Tag: Woodshop

Converting My Shop Lights To LED Tubes

Some time back I began converting my florescent tube shop lights with LED tubes. They use the existing shop light fixture, and can be rewired to remove the ballast. They provide a whiter, brighter light, and is a worthy shop upgrade. It was a pretty simple process to rewire each fixture, which I show in this video.

Before attempting a conversion like this, be sure you understand how to work with wiring, and understand electrical concepts. Ensure all power is off to any light fixtures prior to working on them.

Different shop lights have different wiring configurations. Do your research to understand how your lights are wired, including how the connectors (or “tombstones”) are wired, and purchase the correct LED tubes for your situation. This video shows my light fixtures, with compatible LED tubes.

Additionally, there is some published information citing concerns over some LED lighting and UV radiation, and its effect on the human eye. The LED tubes I purchased indicated that they do not emit UV radiation.

Again, please do your research here to purchase the lighting that is best for your situation.

Hyperikon 4′ LED tubes (clear) https://amzn.to/3FzAKJ4

Amazon links are affilate links, and help support what I do.

by Jim Ashley

The Humble (and Sometimes Not So Humble) Pencil | A Geek Out Session

The pencil is one of the most basic of shop tools, but there are so many types that it can get a bit complicated. Today I geek out a bit over pencils I like, both in the shop, and for my EDC (Everyday Carry). Over time I’ve found I like very different types for each.

Pencils (and a few other things) discussed (Amazon links are affiliate links – you can help support this site!):

Field Notes notebook – https://amzn.to/3wiKpze

Calavera Tool Notebook Cover – https://calaveratoolworks.com/collections/essentials/products/notebooks

Ticonderoga Standard – https://amzn.to/3yoZ3Xi

Ticonderoga Black – https://amzn.to/3hClbry

Field Notes Pencil – https://fieldnotesbrand.com/products/no-2-woodgrain-pencil-6-pack

Pentel Graphgear 1000 0.3mm – https://amzn.to/3hByyZ1

Pentel Graphgear 1000 0.5mm – https://amzn.to/3bCc3iI

Pentel Graphgear 1000 0.7mm – https://amzn.to/2T2n3Q3

Pentel Graphgear 1000 0.9mm – https://amzn.to/3hBSZEV

Pentel Graphgear 1000 Set – https://amzn.to/2S3SZmG

Sewline Fabic Lead – https://amzn.to/3bUOdiv

Pentel P209 0.9mm – https://amzn.to/3ymEZVG

Rotring 800 0.5mm – https://amzn.to/3ypJ7V2

Rotring Rapid PRO 0.5mm – https://amzn.to/3v5zSae

Uni Kuru Toga Roulette 0.5mm – https://amzn.to/3fC66Dp

Uni Kuru Toga Advance 0.5mm – https://amzn.to/3v7WPty

Uni Kuru Toga Pipe Slide 0.5mm – https://amzn.to/2QElWFm

Rotring Rapid PRO 2.0mm Lead Holder – https://amzn.to/3wmJQ7A

Kum 2.0mm Lead Pointer Sharpener – https://amzn.to/3bIjvsD

Rotring 600 2mm Lead Holder – https://amzn.to/3fOUw8r

Staedtler 2.0mm Lead Holder (295 35-20 – Night Blue) – https://amzn.to/3v9KTaB

MIYABI erasers – https://amzn.to/3u0CeGc

EDIT: I’ve had some feedback indicating some folks with hearing issues cannot understand speech with the background music. I’m trying an experiment with a “no background music” version below. I appreciate any feedback on this version!

by Jim Ashley

Shop Tour 2020

It’s been quite a while since I’ve done a shop tour, and much has changed. While I did a live stream a few weeks ago, I thought it would be a good time to do a more structured tour. Thanks for watching!

by Jim Ashley

Turning a Honey Dipper Handle

Shop time can take a bit of a downturn during the summer. But now that we’re getting back into fall, and I had some time after dinner in the shop, I figured it would be a great time to turn a honey dipper handle that my wife and I had wanted.

What I find with turning is the design somewhat evolves while it’s on the lathe. I was going for a handle whose texture resembled the dipper portion.

Turned with Easy Wood Tools – http://www.easywoodtools.com/
Stainless steel honey dipper hardware from Stainless Steel Bottle Stoppers – https://www.stainlessbottlestoppers.com/

Enjoy!

by Jim Ashley

Sushi Cutting Board from David Picciuto’s ‘Make Your Own Cutting Boards’

As a wedding gift, I recently made the Sushi cutting board from David Picciuto’s book Make Your Own Cutting Boards: Smart Projects and Stylish Designs for a Hands-On Kitchen.

This cutting board really has an elegant design with an Eastern feel. The hard maple and walnut contrast nicely on a smaller project like this.

Sometimes, when shop time is at a premium, you’re really itching to use a particular tool. In this case I used my #4 smooth plane. It’s a joy to use and I believe it cut down the amount of time required to get to a smooth surface as opposed to going through each grit of sanding. I also eased many of the edges using my low angle block plane.

Buy David’s book on Amazon! – https://www.amazon.com/dp/1940611458/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_x_G3ZdzbEH48A0A

Check out more of David’s work at Make Something:
https://makesomething.tv/
https://www.youtube.com/user/DrunkenWoodworker

 

by Jim Ashley

Hanging/Wall Mount Sandpaper Organizer

I used to keep all my sandpaper in a plastic bin, where I’d have to go through a bunch of sandpaper to find the grit I needed. I finally got around to making a simple organizer that I hung on the side of a shelf unit in my shop, where I keep my sanders. This can be easily wall mounted as well. One of the features is the use of whiteboard material to make it easy to reorganize and relabel what is in each slot.

by Jim Ashley

Argh! Rust!

I recently went into the shop after a few weeks of not being able to spend as much time in there as I would like, only to discover some rust on my combination square!

So, this video talks about what I think happened, how I fixed it, and what general steps I take to try and prevent rust on my tools.

What do you guys do to prevent rust in your shop? Leave a comment!

Links to the products I mention are below:

SlipIt
Jojoba Oil
Sandflex block (Fine)

by Jim Ashley