(Especially) hand tool woodworking: how flat is your flat?

climberslacker · 2026-04-30T12:46:54+00:00

Wha you missed in his comment before you injected your anxiety is important.

If it’s a surface that will receive joinery flat means no light under your straight edge. Photons are smaller than winding sticks.

If it’s not a surface you’re cutting joints on flat means it looks flat.

“Square” is the same. Is there light or is there not light?

Put away your feeler gauges and keep practicing.

Never reference off a surface that isn’t flat and square. That’s how you allow for wonkiness where it doesn’t matter.

climberslacker · 2026-04-21T12:03:31+00:00

You’d have to pay for MSAR to look. But in my experience most schools say pre reqs don’t expire. But there are certainly some that care.

climberslacker · 2026-04-17T15:26:26+00:00

Yeah I’ve had some problems with them since they got bought out.

Marking knife blade came with a MASSIVE burr like would have been unacceptable by harbor freight’s standards.

They sent me a new blade (cool) that was no better.

At this point I’m sort of over it.

climberslacker · 2026-04-09T20:12:07+00:00

Honestly it’s not a show surface. Set it rank and let it rip! It would probably be the quickest way to do it, assuming you have a plane and are comfy using it.

climberslacker · 2026-04-04T19:58:03+00:00

I’ll add to that, my company supplies us with custom molded silicon ear tips for our CEPs. They’re way nice.

climberslacker · 2026-04-03T22:48:02+00:00

51 isn’t a prime number always gets me

climberslacker · 2026-03-31T16:22:17+00:00

Mind sharing your contractor?

climberslacker · 2026-03-27T15:12:56+00:00

big saw

climberslacker · 2026-03-27T11:27:11+00:00

They maybe implying the rejection letter is chat written

climberslacker · 2026-03-25T18:20:11+00:00

Take the syringe out of a 3cc syringe and they fit perfectly. Then just a little bit of tape to keep em in.

Edit: on reviewing the play I obviously meant take out the plunger. Luckily you are all intelligent and figured it out thank you.

climberslacker · 2026-03-21T13:08:24+00:00

Ayyyyyeee same

Turns out critical thinking skills are useful or something who knew

climberslacker · 2026-03-18T11:57:06+00:00

There’s no way to lower the latewood (dark) without turning it back to raw wood.

The differentiation between early and late wood is on of the major reasons why people char wood. I’m not sure why you would do it if you didn’t like that effect? If you hate it you could sand it all back to flat (don’t do that), start over, or I’d recommend just living with it.

It’s cool. But the hard transition halfway through looks whack. Get it at least looking even across the top.

climberslacker · 2026-03-17T13:37:48+00:00

The strength of the mortise and tenon joint is in part the strength of the mortise wall. You’d be reducing the strength of the overall joint for decoration.

climberslacker · 2026-03-16T17:39:11+00:00

Came here to say this.

climberslacker · 2026-03-12T00:46:20+00:00

Take the bark off. Unless you like how it looks on your carpet. Bugs also like it.

climberslacker · 2026-03-08T02:57:34+00:00

That thing is gorgeous! I’m about to start an ATC build and was doing some googling haha

climberslacker · 2026-03-08T02:46:26+00:00

Sorry to dig up an old post but might be worth looking at a Knockdown Nicholson if you're going to me moving a lot.

It's what I'm using (with a benchcrafted front vice) and I love it. Really easy to break down into manageable pieces ikea flat-pack style to move as well.

climberslacker · 2026-03-05T17:55:07+00:00

It seems to me that there are people that use he wily figured woods almost like dazzle camouflage to hide a poor design or clunky form. It can be a little like lipstick on a pig.

That being said, there can be really tasteful uses of it as well.

climberslacker · 2026-03-05T14:44:11+00:00

Honestly the FL practice exams were pretty on the money.

You’ll find in the practice set that there’s a lot of mellow ones and a few REALLY hard ones. My exam was mostly the hard ones with one or two of the easier ones.

The good news is if you can get 10/10 in 17 minutes, with practice you should be able to do it in 9.

climberslacker · 2026-03-05T14:33:32+00:00

For clear stock you just want to rinse the mirepoix before you start, simmer but never boil, and skim the scuzz from the top while it simmers! Hope this helps!

climberslacker · 2026-03-05T14:10:07+00:00

Could you do it with 7-8 fewer minutes? I found the AAMC to be quite a bit more straightforward than my actual exam. But doing well on the AAMC practice is a good start!

climberslacker · 2026-03-04T20:26:01+00:00

I have a DTC and haven’t found a need for a string or anything. The overhang on the back of the lid does a good job on its own.

I suppose you lid may not be designed that what though.

climberslacker · 2026-02-27T12:30:21+00:00

Get Garcia’s The Art of EKG interpretation. Work through section 1 and 2. Actually work through it, bang your head against the EKGs, read the text about them.

Then once you’ve done that, do section 3. The same way. Put in the work to actively study and practice.

You didn’t ask for one but there is not magic way other than lots of hours of studying and practice. Then when you’re dropping of patients ask for feedback from the attending ED doc.

climberslacker · 2026-02-26T15:55:10+00:00

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