You may have an ambition to practice the skill of wood turning but do not have enough money to afford a fully equipped lathe. There is an alternative of course; you could buy a lathe accessory for your drill. Lathe accessories will typically consist of long channelled bases to be screwed down to the tops of workbenches, preferably at the back. Into the channel, the headstock is slotted as well as a tool rest and tail stock assemblies. The electric drill will fit into the headstock providing the motive power for the lathe.
This basic drill attachment will not provide the same scope as a miniature bench-mounted lathe or a larger, more sophisticated cabinet type lathe. However, it will extend your drill’s capabilities, especially if you only expect to turn a piece of wood now and then. Another advantage is that you will be able to become familiar with wood turning techniques before deciding to invest in a larger and more sophisticated lathe.
Workbenches are places where sharp tools are being used as are high-speed mechanical devices such as saws and drills. In this kind of environment, you must always take adequate safety precautions. Wear protective eye goggles, a face mask to prevent the inhalation of dust particles and ear defenders when using loud mechanical devices such as jigsaws or electric planers.
Always keep your hands away from fast-moving machinery and switch off power tools when not being used and store them away. Chisels, saws and other sharp implements must also be stored away safely.
Woodworking hobbyists or indeed professional carpenters will use the shelf storage area under their workbenches to hold a variety of things. It is also a useful place to store the tool box. However, even the most well organised toolbox can become overfilled after a while and, at this point, the woodworker may consider building a purpose made tool cabinet.
The great advantage to building your own cabinet is that you can make it as large or as small as you like depending upon your anticipated needs. Even the insides of the doors should be made use of as a storage place for a handsaw and a tenon saw. Shelf storage room inside the cabinet can be made adjustable to cope with any future acquisitions.
A drawer for screws, nails, drill bits and other odds and ends is a good idea and need not take up too much room in the tool cabinet. When finished the tool cabinet will probably look best in its natural state. However, be sure to treat it with preservative before coating it with a clear varnish. Not forgetting to apply both substances in a well ventilated area of the workshop.
Attach it to the workshop wall by drilling four holes into the cabinet’s back, one at each corner. Hold it against the wall, then use a spirit level to check it is straight and mark the position through the holes. Prepare the holes using rawl plugs and fix the cabinet in place using two inch woodscrews
Once a basic workbench has been installed, a carpenter may want to make additions to it in order to enhance his repertoire as far as shaping and working wood is concerned. Usually workbenches already have a recess tray for tools and a shelf underneath for the storage of sections of wood, various tins and possibly a toolbox as well.
G-Clamps are ideal when workbenches are being used to hold a large, flat piece of wood steady so that the woodworker can cut along its length or cut a special groove across or along the grain. A pair of G-Clamps would be placed at either end of the workbench and a piece of scrap wood should be placed as protection between the wood and the foot of the clamp.
The vertical drill stand is another accessory worth considering. Sometimes you will need to drill holes at exact right angles to an exact depth. Clamping the wood into the vice and using the drill free-hand cannot absolutely guarantee this kind of accuracy.
There are a variety of drill stands on the market, and you should be able to find one that will suit your particular drill. They all work in the basic way in that they clamp the drill upright in its holder, and then the drill can be lowered onto the piece of wood with the use of a lever. Some drill stands will have a calibrated scale on them and an adjustable stop to prevent them from drilling too far into the wood.
Workbenches are perfect for most woodworking jobs and are the mainstay of a carpenter’s workshop, whether he or she is a professional or an amateur. Workbenches can with a few adjustments be made a lot more versatile though and able to cope with very nearly anything you may need to do.
For the most part, for example, the work you use the vice for will mostly involve working with reasonably small pieces of wood, frequently cutting mortises and tenons, drilling holes, sanding and so forth. Now and again though, you may need to work with a longer than usual piece of wood which may be difficult to hold in the vice which will stretch so far past the vice that its own weight will cause it to tilt down when planing making the work impossible. To solve the problem, cut a six inch piece of five-eighths of an inch diameter dowling. Now drill a two inch hole at the right side of the bench, through the skirt and into the front leg.
Sometimes a piece of wood is simply too awkward to hold in the vice because of its shape or size. A bench hook is the ideal solution. To make one of your own, all you need is a piece of hardwood, eight by five by three quarter inches. Two blocks of wood, 4 inches by 7/8 by 7/8 of an inch. They should be fitted to the base of the bench hook so that one is fully to the left and one fully to the right.
There are plenty of portable workbenches and work tables from which to choose, but the more serious woodworker will probably want something more heavy-duty, with a proper carpenter’s vice attached to it. It should also have a work-surface that is long and wide enough to work comfortably even when making larger items. It should be positioned to make the most of natural light.
The traditional workbench has four sturdy legs held together by rails at its top and bottom. The bottom rails will support a lower shelf on which spare pieces of wood, tins of wood stain, varnish and other odds and ends can be stored. The front rail, typically, is six inches deep, twice as deep as the side and back rails. The reason for this is that the front rail will need to have a vice attached.
Workbenches usually have oak working surfaces and this should have a good sized tool tray recess as well. Making a decision on which vice is best for your woodworking requirements is not easy. There are a great many vices available and their price varies according to their size, strength and quality. An expensive, strong model will last for a good many years, but a cheaper version may be adequate for the amateur woodworker. An average woodworking vice must be fitted securely into place. It should always be remembered that a poorly fitted vice could cause a serious accident, especially when power tools and sharp instruments are being used.
