American here in Oundle (Peterborough) - Brand new to woodworking

[fuse]

Oh.

 

[RogerS]

And all of it within 5 weeks or so.

So no pressure then.

 

[Steve Maskery]

The BEST fences are secured at only one end.. Any fence that clamps across the table is likley to be very irritating because it won't clamp square.
This is my solution:

Your mileage may differ, but I've not come across anything better.
S

 

[Jonathan]

I’m with Steve on this one. Mine is fitted to a 50mm diameter solid steel rod and is 100% solid and accurate , floats across the table with ease.

 

[Cabinetman]

Also on a Tablesaw a fence needs to be able to be pulled back as in @Jonathan ’s pic to prevent kickback.

 

[Jonathan]

Also on a Tablesaw a fence needs to be able to be pulled back as in @Jonathan ’s pic to prevent kickback.

Also makes an excellent bump stop for doing repeat cuts

 

[Cabinetman]

Also makes an excellent bump stop for doing repeat cuts

Yes, my Sedgwick was the same, invaluable piece of kit. What make of saw is that with its slider Jonathan?

 

[RogerS]

Yes, my Sedgwick was the same, invaluable piece of kit. What make of saw is that with its slider Jonathan?

My money is on it being a Felder

 

[Jonathan]

Rodger is correct, Felder KF700

 

[Cabinetman]

That’s a serious bit of kit, just looked it up, does yours have a spindle? Seems like a good combination being able to utilise the slider for cutting tenons etc.

 

[RogerS]

That’s a serious bit of kit, just looked it up, does yours have a spindle? Seems like a good combination being able to utilise the slider for cutting tenons etc.

There’s a wee clue top of frame

 

[Steve Maskery]

You are right about the short fence. Mine is a home-made version, natch:

Handsome young man.
S
I've just realised I still wear that shirt, 19 years later...

 

[Pete Maddex]

You are right about the short fence. Mine is a home-made version, natch:

Handsome young man.
S
I've just realised I still wear that shirt, 19 years later...

Hope its been washed !!!


Pete

 

[Steve Maskery]

From time to time. In fact it's in the laundry basket at this very moment. I'm astonished that it still fits, TBH. Perhaps I've been a fat geezer for longer than I realised.
S

 

[Cabinetman]

There’s a wee clue top of frame

Haha, thanks Roger I hadn’t spotted that!

 

[TrimTheKing]

Long time supporter here Steve. I must revisit these to remind myself.

Lots of excellent advice and info in Steve’s videos guys if anyone isn’t already aware.

 

[Mike]

Long time supporter here Steve. I must revisit these to remind myself.

Lots of excellent advice and info in Steve’s videos guys if anyone isn’t already aware.

I see your Workshop Essentials 4 & 5 and raise you Workshop Essentials 4, 5, & 6.

 

[shortbusruss]

Well.. To get back on topic, and if anyone is interested.. I have made some progress on my shop buildout, but the going is slow. As of right now, I just got the basic skeleton of an infeed/outfeed table, and haven't made any progress towards building drawers for it yet. I did decide to not go over complicated.. Just 2x4 frame, 1 hardwood plywood layer on top, and another layer of birch veneered mdf on top of that, glued and screwed. Real oak edge banding, which did not come out NEARLY as nice as I hoped, more than anything due to not having an actual miter saw station yet, AND not having my table saw unboxed yet, let alone having a station for it to sit in. The miter saw I am "somewhat" okay shotgunning it on a temporary workbench of plywood sheets on top of sawhorses, but I absolutely have no intention of using the table saw until I can get it built into at least a basic bench.

So.. I been eyeballing with a tape measure for 2x4 pieces, and I got there eventually, but this table build seemed WAY harder than it needed to be, as I can't quite get the support needed to accurately cut these 4.8m structural 2x4s to accurate, repeatable lengths.

So, here are a few pics to show the process, and progress of my garage workshop, and table build.

 

[shortbusruss]

Top and bottom plywood layers in, and couldn't get the full sheet home for the birch veneered mdf, so went with a 2 piece top..

 

[shortbusruss]

Originally built the table to be 40" tall. Could tell as soon as I built it, that the recommendation to build to 36" was the recommendation for a reason, so I ended up disassembling the table and cutting new legs to go for a 36" height. The table ended up built a LOT better, and the top actually sat nicely on the legs, flush all around. Was happy that I made that decision. Not sure the neighbors appreciated me banging the top back onto the new legs with a mallet for like 10 minutes.

