OT: Whatcha' DIYin'?

[Boom Boom Apathy]

Flee Market Flip.

I meant to comment on this earlier. That market is pretty low margin right now because there are literally 1000s of people (I find it's mostly women, many are stay at home moms) that paint furniture. They scour yard sales, thrift stores, estate sales, etc.. and buy up pieces, paint them and flip them. The business model is to do as little repair as possible, just get them painted and sold quickly. Chip and Joanna Gaines have created a seemingly endless market for that style of furniture.

The dresser I just re-did, they would not have taken the time to sand it, fix the veneer, stain, etc... they would have used bondo to fix any chips, cleaned it up, painted it and flipped it. I've talked to two people who make a living (and now have stores) doing this. One is in South Carolina and one here in NC. Both of them commented that they won't make any money if they don't get the furniture in and out quickly or if they have to do much more than just paint it. The one in SC now goes to estate sales all over the east coast, even as far north as PA.

I'm not knocking that business model, just saying that it's a low margin business and profits have to come from quick turn around time and high volume.

I wouldn't make much money refurbishing things as I'd do it the same way I did this dresser. I don't need to make a living off of it though. The other side, building custom woodworking projects, is a different story. I've only done work for friends and family so far, for free. I've easily turned away a dozen projects from other people as I'm not ready to go into business. From live edge shelves, tables, built-ins, benches, bars, etc... People are moving into this area and have the disposable income to pay for custom stuff.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

Shipoopi?

Huh?

 

[Nikishin Go Boom]

mock of:

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

mock of:

Ah... gotcha. I've never seen that show.

 

[Big Daddy Cane]

@Boom Boom Apathy

I went to HD and they cut the piece for me, no charge. I somehow got it in the car angled over top of the passenger side headrests. Fortunately, I didn't have to make a right turn all the way home.

Next time, I'll have to rent a truck and buy in bulk. I live in a hilly area, so @MinJaBen ratchet strap solution makes me very nervous.

I can see your point about their sheets are not being good for staining. The veneer on the backside chipped off in places and knots were visible. Not a big deal as this is a painting project. Next time around, I'll try the lumber yard route.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

@Boom Boom Apathy

I went to HD and they cut the piece for me, no charge. I somehow got it in the car angled over top of the passenger side headrests. Fortunately, I didn't have to make a right turn all the way home.

Next time, I'll have to rent a truck and buy in bulk. I live in a hilly area, so @MinJaBen ratchet strap solution makes me very nervous.

I can see your point about their sheets are not being good for staining. The veneer on the backside chipped off in places and knots were visible. Not a big deal as this is a painting project. Next time around, I'll try the lumber yard route.

One thing I forgot to mention, but I'm sure you already know. The number of layers within the plywood can be an indication of how good of quality it is. It certainly defines how stiff/stable the product will be.

for some applications, I use Baltic Birch (not to be confused with birch), as it tends to have thicker outer veneer layer and many more layers thus providing superior stability. For instance, 3/4" baltic birch usually has about 12 or 13 plys. For shop jigs, garage shop/cabinets, drawers, etc... it's what I usually use. It often comes in odd sizes though (5'x5' vs. typically 4'x8'), although I am seeing more places providing 4x8 recently. See image at end.

When I make cabinets (like kitchen or bathroom cabinets or even some other types), I buy 1/2" or 3/4" maple plywood that is pre-finished on 1 side. It's not much more expensive than unfinished, but it it's a superior finish than I can put down and saves me from having to finish inside a cabinet on the inside once it's assembled.

IIRC, you don't live in this area, but here's a good website of a store about 50 min. from where I live that has a wide selection of plywood and hardwood. It's not as pricey as buying the same quality wood at HD or Lowes, or other lumber stores in Raleigh. The hardwood is pricier than buying directly from a sawmill though.

