Right side cabinets

I have the cabinet drawers roughed out. The top and middle drawers are repurposed from the old drawers, with the middle one being the one that's too narrow. I had envisioned the top drawer being shallow for stuff like pencils and etc, but that hasn't worked out to this point. I may put a divider in the top drawer to accomplish that. You can see for yourself where I'm going with what will go where.

I was considering making a drawer to sit just above the sander that is shallow. The issue with adding another drawer there is the spindle. I could make a shallow one, but would mean removing the drawer any time I want to use the sander. Not a huge deal considering how often I would use it.

This was a lost weekend, unfortunately. I'm hoping I can go out in the next couple of days and start seeing about making the tool platforms. Right now the miter saw can't be used and that's an issue. Post on that process coming up.

A look ahead

I was planning on doing some general cleanup this weekend, and possibly a few small projects. However, I've had something come up and I'm really not sure if I'll be able to get any shop time in at all.

So, with today's posts I'd like to do a general shop update about what's complete and what's still left to be done. The last few weeks has seen me get a good little jump on some overdue projects either due to time or finances. I was able to pretty much complete both sides of my cabinet wall project. I'm still deciding if, or how much closing in the backs or bracing I'm going to do. The large unsupported section that sits over the router table definitely needs something, as the right side of that is only attached with a couple of screws. I may secure it to the back wall, that would be an economical solution and still allow me to easily pull it out or make changes and still leave enough clearance for the router table. I need to shim up the entire surface and try and get both sides as level and equal as possible in preparation to put a T-track in for the miter saw. The most important part of this is making it level around the miter saw, but having the whole thing as close as possible will make it easier to work with long pieces.

Also involved in making it as level as possible is the idea that I could shift the miter saw over to in-between both cabinets, where the planer cart resides. Throughout almost this entire process has been the idea that I would have tool modules that could be exchanged as needed, with the planer cart and the miter saw being the primary tenants of their respective spaces. But with the planer cart mobile, and able to move into a couple of spots, it doesn't make any sense not to match that spot and the miter saw spot and have two areas where I can put these tools at. Being able to move the miter saw to the middle will greatly increase the capability of it in regards to 'middle' cuts. Won't need to employ the circular saw to cut a board in half.

In addition to making the miter saw a component of the modular system, I'm looking to also have a few other tools share this portability. I'd like to have a dovetail station, where I can mount my cheapo dovetail jig. If I make it raised I could combine this with the Kreg jig possibly. Would save space in the cabinet, obviously. With the jig being raised, boards would be able to clear the Kreg in back. The dovetail jig wouldn't interfere with the Kreg at all. I wouldn't mind having a platform for the biscuit joiner, and a corner clamp would be a good move too.

I've posted several times about non-structural upgrades that I need to do to the walls, doors and window, so I won't rehash those until they are in the near-term pipeline. For example, something might be in the works for the next few weeks on one of those fronts, but I'll give it it's own progress thread. The shingles on the roof have never leaked, so we're good there. I may recover the exterior walls, but that's quite a long-shot prospect. The ramp is fine for now, but eventually I'd like to put a deck on when the shop gets leveled out. I'd like to explore the possibility of raising the ceiling. Otherwise, it gets replaced the same as the walls.

I wrote this over the course of several days a bit at a time, so my apologies if it comes across disjointed. I wanted to share that officially the next shop project is the Holtzapffel bench, which I will share details on in a couple of weeks. I want to get the drawer fronts done, the cabinets level, and the modular tool holders started on first. There will be minor little projects interspersed as well.

Weekend Wrap

After not spending any time in the shop for four days, I spent a little bit of time for three straight out there this weekend. It was a mixed bag, unfortunately. Along with getting the left side drawers pretty much completely done (need to adjust the depth to put the faces on), I tried to get the right side up to speed. The results turned out less than stellar.

