
jwilliamsen's instructables
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- jwilliamsen commented on AverageJoesJoinery's instructable My Favourite Joinery Method for Plywood, MDF & OSBView Instructable »
- jwilliamsen commented on AverageJoesJoinery's instructable My Favourite Joinery Method for Plywood, MDF & OSBView Instructable »
In regards to the glue and screws joint: I would highly recommend checking out the SPAX line of screws - especially those designed for sheet stock like MDF and Particle Board. The difference in joint strength between a SPAX screw, and something like a drywall screw or standard wood screw is massive - the SPAX screws hold dramatically better. Even their performance in end-grain pine is almost hard to believe. The SPAX screws have a "drill bit" tip and the first few threads are cut like saw teeth - so they cut the fibers instead of just shoving them out of the way - making pull-out dramatically harder.
- jwilliamsen commented on AnitaH25's instructable How to Create an Abalone Effect on WoodView Instructable »
Very cool modification of the base technique. Gives me some great ideas for some frames I've been wanting to build :)
- jwilliamsen commented on JoeF's instructable BUSY BOX - a SENSORY DEVELOPMENT TOYView Instructable »
This is very cool, and I can tell you from experience that it will be a "toy" that last for years and something your grandchild will remember the rest of their lives. I built a "busy wall" for a friend's son when he was about 2-1/2 years old - same concept with some different puzzles, etc. He is 24 now and still talks about how much he loved that wall of "stuff to do" - and how he credits it with his willingness to take on DIY and repair projects and engendered his love for "how things work".
- jwilliamsen commented on jwilliamsen's instructable Building a Mission Settle (or Three)
- jwilliamsen commented on HoracioP3's instructable Building a 0.5mm LEDView Instructable »
This hurts my eyes just thinking about it - lol. Impressive!
- jwilliamsen commented on bwrussell's instructable Angel of Verdun Sword - Edge of Tomorrow Prop
- jwilliamsen commented on jwilliamsen's instructable Building a Custom Rifle StockView Instructable »
I don't see why not. I based mine very much on the Sako TRG - so mine is essentially a "copy" as well.
- jwilliamsen commented on crowhollowwoodworks's instructable How to Easily Ebonize WoodView Instructable »
This method works well with high tannin-content woods (as the author mentions) but can turn some other wood species kind of a sickly green - so test a small scrap of the wood you are using before committing to it.I used this method to ebonize a bunch of spindles used in making some Mission-style settles. It works really well - with the right wood ;)
- jwilliamsen commented on jamespkwadhwani's instructable Subsonic Wind TunnelView Instructable »
Subsonic? Where's the fun in THAT? lolNice build ... I could see myself spending way to much time messing with airfoils and all manner of curvy things :)
- jwilliamsen commented on AverageJoesJoinery's instructable What Is the BEST Way to Paint MDF? - 9 Methods TestedView Instructable »
Any preparation that is water-based is going to require more preparation. The water will soak into the fibers of the MDF and cause them to swell and "fur up" - so water-based paints and PVA glue will make more work. It's the same concept as wiping down any project you plan on using a water-based finish with water first, sanding down the fuzz, then repeating until the wood fibers no longer "stand up" - then applying your finish (this is typically only necessary with water-based finishes, dyes, and stains). It's kind of unfortunate that you didn't get to try the Zinsser BIN primer. BIN is shellac-based and the main solvent is alcohol. It doesn't raise the grain or swell the fibers, it dries very quickly and sands easily (doesn't clog paper). Interestingly, it clean…
see more » - jwilliamsen commented on Mastering Me's instructable Dorodango - the Art of Polishing Dirt!View Instructable »
Very cool ... *I* would have never guessed that it was just pure dirt .... but don't show my Drill Sergeant or he'll have us polishing all the dirt around the barracks ... lol
- jwilliamsen commented on runciblefish's instructable Moai From Recycled Foam
Very cool and inspiring! :) I wonder if Polyurthane glue would have been a better choice than PVA? Polyurethane cures in the presence of moisture ... so just a damp rag wiped on the surfaces would work. Although you would have to contend with the expansion of the polyurethane glue, it does tend to stick everything to about everything else with proper surface prep - and it's imperveious to moisture after it cures.
