PTI torque is a new testing standard that has been put together by the Power Tool Institute. They have written a document that outlines a test lab procedure – which is intended to be a common method to measure relative output torque in corded/cordless drills, drill/drivers, and screwdrivers.

You can view the full document regarding these torque testing procedures on their web site.

What are some examples of the things that are outlined in this document? Here’s some samples:

• All testing should be performed with conditioned battery packs, and they outline the definition of a conditioned battery pack
• If there is an adjustable clutch, it must be set in full lock position, clutch slipping renders a test invalid
• Torque should always be measured in the forward position, never reverse
• They outline all the calculations to be performed on the data

Overall, it’s pretty interesting stuff, and it’s not a very long read either, the information is surprisingly concise and clear. If you want to learn more about torque testing procedures on drills and drivers, the procedures provide interesting insight.

For an example of PTI testing results compared to manufacturer ratings, check out the torque info in this Makita 18v cordless drill review.

Building your own boat might actually be one of the more intimidating woodworking projects out there. Why? Because it will need to float and will need to keep you above water.

Thousands and thousands of people have built their own wooden boats, it’s actually a pretty common woodworking project.

I even remember my wood shop teacher in high school building a twenty foot wooden canoe in the shop at the high school I went to.

He simply found some good plans, followed them to the “T”, so to speak, and soon he had a wooden boat that he could be proud of. And he even got good use out of his boat! He did take his time with it, and he didn’t rush the process. I think he wanted to understand every aspect of the process as much as he possibly could.

10 Wooden Boats You Can Build: For Sail, Motor, Paddle and Oar by Peter H. Spectre	The Strip-Built Sea Kayak: Three Rugged, Beautiful Boats You Can Build by Nick Schade
Fifty Wooden Boats: A Catalog of Building Plans, Vol.1 by Woodenboat Magazine	How to Build Glued Lapstrake Wooden Boats by John Brooks

What is a good reason to want to build a wooden boat?

If you ask anybody who’s built a wooden boat before, you’ll probably get a lot of different answers. Personal satisfaction, being able to build a unique style of boat, saving money – all of these are valid reasons.

Take this into consideration. When you see a wooden boat, what’s the first thing you might think? You might be impressed by the craftsmanship, you might want to ask the owner where they got the boat or who built it. You might even think it looks expensive. Hand crafted items are expensive on the market sometimes.

However, if the boat was built by the owner, chances are they actually saved some money and the project also made them a lot more experienced of a woodworker than they were before trying to build a boat.

Building a wooden boat in a lot of ways is similar to restoring a classic car. You hole up in your shop for weeks or months, creating your own unique version of the boat (or car). When complete, you take it out on the water (or road) and people take notice immediately because your creation is so unique that it just can’t help but draw attention.

Anybody can build a boat

While a common scenario for building a wooden boat is a craftsmen working his craft in his garage for a few weeks, there are also lots of other scenarios where a boat building project might be entertaining and worthwhile.

School projects for classes and projects for scout troops make sense. These kinds of groups are always looking for projects in which the classmates or members need to work together on a single project over the course of a few months.

Imagine letting your scout troop not only build a canoe but also try to take it out on the water to see how it turns out! That is a great experience for the kids in teaching them work ethic and letting them see that hard work can lead to enjoyable and satisfying results.

Wooden boat plans

The best place to start, if you are new to building a boat, is to get some good plans. A good set of woodworking plans, in this case specifically for building a boat, are essential. They will ensure that you have all your bases covered if this is your first boat-building project.

The plans will help you determine the tools and materials that you will need and will help you put everything together in an orderly fashion. You can even take personal liberties when using a good set of plans to put your own personal spin on the project. If you don’t want to, that is okay too!

images by: cruiznbye and dwstucke

Cutting a dado is a very common task in a lot of woodworking projects. What is a dado? It’s basically just a word for cutting a channel, or a groove, into a piece of wood that another piece of wood will slot into.

This is a great way to make sure that pieces are put together accurately in cabinets, desks and so on.

You are cutting the grooves that everything will slot into, thus greatly increasing the accuracy of assembly during your woodworking project.

The photo shown here demonstrates this example, there is a groove cut in the wood that is sized for another piece of wood to fit into.

