I wanted to clarify something on the double sided tape tip. Many have pointed out that the xfasten, while bonds strongly, is not stiff enough for cnc/template routing. While I have not had significant issues using the xfasten tape, I have gotten feedback from some folks that purchased the tape recently. I do not know if their formulation changed or what the issue is. The blue tape method is a perfectly fine method - if you like it, don't change a thing. I personally find it cumbersome. Over the last 2 weeks I have been using all of these methods and revisited the paper backed double sided tape and am falling in love with it again, despite the higher price tag. It seems to be the perfect hybrid - holds strongly with little/no deflection. Easy to tear. Comes off without any residue issue. etc etc. So at this time, i would not recommend the xfasten tape, instead, consider buying this (affiliate link): amzn.to/3S5OxjJ
Fantastic videos! As a scientist and engineer, I found your content incredibly insightful. Your videos have answered many questions I've had in the past while working with wood. While I'm not a professional woodworker, I enjoy creating sawdust from time to time. The episode on glue strength was particularly enlightening-truly invaluable information! Thank you for putting in the scientific research to help us all. Keep up the great work!
Saw dust is great for soaking up spilled liquids like oil. Then keep the very lightly oil coated saw dust to use to put on the floor to pick up really fine dust and dirt. Broom motion getting the dust airborne an thus not cleaning the floor without the saw dust. Mix dry saw dust with wet oil coated saw dust and mix to get lightly coated saw dust. My dad showed me this hack.
Nice video. I switched to double side tape because its easier and avoids the glue mess. Never found the salt method to be useful for woodworking but it will keep a beer glass from sticking to a coaster. Cool bonus tip.
Excellent and thought provoking videos. I agree with using dowels etc for alignment on wood for furniture. Where I use salt is when making templates especially using MDF and I do not want the different surfaces to move before clamping pressure is applied. In cases like this I do not care about the visible glue line only the accuracy of the joint. I made myself a salt shaker out of a small plastic bottle with a few small holes (much smaller than house hold salt shaker. Added a few grains of rice to keep the salt dry.
Suman, another AWESOME video! Your channel is the most underrated woodworking resource on You Tube. I love your research methods and the tremendous data and results you share with us. Your stuff is A+ all the way. Thank you, sir! 🫡
Interesting. I’ve been using A FEW grains of salt when face gluing boards to increase thickness for longer than you have been alive. Never had a failure or could tell the difference in the final result. That said, a FEW GRAINS is all that is necessary. The amount of salt that you used, even on the smallest sample would be enough for many glue ups. I think I’ve had the same 4oz shaker in my shop for 20 years. The technique works great when laminating panels, especially when you need good alignment as to not have to trim too much waste afterwards.
@@ReallyBadJuJu this is the real point with the salt trick. It's not the sodium chloride crystals that do the job it's a fine grain of anything that provides a secondary gripping surface that also digs slightly into the wood.
Great testing methodology. I laminate thin wood a lot and the best way I found to prevent slippage is to secure the pieces together with small nails, but that requires extra material where it can be nailed and then sawed off. When laminating several thin layers the slippage can really be a pain.
Thanks Suman for debunking these common “magic” hacks, and especially for offering alternatives. I also appreciate your efforts to be consistent when testing. Yes, we all make mistakes. The trick is to cover them up as best we can. Developing this skill is part of our craft. We tend to believe that others will zero in on goof ups, when, in fact, they’re often not noticeable unless & until we point them out.
Thank you so much! It means a lot. If you look closely, the lower section of the screen still has lighter tones of grey. It was painted moments before filming because it used to be white and the lights just were not bouncing how I wanted them to. Did I shoot the whole talking head with the white background and then re-shoot it again? maybe. haha
I wanted to see that as well. I've heard that it works just as well as salt, plus you've got plenty of sawdust nearby anyway. Hopefully we can get a follow up where he tries the amount of salt people actually use and sawdust
7:41 I would like to see the variance in clamp pressure as well. I'm curious if higher clamp pressure with salt (and saw dust) would provide an equivalent joint strength than without.
Interesting! Try fine grain sand instead of salt - less hygroscopic. Sawdust behaves like "end-grain" when finished - always looks darker just like end grain. Keep it up! Subbed.
I have tried to fill the gaps of a tenon with sawdust and glue. The resulting joint is weak and I easily break it. I’d rather use epoxy resin glue which is good at filling any void.
Excellent video! Great job on the experimental setup. I really enjoy this type of video where we see quantitative results vs qualitative (ie, feelings). The salt results are very interesting! The use of vinegar + water to clean dry glue off of clamp bars looks very useful. The last look at the actual end result of saw dust + glue to fix mistakes was very useful! A video exploring various methods to fix dents, surface oopsies and their effectiveness would be very interesting. Keep up the great work!