It does require a technique adjustment, for sure. You only use about 1/3rd the amount that you would use with a PVA glue, and it will foam up, but applying thinner coats can mitigate how much it swells. Clamping/strapping is also required. I use polyurethane glue almost exclusively any more because I love the strength of the bond, and the fact that it doesn't dull or gum-up tools or sandpaper - and tends to take finish pretty well, too. For keeping things aligned, you might consider using some straightened-out coathangers (or maybe 1/8" steel rods) pushed through the foam while it's curing, and remove them when the glue firms up (or maybe wait until the glue cures and then just give the coathanger "alignment pins" a quick twist to break them loose before removing them.…
see more »View Instructable »It doesn't really cure "glassy" - it's got a bit of flexibility to it when cured. It's actually easier to work with the cured PU than PVA glue. You could always stick a few pieces of foam together with it and see how it works. You could also get a feel for how much you need - i.e. nowhere near as much as PVA. If you were using the same amounts in the past (PVA=Polyurethane) then you were using too much polyurethane - and it has the nice tendency to fill gaps ;)
- jwilliamsen commented on douwe1230's instructable UV Curing StationView Instructable »
Very cool. Do you think you could add some UV strips under the turntable to help cure the bottom of the piece - or would the acrylic block too much of the UV light?
- jwilliamsen commented on AndrewRGross's instructable Custom Figurines: the Easiest Way to Model Your Favorite CharactersView Instructable »
I'll second the sentiment that Blender is an amazing piece of software. I'm a 29-year veteran of the CGI industry and it blows me away at what it is capable of. For those who are intending to 3D print out of Blender, there are addons that make the process go more smoothly - specifically in preparing your models for printing. One I would highly recommend is a modified version of the venerable 3D-Print Toolbox - called 3D-Print Toolbox Modified which you can download here: https://github.com/agapas/3d-print-toolbox-modifie... Look up on YouTube how to install and activate addons (it's super-easy).Also, for tips on how to sculpt, look up Zacharias Reinhardt and his CG Boost YouTube channels as well as his CG Boost website, and if you want to see what the future of Blender sculpting will…
see more » - jwilliamsen commented on Bevelish Creations's instructable Easy to Make Modern Dog Bed
Nice! - and fits in well with any "people" furniture :) I could see kids invading and taking that over - lolWhether intentional or not, your decision to go with slats instead of a full panel was a good one. Solid panels generally make for very poor foundations for seating (or laying) surfaces. The individual slats allow for better "flex" and conform better to different weight distribution.
View Instructable »If you look at antique bed frames as well as seating surfaces, they didn't use box-springs, webbing, or bands - they used slats. You still see this in some countries. Sometimes a slight bow was steamed into the slats to give a firmer "spring" and keep the center of the bed from drooping. What was old is new again! ;)If you ever build anything meant for long-term comfort - like a bed or a couch - you don't want to use a static support under your cushion - it's not comfortable. You would want to use springs or webbing (or slats). The exception to this is specifically-sculpted seating surfaces like you see with some antique rocking chairs, etc. A phenominal example would be Sam Maloof's master works.Keep up the good work!
