Underrated Woodworking

[ChetlovesMer 342]

Okay, I was having so much fun following Graham's overrated woodworking post. I thought I'd start the "Underrated Woodworking" Thread.

 

Here are my two:

1 - Chalk - I have a box of different colored classroom style chalk in my shop. Most of it is white, but also some red and blue which shows up better on maple. - Anyway since I've started laying out large triangles on pieces and clearly marking them with chalk, I haven't cut a tenon on the wrong end of a board or put the dado on the wrong side of the piece. On many pieces I'll write THIS SIDE DOWN so that I know when running them over the dado head that if I can read it I'd better stop and think.

 

2 - Hand screws - How does anyone build stuff without these versatile clamps. I use them as a second pair of hands when routing small pieces, I use them to as a fixture, I use them to hold pieces upright when working on them (a sort of foot on the leg, if you get my analogy). Oh yeah and I sometimes clamp stuff with them.

 

What are a couple of your underrated woodworking stuff?

[Pwalter5110 90]

Okay, I was having so much fun following Graham's overrated woodworking post. I thought I'd start the "Underrated Woodworking" Thread.

 

1 - Chalk - I have a box of different colored classroom style chalk in my shop. Most of it is white, but also some red and blue which shows up better on maple. - Anyway since I've started laying out large triangles on pieces and clearly marking them with chalk, I haven't cut a tenon on the wrong end of a board or put the dado on the wrong side of the piece. On many pieces I'll write THIS SIDE DOWN so that I know when running them over the dado head that if I can read it I'd better stop and think.

 

 

I am constantly telling myself that I should get chalk for the shop but I never remember when I am out and about.

 

For me, it was hand tools. Especially my shoulder plane. I feel like the quality of the things I have built have drastically increased the moment I quit using power tools for precision work, and switched to planes and chisels.

[Llama 3735]

Underrated...

Not sure if it is truly under rated, but wax for hand planes. There is a huge difference in the usability of hand planes with a little wax. I use the canning wax found at the grocery store. It's cheap too!

[chopnhack 88]

--Double stick tape--

 

Woodworkers' duct tape

[mikem 136]

I would have to go with router planes.

[ChetlovesMer 342]

Mel, I use canning wax too.

Your right, it works well, it's cheap and it fits in any drawer... oh, sorry.

[Cochese 271]

A dead flat, level surface.

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[wintersedge 38]

A good mechanical pencil

fold out ruler

a quality paint brush

having music in the shop.

[Freddie 634]

-Outlets

-lighting

-insulation

-dehumidifier(depending on your situation)

-heat

-ac

-small tool organization(where the hell is my square/pencil?)

-shop apron(for me its all the rage)

[G S Haydon 719]

Nice one Chet, much better to do this than having a grumble

 

Electricity

 

Kiln dried wood ready to go

 

And as a group skilled Shuttering and Structural Carpentrs does not get enough love! Think a mortice & tennon is hard to learn? Do one of these on site, with a roofing square and a ready reconner, (no prefab trusses), then thou shall be a man my son! BTW, I have never done one, still a boy .

[woodbutcher74 408]

 I think one of the most under rated things is a great Mentor. Mine was my neighbor. He's passed on now but if it wasn't for him I wouldn't be where I am today. Thanks, Pete. 

[Orbb 49]

 I think one of the most under rated things is a great Mentor. Mine was my neighbor. He's passed on now but if it wasn't for him I wouldn't be where I am today. Thanks, Pete. 

 +1 on this, especially someone who helped with building a tool collection.

 

As I get older, light and good glasses. 

[Llama 3735]

I'd love a great mentor. I started this woodworking thing because I had a need to create something. I haven't had any mentor in person. I read all I can, and watch as many videos as possible. That gets me to where I am today. Well, that and a background as a machine builder and machinist.

A good mentor is certainly something I wish there were more of!

[Tpt life 2521]

>>Do one of these on site, with a roofing square and a ready reconner, (no prefab trusses), then thou shall be a man my son! BTW, I have never done one, still a boy .

[G S Haydon 719]

C, not in the shop, on a site, on scaffolding, maybee in baking heat or driving rain :-). You would be fine ;-), I just think the ability to do this kinda stuff is underrated.

[Freddie 634]

Crown moulding with a hand saw on a jobsite. Yea, been there done that.

[Tpt life 2521]

Graham, not framing this week but this was my week outside. Was not wood working per sé as it was Azec trim, but I used my speed square often. This has me thinking of my cold weather gear. The right gear is worth its weight in gold and is often overlooked, underrated.

In the vein you opened G, I think the ability to properly design a stair case is underrated. Lots of crap deck stairs not to mention house stairs in my area. Inappropriate rises, uneven rises, inappropriate run, inappropriate handrails....

[Miles11we 14]

The willingness to make mistakes

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[dwacker 1141]

I'm with Chet I like chalk. After listening to marks pod cast they mentioned the lock miter being over rated and being such a pain to set up. The reason is it down sized way to far and router is not the right tool for the job. So I'll add shapers, cutters like the lock miter are easy when used on the right machine and they are not shrunk down to far.

[Tom King 2875]

The most underrated woodworking skill, and it's been that way forever, is the ability to sharpen anything. 

 

As far as carpentry, as brought up later in this thread, I built new houses for 35 years, and never used a truss for anything, bought ready made cabinets, or used a prehung door.  Building a house these days is really more a job of assembling parts, rather than really building much.

[pghmyn 308]

The willingness to make mistakes

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Or the willingness to admit them!

 

Mistakes happen to us all. It takes a great deal of ingenuity to work around a mistake, and make it work, instead of starting all over.

[Guest]

hand held jig saws are under rated. I don't own a bandsaw and every time i think I need one i bring out my bosch jig saw and it does the job. breaking down rough stock, curves, rough dimensioning, it does a lot. I bring my cordless jig saw to the lumber yard so i can break down boards that will not fit in my car.

[pghmyn 308]

hand held jig saws are under rated. I don't own a bandsaw and every time i think I need one i bring out my bosch jig saw and it does the job. breaking down rough stock, curves, rough dimensioning, it does a lot. I bring my cordless jig saw to the lumber yard so i can break down boards that will not fit in my car.

Cordless jigsaw is a pretty good idea for just that purpose. When I had my car, that would have been amazing.

[dwacker 1141]

Cordless jigsaw is a pretty good idea for just that purpose. When I had my car, that would have been amazing.

Cheap ryobi 5 1/2 cordless circular saw add a zero clearance Masonite base and the little thing makes short work of sheet goods.

[pghmyn 308]

Cheap ryobi 5 1/2 cordless circular saw add a zero clearance Masonite base and the little thing makes short work of sheet goods.

I remember when my dad had one of those circular saws. Was one of the early ones that Craftsman released, and I loved it. The batteries for it are long dead, but it earned its keep.