Another fantastic video. testing methods are very sound and delivery is right to the point. I've been subscribed for a while and frankly, I'm still amazed your channel doesn't have more subscribers. Keep up the great work, If you build it they will come!
I appreciate your sawdust and glue tip. In the past I’ve mixed fine sawdust, glue, and Zar’s wood filler with decent results, but I like the glue-alone-then-sanding “slurry” tip. Thank you.
I’ve never seen your channel before, and you have earned a new subscriber. Too many folks seem to only recycle talking points to make content! Excellent work 👍🏻
Thank you! Very informative. I noticed about a year ago that most woodworking channels have become nothing by product promotions when everyone jumped on the waxy oil finish bandwagon. That stuff will never touch anything I do. All the channels seemed to jump on the same bandwagons.
I am always looking forward to your next video. Accurate, informative, and helpful. Hoping that you will look at saw blade flutter sometime. What makes it happen? Asymetric pressure on the blade? Start up? Entering the wood too fast? What are the principle causes that make zero clearance kerfs get wider? All the best!
Thanks Paul! For sure. I may or may not be working on gathering proper equipment to see how viable that test would be. It may or may not involve an ultra high speed cameras..... you know, hypothetically speaking.
Good double-sided tape vs blue tape comparison! Guaranteed that content creators hop on trends to create content (because creating original content is not easy) - the same way that NEWS reports on hot topics rather than finding actual new content (because investigative journalism is not easy). I appreciate your efforts Suman.
I watched (and enjoyed) the whole thing because I was waiting for the sawdust tips. I regularly make mistakes in my wooden sculptures, and I regularly try to erase those mistakes with glue and sawdust. But right now I have the exact problem you mentioned - the hole is in bright wood and the method makes it indeed too dark in the end. Thanks for helping me accepting my mistakes :D I'll try a completely different method now
I've never tried the salt trick as I've been skeptical about what it'll do to the wood and the glue, now I'll definitely never try it! Btw, Dashner Design and Restoration on UA-cam is excellent at hiding imperfections in furniture! All the way into the weeds of painting in wood grain to blend in veneer repairs. Really shows the effort needed to get it perfect!
Excellent work. I respect actually testing yielding data so much more than mere opinions, and it is obvious that you put a lot of work into getting real answers.
I've filled in minor imperfections/gaps with the sawdust and glue trick, but those were getting painted a color not stained. it works perfect for painted but not at all for stained, the minimum amount of glue with some sawdust sprinkled on and pressed a little (not rubbed in.) and wait a while for it to set & sand.
You are doing great. I am a big fan already watching your second video. The only missing thing for me (as a former researcher) is a factor of repetition on your experiments. I know it adds to the work but I think it would just make it much more strong of an argument if you can do few more samples. But even without that I respect your work a lot. Thank you.
Very much appreciated all your hard work and sharing the results with us. Excellent video and have forwarded to many wood working friends. Thank you again.
Love your content! I just used sawdust and pva to fill in some gaps in my hand cut dovetail bench. Worked like a charm but I think it’s only because there was end grain involved and after finish the fill was invisible
Great video! Not only are you analyzing methods that might be questionable, you're also handing out tips that would offer a better solution and problems that might appear.
Worth watching just for the Bessey clamp cleaning tricks. While I eventually would have thought of the idea of using something like PVC to soak them, you saved me the hassle of thinking too hard 😄
This video was very insightful and I love how you do all these different tests and discuss the data. This looks like a tonne of work though. So, thanks heaps for this. Hopefully you can one day publish these data in a reputable journal 😉
So much work. This video had the most jig setup and variety so far. I'm going to do a simple one for the next video to take a breather. haha. I'd love to be published in SALT Journal of Scientific Research In Healthcare and talk about a wood salt diet and adverse health outcomes.
I actually keep sawdust for a totally different reason. I use it for blending edges or contrasting. I recommend ca glue and dust rather than wood glue, and some wood glue can turn black when you mix it with dust for some reason. A lot of times if I want a seam between a light wood and a dark wood I'll use medium tone sawdust between them to blend the tiny gaps and it usually works perfect, and on occasion I'll bevel my edges the same before gluing and then intentionally fill a seam line with darker wood glue to make a contrast stripe, rather than inlay, especially on a weird curved joint that inlay would be a pain with. You can use the same thing on darker woods with CA glue and baking soda and it kinda looks like pearl or white resin or marble. Purely decorative. Sawdust and CA glue is also good for adding reinforced bevels inside of projects with a very thin edge. like if you have to glue a right angle butt joint with 8th inch flatstock, you cant really dowel or dovetail 8th inch and it can be flimsy, but you can sprinkle a line of wood dust in the 90 degree inside and use CA glue to make a little fillet weld and brace it stronger. I've done that. it doesnt look pretty but for inside work you don't see it’s shockingly stronger. You could even do a video on that for content to see exactly how much stronger.
