Ditto. As I said in my comment, my personal skill is in generally well beyond Steve’s videos (again - not bragging, but I’ve been an avid woodworker for 20+ years and I’ve worked hard to get good at it, and I’m not a “weekend warrior” per se anymore) however Steve’s videos are always a great balance of fun, funny, positive, entertaining and just because I may not be the target demo re: skill level, doesn’t mean I can’t pick up a good trick or pointer. I too have a tiny shop with limited tools so some of the jigs And storage tips he provides are really useful. I pick up at least one helpful tip in every video and am usually in a better mood than when I turned on the vid.
Hi Steve, great video! I know it's a few years old but I felt I could use a refresher course in rabbets, which this provided! One thing I love about your videos is that you emphasize that there will always be minor imperfections in our projects, and to not obsess over them. As you said, no one will ever notice the little defects that appear so glaring to us. It took me several years of woodworking to truly take this to heart, but now one of my mottoes is "Never let the perfect be the enemy of the good." I now realize, as you said, that minor imperfections give our work a handcrafted character and is perfectly okay, a finished project can have little defects and still be beautiful and functional. Thanks for all the great content!
I’m going to make my first rabbet cuts tomorrow. I’ve been relying on your videos a lot. I’m making pull out shelves (very shallow drawers) for under our kitchen cabinets. Thank you so much for your helpful instruction Steve.
Maybe this has never happened to anyone else but it happened to me. I had a scary experience with a dado stack when I didn't tightened the arbor nut enough. After I made the cut and turned off the table saw, the blades kept spinning at nearly top speed on my new DeWalt job site saw (a popular model) using the DeWalt dado stack. The stack spun and arbor nut slowly unwound continuously for about 30 seconds. I was standing there very confused about why my stopped table saw was still spinning. Then the blades poped off and flew out, but the throat plate took most of the force. Maybe one blade only just flew out of the saw. The other blade was in the cavity. And the arbor nut in my vacuum. Overall quite scary. Wanted to share because I daily watch your show and have been very inspired by you. I've learned an exciting new skill and hobby thanks entirely to your videos, SketchUp included.
And that is exactly why dado stacks are illegal in Europe. Sometimes I wish I had one, but after reading this I'll stick to making multiple cuts on the tablesaw :) Glad you lived to tell the story.
Same thing happened to me. I was cutting rabets and I heard this sound that was off pitch kind of while I was working and I thought “let me just take a minute to look things over” and I stopped the saw and when the motor stopped the blades kept going. Fortunately mine didn’t come off like yours but I was very scared too.
Hello, Steve! I've been using this method for making boxes for a bit now (saw it in a previous video of yours) and it works great. One thing that helps me is to use blue tape to hold the box together during the test fit, and leave most if not all of that tape on for the glue-up and clamping (removing just enough to unfold the box and get the glue in there). Thanks for the videos!
I love all the subtle knowledge you drop. It just oozes effortlessly and is still entertaining and relaxing. You're lucky to have an audience base that watches longer than 2 minutes 😂👍🏻 much love to u Steve 💕
Life went to hell 'round here about 2 months in. Not COVID, thank goodness, but plenty of other crap to meet fan. So tuning in today, imagine my shock at seeing Day 173! Dang!! I hope you and yours are well!
If you dent the wood, you can use steam from a clothing steamer or iron to bring that dented wood back out. It works really well for that kind of minor denting.
David Dickson I read it in his book and also saw another YT channel testing it among other “Woodworking hacks” to see if it really worked, and they got pretty good results.
I think this is THE BEST how-to set up your table saw with dado blades... I always wondered about them and you really took the time to explain, I think whenever I get a set of them I will have more confidence in using them... I wish I could give this video 2 or 3 likes! 😁
Well steve. Built my first work bench based on your plans and lessons learned, never skimp on glue and clamp the shit out of everything! Stay amazing!!
I can't stress this enough. You have watched his videos on youtube. You know how good he/they are. I spent $150 on his Weekender course. I did so because I was thankful for his RU-vid videos. I felt "this chap has thought me a lot, why not? " I gained SO MUCH MORE from the course I purchased a second course. I am not paid by Steve, RU-vid or anyone else. I am just honestly thankful he/this exists.
I cut my first ever slots TODAY to slide in drawer bottoms and it felt incredible seeing everything line up. Could not have done it without your channel, thank you!
Thanks Steve, a very detailed tutorial on dado blade set up and cutting rabbets. I have seen you cut them both ways, with a sacrificial fence or with the board against the rip fence. I never heard you say what the difference was until today. The Weekend Woodworker course has given me a lot of practice with rabbets.
