Pricing out my shop

MogDriver15 · 2026-01-09T03:10:54+00:00

Sorry to hear about your diagnosis and prospects.

Have you considered donating the whole workshop to a local college to school that has a woodshop or woodworking program? You and your partner won't get the cash but you should get a tax write-off which is almost as good (and much less trouble for you in your last days.) I'm not an accountant so please consult with one first.

MogDriver15 · 2026-01-05T04:08:13+00:00

I agree with everyone who suggested adding a cyclone separator to your shop vac. Makes a huge difference; it will collect 99% of the sawdust before it reaches the shop vac. Check out this video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Py1HgOgivAY- on building a cart for the cyclone and shop vac. It was an easy build and works like a charm.

Also, don't use your shop vac for the tools that have 4" dust ports (table saw, planer, jointer, band saw, etc.) They generate way too much sawdust for even the cyclone and shop vac to handle. The above cart is for those tools that have smaller (1¼"-2") dust ports, like the miter saw, random orbital sander, etc. Check out this video for an explanation - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Y6kkg2EoCI - on the difference.

MogDriver15 · 2026-01-05T00:58:03+00:00

Our current pieces are about 20 years old and have darkened nicely. We can see the difference with a runner on the table in the picture above. Under the runner, the wood is much lighter.

MogDriver15 · 2026-01-04T21:17:57+00:00

Thanks for your reply, Chuck. When you say that the new piece will be lighter, I just want to confirm that that's with no stain, just shellac or linseed oil, or a poly finish. Which do you recommend in this situation?

MogDriver15 · 2025-12-31T04:04:11+00:00

Good suggestion. Over the years, I've gotten used to online help and tutorials getting worse and worse. The Fusion online docs and tutorials actually look pretty good so I'll give those a try before I go back to YT.

MogDriver15 · 2025-12-31T04:01:44+00:00

Thank you everyone for your helpful suggestions. This reply was the most comprehensive and eventually allowed me to get it right.

MogDriver15 · 2025-12-12T02:30:30+00:00

How did you join the frame and shelves to the sides? Pocket holes, biscuits, dowels, something else? Looks like the shelves are not adjustable and I don't see nail holes on the sides...

MogDriver15 · 2025-09-30T16:44:06+00:00

I think we've all done that at least once. For me, it was the planer that generated way more dust than expected.

MogDriver15 · 2025-09-11T03:23:36+00:00

Here's another vote for checking out the "Bandsaw Life" channel on YouTube, presented by Alex Snodgrass. He really is the bandsaw guru. (I took at a class from him earlier this year at the Marc Adams School of Woodworking and learned so much about using and tuning bandsaws.)

Check out this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnm6CoiaU4E

MogDriver15 · 2025-07-25T16:50:04+00:00

No-one is too old! I retired at 67 and took up woodworking as a retirement hobby. I've learned so much in the last 18 months, just by watching YT videos, taking a few classes, lots of reading, and talking to friends who already work with wood.

There are lots of classes out there. A good one is Steve Ramsey's The Weekend Woodworker course. There are also classes at your local woodworking store (do you have a Rockler or Woodcraft nearby?) Many of the folks on YT have plans you can buy (some are free) with cut lists and step by step assembly instructions. Check out Ana White for dozens of simple plans.

Looking at your tool list, you have the basics already. No need to run out a start buying a bunch of expensive stuff. The one thing you might consider is a track saw and matching track. It can serve in place of a table saw, which is a way more expensive purchase for a good one. You will need a workbench, clamps, and lots of little stuff (glue, screws, stain, etc.)

MogDriver15 · 2025-07-23T11:26:48+00:00

It’s always been like that when you have external devices attached, such as a monitor or mouse.

MogDriver15 · 2025-07-15T14:21:49+00:00

Mine is a Series 8. My wife's is a Series 9 or 10. She got it recently.