The large drawer I did on the bottom, the bottom of the drawer is about 1/4" too narrow, and has fallen out of the groove. With holding a lot of heavy items, I'm resigned to the fact that this entire drawer will have to be redone. Also, I attempted to convert one of the older drawers to the new width by turning it sideways. It worked, except I shorted myself by about 1/2" and had to add 1/4" ply on both sides of the drawer to get the hardware to work correctly. And then I compounded the experience by installing it about 1/8" too low, and it catches on the 16ga nailer. Otherwise, there's not a thing wrong with it. Since I shorted the width, I'm going to redo this one as well. Oh well, missed it by that much. As you can see, it is mostly functional, as long as I don't need anything in the bottom drawer. It will hold my multifunction tool and Dremel, along with accessories for both.



Functional, yes. Staying that way? No. If this were the old temporary cabinet, I probably wouldn't bother. I'd drill out the mount for the nailer to let it sit lower and go about my business. But since this is going to be a long-term solution, I want to do it right. So I'll sacrifice an hour or so and probably the rest of the 1/2" ply and do it right. I should be able to do the conversion on the remaining drawer, provided I adjust my cuts accordingly. Not sure what will go in that drawer, or the other drawer above it (assuming I can only fit two more). Most likely small junky stuff.

Leaning toward a sheet of ply for the drawer fronts. I wouldn't mind doing a glued up panel for them, but I think the ply is going to be easier, cheaper and faster. I'll be sure to pick out a good specimen for them so it looks nice.

I created what I like to call a dado key, it's a short board with different dados that I've used and explains what blades and spacers were used to make them. Should make setup times a lot shorter as I get more examples onto it. This will be hung somewhere I think, big enough hole to go over a screw head.

May or may not get out to the shop today, it's rather windy and chilly. Not ideal conditions. Perhaps a few minutes in the afternoon to do some spot cleaning.

A well organized shop

I got a reminder of why I'm doing this today. This, as in why I spend so much time, energy and money fixing up this place and getting everything squared away where it needs to be. After I got my new drawer sorted out, I brought up a bike that had been giving us trouble with the chain. I set it down on the bench and checked the chain out before I decided that the axle just needed to be tightened up. A minute later and it was good as new. I also hooked the compressor up and aired up the tires in a couple of them. All with little effort. I also got the opportunity to chase down some air leaks in the system, so it was a complete win in that regard. I love being able to easily and quickly get what I need, and I'll love the day where I won't have to move anything out of the way to get started on a project.

Once the cabinets are done I'll be starting on my great endeavor - the Holtzapffel. Once my bench is done I can finally tackle some real woodworking projects with aplomb.

Small steps with big gaps

It's been nearly a week since I last posted, and the activity in the workshop has been just as dull. I didn't set foot in there from Monday to Thursday at all. With other things going on, I either didn't have the time or the energy to really do anything.

I did find some time and motivation on Friday to get back out there and make further progress. I left Sunday having completed the major drawer on the right side cabinet. Friday I started on the middle drawer on the left side. I had previously cut the sides to height last week, so it was a matter of sizing the sides up and making a bottom. Since I had limited time, I decided to forgo power and try some hand tool work. I cut the sides to the proper length using the saw I picked up from Lowe's awhile ago for under $2. This thing cuts fantastic. I messed up the size of the bottom on the first drawer, but I thought it might work for this one. Owing to size of the messed up piece, I sized the drawer to be a 'fake full extension.' That means with my 3/4 extension, the sides are longer than the drawer proper.

With the sides cut, I used the same saw to size up the bottom. That went fairly well, although it was hard for me to follow the cut line. The table saw would have been a better choice. I then looked in horror at the cut, realizing that I would have to try to put a rabbet on it with hand tools. And no rabbet plane. I hacked it out using a combination of saws, a plane and a chisel. I won't be attempting that again without a rabbet plane.

Not being impressed with the fit and finish of the previous drawer construction (not a drawer lock as I stated previously), I went with simple butt construction and did the first side glue up yesterday. I came back today and finished it up. I installed two screws each on either side of the front of the drawer for strength. Otherwise, there are no mechanical fasteners. I installed the drawer late today and had to decide what to put in it, since I had to build the drawer to suit the space versus the storage. Since I had my counters pretty much clear by now, I looked in the upper cabinet for ideas. I decided my drill bit sets and my Kreg box would fit perfectly. Or rather, nothing much else would fit well. I thought about some sanding supplies, and that's a future consideration. But for now this frees up a good bit of room up top.