Disagree. Not a fan. (Said with love)... I prefer clean cut Steve. (No one needs those olllld videos back, and I’m sure Steve doesn’t want to go back to his fighting weight from that era either :P)
I'm not a woodworker, but I love watching people build stuff. As a result, I have heard the word "Rabbet" many times but never seen it written down. I thought it was spelled "Rabbit" and had worked out the idea that it was because it made the end of a board have a profile vaguely similar to a rabbit with its ears sticking up. Now I know. And knowing is half the battle.
You really are a titan of woodworking, a legend in RU-vid woodworking, and an international treasure! You deserve all the success you enjoy and I hope you go on forever 👍👍 never give up being awesome
Best video! Love the dropping of the piece and realising you had a split! I would be gutted when that happened to me but watching you happily cope with it all is an inspiration. Can't wait for the next one!
I’m sure 20 other people have or will make this comment. For the dented area just put some water on it to expand the grain back out. I found your channel at the beginning of covid and I’m glad I did!
I am liking this series of videos. It reminds me of the old WWMM videos from the past, even to the unshaven look. The only thing missing is the Grrriper intro. How about one for prosperity and old times sake....
I learned many years ago that a filister was the cut at the edge grain of a board, while a rabet was the cut along the grain at it’s edge. Thus, the filister plane was specially designed for that purpose.
hi Steve point 1 on your recent newsletter really resonated with me. the autonomy in woodworking, along with mastery (through deliberate practice) and purpose (utility of creations or sense of belonging to a community) makes it fulfilling, and provides valuable insight on motivation and the fine line between 'work' and 'play.' thanks for continuing to produce great content and enriching lives. cheers.
First off Steve, I’m well beyond learning to cut a rabbet joint (not a Humble brag, just sayin’) but I still really enjoy watching your videos. It’s rare any videos keep my attention for 20+ minutes but You are always so positive and fun to watch, you clearly put a lot of care into making your videos watchable. Ive watched enough of your vids to know that you put a lot of thought into your production. What is cool about you is that you’ve been doing this so long that you’re clearly no longer a “mere mortal” (at least relative to the average weekend woodworker - but you manage to stay Humble and build simple projects with basic tools catering to the average Joe with half of his double garage that his wife lets him use. Awesome! Keep it up! Additionally; great tip for finding the exact centre of a board for a dado or rabbet (especially helpful for half lap joints): Similar to the way you would find the Center of a board with a marking gauge... 1) start with the blade intentionally low... not crazy low; just low enough that you can visually tell you’re not more than half way deep 2) dado/rabbet *both* sides of a test board with the same thickness of your work piece 3) the “tongue” of wood holding the board together is exactly 1/2 the thickness of the amount you’re out. For example, if the tongue is 1/8” thick you need to bump the blade up 1/16” and so on. 4) Raise the blade slightly and run both sides through again. 5) lather, rinse, repeat until the tongue is only a hair’s width or the saw just *barely* cuts all the way through the wood. There are depth gauges and stuff out there to help grow with depth of cut but if you want a perfect 1/2 thickness rabbet or dado, I find this method to be the most fool proof.
ugh, now I see this, right after I messed up my lap joint rabbets for a panel. Long story short, the thickness of the rabbet was uneven because of a bend in the board. I think the humidity warped the boards. So I tried to re-cut the rabbet and pressed down on the board with my push block, but when I re-setup my dado it was a little higher and now the joints are to deep. I'll trim the rabbet off and try again and add another board to the panel. yes, yes, next time I'll sand them flat and not re-cut. Thank you for your channel, I've learned a lot from you.
All the woodworking guys say Do Not drop carbide saw on cast iron table. Always lay carbide teeth on cardboard or something not iron or steel. Yaaay new haircut
I'd really like a video discussing the best way to add folding arms to a mobile stand for either a miter saw or planer. I saw your miter saw cart and would appreciate if you could walk me through the decision making process of making something like that. Thanks so much for your videos, you've really helped me step into woodworking.
Steve, I love you man! Watching your work are not just about wood working technics and skills, there're some mistakes here and there along the way and that what make you soo inspiring. Keep it up my guru :)
Steve, I didn't see a link to your dust mask in your Amazon list. Could you share a link for that product? Or maybe even film a video discussing dust mask choices?? Thanks all all you teach us!
Nice instructions! I have the same dado set but the instructions set up grid from the dado set didn’t have those shims being used for the cut I wanted to make. Or so I thought 💭 They use the word shim and spacer interchangeable and confused what I needed to do. I think “spacer” is more appropriate for the blade and chipper protection and “shim” to adjust the width. At least that’s how I will view it. Thanks for another informative video.
I'm getting real 'asking grandpa for help with a project' vibes from this video. It must be the beard, making you look wise, yet approachable like a grandpa.
When I'm spreading glue on a narrow groove or something like that (also in tight spaces like box joints) I use q-tips to spread the glue. Just another alternative to brushes or your finger.
