Sanding is not the most pleasant woodworking task but it goes a lot smoother (pun intended) if you have a system in place for choosing sandpaper grits. That is: what grit to start with, what grit to end with, and what grits to use in between. This process is sometimes referred to as a sanding schedule or sanding sequence or more simply, going through the grits.

Keep in mind that the purpose of sanding is to remove mill marks on the wood created by woodworking machinery - planers, saws, jointers, etc., as well as any scratches, dents, burns, and other defects. This is most efficiently done by first sanding the wood with a coarse enough grit to remove the blemishes. Then, it’s a matter of sanding the wood with progressively finer and finer grits with each grit removing the scratches from the previous grit and replacing them with denser but shallower ones. Eventually the wood will reach the desired smoothness. That’s the gist of going through the grits.

Quick aside: If one is proficient with hand planes and scrapers, it may not be necessary to sand at all. These simple tools can work wonders. Make a few quick passes to remove the mill marks and other defects and move on to the finishing. End of story. But hand tools aren’t for everyone and some tasks are easier done with sandpaper. So it’s onto the grits…

Begin sanding with the finest grit that’s capable of removing the machine marks and other imperfections on the wood. In most situations, that will be 80 to 120 grit. Use your best judgment and experience here. If the milling marks are not very obvious, you can usually start at 100 or maybe even 120. It’s counterproductive to start at 80 grit in many situations. That will just put down deep scratches that you then have to remove. But if you have deep gouges in the wood or it has pronounced “washboard” ripples from the planer, you may well have to start sanding at 80 grit.

Grit Coarseness Level
40-60 Coarse
80-120 Medium
150-180 Fine
220-240 Very Fine
280-320 Extra Fine
360-600 Super Fine

Vacuum off the dust from the first sanding pass and move onto the next grit. This will be the next finer level of coarseness — 150 or 180 grit (if you started at 80 to 120 grit). Don’t be tempted to “skip a grit” by going right to 220 or higher. That will actually take longer because the finer grit will be much less effective at removing the initial sanding marks.

Perform a final sanding pass using a very fine grit - 220 to 240 (I prefer 220 grit). In most cases, the wood will be ready for finishing after this third pass. If you sand beyond this level, the wood will look more polished but after applying the finish, the polish goes away. A 400 grit surface won’t look appreciably different than a 180 grit surface. Test this yourself the next time you’re finishing a project. Note that in addition to wasting your time, excessive sanding can also impair the absorption of certain stains.

How do you know when to stop sanding? This is something you gain with experience but there is a simple way to determine if more sanding is required. First, vacuum or wipe off the sanding dust. Then, look at the wood surface with a low angle light. If you see any residual scratches, keep sanding. It can also help to lightly dampen the surface with mineral spirits or water.

Summary: A good general rule for grit progression is to use 100 or 120 grit for initial sanding, 150 or 180 grit for the next pass, and 220 grit for the final pass.

Sandpaper Abrasive Selection

In terms of sandpaper abrasives, a common approach is to start sanding with aluminum oxide sandpaper using a power sander and then switch to garnet paper for final sanding by hand. Aluminum oxide lasts longer than garnet because it is harder but it doesn’t break down as well so the sharp edges become dull. This can result in burnishing of the wood surface which affects penetration of the finish. Garnet continuously breaks down to expose fresh sharp edges (it is friable) but it is softer than aluminum oxide and thus better suited for hand-sanding. Silicon carbide sandpaper works well for sanding the finish because it is usually stearated or lubricated, preventing it from clogging up so quickly.

Sourced from: Sanding Wood by Going Through the Grits http://goo.gl/od4r
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3D Analyzer Software is a link between 3D drawing/modelling packages and CAM Software for the woodworking industry.

In recent years, there has been substantial development in both CAD and CAM software applications for the woodworking industry. Manufacturers are able to create 3D Drawings of furniture as well as produce CNC programs. However, these two applications were separated by a gap in technology. A gap which 3D Analyzer Software now fills!

Generally woodworking businesses operate on word of mouth advertising and other traditional media. If your services and skills adequate enough to satisfy a few customers, you will find that they will more often than not recommend your business to others. A good rule of thumb about word of mouth advertising howver is to remind your customers that you are still around.

Word of mouth advertising is the best advertising you can have because it is free, but most of all because the trust factor of a new potential customer is alleviated. One of the scariest factors for a potential client especially when hiring a woodworking contractor isto know if they can trust the company they a re hiring.

Building on that, a good marketing technique to increase the number of potential customers is to send out a postcard or letter to past clients. it is much easier to get a repeat client than to go after a new client. Writing a reactivation letter as it is called is especially a good idea when the ecomony is slow. Take the time to either write a letter thanking then for their business, and maybe letting them know of some improvements that they might want to add their home etc.