Using stacked blades

The easiest (or at least most efficient) way to cut a dado is to use a stacked dado blade for a table saw. A stacked blade is pretty much exactly as it sounds, multiple bladed stacked to create a wide cutting blade.

In order to properly use a stacked dado blade on your table saw, you will want to make sure that your saw can fit the stacked blade, and you will also want to be sure that your saw is powerful enough to cut into wood with that wide of a stroke.

Dado cutting tips

If you can’t safely fit the needed with of blade onto your table saw, there are a couple tricks to make it easier to cut the dado you need with the hardware you do have.

The first situation might be needing to cut a 3/4 dado, but only being able to fit a 1/2 stacked blade into your table saw. In this case, you could make one pass to cut a 1/2 inch dado, and then make a second pass on the table saw to cut the remaining 1/4 inches that you need. You will need to make two passes, obviously, but you can still get a 3/4 dado by doing this.

Alternatively, you may need to cut a dado that is 1/2 inch deep but don’t have a saw powerful enough to make that in one pass. You could cut 1/4 inch deep on one pass, then make a second pass and cut out the remaining 1/4 inch. This is quite common for woodworkers that use router blades to cut dadoes.

Don’t neglect stability

In order to promote strength and stability in your woodworking projects, it’s probably a good idea to refrain from cutting a dado that is more than 1/3 of the way through the full thickness of the wood. If you cut 2/3 of the way through, you will destabilize the strength of the wood and may accidentally bread the board before you get everything assembled.

image by: David Numan

When taking on a cabinet building project, there’s a few tips that will help you from getting yourself into a tricky corner. Thinking ahead regarding a few of the aspects of cabinet building will help you keep the process efficient.

Before you assemble

It can be a good idea to finish the inside face of the cabinet boards before you put the cabinets together. This will make it easier to finish the wood in general, as you will be avoiding having to apply wood finish in corners and tricky to reach spots inside the cabinet.

You might also want to avoid putting any slick surfaced finish on the inside, that will make it tougher to glue surfaces together, if you’re using glue. Check out some other gluing tips for woodworking if you plan on using glue to build your cabinets.

Think about anything else that you might need to attach to the inside of the cabinet, and if it makes sense to put it on before assembling the main walls, do it.

Keep it in shape

Of course, the easiest way to line up the shelving and walls in your cabinets will be to cut a dado for each shelf end or inner wall end. Use glue to set the shelving in place in the dadoes, and clamp it all down while it dries and sets.

Framing can be a big help to get everything straightened out when you are lining up the shelves and other large panels in your cabinetry. Use framing squares along with clamps to accurately place all your panels, shelves and walls.

The back panels

Don’t forget about the back panel on your cabinets. You will want to prepare the back panel wall by making dadoes for the shelves and walls of the cabinet. If you do this, you can be completely confident that everything will line up on the cabinet and when you put it together, it will practically snap into place and everything will be aligned as needed.

It can also be forward thinking to drill holes for the screws on the back panel. You can basically just drill right in the middle of the dadoes to get the holes done quickly.

Then when you are staring at the blank wall of the back side it will be easy to place the screws that you will need to hold the back panel in place.

These tips should help you get going in the right direction. Remember to frame everything accurately and think ahead in terms of what you will need to do inside the cabinet. You can save yourself a lot of trouble.

image: Velo Steve

Glue is a common adhesive used in many types of woodworking projects, and if your woodworking plans call for it, you’ll need to use it. There are right and wrong ways to glue pieces of wood together, so make sure that you are using proper technique to get the strongest adhesive bond.

The wood must fit

When gluing two surfaces together, be sure that the surfaces that will be glued together fit each other without any bowing. If you need to force a piece of wood into place while the glue is trying, the strength of the joint will be compromised. If one of the pieces of wood bows, and needs to be forced and held into place, that is not a good thing.

Use less glue

Try to keep the amount of glue to a minimum. Spread a thin layer of wood glue onto both joining surfaces, and be sure to cover the entire surface that will be glued. Use a stick or a brush to apply the glue accurately and in a thin layer. Cover the entire surface that is to be glued. If you use thick layers of glue, the joint will actually be weaker than if you use thin layers of glue.

