# Question Of The Week... ( 2017 Week 23)



## ripjack13 (Jun 4, 2017)

*Is there anything you wish you could help woodworkers understand early on that took you a long time to discover?*







**Rules**
_BeeYoop BeeDeepBoom Weeop DEEpaEEy_*.*
Primates, woodticks and leprechauns are welcome to post an answer.
_DrruurRRP tanaNDuh,  WOOOAH twee-vwoop VRrrUHD DEda dah...._


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## Don Ratcliff (Jun 4, 2017)

Find as many people that you can to learn from. Take classes, find deals and above all don't listen to people named Tony...



Who let R2D2 pick the question dejour

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1 | Funny 3


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## Tony (Jun 4, 2017)

I would tell them to just try things. There was a lot of things that I wouldn't try because I thought I didn't have the skills to do them. If I had tried stuff, I would have been much farther along much faster. Tony

Reactions: Like 1


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## Mike1950 (Jun 4, 2017)

Gotten a lathe sooner- Makes keeping that part of shop clean so easy......

Reactions: Like 1 | Funny 10


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## Brink (Jun 4, 2017)

WB might say they will pay $ to go away, but they really won't

Reactions: Funny 4


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## Don Ratcliff (Jun 4, 2017)

Brink said:


> WB might say they will pay $ to go away, but they really won't


Looked at the new pic you have of yourself and that ain't mama'da Brink you're grabbing

Reactions: Agree 2


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## woodtickgreg (Jun 4, 2017)

THAT WOOD IS FREE!
You just have to look for it, it is everywhere. With a little sweat equity, usually very little, some very nice wood can be found, and not just pine! Wood for turners is very easy to find, listen for the chainsaws, watch the tree guys, look in free stuff on craigslist as there's always free firewood on there that can be used for turning. Flat workers, box makers, scroll sawyers, pallets are plentiful and usually hard wood,just gotta take em apart. And if you get to the point that you have a chainsaw mill your possibilities open up even more. Spend a $1,000 on a chainsaw mill and it will pay for itself in a couple of tree's worth of lumber and yield stuff that you can't get at home depot! You can usually get the butt logs for free as no one really wants to put the labor into cutting them up for firewood, the branches are easy, but not the trunk or main log.

All of the wood in these pictures was free!



Slabs of walnut, maple of all kinds, ash, elm, cherry, and wide boards in the thicknesses I want. All for free with a chainsaw mill and some sweat equity.



A truck load of black walnut mill rippings, all for free! Found it in the craigslist free stuff postings. 



All for free if you take the time to look.

Reactions: Like 7 | Great Post 1


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## Fsyxxx (Jun 4, 2017)

Turning isn't the hard part, learning to sharpen correctly is.

Reactions: Agree 5


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## Mike1950 (Jun 4, 2017)

Fsyxxx said:


> Turning isn't the hard part, learning to sharpen correctly is.



Well said and it applies to all processes using sharp tools.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Lou Currier (Jun 4, 2017)

Fingers through a planer blade are not replaceable.

Reactions: Agree 2 | Informative 1


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## Don Ratcliff (Jun 4, 2017)

woodtickgreg said:


> THAT WOOD IS FREE!
> You just have to look for it, it is everywhere. With a little sweat equity, usually very little, some very nice wood can be found, and not just pine! Wood for turners is very easy to find, listen for the chainsaws, watch the tree guys, look in free stuff on craigslist as there's always free firewood on there that can be used for turning. Flat workers, box makers, scroll sawyers, pallets are plentiful and usually hard wood,just gotta take em apart. And if you get to the point that you have a chainsaw mill your possibilities open up even more. Spend a $1,000 on a chainsaw mill and it will pay for itself in a couple of tree's worth of lumber and yield stuff that you can't get at home depot! You can usually get the butt logs for free as no one really wants to put the labor into cutting them up for firewood, the branches are easy, but not the trunk or main log.
> 
> All of the wood in these pictures was free!
> ...


You are like @Nature Man , wood filling a shop so there is no room to do anything with it...

Reactions: Agree 1 | Funny 3


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## Brink (Jun 4, 2017)

Don Ratcliff said:


> Looked at the new pic you have of yourself and that ain't mama'da Brink you're grabbing



Ahhh! Don't change the subject.

Besides, I like to give out hugs

Reactions: Funny 3 | +Karma 1 | Informative 2


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## Don Ratcliff (Jun 4, 2017)

Brink said:


> Ahhh! Don't change the subject.
> 
> Besides, I like to give out hugs


If that's a hug I'm not going to introduce you to Maya ever...

Reactions: Agree 1 | Funny 6


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## Tclem (Jun 4, 2017)

Yes. Please u seat and that I am the best. Don't question me. Don't debate me. Any question. Just ask me. I know everything.

Reactions: Funny 2 | Informative 1


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## Don Ratcliff (Jun 4, 2017)

Tclem said:


> Yes. Please u seat and that I am the best. Don't question me. Don't debate me. Any question. Just ask me. I know everything.


Oh great and powerful Oz, what does "please u seat and that I am the best" mean?

Reactions: Agree 3


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## Mike1950 (Jun 4, 2017)

Tclem said:


> Yes. Please u seat and that I am the best. Don't question me. Don't debate me. Any question. Just ask me. I know everything.