Other traditional media that do well for a new woodworking business is to use the standard yellow pages. Take a look at your local yellow pages and see how many woodworking companies are listed. The biggest hurdle however to a yellow page ad is that when a potential customer looks through the yellow pages and sees a big list of companies to choose from, it is difficult to know which one to choose because he doesn’t know which one is trustworthy or not. (Visit here for more information about placing ads in the yellow pages.)

Another component of marketing your woodworking business is to run ads in the classified section of your local newspaper. The most important thing about classified ads is that you must be consitent. There are people who look through the ads every week just to see whats there although they don’t need any services at that time. If you are there every week, your ad will become ingrained into those peoples minds in the sense that when they do need some woodworking done, or know someone that does, they might not remember your company name, but they will remember that they have see an ad for a company that does woodworking and that is when they will look for your ad and call you.

It also meshes well with a yellow pages campaign because when they see your name in the yellow pages and they have seen your ad in the local newspaper, it acts like a trust building relationship and they are more apt to call you because they seem to remember you as opposed to someone else that they have never heard of before.

Another low cost method of advertising, especially if you are a new business with a low marketing budget is the use of bulletin boards. Take the time to locate bulletin boards around your neighborhood such as in the grocery store. You can then put up some business cards and a good sized quality picture of some of your work. Again, the main purpose here is to build trust with your potential customers. Showing them with a picture is a great way to do that.

This leads me to the point that marketing is a synergistic affair. The more your name is out there, the more trust your company name has. Good marketing takes time to start to work well. So the most important thing is to be consistent and to advertise in as many places as possible. For this you need to establish a budget so you can know how long you will be able to advertise in a specific way.

Sourced from: Woodworking Business Marketing - Building Trust http://goo.gl/aeLG
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3D Analyzer Software is a link between 3D drawing/modelling packages and CAM Software for the woodworking industry.

In recent years, there has been substantial development in both CAD and CAM software applications for the woodworking industry. Manufacturers are able to create 3D Drawings of furniture as well as produce CNC programs. However, these two applications were separated by a gap in technology. A gap which 3D Analyzer Software now fills!

3D Analyzer software is the ultimate link between Solidworks and CNC machinery used for woodworking.

3D Analyzer Software’s utilization of feature technology enhances programming automation, feature technology, a knowledge-based machining methodology.

By employing this technology, part features, such as faces, various types of holes, slots and pockets, can be created in Solidworks, automatically recognized, and then automatically machined. Feature technology improves the ease of use by having decisions made by the software, as compared to the user.

Feature recognition software is a relative new and important capability for the woodworking manufacturer to automatically examine a Solidworks model, identify individual features and their associated attributes, convert deign features into manufacturing features, and extract the features for subsequent operations.

- Take advantage of a free plug-in worth $700 US
- Feature recognition software for the woodworking industry
- Automate manufacturing processes
- Backed up by a professional and experienced team
- User manuals/ Help Pages for this plug-in are available here!

http://www.3danalyzersoftware.com/downloads.cfm

For more information contact Darren Duane - darren@3danalyzersoftware.com

Offer valid untill the 30th of November 2010

WARRENSBURG — The devil, it is said, is in the details.

But woodworker and artist Ron Atteberry finds it angelically simple to apply fine hand-carved decoration to the superb wood chests and other furniture items he builds.

Visitors to Atteberry’s tidy garage workshop in Warrensburg will instead find numerous devils liberated from the details and grinning back at them from spine-tingling portraits executed in combinations of magic marker and colored pencil.

Atteberry, who has a fine eye for pretty girl model photographs he also likes to keep on the walls, prefers to use his own drawing talents to picture some pretty fierce, but strangely fun, creatures he pulls out of his imagination. It’s the kind of screaming skull stuff that would sell well at biker rallies, if he ever makes it to one.

“I like hot rods, and I love going to hot rod shows,” says Atteberry, 63. “But I’m no biker; if I got on one of those things, I’d fall off.”

In any case, demonic retailing would cut down on his furniture-making time, and Atteberry, a retired cabinet maker who loves to sketch, still thinks his woodworking skills offer him the strongest shot at nailing a few customer dollars. His particular forte is what he calls “hope chests,” which are like big trunks and measure about 39 inches long, 20 inches deep and 25 inches tall.

They feature precisely fitting lids, sometimes painstakingly built up from applied wood strips, while the outside of the pine chests provide him with an expansive wood canvas with which to play: no devils here, but instead hand-cut flowers, hearts and stars sliced in with a utility knife that needs a blade change about every 15 minutes to keep up with the cutting edge of his talent.

