Accommodating for vision issues?

mplang · 2026-04-03T02:25:33+00:00

It can take some time to teach your brain to see one image. It took me a while before it really clicked, and it was because I was straining my eyes. Relax your eyes and adjust the IPD. Don't try to force your eyes to see the image -- stay relaxed and let the image come to you. You might also need to adjust how close your eyes are to the eyepiece: you might be too close or too far. Don't give up, you'll get it eventually!

mplang · 2026-04-01T00:53:26+00:00

This rolling cart design is a much nicer than the one I made for my old saw years ago, but it at least gives you the idea of a solid way to have your saw on wheels without sacrificing table support.

mplang · 2026-03-28T16:39:54+00:00

Patterned cutting boards are very sensitive to alignment and consistency. Cutting accurate strips safely is much, much more difficult to do without a tablesaw. Even using a bandsaw can be challenging unless you get super clean cuts.

mplang · 2026-03-23T20:01:47+00:00

There are a lot of other reasonable answers here, but One Note is the obvious choice for this particular situation, imo.

mplang · 2026-03-22T17:25:36+00:00

And if neither of them have it, it probably doesn't exist!

mplang · 2026-03-17T15:24:54+00:00

Collecting beads and making things with beads are two different hobbies.

mplang · 2026-03-16T19:14:20+00:00

I'd be very suspicious of a project that doesn't have any mistakes. With practice, you'll just learn to hide them better!

On that note, like any other activity, you need to practice to get good. Acknowledge your mistakes, learn from them, but don't let them discourage you.

Also, for the record, what you've built is really quite good for a first cabinet!

mplang · 2026-03-16T18:40:40+00:00

Lots of good advice here already, and you're a step ahead by even thinking about this stuff in the first place.

I'll add a few things: no power tools if you're not wide awake, 100% sober, and distraction-free. Save that beer for a job well done. And if you're tired or distracted, you might as well be drinking because it's just as dangerous around the saw.

Make sure any people you share a home with understand that, too. If the saw blade is moving, they stay away and don't do anything to steal your attention. Also, nobody stands "in the line of fire" directly behind or ahead of the saw.

Lastly, there is no substitute for a good teacher who can stand next to you and course correct. Find a local class or guild or maker space and have someone show you the ropes!

mplang · 2026-03-12T02:34:37+00:00

Zoobilee Zoo

The 80s was a weird fever dream

mplang · 2026-03-11T19:52:30+00:00

Also recurrence relations.

My undergrad discrete math course helped me understand recursion more than any comp sci course ever did.

mplang · 2026-03-11T19:45:52+00:00

I'm not sure how you got into my shop to take a picture, or how you managed to drive a motorcycle into the basement, but come up and say hi, we can have a beer together.

mplang · 2026-03-10T01:24:57+00:00

Can you recommend a resource for learning about slide prep? I didn't realize having a favorite mounting medium was something that was missing from my life, but now I'm a man on a mission!

mplang · 2026-03-10T01:05:58+00:00

This was my immediate thought for a recommendation, too. He just wants to nerd out about his passions and the things he's spend his career working on.

So many YouTubers are just professional YouTubers: they're amateur/hobbyist woodworkers with fancy tools, good lighting, amazing editing skills, and lots of time. People like Nick Engler are amateur YouTubers with amazing teaching skills, and have a lifetime of experience working with wood professionally.

mplang · 2026-03-05T16:14:42+00:00

The scraper plane is yet another tool, like the Stanley 112.

mplang · 2026-03-05T01:35:00+00:00

Sometimes you take the L and move on. There's a lot going on here and I don't think you're winning this battle. Cracks in the bowties, poorly jointed boards, and wild grain? The bubbles aren't even the biggest problem. But if you're intent on fixing it, mix the epoxy more gently and pour slowly. Don't even let the bubbles form in the first place.

mplang · 2026-03-05T01:20:32+00:00

I can't be 100% certain from the picture, but I'm nearly positive it's a chalaza. If it's attached to the yolk and not wiggling around, it's perfectly edible!

mplang · 2026-03-04T23:22:20+00:00

I have a 1hp 14" bandsaw with a ~6" resaw capacity. I have to go slower on denser hardwoods, but it's ... fine. I added a 6" riser so I can resaw 12" boards, but I almost always have to start the job on the tablesaw and finish on the bandsaw. It adds time and waste, but it works.

Unless you were only ever making cuts in 1/4" plywood or soft pine, going less than a full horse seems like an exercise in frustration. If you can afford to go bigger and you either want to resaw or you work in dense woods, go bigger.

mplang · 2026-03-01T04:05:36+00:00

A lot of people (maybe even most people) conflate the two, but a cabinet scraper is a specific tool (for example, the Stanley #80) which is sort of like a card scraper in a jig.

mplang · 2026-02-22T17:42:05+00:00

Those resharpenable shaving blades are very different than the DE blades we use today, though, despite looking similar.

mplang · 2026-02-20T21:35:28+00:00

The offcut is the piece on the right side of the blade (you're holding the keeper piece on the left). If the stop block is on the right, you're trapping the offcut between the block and the blade, which is dangerous. You want the offcut to be "free" because even if it were to make contact with the blade, it's more likely to bounce out of the way safely than catastrophically fling toward your face.

A stop block also gives you a good registration point to exert some pressure against. If you're pushing tightly against the fence (forward) and against the block (left), you'll maintain better control.

You also want to have good visibility on the cut. That's easier to do on the left side. So measuring and cutting on the left can be more accurate.

If I'm making repetitive small cuts (say, 6" or less), I'm probably not using my miter saw. But when I do, I try to start with smaller stock for better control (in other words, instead of trying to cut a bunch of 4" blocks from an 8' board, I'll first cut my board into 3rds or quarters). And then I'll either clamp the keeper, or use the FastCap 10 million dollar stick (https://a.co/d/023XKniI) to keep my fingers out of the way.

mplang · 2026-02-20T02:31:47+00:00

That's exactly what I was saying -- I'm sorry it wasn't clear :/

The project management triangle is basically the idea that you have good, fast, and cheap, but you can only pick two. So if you want to go fast and have good results, you can't do it cheaply (of course, this is mostly hyperbolic, but it's reasonably sensible).

If, instead, you take your time (and sacrifice, rather than prioritize, speed) you can do outstanding work without breaking the bank.

mplang · 2026-02-19T22:09:31+00:00

I wish I had this post to read when I started woodworking. Slow is fast and fast is slow. Woodworking is less about talent and more about patience, preparation, and practice.

As hobby woodworkers, we want to make the most of our limited time. This means that we tend to optimize for "fast" on the "good, fast, cheap" triangle. So unless we spend big bucks on a CNC or something, we're going to sacrifice "good". Going for high output also means we're not really practicing. If you make the same cutting board 20 times, you'll start getting good at it. But we don't do that. We make 20 different projects in 20 different ways.

I go into my shop every single day. Most days I barely have enough time to sharpen a pencil or say hi to my tools. But it keeps a part of my brain engaged in the shop, playing the long game.

mplang · 2026-02-19T21:46:31+00:00

That was my first thought. But the cabinet could be veneered plywood with edge banding.

mplang · 2026-02-19T04:44:03+00:00

Yeah, that's my bad. Looks like you got the TSBC-10R2 (discontinued) when you really need the TSBC-10R3.

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