I ended today with an idea to save myself some time: reuse one or two of the remaining drawers. It's too thin to go straight back in, but if I trim about 5/8" off of the side, it can go in sideways. I started disassembling the drawer to cut to size before I called it a day. I may go out tomorrow if the mosquitos don't outnumber the air molecules. They were bad today, and I'm going to have to come up with a solution. I obviously can't go with a candle.

That's what I've got for today. I might have that additional drawer done tomorrow, or it may be a lawn maintenance day. We'll see.

Sunday Funday

Today consisted of trying to put a drawer or two in my new cabinets. I hate making drawers.

I did a traditional drawer lock joint all the way around 1/2" ply on the sides and bottom. It went together fine, but it's sloppy. I much preferred using the pocket screws, and think I'll go back to that for the remainder. The extra effort really isn't worth it without some sort of jig to dial it in accurately. I was only able to get the one deep drawer done, but it does hold a lot.

Tomorrow I would like to get the left side drawer done so I can start thinking about fronts for that side. I have about a half sheet of 1/2" remaining, which would make several drawers if I used some 1/4" bottoms. I used the 1/2" on the deep drawer due to all the weight it's going to hold.

Shop is slightly less of a mess today. No pictures.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

What a mess, part II

I left off Friday with the shop a disaster, in the midst of making the right side cabinet. I was able to make some really good progress on that project and getting the shop back in order.

I had the remaining vertical section of the cabinet cut and ready, but I needed to cut the upper surface and the bottom shelf of the cabinet to get it assembled. I swapped the 40T back in the Craftsman and got those cut to size. I cut out a couple of notches for the countertop stringers. It took some work getting all this together, because these dadoes are tight. Perhaps too tight. But it came together great. Put a 1/4" ply back, and it took its rightful place on the back wall. I need to place some shims later to get the counter perfect, but I'm waiting until I put a top surface on. With the new counter built, the planer was able to park in its assigned spot, and the scrap bin took the spot in the right front corner for now.

I did some minor cleanup, not enough to get me back to where I was Thursday, but it's good enough considering what I just accomplished the last two days.

I used my 'track saw' and cut some of the 1/2" ply up for drawers - enough to replace the large 9" deep drawer for air tools, and one that will fit between the sockets and the sander on the left side. The rest of the drawers (two-three in the right side, perhaps up to one more under the miter saw) will wait until I determine what I actually need in the drawers versus other storage. Right now I have various crap in the smaller drawer I had, and biscuits, the joiner, Dremel and etc in the middle drawer. Still deciding here, but I think I may make some room for the MFN tool and the Dremel. Still no idea what is going in the left side drawer, but more important was the room I had to work with than what needed to go in there. It will adapt.

After we get some of this stuff taken care of we have some accuracy things to deal with. The table saw, specifically the extension table, and the levelness of the counter top. I'll also pick up another sheet of 1/2" or 3/4" for the boards for the modular tool stations.

Really good day (two, actually) in the shop, and a very tiring one. Not sure what I'll get done tomorrow, but my ideal scenario would be to get both precut drawers done and items in them.

What a mess

Had some spare time today, so I went and grabbed a sheet each of 3/4" and 1/2" plywood from the yard.

That's right, the right side of the cabinet is in progress. The cleanliness lasted a whole day.

But the cleanliness sure helped. I was able to get work done efficiently and effortlessly, even though I didn't get all of it done. I did all my crosscuts with my clamp and my corded circular saw and that part went really fast. I did these right outside the shop on sawhorses. I did the last crosscut on the tablesaw, and finished the rest of the cuts there as well. Having the extended table really helps out, especially the final cuts to get the cabinet sides to length at 35". I couldn't do that before.

I swapped the 40T blade for my dado set and ran those before I assembled the section that the miter saw and other tools will have a station at.