He experiments with different paints and finishes to highlight his work and achieves pleasing fusions of shadings of red, black, chocolate and other hues that go very easy on the eye. His furniture creativity has extended to entertainment centers and chest-and-drawer combination pieces where the drawer fronts are all decorated with carvings. His prices are surprisingly reasonable, too. A chest that takes him five days to build (the hand-carved feet alone are half a day’s labor) and costs him $130 in materials will go on sale for just $260.

“People don’t realize how much time goes into all this,” he says. “But I enjoy the work, and I just want to get back what I’ve got in it and have a little money to go out and buy more wood and materials.”

Perhaps his biggest fan is his mom, Catherine Atteberry, who says his drawings may be “kind of weird,” but her resilient son, who survived a bout with cancer in 2007 and needed surgery for heart trouble in January, deserves a break.

“I just think his furniture and everything should be seen,” she added. “He does beautiful work.”

And not only is it pretty to look at, but the devil himself would have a hard time breaking any of it. The builder has proved this by climbing to the top of his garage roof and hurling one of his hope chests down to his concrete driveway, just to see how well-built it really was.

“It scratched it all up, but it never fell apart,” he recalls with pride. “It was solid.”

Sourced From: Woodworker has tested ‘hope chests’ by throwing them from roof http://goo.gl/2iiU
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3D Analyzer Software is a link between 3D drawing/modelling packages and CAM Software for the woodworking industry.

In recent years, there has been substantial development in both CAD and CAM software applications for the woodworking industry. Manufacturers are able to create 3D Drawings of furniture as well as produce CNC programs. However, these two applications were separated by a gap in technology. A gap which 3D Analyzer Software now fills!

This woodworking Lumber Storage Rack stores lumber and plywood. It provides good support for your lumber. The plywood is stored upright. Nearly any board is easy to find. And it keeps all out of the way until needed.

The Shop-made Lumber storage rack has vertical support brackets and horizontal arms. You cut all parts from 2×4 boards. The arms attach with half-lap joints. I suggest you space the arms no more than 32″ apart. Depending on the height of your ceiling, you could go down to 28″.

The spacing shows you where to cut the half-lap joints. You assemble the lumber rack with glue in the half-lap joint and two wood screws. I used #8 x 1¼” wood screws.

After assembly, secure the Vertical Support Bracket to your floor joists. You could use two #8 x 2½” wood screws. Since my floor joists were running 90-degrees to the Vertical Support Brackets, I screwed a 2×4 plate to the floor joist. Then you screw the Vertical Support Bracket to the 2×4 plate.

You anchor the bottom of the Vertical Support Bracket with a 2×4 base that goes to the back wall. Then screw 3/4″ plywood to the top of the base. This stabilizes the base, and allows plywood to slide easily in the rear. Also, it allows plywood to remain vertical. This is good storage for plywood, and it takes less room.

Woodworking Lumber Storage Tips

Keep Wood Off the Floor:
This is especially important on concrete floors, such as a basement or garage. Concrete is somewhat porous. Moisture can “wick” into your lumber and warp or damage your wood.

In addition, this allows good air movement around your lumber. The air movement helps the wood remain stable.

Allow Wood to Stabilize to Your Shop:
You should allow wood to sit for several weeks in your shop. This allows the wood to stabilize to your shop environment. Any time wood comes from a lumberyard or home center, it needs to “get use to” your shop. Do NOT work with the wood right away.

Mark Sizes of Lumber:
With a pencil, you should mark the sizes on the end of each piece. I write the useable width and length, when I put a piece back in storage. Normally, you can gauge the thickness. This makes it easy to find the board you need for a project.

Sourced From: A Shop-made Lumber Storage Rack http://goo.gl/aX9T
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3D Analyzer Software is a link between 3D drawing/modelling packages and CAM Software for the woodworking industry.

In recent years, there has been substantial development in both CAD and CAM software applications for the woodworking industry. Manufacturers are able to create 3D Drawings of furniture as well as produce CNC programs. However, these two applications were separated by a gap in technology. A gap which 3D Analyzer Software now fills!

Bamboo Flooring More Than An Alternative

Compared To Traditional Flooring Bamboo Has Many Advantages. Bamboo Flooring is certainly one of the upcoming materials in today’s floor market. With many many advantages over traditional hardwood flooring it has certainly been a kind of shooting star amongst the different new floor types used. Amongst many its durability and hardness make bamboo very resistant.

