What is a Router
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What is a Router?

Routers are electric powered devices utilized to cut an assortment of various shapes in materials like wood, MDF (medium density fiberboard), plastics, and some metals. They are used in association with router cutters, and occasionally other removable accessories, for cutting and shaping through materials in a wide variety of ways, for various tasks.

A router is little enough to be easily moved across a work piece or carried around on-site, making them particularly adaptable. Or, for a more permanent add on, you can attach a router upside down using a router table. This is handy when working with small pieces of material, or for repeated applications like creating embossed panels.

What can routers be used for?

Routers are commonly used for things like:

Notches and reduction

Maybe you want to right your own cupboards or drawers, or possibly install new hinges or door locks. Straight and reduction router blades can be utilized to produce a variety of various notches and reductions on the surfaces and on the edge of different materials.

Trimming and edging

A router combined with a proper trimming cutter tool is typically utilized when fitting work tops to trim the leftover laminate or wooden lipping, so it lays flush. A manual metal hand file could be used for doing this, however, it’s a lot easier and faster to use a router.

Joint making

In the past, each woodworking joint would have been produced with a chisel and a small hand saw – but a single misstep of your blade and your fragile dovetail was ruined permanently. Introducing the router. There are specialized cutters and jigs which can produce perfect joints, of different kinds, two times faster.

Molding and beading

Different molding and beading router cutters are accessible to produce appealing shapes on the edge on pieces of furniture or pieces of wood for the use of crown molding or wall skirting.

Creating holes

Using a plunge router and a plunge router bit you have the down-ward cutting possibility of a drill press and can produce an assortment of different sized holes in materials, subject to the cutter used.

Cabinetry

Routers are increasingly popular among cabinet makers, maybe since the router can complete just about all the woodworking tasks performed in the trade.

Other DIY tasks

Aside from using a power or a hand saw to crudely cut your material to size, a router and an assortment of cutters might be the only tool required for a lot of DIY projects. They can be arranged to follow various templates, create an abundance of different joints, in addition to creating simple or complex shapes in different positions on a particular work piece. And the router could even finish the entire thing off with elaborate engraving.

Woodworking Supplies Mesa by Timber Woodworking

Timber Woodworking offers hardwoods in Mesa, Arizona. We specialize in woodworking tools, equipment, and supplies for commercial woodworking cabinet shops or furniture manufacturers as well as the home shop hobbyist. Contact us today, or call if you should have any questions.

Router, Woodworking Tools
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Best Hardwoods for Cutting Boards
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Best Hardwoods for Cutting Boards

If you love spending time in your kitchen, one of the greatest tools you can utilize is a hardwood cutting board.

Amazingly enough, wood can have more sanitary advantages than plastic when prepping food. Below is the best species of hardwood for a cutting board (also known as a chopping board), considering their qualities, food safety characteristics and maintenance.

What’s the Best Type of Wood for Cutting Boards?

There are a lot of good wood types to decide from for a top-quality cutting board. One reliable indicator of finding out which hardwood constitutes a good cutting board is to see what its hardness rating is.

The Janka scale, or hardness rating, is how unyielding wood is to depressions, wear and tear.

Maple may be deemed the best wood for cutting boards. Maple cutting boards are not going to dull knife blades, however, are resistant scratches. This type of wood is usually more cost effective since it is native to North America, growing in (occasionally) harsher settings such as the Midwest, leading to a larger supply of it. Cutting boards made from Walnut can also handle a great amount of knife usage.

Things to Think About When Choosing a Cutting Board

A vital element when choosing a kind of wood for a cutting board is food sanitation. Three significant traits establish whether or not a hardwood species is thought of as food safe.

Porosity

Porosity is in reference to the sameness of a wood to “soaking” in liquids. Larger pores allow bacteria and mold to grow. Butternut wood, Oaks, and Mahogany are very porous and are not recommended for preparing meals, particularly when preparing meat that is raw.

Grain

Closed-grain woods are additionally associated with pores. Smaller pores mean these types of woods are the preferred decision for food use.

Toxicity

Some woods such as rosewoods, birch, and pine are not for food prep. They discharge oils and sap that are unhealthy for humans to consume with food.

Maintaining Your Hardwood Cutting Board

Using any top-quality hardwood, there is some maintenance required for your cutting board. After every use, use a mild dish soap and wash each side of the board. This hinders warping. Do not put a wood cutting board in the dishwasher – It is going to crack and warp from the different temperature changes and extreme moisture! (Regrettably, if deep cracks or splits begin to form, it’s time to make or buy a new one.)

It’s also suggested to treat the cutting board with food-quality mineral oil routinely. Doing so keeps the wood hydrated, extending the life of the board. Such practices also show the natural luster and aspects of the hardwood. Stay away from specific oils, such as coconut and vegetable oils (the natural odors of food oils are going to seep into the wood), and alternatively, stay with mineral oils or beeswax/mineral oil blends.

When using mineral oil, begin with a couple drops in the center of the board. Rub the oil in a circular outward motion, making sure the oil gets into each crevice throughout the boards surface. The wood is going to soak up the oil, so it’s perfectly fine to add more as you rub it in.

Woodworking Tools Mesa by Timber Woodworking

Timber Wood Working offers softwoods in Mesa, Arizona. We specialize in woodworking tools, equipment, and supplies for commercial woodworking cabinet shops or furniture manufacturers as well as the home shop hobbyist. Contact us today, or call if you should have any questions.

Hardwood, Woodworking Projects, Woodworking Tools
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What is a Lathe
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What is a Lathe?

A lathe is a machine used for shaping wooden or metallic pieces. It implements a wooden or metal piece by spinning it through an axis while a motionless cutting device keeps taking away undesired material from the workpiece to form the wanted shape.

