/diy/ - Do It Yourself

>>1349907
So this is what I came up with on my own...
Not sure what type of wood the 4 corners would be, I was thinking maybe 4x4s. Then the green and lime green would be either 2x4 or 2x6 topped with a piece of 1/2" or more plywood. So have two shelves of that. Eventually when I move out and have more space add another piece of wood across the front where there is no green and add another shelf.
Do you guys think this would work or no?

>>1349908
I have one rack already that is for 10 gallons and it is kind of put together like this picture. I didn't build it though, I bought it already made from an acquaintance.

>>1349910
I'm half-tempted to just get a bunch of cinder blocks and do something like this over the dresser, but I think an actual wood stand would look a lot better.

>>1349912
Basically something like this but without that bottom piece unless I could put it around the dresser and then add that bottom piece in.
Anyways, carpenters and people with woodworking experience, please let me know what you think.

>>1349908
I'm no woodworker but I think 2x3" beams would be totally sufficient for both "red" and top "green" elements (top ones put the 3" side vertically" and whatever for bottom "green" ones because no load on them, so maybe 2x2 there.
Plywood however, 1/2" is the bare minimum, probably 20mm is best, 13/16" or whatever weird number is that in inches.
You just have to figure out the best way to join the pieces.
A steel frame would be nicer and perhaps look nicer, if you can find someone to make it and if you can afford it.

>>1349929
I thought about going with steel or something too, there are some decently priced shelves that would probably work like this one, I would just need to find a shelf with the right dimensions.

>>1349919

How are the beams in the middle fastened?

>>1350073
I'm not sure how to call it but like this.

>>1349907
>was a nice piece of furniture

>>1350175
Yeah maybe 50 years ago. Hasn't been cleaned or polished in at least 20 years.

>>1350178
>Yeah maybe 50 years ago. Hasn't been cleaned or polished in at least 20 years
NO?

>>1350181
Nope. I've had it for 7 and the most I ever did was use a dry cloth on the top of it like 2 years ago before I put the 55 gallon on there.

>>1349907
Make sure to support the complete bottom of the aquarium in a level flat surface. A piece of styrofoam under the tank will remove any surface discrepancies.

Source. Work at pet store and part time at a fish store.

>ruins maple dresser for a pos 55 gal fish tank
Let me guess Piranhas

>>1350203
>self leveling secret exposed

>>1350203
Thats what the bottom of the shelf it will be on is for. I'm on to you, styrofoam merchant!

>>1350208
Is it maple? I have no idea. The tank sits on a piece of plywood on the top of the dresser. And no, I don't keep piranhas. It is a community tank.

>>1350213
>styrofoam merchant
I just get mine for free.

Stuff at Lowe's is also stupid cheap for a big ass sheet.

>>1350236
Styrofoam will look like shit though, sticking out from under the aquarium. I've heard about people doing it though and am currently doing research on it, is it just for really big tanks or what? My 55 just sits on a piece of plywood on top of the dresser and I haven't had any issues with it.

>>1350214
> community tank
watches guppies fuck and neon tetras die

>>1350251
True.

Has anyone here taken apart really old well made antique furniture? What are the biggest difference in construction that makes a difference compared to new?

For example I have a Victorian glide rocker from 1880 that runs smoother than an exact reproduction someone did of it.

>>1350172
thats sort of a halving joint, only one piece is halved though. maybe a half halving joint haha
>>1350812
the two biggest differences are:
a)quality of materials
its not really a secret that most hardwood you buy today is from very young trees(10-15 years old), and thus is naturally inferior to, lets say, a 100 year old white oak. when youre making something out of wood, the quality of the wood is topmost

b)craftsmanship
there are few craftsman today with all their powertools who could hold a candle to the craftsman of yesteryear

>>1350827
>halving joint
Thanks! Now I know what to research.

>>1350827
I found those cuts are called "dato joints".

I made these shelves out of modified bunk bed plans found online. I can probably dig around for them, however the shelves are only supported by the 2 8' boards. There is no cross bracing and you can see the bend in the wood. I bought wood from Home Despot and spend a good amount of time trying to get the straightest wood. I have no idea what the weight limit is, but it is easily enough for people to sleep on; however, water is much heavier. I have a 125 gallon tank I am tempted to use for aquaponics, but I don't know if a shelf is stronk enough to hold over half a ton.