Ecological Aspects Of Bamboo Floors

With a very short rejuvenating cycle of about 5 years bamboo can be harvested much faster than most softwoods. Softwoods usually have a 20 to 30 year harvest cycle. But keep in mind that bamboo is better compared in a review to hardwood than any softwood or pine flooring.

Different Types Of Flooring

Being cut, dried and than glued together in panels, bamboo flooring can be distinguished into two different types. Vertical and horizontal grain bamboo. Bamboo flooring vertical grain, shows very fine grain lines. Bamboo flooring horizontal grain, shows a wider line of grain.

As always, as a general rule of thumb here as well, wide large rooms and you might go for horizontal grain whilst on smaller spaces you may choose the fine vertical grain bamboo flooring.

Installing Bamboo Flooring

Basically when it comes to how to install bamboo flooring, the installing procedure is pretty much the same as with conventional hardwood flooring. If you use solid bamboo flooring you will need to consider that your surface is particularly dry - especially when you install it onto concrete surface.

Make sure you read all installing instructions from the bamboo flooring manufacturer carefully, because humidity can backfire if it comes to any wooden floor installation. Also make sure that you store the packages with your bamboo flooring for some day in the room you want to install it, so the floor adapts properly to the temperature of the room. Again watch any how to install bamboo flooring tips in the instructions of the packages.

Any Special Tools Needed?

To install the a bamboo flooring you do not need any special tools. Depending if it is solid bamboo or just bamboo laminated flooring the usual flooring tools will do. You can have basically three different methods of flooring installation:

- Glue Down
- Nail Down
- Floating

Each method used depends widely on the surface underneath and the recommendations of the bamboo flooring manufacturer. Depending on the method you will either need a special glue or a flooring stapler or ordinary PVAC flooring glue.

Bamboo Floor Pros And Cons

To sum it up, with its hardness and durability bamboo flooring is certainly an alternative to any common type of wooden floor. Combined with its positive ecological aspects, every woodworker should consider bamboo flooring for certain projects.

Sourced From: Bamboo Flooring Tips http://goo.gl/EKJE
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3D Analyzer Software is a link between 3D drawing/modelling packages and CAM Software for the woodworking industry.

In recent years, there has been substantial development in both CAD and CAM software applications for the woodworking industry. Manufacturers are able to create 3D Drawings of furniture as well as produce CNC programs. However, these two applications were separated by a gap in technology. A gap which 3D Analyzer Software now fills!

A Quick Tour of Router Table TechniquesFor as little as it takes to get set up, and the short time it takes to aquire skill at using a router table, it’s easy to see why this venerable workhorse is often one of the first and most important tool purchases that a woodworker ever makes. Below, we’ll take a quick look at the common woodworking procedures that you can master within the first few weeks of owning a router table, including:Working with long, narrow or small stock

- Edge trimming and template work
- Using a router table as a jointer
- Grooves, dadoes and slots
- Stopped cuts
- Dovetail and box joinery
- Making raised panel doors
- Lock-miter, drawer lock, and finger joints
- Working With Long, Narrow, or Small StockLong and narrow stock is easily machined on a router table. Featherboards make it even easier; they hold the stock tight against the surface of the fence and table and let you can concentrate on a steady, even feed rate.

In general, a router table will help you work with stock of dimensions that don’t lend themselves to handheld router work. Long, narrow stock, such as that used to make moldings and trim are nearly impossible to work with a handheld router. Edge profiling a few hundred feet of a particular door or base molding could probably be done with handheld router and the aid of special shop-built rigging, but dong so would be an extremely inefficient choice, when a router table makes long runs of narrow stock routine.

Small pieces of stock are also a challenge to work with a handheld router. Handheld work on small parts often involves a difficult balancing act. You have to keep the router perfectly upright on stock that doesn’t do a good job of supporting the router base. To compound the problem, you have to have a way of holding the stock itself in place while you work. A router table leaves both of your hands free to hold on to small parts while the table surface provides a sturdy, flat support for the entire surface of the workpiece.

Edge Trimming and Template / Pattern Work 

Trimming the edge of a piece of stock to a flat, smooth, square surface or exactly following the contour of a pattern is one of the router’s specialties. Attaching a straightedge or a template to a piece of stock is one of the quickest and most effective ways to clean up an edge, or to perfectly and repeatably form the arched top of a frame and panel door or any other curved part.Using a router table for edge trimming and pattern work speeds the process by eliminating the need to hold both the workpiece and the pattern down while you make the cut. The arched top of the door panel you see pictured here is being trimmed to the exact shape of a arched door template using a flush trim router bit in preparation for profiling with a raised panel bit.

