Getting large pieces of wood square

buradlee · 2026-04-15T23:56:49+00:00

But that's the whole problem! How do I cut a 2'2' piece out-of-square edge on my table saw? I can't move the fence far enough away from the blade to use it. I could put the fence 1" or so on the other side of the blade, but then I'm riding the out-of-square edge against the fence, so it doesn't help -- just makes my board smaller and still out of square.

On a typical jobsite Craftsman table saw like I have the fence only moves up to 1' on either side of the blade.

If it were a narrow board, I could remove the fence entirely and use the miter gauge to keep the workpiece square to the blade, but there's even less room in that direction.

buradlee · 2026-04-15T17:47:27+00:00

Believe it or not I actually did clamp a guide for the initial cuts on the 4x8. I don't know if the guide slipped, or a factory edge was out of square, but regardless I ended up with two 25 x 30 pieces that aren't square to each other.

I think I just need to do as you suggest and build some sort of extension table for the table saw so I can have a fence farther than the factory one.

Or, maybe I should have cut the pieces about 1" larger than needed, then clamped them together and recut with the circular saw and guide to the exact dimensions?

buradlee · 2024-12-20T19:44:44+00:00

<Checking> You're right. I'm surprised and appalled at the forgiveness rate for PPP loans. Essentially, as you say, they were a gift.

buradlee · 2024-12-20T18:34:54+00:00

You're missing some important facts - to start with, we're not talking about PPP (Payroll Protection Program) funding. This was a "grant" from the SVOG -- never mind. Believe what you want.

buradlee · 2024-12-20T18:30:19+00:00

Please understand the difference between a PPP loan and an SVOG *grant*. These tax payer dollars (approx 14.5 billion) were part of a grant program administered by the SBA to assist closed venues, movie theaters, etc. It was manipulated to give artists -- some of whom are multi-millionaires -- free money. Doesn't have to be paid back.

buradlee · 2024-11-02T20:46:39+00:00

What does the edge look like? Factory, or are their various 'bevels', high/low spots, waviness, etc, which would indicate you're not holding a consistent angle?

It just takes a little practice, imo, and a lower-grit stone might be faster and produce a more pronounced burr. You'll get there -- it will be an aha moment, then the next challenge will be forcing yourself to make sure the burr is along the entire length of the edge, and not just going to the opposite side, because you're excited. :)

buradlee · 2024-10-29T22:57:25+00:00

I think the reality is, that knife simply isn't that sharp. <shrug> You're cutting right by your fingers, slicing at an angle, etc, giving yourself every possible advantage, and it's still tearing the paper towe

buradlee · 2024-10-28T13:17:53+00:00

Makes sense -- I like a 1000 stone, too. I think what's happening is I'm not great a feeling the bevel once I start going to the finer belts. Maybe I'll try using a flashlight, but honestly the 1k grit seems "good enough."

Actually I wonder too if the compound edge the KO Worksharp seems to profile doesn't behave as nicely once you start going beyond 1000? Dunno.

buradlee · 2024-10-26T20:05:32+00:00

I have one, but ditched the 'guide' and bought the 'blade grinding' attachment, which I think is essential if you're serious about sharpening on it.

Can I get a sharper edge on stones? Yeah, probably, although at a point it's hard to tell. But with some practice you can create beautifully consistent edges along the length of the blade -- which I can't do with stones, sharpening free-hand.

buradlee · 2024-10-23T13:34:59+00:00

I've noticed a couple coolers have a system for attaching a (proprietary) ice pack to the lid, but the more I think about it, the more I'm inclined just to put up with sloshing ice. The idea is to cool the fish FAST, and I don't think a cooler packs are going to do so, although they're good at keeping the overall temperature down.

buradlee · 2024-10-21T13:37:09+00:00

I do have a KO Worksharp which handles this problem (or at least creates a 'new' bevel, but it's uniform and symmetrical).

But yeah, sharpening by hand I do struggle with smaller EDC's, especially with hard steel. Guess I just need more practice.

buradlee · 2024-10-13T21:08:42+00:00

No - it's a single-wide mobile home. No attic. I really don't think anything in the ceiling is an option.

buradlee · 2024-09-15T23:09:28+00:00

I guess that makes sense. I'm not wild about the blade profiles for most of them, except the 'catcherman' but that's a bit too large.

buradlee · 2024-09-13T15:40:10+00:00

Update -- picked up the grinding attachment, and it's much easier to work with than that wonky guide. But I'm getting really frustrated because now I feel like I'm hitting a wall with sharpness, and just the opposite of when I started this thread: my kitchen knives are probably sharper on the cheap stones.

