"Xopher" wrote in message
news:yP5tf.70022$sg5.50163@dukeread12...
: Hi,
: For many months I have been reading about woodworking and my
family asked me
: to make a list of some tools that were in the books I read.
Well they were
: not kidding and from them this week I received a belt sander, a
plunge/fixed
: base router, a cordless drill, a corded drill, a circular saw,
and a sabre
: scrolling saw. My grandfather taught me how to use his forge
and be a
: farrier. Many of the tools I use belonged to my great
grandfather. I also
: work in Grandpa's salvage yard, so metals I know but nothing
about
: woodworking. Which means I need some input on making my first
wood
: projects. I like the Reader's Digest beginning wood books, and
I like a few
: of the Black and Decker portable power tools books. Does
anyone here have
: sources (maybe a book) that he or she can recommend for me, a
guy who has
: never even turned on a circular saw (I did power mine up) but
now that I
: have one I really want to make some things?
: Thank You,
: Xopher
:
:
Depending on your goals, I'd start by making things I know I'll
need and use (which is exactly what I do quite often) and thus
will see mistakes, places to make things better, nuances, etc etc
etc.
That could consist of saw horses for plywood cutting, length
cutting, etc..
Then make a folding set of saw horses.
Got enough bench workspace? Might try that.
Add functionality to the sawhorses, bench, whatever, by adding
aprons, little storage areas, hangers, fold out shelf, drawers in
the bench, stuff like that.
Lettering tempates are nice to have around.

Simple things can make interesting challenges:

I keep saying sawhorses because they're on my mind at the moment,
but you get the idea. Sounds pretty easy until you realize the
angles aren't so easy. IF it's too stiff all 4 legs won't touch
on most garage floors; too weak and they wobble. Wrong angles on
the feet, and the wood splays off when they get moved. Never a
place to set my skilsaw down with saw horses. No place for
screws, nails, glue etc. on most sawhorses. They're often too
heavy to move around, take too much room to store.
To one degree or another, I've "fixed" all those problems over
the years. I now have three good sawhorses of 2.5 x 3/4" wood,
foldable and hangable, sturdy enough two support lawn tractors
without problems, the don't shake or yield without a lot of
weight pusing sideways, and all 4 legs sit solidly on the floor
anywhere on my garage floor as soon as weight is put on them. 4"
drywall screws give me hanging room, fold-down shelves with
shallow compartments for screws/nails, and each horse can be
"hooked" to another one with 1 x 4's to keep them straight to
each other plus support a panel well between them. 1 x 4's are
on-edge so saw cuts don't weaken them and natural warpage keeps
them fitting nicely g.

I just gave away the old ones each time I had to start over,
which was three times. They're not perfect (for me) yet, but are
about as close as I know how to get them and still be light and
small enough to hang out of hte way on the wall.

Also think parts bins if you have a need for them. Lots of
interesting beginning challenges in those. Don't just make parts
bins - make USEFUL parts bins.

Just try to think outside the box g

Now, if I could just get the cars out of that garage ...

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