A few questions about the stand I am building.
My floor is concrete, so do I have to worry about how much weight will be in one spot? I'm going to move sometime in the future, but for now, the floor is concrete.
Speaking of the concrete floor, it is at a very slight angle to let water drain out (garage). Do I just use a level and carpenter's square to make the shelf level and square? Once the shelf is build, it will be level but the floor is not, so won't that make my take sit at a slight angle? It already happens on my 55 gallon, there is a noticeable difference in the water line -vs- the tank. It also happens on my smaller tanks, 29 gallon and 10 gallons.
The shelf is going to be about 4.5ft long, enough space for the 80 gallon, but what should I put under and maybe over it? I really like 3-tier shelves, but I am not sure that I would actually put tanks on the top shelf. But below it, I have a few options. I made this picture to help me see. It is 1cm = 1in on my side, but probably smaller here. But the dimensions are accurate from Aqueon's Critical Dimensions PDF.
I kind of want the 37 gallon on this stand, but I was thinking about building another stand that would hold 2x 37 gallon and 2x 29 gallon.
Anyways, thoughts..?

>>1352536
A 125 gallon tank will weigh a bit over 1000lbs. People usually overestimate with 10lbs/gallon. Without cross bracing, I'm not sure that I would risk it. I like your shelf though, perfect for a garage.

>>1352573
I talked with my uncle, he recommended doing 4x4 posts for the corners, 2x4 for the middle wood, and then 5/8ths plywood for the shelving. Instead of doing dato joints like in >>1349919, he recommended using something called hangers and then attaching the whole shelf either to the wall studs directly or with a ledger or even to the ceiling just to help it keep from tipping over. So fucking excited right now, I'm not sure that I can contain myself!!

>>1351487
dado joint is a pretty vague description of a joint
>>1352573
concrete is ok if its not hollow underneath, as for the level issue you'll definitely want to manufacture your bottom in such a way that it sits level, that much weight sitting on an angle will put alot of extra stress on one side

>>1352601
>dado joint
Oops, I spelled it "dato"... I guess the type is a through dado joint.

>>1349912
I think that would tip easy. Looks white trashy too. Practice your woodworking skills and make something nice. The skills you learn will benefit you throughout life.

>>1352603
thats a housing joint, calling something a dado joint is vague because you can use a dado blade to cut many types of joints

>>1350172
>like this

Sheetrock screws will work fine, just make sure they are long enough. Don't split the wood like that clown did through. Buy a countersink like in this picture. Stronger hold and looks more professional.

>>1349907
>>1349908

Why does the lumber extend up the sides of the tank?

I'd use 3/4" for the top. Or double up your 1/2 plywood.

You're going to need some serious cross bracing for 800-1000lbs. I'd put 1/2" plywood on the sides and back. Screw it to the frame with 1 5/8" sheetrock screws, 8" apart. Use a caulk tube of liquid nails when you put it all together.

You may want to think of some way to level the stand too, it holds water, any tilt in your floor will easy show when filled. Large threaded adjustable feet or something like that.

Don't forget if you're in the US, Homo Depot will cut your plywood to the size you need. Nice and square, and much easier to put in a car or truck.

>>1352625
why use liquid nails for wood when PL exists? its about a trillion times better

>>1352608
Yeah thats what I thought, even if they get painted they would still look like shit.

>>1352611
I did not know this. I'm very lacking in my knowledge of woodworking.

>>1352614
I was thinking about something like that and then maybe filling the holes in so it will look nice. My uncle recommended 2 inch screws.

>>1352625
One problem with plywood on the sides and back is that the tank will basically be in the middle of the room and I want to be able to see it from all sides. I really like the idea of the threaded feet, that will surely help when I go to level it. I plan on sealing all the places where the wood comes together with silicone or something similar, is this type of stuff able to be stained or sanded? I'm sure the stand will get wet occasionally, so I want to make it as waterproof as possible. I am in the US, I will probably use Home Depot's services, I just have to get my materials list together.

>>1349907
>One problem with plywood on the sides and back is that the tank will basically be in the middle of the room and I want to be able to see it from all sides.

I don't understand why in your drawing, your lumber extends up the sides of the tank anyways. Planning on putting a shelf on the top?

>I really like the idea of the threaded feet

Check Amazon for the pictured. Says it's good for 8000lbs.

>sealing all the places where the wood comes together with silicone

Silicone won't do jack for structural rigidity, and it also cannot be easily painted. Get PL like the other poster said.

Heavy Duty Leveler Legs w/ Lock Nuts - 8,000 Lb. Capacity Leveling Feet for Furniture, Cabinets, & Workbench - 4 Pack https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MOHS92I/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_tXgSAb7B1B1EW

>>1352637
Yeah a shelf on top to store fish-related items or maybe some smaller tanks. Also a place to hang lights if I go that route. I figured it would be more sturdy if I built it like that.
The silicone wouldn't be for any structural stuff, strictly for filling the small gaps between the wood to keep water out. But if PL will do that I will go that route instead. Thanks for the link! $25 is a lot cheaper than what I thought those would cost.

