So, I decided to go with a table saw instead of a miter saw.  I think the table saw will work out better for me.  I have three projects in mind and the table saw, plus a drill press, should make doing all three easier.  I need to build a table for the microwave in the kitchen (which will be all oak), a coffee table (pine with oak trim & legs) and entertainment center (pine with oak trim).  I put all my furniture on wheels, so the coffee table & entertainment center will get wheels.  Anyway, without further ado....

This is the saw I got.  it's a 10" Delta.  I know, it's no dewalt, but it was only $180 including the stand and came with a carbide blade.


And here it is built (note the shop helper in the background).


This Freud double pack of blades was only $35.  I thought it was a pretty good deal, and with the $30 rebate I get from the saw, they are practically free.  The 10" is a 50 tootch carbide, and it is now my oak blade.


This is the 40 tooth carbide blade that came with the saw.  I used it for ripping the pine (see below)


Here you can see the saw after several hours of use, and the shop assistant cleaning up.


Here's the oak we cut for the kitchen, cut to length & mitered the ends.


and the pine for the coffee table


And all the tools put away in the outside closet.


And, an idea of what the coffee table will look like with an FAL carbine for scale.  It'll be drilled all the way through & bolted together with allthread, with oak trim & legs, and of course wheels.  I'm thinking I'll keep the edge of the trim about 1/8" above the top of the pine, and do the top with an epoxy finish like a bar.

Very cool.  We must see the finished product.

Nice. Now go buy a dado blade. Don't get a wobbler either. Get a stack.

Good decision on the table saw.  That Delta is a fine one.

Looks like your well on your way.  Congrats.

I will need that for the entertainment center actually.  But, I think the next purchase is a drill press.  I want to use pins (dowels) as much as I can for the kitchen table, and I think a press would be better for that than the hand drill.  I already have one of those flat saws (somewhere...) for cutting off the pins flush.  I like the way the little circles look at the joints.

Where are you shopping? Grizzley has some nice tools and they are rated as second only to Delta in most catagories. A good drill press will save you a lot of motherfuckers and sonofabitches, that's for sure!

lookin good.. I want to see this when it's all finished up.

I've always liked home woodworking projects.

Sheesh... One guy made a jewelry box for his girlfriend... And another's building real furniture..


I still don't have book shelves. *mutter*

Any one want to teach my husband how to do this stuff? Please? [blink]

Mostly Lowes, due to the fact that I HATE Home Depot.  I drive right past a Home Depot to get to the Lowes in fact.  I only go to HD if I need something right away, or it's something small.
They have drill presses, again Delta, that are 10" at Lowes for $88.
this is the one, has a built in light & everthing.
[url]http://www.lowes.com/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=40162-32764-DP200[/url]


Anyone know if these Dewalt "pilot point" drill bits are any good? Seems like a good concept to me...
[url]http://www.dewalt.com/us/products/accessory_category_detail.asp?categoryID=537[/url]

Very nice!

I got the Delta 10" Miter last year (2002) for Christmas. Still haven't cracked the seal on the box! [:O] I'll probably break it out this spring and do some crown molding and a set of built-in cabinets/shelves in my game room.

Have fun and make sure we see the finished projects.

If you are going to do drill work with fine woods then you need a set of Forstner bits. It will save you a bunch of filler work.

Your "helper" doesn't look too interested!!!!He may supervise from the couch. We need pics when done.

[>:/] Hmmm.. I don't know about the drilling and bolting.

I'd think you'd be better off using biscuits and glue to join all the table top pieces.

Like this?
[url]http://www.lowes.com/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=186433-28920-33110[/url]

That Dewalt bit set I linked to before was like $60, I like the $24 forstner set even better.

Put me down for a second vote for biscuits.
Much quicker and easier than dowels and strong to boot.
Save some $ for a good Miter saw. You won't regret it it for making accurate cuts.

Great hobby, enjoy.

TiN Forstner bits for under $30! Yeah buddy. You could do a lot worse.

