Woodworking Tip #9: Wedges for Hungarian Shelves

Judging from traffic (see Dec. 13, 2009 post) there is a fair amount of interest in "Hungarian shelves," and though this system is very simple to construct, the required wedges deserve some consideration.  I cut these oversize, about 4" in length, to make insertion and removal a cinch and to provide easy thickening by merely shortening at the pointy end.  Use a precision cutoff blade, and set the miter saw at one degree.  Cut the block of wood with the grain, of course, so that the point has square corners, and then flip the block over to make the next cut.  The resulting wedges will thus be 2 degrees, an excellent angle for locking the shelves in place.  Stock shown is 8/4 to correspond with the width of the vertical standard.  Little practice is required to make nearly identical wedges, but if they vary slightly it matters little.  When the wedges will show, such as in upper shelving, they would probably look best finished to match.  Nonetheless, they possess an aesthetic of their own worth displaying.  See also: Slot Height for Hungarian Shelves

See also our shop at:  www.flyingcircusstudios.etsy.com

Artisan at the Holidays

Artisans and artists live on a precarious edge, crumbled even further by the economic events of the past couple of years, and they make an act of faith by continuing their work rather than retreat to more solid ground.  The end of the year is an appropriate time to reflect upon one's patrons who make that life on the edge possible, even exciting, the anticipation of the next rabbit jumping out from behind a bush.   And they do.  I feel a deep appreciation for all my patrons, past and present, with whom I have hammered out all the details of commissions, getting things just right and special, and who make the life of an artisan a privileged position.  Also, a big thank you to the gal who is always there to hold "the other end of the board."  The best of the holiday season to you all!

Lean Thinking Tip #6: Fast Sharpening

I read an author in Fine Woodworking who said something to the effect that he did not get paid for sharpening his tools.  I quite disagree, as sharpening directly adds value to a wood piece as much as plugging in a power tool. Notwithstanding, sharpening should not be time-consuming.  I aim to achieve not an Olympic edge but one which will nicely peel a shaving cross grain on hardwood plywood after about a minute's sharpening.  First, I hollow grind on a 60 grit aluminum oxide wheel by passing the chisel right to left four times resting on a tool guide fixed to produce a 25 degree bevel.  Second, the chisel goes to an ever so flat piece of 400 grit wet/dry silicon carbide paper attached with spray adhesive to 1/2" plate glass.  Holding the chisel off the side of the workbench I polish the back alternating with pushing the cutting edge gently forward while resting on the two high points of the arc made by the grinding wheel.  This alternation is repeated three or four times (more is not better!), and the chisel is ready to add value.

Tool Tip #8: Easy Fill for Portable Tank

Portable air tanks are not only great for filling tires, but also supply compressed air for such impulse tools as brad nailers, making for quieter, more peaceful installations.  Typically they are designed to be filled with an air chuck through a standard valve stem shown here within the knurled red knob.  Much faster and easier, however, is using a double-ended male plug placed into the female quick couplers of both the compressor and the portable air tank.  Thus the tank is filled through it's outlet (make sure the air valve is on!).  If you're fast you can release both female quick couplers simultaneously, and the male plug assembly just falls away with no air loss from the tank.

Double Tier Microwave Cabinet

Vent Hood Enclosure

Woodworking Tip #8: Anti-Skid Miter Gauge

Coat a piece of 400 grit sandpaper with spray adhesive, stick it to your miter gauge(s) and trim the excess sandpaper off with a razor blade.  The sandpaper provides just the right amount of resistance to prevent the workpiece from slipping left or right and gives a surprising amount of security to your grip.  You won't even find yourself renewing this anti-skid mat very often as the sandpaper really does no sanding.

Craftsman Style Coffee Table

Coffee Table -- Drawer Detail

Coffee Table -- End Detail

Lean Thinking Tip #5: Second Story Office

Originally utilized to keep a laptop clear of the working surface on the "Apronless Shipping Tables" (see post Feb. 15, 2009) that I built for my son's business,  bikeshophub.com, I now use this modified CompX Ergonomx monitor mount as my second story office.  A slot under the specially made platform contains the current project folder, a tray contains pens, pencils, bike tire gauge, cell phone, tape measure, etc., another slot holds a pad, order cards, calculator, etc., ear protection hangs on the side and more.  The fully articulating arm can raise or lower in a 13" range as well as swing into any position or completely off the workbench.  Thus everything is quickly accessible without cluttering the work area.  A fully articulating magnifying halogen lamp unit completes this second story office, akin to the half story in Being John Malkovich.