I was able to clear the old cabinet and disassemble it, then put the new section in place before I had to adjourn. The sheet of 1/2" should be enough to make all the drawers for the pure drawer cabinet, plus some for a tool station or two. I'm hoping the cabinet proper will be done tomorrow, but I don't have the ETA for the drawers.

I'm recycling as much ply as I can from the old cabinet for various parts.

Here's the miter base ready to go.

TGIF

It's Friday, which usually means another weekend of relaxation is almost upon us.

I did get in just a little bit of shop time yesterday, enough to sweep a little and discover a problem with my jointer. Not so much the jointer as the HTC base. A while back I had swapped the direction on which it traveled, from side to front. With the wider table saw, I can't negotiate the tight spaces because the turns were now made with the wide side. So off came the base to change it back.

When I did this before, I brought the base inside the house because it was friggin cold and at night. I accidentally lengthened one side, so it wasn't a perfect fit anymore. Taking the base off the jointer, I realized that the right dimensions were 20 holes square, so that I shouldn't have had to make any modifications to begin with - just turn it. I simply shortened the two longer sides to where they needed to be and put it back on the jointer.

I share this not because of what I did, but where I did it. With my temporary seat and a clear workbench, this was effortless. The socket drawer worked just like I planned and I had room to take the base apart, even though that turned out to not be necessary. The shop is coming along just as I planned, and it's wonderful. Even the change of putting the socket drawer over on the left side worked out brilliantly - I can open it up and leave it open and not have it interfere with either the bench or almost any of the cabinet. Awesome. Can't tell you how thrilled I am something like this is working out.

It's a good day - live thread

...whenever you can spend some time in the shop. And I anticipate that's exactly what I'll be doing later today when it warms up to some very comfortable temperatures. I'm hoping today I can sort out a few nibbles over where things will be ultimately going, and perhaps put a couple of drawers together on the left side.

First thing I need to do is sort out what's going to go there for size purposes. I'm pretty sure my socket set is going at the very top, so making that will be very easy. It's just going to be a platform drawer like I did for the OSS, with stops fore and aft so I can pull the drawer out and in by using the handle on the case. The case won't be secured to the drawer for portability.

Beyond that, I don't know what will be in that cabinet. I'm thinking perhaps sanding stuff, but do I have enough to justify the space?

This is a live thread. I'll be updating it periodically this afternoon while I'm in the shop with updates and perhaps pictures.

2:30 - ok after an unexpected delay I'm finally in the shop. Until the right side of my cabinet gets done, this has to sit here.

Not a big deal really but I can't wait for it to get its home.


3:30 - Here's the drawer for the sockets. Nothing fancy, but it's what I need. Not sure what I'm going to do with the cabinet as it pertains to drawer fronts or a door, but I'll figure it out.

I only have a few inches between the spindle and the socket drawer, do my options here are limited. Something flat, like a shallow drawer for pliers, or similar.

7:30 - Here we reach the conclusion of the live thread today. I've been out of the shop two hours, and there were some technical issues updating the thread when I wanted to. My mobile app isn't that stellar, and when I tried to add new pictures at 4:30, it threatened to erase the entire post.

To summarize, after the sockets drawer was done I disassembled the old dust separator and sorted through my huge pile of scrap MDF and plywood and tossed what I'll never use. The corner was greatly cleaned up and enough room was made to temporarily stow the planer cart.





I also discovered the old temporary sander cart makes a great seat up on it's side. I'll get something comfier here in a bit, but this will do for now. I'm waiting for something the right height to go on a good sale.





I was in the process of getting ready to make a saw till when it was time for me to retire for the day. I was just going to use what I had, so perhaps that's for the best and I'll come up with some better materials to make a nicer one. That and I can spend some more time looking at all the lovely pictures on Google. I also attempted to make a shallow drawer for the left cabinet and finish that particular portion of the build, but the 1/2" stock I had was too shallow. I'll be picking up a sheet of 3/4" and 1/2" to finish the right half of the build soon (next week most likely) and I'll have plenty of drawer material.

I might get some more shop time on Thursday, but Friday seems more likely.

