate closer to the door stop.

For more info and tips checks out my main blog http://www.sawdustonthefloor.com

Installing Floor Molding or Learning How to Cope

There are very few truths in the world that can more readily be applied to every thing we do more than those expressed by the old English idiom, “God is in the details”. For those of us that believe in the glass is half empty rather than half full, then the idiom is “The devil is in the details.

As a home owner and a woodworker, I tend to have a very critical eye towards any home improvement or woodworking project whether in my home or some one else’s home. Now I can forgive the home owner who either thru lack of experience, budget or tools doesn’t complete every project perfectly. However, there is no way that I can ever over look a poorly done job done by a so called professional.

During a visit to a friend’s home, they very proudly showed off some work that had recently been completed for them by a professional carpenter. The entire job consisted of installing floor molding in a bath and linen closet, after our friends had redecorated the rooms. While our friends were very happy with the workmanship, I was appalled. The inside corners of the molding were already opening up. I suspect that the reason for this was that the carpenter had mitered the corners instead of coping them.

Not every home owner may know how to properly cope a mitered corner, but professionals should. So in case the guy who installed our friends molding is reading this, or if you are a home owner looking to improve their home improvement skills, here is the correct way to install floor molding.

In every room in your home, there are basically two types of corners, inside corners and outside corners. An inside corner is where the two opposing walls turn into each other, normally at a 90 degree angle, while outside corners, the walls turn away from each other. We are only concerned with the inside corners here. You will note that I used the term normally to talk about the angle of the opposing walls. The fact is that there are very few perfect corners in any home. Every corner will be either greater or less than the desired 90 degree angle.

Couple this with the fact that wood will normally expand and contract with temperature changes. Molding is no exception to this concept, molding normally will move along the length of the molding. So a miter cut into an inside corner will often open and close as the temperature and humidity change in the room, making the miter a poor choice for the inside corners molding.

Coping molding is easier than coping with a lot of the other things we have to deal with every day. Cutting the first piece of molding is really easy; all that is required is that the end be cut at a normal 90 degree angle. The second piece is coped or let into this piece. Lets assume that you are going to cope a piece of molding that meets the straight cut piece from the left.

Take this piece of molding to your miter saw, I choose to use my Compound Miter Sawcompound miter saw, but any miter saw will do. Since we are installing this piece from the left, turn you miter blade to the left 45 degree stop. Install you molding so that the back of it is against the back of the saw, and cut off the right end of the molding.

So here is where the coping skills come into play. If you were to take a pencil and highlight the line that forms the left edge of the cut you just made, the area to the right of that line is the profile of the molding. With a saw correctly named a coping saw,,we are going to cut out this area to the right of your line. With all of the material removed, the two pieces will meet correctly. I have found that I often have to tweak or sweeten up the coped end with either sand paper or file.

Continue to use the same concept all the way around the room. There is no set rule as to which piece gets the straight cut and which is coped. I prefer to always cope the piece to the left, but that is just personal preferences. If you choose to cope the right hand board, just turn your saw to the right 45 degree stop, instead of the left stop. If you are more of a purest, then you may prefer to use a Manual Miter saw instead of the compound Miter saw, either way the concept is the same.

For more help or tips check out my other blog at http://www.sawdustonthefloor.com

Your Woodworking Tool Box – The Uncool Tool List

In a recent article of This Old House magazine, there was an article about tools that are totally useless but are so cool that you just have to have them. While the article was amusing, I have to admit that I happen to own one of the tools listed. Several years back my wife gave my a portable laser by Ryobi. The laser differs from most that it also has a suction cup that allows you to attach it to a surface, freeing up your hands for other activities. I also have to admit that I had to go looking for the laser as I don’t use it everyday, but when I do need it, it’s very nice to have.

The article got me to thinking of other totally useless tools that haunt my tool box, that I either bought in a senior moment, or were given to me by well meaning friends and family. Like the Screw driver/Flash light that I got one year from my mother in law. While I really appreciated the gesture, I was never sure what the purpose was. I mean it wasn’t a good flash light nor was it a good screw driver. But it was the thought that mattered.

Another tool that really looked good in the store, but just wasn’t, was a tape measure that is 100% flexible. I think the idea was so you can measure around things. It works so well it has a special place in my tool box. I’m sure your tool box has special places like that too.

One of the tools in the TOH article was a gutter cleaner. The product reported will travel the length of the gutter and via a flapper, throw out all of the gunk in the gutter. Sounds great, right? But think about it for a minute. How does the gizmo get into the gutter? You have to climb up the ladder and place it in the gutter, wait till it gets done and then remove it. You now have to go down in the yard and clean up the mess that the gizmo made. Seems to me that you would be better off just putting the ladder up and cleaning the gutter you’re self. Or if you are not comfortable on a ladder, hire someone.

So here is a challenge to all my fellow woodworkers, crafts people and tool junkies. Let me hear from you, tell me what tools you have that you would like to put on the “UnCool Tool List”. I would like to publish a list of those special tools, to maybe keep some other innocent woodworker from having a UnCool tool find its way into your tool box. I promise to protect your reputation by keeping your name secret, unless you are really proud of that special tool.

For more information or help please check out my blog at http://www.sawdustonthefloor.com

Woodworking Tool Stores

I happened to be in Minneapolis this week end as part of a business trip, when I relearned one of those great life lessons; don’t judge a book by its cover. Or in this case, it should read don’t judge a store by its name.

On my way to dinner Friday night, out of the corner of my eye I spotted a new store, “Acme Tools”. My first thought was look out for the road runner, and where is Wyle Coyote, I half expected to hear a “beep beep”.

Curiosity got the better of me, so Saturday morning I went back to the store. To tell the truth, I was expecting a store full of those “Look what $5.00 will buy” bins, full of cheap knock offs. Boy was I wrong. Acme Tools is a serious store. They stock most of the major brands of tools, no Knock offs in site.

Acme tools are a part of Acme Electric, out of Grand Forks, ND. And has stores in Minnesota and Iowa. They have products from Milwaukee, Dewalt, Bosch, Freud and Delta, plug an array of hand and safety tools. What a pleasant surprise. The store I visited also had a repair center, a nice added bonus. I am not sure of the affiliation, but the store I visited in Plymouth MN, has a nice selection of Rockler Hardware and finishes.
So I learned my lesson. Look beyond the cover of the book, or should I say look beyond a name, you may just be pleasantly surprised.

For more information or help please check out my blog at http://www.sawdustonthefloor.com