Calculate Board Feet

While hardwoods and softwoods may look somewhat similar in size and shape in stacks at the lumberyard, the method for calculating the cost of each is quite different. Softwoods are dimensional lumber, meaning that they are cut into uniform sizes (2x4, 1x8, etc.). All of the boards of the same size in a stack at the lumberyard are going to be the same price.

With hardwoods, the story is quite different. Hardwoods are sold by the board foot, which is a calculation of the cubic size of the board. A board foot is 12 inches by 12 inches by 1 inch, or one-twelfth of a cubic foot.

To begin, one must first understand the thicknesses of hardwoods. Typically, board thicknesses will be listed in fourths: 3/4 = .75 inch in thickness4/4 = 1.00 inch5/4 = 1.25 inches6/4 = 1.50 inches7/4 = 1.75 inches8/4 = 2.00 inches and so on...The formula for calculating board feet is as follows:

(length x width x thickness)/144

All of the dimensions in this formula are in inches. For instance, a 10-inch wide, 3/4 board that measures 96-inches in length would come out to five board feet: (96 x 10 x .75)/144 = 5

In another example, a 6/4 board that is 8 inches wide and 6-feet long (72 inches) would be six board feet: (72 x 8 x 1.50)/144 = 6

If you know the board feet measurement of each board and you know how much the lumberyard charges per board foot, you can determine the cost for that board. For instance, if the two boards above were oak, and you know that the lumberyard charges $18 per board foot for oak, in the first example above, the cost for the board would be $90 (5 BF x $18 per BF = $90).

In the second example, the price for that board would be $108 (6 BF x $18 = $108).

It's important to verify the price per board when you buy or sell lumber, because some yards like adjust to round numbers. In other words, if you try to buy three boards of oak that measure out to 6.72 BF, 5.69 BF and 7.71 BF, the lumberyard might try to round each board up to 7, 6 and 8 respectively. This seemingly minor adjustment would end up costing you an additional $15.84 over the actual BF prices for the three boards.

When going to buy hardwoods, don't be afraid to challenge their measurements. It doesn't hurt to keep a small calculator in your pocket and calculate the prices to check their figures. Most lumberyards will calculate it properly, but as you can see, just a small rounding can end up costing you quite a bit in the long run.

More woodworking tips & plans here

Top Woodworking Safety Rules

Woodworking can be a safe and enjoyable hobby or vocation, IF you follow some very basic woodworking safety rules. All of the rules are common-sense ideas, but failure to follow these rules will greatly increase the chance of injury when working with your tools. The wood shop is not the place to be in a hurry or have an "it won't happen to me" attitude. Commit these ten rules to habit, and your woodworking experiences will be safer and much more enjoyable.

The first and most important rule of woodworking is to wear appropriate safety equipment. While hearing protection is necessary for some very noisy tools such as routers and surface planers, and latex gloves may be necessary when applying finishes, there is no time in the wood shop that you should be without your safety glasses. Put them on when you enter the shop, and don't take them off until you leave. Your eyesight is too important to take chances.

More woodworking tips & plans here

Rockwell SoniCrafter

The Rockwell SoniCrafter Oscillating Tool is a versatile power tool, as it can be used to cut, sand, scrape or polish not only wood, but also plastic, metal, brick, concrete and more. While it isn't a traditional "woodworking tool," it is very handy to have around the shop. It works great as a variable speed oscillating detail sander, and includes a variety of sanding pads and discs.

While the SoniCrafter isn't a woodworking power tool in the classic sense, it does seem to be solidly built, and is great for cutoffs and other tasks that would be more time consuming if done by hand.

The Rockwell SoniCrafter oscillating tool is Rockwell's entry into a line that was first popularized when Fein released their MultiMaster tool a few years ago. This one tool can handle a number of cutting, sanding and scraping tasks.

It certainly isn't a traditional woodworking power tool, but that doesn't preclude one from being useful around the woodshop. Attachments are easily changed or adjusted with the allen wrench, and many other tool accessories are available from Rockwell.

The SoniCrafter is also useful for hundreds of other tasks around the house or shop. For instance, the cutting tool was perfect for removing some extraneous plastic parts from a universal car stereo mounting kit I recently installed. Using the cutting tool, the pieces trimmed off cleanly and very quickly, and in a much safer manner than if I had been forced to cut the pieces off with a utility knife.

More woodworking tips & plans here

Ryobi Tek4 Headphones

The Ryobi Tek4 (RP4530) Audio Plus Nose Suppression Headphones are full-coverage over-the-ear hearing protection headphones. When the unit is turned off, the comfortable hearing protectors to a very effective job of suppressing the sounds from loud power tools. When the unit is turned on, the built-in Speech Amplification Technology is designed to pick up voices and other desirable sounds to allow for normal conversations while reducing loud noises.

