Newbie to Forum and 2021 projects.

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stubobby

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26 Aug 2020
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Hi all

I am new to this forum so wanted to say hello. I have a pretty keen interest in woodworking and am very keen to start making my projects with the aim of getting to a standard whereby I can make them as professional as possible.

I have just spent the last 4 years renovating my family home doing most of the finishing joinery myself. It was quite a large project so did make use of builders/joiners/plasterers etc etc but where I completed bespoke items I pretty much did myself. I am also restoring a 2000 BMW 5 series so I have a garage full of tools and an aspiration to complete more "woodworking" rather than joinery. Over the course of the renovations I did some plumbing, electrics, stud walls, doors frames, architraves, built in shoe and storage furniture, floor laying, wardrobe building and built in lighting etc etc. So would consider myself a pretty good all round competent DIYer. I would like to improve on my finesse patience and quality of work so I can output a nicely finished product.

My 2021 projects are

Console table for hall - I would like to complete a resin project with oak for this, making a small table suitable for out hall with some underlighting also.
(something a bit like this - vidaXL Console Table Teak 100x35x75 cm)
But probably a bit more stressed top and with wooden legs.

Garage Door and Back Door
About 18 months ago I have a solid timer front door made and with a top arch and side lights it cost almost £5k and tbh I was disappointed and it has left me with a bitter taste. The craftsmanship was not up to standard and not what I expected for £5k. The beading for the centre window was left squint and other snagging, but when discussed with the company director he was literally the most obnoxious unprofessional person I have ever dealt with, insisting I was trying to hold him to "engineering tolerance" and he was working to "joinery tolerance". so we parted pretty acrimoniously. It was also made from Meranti timber which reading some other info is now giving me concern for its longevity.

Since then I have struggled to find a company which will construct me a solid timber door for the rear of my property. So my intention is to make one. I am going to start with a garage door for practice and then move on to the back door. I intend to make the garage door out of dressed pine and paint it to the max with 1000s coats. Them make the back door out of accoya.

Both doors are standard template with a bottom panel of tongue and groove and a top window.

Gates - These are more metal work - but will be clad in wood - will get on to these later.
Sand and re-finish the family dining table as its "sticky" - more on this later

Various workbenches etc

So if anyone has any hints tips, tricks, links and importantly MUST have tools for above I would really appreciate the input.

I currently have

Chop saw
circular saw
Jig-saw
various hand saws
Irwin Maples
Vintage Record smoothing plane
New WoodRiver Jack pane
DeWalt 1/4 router - but an older model with fixed handles
Set squares

things I am thinking about
Marking knife
Wheel scribe
Set Blocks - although these seem £££

I would be keen to know if anyone has success with good tools that don't cost the earth and for the projects above if there anything crucial missing.

I am also keen to understand the difference between my DeWalt router and a new 1/4 hand routed that has a detachable plunge bed. The new hand ones seems like the are great for some intricate work but mine is a little ungainly for that as it is a 2 handed one at all times?

ALSO - is cutting dog bones in a worktop using a jig a no no for a 1/4 router?

Will post some pics of what I have completed in due course.

Thanks in advance

all the best

Stuart
 
Clamps, lots and lots of clamps!
Do you have any pictures of the front door? I'd be keen to see what £5k in door form looks like!
 
Yeah - mega bucks really. But I did get 3/4 quotes and they were all wanting similar money (min was £3800, mine was £4800).

It did include
Supply and install
Disposal of old Door
All ironmongery/fittings
External Pointing and Internal plastering.
They also had to template and custom make the arch

For context I have just had a quote for a back door which is a simply normal door with no sidelights top lights or anything and he wants £1700 Supply only

TBH - if it wasn't for the company director and the final few finishing points of quality I would be happy. And to try and be fair and objective it is the only job I have had which was actually completed to a point all I had to was paint the porch inside. (which was getting decorated anyways. Most other jobs there is always some tidying to do.....

I have since tidied the soffits and painted too.
DOOR.jpg
 

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