Instead of PVA glue, use CA glue with the sawdust that you have made from the wood that you work with. It works miraculously :) First fill the hole with CA glue and then put some sawdust onto it. Depending on the size of the hole, after a while sand or chisel it, and there you have a perfect look after the finish is applied. If the hole is deep, you may need to apply CA glue-sawdust few more times. You can also sand it after few seconds or wait few minutes to complete dry. But after complete dry, you can not sand it anymore as it hardens a lot. You might need to chisel it first, then sand it a bit. (I never knew why I have never tried the salt trick. It didn't sound right. Now I know thanks to your video 👍
I still remember when I started watching woodworking UA-cam and saw everyone using the blue tape method. I kept looking at it wondering what I was missing. Have these people never heard of two sided tape? The xfasten is the way to go it's solid, holds strongly and is easy to clean up. Thanks for the video!!
The blue tape method is still very effective. I'm not knocking on it per-se. Maybe I am lazy or don't want to inhale the fumes of the accelerator...but count me in under camp double sided tape!
Very glad you did the salt test. I always thought it would be very useful for chessboards that I make because I've had alignment issues just using cauls but I was never brave enough to try the salt trick because I wasn't sure how it would affect the bond. I could actually live with a 20% loss in joint strength for a chessboard but getting perfectly tights joints is hard enough as it is so adding salt into the mix just isn't worth it.
I went back to blue tape and CA glue, I have that same double sided tape and found it holds, but has 2 disadvantages! FIRST- it "wiggles" it hold fine from total separation but it allows it to actually move back and forth especially under the forces of the CNC and makes cutting less accurate. TWO, it's WAY harder to clean up after!! leaves way more sticky goop behind! Note- I've leaned to use 3/4 inch tape with CA on it and like 1 to 1-1/2 inch tape with the accelerator on it , plus use WAY less glue, a simple straight line down the middle is enough!
Yup- there is a small amount of wiggle with the xtasten tape. If that is a concern, I think you would like the paper backed tape I mentioned in the video. It’s not ideal in a cold environment but if the shop is moderately temperature controlled, it has all the benefits of blue tape method.
@@WoodcraftBySuman yea, tried it also, and the super thin clear stuff, which has the best hold/wiggle prevention, but still way harder to clean up after. Blue tape works, cleans up stupid easy (as long as you use a thin line of glue down the middle, not big wiggles that spill over the edge) and seems cheaper in the long run. Love your vid's by the way!!! you always go over the top testing!!! :)
I'm not really a woodworker but I've used the masking tape + superglue trick a few times for various things, and I also like it much better than double sided tape. It's very thin, which feels solid, and yep, very easy to clean up. One thing is, I never bothered with the accelerant. I just used regular gel super glue and that was very easy and mess-free. Probably wouldn't be strong enough if you're trusting this thing to not fall apart on the router table, but it worked well enough for what I was doing.
@@WoodcraftBySuman I did a video to show the issues with double sided tape. - This could be an issue with templets as much as the CNC is for me - ua-cam.com/video/lvc7xKZk8UA/v-deo.htmlsi=5-5YjedupHZ7tiko
@@Thomllama hey thanks! Just saw the video and your points are all fair and valid. Appreciate you making the video. I haven’t had that level of deflection for it to be a problem on CNC and template routing but I have been utilizing all it the different tapes in the shop over the last two weeks to get a better comparison feel from day to day use. The xfasten I have seems to still do a pretty good job but I’m falling in love with the paper backed tape even more. I know you’re happy with the blue tape method but if you are inclined, give this tape a try: amzn.to/3tJS6CP
Agreed 100 percent. Been questioning all of these for years and nice to see some testing to back up my feelings. I will say I do use the blue tape on my clamps because like many, I'm lazy.
On glue/sawdust fills you are right on the money, and it was interesting to see it with different wood species. One caution you didn't mention is that if glue is pressed into the grain around the area being filled, stain will not absorb into that grain and the result is an ugly spot--especially with open grain woods. So care should be taken to minize the area where glue is used...at least that's a lesson I learned with my early projects.