- jwilliamsen commented on Friedlc's instructable Shy Mask That Shuts Up When It Sees PeopleView Instructable »
This is awesome - lol. A perfect example of the Slippery Slope of Design :)
- jwilliamsen commented on Urban Shop Works's instructable FLOATING SHELF W/ EPOXY Inlay // CONCRETE PegsView Instructable »
Really attractive design!Something you may want to consider in the future - should you do another build like this - would be to use T-Nuts instead of threaded inserts. They would be quite a bit stronger and easier to install. Along with the main mounting through-hole, you'd want to drill about a 1/16" recess in the back of the base board with a Forstner bit to clear the flange of the T-Nut.Regardless, nice work! :)
- jwilliamsen commented on jwilliamsen's instructable Super Comfy Dog Kennel BedView Instructable »
The thing about that joint design - with the two cross-braces - is that while you have more "leverage" over the stability of the joint, the connection is intrinsically weaker and prone to twisting - it will not stabilize the corner joint against twisting. If you were to glue and screw those braces into place, the joint would be still be fairly weak because you are gluing end-grain to long-grain - which is a very weak joint. Glue joints in wood, ideally, are long-grain to long-grain bonds which are much stronger. What you are looking for is bonded surface area - in which case, even a small-ish wedge in the corner would have more bonded surface area than the two-strut design. If you DO want more robust corners, a design like the one attached (using a section of 4x4 lumber) wou…
see more » - jwilliamsen commented on jwilliamsen's instructable Super Comfy Dog Kennel BedView Instructable »
Some beefy corner braces (possibly "table braces") would work, too. I just tend to use wood because it's strong, inexpensive, and usually there's scraps around that will work just fine. Just FYI, also have a preference for polyurethane glue - like Gorilla Glue - as opposed to yellow glue - because it's strong, bonds incredibly well, and is completely waterproof (just remember to dampen your joints before you glue up).
- jwilliamsen commented on jwilliamsen's instructable Super Comfy Dog Kennel BedView Instructable »
Yes - if going with a "basket weave", adding supports in both directions would be a good idea, unless you are using a much more robust material like thick (5/4 or thicker) hardwood for your frame - and even then, I'd still recommend it. You may also want to glue some support blocks in the corners to reinforce the joint - can't hurt. Using a lap joint where the supports cross would be my recommendation, but you could probably get away with just butt-joints on the cross members if you don't want to go to that much effort (just remember: you won't care about the extra time you spent making lap joints 6 months from now - you'll care about how well-built the structure is, though).This bed is on it's third dog now - it outlived my last two - and yes, it's seen it's share of battle s…
see more » - jwilliamsen commented on jwilliamsen's instructable Super Comfy Dog Kennel BedView Instructable »
Given that your dog is significantly larger - and the bed would be larger as well, I would suggest a "basket weave" for the support webbing like in the attached image. You will want to make sure that you are pre-loading the webbing sufficiently so that it doesn't just sag under minimal weight (i.e. you have to stretch the webbing before stapling it down). You might want to do a complete basket weave with no spaces - which would allow you to use less pre-load (just a possibility). The only way to "test" it is to maybe attach a few rows, put your cushion on top of it, and then press down to see how much force it would take to bottom out - then take that information and multiply it times the number of support strips. You could also just stretch your supports (maybe mi…
see more » - jwilliamsen commented on sewl's instructable Side Table From Scrap OffcutsView Instructable »
These are very nice-looking tables, and I can appreciate the work that went into them....... and in the spirit of helping make them better, I would suggest changing the design. The way they are assembled now, seasonal changes in humidity (assuming you live where there are seasonal changes) will likely break up the tops of these tables. The problem lies in orienting grain from one board perpendicular to the grain of another. Wood grows across it's grain much more than it does along it's length, so, in a situation where you have end-grain glued to side/long grain (a very weak joint, I might add), those joints will fail due to the mis-matched expansion/contraction. In some cases, you might not have a problem if the perpendicular piece is small, made of denser wood, and "trapped"…
see more » - jwilliamsen commented on Not_Tasha's instructable The Uncanny Valley: Robotics Art LabView Instructable »
It's fascinating that your students didn't find anything off-putting about the characters you mentioned ... perhaps it IS a generational thing. After all, young people today grew up with all manner of CGI - much of it guilty of the "uncanny valley" (at least to my eye). Even with all of the horsepower and talent behind Hollywood movies, characters like Thanos (from Avengers:Endgame) still don't quite sell as "real."As a professional CGI artist who has done a lot of character work, the interesting thing about the uncanny valley is that the closer you get to realistic, the worse it gets. The more detail you add, the more detail the eye expects, so it can become a vicious cycle: miss some detail, and suddenly it looks "off." Modern modeling/sculpting/texturi…
see more » - jwilliamsen commented on jwilliamsen's instructable Building a Custom Rifle Stock
- jwilliamsen commented on jwilliamsen's instructable Building a Custom Rifle StockView Instructable »
Not a thing (except for added complexity). I have several firearms with folding stocks, and I've built a folding stock for an M1A, and when you need something compact and maneuverable, folding stocks are hard to beat. This rifle, however, is more of a target rifle, so a folding stock would be overkill.