The Hardwood Store of North Carolina

Lastly, what type of saw blade you use is critical to what type of cut you get. Cross-cut and plywood required a blade with a large number of teeth. Ripping along the grain requires a blade with fewer teeth that can hog out material. There are all sorts of specialty blades that are meant for everything in between. A good 10" table saw blade can get expensive ($100 and up). The Freud Diablo are usually good low priced blades, but the more expensive blades can be re-sharpened over and over again so in the long run, the cheaper blades may cost more.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

So yesterday's DIY project was installing a recirculation pump to our tankless water heater. The way the pipes were run in our home (on a slab, so a lot of it is because the pipes are in the cold cement, it takes almost 2-3+ minutes for hot water to reach our master bath shower and upstairs shower. After reading a lot online, I bought a $60 Circ pump, a Smart Plug, some fittings and Pex tubing, and two Bypass/Bridge valves. These valves are needed because we don't have a dedicated return line so these valves allow water to flow through the hot water line and then return through the cold water lines, thus not wasting water while you wait for the water to heat up. They shut off when the water reaches a certain temperature so you aren't putting hot water into your cold water lines.

I hooked the pumping up along with 1 valve under the upstairs sink and tried it out. The pump kicked on but the tankless heater wasn't turning on.
I then added a 2nd valve under the master bath sink (same loop as upstairs) and now the hot water heater turned on when the pump kicked on, but the valve wasn't shutting off even when the water was hot.
After reading a bit more online, I found that the under sink valve I was using was very sensitive to water flow and pressure, so I replaced the hoses underneath the sink to a larger size, then upped the house water pressure by a few pounds (it was a bit low), and turned the temp on the water heater up by 5 degrees (had to flip a dip switch to go above 120).

Finally it worked correctly. When the pump kicks on, it takes over 3 min for the upstairs valve to close and about 2.5 min for the downstairs valve to close.

Once I had those numbers, I wrote two routines in Alexa, one for upstairs, one for downstairs. Now, when we want to take a shower, a few minutes before we get in, we just tell Alexa to run the routine and shortly after the valve closes, the pump turns off preventing it from overheating (although they say these are made to run ok when the valve shuts I don't trust that).

So basically, the pump only runs 2-3 times per day for 2-3 minutes at a time thus not costing much at all in electricity, but saving water each time. My quick calculations show that this will save us ~$80 / year in water and sewer charges (probably more as we often are guilty of letting it run longer to heat up as we get ready, particularly my kid). The total costs of parts were about $230 so it's about a 3 year ROI.

I have a timed relay I'm going to install at the plug as a safeguard so that if the smart plug ever turns on by accident (after a power outage, loss of internet, etc...), it will shut off after 3.5 minutes regardless.

A project that I thought would take 2 hours ended up taking the entire day though, but I'm happy with it.

Thought of my brother a lot during this project. He was a master plumber and whenever I had plumbing problems, I would get him on the phone. Must have been a dozen times yesterday I instinctively wanted to call him.

 

[Lempo]

The Freud Diablo are usually good low priced blades, but the more expensive blades can be re-sharpened over and over again so in the long run, the cheaper blades may cost more.

The reason that the rich were so rich, Vimes reasoned, was because they managed to spend less money.

Take boots, for example. He earned thirty-eight dollars a month plus allowances. A really good pair of leather boots cost fifty dollars. But an affordable pair of boots, which were sort of OK for a season or two and then leaked like hell when the cardboard gave out, cost about ten dollars. Those were the kind of boots Vimes always bought, and wore until the soles were so thin that he could tell where he was in Ankh-Morpork on a foggy night by the feel of the cobbles.

But the thing was that good boots lasted for years and years. A man who could afford fifty dollars had a pair of boots that'd still be keeping his feet dry in ten years' time, while the poor man who could only afford cheap boots would have spent a hundred dollars on boots in the same time and would still have wet feet.

This was the Captain Samuel Vimes 'Boots' theory of socioeconomic unfairness.