The router table surface supports the workpiece very well, and only a few seconds were expended attaching the template with double sided tape. With a handheld router, the door would have had to be clamped down a work-surface in preparation for the cut, and considerable care would have been required to keep the router surface flat on the surface of the panel.

Using a Router Table as a Jointer

A popular question on woodworking forums asks, “can a router table be used as an edge jointer?” It sure can, and in fact, doing so is a popular space-saving and money-saving alternative to owning a dedicated jointer. With the Router Table Jointing Shims available for Rockler Router Tables and sized to fit the Rockler router table fence bolt pattern, it takes only a few minutes to set up for edge-jointing.

Cutting Grooves and Slots Cutting grooves, slots, dadoes and rabbets, sliding dovetails, mortises and tenons are all part of the router tables stock in trade. With a router table and a few basic router bits you’ll be surprised what you can accomplish. Especially when you have multiple identical parts to cut, a router table can greatly speed these fundamental woodworking operations.

Stopped Cuts

Many woodworking operations call for stopped cuts – cuts that do not continue for the entire length of the stock. Stopped cuts can be either decorative, like a chamfer that begins and ends at a certain point on a table leg, or functional, as in the case of a mortise or a half blind dovetail pin. A router table can be set up in seconds to perform a stopped cut; the same operation with a handheld router or a table saw is often extremely cumbersome or dangerous. The Rockler router table fence makes setting up stopped cuts especially easy - its T-slotted fence facing allows quick and easy positioning of stops for perfect, repeatable cuts.

Dovetail and Box Joints There are many ways to make dovetail and box joints and there are excellent dedicated dovetail jigs on the market. Using a router table to cut dovetails and box joints, on the other hand, has certain advantages. Most dovetail jigs are designed to help you make solid, accurate joints in a hurry, and because of that, only give you one or two options for the size and type of joint possible. In contrast, a router table can be set up to cut a wide variety of joint sizes and configurations. And with an affordable add-on like the Incra Universal Precision Positioning Jig, you can easily master impressive specialized decorative joints like the “corner post” dovetail you see being made here.

Raised Panel Doors

The parts used to construct a raised panel door can only be made on a router table (or a shaper). There are two reasons for this: First, the bits used to make raised panel door frames and the panels themselves are large diameter bits that take off a great deal of material in one pass. Using bits of this size with a handheld router is not recommended for safety reasons. Just as importantly, the stiles and coped ends of the door frames’s rails have to be machined as near perfectly as possible for the door to glue up properly. Accurately milling the parts of a frame and panel door with a handheld router falls somewhere in between impractical and impossible.

With a router table, on the other hand, making raised panel doors is a relatively easy process. Even if you’ve never made a frame and panel door in your life, with a good set of frame and panel router bits, a few affordable router table accessories, and a little instruction, you can begin making successful frame and panel doors in the space of an afternoon. Add in a Raised panel bit and a door edge bit, and you’ll be set up to make doors that look like they came straight from a high-end cabinet shop.

To see just how easy the process can be, read Rockler’s article “Raised Panel Door Tools and Techniques”. You’ll find step by step instructions for making classic arched top raised panel doors, along with tips on which tools and techniques make the process easy and enjoyable.

Lock Miter, Drawer Lock and Finger Joints

A router table make available a number of specialized joinery operations that would otherwise be extremely difficult - if not impossible - to perform. Lock miter bits, drawer lock bits and finger joint bits are three examples of bits designed for use strictly with a router table and turn difficult and sometimes unreliable joinery methods into quick, accurate and durable work.

A lock miter router bit allows you to cut an interlocking miter that not only perfectly aligns the joint, but also greatly increases the performance and durability of the (surprisingly difficult) miter joint. Drawer lock bits address another difficult joinery task: joining drawer box members. The drawer lock bit gives you a quick and easy alternative to traditional dovetail joints for making reliable and accurately square drawers and other box shapes.

If you ever run out project ideas for your router table, you’ll find plenty more - along with in-depth information on router technique and safety - in any selection from Rockler’s Router Book and DVD collection.

A finger joint bit adds a “third dimension” to your wood joining arsenal. With a finger joint bit, you can tackle one of the most difficult joinery procedures of all, joining boards end to end. The exactly mating fingers cut by the finger joint bit create more than adequate gluing surface for end to end gluing, and can also be used for end grain to long grain joining.

And Much, Much More…

We’ve barely touched on the woodworking operations a router table makes available - there are many, many more. The possibilities are nearly endless, and the same goes for the variety of router bits designed strictly for use on a router table. With a little practice and a few router table projects under your belt, you’ll become “router table literate” and a variety of practical applications will come to mind. Fortunately, the router table options Rockler makes available are plentiful, as well. Whatever your skill level, budget, or woodworking style, we’re pleased to offer a router table that’s perfect for you.

