Tips, Jigs & Ideas - Beginners #28

Read Time: 2 mins

Hits: 14450

I do not know of any other working medium that uses more tips and jigs than woodworking. There are so many tricks and adaptions that can be made to make woodworking easier and safer ... the whole thing could be an industry of it's own.

I have few favorite jigs and tips that I use all the time, and these are some of them that I find ... for what I do ... are very useful, but there are many more and I will present more of them at a later date. 

My most useful jig is the 2 step, stop block. For some reason I see to use this a lot for making shorter and one or two dado cuts into something that I am making. It saves me so much time from the alternative which is bringing out and setting up my stacked dado blade set. For short, quick dados, this little jig is perfect.

 My second most used jig is a simple stop block jig on the table saw for making exact cross cut pieces ... I know many people are going to say, yes, but why would you not do that on the sliding mitre saw or chop saw, and the answer is ...

Making Picture Frames Like an Expert

Read Time: 5 mins

Hits: 191879

Making picture frames seems like an easy job, you set your mitre saw or table saw blades at 45 degrees,  measure 4 pieces of wood ... cut them then fasten them together. Except, often when it comes to fastening them together, the first 3 sides go together fine, but the last one the corners don't line up. You check your saw, yup it's set correctly, so you go about trying to fix that one last corner that is off. After a few attempts you probably have only made it worse.
Sound familiar ... well, that's describes my attempts at making picture frames. Then one day I had an epiphany ... maybe it's my sides being all slightly different lengths that's the problem. So I devised a simple, fool-proof little jig to see if that could be the problem. Sure enough on my very first attempt, guess what ... a perfect cornered picture frame. Like everything, it seems so easy when you know how, and when you try it and it works, it seems like magic.

 Next I needed to figure out an easy way of making picture frames a specific size since my rudimentary form of estimating was eating up more material than I liked ...

Making a Presentation Plaque

Read Time: 6 mins

Hits: 8359

Everyone likes to get recognition for things they have done a good job on. These recognitions can come in a variety of ways. Sometimes they are formal, as in someone is presented with some sort of a trophy, plaque or other form of recognition, while in other cases someone is recognized for their talents simply by being asked to do something.

What I mean by that, is that sometimes woodworkers are asked to make special presentation pieces that will be presented to others, but the fact that one woodworker is singled out is also another form of recognition. It means that someone thinks enough of their work that they are even asked to make something for others. Along the way, the woodworkers are very often recognized during the ceremony for their hard works and efforts.

Making Trophies, plaques, presentation boxes, pens and many other forms of giftware is a very common part of being a woodworker. What's fun about it is that you get to work on something and add your own artistic flare to it ... well, usually you are, and even if you aren't, we do anyway don't we. I my case I was given some very beautiful and detailed solid silver, miniature pick and shovel ornaments that were to be mounted on some sort of a background.

How to Build a Camera Storage and Carry Box

Read Time: 7 mins

Hits: 8701

I love making videos "in the field" so to speak, at others work shops and other special sites. The problem with doing this is I often need a few extra pieces of photographic gear ... which I have, but for some reason I always seem to leave back in the workshop. I purchased this gear to make my life easier and to make the videos better ... then I go and leave it at home. Time for me to get organized.

I have looked, for a few months, at a variety of camera bags. It's very irritating. Most of the ones shown on-line don't show you what they look like inside, nor to they even give dimensions. The ones I have seen in person have not been suitable for a number of reasons, poor quality, wrong sizes, insides don't work etc.

Time for me to solve my own frustrations and make my own storage and carry case. I started off with a small sheet of Baltic Birch Plywood. This is excellent plywood, even thought it is only 1/2" thick it's seven plys. Very strong, good quality wood and no voids, so that when I cut through it, I don't have to worry that somewhere in the middle will be a big soft spot, or a place where the wood doesn't come together which makes it very hard to join edges.

I decided the best size ... at least for now, is 10" x 10" x 16". This will hold and store the gear I need, and it will also hold my 2 smaller soft carry cases. The bonus to this is I can easily find them and if I use them in the box they help protect the cameras and lenses from bumping together. I really liked this advantage ...