Hey Steve. Thanks for the content. I miss using my table saw because i sliced by right hand index finger 😞.It's funny, I wasn't even using my table saw. I was helping my dad take apart his old washing machine. I'll be back to trouble again soon don't worry 😜. Thanks for the content.
Hi Steve, I bought some ratchet straps from our local pound store (for one pound amazingly) and I use them for boxes, I even went as far as to make wood corner blocks and keep them on the straps with 2 penny nails, they work great and if I need to strap anything to the roof rack on my car I can use them.
Steve is the only person I have noticed saying this. I looked around after watching this video and I can't find anyone else on RU-vid that tells us to use shims between the outer blades and the chippers. Very interesting!
Was this originally content aimed at one specific person? Seems like you are talking to someone and mentioning what tools they do or don't have. Awesome lessons non the less! Thanks for making it available to us all!
Hi Steve I finally found the clamps you use on eBay, they called Face Clamp Grip Tool Vise Cabinets/G Type Adjustable Universal Fence Clamp For Table Saws
When you're all done with this, can you make a "Shoe Box Supercut" so we don't have to be overwhelmed with Catification amongst the rest? Don't get me wrong, love the cat-stuff, just would be nice to have a Shoe Box specific video. Thanks for all you do!
Esteve very great show always with good info and great content thanks for all this great times and like always smashing my like botton from San Antonio tx yahoooooooooo kaboooooooooooooom
It would be great if you could do a video on safety equipment i.e. ear protection, eyewear, protection from dust, masks, first aid equipment etc..which tools make you use nose protection the most
Lost the Harry's deal huh? Does Microjig make razors? Wait, you said they dont sponsor you any more. Tell you what. If you send me a SASE I'll send you a razor! Thanks again for what you do. I have learned a lot that I have put into use.
Steve. Can a picture frame with perfect 45degree angled corners be created without using a tablesaw or a miter saw? If so… PLEASE do a very detailed video on how to do it.
Huh. When I built my wood toolbox, it had the same grain orientation as the shoeshine box. The ends were glued in too. Over the winter, the face panels really cracked, one nearly across the entire length. Would have leaving the ends "floating" helped?
Nice build so far - One thing I noticed when you were making your test cut. The board you were using was not flat on the tablesaw, so that you could end up cutting too deep.
Good explanations always a joy. I'd like to clear up the myth in the UK that dados are banned or illegal. This is completely untrue. Many companies sell new saws to accommodate dado blades. Axminster tools and machinery being prob the best UK company. Sell UK made for UK or oversea markets table saws that accept them. I see see US woodworkers and sometimes UK woodworkers saying this all the time. They are not and have never been banned here in the UK. Rant over.
Steve, you got me stuck on rabbet joints. I do have a question though, when you were cutting the sides to fit, I noticed how you used your mallet to tap them into place. Is that an indicator that it’s too tight? I’m always scared when I have to tap something like that in place because I’m not sure if it’s gonna break anything or bust the joint later on.
Use a soft mallet, no hammers, and use really light taps. You're not going to break anything, wood is pretty tough. You could do the same with a fist but then your hand could get hurt. The point is to be snug. If it doesn't look like you could push it in manually then it's probably a hair too big. Just take a very light skim pass and try again.
Using rabbet joints on a solid wood panel box like this one, I'm noticing you do get 4 joints that are cross-grain glue-ups. Has this ever given you a problem? I'm still learning the ropes here, and I'm not sure how serious this whole wood movement thing is. Some RU-vid creators just go on and on about it.
Your circular saw should have a cut depth setting using the base plate / shoe angle. It might take a few tries adjusting and testing on some scrap to get the depth right. Also make a test cut against a block to determine distance from blade to edge of plate, which will be the space needed between the edge guide and cut. Square and clamp a straight board on the workpiece as an edge guide, long enough to guide the saw all the way. Cut the innermost edge of the dado this way as that's the side that must be cut exactly straight, the rest just needs to be removed so it's less critical. Now you can move the edge guide away and cut the rest of the dado out with repeated runs of the saw. You will have to place a level support for the saw base alongside your workpiece, or cut the dado well inside the edge of a larger workpiece before cutting off at the outer edge. I've been using a couple of "workmate" style portable workbenches to support pieces too large for table saw. Hope this makes sense, still at an early stage myself but this is one of the few tasks I've worked out so far.
Steve look at 3m’s cubitron sandpaper for your 5” orbital sander. Katz Moses made a great video comparing it to other brands and absolutely surpasses all other brands and it’s actually cheaper per disc.
Ive watched several of your video over the last couple of years and am currently looking to buy a dado stack for my table saw. I was wondering if you had any suggestions on which to buy and if you could comment on the 6" vs 8" choices?
Always enjoy your detailed explanations of rabbets, groves and dados The base piece of wood that you saw as less attractive- I saw an ostrich face and neck
