The Garage: A craft-y type thread for handypeople

Eh, I like hand-sewing though. Good for working through insomnia without waking anyone else up.

True. I do most the doll clothes by hand, just because it's too small to do on a machine anyways. It can be either relaxing or really frustrating though.

"I don't know how I do it. I'm like the Mr. Bean of sex." -Drunkscriblerian

Mr. b just gave me the pile of work clothes that need mending. There is one pair of shorts that he calls his emergency back-ups that I would like to throw away. Tomorrow is fixing clothes day.

A bracelet to go with the necklace posted earlier

If we disagree, that much, at least, we have in common

That's lovely, Beholderess!

I am making a purple dress! I think since it's quite a dark color I will use white trim, buttons, and stitching.

Doubleposting to say that: I have pinned and sewed a sleeve perfectly in thirty minutes. Someone give me a damn award!

"I don't know how I do it. I'm like the Mr. Bean of sex." -Drunkscriblerian

Just one? Hell, have a couple!

...if you don’t love you’re dead, and if you do, they’ll kill you for it.

Award

Seriously, that's awesome

If we disagree, that much, at least, we have in common

Now, if that happens when I work with the actual fabric and not some crap muslin, I will take it as a sign from whichever higher power is up there that schlee likes me.

Hey, Drunkie, Morven, or any other woodworker-types! I got a couple of questions for you.

1) How can I keep an open-backed bookcase from racking off-square? Putting a backplate on it is not an option, unfortunately.

2) I've got an old (really old) dresser and the drawers are really sticky and draggy when I try to open or close them. I think that at some point they were either oiled or waxed, but between the heat and the humidity around here it's not helping reduce the friction anymore. I'm pretty sure the wood is pine. Do I have any option to make them work better besides hours of sanding?

edited 9th Jun '11 7:16:51 PM by Madrugada

...if you don’t love you’re dead, and if you do, they’ll kill you for it.

@Maddie...

• 1: You could put triangular braces in the corners of the bookshelf. This would provide some of the support of a back, but the braces would intrude on the shelf space a bit. Alternately, you could fasten a cleat *
  ^{a strip of wood}
  under the middle shelf and to the wall...this would support the shelf and keep it from racking back and forth because it's fastened to the wall. As an aside, why is putting a back on your shelf not an option? Even some stiff non-corrugated cardboard provides an amazing amount of support if properly nailed in place.
• 2: Are they mounted on any sort of pull system or is it just a box in a frame? Also, solid wood or veneered plywood? *
  ^{you'd be amazed at how many pieces of furniture fall into the latter category. Look behind/under/at an edge to be sure...and never, ever take anyone's word for it}
  Such will affect my advice.

If I were to write some of the strange things that come under my eyes they would not be believed. ~Cora M. Strayer~

1. I'm using it as a room divider. It needs to be accessible from both sides. Would a chunk of quarter-round molding in each upper shelf/upright corner work? I've got a bunch of old quarter-round.

2. Solid wood, and I'm certain of it. The veneer is only on the outer faces of the carcass and on the drawer-fronts, and it's shellacked tiger maple. This thing is at least 70 years old. The drawers slide on plain wood rails that are maybe a third, or a half of an inch thick and an inch-and-a-quarter or so wide. No dividers other than the rails between the drawer spaces; if you pull a drawer completely out, you can reach into the drawer below it. Bottoms of the drawers themselves are flat.

edited 9th Jun '11 7:51:51 PM by Madrugada

...if you don’t love you’re dead, and if you do, they’ll kill you for it.

Okay, for the bookshelf...fastening anything into the corners will at least help the problem. What's assailing you is; whatever's holding the sides onto the top and bottom (nails, screws, wooden pegs etc) loosening in their mounting holes, probably from years of use and weight. Some corner support will mitigate the problem. A backing would be best, though...if you're handy with hammer, nails, sandpaper and finish, a thin sheet of plywood (nicely stained/finished to match the rest of the shelf) would cure the problem...if you could deal with one side of the shelf not being accessible.

Alternately, if one end is up against a wall, simply fasten that end to the studs; that will give the shelves some more support and stop the wobbling.

For the drawers *

, some Carnuba wax on the rails will help. Sanding or otherwise modifying an old chest-of-drawers is a persnickety bitch best left to an accomplished carpenter; most people are likely to cause more damage than they fix. I'm guessing your home climate is a tad moist?