Review - Ryobi One+ String Trimmer

(Unless otherwise noted, I have not received any compensation or consideration for any of the reviews listed. These have been purchased with my own funds at regular or sale prices publicly available.)

Continuing on the Ryobi review train is the 12" cordless string trimmer. I'm not entirely sure why it's designated 12", but I suppose that's the cutting diameter. Like the leaf blower I reviewed yesterday, it's the lime green hue of the Li-ion line, but this doesn't suck.

The String Trimmer comes with a charger and a full-size Li-ion battery. It was actually my first foray into the Ryobi lithium line, and I've been hooked on the better juice since. What separates the large and small batteries besides physical size and longevity is a push-button sensor that tells you how much power is left. It's really nice, and I wish all the batteries had this. Otherwise, I have to reach for my separate battery checker which is only slightly more inconvenient. The charger is dual chemistry, meaning you can charge either NiCd or Li-ion batteries in it.

For operation, the trimmer has an extendable shaft which also pivots around to use as an edger. The handle is adjustable, and so apparently is the battery dock, which I've never tried. The string is advertised as no bump and auto feed, which until today I never knew how to get it to feed. You click the power switch several times until it reaches the desired length. Funny how the manual said that the entire time...

I have to say, with the included larger capacity battery this does anything I need it to in my yard and has juice to spare. It edges decently, it cuts anything smaller than a half-inch or so diameter weed without effort, and is reasonably light to carry around.

I did realize after writing these last two reviews they aren't really woodworking related. As I go through the One+ system and make my thoughts known about them, however, you may decide to buy into the system. If you do, I hope the trimmer and blower reviews help you see that while not always perfect, the system is pretty inclusive for the average homeowner situation. With lots of tools and batteries otherwise, I'd be looking at these yard tools as well and would appreciate the info. I hope you do too. Since those are the only two non-woodworking One+ tools I own, it's back to woodworking on this front as well.

Ryobi has now come out with a 24v cordless trimmer, but the reviews on it are not promising. This one, however, gets five stars from me.

Ryobi One+ 18v Trimmer w/ battery
Trimmer (refurb), bare tool
Trimmer and Blower combo (Blower review HERE)

Pics coming Tuesday

Review - Ryobi One+ Leaf Blower

(Unless otherwise noted, I have not received any compensation or consideration for any of the reviews listed. These have been purchased with my own funds at regular or sale prices publicly available.)

I have a ton of the Ryobi One+ tools, and generally love them all. That's why it pains me that this leaf blower is the one that is going to kick it off. I purchased this refurbished at a store I like to visit, Direct Tools Factory Outlet. I just wish that the store wasn't an hour drive from me, as I wouldn't hesitate to pick up additional refurb tools from them as the quality has been very good. The quality of this leaf blower is very good, unfortunately the performance doesn't match.

Among the positive attributes of the unit is the weight - this can easily be used by an adult, and even awkwardly operated by a toddler. The design of it is made for the larger Li-ion batteries, the smaller ones really help with the weight.

Unfortunately, that's where the positives trail off. If it ever reached 120MPH as stated, I'd owe someone a beer. It works decently on loose, dry leaves, but anything wet and you might as well grab the rake. It's not powerful at all, which I suppose should be expected for a battery-powered unit. However, the battery use is atrocious. Five to ten minutes of use is all you get with the smaller Li-ion batteries, and don't even think about using the old Ni-Cds.

It was an obvious addition to the line, but I wonder if it would have been ppossible to make a better product, or at least make it for less than the asking cost. I purchased my refurb unit bare (no battery or charger) for under $20. List price with the battery and charger is a whopping $109. For comparison, the tool by itself and the battery and charger kit are sold online through Home Depot for $59 and $40 respectively. Which doesn't make sense being $11 less than the packaged product. Go figure.

Ryobi makes some pretty good homeowner/weekender level tools (more than they get credit for), but unless you're picking this up refurb or getting it as a pack-in with the hedge trimmer or edger, go with a corded or gas unit. You'll be much happier. Certainly don't buy this if you don't have a few other One+ tools.

