Off topic - Wood Working/tools

[Sniper338]

I figured some of you may know, so no reason to run off and find another forum to post dumb questions.

Long story short, I have to build a baby crib. I have the plans for it. Its easy, to me.. as Im quite handy.. Dumb questions start here..

I have to sand it all nice and smooth... I have a dewalt orbital palm sander, but itd take forever...

handheld belt sander, or benchtop belt sander, rigid occelating edge sander?? Im going to have to sand smooth 4x4s, 2x4s, 1x2, 1x4, 1x3, 2x2 etc... Whats easiest to do it all with?

Router table - Im thinking about rounding edges so theres no sharp corners for a baby to eventually fall against a corner or something... Hows the finish after routing rounded corners? sand them by hand and call it good? AFTER LOOKING AT PLANS WOULD YOU EVEN GO THROUGH THIS TROUBLE? OR JUST LEAVE IT ALL SQUARE?

What drill bit is it that drills a pilot hole and sinks the screw so screw heads are sunken and not flush or showing?

Gonna use a table saw for most cutting.

Any other ideas??? tools?

Trying to gather thoughts and get a game plan..

 

[Sniper338]

Im trying to use this as an excuse to buy tools... DONT JUDGE ME! So if I can get some kind of sander that will work good for this project and double work good to shape knife handles or such thatd be great...

 

[Westhunder]

Im trying to use this as an excuse to buy tools... DONT JUDGE ME! So if I can get some kind of sander that will work good for this project and double work good to shape knife handles or such thatd be great...

Router table makes life super simple. You can zip all that stuff through there and hand sand the rest. Life changer.

 

[memilanuk]

What drill bit is it that drills a pilot hole and sinks the screw so screw heads are sunken and not flush or showing?

Depends on the kind of screw. There are bits for 'countersink' (flat head screws) and 'counterbore' (pan head screws). Actually for counterbore its more common to drill the larger clearance hole for the head first, then the smaller hole for the shank second. I'm guessing you're probably going to want countersunk heads, though.

As for sanding... I'd say get a 5" hand-held random orbital sander (ROS) that takes hook-n-loop (aka Velcro) sheets, and a good selection of decent quality paper. The difference between a ROS and a generic quarter-sheet palm sander is considerable, both in speed and quality of finish.

If you want to use a router... a trim/laminate router with a 1/8" or 1/4" piloted round-over bit would make quick work of things. Either hand-held, or in an impromptu router 'table' made from a piece of 3/4" ply about 12" x 12" with a hole in it for the bit and the router screwed to it, and the 'top' clamped to the side of your workbench.

 

[powderbrake]

Depends on the kind of screw. There are bits for 'countersink' (flat head screws) and 'counterbore' (pan head screws). Actually for counterbore its more common to drill the larger clearance hole for the head first, then the smaller hole for the shank second. I'm guessing you're probably going to want countersunk heads, though.

As for sanding... I'd say get a 5" hand-held random orbital sander (ROS) that takes hook-n-loop (aka Velcro) sheets, and a good selection of decent quality paper. The difference between a ROS and a generic quarter-sheet palm sander is considerable, both in speed and quality of finish.

If you want to use a router... a trim/laminate router with a 1/8" or 1/4" piloted round-over bit would make quick work of things. Either hand-held, or in an impromptu router 'table' made from a piece of 3/4" ply about 12" x 12" with a hole in it for the bit and the router screwed to it, and the 'top' clamped to the side of your workbench.

I agree.

Go for the countersink drill. AVOID the tapered drills, because the typical woodworking screw is not tapered anymore. I prefer the Jackrabbit because the drill is the longer part, and then it pulls off, and the shorter screwdriver under it is easier to hold steady and firmly in the screw.

If you are making the parts from dimensional lumber like poplar or finished pine from Home Depot or Lowes then it doesn't need much sanding. I'm not sure if 2x4 or 4x4 is available in these better grades.
The 5" Random Orbital Sander is definitely the way to sand.

I keep a cheap Harbor Freight trim router with a 1/16 roundover bit in it, just for de-sharpening corners. On a baby bed a 1/8 might be better.

EVERY Project is an excuse for a new power tool. My wife knows this and expects it.

Two good places to look at screws, drills, sanders etc are:

http://www.rockler.com/

https://www.woodcraft.com

 

[GaryL1959]

I figured some of you may know, so no reason to run off and find another forum to post dumb questions.

Long story short, I have to build a baby crib. I have the plans for it. Its easy, to me.. as Im quite handy.. Dumb questions start here..

I have to sand it all nice and smooth... I have a dewalt orbital palm sander, but itd take forever...

handheld belt sander, or benchtop belt sander, rigid occelating edge sander?? Im going to have to sand smooth 4x4s, 2x4s, 1x2, 1x4, 1x3, 2x2 etc... Whats easiest to do it all with?

Router table - Im thinking about rounding edges so theres no sharp corners for a baby to eventually fall against a corner or something... Hows the finish after routing rounded corners? sand them by hand and call it good? AFTER LOOKING AT PLANS WOULD YOU EVEN GO THROUGH THIS TROUBLE? OR JUST LEAVE IT ALL SQUARE?

What drill bit is it that drills a pilot hole and sinks the screw so screw heads are sunken and not flush or showing?

Gonna use a table saw for most cutting.

Any other ideas??? tools?

Trying to gather thoughts and get a game plan..