>>1349907
>>1352639
>Yeah a shelf on top to store fish-related items or maybe some smaller tanks. Also a place to hang lights if I go that route. I figured it would be more sturdy if I built it like that.

I'd still put plywood on the 3 sides that are around the backside of the dresser, just put it from the ground up to the bottom of the tank. You may want to find steel corner brackets you can put on the top corners of the front side.

Not sure if I'd use the included screws with those leveling feet. I'd be tempted to drill holes and run bolts through the leg and put nuts on the opposing side. Pretty hard for it to pull out that way.

>>1352643
Ah, I've decided not to put it around the dresser. If I was going to, I would definitely want the plywood on the sides. But I found a 5ft spot that will work for a ~4.5ft shelf, so that is why I keep saying no to the plywood idea.
Yeah those screws look pretty weak, probably because of the ledger on it. I think I would go with 1.5in screws for those, but you are right, the bolts sound like a better idea -vs- screws.
As far as hardware to put it all together goes, I am kind of leaning towards using the hangers like my uncle suggested. Seems a lot easier than making the cuts for the joints. But I do want to put some brackets or something on it, something nice looking. Not really sure what they are called, but it would go where the 4x4 meets the 2x4 or 2x6 on the outside. I'm not sure if they are functional or just decorative, or if I could even use something like that if I went with the hangers. If I can't use those, then I probably won't go with the hanger idea.

>>1352643
lol

anon, have you considered Unistrut?

>>1350251
>neon tetras die

>not keeping the superior in every way cardinal tetra...

anon, i don't even

>>1352693
>Unistrut
No, I haven't. One of my cousins recommended something like that. Is it very expensive?

How big of a level should I buy for this project?

>>1352715
Also, how big of a carpenter's square?

So I've pretty much settled on the design. I'm going to use these to connect the 2x4s to the 4x4s at the corners. I'm going to need 12 of the connectors.
For the cross bracing, I don't need to use a connector like this, do I? I was hoping I could just use 2 wood screws per each cross brace on each side. I'm going to use some type of construction adhesive at every point where wood touches, but I am still looking for something that is sandable and stainable. I'm not sure that PL is able to do that.
My plan is to stain the wood a dark cherry color. I think the galvanized steel will look like shit with the dark cherry, so I'm thinking that I will paint all the hardware black.

with this much overkill, i'm surprised you're not freaking out over the floor itself.

>>1353417
Its a concrete floor so I hopefully won't have anything to worry about.

>>1353414
Looks like Simpson also makes the type of connector for cross bracing. I was worried that they would show, but they are the hidden type so I will probably go with those. Might do 2 cross sections per shelf, that sounds about right to me.

>>1353414
>>1353441
why don't you go with something like pic related instead of a bunch of metal brackets?

>>1354084
I was thinking the metal brackets would look nice when painted black on a dark cherry stain. Originally I wanted to do something like this >>1350172 in the 4x4s to connect the 2x4s to it, but someone recommended "hangers" to me and that is how I found the Strong Ties.

>>1354089
just one question, why do you need the shelf above the aquarium?

>>1354091
Just to store stuff and possibly have a place to mount lights to if I decide to go that route. I haven't even decided what type of lighting I'm going to use. I was leaning towards just some shop lights but I've been doing research all day and "serious" aquariasts avoid shop lights in favor of T5 or LED. I also thought the whole thing would be sturdier if I have a top shelf.

>>1354091
>why do you need the shelf above the aquarium?
>>1349907
>I really doubt that it could hold any more weight

>>1354094
>above the aquarium
sorry, I can't read

Here is my design so far... The gray block thing is my canister filter. I was thinking about doing a cabinet on the bottom but I would have to make the shelf taller. It is 6 feet in this design and the bottom area is 9 inches tall. Not sure how big it will look but on my side it is 1cm=1inch so all of the measurements are accurate.

>>1354096
The above picture has 8 inches of space above the two aquariums to give enough room to work in. In this pic you can see why I would need to make it taller to have the cabinet on the bottom.

>>1354096
>>1354097
Ah shit I just realized I made the 2x4s the wrong direction in these.......

>>1354089
>>1354096
what worries me is that when going wit the metal bracket design all the weight is on them instead of being transferred directly to the ground
I wouldn't trust to have all that weight being transferred to the ground only sideways with screws

>>1349912
i had a 40 gal tank on this set up, 3 cinder blocks on each end and some solid wood table top. works well on smaller tanks. I ended up building a wooden stand and looked much nicer later.

>>1354099
That is what my original thoughts were as well, but they use the same brackets when building houses, so I would thing they are pretty sturdy. Still not dead set on my design though, especially considering the cost of the brackets and how many I would need.