For those who still want to buy it or read other reviews, I've included the links below. 2 out of 5 stars

Home Depot - Blower and Battery
Home Depot - Blower only
Home Depot - Edger w/ Blower pack-in

Pics coming Tuesday.

Weekend update - 4/9/12

As promised, we're back to the workshop now. Since yesterday was Easter, today's recap will be about Friday and Saturday.

Friday was a cleaning/putting around day, trying out a couple of ideas for storage. I put up a spare ladder hanger in the wall next to the door to put my headphones on. Turns out that one of the actual ladder hangers will serve decent double-duty as the glasses holder. Both are right inside the door, so they're easy to grab as soon as I walk in or am getting ready to use the table saw or jointer. I wish I could say I did more than that, but it was just a kind of sit-in-the-shop day and think. Lovely weather, it was nice to be out there for an hour or so.

Saturday I got my batteries topped off (the little leaf blower really drains the little batteries) and spent some time building HD Kids Workshop projects with the kids. Since I had spent Friday cleaning, I had room for them to work. Only one at a time, just because I don't want them hammering on the countertops right now. Since the youngest wanted to take his sailboat in the bath, I grabbed some Shellac and gave it a once-over. I don't know if it will keep it protected or not, but it's a free project and not really important.

I also made a small advancement in shop layout. I took the other set of 100lb full extension slides I had sitting around and made a pull out 'drawer' for the Ridgid OSS. I intended to make the hardwood trim go on three sides, but the sander was too wide for that, so I had to settle for just the one on the side. If I make a platform for it to go in one of my tool stations (I talked about that in the design post), I'll make a handle for the rear. The table front makes a nice grip, but your natural reaction is to grab at the dust port at the rear. Being plastic, I'm worried about it breaking if I do that repeatedly. A better way to wrap the cord would be a side benefit.

I discovered I have a bit of 1/2" ply in stock, so I could build some drawers in that far left cabinet if I know what I want to put there. Problem is, I'm not sure right now. I'll be spending the rest of today and possibly the rest of the week deciding exactly what I need to store in drawers and where. To complete the cabinets I figure I'll need one or two more sheets of 3/4", and one or two sheets of 1/2" for drawers. After that, it's whatever I want to dress the front of the doors with, bracing for the router table cubby, and redoing the planer cart, partially. The process is slow, but it moves forward.

After the cabinets are done, I still have several walls that still need to be demoed and replaced with OSB. I'd like to replace the window, and obviously I need to replace the doors. I'm hoping to build my workbench in the fall, perhaps earlier. And then other than minor storage requirements, my workshop will be pretty much complete. It will be at that point that I'll start looking into storage ideas for a riding mower, something I hope to get in about two years or so. I wonder if code would allow a lean-to attached to the back of the workshop...

Yard stuff - 4/6 update

I finally got to try out the Scott's Snap spreader today, as I put down insect control and Weed n Feed. It was very easy to switch out bags and put the product down. In essence, it's a fancy fixed rate spreader. The bags could certainly be reused for any product you deem, provided the product is a similar size. Plain fertilizer could certainly go in the empty insect control bag I now have, as I cut it open partially to make sure there weren't any fancy membranes. There weren't.

I have to say that this system wouldn't be at all beneficial to someone with a large yard. The product, expensive already, would be astronomical for a large yard if you didn't buy cheaper product in bulk. However I had my yard done with both bags of product in under 15 minutes. That's convenience I enjoy.

I'll update in May with how well it controlled insects and weeds. Seed planting will be in the fall. Otherwise, it's back to woodworking.

Yard stuff - 4/5 update

This is a woodworking blog, but most of us also have stuff we have to do around the house. Handyman stuff, and sometimes, turf management. So it is in this post, which you won't see me venture too far into. I picked up a Scott's Snap spreader and a couple of bags of product, as Home Depot was having a special that ends today (4/4). Buy two bags, get the spreader free. This could make it as cheap as $26 if you buy two bags of insect control, or $56 if you buy two fertilizer or seed bags. I went middle, bought a insect control and weed n feed for just under $40 out the door.