Keep it clean

Be sure that the joining surfaces are free of any contaminants that could interrupt the adhesiveness of the glue. Dust, oil, wax, etc. – all these will cause problems when trying to glue surfaces together. Clean the surfaces and let them dry appropriately as well.

Clamp it

One you have glued your pieces of wood together, be sure to clamp the pieces while they dry. This is very important. The wood must be held in place until the glue has properly dried and set. Clamp the wood together and tighten the clamps until you see a small bead of glue coming out from the joints. This means that the the joining surfaces are secured tightly together. You might need to leave your wood clamped together for up to 24 hours to let the glue properly cure and set.

Cleanup

Once the join dries and the glue is set, you will have little beads of dried glue raised above the surface. At this point, remove your clamps and use a chisel or something to scrape the excess dried glue away. This works better than trying to wipe it off with a damp cloth, which can cause undesirable after-effects.

A good example of using a lot of these gluing techniques would be in the construction of a cabinet, if you are trying to follow some cabinet woodworking plans. Having to glue the shelves in if you are using dadoes will require lightly applied thin layers of wood glue.

image: vanRijn

Hey, what’s better than getting kids interested in creative and cognitive projects and hobbies like woodworking?

Woodworking can be a great discipline builder for kids and it can teach them a lot of different technical things as well. Measuring, planning, drawing, using tools, paying attention to safety precautions – it’s all there for the learning.

If you want to introduce your kids to woodworking, first and foremost pay special attention to safety.

Once you’ve created a safe working environment, and your kids understand the necessary precautions regarding the tools they will be using, get them started with a project! Check out these books for more resources regarding woodworking ideas and woodworking plans for kids.

Woodshop for Kids by Jack Wiley	All-New Woodworking for Kids by Kevin McGuire
Weekend Woodworking – 150 Easy Projects by John and Joyce Nelson	Woodworking (Kids Craft Series) by John Kelsey

With kids, the best thing is to keep the projects simple. Don’t overwhelm them with big projects, or complicated building tasks. Focus on things like birdhouses and basic furniture and shelving. All three of those examples are things that they can use themselves, which will show them added value to woodworking as a hobby.

When making plans for the project, include your kid on the planning process. Ask them how they want to build the project and what ideas they have. They will think it’s pretty neat that they can have some major input in regards to how the project will be built.

Even if they have wacky ideas, it might be fun to incorporate them into the project. Kids do have crazy imaginations and will probably come up with weird features for furniture if you give them the opportunity, for example.

image source: Bob and Renee

Every tool that utilizes the purposes of a sharp edge will need to be sharpened, it’s just a fact of life. Saw blades, knives, chain saws and so on, they all will become dull and lose effectiveness over time.

Therefore, if you have tools, you will need to learn how to sharpen them, and sharpen them well. Each tool will have it’s own cycle in regards to becoming dull from use. How much you use it, the type of material that is being cut and the conditions under which the tool is used will determine how often you need to sharpen your particular tools.

Some people like to sharpen tools, and find it enjoyable. Others find it to be a chore. Which are you?

Regardless of which type you are, you will will always wonder, “how sharp should I make this thing?”

You should be able to go by a single, simple rule when it comes to sharpening. Sharpen your tools only the point where they make your job efficient. If it cuts like it’s sharp, it’s sharp enough, and you probably don’t need to tackle the job of sharpening this tool just yet.

Wait until your tools feel dull, and then sharpen them. Don’t sharpen them just because you need something to do. You might cause excessive wear on your tools and wear them down to the point that they need to be replaced more often.

Of course if you really do just like sharpening your tools, you might just not be able to resist sharpening all the time. There’s nothing wrong with being a sharpening fanatic, they are your tools after all.

image source: Let Ideas Compete

Woodworking is something that may give some people a feeling of dread. But it is easy to do with a bit of practice and is a relatively cheap past-time. Simple woodworking projects are available to help you feel comfortable with learning the skills needed to create some wonderful wooden masterpieces. Follow the tips below to start your new life as a woodworker.

The first step is to choose a simple range of quality tools. Many of the projects you will undertake in the early days of woodworking do not require a lot of high-tech equipment. It is not necessary to go out and buy the most expensive tools. You can pick up the basic tools you need from garage sales, online auction sites and or second-hand stores.