EDIT: as to the "solid vs. plywood" question, I had to ask; people underestimate just how many pieces of furniture are made of plywood. It's actually a better material for such, due to stability issues.

edited 9th Jun '11 7:59:46 PM by drunkscriblerian

If I were to write some of the strange things that come under my eyes they would not be believed. ~Cora M. Strayer~

"A tad moist" is one way of putting it. Average relative humidity around here for about 6 months out of the year is consistently upwards of 80%. It's not wet like you guys get — it's steamy. I'll try the wax; I really don't want to start sanding on this thing if I can help it.

The bookshelf is, I'm pretty sure, pegged particle board (Sauder or some other company like that). I'll run some screws into the shelf ends and try the corner blocks.

edited 9th Jun '11 8:06:38 PM by Madrugada

...if you don’t love you’re dead, and if you do, they’ll kill you for it.

@Maddie: A little touch-up sanding won't hurt anything really...some 120/180 grit and some wax *

will probably solve the problem. What you're fighting is grain-raising; if the thing is 70 plus years old, the finish has probably worn away and the damp is causing the wood to swell. Heck, if its really solid wood I'm surprised it's not check-cracked all to hell.

As to the bookshelf, buy yourself some nice screws and sink them in a regular pattern and it should look all right. Also; how big a span does the bookshelf cover? Some stays *

might also help if the span is over 4 feet or so.

Also, particle board is going to do this crap on a long enough timeline. It's only hard on the surface; they make it by pressing glue and wood through a roller, and as such only the surface is sturdy. The middle is just sawdust really. We use it for router patterns where I work, and after about a week the patterns are worthless due to the bearings wearing grooves in the middle of the edge.

edited 9th Jun '11 8:14:41 PM by drunkscriblerian

If I were to write some of the strange things that come under my eyes they would not be believed. ~Cora M. Strayer~

Ok. I don't think that there was any finish on the interior surfaces of the dresser. Maybe it was oiled when it was brand new. I'll try to remember to get some pictures of it — it is a pretty thing.

...if you don’t love you’re dead, and if you do, they’ll kill you for it.

I love solid wood furniture, for all that it can be a bitch to maintain. I built this◊ out of leftovers from work...veneer-grade quartersawn white oak. My coffee table's also assembled from scraps. It's considerably less pretty *

but still eminently functional.

My eventual goal is to replace all the non-padded furniture in my house with stuff I've made myself.

I'll have to know how your home alterations turn out, Maddie.

edited 9th Jun '11 8:57:56 PM by drunkscriblerian

If I were to write some of the strange things that come under my eyes they would not be believed. ~Cora M. Strayer~

I'll keep you posted, believe you me. There will probably also be lots more questions as I slowly progress.

...if you don’t love you’re dead, and if you do, they’ll kill you for it.

Awesome. I'll answer what questions I can, and more importantly say "I dunno" at the ones I cannot.

Oh,and one more thing; if you do plan on putting screws in your bookshelf, drill pilot holes first. Makes things easy and you can plot your hole location better. If you have a cordless drill, a counter-bore set works just fine if you take off the borer (or just don't push the thing in all the way).

If I were to write some of the strange things that come under my eyes they would not be believed. ~Cora M. Strayer~

Oh, I learned about pilot holes when I was just a wee tad. No fears there.

...if you don’t love you’re dead, and if you do, they’ll kill you for it.

You'd be surprised how many people have never heard of them.

If I were to write some of the strange things that come under my eyes they would not be believed. ~Cora M. Strayer~

I know quite a few people who have either never heard of them or don't think they matter. My dad taught me about them with a hammer, a handful of nails, and a 2x4.

...if you don’t love you’re dead, and if you do, they’ll kill you for it.

I learned about them using a Makita cordless, a handful of screws and a countersink. My dad's a firm believer in screws over nails...you can take them out and put them in without damage, and screws hold better. Downside; far more costly. And screw-gun batteries always run out at the most inopportune time.

If I were to write some of the strange things that come under my eyes they would not be believed. ~Cora M. Strayer~

I was maybe ...6? Not old enough to safely use a power drill (and power screwdrivers were very expensive pieces of carpentry tools at the time.)

...if you don’t love you’re dead, and if you do, they’ll kill you for it.