How to Build a Storage Shed and Declutter Your Home

If you are like me, your decision to build a storage shed and declutter your home has been a long time coming. One of the first questions we ask ourselves is what is it going to cost, followed by what will my return on my investment be? In my opinion, the better question we need ask ourselves is what our sanity is really worth? Continue reading and uncover the little know secrets to answer these and other questions.

For rare thinking people such as us, we certainly do not need a realtor or beloved in-law to tell us, Declutter your home. What we do need however, the tips and tricks of the trades. How to exactly build a storage shed to solve our clutter problems and increase our property value.

With growing families there never seams to be enough storage space. As the kids out grow there stuff. We hold on to the keep sakes, brought home from the hospital first outfit, first pair of shoes, and so it goes. Then there is all the hand me downs, the everyday stuff. You know what I mean, all the pants, dresses, sweaters and the like that has to much good left in them to throw out or try and yard sale, or my personal favorite, my mother bought that for whoever.

Then there is all the seasonal stuff, Christmas decorations, winter coats and boots, kitchen items like crock pots and holiday cookie cutters and everything that goes with them stuffed into drawers and the pantry. Our Homes are living spaces designed for our families health and comfort, not long term storage spaces for all those, I might need that some day items.

These are but a few of the many reasons you need to build a storage shed, reduce the clutter in your home once and for all. Just imagine for a moment, building your own storage solution a beautiful spacious shed and end all your clutter nightmares and complete another diy project. I got to ask you, how great would that make you feel, great right?

How to build a shed


Pick-up a copy of woodworking 4 home woodworking plans and designs.
Select a set of shed plans that best fits your design needs.
Select your building site and prepare the site for the build.
Use the list of materials that are included in the set of shed plans to purchase everything you will need.
Call a few of your best friends with carpentry skills, invite them over for a shed building party at your house, and have fun.
Let your spring cleaning begin, solve your clutter problems, organize it all in your brand new storage shed that you built yourself.

With all your clutter organized and stored safely in your new shed. You will want to start planning your next project, how about a new wood deck, or maybe a set of custom built patio furniture?

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Do You Need a Router Table or a Shaper in Your Workshop

          Depending on how you look at it, there’s either no difference between a shaper and a router table or a theres great deal of difference. They are the same in that they both work by projecting a cutter or bit up through a hole in the table. The work piece is then run along a fence and through the cutter, producing a profile on the work piece matching that of the cutter.


          In, many other ways, however, they are quite different. The first question you might want to consider is: “Considering the type of woodworking I do (or I am likely to do) in the future, do I need a shaper or will a simple router table do the trick?” What will determine the answer to the question is the size of the profiles you want to create. You do not need to own both a shaper and a router table since many shapers can also spin router bits. However, you cannot spin shaper cutters on a router.

          If you are used to working with routers and router tables, one of the first things you will notice the first time you turn on a shaper is how much quieter it is. The high-pitched whine of the router has been replaced by the quieter whirr that is characteristic of the shaper. The reason for this is two-fold: First, most shapers turn at slower RPMs (7000, to 10,000) than routers which scream along at 20 to 25 thousand RPM. And yet, when you consider the tip speed of the larger shaper cutter as opposed to the router bit, there may not be that much difference in speed at the actual point of cutting. Second, routers are direct drive while shapers use the quieter belt-drive system of rotation.

          Because shaper cutters are so much larger than router bits, they are attached to the shaper differently than router bits are attached to a router. Shapers use heavy metal spindles that are firmly attached into the shaper at the bottom of the spindle. Spindles usually come in 4 sizes: 1/2", 3/4", 1”, and 1 1/4" diameters. Some machines only include one spindle but others supply two or more. There are two types of spindles: “solid” and “interchangeable.” An interchangeable spindle has a hole in the top end which allows you to mount smaller diameter spindles and even router bit collets. An interchangeable spindle can also hold shaper cutters.

          Solid spindles are used only for shaper cutters. Cutters, spacers, rub collars and/or ball bearings are dropped onto the spindle shaft from above and then secured with a large, provided nut. The capacity of a shaper spindle is expressed in available space “under the nut.” The greater the capacity, the more cutters and spacers can be accommodated. Another important figure to look at when shopping for a shaper is the amount of “spindle travel.” This figure relates to how high or low the spindle can be with relationship to the table top. This relates to the maximum thickness of work piece that can be shaped with a profile. Multiple cutters can be put together to create different profiles.