>>1354102
Yeah even the painted cinder block stands still look like shit.

>>1354099
I mean, if there is some type of decorative plate I could put on the outside after I do the dado joints, that was one of my original ideas.
Honestly, I just want it to be sturdy as fuck and look nice.

>>1354104
>>1354106
just consider overall weight distribution when tweaking your design, it's still a lot of weight on just the screws
think about incorporating something like pic related into the design

>>1354108
How would I incorporate something like that? I have no idea what I am doing. Maybe I will email the company who makes those connectors and see what they say about the max weight per bracket but they never responded to my last email about which bracket I needed so I doubt they will respond to this one.

>>1354108
Check out the backside of these brackets.

>>1354110
maybe something like this on the sides

>>1354118
fuck

>>1354114
oh, never mind then
just consider doing something like pic related under the shelfs so they dont sag in the middle, connecting these "beams" to the 2x4s that go along the edge

>>1354122
I was thinking about doing 2 or maybe 3 cross braces from the front to the back on each shelf and then using some sort of connector to hold it in place.

>>1354124
good luck with your build anon

Maybe there is a way to incorporate the dado joints and the connectors. I just emailed Simpson to see how much weight one of these connectors will hold but I'm not going to hold my breath waiting for their reply. I'm still at least another week or 3 off from even buying the lumber unfortunately.

>>1354133
Thanks!

If I want a small, glass fronted, hanging wall cabinet to store and display the small fossils from my collection what the hell would it be called?

>>1353414
i'm admittedly suspicious of using the hangers to support the load, but if you're married to the concept, it looks like RTC44 is the heaviest gauge and strongest.

https://www.strongtie.com/rigidtieconnectors_miscellaneousconnectors/rtc-fwh_productgroup_wcc/p/rtc.fwh.rta.rtb.rtf.rtr.rtu


they're also marketing to the DIYer

https://www.strongtie.com/miscellaneousconnectors_woodconnectors/wbsk_kit/p/wbsk

>>1354164
>$16 each
JFC
I thought ~$6 was bad enough for the RTC42...
I'm not married to the idea, it just seems a lot easier than the other way I was thinking. I really want there to be black hardware on the outside of the shelf, I guess I could find something decorative instead of functional and use the dado joints. I don't have a dado blade, just a regular old circular saw blade that was my grandpa's. I'm not even sure what type of blade it is, but the teeth are huge and last time I used it to cut fencing material, it tore the fuck out of the wood at the cuts. So maybe a new blade for that would be better then I could do the cuts instead.

>>1354164
pretty cute, eh? just get the Home Despot to precut your lumber for you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2jmeIuWq4I

>>1354158
Perhaps what you want is a "curio cabinet"

They actually got back to me. I guess this means that the connectors will be able to work for what I want.

>>1354093

Shop lights or tube fixtures work really well and are the most economical lights I've found for tanks at least 2 ft. long. I use LED tubes in them for the lower power consumption, but even 6500k T8 fluorescent bulbs grow plants like a champ in my experience. I rigged this canopy/stand (holds a 15 gallon on top) out of a scavenged fixture and some Mylar for a reflector.

>>1354811
I have one T8 2-bulb shop light fixture right now that is not in use, I might have to try that out before I decide on what types of lights I'm going to use. I feel like I am spending too much time on the lighting and not enough time on finishing my design. I like the idea of LEDs but I don't want to spend hundreds on a light for this set up so I will probably just go with florescent tubes. One of my "friends" told me that LEDs won't work on a tank as big as 80 gallons but I don't think they were quite right. But they did say that LEDs won't penetrate the water like a T5 will.

Does anyone have any experience with Parr Lumber? Will they cut wood like Home Depot?

>>1349907
I wanna start carpentry what tools do I need

>>1356635
for making furniture-sized stuff and smaller
>some kind of workbench
is probably one of the most important tools to have

>>1356635
Hammer, drill, various bits, various saws, and other things.

Does this look like overkill for the support 2x4s across the bottom of the shelf that will hold the 80 gallon tank?

I have completed my design.
This shit is going to be so expensive that I am having second thoughts. But, I already bought the 80 gallon tank so there is no going back now.
The price for all of the hangers and screws is going to be $149.80! I haven't even priced the wood yet but I know what cuts I will need. I see why people use dado joints when building these things now. I really don't want to change my design though.
3 inches of space below the bottom shelf so I can use the feet previously linked. 8 inches of space between the tops of the tanks to provide enough room to work and hang lights or whatever. I decided to go with 10 gallon tanks on top since I have a bunch just sitting around.
Anyways, what do you guys think? I'm a poorfag so it will probably take me a month or so to get all of the parts together so I will probably just let this thread die.

