Any other woodworking Oppos out there?

"BaconSandwich is tasty." (baconsandwich)
08/13/2014 at 20:06 • Filed to: None

I'm by no means a professional - I'm still learning a lot about woodworking. I'm currently making a baby change table for the soon to be BaconSandwich Jr. Anyone else out there do any woodworking? when you aren't wrenching on things?

DISCUSSION (36)

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > BaconSandwich is tasty.
08/13/2014 at 20:11

I've done a few small bits, mostly just making up some shelves and repairing stuff. My girlfriends dad is pretty competent at it and has his own lathe, table saw, belt sander, pillar drill etc etc. He hasn't built anything in years...

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > BaconSandwich is tasty.
08/13/2014 at 20:13

I have

Nibbles > BaconSandwich is tasty.
08/13/2014 at 20:17

Read that as "Why aren't you wrenching on things?" Best question to ever be asked :)

I dabble in the woodworking arts. Built some closet racks, a pets/little kids wagon shaped like Noah's ark, a few fences, etc. Don't expect your first run to be pretty, just make it usable. Measure four or five times, cut once but not before you measure again.

Nibby > BaconSandwich is tasty.
08/13/2014 at 20:18

I like doing it but I wish I had more tools and a space. I had access to my school's woodshop and worked there during undergrad. How I miss it so.

Manuél Ferrari > BaconSandwich is tasty.
08/13/2014 at 20:18

No but guess what - I had a bacon sandwich today. It was tasty

PushToStart > BaconSandwich is tasty.
08/13/2014 at 20:19

I've built a few things, I'm not particularly spectacular at it, but I'd consider myself competent. It's a great hobby, but the advanced tools can get so expensive...

GTCL > Nibbles
08/13/2014 at 20:22

I'm in the midst of a kitchen table project. Will be a kitchen table and a bench. Pretty simple project I guess. I've done some other little projects here and there. Made a battery holder, shelves, book/cd cabinet. I typically find it pretty rewarding.

Nibbles > GTCL
08/13/2014 at 20:26

And rather easy too!

GTCL > Nibbles
08/13/2014 at 20:27

it really is. Easy to lose a finger though. Especially on a router or table saw.

Nibbles > GTCL
08/13/2014 at 20:38

I got nothing but hand tools

GTCL > Nibbles
08/13/2014 at 20:40

I used to really have a tool buying problem. That has kind of subsided, but I still have them all in my shop.

thebigbossyboss > BaconSandwich is tasty.
08/13/2014 at 20:41

Bacon, you're in grad school right? How many hours to you work per week if I may ask? My job wants me to do 20 hours a week with 16 hours of courses/labs. Will I die? I am scared I might die.

BaconSandwich is tasty. > GTCL
08/13/2014 at 20:43

I'm with you on that. I'm looking at getting a different table saw - one with a riving knife and anti-kickback pawls for exactly that reason. I've already had it throw a few boards at me.

BaconSandwich is tasty. > GTCL
08/13/2014 at 20:43

Well, I don't consider that a problem - the problem now is what to build with them, right?

BaconSandwich is tasty. > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
08/13/2014 at 20:45

I'm not huge into it (yet) either - I've got a band saw, router table, palm sander, a few hand tools, and one very scary table saw. Given that there's a baby on the way, we need a few more bits of furniture - a change table, a curio cabinet to keep little hands away from our knickknacks, and maybe a new chest of drawers. In the past I've done a bit, but that was a few years ago.

BaconSandwich is tasty. > thebigbossyboss
08/13/2014 at 20:47

I am - barely. I've got my thesis defense this Friday.

I wouldn't worry too much. If you think about it -that's still less than 40 hours/week. Just make sure you put your foot down when they try to get you to do more than what you've been allocated. Last semester I was coordinating Computer Science 1000 courses, and sank a LOT more time into them than what they allocated for me. It was a bit annoying, and I really should have put my foot down a bit more on that.

BaconSandwich is tasty. > PushToStart
08/13/2014 at 20:48

Agreed. It's a slippery slope. I guess you could say the same about automotive stuff though too. First you are looking at a project car, and the next think you know you're eyeing up a much bigger project than what you'd envisioned.

BaconSandwich is tasty. > Nibby
08/13/2014 at 20:48

Oh, I hear you. Thankfully, being a grad student has given me access to some pretty wicked equipment - and not just woodworking stuff either. I got to play with a laser engraver/cutter a while back. That was cool.

BaconSandwich is tasty. > Manuél Ferrari
08/13/2014 at 20:49

They always are. They always are.

thebigbossyboss > BaconSandwich is tasty.
08/13/2014 at 20:50

Thanks. I won't be working for the school but my other job, which involves working for the government.

I figure, as long as I keep on top of my work I should be ok. Still leaves me with about 6 hours for homework (including breaks) each night and 7 hours sleep which is good for me.