          Generally speaking, the largest shaper cutters work better at lower RPMs. Most shapers will offer you two different speeds. The more expensive shapers may offer you as many as five. Changing speeds is done by moving the drive belt into another pulley position as on a drill press. And, like the drill press, belt tension must be slackened before this can be done. On most shapers, this is accomplished by simply moving a lever that releases the belt tension, then, moving the belt into another pulley position and finally, by moving the lever back to its original “tight” position.


          Most shapers come with grooves for a miter gauge in both the table and the fence. This is to allow small pieces to be shaped safely and effectively. Another piece of equipment relating to safety is the “starter pin”. This is a metal pin, threaded on one end that screws into a threaded hole in the table near the location of the cutter. It gives you a place to rest the work piece against when beginning a freehand cut.

          In a router table, there are two types of router bits you may use: (1) with or (2) without a ball bearing guide. If there is no ball bearing guide on the router bit, you MUST use the router table fence. Same with the shaper. The shaper may use a “rub collar” or a ball bearing on the spindle shaft to prevent the work piece from being drawn into the cutter deeper than the profile. If you are using a cutter without a rub collar or ball bearing, then you will need to use the fence that is installed on the table. The infeed portion of the fence is set further away from the operator than the outfeed fence. This difference determines the depth of cut. Most shapers allow you to “micro-adjust” the fence settings for perfect results.


          When shaping irregular (not square) work pieces, you will have to work freehand which is inherently more dangerous than using the fence. To do this, you will probably need to remove the fence or, at least, set it back, out of the way, toward the rear of the table. You will need to construct an alternate kind of safety guard and this can be made from a round piece of 3/16” or thicker Plexiglas with a hole drilled through it at the center point. This guard must be a bit wider than the swing of the cutter. It should be mounted at the top of the cutter or cutters on the spindle and then fastened down with the spindle nut. Keep your fingers as far away from the cutter as possible while maintaining a firm grip on the work piece at all times. With the rub collar or ball bearing installed, you can press the work piece into the cutter without worrying about going too far.


          A shaper can be an extremely dangerous machine if not used properly. Anything I say in this piece or anywhere else should NOT be construed as giving advice that could lead one to do anything dangerous, harmful, injurious or fatal. In, fact, I would say that if you are ignorant of the dangers present in woodworking or are not willing to take the necessary safety precautions, then you should immediately give up woodworking and never go near a woodworking machine again. Here are some precautions you MUST take when using a shaper in the interest of your safety and that of others in your shop:


          1) ALWAYS use some sort of guard or, even better, a power feeder. A power feeder will completely cover the cutter danger area and will push the work piece against the fence as it pushes it through the cutter. Buy a power feeder and use it whenever you can. When the operation precludes the use of a power feeder, at least use an effective guard. Most shaper fences come with guards. Use the guard!


          2) Most shapers can be run forward or reverse. This is because some cutters or cutter configurations require that the shaper be run in reverse. Before you start any cut DETERMINE THE PROPER DIRECTION OF ROTATION for the cutter or cutters on the spindle. Then check and double-check that the machine is set to the proper cutting direction. If you feed a work piece into a shaper WITH the direction of rotation instead of AGAINST it, the shaper can easily pull the work piece out of your grip and send it flying like a missile through your shop with possible FATAL results.


          3) NEVER shape small or thin pieces. Instead, shape a larger piece of wood than you need and then rip off what you need on the table saw. Small pieces can also easily become missiles. Further, they will cause your fingers to be way too close to the cutter and if they slip, they may cause your fingers to go into the cutter.


          4) USE A STARTER PIN when doing free hand work with irregular work pieces. It will give you much greater control and may prevent kick-back.


          5) USE A MITER GAUGE WITH A HOLD_DOWN CLAMP whenever shaping the ends of narrow pieces like table or chair legs. To attempt this without a miter gauge and clamp is asking for a trip to the emergency room.


          6) USE JIGS WHENEVER POSSIBLE. A jig is a shop-made or other device designed to guide cuts for consistent and safe results.


          7) USE EYE AND EAR PROTECTION and wear a DUST MASK. The reasons should be obvious.


          One more piece of advice, although this doesn’t relate to safety as much as it does to work piece conservation. Always shape (or rout) the end grain of a square or rectangular work piece first and then rout along the sides. This way, you have a good chance of shaping or routing away the chip-out at the end of the end grain as you clean up the sides. Also, if you are shaping end grain, try to clamp a back-up board to the work piece so that it passes through the cutter immediately after the work piece, thus preventing chip-out. If you can afford it or think you might be doing a lot of end grain cuts, consider a machine with a sliding table. In a mass production setting, it can pay for itself quickly in time saved and repeated accuracy.