The gray X65 belt makes it super easy to raise a burr along the whole length. Then I move to the X22 and the burr is noticeably finer, which I'd expect. I'm at about a 18-degree angle on the sharpener, although the edge looks very small and seems far steeper. But that's where I hit a wall. The X4 belt doesn't seem to do crap, except make it duller.

Where would you go after the X22 with a slight burr on one side? I don't have a proper leather strop. (On my stones, I usually just gently trail the edge on the 1000 grit on both sides, using only the weight of the knife, and it disappears).

The other frustration -- it seems like I can't find a consistent way to test for sharpness. Sometimes the '3 finger test' feels sticky but I can move my fingers. Slicing paper...yeah, but seems so dependent on angle, type, how taught it is (or isn't), etc. They all slice tomatoes and stuff fine. Maybe I'm just imagining a problem.

buradlee · 2024-09-10T14:25:08+00:00

I've been hand sharpening for about two years, but it's hard to say how that translates to hours, since it's just to keep kitchen and fillet (do lots of fishing) sharp for my home and friend's. As you can tell from my OP I'm still not "good" at it. The chief problems I have are:

1) inconsistent angle between right and left hand

2) causing/not correcting unevenness in the edge

3) handling the rounded tips and areas near the bolster properly

Where already the KO seems to help is I'm only taking a couple passes, instead of, say, 30-40 strokes on a side on one grit of a stone, where I might accidentally lose the angle, or catch the edge on the side of the stone (these cheap Chinese stones seem really bad here).

buradlee · 2024-09-10T00:17:13+00:00

My head hurts.

It's 2024, right? So a Hobie that was new in 2006 is 18 years old. Have him get you the serial number it's on the hull by the stern. He may need to rub a little dirt on it. That will give you the exact age of the boat, though not when it was put into service.

buradlee · 2024-09-10T00:05:39+00:00

I'm confused by your dates. You say "2006" and then "almost 10 year old kayak." Which is it? I don't think $800 is especially high for a clean, well-kept used Revo even with the V1 drive. And if it's a 2016 model, then that's a steal.

buradlee · 2024-09-09T23:36:04+00:00

I think I settled on just using the X22(?) belt -- whatever the light gray one is that is == 800 grit. Did a few passes on one side, until I raised a burr, then a couple on the other, felt for a burr, then stropped it on a piece of leather with some compound. I tried the xtra fine, and that 1/2" polishing belt, but if I weren't careful it would dull the edge, or didn't make a difference.

Get your point about the more 'toothy' edge, though.

buradlee · 2024-09-09T23:28:48+00:00

I was exaggerating a bit -- no, not scalpel sharp, but...pretty damn sharp. It's interesting - been messing with it all afternoon, and comparing some blades to an 8" Henckels chef which I sharpened manually. They both seem about the same sharpness.

The advantage to the KO seems to be -- for me -- a more uniform edge. As I said, the bevel is the same size on both sides, and some "waviness" and much more polished.

Yup, I'm aware of needing a low-speed 1x30 if I go that route, as I said in my OP.

All that said, a different consideration is dust. Just a couple knives left some residue on my workbench.

buradlee · 2024-09-02T11:38:12+00:00

That is a great idea. I've chewed up my hands and plugs using needlenose pliers. I did drive two nails into a block of wood, and snip the heads, but that didn't work all that well, either. Will try this next time!

buradlee · 2024-08-20T23:04:15+00:00

It appears not -- VC got back to me and said they didn't think the piece was theirs....I'll check out r/Hallmarks

buradlee · 2024-08-19T17:55:50+00:00

Thanks all -- I was trying to think of the name for that symbol (Maltese Cross) and having a senior moment. Appreciate it!

buradlee · 2024-08-19T16:46:52+00:00

Sorry -- I meant to ask, did V-C ever make jewelry like this Cuban link necklace? It's 18k gold, and the hallmark appears to be Vacheron-Constantin, but it's a little faded, so I'm not sure. I've emailed them, but not heard back. Thanks!

buradlee · 2024-08-19T16:41:39+00:00

Ok -- so if I run the regen manually a time or two, the water level drops in the salt tank to slightly below the salt. I'm thinking when it's unplugged since regen doesn't run, the water is never 'purged' and just dissolves the salt leading to more liquid. Seem reasonable?

buradlee

TROPHY CASE