{"id":649,"date":"2010-02-18T22:21:37","date_gmt":"2010-02-19T03:21:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.rpwoodwork.com\/blog\/?p=649"},"modified":"2013-04-19T23:32:17","modified_gmt":"2013-04-20T04:32:17","slug":"9-more-simple-shop-tips-and-conveniences","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rpwoodwork.com\/blog\/2010\/02\/18\/9-more-simple-shop-tips-and-conveniences\/","title":{"rendered":"9 More simple shop tips and conveniences"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s more. Looking over my shoulder . . .<\/p>\n

Three for the brain:<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/strong><\/p>\n

1. Blue tape reminder not to move a gauge setting. <\/strong>I often like to preserve the setting on a layout gauge until I must change it for another purpose, or at least until I\u2019m positive I won\u2019t need it again. This avoids clearing the setting, only to later find that it is needed for one more piece, such as a remake of a part that\u00a0I goofed up<\/a>.<\/p>\n

2. Sharpening<\/a> “recipe” written for each tool.<\/strong> Each tool has its own\u00a0characteristics and purposes from which evolve the best grinding and honing angles<\/a>. Experience with a tool may indicate changes in the optimal angles. I keep a recipe sheet of angles<\/strong> for my tools at my sharpening station to save time and confusion.<\/p>\n

3. Date glues and finishes when they arrive in the shop. <\/strong>I do this routinely, with a Sharpie marker, to avoid guessing<\/strong> the age of a product when I later go to use it and wonder if its shelf life is over.<\/p>\n

<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Three for the body:<\/em><\/p>\n

4. Adjustable-height chair<\/a>\/stool.<\/strong> I\u2019m fine being upright if my feet are moving but I don\u2019t like standing for long periods. This compact folding chair<\/a> gives me relief. I don\u2019t do most woodworking sitting down but there is no\u00a0need to use\u00a0my standing endurance for things like chopping dovetails or\u00a0cleaning pitch from a router bit. The adjustable height comes in handy more often than I would have guessed.<\/p>\n

5. Shoes for the shop.<\/strong> Sturdy shoes, such as my low-cut hiking shoes, give me more standing stamina<\/strong> and a better grip<\/strong> on the floor for tasks such as planing, especially as the floor accumulates sawdust and shavings. I run in running shoes but avoid woodworking in them.<\/p>\n

6. Wood floor!<\/strong> Many years in my old shop with a concrete floor made me hunger for a wood floor when I set up my current shop seven years ago. The concrete was tiring and not kind to dropped tools. I installed this “floating” wood floor over a concrete slab<\/strong>. After ensuring there was no moisture problem, I leveled the concrete with compound, laid a polyethylene moisture barrier, a thin foam pad, and then the wide-strip, pre-finished red oak flooring. It is not nailed or glued down. There have been no problems rolling\u00a0a 600 pound table saw and other heavy machinery<\/a>. A less glossy finish would have been better, so I am considering dulling this floor a bit by sanding it.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Three for the wood:<\/em><\/p>\n

7.\u00a0Supply of sticks readily available for storing boards.<\/strong> Newly purchased wood is stickered to allow good air flow so its moisture content can equilibrate to the shop environment<\/strong>. It is also important is to similarly store\u00a0a part\u00a0that\u00a0has been dressed for a project<\/strong> rather than sitting it on a pile or bench\u00a0leaving only one side exposed.<\/p>\n

8.\u00a0Date and note the moisture content of wood as soon as it arrives in the shop.<\/strong> This allows me to monitor changes and avoid guessing when the wood has equilibrated.<\/p>\n

9. Consider end coating new wood.<\/strong> If the moisture content of the newly arrived wood is very different from the anticipated equilibrium MC, I coat the end grain with a wax emulsion<\/a>. This prevents a\u00a0too-rapid change in MC at the ends of the boards via the end grain pores, and thus possible checking.<\/p>\n

Good luck with your current or future projects!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Here\u2019s more. Looking over my shoulder . . . Three for the brain: 1. Blue tape reminder not to move a gauge setting. I often like to preserve the setting on a layout gauge until I must change it for another purpose, or at least until I\u2019m positive I won\u2019t need it again. This avoids […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[24],"class_list":["post-649","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-tools-and-shop","tag-quick-tips"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rpwoodwork.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/649","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rpwoodwork.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rpwoodwork.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rpwoodwork.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rpwoodwork.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=649"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.rpwoodwork.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/649\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2317,"href":"https:\/\/www.rpwoodwork.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/649\/revisions\/2317"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rpwoodwork.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=649"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rpwoodwork.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=649"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rpwoodwork.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=649"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}