View attachment 1033513 View attachment 1033514 View attachment 1033515 View attachment 1033516
View attachment 1033512

Just remember, when you start sanding, that sandpaper is free...or at least you have to treat it like it is. Once it start to load up and drag, it scratches more than it sands, and in most woods, those scratches are dang near impossible to remove.

 

[liljoe]

Buy some Mirka sand paper or discs for a RO sander. It is the best stuff I have seen. I built a house full of cabinets a few years ago and tried every brand I found.
Most discs you couldn't sand one board with 4 pieces. With this stuff you could do several with just one. These were hickory as well.
I was amazed at the difference between the brands.
Joe

 

[Intheshop]

Man,I ain't touching this with a 10' story pole,haha.Good luck with your project!

I built a full on Chippendale crib for my oldest 35 years ago.All 4 of my boys used it,now the Gbabies are in it.

A 6x48 vert belt grinder(sander) would be better,down the rd for knife and gun work.A big honkin edge sander is for wood wackin.No offense but that little Rigid is a pos.

 

[chuckshooter]

if you are using a table saw to dimension wood to a new size, a planner makes life easier and cuts down on the sanding required. after that, then your dewalt orbital palm sander should be sufficient.

 

[justme]

AND,,, pick up a 6inch jointer too! That will put a nice surface on the larger pieces and cut down on coarse and medium sanding.May as well get a brad nailer and a good HVLP spray system too,,and a good dust collector system, a couple 18-20 volt battery drill guns,(0ne for holes, one for screws), oh, and a planer, and a compound sliding miter saw, and some good wood chisels, and, and,,,,,,

 

[joshb]

Finally a subject I know a little about!
First get a good blade for your table saw. I splurged on one of these way back and now I don't buy anything else.


Next, get one of these Dewalt planers and an extra set of blades. Wood out of this machine only needs fine, finished sanding. The extra blades come in handy next year when you need them.


For your screws, get one of these Makita kits. They'll get the job done. Does three size screws.

Next to the planer is a "put together yourself" router table with a metal top. I've used it for years and it does the job for cheap. Sharp bits leave you with fine sanding only, if any. I use four Dewalt orbitals for my sanding, just to save time changing grits. They're great!Good luck! Next project: Try a stock.

 

[chuckshooter]

Finally a subject I know a little about!
First get a good blade for your table saw. I splurged on one of these way back and now I don't buy anything else.
View attachment 1033526

Next, get one of these Dewalt planers and an extra set of blades. Wood out of this machine only needs fine, finished sanding. The extra blades come in handy next year when you need them.
View attachment 1033528

For your screws, get one of these Makita kits. They'll get the job done. Does three size screws.
View attachment 1033529

the dewalt planner comes with reversible blades. the average DIY doesn't need an extra set. other than that, good advice

 

[redrockranger]

Krieg Jig. Makes pocket holes. Check it out.

 

[redrockranger]

Finally a subject I know a little about!
First get a good blade for your table saw. I splurged on one of these way back and now I don't buy anything else.
View attachment 1033526

Next, get one of these Dewalt planers and an extra set of blades. Wood out of this machine only needs fine, finished sanding. The extra blades come in handy next year when you need them.
View attachment 1033528

For your screws, get one of these Makita kits. They'll get the job done. Does three size screws.
View attachment 1033529
Next to the planer is a "put together yourself" router table with a metal top. I've used it for years and it does the job for cheap. Sharp bits leave you with fine sanding only, if any. I use four Dewalt orbitals for my sanding, just to save time changing grits. They're great!Good luck! Next project: Try a stock.

That Forrest II blade is a goodie. Cuts quieter than anyone i've seen.

I wish spell check would breakdown.........

 

[misfire]

If you're considering a router table planer and other tools that produce a lot of chips you may also want to consider a dust-collecting system chips really pile up fast around our shop it was well worth the investment

 

[joshb]

the dewalt planner comes with reversible blades. the average DIY doesn't need an extra set. other than that, good advice

 

[Mulligan]

Finally a subject I know a little about!
First get a good blade for your table saw. I splurged on one of these way back and now I don't buy anything else.
View attachment 1033526

Next, get one of these Dewalt planers and an extra set of blades. Wood out of this machine only needs fine, finished sanding. The extra blades come in handy next year when you need them.
View attachment 1033528

For your screws, get one of these Makita kits. They'll get the job done. Does three size screws.
View attachment 1033529
Next to the planer is a "put together yourself" router table with a metal top. I've used it for years and it does the job for cheap. Sharp bits leave you with fine sanding only, if any. I use four Dewalt orbitals for my sanding, just to save time changing grits. They're great!Good luck! Next project: Try a stock.

^^^^^this^^^^^
Plane and route forget about 90% of the sanding chore.
Forrest blades are your friend!

CW

 

[chuckshooter]

View attachment 1033544

I guess I should say mine came with reversible blades and it looks like Joshb's didn't. I still don't think you need an extra set. it looks like a fun project, like with anything, a person can get carried away, for instants, you could get a lathe and turn the post down to something pretty and then start barreling actions when you are done,.

 

[RustyMetal]

Not stupid questions. You have the tools, for the most part.

I would definitely use a round-over bit in your router. Go with your instincts. It will just take a little longer with the hand sanders and all, but oh well.

The suggestions are good ones, the Krieg pocket holes are a good investment.

You have a good handle on it. Go for what you know!

 

[Macropod]

If you need to cut neat holes Fisch Forstner bits are very hard to beat.