- Read Time: 6 mins
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Jointers can be one of the most frustrating tools to set up and to use, and sometimes it isn't even the machine, sometimes it's the wood that's the problem all along, but we blame it on the machine or how we set up the jointer. In this article, I will be talking about using the jointer, and referring back to an older video and article I made on setting jointer knives if that is the information you are looking for. Both of these articles and videos are important to understanding ... AND getting good results.
Watch it on Youtube: https://youtu.be/YbvPVz9NDxk
The first thing to know, even before you start to set the knives, the in-feed, out-feed or the fence, is to MAKE SURE you have excellent quality measuring tools ...
- Read Time: 12 mins
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In my shop, the miter gauge doesn't get used as much as it once did, because I have a sliding miter saw, but it seems that any time I want to make good, accurate and repeatable cuts I always seem to go back to the old reliable miter gauge and table saw. In this episode I will NOT be cutting any wood with either miter gauge, mainly because when I set them up and tested them by cutting wood, they were both perfectly aligned from the factory, and they both made perfect cuts, so I expect that the remainder of the factory "angle settings" would be the same, but either way, a proper comparison cutting begs for a whole other video.
Watch it on Youtube: https://youtu.be/S_lYkvAJQTw
If you are following my channel you will know that I was enormously dissatisfied with the miter gauge that came with the table saw, and so upgraded to one of the Incra models ..
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There are many accessories for the wood router table, but of those who are new to wood routing, there are a few basic accessories that may be a bit more useful at first and many of them will be used over and over again because they are basic tools used in conjunction with router bits and router table usage.
Watch it on Youtube: https://youtu.be/okPHVG3Aov8
Someone told me many years ago that "probably 80% of the things you can do with a wood router, will be done on a router table" and I think after all these years I have to agree with him. My first router, was, like so many others and handheld device that did a few things, but many of the more advanced things I wanted to do require a router table ...
- Read Time: 4 mins
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One of the downsides of working with wood is that it has the ability to absorb and release moisture, which means the wood can expand and contract. This can, and does, create major problems with some woodworking projects ... but there are ways to help reduce some of the challenges. The first thing we need to do is work with wood where we know what the moisture content of the wood is to begin with.
Watch it on Youtube: https://youtu.be/lGPzYe0Ub7A
For many woodworking projects, a general rule of thumb is to only use wood with a moisture content around 9 %. This can vary depending on climatic conditions, but it's at least a good starting point. It is not unusual for freshly cut trees to have a moisture content in excess of 35%, so there is a LOT of water in the trees that need to be evaporated out, which in turn makes the wood we work with much more stable. It will still absorb and release moisture, but by the time it gets down to 9% these changes should be much more subtle.