Woodworking Tip #7: Doweling Jig Stability

Most doweling jigs, in this case a "Dowl-It," lack stability when resting on a narrow piece of wood, a typical end grain situation as in the photo.  To insure that the jig does not tilt in any direction and the drilled hole is perfectly perpendicular, I employ a device.  Just tighten the jig on the piece of wood, lower the wood into a vice until the jig evenly contacts the top surface of the vice and then tighten the vice onto the wood.  The jig is totally secure now despite being attached to a piece of wood with a quite narrow surface.

Corbel Shelf & Column Wraps

Bookcases & Rain Glass Cabinet

Woodworking Tip #6: Magazine Storage

This feature works extremely well in keeping bound magazines upright, parallel and straight rather than becoming a huge accordion.  A partition is added to the shelf, in this case set in its own groove and about 2/3 the width of the magazine. The thickness of the partition is equal to the difference between the magazine's thickness at the spine and  leaf edge, times the number of magazines between partitions.   Don't do the math.  Just stack some magazines and determine the right number by trial and error with a piece of the partition laying on the leaf edge.  Your collection will look beautiful, and the need for boxes is obviated.  The issues are easy to remove as well.

Tool Tip #7: Sleeves to Shoulders

In my penchant for quick access to tools, I've found the best way to place a small diameter tool or bit in pegboard is often just to stick it straight in.  This is made more feasible by the fact that the pegboard is mounted over 1.5" of high density foam which holds it shape well.  Doing "in and out" too much, however, erodes and enlarges the hole.   The solution is to create a shoulder for the hole with a sleeve, in this case a Knape & Vogt sleeve actually designed to receive a shelf support spoon with a .25" pin diameter.  Since the external diameter of the sleeve is greater than the diameter of the pegboard hole these sleeves fit nice and tight, providing permanent reinforcement.  Of course, using these sleeves for actual shelf supports provides durability, security and beauty.

Lean Thinking Tip #4: No Step, No Put

Few surfaces are more inviting to put down whatever is in your hands as the pristine, shiny table of a table saw.   Now take a look at this Airbus wing, perhaps click on the image to enlarge, and you will see two small placards stating: “NO STEP....”  Implied are dire results, even damage to the wing.  I’ve been thinking of printing placards, inspired by those "NO STEP" ones found on aircraft,  for all the nice flat tool beds, workbenches and seeming tables in my shop. They would state:  “NO PUT.”  Yes, because every time you do put some non-workpiece down on a work surface, damage does occur, damage to productivity, even safety.  I’ve actually found myself having to move a handful of objects stored on the tiny bed of the disc sander.  Just think, walking into your workspace:  every work surface free and ready to use. Wishful thinking!

The Purpose of this Blog

The primary purpose of the Flying Circus Studios Blog is to provide a flexible online portfolio of my work for potential customers, for past customers, whose work is shown, though anonymously, and for friends, family and the curious.  The task of converting nearly three decades of film images still lies before me.  Secondarily I use this Blog to share some of the tips and hints I've gleaned over the years both in reference to woodworking and aviation, sometimes even with analogy.  These currently fall in five categories:  Flying Hints, Tool Tips, Woodworking Tips, Lean Thinking Tips and Finishing Tips.  Using the Google "search this blog" tool one can view the text of all the entries in any one category (use the singular, e.g. Tool Tip).  My hope is that one of these might prove useful to you and that my readers share them with their like-minded compeers.

Tool Tip #6: Replacement Power Cord

Long and short, heavy gauge and light gauge, with ground and without ground describe the variety of extension cords I keep in my tool kit, but besides extending cords they have another useful function.  Should the power cord on most any power tool fail, an instant replacement is already on hand.  A soldering iron and sometimes crimp-on connectors can make this replacement quite professional.  Make sure, of course, that the wire gauge of the extension cord matches or exceeds the cord on the tool and that the number of conductors is the same.  Generally you'll be surprised how high the cord's gauge on the tool is.  Four advantages here:  1)  You fixed the tool at a fraction of the price you'd pay for a "real" power cord;  2)  You may now have a bright safety orange cord instead of plain old black;  3) You can have a cord of any length you like;   4)   You've saved a trip, and the job can plunge ahead.