Bob Gillespie
Woodworker

For similar articles and tool reviews see:

http://www.perfectwoodworking.com/





© 2010 Robert M. Gillespie, Jr.

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How to Get the Most Out of Your Band Saw

          Any band saw can resaw. The question is: “How well and how thick?” The first thing you need to decide if resawing on your band saw is an activity in which you are likely to engage frequently, occasionally or never. For those of you who don’t know, resawing is the ability to cut thin slices or veneers out of a board standing on its edge on the band saw table, while being guided along a high fence. Where this pays off is when you are trying to get maximum mileage out of an especially fine, beautiful, expensive hardwood board.


          For example, I made a lot of jewelry boxes with 3/8” thick sides. Considering that I had to sand all of the sides flat and smooth, I found that I could barely get 2 slices out of a 1” thick board or 3 slices out of a 1 1/2” board or 4 slices out of a 2” thick board. You need to allow 1/16” kerf waste for most band saw blades plus more if your blade wanders, which all blades do to a certain extent. Then all unevenness has to be sanded away in a drum sander or wide belt sander. In the end, you cant realistically expect to get two finished 3/8" box sides out of a board that is only 3/8"+3/8" +1/6" = 13/16" thick. You will need not much less than a full 1" thickness in your original board. Since most hardwood lumber is sold milled down to 7/8" for a so-called 1" board, you are faced with only getting one, 3/8" slice, not two. On the other hand, most 2" lumber comes milled down to 1 7/8", which allows you to bet three 3/8" pieces out, saving you money.

          The more your band saw blade wanders, the more thickness you will need. The important thing is to minimize this wandering and there are five ways to do this: (1) blade tension (maximum recommended to keep the blade from flexing), (2) blade width (the wider, the better for stiffness), (3) blade type (designed specifically for resawing), (4) motor power (to drive the blade through the wood without bogging down) and (5) blade guides (the more blade control, the better).


          If you plan on doing a lot of resawing, pay close attention to the specifications of band saws you are considering for purchase, in light of what has been said above. If resawing doesn’t look like it will play a large part in your future, then you are probably more interested in cutting curves in thinner material. In this case, throat depth of your band saw becomes a very important consideration because, on a small band saw, you will be constantly bumping into the back of the throat and you may not be able to complete the curved cuts you have penciled out.

          Any 14-inch band saw will severely limit the width of cuts you can make to the left of the blade, so consider if this will present a problem for you. If you are planning on just cutting out small parts, fine. On the other hand, if you want to make large parts for furniture, then a small band saw just wont do. Of course, there is no limitation to the right of the blade, on a 14" (or any other) band saw, except that you will have to supply auxiliary support for your work piece if it extends very far off the edge of the table. Throat depth is not so much of a problem when you are using the band saw for resawing, although, for resawing, you will need to consider the maximum distance between the table top and the upper blade guide. That measurement determines how wide a board you can resaw on your band saw.


          When shopping for a band saw, don’t be fooled into thinking that an 18” band saw will give you a full 18” between the blade and the back of the throat. Band saws are measured by the outside diameter of their wheels. These wheels are mounted inside the cabinet, one above the table and the other, below. Actually, there is an upper cabinet and a lower cabinet connected by a “column”. The blade travels upwards from the lower (powered) wheel through and inside the column to the upper (idler) wheel before reversing direction and going downwards through the upper blade guide, then the table, then the lower blade guide before returning to the lower wheel.

          Because the column takes up a certain amount of space, an 18” band saw will not normally have a full 18” throat. It will be something less than that, perhaps 17½” (if you are lucky) or even 17”. So, if you need a full 18” of clearance, you will need a 20” band saw. Prices climb with throat depth simply because as throat depth increases, the wheels and the cabinets must increase in size accordingly. In short, the whole machine gets bigger.

          Small band saws with small wheels may not be tall enough to sit on the floor like larger ones. With small band saws, you must either mount them on a bench or purchase or build a stand. Usually the stand is included in the price of the smaller saws. Conversely, when working on a very large, industrial band saw, count on the table top being quite high off the floor to accommodate the lower wheel and its cabinet.


