A lot that you said applies to the post oak workbench I just finished building this spring. Yes it took longer because everything was big - 11 two-inch by 4-1/4 inch by 72 plus inch laminations are heavy and big. And you are right, you can't starve a glue line with too much pressure on PVA glue (in my case Garrett Wade brown stuff). And I had more to clean up with a No. 8 but it still only took about 3 hours to get it flat to within about 1/32.
It's reassuring to see that I'm not the only one who struggles 😓 a little bit while pushing the hand plane on hard woods when I know for a fact that the blade is good and sharp. I thought it was just me and the way I was doing it, (like as if I was doing it incorrectly or something maybe.) But after watching a few of you're videos were you are hand planing, I see the struggle is real!💯 Thank you for another great video!😉
I’m also making a dining table with a built in gaming table vault. I also told my friend, “it’s gonna take a couple of weekends to finish.” I bought material last November, and it’s not done yet. Hopefully I’ll finish all the parts this weekend, and we will do glue up and apply finish next weekend.
That's a lot of work, but enjoyable. The wedge trick for the rip cut on the top is a great idea. I keep a penny and a dime in my work apron for the same application.
I think using handtools on big pieces can be a little intimidating. I really like this video because it really shows that it’s a rough cut then planing or plaining and scraping. Secondarily, I typically don’t work from plans but from ideas. What might be handy is to add the approximate time it takes “you” to do things. I could see it being impossible to estimate how long the average person might take… different levels of knowledge, different tools… but if you say the top took about 9 hours of build time for me. Then after a couple projects I could estimate how long it would take me. I do realize this may also be difficult because there is time spent in setting up shots for video and stuff.
A joy to watch. Actually the first video I saw from you. Curious to see which projects you usually do, if this is one a bit too big and cumbersome for your general liking.
I usually have 1-2 furniture projects in the shop. but I usually build one smaller item each week. a lot of tool builds and things for around the house and gifts. Tuesday we do live videos, Thursday we do a tool talk or joinery demonstration and Saturday is the build video.
I recently built a desk with a walnut slab top, and cherry slab legs, all live-edge. I used the cherry slabs BECAUSE they were identically cupped, which gave them a very pleasant, opposing curve once attached to the top, with blind tenons. This was a... difficult thing to achieve, since the top of the slabs were curved, so the tenons weren't in a straight line. I'm very curious how you would have chopped out the mortises for these to get a good tight fit. I didn't *quite* manage it.
Nice work 👍I really don't understand why you say that dowel makes the joint weaker? Because this is actually not a real joint, it is just clamping the long boards together and putting few dowels in between every clamping really helps with aligning the boards. I have made a similar work recently and I have used dowels while clamping the boards and the boards were around 180 cm, so I can not imagine aligning that long pieces without dowels.
I use the 36" HF clamps like that, and I don't spare the torque. I've not had any issues yet and they are a godsend at their price. Where else you gonna get 36" clamps at that price?
They may look the same but I bet those hand made red oak tables will be a lot better than the store bought ones. The red oak was a big surprise I even said white in my head and was like... did he just say red? 🤣
Is it easier to use the hand saw to rip those 8/4 slabs over the frame saw? Maybe the rip saw makes a cleaner cut and has a smaller kerf than a frame saw.
Are you not face planing those boards prior to edge jointing and glue up? Were they close enough to flat from the sawmill or do you do the face planing after glue up? Thanks!
They were fairly close from the mill as I ordered it all. S2S. But there was some small amount of work I just do afterwards. And with hand tools it's just as easy to do it after. It's all up as it is before. Plus, if there's any slight misalignment between the boards, it's just easy to hit it then with a plane.
Breadboard ends are great for outside uses or areas that we'll see high humidity changes. But in an air conditioned house they're not quite as usual. Also, I will be attaching it down to the skirt and legs and those will resist the warping. Most of the time breadboard ends are on a surface that isn't actually attached down. It's just floating or pinned in place. In other words, large outdoor tables or cutting boards. Other than that, it's just for aesthetics.