Sourced from: Woodworking Tips @ Woodworking News http://www.woodworking-news.com/woodworking-tips/router-techniques.shtml
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3D Analyzer Software is a link between 3D drawing/modelling packages and CAM Software for the woodworking industry.

In recent years, there has been substantial development in both CAD and CAM software applications for the woodworking industry. Manufacturers are able to create 3D Drawings of furniture as well as produce CNC programs. However, these two applications were separated by a gap in technology. A gap which 3D Analyzer Software now fills!

3D Analyzer Software Woodworking Tips - Grain Filler

Use Grain Fillers for a Great Finish

The first step to a superb finishing job on your projects is the realization that all hardwoods are not created equal. Most woodworkers really know this already, but check out the surface of a piece of red oak, and then hold a piece of cherry next to it. Look at them head on and then at an angle. This gives a glaring example of the differences, and shows right away why red oak needs to be filled for a great looking and smooth finish, while cherry simply requires a few coats of properly applied finish to look superb.

Red oak is an open-pored wood, called ring porous in technical terms, and has many fairly regular openings across its face. There are those who do not like using fillers, and they have a point, but for those of us who often use red oak in spots like desk tops, the natural, unfilled look tends to mean strange looking signatures and notes, often with holes all the way through the paper. Other open-pored woods include walnut, butternut (white walnut), black locust, mahogany, rosewood, catalpa, ash, hickory and pecan. Fillers help to create the smooth surface many people associate with fine furniture. Woods such as maple and cherry do not demand fillers–in fact, fillers are a waste of time, effort and money with smaller pored woods like those. Generally, if you look at the surface of a wood and cannot see the pores, then you don’t need, or want, a filler for that wood. Woods that have visible pores do need filler for many uses, some more than others: walnut pores are not nearly as large and visible as those in red oak, as an example. White oak has a different structure and does not need fillers to get a smooth finish.

What Fillers Are

Commercially available fillers do not need to be particularly fancy, but there are some structural needs for their three parts, bulking agent, carrier and binder materials. The bulking agent is the material that fills the pores in your project, and usually is a finely ground silica called silex. This material is almost inert. The binder is a finish resin, either an oil-varnish or an acrylic, and the carrier materials are the solvents, mineral spirits with oil-varnish, and water with acrylics. There may also be a stain included, or a dye, or you may wish to add coloring yourself to produce different effects on your project. Fillers offer a wide range of opportunities for altering the appearance of wood.

You can also, especially with darker woods like walnut, make a slurry filler of sanding dust from the wood and use a wiping varnish as the finish resin. The slurry gives an exact color match with the wood, and eliminates any need for staining walnut or rosewood. Many woodworkers believe that woods such as walnut and rosewood and cherry should never be stained, allowing their natural beauty to shine through.

Oil Based Fillers

Oil-based wood fillers have been around for a long time, and are well-developed. They apply easily, are easy to handle, and have long drying times (which actually helps make application easier most of the time). You coat the surface heavily, using a fairly stiff brush to work the filler into the grain, and remove excess filler with a rubber squeegee. Once that surface hazes, you do the final removal. My preference for the final wipe down is burlap, but burlap sacking may be hard to find for the amateur woodworker–any rough reasonably absorbent cloth is acceptable, and if nothing else is available, old T shirts and shorts work, though they pick up less on each pass than does burlap. Fold the cloth so that it’s easy to change to a clean face as soon as the one in use is coated. If there are still spots of build-up, remove those with mineral spirits or with naphtha: use extreme precautions with naphtha (no open flames nearby, plenty of ventilation).

There are a number of schools of thought about staining before filling, or sealing before filling, or doing nothing before filling. My recommendation is that you make up some test pieces beforehand, and work out the procedure that gives you the look that best suits your tastes (or your customer’s taste). A batch of 4″ x 12″ scraps done in several different ways can save you from doing the experimenting on your project. Do at least one of each type of procedure that interests you, in each color: for example, with red oak, start with sanding sealer, go on to filler, and then topcoat; or start with stain (any type, but make a sample for each type and color of stain that interests you), then sanding sealer, then filler; reverse one or two steps of the previous attempts to see what the results are and how you like them. To keep from having to do continuous repeats, use a Sharpie or something similar to keep notes on the back of each sample, and then stash them as references.

It takes more time to do it right, but in the long run, you’ll end up with finishes that are more pleasing to your eyes. Regardless of how much you read, or how much someone else shows you, woodworking eventually forces you to gather experience to you, and evaluate the results. Finishing is no different than any other part of woodworking: practice improves your results, usually considerably.