Remember, the quality of the tools you buy is much more important than anything else. In this respect it is usually better to buy used tools that are in good condition. Because they have been extensively used and made at a time when quality was more important than quantity, you are likely to get a lot more use out of them.

Once you have your basic tools, you can then start your search for simple woodworking projects. There are many plans available to follow, some of which are free and some attract a fee. You can find a range of projects on the internet to get you started.

It is best to begin with some of the softer woods such as spruce or pine. These woods are easier to work with and will help you to learn more quickly. Once you are comfortable with using these materials, you can move on to harder woods such as mahogany and birch.

It is important that you do not rush yourself. Take it at your own pace and if you do not feel comfortable undertaking a specific project, then do not do it! You have all the time in the world to learn more complicated and intricate projects. Remember, woodworking should be enjoyable and only slightly challenging. Try to learn at least one new skill with each project that you tackle to steadily increase your knowledge base.

As your knowledge increases you can then add more tools to your toolbox. You can start out with a scroll-saw which is one of the easiest and safest to use. A scroll-saw also takes up limited space in your woodworking area. You can then add more tools as you feel you need them as time progresses and you tackle more complicated woodworking projects.

Taking on simple woodworking projects is easy to do if you really want to give this hobby a try. You will gain in confidence the more you do and just think of the faces of friends and family when you produce useable items such as benches, tables and chairs with your own fair hands!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Albert_Hoogendoorn

If you are undertaking a woodworking project, you will probably need to store your wood somewhere, probably in your shop, for a period of time before you get going on your project.

And actually, before we talk about a couple techniques for wood storage, we should also mention that it makes good sense to store the wood in your shop for at least a couple weeks before beginning your work, which will allow it to adjust to the climate of your workshop before trying to build anything with it.

Keep it off the floor

You don’t want to store your wood on the floor, concrete or otherwise. This is just a bad idea.

Moisture will more than likely seep through the floor and get absorbed by the wood, causing undesirable results. You want to keep your wood high and dry. Put it up on a shelf, build a shelving system that provides you with plenty of wood-surfaced storage shelves to store all your lumber.

Basic inventory system

Try to keep your lumber organized, and store similar sized chunks together. This will prevent a lot of mix ups and confusion when looking for certain sizes of wood pieces.

You can mark down thickness, width and length, or any combination that you find useful. Basically, you just want to be sure that you can pick out certain sizes easily without much confusion.

Ventilation

Make sure that your storage space can breath, you want good air circulation. You will also want to try to keep the storage area dry and free of excessive humidity. This goes back to the point about keeping your wood in your shop for a couple weeks before using it. This will ensure that it has a chance to adjust to the dryer conditions of your shop before beginning work.

Storage methods

You are going to want to keep your extra wood out of your way, where are some good places to try to keep it? How about these ideas:

• In your rafters
• Put up some shelves
• Store wood under your workbench
• Vertical racks

Any of those options will work, and should allow you to keep your wood in ideal storage conditions in your workshop.

Let’s face it, if you are going to try to build something, it’s always better to have clear direction right? Most people would agree. That is the idea behind using woodworking plans when taking on a woodworking project.

Where can you get plans?

If you know exactly what you need to build, and have the ability to measure and draw it out, you can simply plan out the project yourself. Even if you have a pretty good idea in your head what you want to build, you’d be foolish to at least not attempt to draw it out first so that you can get your measurements set.

Don’t want to plan it out yourself? There’s plenty of places where you can simply buy plans to use for your next project. Just pick up a furniture plan, for example, and follow the details. You’ll build yourself a piece of furniture in no time. Just follow the directions and you are good to go.

It’s a little more complicated than that, of course. You need tools and a workshop, but once you’ve got all that stuff you simply just need some direction.

Another reason that you might want to use plans that you got from an outside source is that you might be able to be more confident in the design of the project, especially if the plans are tried and tested.

What’s worse than building a chair, only to realize that you designed it all wrong and it can’t even support the weight of a person trying to sit on it?

And, of course, using plans can simply be a good way to give kids direction when they undertake their first woodworking projects. You can give them clear guidance and they will get an idea of how to approach woodworking the right way, methodically and patiently.