Terry Pratchett: Men At Arms

 

[Cardiac Jerks]

Having a garage built at my house this spring so, for the first time in my life, I will have actual shop space for my woodworking hobby. Can’t wait.

Currently finalizing the lighting and electrical outlets layout then need to start looking into ordering the cabinet saw and jointer/planer I want.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

Having a garage built at my house this spring so, for the first time in my life, I will have actual shop space for my woodworking hobby. Can’t wait.

Currently finalizing the lighting and electrical outlets layout then need to start looking into ordering the cabinet saw and jointer/planer I want.

Congrats!!! A few comments/recommendations based on my own experience.

1) If you can afford it, I HIGHLY recommend getting your shop insulated and heat put in (if you haven't already done that and still can). I've seen some that use a wood stove and burn their scraps, but I always felt uneasy about having a fire in a woodworking shop.
2) I know they are expensive, but SawStop, SawStop, SawStop... for the cabinet saw. It's not only an incredible safety feature, it's a fantastic cabinet saw as well. I've seen way too many people lose fingers on a saw, including my grandfather who was a great woodworker. It's worth it and it's as good as any cabinet saw you will fine. Go with the 3HP if you can afford it.
3) I've had a few planers and the one I have now is the one I like best. It's the DeWalt (735 I think). It's a portable planer, but it is pretty powerful. I plan on upgrading it to a spiral/helix head when I save up the money. I haven't found any need to go with a non-portable one.
4) I'd avoid a 6" or a portable jointer. Just too limited. I found any 8" jointer that has a spiral / helix head and flat tables is all you need. I bought a cheap one years ago from a company called Sunhill. They are no longer in business but it was way less than even Grizzly. It's been working fine for almost 20 years now. Also, an acquaintance of mine just injured his hand badly on a jointer. The table wasn't set right and he ran a piece through, thinking it was taking only a small amount off and it ended up pulling his front hand right into the blades. I always, always, always use push blocks now.

These are great:

https://www.amazon.com/GRR-RIP-BLOCK-Pushblock-Router-Jointer/dp/B00DNX3N7S/ref=sr_1_1?crid=E827GM3028U8&keywords=planer+push+block&qid=1644845892&sprefix=planer+push+block,aps,93&sr=8-1

Note: You can also use a planer and table saw to do jointing with a planer sled and a table-saw jig if you want to wait on getting a jointer.

5) Plan your layout and get your dust collection early on. A cyclone is the best option, but those can get very expensive. I built a Thein Top-hat separator on a harbor freight dust collector (I upgraded the fan on it), and it works great. Probably spent $300 for it in total vs. $1000+ for a cyclone. Google Thein Top-Hat Separator and there are a bunch of videos that show you how to do it. They really work great.

6) If your space is somewhat limited, go to Harbor Freight (or the equivalent) and buy a bunch of cheap castors so you can have everything on wheels. The only piece of equipment that I didn't DIY the mobile base was the cabinet saw.

7) I find that a router table is something that I use a LOT. You can put one right into your table-saw extension table, or you can build a separate router table. Jessem, a Canadian company makes the best router lifts IMO.

8) Lastly, you mentioned your electrical outlets, make sure you put enough 20A outlets and 220V outlets in your shop. I designed mine an thought I put too many in, and found out later on that I wished I had added a couple more.

Have fun!

 

[Cardiac Jerks]

Congrats!!! A few comments/recommendations based on my own experience.