BaconSandwich is tasty. > thebigbossyboss
08/13/2014 at 20:51

Yeah, that should be fine then. If you use your time wisely (like doing homework during your lunch break), it can get even a bit better.

thebigbossyboss > BaconSandwich is tasty.
08/13/2014 at 20:53

Thanks for the encouragement. School kinda scares me since I was out in the workforce for 5 years.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > BaconSandwich is tasty.
08/13/2014 at 20:55

I've found I managed to just pick it up as I went along. Even though I've done mostly basic stuff so far, each thing I make looks a little better and more refined. When I get my own place I'll likely make up a fair bit of my own furniture.

GTCL > BaconSandwich is tasty.
08/13/2014 at 20:56

yeah, but I have a wife to make those decisions for me, right? I actually took all of the antikick back things off my saw. I know they are safer, but they always seem to get in my way. I'm on my second table saw now. I went from a small delta to a bigger table craftsman. It was actually big enough to build a drop in for my router lift into the end. I have to redo that though because the original plate has gotten messed up.

mr_gofast > thebigbossyboss
08/13/2014 at 20:59

o hell im doing my term 5 of 6 for my mba in international business and working 2 days at the government..its not so bad. 2 at gov 3 at school ...

BaconSandwich is tasty. > GTCL
08/13/2014 at 21:04

Cool. You're definitely right though - it's up to the wife to see what gets made next.

My current table saw is a $40 Mastercraft purchased on Kijiji - by no means a winner. I had to rebuild the fence because I'm pretty sure one of the previous owners was an orangutan and beat it completely out of square. At least I put a decent blade on it, so that's something. I just like the idea of something that isn't going to chuck hunks of wood at me whenever I try cutting something slightly smaller. The DeWalt I've been eyeing up is supposed to be able to rip 24" things - like cutting a full sheet of plywood in half. For us, we live in a basement suite, so space is at a premium, so whatever I do get I have to be able to carry inside/outside whenever I work on something. Both DeWalt and Bosche seem to make some pretty nice portable table saws, but I recently saw the DeWalt on for $330, and it's got a rack and pinion style fence which people really seem to make.

BaconSandwich is tasty. > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
08/13/2014 at 21:05

I think that's the way to do it - slow and steady. One of the first things I build - a set of Tetris block shaped shelves left something to be desired. I can say I learned then the importance of making sure things are square (which they weren't). I'm still not very good at making a nice fitting mortise and tenon joint though. I'm learning though.

BaconSandwich is tasty. > thebigbossyboss
08/13/2014 at 21:06

I know what you mean. I had been working for 3.5 years after I finished my bachelor's. Honestly, doing a master's was so much more fun. It's a bit scary because a lot of the work is self-directed, but fun because you can work on something that you want, when you want. I did have to take a few classes though, which I wasn't really looking forward to. They all ended up being really quite good though.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > BaconSandwich is tasty.
08/13/2014 at 21:10

Getting most types of joints to line up properly is my main weak point. I can get all of the pieces at the right angle and size but fitting them together isn't quite there yet.

GTCL > BaconSandwich is tasty.
08/13/2014 at 21:12

Definitely use what you have until you upgrade. My first one had such a tiny fence, but my current one is way bigger. It is also a lot heavier. I have to use my floor jack to move it around any more than a few feet. I am lucky enough that the house we just moved into has an extra room in the basement for just my workspace.

PushToStart > BaconSandwich is tasty.
08/13/2014 at 21:48

amen... The story of an enthusiast

Nibby > BaconSandwich is tasty.
08/13/2014 at 22:59

I keep forgetting I get access to NYU AMS and they have 3D printers and a laser cutter.

Philbert/Phartnagle > BaconSandwich is tasty.
08/14/2014 at 16:30

I was a carpenter for 12 years, but never got into much "quality" woodworking. I've built some furniture, shelves, book stands, etc., in my time, but my "talents" such as they were lay primarily in design and construction of homes, garages and outbuildings. Sadly and sometimes extremely frustrating is that due to disabilities from on the job injuries I can no longer do much in the way of woodworking.

One thing I learned is that woodworking can either be a relaxing, enjoyable way to pass time and be productive at the same time, or it can be an infuriatingly frustrating pursuit. It all depends upon the individual and how they decide to "make it" for themselves.

Best of luck with your project and congrats on the "new addition". :two thumbsup:

P.S. I'd like to see the finished product if you wish to share it with us.

BaconSandwich is tasty. > Philbert/Phartnagle
08/14/2014 at 16:58

Oh, for sure! It'll be a little bit before I'm done yet. I still need to finish the drawers, attach the top and bottom, and give it all a good coat of varnish.

Dreadnaught > BaconSandwich is tasty.
08/19/2014 at 16:05

I'm a pretty avid woodworker myself (when the Bavarian's not proving overly temperamental, that is...) Completed a series of minor projects about the place and finally saw my wooden boat come to fruition this last year. The vessel's construction is documented at http://woodenlapstrake.blogspot.ca/ for any who might be interested (shameless plug)

BaconSandwich is tasty. > Dreadnaught
08/19/2014 at 20:40

That's pretty awesome.