I've never done anything to my grass except mow it up until now, so I'll have to revisit this topic a few times over the course of the summer and see how the system works. I'll keep the titles similar so that those who don't care about it can skip them. I promise it won't be a lot, and won't take the place of any planned on-topic posts.

Edit - I got an even better deal later in the day, three bags of seed for $32. Didn't set out to spend $70 on yard products yesterday, it just kinda happened. I'll be putting down either the insect stuff or the weed n feed on Thursday, so I'll let you know how easy it is to do.

New and updated reviews

Going to be a slow week in the shop, so I'm doing my best to give you more reviews of the things I use. Two new reviews so far this week, and I've updated all of them with pictures. Going forward, they will all have pictures to accompany them as they are posted.

If you are a reader and would like to see something reviewed, send me a link or write about it in any of the comment sections. If the budget allows, and it fits the needs of the shop, then consider it done. Otherwise, I may have to take a pass.

If you are a business that would like a product reviewed, please email me. I will happily do product reviews on any woodworking product that can be used in the shop (I don't have a lathe, so a turning set would just look nice on my wall). I review products fairly and equally, and give no preference to ones that come to me freely.

As always, you can find the entirety of the products that have been reviewed under the 'Reviews' tab at the top of the blog. Thanks again for reading.

Review - Rockler silicone glue brush

(Unless otherwise noted, I have not received any compensation or consideration for any of the reviews listed. These have been purchased with my own funds at regular or sale prices publicly available.)

It's hard to reinvent the wheel when it comes to woodworking. Most tools and techniques are tried and true with mere evolution, not revolution.
With this new glue brush from Rockler, I'd argue it's both evolutionary and revolutionary.

Gluing is something I've not liked to do to this point. It often required buying a large bag of disposable brushes or plastic paddles to spread the glue. I preferred the latter because I could simply set the paddle down and come back and peel the dried glue away and use again. With the brushes, you could attempt to clean them or toss them. If you were lucky, there might only be one or two hairs to pick out of the glue you just applied.

With the silicone brush, it takes the concept of a silicone baster brush and combines it with the paddle in one instrument promising very easy cleanup. Either rinse the glue away or allow to air dry and remove the glue in a clump (as shown on their website).

I used the opportunity of my left-side cabinet build to test this product out. While I might have to disassemble portions of it later, the cabinet box itself would be permanently joined. After using the brush and letting sit for a couple of days (the soonest I got back out there), I picked the brush up and attempted to remove the glue like you see on their site. With the pictures below you see how successful that was. It wasn't exactly like advertised, but was close enough to be impressed. Perhaps if I had it really loaded up with glue it would have come out in one piece. As it was, it only took a few seconds to completely remove all the glue and be ready to work again. The paddle end wasn't tested, as it's a fairly standard tool these days. The whole head of the brush comes off, but secures itself back on well enough that I trust it wouldn't come off again unless I wanted it to.

A couple of things I would have improved upon if I had the idea:
- its heavily unbalanced, especially loaded with glue, toward the bristle side. I tend to set it down with the bristles overhanging an edge, and it feels like its going to fall to the floor. Will have to get out of that habit, perhaps by introducing a wax paper resting spot.
- the natural tendency in using this product, at least for me, is to use the wide portion. The bristles are tapered in a way that reinforces this assumption.

Unfortunately it does not fit in a 3/4" dado in this manner, but sideways. Perhaps they will introduce a smaller version, as I doubt this would be useful for small gaps. 1/4" dado users will have to either use the paddle or stick with alternate methods.

In all, I probably would have paid $10 or so for this tool, and I'm surprised it only clocks in at $3.99. For the consumer and the store, I'm not sure if this is a product you would buy in multiples unless you needed to work with multiple glues at once. For those that aren't in love with their hair brushes, this seems like a no-brained to invest about the same amount of money into a pack of disposable brushes into a reusable and, IMHO, better product. This might also have a market in a school setting, for use with the white glues. Hey, I see a donation opportunity here.