Ya left out the part about wearin a chamber pot!! Wise one- actually a better description would be smart a$$$$$$$$$$

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1 | Funny 1


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## Tony (Jun 4, 2017)

Don Ratcliff said:


> If that's a hug I'm not going to introduce you to Maya ever...



We all know you're hankering for a monkey hug, Stoopid Islander!

Reactions: Agree 1 | Funny 1


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## Tclem (Jun 4, 2017)

Don Ratcliff said:


> Oh great and powerful Oz, what does "please u seat and that I am the best" mean?


I don't remember what I was trying to say except that I wish I realized sooner that I am the best

Reactions: Funny 1


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## Tclem (Jun 4, 2017)

Mike1950 said:


> Ya left out the part about wearin a chamber pot!! Wise one- actually a better description would be smart a$$$$$$$$$$


Go bother somebody on Facebook. Lol

Reactions: Like 1 | Funny 1


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## Don Ratcliff (Jun 4, 2017)

Tony said:


> We all know you're hankering for a monkey hug, Stoopid Islander!


Monkey was busy relaxing and didn't want to meet..

Reactions: Agree 1 | Sincere 1


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## justallan (Jun 4, 2017)

I'd say any type of craftsmen/women are their own biggest critic, so always keep in mind that while your plans can at times can get waylaid, everything that is made is art and therefore there are no set specific numbers to go by, within reason or it's a special order.
Another thing, and possibly I am way off, but it seems that the general population is seeing less woodwork up for grabs. In my mind that helps the new guy out there to compete in the market. A guy can use the more affordable species of wood, make a nice product, charge reasonably and have a chance to expand with less start-up costs. Just the barnwood craze lately could give a guy a darned good place to start and get their foot in the door real easy. Where I live we have a couple craft fairs every year and "fast and simple" does sell. My point being, use what you have or can get cheap, learn what you're doing AND THEN decide which way to go with whatever you are doing.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1 | Great Post 3


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## rocky1 (Jun 4, 2017)

Mike1950 said:


> Gotten a lathe sooner- Makes keeping that part of shop clean so easy......



Radial arm saws have more surface area! That's why I refuse to buy one!! Don't want to have to dig it out every time I need to use it. 





ripjack13 said:


> *Is there anything you wish you could help woodworkers understand early on that took you a long time to discover?*




You can't understand it all overnight, it takes a long time and a lot of lumber to understand a lot of things in this game.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1


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## woodtickgreg (Jun 4, 2017)

Don Ratcliff said:


> You are like @Nature Man , wood filling a shop so there is no room to do anything with it...


That's not the shop, lol. Just the garage/kiln/storage/mechanical stuff/lawn tool storage area. The shop has slightly less, but still free wood.

Reactions: Like 2


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## Sprung (Jun 4, 2017)

It always pays to do some reading and study from reliable sources - and there's a lot of good, free material out there.

Tied in with that, avoid many of the DIY sites like Anna White, Shanty 2 Chic, etc. If you follow many of their plans, you're asking for trouble. For the most part they use construction lumber. Not bad in itself, but they don't factor in that the 2x4's you buy aren't really dry and drying them for a little while, even a couple weeks sticker stacked, before you build something you're bringing into the house can make a huge difference. Their designs also don't factor in wood movement. I have friends who have built tables and other items from such plans, or purchased items made from such plans, and then wondered why their furniture is cracked and twisted and in generally rough shape within 2 or 3 years. I also know someone who went and bought 8/4 oak from a mill to make a table with, using such plans. With how warped and cracked the table is, two things are evident: 1. Nothing was done to consider wood movement in either how it was planned or built. 2. He bought - and used - lumber from the mill that was pretty fresh cut and nowhere near dry.

Reactions: Great Post 1


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## Brink (Jun 4, 2017)

Don Ratcliff said:


> If that's a hug I'm not going to introduce you to Maya ever...



Guess that's why you skimmed the lower edge of Brinksylvania without stopping

Reactions: Like 1


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## Brink (Jun 4, 2017)

My mother would (and still does) avoid me, also

Reactions: Like 1 | Funny 1


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## rocky1 (Jun 4, 2017)




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## steve bellinger (Jun 4, 2017)

Lou Currier said:


> Fingers through a planer blade are not replaceable.


fingers through a table saw ain't ether

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Tony (Jun 4, 2017)

steve bellinger said:


> fingers through a table saw ain't ether



Or a circ saw. Don't ask how I know.....

Reactions: Agree 2


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## Don Ratcliff (Jun 4, 2017)

Tony said:


> Or a circ saw. Don't ask how I know.....

Reactions: Funny 5


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## Mike1950 (Jun 4, 2017)

Don Ratcliff said:


> View attachment 128891


Hey he was talking about tryin to lose some weight .....

Reactions: Funny 4


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## Tony (Jun 4, 2017)

I have pics if y'all want to see!


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## Don Ratcliff (Jun 4, 2017)

Tony said:


> I have pics if y'all want to see!

Reactions: Agree 2 | Funny 2


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## kweinert (Jun 4, 2017)

Go ahead and try something new. Unless you're going way out there all you can do is learn.

Do pay attention to safety information - once you have more experience you will know what your comfort level is and when it's OK to bend the rules.

Reactions: Like 2 | Agree 1 | Great Post 1


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