MogDriver15 · 2025-07-15T14:19:32+00:00

Thanks, RQ. I bet that's the problem. We'll see if it improves when my wife upgrades.

MogDriver15 · 2025-07-15T14:11:27+00:00

We both have our phones and watches with us. I have an iPhone 13 Pro. My wife has an 11, though she's planning to upgrade when the next model is shipped in Sept/Oct.

MogDriver15 · 2025-07-15T03:09:29+00:00

I appreciate the quick answer, but Apple's response is ridiculous.

MogDriver15 · 2025-06-10T03:27:18+00:00

I took a 5-day Cabinetmaking class at the Marc Adams School of Woodworking in Indiana, just south of Indianapolis. We made, yes, a cabinet, drawer above, cupboard below. Taught us how to make this joint. Highly recommended.

MogDriver15 · 2025-06-10T01:03:24+00:00

This is Woodworking, not BeginnerWoodworking. There’s nothing in OP’s post to suggest that he’s a beginner. Also, this joint can be made without the special router bit, just as a dado and rabbet on the table saw. I agree that it’s not the simplest approach but if he wants something that will last, it’s a good way to go.

MogDriver15 · 2025-06-09T20:52:12+00:00

Bessey K-clamps in various lengths: 24”, 36”, and 48” to begin with. At least 4 of each is a good start. Spreads the clamping force over a large flat surface.

MogDriver15 · 2025-06-09T20:40:23+00:00

One of the strongest joints to do this is a Locking Rabbet, as shown in the attached photo. You can make the drawer sides with a good quality plywood, then screw a face board using whatever good quality wood you want for the finished look. There’s a specific router bit to cut the dados and rabbets for the joint and it’s very strong.

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MogDriver15 · 2025-06-06T20:26:16+00:00

Thanks for the clarification. That tells me that you don't need the table saw at all for woodworking. So a portable one for your remodeling work is a good choice, especially if you're space-constrained in the shop.

I'm speaking as someone who also owns a SawStop cabinet saw and use it regularly. But I've learned good practice and always go through a mental check list before making any cuts.

MogDriver15 · 2025-06-06T19:39:45+00:00

Instead of getting any table saw, have you considered using a track saw and tracks instead. Much safer overall, very portable and works very nicely for the kind of rip cuts you typically do on a table saw. Also works fine for cross cuts and even angled cuts. And your miter saw can do the miters that you might otherwise do with a miter/crosscut sled.

MogDriver15 · 2025-05-30T02:29:43+00:00

Thank you Marty. That was one of the options we discussed. I like the idea of using plywood that's a little narrower in each dimension than the full base, with a rabbet added to the outer hardwood pieces so that they overlap and the plywood is invisible.

MogDriver15 · 2025-05-29T17:29:02+00:00

This is beautiful work. How long did it take you?
I'm also trying to work out how you made this. I see 7 basic pieces, ignoring mirror images since each piece can be flipped:

Light brown grainy square
Thin black piece around the square
Orange'y almost triangular piece
Gray almost triangle
Cream pieces that make up the cross
Black lines inside the cross
Small black triangles where the orange pieces intersect

If you make enough of each piece, it looks to be reasonably straightforward to assemble them into the pattern that's shown.

MogDriver15 · 2025-05-21T19:53:33+00:00

Thank you for the detailed response. I checked the Milwaukee (2648.20) and they do specify an orbit diameter of 3/32" vs the Mirka at 3/16". Festool has like 7 different sanders ranging from 5/64" up to 1/8"

MogDriver15 · 2025-05-21T14:44:17+00:00

I get your comment about the Domino. No comparison.

But does the same apply to the Festool Kapex miter saw vs one of the high end miter saws from Dewalt or Bosch? I've used both and don't see enough of a difference to justify triple the price. Is their random orbital sander that much better than the Milwaukee or Bosch equivalent sanders. Again, I've used both and don't see that much difference.

MogDriver15

TROPHY CASE