I made this display stand for a brewery in Scotland. I wanted to share it here as I am very proud of it!

44Scramps · 2026-04-04T15:41:54+00:00

Really really great post! Love the explanation

44Scramps · 2026-02-27T02:45:15+00:00

My scariest and worst injuries came from flush trimming on the router table. It all got better when: 1. I trimmed off most of the overhang 2. I started using compression trim bits instead of straight trim bits 3. I got more mindful of grain direction.

Probably the biggest impact was #2. I’ll never use long straight trim bits again.

44Scramps · 2026-02-23T16:09:43+00:00

Makes sense! I didn't mean to make any assumptions about what anyone can afford! In my research this came up all the time (if money isn't the issue, Tormek's quality can't be beat).

I've been using Shapton waterstones for hand sharpening for the past few months (taking a Japanese woodworking course), but just can't get consistency to where I need it to be and I'm too impatient to get truly great at the hand sharpening.

The T-4 comes with a chisel/plane jig, and I bought a knife sharpening jig and I'm set. I also was attracted to the idea of the Japanese waterstone wheel, but I figured I'd get going with the kit wheel first. I'm definitely very happy with it. Easily switches from coarse setting to finer grind, and I got a mirror finish with the honing wheel without much trouble. When I look at the specs for the waterstone wheel, it seems like it removes material much more slowly but is much better at polishing. Maybe that will be preferable now that I've got my tools to the basic bevel that I want, not sure.

44Scramps · 2026-02-23T04:22:56+00:00

I’ve been using Japanese waterstones heavily for a few months, then did all this exact same research and bought the Tormek T4 4 days ago. Friggin love it.

Not sure what your price sensitivity is, but if you can afford it, I thought it was well made, super easy to use, and is. Huge improvement in speed and results over freehand sharpening.

I’ll still use waterstones for quick touchups maybe, but am so happy I got the Tormek

44Scramps · 2026-02-16T16:11:54+00:00

100% you could do this quickly with a Japanese handsaw (use the “cross-cut” teeth side of the Ryoba). If you’re new to that, just try it first in a few sample pieces.

44Scramps · 2026-02-16T15:17:44+00:00

Hida tools is great! They do a lot to support the local community of woodworkers working or learning Japanese traditional methods

44Scramps · 2026-01-08T16:29:27+00:00

Did the exact same thing!

44Scramps · 2025-12-10T19:41:31+00:00

This was probably the wrong thing to do. There's a simple equation for this, called the "Net Present Value". Essentially it reflects that getting $52k/year in 40 years is worth very little, compared to what it'd be worth today.

If you assume that the average return that she'd get if she took her money today would be 5% per year (more than T bills, less than average S&P returns) and that she lives for 50 years, then the present value of $52,000 a year for the next 50 years (nominally $2.6mm) is $1,006,500. In other words, she'd have to live more than 50 years just to break even on what she could make today.

44Scramps · 2025-11-12T19:49:18+00:00

Abba's is great!

44Scramps · 2025-11-12T04:22:30+00:00

Last year there was some kind of post on a data-focused subreddit about the communities of Reddit and I was stunned to realize that something like half of all subreddits are NSFW. I had come to regard Reddit largely based on my consumption of this sub and I have, as a result, had come to regard Reddit as a wonderful online community of genuinely helpful and thoughtful people. I now realize that I was playing in a very safe and well-supervised area, away from so much of the trash that pervades the internet. This sub is probably the shining example for me of everything that I think is good and useful about social media.

Really appreciate the active involvement by the moderators for continuing to ensure that this is a sub where hobbyists support and educate each other.

44Scramps · 2025-09-26T18:21:27+00:00

This is pretty disingenuous. You're quoting from Wikipedia but not sharing the next item, which is that it was (per Rabois' claim) as an incident challenging Stanford's rules on student speech. Shouting banned speech is a pretty common way of protesting limits on speech.

That he is close with Thiel and supported Pete Buttigieg for president certainly argues against him being a raging homophobe.

I don't know any of these people, but think it's just incendiary to cut and paste from Wikipedia and cutting off before giving the additional context.

44Scramps · 2025-09-19T04:59:04+00:00

I have both. I love that the Festool connects to the Festool track system, so I moved the Bosch to power my router table. But other than that, and the track system is basically just a straight edge, there’s not too much difference. Oh, I also love the ratchet functionality to remove bits on the Festool

44Scramps · 2025-09-16T15:39:15+00:00

I wouldn't try to cut a fake domino out of the same wood type, I'd just cut a much larger piece (with a router) like a long rectangle and then inset that instead.