Oil based fillers need plenty of drying time. Regardless of how much of a hurry you’re in, wait at least 48 hours before finish coating. Doing the final sanding with a non-clogging paper is also recommended (look for stearate coated paper).

Water Based Fillers

Water based fillers require more speed in application than do oil based fillers. They dry much faster, and if you wait for a haze to form, you’re going to have to sand off the excess instead of squeegeeing and wiping it off. Squeegee off immediately, and follow that right away with a rough cloth wipe down. Again, burlap is preferred if you can find it, with a fresh face folded out as soon as the old becomes loaded.

Water based fillers accept stain after application much more readily than do oil based, and they are compatible with almost all finishes when dry, two solid advantages to make up for the need for almost excessive speed in application and removal.

For water-based fillers, I’d make the same sort of samples as with oil-based, but add some extras for before and after staining. Note drying times and conditions at the time of drying (depends on weather, shop temperature and humidity, so keep track).

Water-based fillers can be coated on the same day, usually (much depends on shop humidity and temperature) while oil-based should never be coated in less than two full days. Both do an excellent job of filling wood pores, and can help provide you with a glass smooth finish with just a little care and extra time.

One final note: Fillers can bite you. As well as pores, they fill all scratches, so you want to make sure your surface is thoroughly prepared, with no large scratches or gouges. This is especially true if you’re using a contrasting filler, but it’s important with all filling jobs.

Sourced from: Woodworking Tips @ Woodworking News http://goo.gl/0neg
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3D Analyzer Software is a link between 3D drawing/modelling packages and CAM Software for the woodworking industry.

In recent years, there has been substantial development in both CAD and CAM software applications for the woodworking industry. Manufacturers are able to create 3D Drawings of furniture as well as produce CNC programs. However, these two applications were separated by a gap in technology. A gap which 3D Analyzer Software now fills!

Mobile bases come in two flavors: Dedicated and Unviversal

A dedicated base is the simplest solution because it’s engineered to match the size and weight of a given machine. However, custom bases are more expensive (on average $50 to $100 more than comparable universal bases), and they can cost you more later. Because these bases fit specific machinery, future shop upgrades, such as replacing your old 6″ jointer with an 8″ one, may also mean buying a brand-new base.

Universal bases are suitable for almost any machine that fits within the base’s size and weight range. Prices for universal bases generally fall in the $50 to $100 range. The downside to universal bases is the assembly process; however, even those bases that come with a bag of parts can be completed in less than two hours.

Caster count: 3, 4, 6?

According to the rules of physics, a three-wheeler provides the most stability, but in some shop situations, a fourth wheel makes more sense. Three-wheeled bases are perfect for jointers and table saws, but there’s enough anecdotal evidence suggesting that top-heavy equipment, such as bandsaws and drill presses, can be dangerously tippy on three wheels. Proper precautions, such as bolting the machine to the base, and being extra careful when rolling the machine around, can prevent disaster, but a wider four-wheeled base is an even safer bet. If you’re looking for some way to wheel around a cabinet saw outfitted with an extension table, you might consider a six-wheeled base.An extra pair of wheels makes the large machines easier to roll and better distributes the weight across the frame.

Casters for custom carts and bases

Some so-called “portable” tools, such as planers, sanders (even some table saws) do not come with a base. In this case, you’ll need to build your own cabinet base and then equip it with casters.

A set of four casters can wind up costing more than a mobile base kit; however, casters are more suitable for larger and heavier applications such as lumber racks, assembly carts, and workbenches. They’re also easily recyclable for future shop projects. Here are some other pointers:

When choosing casters size matters. Larger 4″- and 5″- diameter wheels cost a few dollars more, but are better able to roll over cracks and cords than three-inchers.

Swivel-based casters can help you spin a cart around on a dime, but you’ll pay more for the extra mobility. To save money, position a pair of less expensive fixed casters on one end. For stability, at least two casters should be equipped with double-locking mechanisms. These brakes keep the wheel from turning.

Wheel Locks: Hand for foot operated

Besides having the ability to move where you want it to go, it’s equally important that your base/machine combo stays firmly planted where you want it to sit. You don’t want a table saw to roll or spin when ripping a sheet of plywood. For that reason, the wheel-locking mechanism may be the most important factor in base selection. Hand-tigthened wheel locks are good for machines that at moved infrequently. Foot-activated pedals can be raised or locked in place without the need to bend over. Your decision comes down to convenience. Hand-tightened wheel locks are effective, but not as easy to use as foot-operated levers and plungers. The ability to quickly brake and release a base without having to crawl around on the floor is worth the few added bucks, especially for your most mobile big tools.