- jwilliamsen commented on UnitedKreative-Com's instructable 48 Inch Wide Layered Paper Art Shadow BoxView Instructable »
VERY cool. My first thought ... after soaking up the amazing attention to detail is: How do you keep it from getting dusty? lol I'd have that thing hermetically sealed.
- jwilliamsen commented on jwilliamsen's instructable Building a Mission Settle (or Three)View Instructable »
Thanks! I'm glad you like them!
- jwilliamsen commented on matt.e.jenkins's instructable Making Aluminum Bronze: Melting Copper and AluminumView Instructable »
I have to wonder what the effect of an aluminum alloy has on the overall properties of the finished DIY Aluminum Bronze. It's pretty hard to find pure aluminum - most of what's out there is an alloy (7075, 6061, 2036, etc, etc). Still, a very interesting project :)A better test of brittleness might be to see if you can bend it without breaking it. Clamp it in a vise and see if you can bend it (or break it) with an adjustable wrench as a handle :)
- jwilliamsen commented on Scoobie8739's instructable Entryway BenchView Instructable »
Barring some kind of disaster - natural or otherwise - that bench should be around longer than you (or me).An idea for dealing with squeeze out: 1) Dry assemble/align your joint, 2) apply wide masking or painter's tape across the seam, 3) slit the tape with a razor blade along the seam - separating the parts 4) wet-assemble your joints and clamp. The tape will keep the squeeze-out from bonding to the wood along the seams, and make whatever does squeeze out easier to clean up. That way, you don't have to worry about glue-starving your joints to prevent a mess ;)You might also consider polyurethane glue (like Gorilla Glue) as it doesn't repel stain like aliphatic resins (yellow glues), and tends to be stronger and not prone to swelling or creep.
- jwilliamsen commented on darkin100's instructable How to Build a GFRC Concrete SinkView Instructable »
Good stuff. Projects are all about learning - making mistakes is part of the mix (no pun intended). For a parting compound, wax would work better (like a Johnson's Paste Wax or even Paraffin). Also, whenever you have a deep mold like that, you're going to want to add at least a *little* draft angle to make removing the mold a lot easier and less risky. You did a good job getting the mold out without breaking the sink - but it didn't look like fun at all ;)
- jwilliamsen commented on GettingRad's instructable Wine Barrel Adirondack ChairView Instructable »
Probably the easiest way to make a wooden chair that's comfortable to sit on - lots of curves. That's a great use for an old barrel.
- jwilliamsen commented on jwilliamsen's instructable How to Remove Rust Stains From ClothingView Instructable »
Hi Patricia,Iodized salt (as well as non-iodized salt) will work.