Factory Mods

Factory Mods

Flying Hint #4: Infrequent Flyer

Notwithstanding a fair amount of gratuitous pitch, yaw and roll, I have never had a flight student who could not maneuver an aircraft from point A to point B.  Here's the rub:  enter herein, take a seat and takeoff  (a fairly easy operation); you're now faced with landing the aircraft.  Landing requires not only training and experience but also practice, recency and currency.  FAR 61.57 (Federal Aviation Regulation) requires three takeoffs and three landing within the preceding 90 days in order to carry passengers.  For someone like myself, who doesn't get to fly nearly as often as desired, I've reduced  that minimum to 30 days, which more clearly aligns with the upper flat part of the landing sharpness curve.

Lean Thinking Tip #3: The 180 Degree Turn

Upon encountering instrument or adverse weather conditions a VFR (visual flight rules) pilot is supposed to execute the “180° turn,” i.e. turn back to better weather.  This simple maneuver can be a real lifesaver.  In the shop I execute the 180° turn as a real time saver.  Directly across a 4' aisle from my 8' long workbench is a large pegboard panel, also 8' long, as well as 8' high.  A half turn and within arm’s reach lie about 90% of the hand tools, jigs, bits, materials, supplies, etc. that I use every day, each appropriately mounted, each easy to find and each easily returned back to a safe port.  (Thoughts about small power tool storage in a future post.)

Low and Fast Approach

"Copper Collage" Trivet

Tool Tip #5: Magnets in Molded Plastic Cases

Once upon a time all tool cases were metal, but with the advent of molded plastic cases I had to adapt this little magnetic storage trick.  Now I attach the magnet to the case using epoxy, but it still functions well as a handy storage "tray" for a myriad of blades, bits, wrenches, keys, drivers or whatever is needed for the particular tool in hand or in case, as it were.

Tool Tip #4: Extension Cord Hair Band

A really quick and easy way to cinch an extension cord for storage is to wrap the center with a cross section of car inner tube looped through itself.  Mine are cut with pinking shears, and the little teeth provide even better "locking."  Car inner tubes are harder to find these days, but just one from your local tire dealer or flea market will produce numerous handy giant rubber bands for this and lots of other binding purposes.

Woodworking Tip #5: Velcro's New Coat

When the good guys at Woodworker's Supply offered to send me a sampler of their Black-Max ceramic sanding discs, it was a no-brainer to accept.  Thing was I received 5" PSA discs, but my sander pad is hook and loop.  The adaptation was as easy as first attaching a disc of real fine 320 grit H&L sandpaper, then sticking the new PSA Black-Max disc to it.  This worked even better after some of the grit got peeled off by the adhesive.  Thing was too I was working on a deck instead of furniture, but the Black-Max ate through beams and balusters like there was no tomorrow.

Staggered Display Shelves

Woodworking Tip #4: Level Biscuits

Should a biscuit slot not be exactly at right angles to the surface, the desired alignment of the pieces is inevitably thrown off.  Yet often cutting the slot cannot be accomplished easily with the fixed shoe of the joiner on a flat surface.  I solved this problem by gluing a line level on the base of my DeWalt Plate Joiner.  With the workpiece plumb, of course, centering the bubble on the line level gives you a slot cut perfectly perpendicular to the surface without depending entirely on the fence.  This is especially helpful in cutting the slots on, say, the edging piece to a countertop or such.

Woodworking Tip #3: Old Sole Eraser

This seems especially apropos on the day news broke of the oldest shoe ever found, in Armenia.  So earlier this week when my work boot began running off at the mouth I knew this old shoe now had new purpose.  The soft soles of work boots make great "erasers" to clean sanding belts and discs, though you will find that the most any other "rubber" bottomed shoe sole will do the trick too. The shoe pictured is not 5500 years old, but it was just replaced by a lesser old shoe.

Lean Thinking Tip #2: Plague of Cheap Tools

Cheap, frequently used tools should be plentiful and everywhere, never items for which you have to look.  I used to think a work apron would keep such things handy, but inevitably they would be used and left wherever.  Invest in some extras of your favorites and scatter them like a plague around your workshop.  You'll never have to search again.  One note:  if you use multiple measuring tools do check that they are calibrated to one another.