          When you order blades for your band saw, do so in quantity. There are few sure things in life but blade breakage is guaranteed. Always have replacement band saw blades on hand so you dont end up breaking your only blade right in the middle of a project. When you do order blades, you can usually find the best prices online but you will need to allow for delivery time and shipping costs. You can buy blades from the saw manufacturer but it is usually cheaper to purchase them from a vendor who specializes in band saw blades. If you can’t find the exact size your band saw uses, you can ordinarily have your blades custom-welded to any length you need.

          There are times when you want a specialized band saw blade for a specific use like resawing. Here, the challenge is to get a reasonably smooth cut but not to have so many teeth that it causes an undue amount of friction, heat and wandering. In a case like that, it may be best to buy directly from the manufacturer of your band saw. Band saw blades designed to cut tight curves are as narrow as 1/8”. For most curves, I have found 1/4" blades to be sufficiently narrow. The narrower the blade, the more likely it will be to break quickly but it can track tighter curves than wider blades. For really tight curves, a scroll saw may be a better tool than a band saw. Resaw blades should always be as wide as your band saw can accommodate.

          There are two basic types of blade guides on band saws: "blocks" and "ball bearing guides". Blocks can be made out of smooth metal, non-metallic composite or ceramic material. Ball bearing guides are more expensive but are much easier on blades in that there is minimal friction and, therefore, reduced heat. There are side guides in any band saw to restrain the blade from moving left or right and a single block or bearing behind the band saw blade to keep it from moving backward when pressure is applied to the front of the blade by the work piece. After-market ball bearing guides with full installation instructions can be obtained from manufacturers such as Carter. The more expensive band saws come already equipped with ball bearing guides.

          Like other stationary power tools, very large band saws usually have three phase motors. You should not consider purchasing one of these unless you have three phase power available at the place where you will be using the saw. Three phase power is usually only available from the power company in commercial or industrial areas and cannot be found in residential areas. The only way to have three phase power in a home woodworking shop is to use a phase converter that is large enough for the power requirement of your largest three phase motor. If you plan on running more than one three phase motor at a time, you will need a correspondingly larger phase converter. There are two types of phase converters: rotary (looks like a big electric motor) and electronic. Rotary is better if you can find it. Search for phase converters online.

          A two speed band saw is useful if you are planning on cutting metal or very dense hardwoods. Running the band saw on the slow setting will mean that while it will take longer to make cuts, it will reduce heat from friction and extend blade life. Metal cutting band saw blades are widely available for cutting mild steel and non-ferrous metals. Never use a metal cutting band saw blade to cut wood. Never use a wood-cutting band saw blade to cut metal.

          Some band saw wheels are bare metal. If you want to track narrow blades, your band saw wheels should have rubber “tires” that are glued onto or inserted into grooves in the metal band saw wheels. These tires are usually crowned. By adjusting the blade tracking device, you can get the blade to stay in one position on the tires or metal wheels.


          Another adjustment moves the upper band saw wheel up and down to increase or decrease blade tension. You will need to release this tension to change band saw blades and, on the newer band saws, you can usually find a lever that does this for you. If not, you will have to loosen the tension knob enough to install a new blade on the wheels. Then re-apply the tension, using the blade tension scale, appropriate to the blade width you are using. Wide blades will require more tension than narrow blades. Narrow blades can break if too much tension is applied. Large band saw blades can wander off the band saw wheels if insufficient tension is used. Always refer to the tension scale on your band saw. Dont guess.

          After the band saw blade is tensioned properly, disconnect power to the motor and turn the upper wheel by hand to verify that the band saw blade is tracking properly. If not, make appropriate tilt adjustments to the upper wheel until the band saw blade stays in the approximate center of both wheels. A hand wheel or knob is provided on any band saw for this purpose. If the wheels are slightly out of alignment with respect to each other, you can still track a band saw blade. In this case, the band saw blade will be more to the back of one wheel while being more to the front of the other wheel. This discrepancy should eventually be adjusted or "tuned" out of your band saw, but, for now, it’s OK as long as the band saw blade stays on the wheels while cutting. Once you have the band saw blade tracking properly, reconnect the power and start cutting.


Bob Gillespie
Woodworker

For similar articles and tool reviews see:

http://www.perfectwoodworking.com/





© 2010 Robert M Gillespie, Jr.

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HOME MADE PATTERN COPIER FOR YOUR LATHE

          Lathe pattern copiers are expensive and are not available for many wood lathes. Pattern copiers are used to make duplicate turned spindles from an original. Here’s how to make your own.