>>1356836
depends on what you're using as the shelf's surface

>>1357607
5/8ths plywood

>>1357608
yeah, I think that'll be good enough

>>1357612
Awesome! Can't wait to build this shelf.

So I am figuring out the cuts for all the wood I need to build this thing. I've figured out something that is shitty to me. Because of the size of the shelf, I will need 3 full sheets of plywood, each to cut out one of the shelf parts from. Kind of annoying... But I am going to need 2x 4x4x12ft and 9x 2x4x12ft. I emailed a couple of places locally to see how much it is going to cost for this wood. Hopefully it doesn't cost too much, but we will see. I'm probably just going to use some type of pine for this shelf. I want all of it to be the same type of tree so that it looks the same once it is stained.

>>1357683
Oy vey!

>>1357841
Quote from a different company for Douglas Fir.

>>1357612
Do you think it would still work if I used 1/2 plywood instead?

>>1357948
Called Parr Lumber and spoke with an ancient man who seemed pretty knowledgeable in wood. I'm going to go down there in the next couple of days with all of my measurements and see what type of lumber they have. I think this is the company I will deal with as it will be cheaper than Home Depot and a little bit more personal it seems.

make sure your legs are sitting on floor joists and put another leg in the middle of the long sides. an 80 gallon alone would be a lot of stress on your floor

>>1358165
It's going to be in the garage on concrete so I'm not so worried about that.

>live in the dessert
>no lumbar yards

gotta homedespot feels bad

>>1349907
how the fuck do I stain wood without it looking just ugly red

>>1358581
Wood conditioner and multiple coats I think. And a stain that isn't ugly red.

Can anyone recommend a stain or color that would match this?

>>1349907
When that tank falls over it might kill you anon. I have a 75 gal. Salt water tank that weighs in at 1000 lbs. It has to be perfectly level,all tanks do.
I used playing cards to level mine out. You don't keep $2000 worth of fish without safety in mind.
If that tank starts to go you have 500 lbs. Of water moving at 20 mph. If it falls on you,you're dead. At best you get flooded out and your fish die. Not to mention the smell

>>1359371
I've thought of that and the shelf will be square and level. I'm going to use leveling feet so it will be easy to level. The shelf is slightly wider than the tank but I am confident that I won't have any issues with stability. But if I do, I will just use a ledger and attach it to the wall or the ceiling.

Well I went to the lumber yard today. Got a 2x4x8' piece of wood. Doug fir, the wood dudes said it should work for what I want. Then I went to Home Depot and got all the shit I need to stain.
My plan is to test the stain I bought out on the 2x4. I'm going to do 1-5 coats seperated by tape and see which one I like the best. Condition the wood and stain then use the poly top coat. Should work out alright. I hope I like the color. Otherwise I will just go get another can and try it out.
It's gonna take me a while to do the staining but I will post a pic of the results.

>>1360035
Well I've been practicing staining all day. I sanded a piece of 2x4 with 3 different grades of sandpaper and then applied wood conditioner. Waited 15 and applied the stain on 1-5. Waited an hour and did 2-5. Waited another hour and did 3-5. Waited another hour... seemed tacky still. Waited an hour... applied stain to 4 and 5. Waited about 1.5 hours and did 5. Waited another hour or so andd applied polyurethane top coat. Still waiting for that to dry, has about 2.5 hours to go.
As you can tell from this pic, I did fuck up. The poly actually moved the stain on 3-5. Went to the manufacturer's website, they recommend waiting at least 2 hours between coats of stain. Kind of sucks, the can said otherwise. But this is just a practice piece so it is ok.
Once the poly is dry, I will do a light sand with 220 sandpaper, apply a 2nd coat of poly, and let it dry until tomorrow around noon probably. But I have a 2nd piece of 2x4 that I am going to do tonight/tomorrow and will wait at least 2 hours between coats.
In this pic you will see 6 stained parts. The first very light one is just wood conditioner, but when I used the rag with the poly on it, I went from 1 through 5 so there was quite a bit of stain on the rag.
Not sure I really like the color, will have to wait and see what the 2nd piece looks like tomorrow. Ill probably be done with it sometime in the late evening.