1) If you can afford it, I HIGHLY recommend getting your shop insulated and heat put in (if you haven't already done that and still can). I've seen some that use a wood stove and burn their scraps, but I always felt uneasy about having a fire in a woodworking shop.
2) I know they are expensive, but SawStop, SawStop, SawStop... for the cabinet saw. It's not only an incredible safety feature, it's a fantastic cabinet saw as well. I've seen way too many people lose fingers on a saw, including my grandfather who was a great woodworker. It's worth it and it's as good as any cabinet saw you will fine. Go with the 3HP if you can afford it.
3) I've had a few planers and the one I have now is the one I like best. It's the DeWalt (735 I think). It's a portable planer, but it is pretty powerful. I plan on upgrading it to a spiral/helix head when I save up the money. I haven't found any need to go with a non-portable one.
4) I'd avoid a 6" or a portable jointer. Just too limited. I found any 8" jointer that has a spiral / helix head and flat tables is all you need. I bought a cheap one years ago from a company called Sunhill. They are no longer in business but it was way less than even Grizzly. It's been working fine for almost 20 years now. Also, an acquaintance of mine just injured his hand badly on a jointer. The table wasn't set right and he ran a piece through, thinking it was taking only a small amount off and it ended up pulling his front hand right into the blades. I always, always, always use push blocks now.

These are great:

https://www.amazon.com/GRR-RIP-BLOCK-Pushblock-Router-Jointer/dp/B00DNX3N7S/ref=sr_1_1?crid=E827GM3028U8&keywords=planer+push+block&qid=1644845892&sprefix=planer+push+block,aps,93&sr=8-1

Note: You can also use a planer and table saw to do jointing with a planer sled and a table-saw jig if you want to wait on getting a jointer.

5) Plan your layout and get your dust collection early on. A cyclone is the best option, but those can get very expensive. I built a Thein Top-hat separator on a harbor freight dust collector (I upgraded the fan on it), and it works great. Probably spent $300 for it in total vs. $1000+ for a cyclone. Google Thein Top-Hat Separator and there are a bunch of videos that show you how to do it. They really work great.

6) If your space is somewhat limited, go to Harbor Freight (or the equivalent) and buy a bunch of cheap castors so you can have everything on wheels. The only piece of equipment that I didn't DIY the mobile base was the cabinet saw.

7) I find that a router table is something that I use a LOT. You can put one right into your table-saw extension table, or you can build a separate router table. Jessem, a Canadian company makes the best router lifts IMO.

8) Lastly, you mentioned your electrical outlets, make sure you put enough 20A outlets and 220V outlets in your shop. I designed mine an thought I put too many in, and found out later on that I wished I had added a couple more.

Have fun!

Thanks for all the helpful advice, Boom Boom. This was supposed to be built last summer but our contractor ghosted us which ended up working out in my favour since it gave me more time to plan.

I am having the garage insulated and will have an electric heater out there. I'm going with one that can actually handle quite a bit more square footage then I have so it should work well.

I've worked with Sawstops in the past when I taught at a college but I won't be going that route right now. Maybe eventually but right now I need to keep the cost down a little bit since I'm also building the garage and materials are still absurdly expensive. I'll just be going with a Craftex cabinet saw and I'm going to add on an infinity router table to make good use of the space. I love working with my routers but I've never had a table as I always worked out of sheds or my basement with limited space. Table Saw Router Tables - Router Tables & Packages - Routing - Tools

I'm going to go with the 12" Rikon jointer/planer combo. Busy Bee puts them on sale around Christmas for up to $1000 off so I'll wait to grab one next year. They're fairly well-reviewed and will help save on space. I won't use it a ton but I've always wanted to be able to mill my own lumber. I have a shop outside Ottawa that can do it for me but the turnaround time is decent and, of course, you pay for the service Model 25-210H: 12" Helical Planer/ Jointer - RIKON Power Tools

No dust collection planned just yet as I'll still be traveling extensively for work for the next 3 years so I won't be using the shop heavily but I would like to add it eventually. I think for now I've got the layout how I like it. I'm trying to make the best use of the space and, like you said, make things mobile so they can be tucked out of the way. I'm thankful to have a good electrician who has helped me plan for the future as well, and not just my immediate needs. I can only grow so much as our garage isn't that big so I think what I have will be good. I'm lucky that my utility room where my panel is located is right next to the garage and I've got a ton of room left on it so future expansions wouldn't be terrible even if I did miss something.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

Yeah, I definitely get the cost part re: SawStop. When I sold my last house, which had my woodworking shop in a separate garage, I moved much of my stuff (Cabinet saw, jointer, etc..) up to my farm. I don't have space in my small garage at the new house and wanted a job site saw so I could do some work at home and store it away. I went with the DeWalt because it was much less expensive. After 1 year, and a close call, I changed my tune and sold the DeWalt and got a SawStop job site saw.