You can enroll him in the Old_Painless School of Woodworking.  But I'm not cheap. [:D]

Here's a secretary desk I built with the writing area open:

[img]http://photos.ar15.com/ImageGallery/Attachments/DownloadAttach.asp?iImageUnq=21158[/img]

And with it closed:

[img]http://photos.ar15.com/ImageGallery/Attachments/DownloadAttach.asp?iImageUnq=21159[/img]

Well, there  is a method to my madness.
As you can see in the pic above, several of the 2x4 pieces are warped.  What the drilling and allthread will allow me to do is take the warp out by tighening them down.  I'll have between 4 and 5 holes in each board, hopefully with one through the legs to hold them on.  What I'm really hoping is that the bolts will be enough by themselves to make glue unnecesary.  Also, the whole table will get trimmed with oak (if I can bring myself to cover up that great looking end grain) and the oak will cover the allthread & nuts & washers.

As far as the dowels go, it's as much an aesthetic thing as a structural one.  the dowels on the kitchen table will be used to hold the cross-pieces to the legs, two at each joint.  I like the way that look comes out when it's all done.

What kind of lacquer or finish are you going to use?

Want to build me some book shelves? I don't think the hubby would be too motivated to build something for me that didn't involve a gun rack (though I'm sure there's a way to combine the two) but then he'd want to use it for himself anyway.

Never mind.

Is that 1/2 conduit leaning on the pallet? What's it for?

Yes it is.  How'd I know someone would point that out on this board.  I'm in construction, so I got it free from my jobsite.  The white poles you see in the pics are the legs to one of those big tents like you park a car under.  I wanted to use the conduit and some other wood I pinched from work to build an awning over my back porch by using a cheap tarp..  Never really got around to it, and now I'm thinking of moving and buying a place, so the conduit sits.

I do not know what elce to say but WOW that looks great!!

Most butcherblock tables I've seen have the individual pieces glued together. If done properly with clamps and biscuits a glue setup will hold better then the bolts and pull the warp out.

I like the end grain look myself and that's how I left my kitchen table when I made it.

I do have to question the use of the bolts if you intend to trim the ends. Over time the wood will move if just bolted together, it could cause the end pieces to crack or cause the top finish to crack as well.

I built a bench like that out of pressure treated wood, but instead of bolting it together, I used a 1 1/4" dowel, then clamped and nailed on the bottom.  I built it in 1986 in NC, and it is still going strong in the high heat of TX.  It is a bit weathered, though.

there is another issue, and is part of the reason for the oak trim (although not all of the reason).  A table saw is not a jointer, and the pieces aren't perfect.  What I'll be doing is getting the tops lined up, and the bottom side,the part you won't see, will be uneven across the whole table.  That's why I don't want the end-grain showing.
I'll probably take your advice though & wind up using the through-bolts with glue instead of without.

Three words of the wisdom I picked up from others:

1. A short (hourish) project that you be very glad you did is to suspend 1/4 inch ply under the opening in the saw stand and make or buy an opening to fit your shop vac hose in the middle. I held it up with padlock style hasps which were on sale. A little duct tape over the angle cut out in front of the saw, and your loose sawdust is cut 90%.

I later upgraded to a griz cabinet saw, but was very glad I made the collector and the new owner is still using it that way.

2. No matter what, take a few minutes to make some push sticks and blocks. Finger are costly.

3. Clamp those table top boards together while you are not working on the project. Wood never moves the good way, things always warp worse.

[img]http://photos.ar15.com/ImageGallery/Attachments/DownloadAttach.asp?iImageUnq=21158[/img]

WOW ------------------ nice

Norman,

Use that Freud Combination blade for all your woodworking. Do not use the Delta blade for ripping, it is designed for crosscuts. A ripping blade has less teeth, flat grind, and deep gullets. The Combination blade has more teeth than a real ripping blade, but the gullets allow for a better cut than what you'd get with the Delta blade.

Use the Delta blade for everything but your finer woodworking. I have that same Freud blade and it is great for the price.

One of the hardest things for a new woodworker to have faith in is the glue.  If you use a good quality carpenter's glue, like Franklin Tightbond or even Elmer's Carpenter's glue, when it is dry, it will be as stable as it can be.  The through-bolts will be unnecessary.

Glue and clamps till it's dry, will hold the world together.

the through-bolts will be the clamps, haha.