Well I've been practicing staining all day. I sanded a piece of 2x4 with 3 different grades of sandpaper and then applied wood conditioner. Waited 15 and applied the stain on 1-5. Waited an hour and did 2-5. Waited another hour and did 3-5. Waited another hour... seemed tacky still. Waited an hour... applied stain to 4 and 5. Waited about 1.5 hours and did 5. Waited another hour or so andd applied polyurethane top coat. Still waiting for that to dry, has about 2.5 hours to go.
As you can tell from this pic, I did fuck up. The poly actually moved the stain on 3-5. Went to the manufacturer's website, they recommend waiting at least 2 hours between coats of stain. Kind of sucks, the can said otherwise. But this is just a practice piece so it is ok.
Once the poly is dry, I will do a light sand with 220 sandpaper, apply a 2nd coat of poly, and let it dry until tomorrow around noon probably. But I have a 2nd piece of 2x4 that I am going to do tonight/tomorrow and will wait at least 2 hours between coats.
In this pic you will see 6 stained parts. The first very light one is just wood conditioner, but when I used the rag with the poly on it, I went from 1 through 5 so there was quite a bit of stain on the rag.
Not sure I really like the color, will have to wait and see what the 2nd piece looks like tomorrow. Ill probably be done with it sometime in the late evening.
edit: better pic

>>1361182
Better pic maybe? I hope it looks better after I finish the 2nd coat of poly.
I think part of the reason it looks not so good is that I used really shitty rags to apply the stain and poly. I bought a decent brush but didn't want to go through the trouble of washing it multiple times for this test piece. I do have a foam brush that I might try tomorrow or maybe just an old t-shirt instead.

if i got a product that says it dry in 40 minutes in order to add another coat, and a minum of 3 coats, and a 24 hour cure time is this laquer?

>>1361647
Is that a fucking riddle? What does the can say?

>>1361650
"barnize intintado"

>>1361653
I'm sure they got Google down in Mehico ese.

>>1361647
Indoor varnish

>>1361656
>implying I know Spanish.
>implying I don't doubt what they say
>implying I would trust Mehico with wood

The work with concrete and blocks, I don't trust em.

>>1361658
Why do you have a Spanish product if you aren't a Spanish speaker? It's varnish, I don't know for sure just what Google Translate said "inner varnish"

So here is the wood from today -vs- the one from yesterday. Believe it or not, the wood I did today I only did one coat on all three pieces. The only thing I did differently was put on the conditioner extra thick and the first coat of stain as well. I am hesitant to put the 2nd and 3rd coats on like I was planning. The bottom piece has 2 coats of poly and I am doing the poly to the top piece right now.

>>1361749
I put a 2nd coat of stain on the 3rd section. Kind of looked like crap. Waited 2 hours. The first two sections only have one coat of stain. So 4 hours total dry for them, 2 for the 3rd section. When I was applying the poly, the stain started to come up. After researching this, it seems it is best to wait 48-72 hours after the oil stain has been applied before applying the poly. What a pain in the ass...

is woodburning under woodworking? I don't wanna associate with artwork/critique faggots

>>1361949
So far you shouldn't associate with either.

>>1361966
don't be mad anon, I am having fun with my hobby

It's fucked, isn't it?

So I started using this old wooden dining room chair as a desk chair and after a week it snapped. Fortunately, I had a cushion under my butt. I didn't get hurt when it split, but I think the chair is irredeemably ruined now. I only weigh 175pounds.

probably just going to have to break it into bits and toss it in the trash, but do you think this can be repaired to an extent where somebody could sit on it and trust it won't snap again?

>>1362022
Maybe a piece of plywood under it with wood glue or liquid nails. Use some clamps to hold it in place. Might work, but don't quote me on that, I have no experience with such things.

>>1362022
I'd throw it out because its old and shitty. but you could also just clamp it back together, sand the bottom of the seat, get some framing timber and glue it to the bottom of the chair perpendicular. I'd also put some polyurethane glue into the holes for the loose cross member.

one at the front, one at the back, one in the middle. I wouldnt use plywood because it's not meant to bear loads that way. they probably were going for like some kind of mission look but failed to properly build the frame of the chair

>>1362022
What are you talking about? Just glue it back together. Most wood glues are stronger than wood.

>>1362125

>>1362126
remind me again. how would you just glue it together? the wood is warped. there is no just throw some superglue on it and she'll be rite m8.

>>1362146
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ytng2tVcVPY

Hi /diy/
/k/ommando and /out/ist here. I recently found out that at the young age of 20, I'm to be a father. In an effort to save some money my fiancé and I have decided to restore her crib that her parents kept in the garage. The stain is wearing off and it needs to be refinished badly.
If I refinish it and seal it with some sort of lacquer, do I need to worry about it being toxic for the baby?
Sorry if I'm being a dipshit, I work EMS and my family is in automotive so I wasn't really sure who to ask

>>1362385
Yes, you need to stay away from lacquer...not good for teething young people...look for a product called 'salad bowl finish'...little peeps friendly...