Sourced from: Woodworking Projects (Adding a mobile base to big tools) http://goo.gl/l8Bv
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3D Analyzer Software is a link between 3D drawing/modelling packages and CAM Software for the woodworking industry.

In recent years, there has been substantial development in both CAD and CAM software applications for the woodworking industry. Manufacturers are able to create 3D Drawings of furniture as well as produce CNC programs. However, these two applications were separated by a gap in technology. A gap which 3D Analyzer Software now fills!

Different Vises For Your Home Built Workbench

Let’s have a look at a heavy duty professional woodworking workbench to make sure we know what we are taking about. Sjöbergs deluxe cabinetmakers workbench is built with two different types of vises or clamps.

The front clamp is a parallel clamp and one of the most common on every workbench.This kind of front parallel clamp can be bought from various sources individually. Rockler offers a very solid one with two screws closing at the same time. The twin screw wise has both screws connected with a chain guaranteeing that the force is divided parallel on the clamp.

In case of planning to build a smaller woodworking workbench, you could also get a smaller quick release vise. Depending on the size of the workbench you build and how thick the benchtop is supposed to be, this smaller vise might give you enough pressure for daily jobs.

The rear vise, integrated into the workbench top, can open up to 10 inches and gives tremendous pressure as it presses against the end grain. However, integrating this kind of rear clamp into a self made workbench is rather difficult and requires a rather thick benchtop. Even getting this rear clamp can be difficult, especially in North America. In Europe, it was sold in the past by Bessey or directly as a spare part from the manufacturers like Sjoebergs or Ulmia.

Workbenches With Or Without Cabinets Underneath

Before you start to build a workbench, think a moment about how the base should be. You can choose between standard framed workbench bases or having them combined with cabinets for tools and machinery storage. From a practical point of view, if you build a workbench with cabinets underneath, it seems to be very efficient at first glance. However, cabinets and shelves at the base have two disadvantages. First, the cabinets work like a kind of loud speakers if connected to the benchtop. So, whenever you use a power tool on your workbench, the noise level will increase. The second disadvantage of having a cabinet under your workbench is its accessibility. Think about it for a moment. Whenever you clamp a larger workpiece at the front vise, it will stand underneath the benchtop and prevent cabinet doors or drawers from opening. What seems to be a nice way of tool storage can become quite annoying during day to day work. I prefer a wall mounted cabinet for most of my hand tools close to the workbench.

Wood Used To Build A Workbench

Nearly all professional heavy duty workbenches are made of beech. Dried and damped beach wood is elastic and at the same time hard enough for daily use. If you consider building your workbench totally on your own, make sure that the wood used is very dry and laminated for the bench top.

On standard or lighter workbenches birch wood is often used. Compared to beech, it might be less durable but gives enough hardness combined with less weight. As far as the thickness of the workbench top is concerned, major high end workbenches such as Sjoebergs or Ulmia make the top up to 4 inches thick. This allows bench dogs a solid fit and gives the workbench the solidity for heavy daily use.

Accessories When You Are Building A Workbench On Your Own

It is not really often a question on how to build a workbench, but more on what to think about at first before you start. So, you have thought about size, the vises to be used, the cabinets underneath or not and the wood you will build it with. Before you get started, have a look at some of the accessories you want to use in your workbench when you built it.

Bench Dogs

Depending on the bench dogs you decide upon, you will have to mortise bench dog holes in your workbench. Especially where you set the holes, your benchtop should be at least 2 inches thick to give the bench dogs a good solid fit. Rockler’s bench dogs are for holes of 5/8” x 3/4” size.

Hold Down Clamps

Another very useful accessory when you build a workbench is a hold down clamp. The Jorgenson hold down clamp as one example here, is inserted into the 3/4″ bench hole and gives you a kind of extra hand while working.

Finally, before you start to build a workbench and try to figure out what might be the best way to do it and how to get all the accessories, you should have a look at some good workbench plans or consider getting workbench kits with all needed hardware and good instructions included. Most of the time these plans not only show you how to build a workbench, but also where to source the hardware for it.

Sourced from: How to build a workbench http://goo.gl/36uP
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3D Analyzer Software is a link between 3D drawing/modelling packages and CAM Software for the woodworking industry.

In recent years, there has been substantial development in both CAD and CAM software applications for the woodworking industry. Manufacturers are able to create 3D Drawings of furniture as well as produce CNC programs. However, these two applications were separated by a gap in technology. A gap which 3D Analyzer Software now fills!