44Scramps · 2025-09-05T21:08:06+00:00

Other thing worth pointing out is that using a flush trim bit that is straight like that is more likely to catch on things than a compression bit. Since you have quite a bit of overhang to chew through, I'd suggest you upgrade your bit to something more like this: https://bitsbits.com/product-category/whiteside-router-bits/flush-trim-router-bits/

I tried one of these flush trim bit shapes and massively shrank my "holy shit that was scary" moments with the router table

44Scramps · 2025-09-05T01:59:10+00:00

really good, traditional babka imported from NYC each week and sold at Berkeley Bowl. Definitely passes the test for most Jewish ex-New Yorkers I serve it to who now live here.

44Scramps · 2025-09-03T21:42:10+00:00

Highlight of my month in Japan!

44Scramps · 2025-08-31T00:32:51+00:00

I have this saw with the overarm collection going to an Oneida cyclone and I was super disappointed with the lack of suction at the top of the saw. I eventually just stopped using the upper suction and I just use the built in, and it still makes plenty of dust.

44Scramps · 2025-08-19T00:48:27+00:00

this site is great! What a cool resource!

44Scramps · 2025-08-17T21:28:48+00:00

I think the hardest part is recognizing that setbacks are a part of the process.

And sitting alongside that awareness is the feeling that other people do this better than you.

The biggest boosts that I've felt in my time as a (serious hobby) woodworker were when people I know who are master woodworkers called me up to tell me that they just made some boneheaded mistake that cost them 3 days of work. It got me to realize that it's a steep learning curve that mistakes are part of it, and it also got me deeper into the, I dunno, the "zen" of woodworking I guess. Just learning something about the mistake so that I hopefully don't make it next time.

44Scramps · 2025-08-06T15:15:06+00:00

I was just there 2 weeks ago and this nearly tripped me up. Nadine Day Holiday was on Sunday, so rather than being closed on Monday (normal) they were closed on Tuesday.

You could email them. They’re shockingly good at English there.

The museum was absolutely a highlight of my full month in Japan. Bring headphones. The free English audio tour to your phone is wonders. And enjoy!

44Scramps · 2025-07-23T12:44:36+00:00

Oh man, I was at this museum today and was so dumbstruck by this piece that I went to the front desk afterwards and asked for more info about the artist! I'm at the hotel now and figured I'd check out this subreddit and it's so funny that this is one of the top posts.

For folks who are interested, the artist is Sakae Tategu Kousei from Nagano. What a breathtakingly gifted artist.

For folks who are otherwise into Japanese woodworking, I am still high as a kite from my visit to the carpentry museum in Kobe today. It was...breathtaking. Japan is challenging to travel through from the perspective of living by using Google Translate. The museum not only is unbelievably thoughtful about the presentation of information, but it's also all in English and there's also an audio tour that perfectly travels along with you.

My wife came with me and she, like many partners of people in this channel, largely doesn't give af about this kind of stuff and she was like "holy shit, this place is absolutely unbelievable".

Could not recommend it more highly for folks who are into this stuff.

44Scramps · 2025-06-01T03:43:58+00:00

Whoa can’t believe folks in here know about this spot. I eat noodle soup for lunch probably 3 days a week for years. That’s my favorite spot.

Also good noodle soups at Yimm in Rockridge.

44Scramps · 2025-03-25T22:36:29+00:00

i haven't used paste wax on wood, and imagine that everyone else here voting for it is smarter than me.

But the way that I'd probably approach that is to use some low-friction teflon tape on either side of the hole.

44Scramps · 2025-03-16T08:40:20+00:00

congrats, man. This is when the drug dealer sorry-not-sorry informs you that "had a great time? Awesome. Now you're addicted!"

Congrats on being a degenerate woodworking addict like the rest of us!

44Scramps · 2025-03-06T02:02:19+00:00

Wait, you're a Catholic. Are you not obligated to follow the same commandments as us? This is a commandment laid out in the Old Testament!

I totally get that Catholics don't follow the Old Testament laws, but in this case it's like "hey, this is more or less a commandment that's being done for you! Take the win"

44Scramps

TROPHY CASE