- jwilliamsen commented on makeorbreakshop's instructable 6 Mistakes Not to Make Building a Farmhouse TableView Instructable »
In regards to your breadboard ends: You might be able to get away with what you did depending on how dramatic the humidity difference between seasons is in your area, but in the future, you might want to elongate your dowel holes in the tongue of the joint - all but the center hole. Specifically, you want to put a pin in the center of the table end (no hole elongation) and then elongate the holes on either side - maybe 1/16" to each side of center (it's OK to glue the center like you did). This allows the center pin to keep the board centered (duh) and then allows the table top to grow and shrink across it's width without putting undue stress on the breadboard ends. This is important because wood expands/contracts across it's grain significantly more than it does along it's lengt…
see more » - jwilliamsen commented on rosemarybeetle's instructable Reclaimed-Hardwoods Dining Table and Matching BenchesView Instructable »
Agreed. Unfortunately, I came to the same conclusion when looking at the design (i.e. it's probably going to disassemble itself). The one possible saving grace is if relative humidity is *very* stable throughout the year and/or the wood is sealed *very* thoroughly (as with a catalyzed urethane).Wood grows across it's grain much more than along it's grain. If the center of the table was allowed to 'float' in the frame (a tongue and groove assembly) and had provisions for expansion/contraction where the ends interface with the frame, it would probably be fine, but as this appears to be built there might be some mysteriously loud popping sounds as the weather changes ...It certainly is a pretty table with some nice attention to details, though ;)
- jwilliamsen commented on jcbuchli's instructable Cedar Strip KayakView Instructable »
Outstanding work - really beautiful. It's kind of a paradox, though: too beautiful to use ... and too cool NOT to use - lol. Great job - some very nice attention to detail there :)
- jwilliamsen commented on barclay5426's instructable Sculpted Oak Sofa
Nice work! It takes a lot of focus to power through all that hand work.If you ever decide to do that kind of sculpting work again, you might want to look into a tool called the "Holey Galahad" from King Arthur Tools. Combined with your angle grinder, they can remove a lot of material very quickly and allow for a lot of finesse work. You would still want to sneak up on your final shape by hand, but for bulk stock removal with a lot of control, they are really hard to beat ;)
View Instructable »Yes, they are not inexpensive. I, too, balked at their price when I originally bought mine - but - they are very tough and last a long time. I've had the two I originally purchased - for about the same price they go for now - for over 10 years and they're still going strong. It's easy to mentally compare them to something like a sanding disc - but that wouldn't be an accurate comparison because they do not wear like any abrasive disc I've ever seen or used - they seem to be perpetually sharp. The key - as with most metal tools - is to not overheat them with use - let the "wicked little carbine cones" do their thing without a lot of force and they will last.
- jwilliamsen commented on ashleyjlong's instructable Tax Prep for Creative ProfessionalsView Instructable »
It's worth noting that if you want to write off part of your house as an "office" that the space you are using probably needs to be *just* an office - i.e. not a "multi-purpose" room like a "nursery *and* an office in one!" If that is the case (a dedicated office space) you can write off that percentage of your total floor space (as you mentioned) for utilities. If you work remotely, and depend on the internet to do your work, you can pretty much write off most or all of your internet expenses as well.
- jwilliamsen commented on robertjkeller's instructable Farmhouse Dining Table - Walnut and AlderView Instructable »
Nice table! Some serious investment in that top - walnut isn't cheap (at least not in my neck of the woods). Congratulations on being one of the few builds I've seen that takes the difference in wood expansion (width vs. length) into account.A few things you may want to consider should you ever do another table of similar design: 1) Use one of the online wood-expansion calculators to determine how much your top will / could expand, and use that dimension to determine how much "slip" to add to your tenon slots. It's also worth noting that the tenon slots toward middle of the table don't need to be very wide - maybe Pin Dia +1/8th inch - and the slots will get progressively wider toward the outer edges of the table - up to a bit more than half of the total expansion you could e…
see more » - jwilliamsen commented on jwilliamsen's instructable Shoji Screen Closet DoorsView Instructable »
That is bizarre - that you can't find this kind of mechanism in Germany(!). Are bi-fold doors not a common thing in Europe? Have you tried eBay or Amazon? Another possibility would be to contact an interior designer or architect and ask them where they would source something like that - or - contact one of the companies like http://bifold-hardware.com/bi-fold-systems/dewall-...and ask them if they might know where to get a more "consumer" grade hardware set.