For me, especially as I'm getting older, the SawStop technology is worth it, but I understand where you are coming from, as I made the same call 2 years ago with the DeWalt.

For others reading this that don't know about SawStop, here's a video.

 

[Anton Dubinchuk]

My dad is a lifelong carpenter, builds gorgeous furniture and does Habitat most weekends. For sure one of the most capable amateurs I know.

A few years ago on a summer mission trip that my parents organize through the church, he was building a deck (he always was selected for the construction-heavy projects) and I guess just a hot day and not fully paying attention and the circular saw went right through all the tendons between his thumb and pointer finger. Another few cms and he would’ve lost the thumb. 12 weeks of rehab and a pretty sweet/gross picture that I probably can’t post here.

If and when I ever have a garage workshop to build out, I will be shelling out for a SawStop lol.

 

[mikeyfan]

Question has anyone tried the saw blade sharpener that you can get at Harbor Freight?
it does a good job and will pay for itself in a couple of blades.

 

[mikeyfan]

For those who play golf, PXG has there drivers on sale and if you served in the military you get a nice discount especially on the Gen 4 drivers.

 

[MinJaBen]

I know y’all have been waiting with bated breath to find out how bad I fubar’d my bathroom project. Well, your wait is over:

 

[MinJaBen]

For reference, here is the before:

 

[A Star is Burns]

So long murder bathroom. You'll be missed.

 

[SvechneJerk]

Yeah, I definitely get the cost part re: SawStop. When I sold my last house, which had my woodworking shop in a separate garage, I moved much of my stuff (Cabinet saw, jointer, etc..) up to my farm. I don't have space in my small garage at the new house and wanted a job site saw so I could do some work at home and store it away. I went with the DeWalt because it was much less expensive. After 1 year, and a close call, I changed my tune and sold the DeWalt and got a SawStop job site saw.

For me, especially as I'm getting older, the SawStop technology is worth it, but I understand where you are coming from, as I made the same call 2 years ago with the DeWalt.

For others reading this that don't know about SawStop, here's a video.

So, back in February, I was using a table saw to rip down a long, narrow piece of wood for a piece of trim I needed to finish off something on a fireplace mantle I was updating. Well, I really shouldn't have been trying to use this particular piece due to the bow it had in it. Against my better judgment, I proceeded, thinking that as long as I kept constant pressure against the fence, I'd be fine.

As I was getting close to the end of my cut, I reached over with my other hand to grab the pushing tool. In doing so, I let off just enough pressure from the wood that it got bound up on the blade & shot back at me, tearing up the end of one of my fingers. Not pretty.

The orthopedic surgeon did a fantastic job. It almost looks completely normal now.

 

[HisIceness]

For reference, here is the before:

View attachment 579883

View attachment 579884

1989 called and wanted that wallpaper back, and the vanity, and the tub/shower tile.

Edit: well looks like 2022 keeps the tub. Overall though nice job, looks purdy!

 

[MinJaBen]

1989 called and wanted that wallpaper back, and the vanity, and the tub/shower tile.

Edit: well looks like 2022 keeps the tub. Overall though nice job, looks purdy!

Actually, that’s a brand new tub. I had to destroy the original to get it out so I could repair the subfloor underneath.