Lift Accessible Day Bed (10+ years usage)

"Wall of Stars" Donor Plaque at NAU Observatory

Tool Tip #3: Power from Above

Not countable the number of times that I would be working midstream against the vast 16' expanse of my Wayne Dalton garage door and need to plug in a power tool.  That would require obtaining and running an extension cord out to one of the walls.  No more.  Now when the door is lowered I have power from above, a permanent 3-outlet extension cord attached to the door with nylon cable clamps and plugged into a receptacle at the side of the door.  This cord can be draped to follow and clear the door movement or plugged in and removed as needed.  Hardly a day goes by that it is, indeed,  needed.

Lean Thinking Tip #1: Handle Plywood Once

In the past some of the various strategies I’ve used for handling sheet goods in a small shop included cutting in half lengthwise and stacking on shelves, piling vertically against a wall, inserting in a “vertical file,” etc.  No matter, a stored sheet is a thief of time, a hog of space.  Now I schedule all the cuts and piece sizes before the plywood arrives.  When it comes off the truck it goes directly onto the tablesaw and is cut before the next sheet comes off the truck.  A roller stand is located between the truck bed and tablesaw to make this aspect of materials handling even easier. 

Tool Tip #2: Nuts over Tangs

Turned wooden handles are fine for large files and rasps or for those used frequently, but they are quite bulky and what about protecting the tangs of all the other myriad files in your collection?  Wire connectors (wire nuts) make perfect sheaths to save your palm or tool bag from the sharply cut edges.  Wire connectors come in several color-coded sizes.  So it's easy to find one that will tighten snugly over the end of most any file or rasp.

Medicine Cabinet & Shelf Unit

Tool Tip #1: Block Tenderizing

Did you ever rubberize a raw egg back in elementary school science by soaking it in vinegar?  Vinegar works well to rubberize rubber too.  So if you have some quarter-sheet sanding blocks with stiff upper lips that refuse to open enough to admit and latch the paper easily onto the nails, try this:  completely immerse the block(s) in fresh vinegar for ten days or so.  Unless the block is really more plastic than rubber it should emerge fresh and flexible as the day you bought it.  The bottom now might even flex to concave during paper installation, insuring a nice taut sanding surface.

Historic Louvre Reproductions at Grand Canyon National Park (in the 4 gables)

Historic Louvre Reproductions for Grand Canyon National Park

Finishing Tip #2: Fly Paper

Double-stick tape makes a great "fly paper" to prevent small parts from taking off when spraying, especially in the stronger slipstream of a spray gun.  Pictured here are the fillets used in both the shoe rail and railing of the Feb. 1, 2009 Stairwell posting.  The double-stick tape is most helpful when spraying the smallest of items such as buttons, plugs, washers, knobs, etc.

Flying Hint #3: Pocket Board

Probably an APP exists for putting the local ATIS on the screen of your cell, but my little pocket board is the next best thing.  Just a small pad secured with binder clips, the pocket board provides a compact, tear-off surface to write down the ATIS, and the other side has two looseleaf binder sleeves to insert local and destination frequencies.  Clipboards, knee boards, yoke boards always seemed distracting, cumbersome and now obviated by glass panels, but for short-hop flying the pocket board works great. And remember:  after listening to the Automatic Terminal Information Service, don't tell the controller that you "have numbers."

Finishing Tip #1: No-Clean Paint "Tray"

Not unusually doing a job right requires more time.   Such is the case with paint finishes where rolling inevitably produces a superior surface texture to brushing, but yet for small jobs setting up and cleaning a roller tray seems daunting.  Instead, just spread out a section of waxed paper, dip the roller slightly into the paint can, and roll out the paint on the waxed paper, adding more as needed.  There you go, a uniformly coated roller ready to use, no tray to clean up and, if you use a foam roller, a tool easier to clean than a brush.

Residential Spiral Staircase (Construction Phase)

Woodworking Tip #2: Corner Cut Outs

The corner cut outs in the floor and ceiling of the recently posted Illuminated Display/Trophy Case had to be identical and precise.  This was achieved by vertically clamping the piece to the back of a single-slot sled, moving away from the fence with a spacer block (to clear the waste piece), and passing through the blade, which was set at the required height.  Thus both the height and the width of the cut out were accomplished simultaneously.  The photo does, however, have a minor error.  What is it?

Tambour Light Valence

Craftsman Computer Desk

Craftsman Computer Desk (Detail)