While background sounds are amplified higher than desired, the comfort and reduction of loud noises make these a viable option to traditional hearing protection.

The Ryobi Tek4 Audio Plus Noise Suppression Headphones are effective at reducing the noise levels of power tools, but they're very useful for other situations where hearing protection is advisable, such as hunting, mowing the lawn or attending an auto race. The quick response technology does a good job of reducing external sounds before they can cause damage to your hearing. The fact that the unit is weather resistant means you can wear them outside without being concerned if you get caught in a sudden rain storm.

After giving these Ryobi noise suppression headphones, I wanted a second opinion, so I asked a drummer who plays a lot of very loud music to give them a try. He typically wears foam ear plugs when he plays to protect his ears. However, after trying these headphones, he was very excited, because it gave him the opportunity to mix his iPod music and the live drums (that were picked up by the small microphones in the noise suppression headphones) in a way that protected his hearing but allowed him to play along with whatever music he chose on his iPod. While they certainly don't rival some of the audiophile-level noise suppression headphones available, he felt they were great for protecting his ears and giving him the ability to hear both his music and the drums.

More woodworking tips & plans here

Radial Arm Saw Table

Radial-Arm Saw

I received the following question and thought the answer would be best shared in an article:

Q: I just purchased and older model radial arm saw (Craftsman) and the base is just a metal frame. I have never owned a radial arm saw, before. How do I go about making a base for the wood that I'll be cutting?

A: Nearly all radial-arm saws are designed with a metal base, to which a replaceable wooden surface can be affixed. There are a number of reasons for this design, but probably predominant in the list is that for many cuts, the blade of the radial-arm saw will actually cut into the table top. Using a surface made from wood will protect the saw blade and can easily be replaced when it becomes too worn out.

I've found that my favorite surface for the table top is MDF, or medium-density fiberboard. It is inexpensive, pretty durable (as long as it doesn't get wet) and it doesn't splinter when the radial-arm saw's blade cuts through it like plywood would.

You'll likely notice that there are a number of holes in the metal base into which you can attach bolts. The heads for these bolts should be recessed (into countersunk holes) in the top of the MDF so the bolts do not interfere with the working surface.

When installing a new surface, the first thing to check is to see that the travel of the radial-arm saw is even with the surface. To test this travel, set the angle of the radial-arm saw to 90-degrees, then lower the radial-arm saw until the blade is barely touching the surface of the MDF. Pull the saw forward. The blade should neither dig into the surface or lift away as the saw moves the length of it's travel. If it raises or lowers as you pull it across the surface, you'll need to adjust the saw (or in lieu of proper adjustments, you can place shims under the MDF surface as it sits on the frame).

Once the surface is true to the travel of the saw, the only thing left is to install a fence. The fence needs to be installed perfectly square to the saw when it is set to 90-degrees. I like to use a 2-1/2" wide piece of MDF on edge. I simply make a cut in the MDF surface where I want the fence to reside, and attach it to the large forward piece with a few MDF screws. The remaining space behind the fence can be filled with more MDF, bolted to the frame below.

More woodworking tips & plans here

Tongue and Groove Joinery

Laying Out the Boards Based on Grain Pattern

Before beginning to make your tongue and groove joints, it is advisable to lay out the boards to try and find the combination that will look the best. Place the boards in an order that will align similar colors, grain patterns and knot locations that will look the best. Also, to avoid issues with cupping or warping down the line, alternate the end grain patterns (as shown in the image above) so that one board's grain faces up, the next down and so on.

I like to number the boards left to right at this point, so I know which way is up on each board and the order that I decided upon. I simply write the numbers 1, 2, 3 and etc. on the end grain of each board. You can also label them A, B, C and so on.

TIP: If you use numbers to label the ends, be sure to write a formal #1 (rather than just a vertical line), or you may not remember which side is up.

More woodworking tips & plans here

Select Lumber

If you've ever spent much time in a lumber yard, you've probably noticed customers examining each piece of stock by sighting down long axis of the piece. Are they looking for anything in particular, or are they just overly choosy about the stock that they choose to buy?

Well, it is probably both. What they're actually doing is looking for certain defects, to determine whether the piece of stock is acceptable for their woodworking project.

What defects should you look for when you buy your lumber?

Keep in mind, however, that a defect isn't always a problem. Some defects are actually beneficial, as they can lend character to a finished woodworking piece.

Case in point: a number of woodworkers like to recycle long-leaf pine stock from old barns and houses. Once any nails and screws have been removed and the stock has been planed, there are likely to be some old nail holes remaining in the stock. In many cases, these defects are left to be visible in the finished piece, as they lend a lot of character to the project.

In the end, the choice of whether to use stock with a defect is purely up to you.

More woodworking tips & plans here