 

[Finnish Jerk Train]

Damn, I completely missed this thread up until now. This weekend's DIY is to add some deck skirting under our screen porch. Our dog got into a rabbit's nest under there, grabbed one of them, and did what dogs do to rabbits. By the time we caught him, its guts were spilling out but it wasn't actually dead so it kept whining in pain. It was so young it hadn't even opened its eyes yet. My wife was traumatized, but luckily we managed not to let our very sensitive kids see it. But even before that, it was annoying to get him out of there when he went under it, so he's not allowed under there anymore.

So, back in February, I was using a table saw to rip down a long, narrow piece of wood for a piece of trim I needed to finish off something on a fireplace mantle I was updating. Well, I really shouldn't have been trying to use this particular piece due to the bow it had in it. Against my better judgment, I proceeded, thinking that as long as I kept constant pressure against the fence, I'd be fine.

As I was getting close to the end of my cut, I reached over with my other hand to grab the pushing tool. In doing so, I let off just enough pressure from the wood that it got bound up on the blade & shot back at me, tearing up the end of one of my fingers. Not pretty.

The orthopedic surgeon did a fantastic job. It almost looks completely normal now.

Glad you were able to get it put back together again. I have an interest in woodworking (just not a lot of time for it with young kids around), and I have very mixed feelings on table saws. Obviously they're incredibly versatile, and just about every wood shop has one for good reason. I know that most every tool is safe as long as you use it correctly and respect what it can do if you don't, but... yeah. One slip up on the table saw can f*** you up in a very bad way. It's hard not to get that out of my mind.

If I ever do splash out for one, it's going to be a SawStop. But even with those you still have to be careful with kickback and whatnot.

 

[ndp]

I remember breaking down my first full sheet of 3/4" plywood on the table saw. That's an intimidating experience and our table saw is set up properly for handling it, large surround table, outfeed rollers, mobile infeed rollers, you know stuff like that.

Other than breaking down large ply sheets on the table saw, the jointer has always been scary as hell to me, one slip on that thing and your pulling back nubbins. After that I would say our 3HP shaper can be a little intimidating, keeping your body parts away from the spinning bits is usually easy enough, but some of those big molding cutters are scary as hell. When I helped out the old man in his wood shop I spend a lot of time on the old wide belt stroke sander, I always loved doing finishing work.

Pops hasn't done any cabinets or custom work in over 20 years other than friends and family stuff so I don't get the opportunity to work in the wood shop much anymore, sometimes I really miss it. He mostly does antique restoration stuff now, every once and a while some insurance claim work, that's more of a one man show type of thing. I just don't have the patience for it, my ADHD brain can't handle the pace of that type of work.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

Other than breaking down large ply sheets on the table saw, the jointer has always been scary as hell to me, one slip on that thing and your pulling back nubbins. After that I would say our 3HP shaper can be a little intimidating, keeping your body parts away from the spinning bits is usually easy enough, but some of those big molding cutters are scary as hell. When I helped out the old man in his wood shop I spend a lot of time on the old wide belt stroke sander, I always loved doing finishing work.

Yeah, the Jointer is the one that scares me the most right now. An acquaintance of mine just had a bad accident a few months back. He was adjusting the jointer after some maintenance was done and forgot to tight down screw to lock the in-feed table in place after adjusting it. He started running a board through to test it out and the table dropped and pulled the board and his front hand right into the blades. Was nasty. Surgery was required and while he didn't lose any fingers, he's lost some motion and sensitivity in a couple of fingers. Can't wait for SawStop to make a jointer.

I don't have a shaper, but I do have a router table and that's probably next on my list of being intimidating. The bandsaw can be as well, particularly when re-sawing lumber.

I stopped doing 4x8 plywood cuts on the table saw as it's too cumbersome. I use a track saw now to cut it down to smaller sizes first and that works great.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

A couple months back, my son and I built this desk and side table for his girlfriend (her design). Not overly complicated, but it was great teaching him woodworking techniques and letting him do most of the work. We used traditional mortise and tenon joinery for the base. Also, other than the top of the desk, we used all scrap wood I had laying around/left over from other projects.