>>1362424
>salad bowl finish'
>>1362385
it was probably originally finished with shellac. shellac is actually used to make food. glazes and polishes on edible confectionary can be made with shellac.

it cures to a hard plastic. I would use this instead of urethane. also its incredibly easy to repair and apply. just do thin coats at a time. wipe on with a lint free rag. easy to dip into existing scratches and bite marks. if you get a scratch, you just buff it really fast and the finish heats up, melts and self heals.

I'm getting really bummed about the shelf I'm trying to build. I've emailed a few companies regarding wood and for the finish I want, I'm going to need to use something other than douglas fir. But, I can't find he recommended woods in 4x4s. I was told to use either cherry or maple, but it doesn't look like I'm going to be able to use that like I want. I guess I will stick with douglas fir.
How shitty will this shelf look if I make it with doug fir and then put a cherry or walnut vaneer on it and then stain that?

>>1362913
I'm thinking about getting the wood with knots in it so it will have more character. Will this compromise the strength of my shelf?

just build it with the strongest wood you can find, then put some veneer with knots and what not
don't risk it

>>1363613
It's looking like I might go that route if I can't get this douglas fir to stain the way I want. I did finally find a source for cherry or maple, but it is quite expensive.

>>1363614
I did email a few companies asking about the wood and how I can get the best results and I sent them the pic from >>1358839 . Here is one of their responses. This is why I started to look for cherry or maple wood.

>>1363615

>>1363617

>>1363618

>>1363619

Because the stain moved when I used the poly top coat, I decided to test another piece last night. I divided it into 6 sections and 1-3 is just wood conditioner with one coat of stain. Section 1 24-hour wait before poly, section 2 48-hour wait before poly, and section 3 72-hour wait before poly. Sections 4-6 will follow a similar fashion but I treated the wood with mineral spirits before I used the wood conditioner. So it will be a few days before I can get a pic of that piece but the piece but the top piece from >>1361749 should be dry enough to take a picture. I put the 2nd coat of poly on it late last night.

Here is my grandpa's old saw... Will any 7 1/4" blade work on it? I've used this blade and it tore the fuck out of the wood I was cutting. How do I determine how many teeth I need on the blade? I was thinking of this blade: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Diablo-7-1-4-in-x-24-Teeth-Tracking-Point-Framing-Saw-Blade-D0724R/100008676 but I don't know if I need 24, 40, or 60 teeth.

Tomorrow I am going back to the lumber yard to get another piece of CVG Douglas Fir. Then I am off to the woodcraft store to get some stain. I'm going to get Georgian Cherry gel stain >>1363617 . I've been doing a lot of research in the past week and I found out that other than stain, some people dye their wood because it doesn't bring out the grain as much as seen in my test pieces here >>1361749 . Also, I found out that people sometimes use a certain type of wood bleach to remove the grain, although it does not take it out completely, but it does remove a lot of the color. I am kind of interested in trying out the dye method and the bleach method as well, but I think I will try the gel stain first and see how I like that. I also read that some people use shellac over the wood first and then stain on top of that but I don't think I want to go with that method.

My most recent test piece is coming along well. I'm waiting until all 6 pieces of it have the first coat of polyurethane on before I sand the first coat down and apply the second. Did the first coat on parts 1 and 4 last night, still have about 3.25 hours before parts 2 and 5 and even longer for parts 3 and 6. Also, I think I messed up when I applied the mineral spirits to parts 3-6 because it pretty much dried off before I got the stain on it. It's ok though because this is all just a learning process.

Watch this old lady school you on how to use gel stain
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGMJWz3mnEo

>>1364533
>Will any 7 1/4" blade work on it?

Yes

> How do I determine how many teeth I need on the blade?

You determine what kind of wood you are going to cut with it, its not a one size fits all

>>1364565
I see. So what do I need to cut 2x4s and 4x4s of doug fir with? Will the same blade work for 1/2 or 3/4 plywood or will I need a different blade for that?

>>1364569
Alright I did my own research and for cross-cutting it looks like I will need a blade with at least 40 teeth since I will be cutting plywood as well.

Just got back from shopping:
Rubber sanding block to make my life easier
3 foam brushes for stain
Georgian Cherry Gel Stain
2x 2ft piece of standard of better douglas fir
2x 1ft piece of CVG doug fir

Going to try out the new stain on both types of wood and then try the old stain on the new wood as well. The CVG douglas fir is quite expensive ($28.40/8') compared to the framing lumber ($5.60/8'). If I like it, I will probably use it on the visible pieces and then use the cheaper stuff for the supports.

hijacking this thread a little bit
if I want a desk surface with a clear almost mirror like finish, should I do it by sanding each time with smoother sandpaper or do this epoxy hack seen in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQrRVUarzPc

>>1364862
put a mirror on it

>>1364904
I want to see the wood though

>>1364930
you probably want a "wood mirror" then google that technique

In my quest to get more "interesting" wood, I tried to pick out some that had more grain to it than the piece I had previously. Now I just tried to sand it down with 150 grit and I see there are these marks on the wood. I assume it is from the saw. Am I able to sand these away or do I need a plane or how do I go about removing these marks? I have 120, 150, and 220 grit sand paper but I would have to buy a plane if that is what it will take. I really like the way the grain looks, but those marks kind of ruin it.

