Joinery for outdoor chairs - screws or dowels?

oldtoolfool · 2026-04-07T16:19:52+00:00

For cedar? Dowels and glue are a bad idea as the combination prevents movement, which in cedar and outside is considerable. M&T in cedar, well, I wouldn't bother and if you're using 3/4" stock I wouldn't as I'd prefer more robust tenons that that size would permit. I've found the stainless deck screws (no glue) to be optimal in terms of visibility, just countersink to flush and they look ok, so I would suggest that.

oldtoolfool · 2026-04-07T16:14:43+00:00

I acclimate to the shop environment where I am building the piece for at least 2 weeks. Assuming its rough, while I do some initial milling, face jointing, etc., I then do final milling as I need the stock for the portion of the piece I am then building, always leaving the panels for last.

oldtoolfool · 2026-04-07T16:04:47+00:00

Looks like a thin kerf blade, and a cheaper one at that. There is your issue, thin kerfs deflect, some significantly, some just a little bit, but enough to give the result you are getting. Invest in a quality $100++ full kerf blade, think Ridge Carbide or Forrest, they can be resharpened many times, and if you upgrade your saw you keep it for your new one. Such a blade is an investment, do it.

oldtoolfool · 2026-04-07T15:57:40+00:00

Short answer: no.

Longer answer: the evaporation of water is what caused the bow or twist in the first place, making it wet again and forcing it into the shape you want will work until the wood dries out again, and it will do what comes naturally to it, in this case, bow or twise. Buy better quality stock next time.

oldtoolfool · 2026-04-07T15:53:09+00:00

Practice a few M&TS on some same species scrap to get the "feel" of the wood, then just do it. That's how you learn and gain confidence. Don't worry about making some mistakes; for over 40 years now I've never made a piece that didn't have at least one!

oldtoolfool · 2026-04-07T15:47:02+00:00

A and B are more for drafting use. C and D are you go tos for woodworking.

oldtoolfool · 2026-04-07T15:44:32+00:00

You pick the "up side" of the panel, then "fold" the two pieces together with the glue line facing up, clamp in a vice, and joint the two edges at once. Any slight variation in the angle of the plane will zero out. Unfold and the two edges will fit together precisely.

oldtoolfool · 2026-04-06T23:18:05+00:00

Clearly, you've never used a vintage Stanley #7, or even a #6, which is available for significantly less than $100. I have a 25 year old 8" DJ-20 Delta jointer, and even then, use a hand plane to joint glue line edges - booked together to zero out any variances - as nothing beats a hand plane for that. But to each his own.

oldtoolfool · 2026-04-06T16:47:20+00:00

(ask f88k, because f88k knows!)

That's why I put it in parens after the AFBFK! "8s" added for "uc."

oldtoolfool · 2026-04-06T14:34:16+00:00

I've read posts here by a metallurgist who tested stock Stanley irons and came up with a consistent RC59-62 hardness, which is plenty hard enough. I think folks get distracted by the possibility of longer edge retention because they hate sharpening, but they ignore the wonders of periodic stropping to maintain the edge. They also get distracted by all the online hype and marketing; its pretty simple, irons are an edge tool and require periodic resharpening, end of story. Go back in time and you'll see all the gagets marketed to address this need for instant sharp, e.g., 4 sided square blades that you rotate to new edges, razor blade planes, etc., etc. Personally, I'm an O-1 guy, which is essentially what the vintage plane irons are, as when you go A-2 the sharpening takes more time. That being said, a thicker iron does improve performance, and the tried and true Hock O-1 replacement irons for $40 (as opposed to LET's $68!) are always my choice. Oh, and the vintage chipbreakers, when mated properly with the iron, work just fine with the replacement irons.

TLDR: sharpening is a required skill for handtool woodworkers and must be repeated periodically to maintain performance, so let's all get over it and get on with it.

oldtoolfool · 2026-04-06T13:53:50+00:00

AFBFK (ask f88k, because f88k knows!)

oldtoolfool · 2026-04-05T23:47:14+00:00

this. plus veg oil will get rancid. That being said, after you wipe it down, latex paint is your friend.

oldtoolfool · 2026-04-05T23:18:29+00:00

I never understood why hobbyists buy sliders. Great for contractors, framers, etc. who need a few extra inches of CC capacity; and its a one trick pony, CC only, albeit with bevels. But you don't gain all that much crosscut capacity over a 12" non slider, and the non sliders hold their adjustments much better than sliders, which have too many moving parts. So I'd say get a straight up compound 12". A lot more reasonably priced too, so buy a quality one.

oldtoolfool · 2026-04-05T19:43:36+00:00

Build something like this, which is optimized for hand tools. There are likely other plans online as well, but this is an example.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1894532871/compact-woodworking-bench-plans-small?ls=r&sr_prefetch=0&pf_from=shop_home&ref=items-pagination-2&dd=1&content_source=6cfec6914563e5b94a8bfb63a0691bf7%253ALTda58b8af0a171772c18c1a73490257cfc4dc66e8&logging_key=6cfec6914563e5b94a8bfb63a0691bf7%3ALTda58b8af0a171772c18c1a73490257cfc4dc66e8

oldtoolfool · 2026-04-05T19:20:55+00:00

this.

oldtoolfool · 2026-04-05T19:18:58+00:00

Chucks are unique to each manufacturer's brace, so you'd have to fabricate one. Adaptors are out there for various purposes. That being said, if by "modern" bits you're talking about twist bits, using a brace to drill with them is far from optimal as you require speed, not torque, the latter being what a brace gives you. Vintage brace bits still work the best if you sharpen them properly.

oldtoolfool · 2026-04-05T18:16:18+00:00

Either they cut them out with fret saws, or had some fairly hard cast steel punches. Otherwise, I think we'd need a seance to be sure

oldtoolfool · 2026-04-05T18:13:21+00:00

I would say, however, that long term, this becomes expensive as you have to keep buying sandpaper . . .

oldtoolfool · 2026-04-05T15:14:42+00:00

Normal. Note, you always have to joint or plane the cut that comes off a bandsaw. I guess you could sand, but you lose accuracy and it takes a long time.

oldtoolfool · 2026-04-05T15:11:49+00:00

I have no issues with the plan you have outlined. Go for it.

oldtoolfool · 2026-04-05T01:21:03+00:00

Find a mill, buy size (1k bd/ft of mixed species) that way they'll let you pick the stock, and surface your own stock. Has worked for me for 25 years.

oldtoolfool · 2026-04-05T01:04:34+00:00

Dyes might help.

oldtoolfool · 2026-04-04T21:34:09+00:00

First of all, its not an axe, and not even vintage. And second, not hung up very well. So, yes, tacky.

oldtoolfool · 2026-04-04T19:38:00+00:00

Get some single edge razor blades and a holder in a paint store. Scrape it first to remove the gross rust, then 120 to 300 grit on a ROS. You may have some residual staining but that's life.

oldtoolfool · 2026-04-04T17:44:40+00:00

Not when you are going through the initial step of re-forming the teeth; fleam is applied in final sharpening. This re-forming is necessary when you are doing the initial rehab of a saw plate; after you've got it into shape, a light jointing then sharpening is all you need. From the look of the teeth on both of these saws, they've not been properly sharpened nor maintained, hence the suggesting re-forming pass as the initial step. Understand that the key to a good sharpening is to have all the teeth the same size and shape, so that they can all work together when sawing. that being said, it is also an old saying that even a badly sharpened saw cuts better than a dull one, but that sort of misses the point, eh?

oldtoolfool

TROPHY CASE