 

[shortbusruss]

Fast forward a bit in the build, due to me having an extremely hectic weekend, I did not take any pictures of the edge banding glue up and routing. Let's just say... That was an interesting journey. I had some spare long strips of oak from a local hardwood supplier, but.. They were a good 2" wide or somesuch. I brad nailed and glued them on as is... And figured out that was not such a good idea, as the subsequent trim routing out of that much hardwood material was NOT fun at all. And... It was my first time using a router. Like.. Ever. But, got it done, and put a champfer on the edge.

Two coats of half matte water based poly on so far on the top work surface. (Light sanding between coats) At least two more to go.I am thinking I might go with "just" poly on the top, and not the legs and bottom shelf. I know it's not optimal, but in the end, I don't like that I had to use these fat oversized 2x4s in the first place, and might end up rebuilding this table at some point anyways.

So, going forward, plans are to put a drawer box and drawers in this table, maybe before, maybe after building out a basic miter saw station. I only have a cheap track saw, and it's not the most fun for trying to cut smaller pieces on, and keeping them anywhere near square. I feel like I might best best served to get the table saw station built, "just" to hold the table saw only, with wings to be added later.. So I can use this current tabletop support cuts on the table saw, so I can set upthe tablesaw blade and fence to be square to miter slots. I feel if I czn getting that point, Ican quickly cut the flip up wings on mitersaw and table saw stations, and my capabilities will repaidly expand.

Once I get those two things done, I can eliminate the temp plywood work surface, and have a lot more room to work

 

[shortbusruss]

For anyone paying attention.. There is a metal table to the right that is currently in the process of being repainted with paint over rust product. I have a tin of a darkgreen outdoor paint that will be used on the flipped bottom plywood panel, and a new plywood top. Once that mini project is completed, this table will be moved out of the garage, and outdoors to replace a rotted out wooden table. This metal table belonged either the landlord's husband, or a previous tenant, and was used for metalworking, and is wayyyy too heavy to be any use in the garage woodshop, but would be perfect outdoors as a usable garden table.

Getting this table out of the garage will free up quite a bit of space on the right wall, which is where my mobile assembly table, mitersaw station, and table saw station will go.

I picked up those thinner ply sheets for drawer bottoms at about £2 per.

 

[Cabinetman]

Congrats on the workshop so far, it’s always difficult when doing woodworking in a building site, my saw is usable but getting rustier all the time grrr.

 

[johnward]

Welcome from Oxfordshire Russ. My two machines for furniture making are a bandsaw and a planer/thicknesser.

 

[Windows]

Making good progress!

I’ve also been learning that a trim router is good for defining edges and depths and less good for hogging out material. It’s a great tool when combined with a saw, a drill, or a planer.

 

[shortbusruss]

Hoping that this is the last coat needed on the metal table base. The metal beneath keeps wanting to peek through..

 

[Inspector]

I’m not going to add any recommendations to what machines to get and how to do things as lots have chimed in. I will suggest you find out if the machines and power tools will work when you return to the US. Not all UK 220V 50hertz motors will be happy to feed on our 220V 60hertz power supplies. You might be better served getting basic inexpensive stuff you won’t feel bad selling for cheap before you return. Hand tools don’t complain about what you feed on. Air driven tools don’t care either as long as you get a large enough air compressor. A Mirka electric sander is about $900Cad here but the air powered version is about $350Cad. They are among the best tools ranking up there with Festool and Mafel.

Pete

 

[shortbusruss]

I’m not going to add any recommendations to what machines to get and how to do things as lots have chimed in. I will suggest you find out if the machines and power tools will work when you return to the US. Not all UK 220V 50hertz motors will be happy to feed on our 220V 60hertz power supplies. You might be better served getting basic inexpensive stuff you won’t feel bad selling for cheap before you return. Hand tools don’t complain about what you feed on. Air driven tools don’t care either as long as you get a large enough air compressor. A Mirka electric sander is about $900Cad here but the air powered version is about $350Cad. They are among the best tools ranking up there with Festool and Mafel.

Pete

Nearly everything is cordless Dewalt. I went that route specifically to make everything portable back to the U.S..

 

[Woodbloke]

Welcome from Oxfordshire Russ. My two machines for furniture making are a bandsaw and a planer/thicknesser.

About right, but I'd include a router table and drum sander - Rob

 

[Cabinetman]

About right, but I'd include a router table and drum sander - Rob

Well that just goes to show Rob, as a Furniture maker I had neither, can’t say I used the bandsaw overmuch either haha.

 

[Woodbloke]

Well that just goes to show Rob, as a Furniture maker I had neither, can’t say I used the bandsaw overmuch either haha.

Drum sander and bandsaw used mainly for veneering Ian. I had a small Kity 419 tablesaur (French built) years ago which was nice bit of kit but I stupidly sold it on for some cCc from Charnwood which got sold on even quicker! - Rob

 

[Cabinetman]

Ah, yes that would explain it, all my work was in solid timber.