           You will need a piece of ½” aluminum tubing as long as your lathe bed or a bit longer. You will also need some 1/8” thick aluminum sheeting or you can buy some aluminum cookie sheets. Purchase a box of 10-40 bolts 1 ½” long and a wing nut and washer for every bolt. Buy a second box of 10-40 bolts 1” long with nylon-lined lock nuts for every bolt. You will need (4) 3” angle irons with screws, as well. The rest of the parts can be made out of any scrap wood you may have laying around the shop.


          The design of this apparatus incorporates multiple feeler “fingers” suspended behind the lathe along the aluminum pipe. These fingers are adjusted to match the exact depth of the cuts in your original turned spindle. When you place a new spindle blank on the lathe, all of the fingers you adjusted will be laying on top of the blank. As you cut into the blank, prepare yourself to stop cutting as soon as the fingers relating to that cut drop down and through the cut.


          Make two, vertical support posts about 6” higher than the top of the largest spindle blank you can turn on that lathe. Note the outside diameter of the aluminum pipe and drill a hole of that size near the top of each support post. Mount the posts using the angle irons on the lathe table immediately behind the lathe. Insert the pipe through both holes to make sure it fits.


          Make a bunch of wood blocks ¾” x 1¼” x 6” long. Drill a pipe sized hole in one end of each of them through the ¾” thickness. With the blocks laying flat, cut through from the end into the hole with a 1/8” table saw blade. With the blocks standing on edge, drill completely through each block between the hole and the end of the block. Use a drill diameter slightly larger that the shaft diameter of the 10-40 bolts. Insert one 1 ½” 10-40 bolt through the hole you just drilled and place a wing nut and washer on the end. The idea is that the wooden blocks will slip onto the pipe and the bolts and wing nuts will hold them in place by closing up the 1/8” cut you made on the table saw.


          Drill another bolt hole of the same diameter about ½” from the other end of the block, centered with the block laying flat on the drill press table. Cut another 1/8” slot, 1” deep and centered through the 1¼” dimension, at right angle to the bolt hole. Remove one end of the pipe from the vertical support posts. You can now mount the blocks along the pipe before replacing the pipe in the vertical support post.


          Cut aluminum fingers out of the flat stock using a ¼” blade on the band saw. The fingers should measure 6” long and ¾” wide. Both ends should be completely rounded (3/8” radius) on an edge, belt or disc sander. Drill a 10-40 bolt hole in one end of each finger centered ½” from the end. Sand the fingers smooth, removing saw marks and burrs.


          Mount the aluminum fingers onto the ends of the wooden blocks, securing them in place with the 1” 10-40 bolts and lock nuts. The aluminum fingers must be free to move up and down.


          Now place your original spindle on the lathe. Set the fingers to just drop through, barely touching the depth of each cut. Place the first blank on the lathe with the fingers you just adjusted resting on top of the spinning blank. Start cutting and stop as each finger falls through.




Bob Gillespie
Woodworker


For similar articles and tool reviews, see:
http://www.finewoodworking.com/

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How to Get Free 10×12 Shed Plans To Build Your Shed

Everyone I know at some point gets overrun with “stuff.”  It just continues to accumulate, even after the kids are out of the house. And it usually accumulates in the garage — so much so that you now park your cars in the driveway!

This is the ideal time to build a storage shed, with 10×12 shed plans being some of the more popular ones out there.  This size shed is so popular because it has a relatively small footprint and is pretty easy to build.

So obviously you have been searching online for 10×12 shed plans, otherwise you would not have made it to this article.

Well, I’m going to tell you how to get free 10×12 shed plans.  You have a couple of options when looking for free plans –

Your local home improvement store

Most people don’t think about this but you can usually go to your local home improvement store and ask for some free stock 10×12 shed plans.  The reason they give away these plans is that they hope that you will buy your materials from them, that’s how they make their money.

A contractor

Another option you can use, if you plan on having a contractor build your shed, is to ask them for some free 10×12 shed plans.  They usually will agree to give you free plans if they are going to do the job for you.  This is because they are more interested in making money from the materials and building than selling you the plans.

Online

The third option, which is the easiest, is to go online and find some free plans.  You can actually find a ton of free 10×12 shed plans online.  The idea behind giving away free shed plans online is that most websites are hoping you will come back and buy additional plans from them.  Also, a free 10×12 shed plan is typically going to be a pretty plain vanilla shed — if you want to have a little more fancy shed, then you can buy them from the online merchant.

The benefit, however, of online plans, is that you can get your shed plans from some very well known and reputable woodworking professionals.  So, you can be rest assured you are getting a good product.

For a set of FREE 10×12 shed plans from a reputable woodworking professional, check out

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