>>1365017
those marks happened because some dickhead tried to plane the wood going against the grain, to it ripped off parts of it
watch this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZqYh-6c0m8

>>1365019
Very good watch!
So if I am "reading the grain" correctly, I can see exactly what happened. There are none of those marks on the opposite side of the knot so that makes perfect sense. I didn't know anything like that before but now I know what to look for next time I get some lumber.
I am going to assume the only way I can remedy those marks would be to use a plane and go in the opposite direction then or maybe do some very heavy sanding...

I can pick these two planes up at Harbor Freight for pretty cheap... I'm just barely getting into woodworking so I hope this would be good enough and last me a year (maybe).
I am really enjoying the little bit I am doing and am considering looking for work that has to do with woodcraft. A local sauna place is hiring for an apprentice, I was thinking about that or trying to find a cabinet shop that was hiring.

>>1365039
This set is complete and utter trash
The other hand plane harbor freight sells is acceptable if you spend a few hours cleaning up and sharpening the iron.

>>1365046
I have one of these that makes short work out of any sharpening job I've thrown at it (knives, scissors, shovel, axe) so it might only take a few minutes to sharpen the iron. Are you referring to "No. 33 Bench Plane"?

Is this a general? I made a twin screw vise and I thought it would be clever to have the nuts turn by using 3 gears. It works but it's retarded because clockwise/anti-clockwise is reversed. So instead of right-y tight-y, left-y loosey, it's the opposite since I'm turning from the centre gear. How can I reverse this and keep things fairly flat?

>>1365269
I only made this thread to get advice on how to make my shelf but I was thinking about a woodworking general last night. Unfortunately, I don't have enough knowledge to put any info in the OP. I was basically thinking about stealing the format of the /aq/uarium general from /an/ but making it woodworking instead of fish.
Anyways, post a pic of your vice, that is always helpful.

>>1365415
Alright. Not mine but it's similar to this.

>>1365597
Does the one in this picture operate with normal clockwise to close?

>>1365605
Of course not. You move the centre gear clockwise, the two outer gears move counter clockwise and vice versa

>>1365618
So yours operates exactly opposite of that? Maybe the gears are on the wrong side? I'm not really good with gears, hopefully someone else can chime in.

>>1365621
It's identical in function. I need a way to rotate the centre gear in the opposite way I'm cranking.

>>1365623
Maybe if you added two smaller gears between the center and the outside gears it might make it function as you want, that is the only thing I can think of. You would have to remake all of the gears though, but it might work

>>1365625
I'd have to remake the 3 middle gears. The outside gears can't be changed. If I make the centre/driver gear small, I think I'll lose too much torque. I need something stackable.

>>1365629
Maybe you can make the gears like this or something similar. Add something to the bottom to raise them up maybe.

>>1365632
Nice. The driver gear would have another gear on top, giving it the same disadvantage as this
>>1365625
design.
Here's the two ways I know it can be done in theory. But they don't translate well into a vice. Also, I'm making the gears by hand so those tiny gears are too close for comfort when using a makeshift jigsaw table that hates curves.

>>1365638
Well you could try offsetting the gears then maybe since you don't want to make the 3 you already have smaller. Maybe enlarge the vice itself so you have more room to work with. I think you can make it work but you might have to compromise...

>>1365648
Like I said, I can't make gears that small. When I remake the vice, I'll definitely make it longer and have chained gears like in the first pic. But the one I'm working on is about 300mm/12inches long.

>>1365650
Yeah the chain seems like the easiest route to go. I wish I could be more help but it seems like you are stuck with what you've made for a bit.

>>1365653
It's fine mate, it's the first time I've used gears on a project and I've learnt my lesson. Thanks for the help.

>>1365654
No problem! Be sure to post it when you do make your final design.

hey i recently just got some small red cedar logs from my dad and im trying to make a pipe. I was wondering if i needed to dry it out and what i need to do in order to make it. Also just types of something that can take heat well and whats safe.

>>1366039
http://www.pipemakersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=240

I would assume the wood must be dry at least one or two seasons.

>Also just types of something that can take heat well and whats safe.
?