I know it's a great workout, and you enjoy sawing, but why didn't you just use a circular saw to rip the legs and tabletop? In this heat, it would save time and the risk of a heart attack! Loving the project!
This channel is all about teaching hand tool methods. If I use power tools then I am not fulfilling the channel. If I were not teaching about hand tools then a track saw for sure.
They are not exactly the same but Dieter Schmid sells "english style" clamp heads that you can use with a piece of wood. Andrea's workshop made a video about them on youtube a few years ago :)
Yep. The sash clamps are fairly common in Europe. And you can buy him a few places here. But the pen going through the middle is a bit of a pain as opposed to the outside connection like these.
I guess this is what they mean when they speak of sweat equity. It is good to know that it can be done! Thanks as always.
Without power tools there is much less dust to contend with, I am a fan of hand tools.
Good morning Wrights
A lot that you said applies to the post oak workbench I just finished building this spring. Yes it took longer because everything was big - 11 two-inch by 4-1/4 inch by 72 plus inch laminations are heavy and big. And you are right, you can't starve a glue line with too much pressure on PVA glue (in my case Garrett Wade brown stuff). And I had more to clean up with a No. 8 but it still only took about 3 hours to get it flat to within about 1/32.
Buck saw the trend!
i have to tell you james that your advice to do a 'dry glue up' is huge. very helpful doing that dry runn
It was nice to see the prep work. Looking forward to the assembly in party 2.
It's reassuring to see that I'm not the only one who struggles 😓 a little bit while pushing the hand plane on hard woods when I know for a fact that the blade is good and sharp. I thought it was just me and the way I was doing it, (like as if I was doing it incorrectly or something maybe.) But after watching a few of you're videos were you are hand planing, I see the struggle is real!💯 Thank you for another great video!😉
Yup. Most RUclipsrs only show the good passes. I try to show the unsuccessful passes. We are all human.
So very true 🥰
I’m also making a dining table with a built in gaming table vault. I also told my friend, “it’s gonna take a couple of weekends to finish.” I bought material last November, and it’s not done yet. Hopefully I’ll finish all the parts this weekend, and we will do glue up and apply finish next weekend.
Oh😢i thought i would be special. I was hoping to be the first to comment!!! Thank you James. You inspire greatly!
That's a lot of work, but enjoyable. The wedge trick for the rip cut on the top is a great idea. I keep a penny and a dime in my work apron for the same application.
With which you pay a small child to put their fingers in the kerf to hold the cut apart?
Fantastic work, James! 😃
I'm definitely looking forward to the next part!
Stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊
Oh wait...all it takes is a friend asking if you can? ❤️😂😂🤣
Mom’s are free, just need extended time.
Great work, James!
I think using handtools on big pieces can be a little intimidating. I really like this video because it really shows that it’s a rough cut then planing or plaining and scraping.
Secondarily, I typically don’t work from plans but from ideas. What might be handy is to add the approximate time it takes “you” to do things. I could see it being impossible to estimate how long the average person might take… different levels of knowledge, different tools… but if you say the top took about 9 hours of build time for me. Then after a couple projects I could estimate how long it would take me. I do realize this may also be difficult because there is time spent in setting up shots for video and stuff.
A joy to watch. Actually the first video I saw from you. Curious to see which projects you usually do, if this is one a bit too big and cumbersome for your general liking.
I usually have 1-2 furniture projects in the shop. but I usually build one smaller item each week. a lot of tool builds and things for around the house and gifts. Tuesday we do live videos, Thursday we do a tool talk or joinery demonstration and Saturday is the build video.
James, you need to build your shop!!!
I may end up doing that next summer.
I really enjoy these build videos James 😁
Looking forward to part 2!
Appreciate the video. Very informative.
thank you
I recently built a desk with a walnut slab top, and cherry slab legs, all live-edge. I used the cherry slabs BECAUSE they were identically cupped, which gave them a very pleasant, opposing curve once attached to the top, with blind tenons. This was a... difficult thing to achieve, since the top of the slabs were curved, so the tenons weren't in a straight line. I'm very curious how you would have chopped out the mortises for these to get a good tight fit. I didn't *quite* manage it.