These machines are used for different product fabricating operations like drilling, sanding, deformation, cutting, and turning. They are utilized in metal working, thermal spraying, glass processing, and wood turning of different artistic pieces.

As one of the most ancient machinery devices able to carry out a wide range of fabrication duties, it is also referred to as the “Mother of All Machine Tools.”

How Does a Lathe Work?

Before learning how a lathe works, it is vital to know about its parts. Most comprise of the following:

  • Bed
  • Headstock
  • Tailstock
  • Spindle
  • Motor
  • Chuck
  • Cutting tools

The Working Process of a Lathe Machine

Step 1: The piece to be worked on is placed between the head-stock and tail-stock. It is fastened with the chuck that aids in putting the workpiece into a firm position by clutching it from the outside.

Step 2: The raw material is spun with the aid of a spindle that is connected to the motor. It makes the piece spin at its axis.

Step 3: A cutting tool is then placed in the holder that holds the tool at a proper distance from the spinning workpiece in order for its blades to cut the workpiece as wanted. Various kinds of cutting tools are used for various wanted shapes and materials.

Kinds of Lathe Machines

Currently, you can find several kinds of lathe machines out of which are some of the most used:

Engine Lathe

Engine lathes have been a favorable invention since the Industrial Revolution. They used steam engines as a power source for continual rotation. These machines are now used primarily for industrial purposes, for boring or drilling metal workpieces.

Speed Lathes

Speed lathes are utilized for cutting action on wooden pieces. As the speed of the revolution of the spindle in this kind of lathe is high, they are also referred to as speed lathes. These are one of the easy machines to understand because they only consist of a head-stock, tail-stock, and a tool turret.

Turret Lathes

Turret lathes are perfect for producing matching workpieces. It has a turret that enables the machine to hold several cutting tools that can be used at the same time.

Tool Room Lathes

Tool Room lathes are the best choice if you want accuracy with cuts. Regarding function and operating process, these lathes are identical to Engine lathes. You can easily manage the velocity of these lathes in accordance with the wanted cut.

Glass Lathes

As glass is extremely fragile and could shatter when lathed with a blade, these types of lathes utilize heat from a torch to make it pliant. After the glass gets pliable, it is then shaped by hand. This kind of lathe is primarily used to produce glassware like bracelets or designed mirrors.

Woodworking Supplies Mesa by Timber Woodworking

Timber Woodworking offers hardwoods in Mesa, Arizona. We specialize in woodworking tools, equipment, and supplies for commercial woodworking cabinet shops or furniture manufacturers as well as the home shop hobbyist. Contact us today, or call if you should have any questions.

Lathe, Woodturning, Woodturning Projects, Woodworking Tools
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Woodworking Tools
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Types Of Woodworking Tools

Ready to jump into woodworking and carry out some more challenging projects? You might want to level up your tool game, too. But there are 100’s of equipment possibilities.

Some Basic Woodworking Tools

Below is a quick rundown of the 10 best tools for your woodworking endeavors:

The Claw Hammer

Starting with possibly the most essential tool in every home – the claw hammer. The “claw” on the back of the hammer should be best equalized by the finished head, in which should be slightly rounded.

The Tape Measure

The next significant hand tool for the woodworker is a tape measure that is retractable and accurate. Purchase one that is at a minimum of twenty-five feet long. Any longer, you are going to start having issues getting it to roll back up.

The Utility Knife

An excellent utility knife is another tool for the woodworker. There are a lot of different types, but the type that utilizes disposable blades is the most common. The blade goes back into the grip, via slider for safety reasons. The woodworker is going to use the utility knife when scribing wood or cleaning out mortise joints, in addition to a lot of other uses.

The Moisture Meter

A high-quality wood moisture meter is crucial to any woodworking project you piece together. Lumber yards try to dry their stocks of lumber in accordance with the intended end destination. Therefore, if the wood is harvested in the moisture prone Northeast but shipped to the desert-like Southwest, it is going to be dried more than wood stored in the Northeast used by woodworkers.

The Chisel

A variety of chisels is a must for every woodworker’s workbench. Chisels are not just for those that carve wood. Any woodworker is going to need chisels for cleaning out joints and their saw cuts. Try and find chisels made of high-alloyed carbon.

The Level

Every woodworker is going to need at least a couple of levels. You most likely won’t need one of the six-foot levels used for construction, but around 48 inches is plenty of length for many of the woodworking projects you will most likely do.

The Screwdriver

Screwdrivers are another essential tool in the woodworker’s tool belt. Quality construction is crucial to any good set of screwdrivers. However, a lot of them are made out of soft metal, and the first time you put any pressure on them, they could strip out, becoming ineffective.

The Nail Set

Another hand tool every woodworker needs to have is a set of nails. Actually, you should have a multitude of sizes. They have a similar appearance like awls, and they are used to forcing nail heads into wood, so they get flush or just below the surface. This enables you to fill the holes and prep for painting or staining.

The Sliding Bevel

When you are going to be measuring a lot of angles, a T-Bevel, or sliding bevel, is going to be a handy tool. This can be adjusted, and it can be locked at the angle you wish to mark, making it a lot easier to mark several angles.

The Layout Square

A “combination square”, layout square, or comes in six- and twelve-inch sizes. A lot of woodworkers use the six-inch model merely because it’s easiest to utilize. Additionally, most of the wood you are going to use will be no bigger than six-inches wide, so twelve-inches is a bit much.

Hardwoods Mesa by Timber Woodworking

Timber Wood Working offers hardwoods in Mesa, Arizona. We specialize in woodworking tools, equipment, and supplies for commercial woodworking cabinet shops or furniture manufacturers as well as the home shop hobbyist. Contact us today, or call if you should have any questions.

Woodworker, Woodworking Tools
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