In summary, I give this product 4.5 out of 5 stars, subtracting only for the immediate lack of a smaller size. Perhaps that is in the pipeline.





Direct Rockler link - Silicone Glue Brush
Amazon Affiliate link - Rockler Silicone Glue Brush
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Review - Craftsman Sabre Saw

(Unless otherwise noted, I have not received any compensation or consideration for any of the reviews listed. These have been purchased with my own funds at regular or sale prices publicly available.)

I had two jigsaws I wasn't particularly fond of: an older corded Black & Decker that required set screws to change the blade (and one screw was missing) and a Ryobi One+ 18v model that couldn't cut the mustard when it came to big jobs (it literally vibrated itself apart). So I started shopping for new jigsaw to replace the B&D. My initial thoughts were to find one with a barrel handle for more control.

I researched for a few months and narrowed my choices down to one of the venerable Bosch barrel grips, the Ridgid and a top handle Bosch. The Bosch models were nice, and got great reviews, but were a bit more than I wanted to pay. The top handle Bosch was in my preferred price range, but I still wanted a barrel grip. I was leaning toward the Ridgid when some negative reviews and missing features steered me away. Single speed was a concern, as were some complaints about vibration.

A model at Sears caught my eye that seemed like a unique feature - a top handle jigsaw whose handle removed for barrel use. I was intrigued. It was also a pretty nice price, being on the order of around $75 on sale. When I got home I realized that not only was it a dual handle jigsaw, but it also has a knob at the top to free scroll. Pretty nice feature, I'm sure I'll make use of it someday as I have no plans on acquiring a scroll saw. It has multiple speed settings, which is nice, along with a switch on the side to select materials. I didn't rule out the Ridgid just because of the lack of multiple speeds, because I'm not sure if I need them. But as they say, it's a nice option to have. It has a blower switch that inverts to allow use of the vacuum port. I've only tried it on the blower setting, I'll try out the vac setting next time I use it and amend this review. Because I usually have to sweep up from my other tools, I didn't consider it a major aspect of it's usability.

The switch between handles (and I say that for lack of a better term. There's one handle, and it's removable to hold the body/barrel instead) is very easy. Use in top handle mode is as you would expect. The power switch for barrel mode isn't great. It's hard to turn on with just your grip hand, and can switch off easily, without intent. That said, it works. If I could switch it on and off with my thumb, it would be great. The saw base can store a blade or two, but I use a Bosch set that has it's own case so that's of little use to me. I suppose if I were switching back and forth between speed and clean cut blades, I could put them there for easy access. Like most of the Craftsman corded tools lately, it has a light that is green when the tool is plugged in. Nice feature when you have kids in and out of your shop. The switchable laser light seems accurate, although my cuts so far have not exactly reflected that. More likely a user error than the tool, as the laser shines right down where you expect the blade to follow. The scroll feature is neat, although I will have to do some research and see if there are blades available to make those tight cuts you'd normally get with a dedicated scroll. The base angle has been perpendicular so far, no testing was done on any bevels as I've not had the need thus far. The saw has a slot for a guide, the power cord has a nice strap and a hex key is stored at the rear of the saw.

This saw has at least met my expectations, and we'll see if it provides long-term justification of the purchase. I have to list the pros as easy blade change, laser, cord management, conversion between the handle and barrel grip, the scroll feature and the blower. For cons, I'd have to put the barrel grip power switch as the major gripe. As I said it's not a deal breaker, but something that if it was done as it should have been, could have made this a real contender to the Bosch. As is, it has to be rated as a good-very good saw, but not a fantastic one.

I sat on this review for a few weeks as my first few experiences with this saw weren't any better than my B&D. I got lots of vibration and chatter. However with subsequent uses I found the saw to be smooth, and give a decent finish on the cut and be fairly accurate. I had to chalk up my first impressions to not having the workpiece properly secured and using the wrong speeds on the saw. The saw comes with a canvas zippered bag.

4 out of 5 stars. Tested with Bosch T101B blades.






Direct link - Craftsman Sabre (Jig) Saw 28223