This will be a constantly updated post on my blog, reference the comments below to see updates that I make. This is a post that is in the works and it will showcase all my notes. I recently became interested in Woodworking and here is my research & discovery notes from Dropbox.

Tips, Tricks and Hints

• The very first thing you should do is read the manual. Or at the very least glance over the part with miter cuts and how to hold the saw 
• The very first thing you should do after you drink coffee and glance the manual is do a couple imaginary pulls and pushes and visualized cutting wood a half a dozen times
• The very first wood creation should be a push stick. A very simple rectangle. Your second one should be a modified and upgraded pokey arm in the 6 to 8” range.
  • Look for an old saw and try to attach the handle to your stick
• Try to optimize your flow and create a good a good habit. Make (at least) 20 cuts a day for the next two weeks to familiarize yourself and build confidence and good posture 

Sanding

• 220 grit or higher after 2nd coat
• 120 is great for softwood like Pine
• Light pencil mark and when it’s gone you are good.
• I like to start, in this order, with a rough sand, like 80g or 120g than upscale to 220g and use coffee to pre-stain condition the wood.
• Use 400g in-between coats of polyurethane (or a rough abrasive 3M scratch pad)

Sawdust

• Save it and add to your soil, but not a bunch
• Use a saw bag to collect it or a shop vac and consider making small jars to mix with glue

Stain (and Pre-Stain)

• Sand the wood: Use fine-grit sandpaper to open up pores for better stain absorption.
• Use Mineral Spirits: Wipe wood with mineral spirits to clean and remove contaminants, improving absorption.
• Apply Diluted Wood Glue: Mix wood glue with water (1:1) to control absorption and reduce blotchiness.
• Use Tea or Coffee: Apply strong tea or coffee to add color and improve stain absorption, especially for softwoods.
• Vinegar and Steel Wool Solution: Soak steel wool in vinegar, apply to wood for added color and improved absorption, for a weathered look.

Oils

Mainly scraped from YouTube comments from people who are 70 years old, 35 years in hardwood floor finisher, person who spent countless hours in summer with grandpa, former aircraft painter, etc..

• Condition > Sand > Fill > Stain > Seal Clear
  • Damp rag does a great job if you wanna precondition with that instead
• 50/50 mix of Linseed Oil and Turpentine
• As for color, a dark stain such as espresso or walnut can help further conceal imperfections while adding depth and richness to the wood. 
• Danish oil is beautiful but wears out fast in high-traffic spots. Water droplets can turn white and require touching up with oil after buffing.
  • Dura Seal oil poly for the last 12 years and never had the drying issues again
• I am a 68 year old American man. Retired. I painted 300 houses. If you need to seal anything that will be outside, consider Unboiled Linseed Oil. It dries very slowly, so penetrates deeply. 
• I finished an unfinished pine dresser with Minwax Polyshades. Despite enduring multiple cross-country moves, it looks as good as it did 19 years ago.
• In the UK, instead of hard-to-find prestain, we use teabags for pine and high-tannin softwoods. Soak two teabags in warm water until cool, then apply to wood and let dry. It brings out tannin, prevents blotching, and raises the grain for sanding.
• To remove clamp pressure marks, dampen a rag and use a hot iron to steam the wood fibers back to the surface. Follow with sanding as usual. This method also works for dents, especially in softwoods.
• For a smooth lacquer finish, let the final coat cure for a couple of hours. Then, lightly buff it with crumpled craft paper or a brown paper sack. This smooths out any tiny nibs caused by dust or pollen, enhancing the satin finish.
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8r7xmuSx6Pg
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWLm-3_iogw
• https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rwXp1ckA0xg&pp=ygUSV29vZCBzdGFpbiBtaXh0dXJl

Tools

In order of importance, I believe it’s important to start with the basics and work your way up. Avoid using plastic as much as possible and try to buy tools that you’ll take care of for the rest of your life.

1. Handsaw
2. Ear & Eye Protection — $4
3. Bench brush $1.5
4. Air Nail/Stapler — $20
5. Brad nails variety pack — $10
6. Radial Arm Saw — $75 to $150
7. Push stick FREE
8. Pencil Sharpener
9. Circular saw blade$27
   1. Circular saw blade #2 $35
10. Nitrile gloves $5
11. Red laser saw blade guide $30
12. (2) Magnetic Strip $3
13. Mechanical Pencil $1.25
14. Wood Supplier
    1. Local Search Query > HD / Lowes
15. Random Digital Plans
    1. Chaise Lounge $5
    2. Tiki Planter Box
    3. Outdoor Bench $3
       1. 24 Screws
16. Apron / Smock
17. Orbital Sander
18. Premium, Washable Disc Sandpaper $20
19. Sanding Block FREE
20. Thread Lock Sealers $10
21. Bob Ross Paint / Stain Brush 
22. Dust Extraction / Saw Bag $6.50
23. Drill Chuck + Key $22 or v2
24. 45° Angle Clamp Jig — FREE
25. Speed Square (w/level) > Steel framing square $10
26. Pocket Hole Jig Kit $8
27. Pocket Hole Jig Plugs $5
28. Mechanical Pencil FREE
29. Wood Glue Pipe Clamps
30. Metal Trashcan (fire proof)
31. Screw /Pipe Clamp > parallel clamp
32. HVLP Gravity Feed Air Spray — $9
33. Painter tape assorted colors
34. Auto vacuum switch $37
35. (1) Gallon Wood Glue $22
36. Knot Hole Glue / Finisher / Activator
37. Microfiber Dust Removal for Sanding
38. Drill Magnetizer
39. Magnets / Neodymium / Telescopic
40. Stencil stamp date and signature
41. Wood engraver to stamp signature and date
42. Wood Glue Roller Applicator
43. Wood glue bottle
44. Wood shavings jars for different wood filler DIY glue
45. Clear poly
46. T rail into fence
47. DIY T track-bolt push stop block
48. DIY pole clamps with pool tubes
49. Center align drill bit 
50. Center Square $28
51. Feather guard
52. Wood glue silicone brush
53. Roller guard clamp
54. Spindle of rope
55. Nail pusher air gun
56. radial arm saw riving knife
57. Right angle driver bit attachment
58. Drill attachment screw holder
59. Wood moisture digital tool
60. Mohawk Epoxy Putty $20
61. Retractable Cord Reel $80
62. Japanese Saw $22
63. Montana multi bit attachment $22
64. Bronze / Brass bristle brush for cleaning > Steel Wool
65. Engineer square set
66. Analog Dial Caliper > digital
67. Card Scraper
68. Marking knife
69. Drill press
70. Digital angle finder
71. Down Making Jig $15+
72. LED Strip for under the saw
73. retractable pencil holder pull
74. Metal Soup Ladle to mix everything neatly
75. Pyramid points to hold stained wood
76. 10” Metal Sanding Disc that uses ⅝” arbor

Favorite Plans:

• Outdoor Bench
• Chaise Lounge

Favorite Builds

I’ve done some other stuff, and I really enjoyed working on:

• Flower Box
• Outdoor Bench
• Tiki Planter Box
• Mountain Shelf
• More to come!

People / Influence

• Sam Maloof
  • Perfected things
• Wharton Esherick
  • Made alot of stools
• Nick from  Workshop Companion, Wood By Wright, Cosman, Sellers, Wright, and Hamilton (Stumpy Nubs),  Paul Sellers for old-school skills, and Rob Cosman for people with very deep pockets.