The hobby of wood working is still very popular. Some regard it as therapeutic, others as practical. Even a simple piece of furniture handcrafted by the householder has a certain style of its own. There is also the feeling of satisfaction in the knowledge that you made that footstool or table. Furthermore the woodworker can tailor make shelving units, for example, to the exact dimensions available in his or her home.
The garage or the garden shed are the most popular places for an amateur woodworker to set up a workshop. A garage, typically, will have the advantage of a solid, concrete floor, plenty of light and a power supply. Should the garden shed be the only viable option, check the floor will be able to stand the weight of the work bench or work table. If necessary you may wish to reinforce the floor with more timber. You might also want to run a power supply from the house. However, this kind of work, even the installation of an electric light can be potentially dangerous and should be left to a professional electrician.
Fitting out your workshop to suit your needs is the next important thing to do. There are a good many portable workbenches on the market which are ideal unless you are going to be making larger items, when a more solid workbench is required. Shelf storage room or shelf racks to store tools will also need to be considered, taking into account the amount of space in the workshop.
Affixing a shelf to the wall is a relatively simple task for the experienced DIYer. The right tools for the job are essential. A spirit-level to ensure the shelf is straight, measuring tape, the correct drill bit, masonry or wood, depending on the surface to which the shelf is to be attached. Wood or plastic wall plugs, screws, screwdriver and a pencil.
Having decided where to fix the shelf, first place the metal shelf bracket against the wall and use the pencil to mark its position through one of its screw holes. Take the bracket away, use a piece of masking tape wrapped around the drill bit at the length of the screw.
Use the chuck screw to make certain you have tightened the bit firmly, then, holding the drill straight, drill into the wall, pushing gently letting the drill do the work. Once you have reached the marking tape on the drill bit, pull the drill out. Push the wall plug into the hole, making sure it is flush with the surface.
Place the bracket over the screw-hole, insert the first screw and screw it most of the way in. Use the spirit level to check the bracket is straight and mark the second screw-hole with the pencil. Swing the bracket to one side and drill the second hole. Push the bracket back, tighten the first screw, and then screw the first bracket into place. Place the spirit level atop the shelf to place the second bracket and fix it into place.
In a small kitchen, every part not being used needs to be utilised in some way as a storage area. With this in mind, a side rack could be made and be used as a storage rack for holding, utensils, cups and crockery. Its strong oak frame will hang on securely fitted wall hangers. It can be built to any length since it has a repeating dowel pattern.
Measure the wall area where you want to hang the storage rack and mark it off with a pencil. Cut the shelf, wood or plywood is suitable, to the length required and nine inches wide. Then cut two top, two bottom rails and two face boards to the required length. Four side rails, 12 inches long will be needed as well. Cut three eighth by three eighth inch grooves along the centres of the bottom rails.
Mark points at six inch intervals along the centres of the narrow edge of both bottom rails and the face of each top rail. At each of these points, glue the dowels into the holes. One 12 inch side piece should be fastened to each of the top rails. Slip the shelf into the grooves cut into the bottom rails, secure the other side piece into place.
Mark across the top of the upper rails six inches apart. Place one slat across each point and fix with glue and one screw per joint. Fasten the face-boards to the top and bottom rails. Fasten hangers to the wall ends of the upper side pieces.
A poster rack is ideally suited to the artist’s needs, but even if you are not an artist, it is easy to see how many different items can be stored here. It will hold pictures, picture frames and anything that cannot be stored easily anywhere else. Straight grained softwood such as pine would be the best material to use for this open ended storage rack. However a sturdy piece of plywood would be perfectly serviceable as the rack’s bottom.
Two legs at either end of the storage rack are secured to a leg base, with both legs slanting inwards and joined to a leg brace, which will support the bottom of the rack. Mark out with pencil the middle of both leg bases. Two uprights at either end are screwed to the mid-point of the leg base slanting upwards crossing the point where the legs meet the leg-braces and fixed to the upright brace.
When both the uprights have been joined to the leg assemblies, the bottom of the rack can be laid and fastened into position. Five slats, three quarter by one and three quarter inch thickness should now be laid across the uprights and fixed into place with flathead screws. One slat should be fastened at the top of each upright, one where the bottom of the rack has been fixed. The remaining three slats at either side will now be secured at equal distances on the structure.
Sand the wood and apply undercoat sealer. Then paint it in a colour to match its surroundings.
The three shelved bath valet only takes up a one foot square area in your bathroom but is capable of offering a quite large amount of storage space. Its other advantage is that it offers much needed dry storage space which is always welcome in a humid bathroom. White pine is recommended to be used in the construction of the bath valet.
When assembling the unit, you have the option to fix the shelves in place and use three separate doors. On the other hand, you may want to make the shelves adjustable and simply use one door to cover the front of the valet. Whichever decision you make, having a glass panel in the door or doors will enable you to tell at a glance what is being stored inside the unit.
To add to the valet’s usefulness, you could fix a towel rail to one or both sides. A shallow ledge around the unit’s top will be a handy addition as well, since it would make a convenient storage space for items such as deodorant, after-shave, shampoo and other such items.
A plastic storage rack with multiple pockets to hold various smaller items such as spare razor blades, hair grips and other miscellaneous bathroom necessities could be hung from one of the rails.
The unit will, ideally be mounted on four legs. The leg pieces should be cut to two by two inches square and about four inches in length and tapered to a one inch square at the base