- jwilliamsen's instructable Make Your Vise Portable's weekly stats:
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- jwilliamsen commented on MauiMakes's instructable Inlayed Wood Scales on Spiral StaircaseView Instructable »
REALLY impressive - wow. Truly stunning work.(Why do I get the feeling that staircase cost more than my house? ;)
- jwilliamsen commented on bearkat_wood's instructable Walnut Cafe ChairView Instructable »
Very nice! I see a *little* Sam Maloof influence in there ;)
- jwilliamsen commented on jwilliamsen's instructable Building a Custom Rifle StockView Instructable »
Most wooden stocks used for center-fire rifles use at least one cross-bolt behind the recoil lug and almost every semi-auto center-fire rifle I've seen uses a metal liner for the stock (M-14, M-1 Garand, SKS, etc). Semi-auto center-fire can be pretty punishing on a wooden stock unless the recoil impulse is spread out and not focused in one area. While a stock without those things might hold up for a few hundred rounds, I would think that breakage would almost be a given without a cross-bolt / stock liner. As far as bonding the polymer stock to the wood, I would put that in the "sketchy" category for a couple of reasons. First, if your stock is glass-filled nylon, there's not a lot of readily available adhesives that will work trying to glue it to itself - let alone to wood. …
see more » - jwilliamsen commented on Adam Gabbert's instructable 90° Magnetic Hand Saw GuideView Instructable »
For your slider surface/magnet shield, you might want to consider UHMW or Delrin sheet - they're self-lubricating and tend to resist getting gummy with friction. You'd have to double-face tape it on since I'm not aware of glue that would work. Check with your local sign shop to see if they might have some in their scrap bin - you might get lucky and get what you need for free.
- jwilliamsen commented on jwilliamsen's instructable Building a Custom Rifle Stock
Please do! I'd love to see what you come up with :)
View Instructable »That looks really nice! I'll bet it gets a lot of attention at the range (and elsewhere). Cool thing about rattle-can paint jobs is that should you ever decide to change them, it's pretty easy to do :)
- jwilliamsen commented on jwilliamsen's instructable Building a Custom Rifle StockView Instructable »
Dyeman,Very interesting. Where did you source the Coosa board? I'd never heard of it until you mentioned it. How hard is it to work with?I've been looking for a .22LR 7-2 (I have two 22WMR's) but the very few I've found that are new are $1K+ - so not exactly an impulse buy ... and a far cry from the $250 they originally fetched. Supply and demand, I guess ;)
- jwilliamsen commented on jwilliamsen's instructable Hardening a Door FrameView Instructable »
No, it's not really necessary - it just needs to be strong and long enough to keep the jamb from being splintered. The rail I put in is 36" long with some pretty stout screws holding it in place. The bigger danger at this point is that the lockset would pivot under force and split out the door - but that's where the NightLock comes into play ;)http://www.ebay.com/itm/Door-Barricade-Brace-The-NIGHTLOCK-Security-Lock-BRUSHED-NICKEL-FINISH-/161603961825?hash=item25a058c3e1:g:Hq0AAOxy4dNS7P~7
- jwilliamsen commented on jwilliamsen's instructable Building a Custom Rifle StockView Instructable »
Hey Dyeman,That is one sweet-looking Rusky Gun! I'll bet you get a million questions at the range :)Did you make your buttstock hardware or did you find a place to source it from? Is that carbon over wood or foam? Carbon fiber is amazing stuff, isn't it? Crazy how stiff those thin parts can be. I recently threaded the barrel on my BB and have been running a Spectre II can, but .22WMR is a *little* louder than .22LR :) On an aesthetic note, you might want to find some nice thumb-wheels for those cheek-piece mounting studs - but that minor niggle aside - great job! Very impressive! I have a second BB in .22WMR that I'm thinking I want to build an ultra-light stock for ... I'm thinking foam-core and carbon fiber - you may just have inspired ME - lol
- jwilliamsen commented on YuKonstruct's instructable Simple Homopolar MotorView Instructable »
"Dope" is slang for "excellent, cool, or very good"