Great video.
I suggested the HF clamp insert in the other video before I saw this one 😅
LIKE VIDEO... cheers from Tasmania
Nice work 👍I really don't understand why you say that dowel makes the joint weaker? Because this is actually not a real joint, it is just clamping the long boards together and putting few dowels in between every clamping really helps with aligning the boards.
I have made a similar work recently and I have used dowels while clamping the boards and the boards were around 180 cm, so I can not imagine aligning that long pieces without dowels.
I use the 36" HF clamps like that, and I don't spare the torque. I've not had any issues yet and they are a godsend at their price. Where else you gonna get 36" clamps at that price?
They may look the same but I bet those hand made red oak tables will be a lot better than the store bought ones. The red oak was a big surprise I even said white in my head and was like... did he just say red? 🤣
Groovy!
Hi James, what is make of the low angle jack you're using? You seem happy with it.
Thank you ;)
Do you add a small camber to your jointer plane? I have heard that this can make a messy joint.
I do not. I only camper the scrub planned in fore plain. Everything else is just a flat cut.
You need A/C in your shop: your shirt was soaked through at 3:47. Now I'll get to see all the things I did wrong on my various table builds.
I have AC. I keep the basement around 65f but I sweat like a pig no matter what.
Is it easier to use the hand saw to rip those 8/4 slabs over the frame saw? Maybe the rip saw makes a cleaner cut and has a smaller kerf than a frame saw.
I generally use the hand saw up to around 3" and after that go up to the frame saw. The teeth on the two are about the same.
Are you not face planing those boards prior to edge jointing and glue up? Were they close enough to flat from the sawmill or do you do the face planing after glue up? Thanks!
They were fairly close from the mill as I ordered it all. S2S. But there was some small amount of work I just do afterwards. And with hand tools it's just as easy to do it after. It's all up as it is before. Plus, if there's any slight misalignment between the boards, it's just easy to hit it then with a plane.
@@WoodByWrightHowTo Thanks! I am about to glue up some small panels myself for a hand tool only project, this really helps.
Why would or wouldn't you apply bread board ends to those table tops. For my education. Thanks
Breadboard ends are great for outside uses or areas that we'll see high humidity changes. But in an air conditioned house they're not quite as usual. Also, I will be attaching it down to the skirt and legs and those will resist the warping. Most of the time breadboard ends are on a surface that isn't actually attached down. It's just floating or pinned in place. In other words, large outdoor tables or cutting boards. Other than that, it's just for aesthetics.
Wait a minute. Luke is big as fuck. He looks like he can carry all that on his own lmfaoo
Your nuts and owe me a SQUIRREL TAIL PLANE!
Why do you like that tiny square so much? I have a 4, 6 and 8 inch square and I never use the four inch.
It is my most used square.
What is the open time on that glue?
It depends on a bunch of things but most the time I can get a good 30 minutes without any fear of it.
Small shop, but what’s the temperature. My garage temp gauge showed 102F
I am in the basement so fully air conditioned it is nice!
Luke is BEHIND the camera all the time? Well that's unfortunate for some people...
Luke's calves are all grown up, they're cows now.
I know it's a great workout, and you enjoy sawing, but why didn't you just use a circular saw to rip the legs and tabletop? In this heat, it would save time and the risk of a heart attack! Loving the project!
This channel is all about teaching hand tool methods. If I use power tools then I am not fulfilling the channel. If I were not teaching about hand tools then a track saw for sure.
@@WoodByWrightHowTo Good point, I didn't think about that!
They are not exactly the same but Dieter Schmid sells "english style" clamp heads that you can use with a piece of wood. Andrea's workshop made a video about them on youtube a few years ago :)
Yep. The sash clamps are fairly common in Europe. And you can buy him a few places here. But the pen going through the middle is a bit of a pain as opposed to the outside connection like these.
A bandsaw would make it go faster!
I got one awhile back and it’s taken out a lot of the grunt work
So true. I would probably use a track saw if I were hybrid.