Don Nethercott
5th August 2006, 10:21 PM
Thought I might start a new thread on Hints and Tips. Apart frpm a few like Tony Ward, we are all struggling and any help we can give one another is always appreciated.
Here are a couple I have come across (I'm not claiming credit for most of these either!)
As Tony said in another thread, glue your runners on with Super Glue. I suggest you use Loctite 401. It costs about $20 but will last for ages without going hard as you keep it in the fridge (when you buy it make sure they have kept it in the fridge). To use, just take from the fridge, pour (yes pour, you don't have to squeeze so BE CAREFUL). Then put back in the fridge. No glued on tops ever again.
Use a piece of timber the same as the box timber, but make it thicker than you need, then plane down to a good fit with a block plane.
A couple of sanding ideas -
Wrap a strip of sandpaper around a piece of dowel, tape at both ends, and stick in the lathe. Great for sanding curved surfaces (with the lathe on - watch that the flap goes in the correct direction or else big mess)
Glue a piece of sandpaper to a flat stick including both sides (ie 2" x 1"). I find it very very useful for sanding small areas flat.
Tape a whole piece of sandpaper to a solid piece of ply or yellow tongue, attach the timber to the bench firmly (ie with nails) and you have a good flat surface for sanding backs of boxes, or either side of a bandsaw cut to get them flat.
Most people tend to glue handles on the front of their box drawers, but a few (particularly Australian, ie Tony Ward and Alan Williams) actually carve the handle into the font of the drawer. To do this you need to cut your drawer front quite thick (ie 10-15mm). Then carve with a carving tool and/or a Kutzall ( a silicon carbide burr that fits into the Dremel - see the adds in some issues of Australian Woodworker). Boy does this make life easy, so long as you control it or you will have a bigger hole than you bargained for. Then you can finish off with other dremel style tools such as sanding cylinders, etc. Big W etc have this little kit (red with clear cover) for about $30 with heaps of little tools in it.
Have fun
Don
Here are a couple I have come across (I'm not claiming credit for most of these either!)
As Tony said in another thread, glue your runners on with Super Glue. I suggest you use Loctite 401. It costs about $20 but will last for ages without going hard as you keep it in the fridge (when you buy it make sure they have kept it in the fridge). To use, just take from the fridge, pour (yes pour, you don't have to squeeze so BE CAREFUL). Then put back in the fridge. No glued on tops ever again.
Use a piece of timber the same as the box timber, but make it thicker than you need, then plane down to a good fit with a block plane.
A couple of sanding ideas -
Wrap a strip of sandpaper around a piece of dowel, tape at both ends, and stick in the lathe. Great for sanding curved surfaces (with the lathe on - watch that the flap goes in the correct direction or else big mess)
Glue a piece of sandpaper to a flat stick including both sides (ie 2" x 1"). I find it very very useful for sanding small areas flat.
Tape a whole piece of sandpaper to a solid piece of ply or yellow tongue, attach the timber to the bench firmly (ie with nails) and you have a good flat surface for sanding backs of boxes, or either side of a bandsaw cut to get them flat.
Most people tend to glue handles on the front of their box drawers, but a few (particularly Australian, ie Tony Ward and Alan Williams) actually carve the handle into the font of the drawer. To do this you need to cut your drawer front quite thick (ie 10-15mm). Then carve with a carving tool and/or a Kutzall ( a silicon carbide burr that fits into the Dremel - see the adds in some issues of Australian Woodworker). Boy does this make life easy, so long as you control it or you will have a bigger hole than you bargained for. Then you can finish off with other dremel style tools such as sanding cylinders, etc. Big W etc have this little kit (red with clear cover) for about $30 with heaps of little tools in it.
Have fun
Don