New shop and beginner woodworker


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23 hours ago, Johnny4 said:

Heya! Welcome to the craft. I started in a similar situation as you are in. My approach, for what it’s worth, was to pick a tool or two and become really, really familiar with it. I started with the bandsaw. I learned how to set it up, change blades, square a fence, adjust for drift, change tires, and basically strip the thing down and build it back up.

I didn’t touch a table saw until I had taken an intro to tablesaw safety class, which I cannot emphasize enough. Even then, I would watch many hours of table saw safety on YouTube and the magazines/books....you know, reading . Until you can explain why kickback happens, and can describe how to do your basic cuts properly, don’t even plug the thing in. Learn how to tune it properly before you plug it in. I’m a bit of a safety freak, but it’s a serious and potentially life and limb altering hobby. 

Give yourself permission to enjoy the journey. If you rush into it, you will be frustrated, and miss the beautiful scenery that comes with learning the skills you will one day use to build that table. 

I definately agree. I guess I should have said I am not a complete novice in that I have worked in the shop with my father growing up and took shop class in high school. I think I am acutely aware of safety when operating the tools, but it is an excellent point to respect the power of these tools. My career could be lost if even my left pinky was damaged/lost.

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  • 2 weeks later...
14 minutes ago, mat60 said:

Nice.. Nothing like a new shop. I like your lumber rack.  I have one something like it and it has worked out real well for me.  Are you going to do some painting when you have time or just leave it the way it is?

I probably won’t paint because I really don’t like to and am not sure how the osb would take it. I am about painted out because we are painting the entire house right now and have had enough for a long while

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8 minutes ago, JayhawkCRNA said:

I probably won’t paint because I really don’t like to and am not sure how the osb would take it. I am about painted out because we are painting the entire house right now and have had enough for a long while

I hear you there..  When I did my osb a long time ago It took allot of coats to cover it.  Enjoy your new shop.

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5 hours ago, curlyoak said:

I'd suggest your next project is to build a work bench that doubles as a receiving table for the outfield of the table saw. You will need the bench to make your projects.

I am planning to make the Jay Bates bench and I already have a small(3x4) Paulk style outfeed/work surface.

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11 hours ago, JayhawkCRNA said:

I probably won’t paint because I really don’t like to and am not sure how the osb would take it. I am about painted out because we are painting the entire house right now and have had enough for a long while

I did my shop in OSB as well. I rented an airless sprayer from Home Depot & sprayed the whole thing with 2 coats of semigloss white in one evening. The OSB takes the paint fine. You can see the chip pattern, but it's not unsightly.

I highly recommend doing it. So much brighter

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A white ceiling and large wall expanses will be a big benefit to lighting & visibility. Lumber rack I wouldn’t paint. Home centers sell mis-tinted paint cheap. That could save on the initial coats. I would definitely use a white final coat. If you don’t shove your tools away from the walls and drop cloth them to paint now it might never happen.

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I have OSB on my shop walls also and did not paint them.

I like the fact that you can drive a nail or screw about any place and when you remove it later you will be hard pressed to find the hole.

One draw back is that OSB will collect dust over time and it is hard to get rid of. I guess that is a bit true of sheetrock also however.

By the way....I see you are a Jayhawker, where in Kansas are you located ? I'm from Hutchinson.

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I'd say get a $50 airless sprayer and the cheapest latex paint you can find. Those things output a good quarter gallon of paint per minute or more. Feeling good in the shop is important, especially when a piece is giving you trouble. White walls (and ceiling if possible) will also reduce your lighting costs as you'd need less lumen output for comfortable visibility in every corner of the shop.

If you don't do it now, it will probably never happen.

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7 hours ago, Rapid Roger said:

I have OSB on my shop walls also and did not paint them.

I like the fact that you can drive a nail or screw about any place and when you remove it later you will be hard pressed to find the hole.

One draw back is that OSB will collect dust over time and it is hard to get rid of. I guess that is a bit true of sheetrock also however.

By the way....I see you are a Jayhawker, where in Kansas are you located ? I'm from Hutchinson.

I am in Topeka.

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19 hours ago, Rapid Roger said:

One draw back is that OSB will collect dust over time and it is hard to get rid of. I guess that is a bit true of sheetrock also however.

The dust is super easy to get off painted OSB. I would recommend semigloss for ease of cleaning though.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I don't want to rain on your parade but you're going to be attempting a huge project, using a ton of expensive hardwood, using moderately complex joinery techniques, without the benefit of experience, and expecting it to come out flawlessly? 

Good luck!

It sounds like you're taking a huge bite inn your first foray into woodworking, which for many is a recipe for frustration and disaster. 

I'm honestly not trying to be a bummer, but I'd suggest tackling some smaller, simpler projects before attempting a dining room table. 

As you build your shop you'll find opportunities abound for projects to build your skill set. There'll be outfeed tables to build, a work bench, maybe an assembly table.

There'll be tools that need things built to hang them on walls, jigs to build. Etc.etc. 

If you want to do a laminated dining room table (butcher block) try a couple cutting boards first. 

Myself - I had to learn to crawl before I could walk. 15 years later and I'm still constantly learning but I've developed s moderate skill set by making plans and executing on them, as also by making mistakes and recovering from them. 

Woodworking is a lifetime hobby. Don't be in a rush! Give yourself time to learn and room to make mistakes. 

 

Best of luck.

 

AJ

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On 6/5/2018 at 1:16 AM, curlyoak said:

"A woodworker is a shop keeper. Meaning we are constantly putting our tools back and cleaning. And cleaning. It never stops."

I so agree w everything in your post, but ESPECIALLY with the above quote. WW machines and hand tools are sophisticated machines that require constant upkeep and maintenance and tuning to give consistent results and good performance. There's not a week that goes by where I'm not cleaning, calibrating or sharpening something. I've come to enjoy these tasks too (some more than others) because the feeling of satisfaction of getting great results from a machine that's dialed in and working perfectly is almost up there with finishing a project that you're proud of.

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On ‎6‎/‎19‎/‎2018 at 8:44 AM, drzaius said:

I did my shop in OSB as well. I rented an airless sprayer from Home Depot & sprayed the whole thing with 2 coats of semigloss white in one evening. The OSB takes the paint fine. You can see the chip pattern, but it's not unsightly.

I highly recommend doing it. So much brighter

Now that I look back on it I think your right.    Im thinking my OSB didn't cover well because of the cheap paint I was using.

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I too had a 1-1/2 HP saw for many years and it was fine. It was a Jet contractor saw. When I got it I spent a couple of hours setting it up as perfectly as I could & it stayed that way for as long as I had it. Of course, after living with a 3 HP cabinet saw, I'd hate to have to go back

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6 minutes ago, drzaius said:

Of course, after living with a 3 HP cabinet saw, I'd hate to have to go back

A 3hp saw stop pro series is going to be my next major tool purchase, but this has to be carefully negotiated or my wife will use it to dispose of my corpse.

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