While I was watching your video I noticed the double sided tape had a higher breaking point, but was using a different surface for testing. If you have the time could you please do a strength test for wood glue vs double sided tape. Thank you for your content.
I tried salt in 90 degree miters exactly once, and was horrified at the gaps that resulted. careful alignment while gradually increasing clamping pressure turned out to be much more worthwhile. keep this stuff up! I subscribed from an earlier nerdy dive and will watch any sort of "OK yeah people say it but is it actually true" content.
I'm curious what kind of salt you used. I'm not recommending it or anything, but in the video, he used sea salt, which is a coarser salt. Table salt or even powder salt is much finer which would both mean smaller gaps and better dissolving, which would probably lead to better joints and strength. Again, don't have a horse in this fight, but curious what the results would be with finer salt.
Great video! I actually just came in from the workshop, where I was using the glue and sawdust trick, so your thumbnail triggered me (good job!). Fortunately, I was doing it on rosewood, where it works like a dream.
On the sawdust and glue hack I was taught that as a 12yr old at school, and we only used it when we were learning to make joints, where there were gaps until you started getting them right. Oh also we were only allowed to use tenon saws for joints, no coping saw to clear out for dovetail joints. Although I didn't take up woodworking for a profession, at nearly 65 I remember everything I was taught.
On unsealed wood you can iron out dings. I mean this literally. If something fell on the wood and made a dent for example, you moisten the wood slightly and go over it with an iron on high heat so the water boils. The dent will either disappear or at least get a lot smaller. If it's not gone, spray the dent again and iron it again. It works really well if the fibers aren't damaged. If the fibers are broken, the wood will look a bit frayed and you need to sand over it a little. You can iron out dents on oil treated wood (like rifle stocks), but since not much water can enter the wood, it won't be as effective. It will still work on small dents and lessen bigger ones. I have used this on many occasions and I always find fascinating how well it works.
Most of the glue/sawdust fills are for thin cracks rather than dents, which likely hides better since they appear to run with the grain instead of cross grain. And many suggest doing this with CA glue instead of PVA. Any thoughts about the difference for this purpose? Than you for these excellent experiments in working wood, Suman!
Salt is used as an ingredient in hide glues to increase open time (and as a preservative). I believe the salt in the joint tip goes back to before pva glue - but I can't remember where I picked that up.
The damage to the bar is from the vinegar. We metalworkers use it for normalizing stainless, and as a rust remover. I don't recommend it on a non-stainless surface you care about, especially overnight! Vinegar is an acid, and we time it for removing rust in hours, not days. Most woodworker's glues are water soluble, especially if left over night soaking in water. Give plain water a try for that method and skip the vinegar. If I wanted a surfactant to speed up the process, I'd add a couple drops of dish soap. For waterproof glues, give acetone or mineral spirits a try. (Never had this problem yet, so not sure what will dissolve waterproof woodworkers glue). The waxing is a good tip, I'd recommend extending it to all your unpainted/coated steel tools to help prevent rust. T-9 is even better if you live near the coast or in a humid area. DON'T use WD-40, it doesn't work well for preventing rust, but it's great for it's intended application, driving water away from a metal surface when drying it off. You can make your own rustproofing wax by mixing paraffin and mineral oil 50/50. I get my paraffin by buying the big ugly candles no one wants at the thrift store for pennies on the dollar. Speaking of rust, if you have some light rust to remove, and don't want or need a strong solution like white vinegar, make a mix with the cheap feed molasses from the feed/farm store. Just add molasses to the water until it looks like coffee, and soak the metal in it overnight. The sugars in the molasses turns to a weak acid when it contacts the rust, turning it into a black sludge. Wash the sludge off, and you'll have clean metal underneath. I've rescued a good number of cast iron skillets from the flea market this way, getting expensive pans for just a couple bucks and making them look like new, ready for seasoning. :)
To avoid parts from moving during glue up I've seen YT videos suggesting rubbing two pieces of sandpaper together (I forget which grit) and letting the residue of doing so fall onto the glue to provide the grit. Maybe try that as well if you repeat the experiment with different materials.
I wanted to clarify something on the double sided tape tip. Many have pointed out that the xfasten, while bonds strongly, is not stiff enough for cnc/template routing. While I have not had significant issues using the xfasten tape, I have gotten feedback from some folks that purchased the tape recently. I do not know if their formulation changed or what the issue is. The blue tape method is a perfectly fine method - if you like it, don't change a thing. I personally find it cumbersome. Over the last 2 weeks I have been using all of these methods and revisited the paper backed double sided tape and am falling in love with it again, despite the higher price tag. It seems to be the perfect hybrid - holds strongly with little/no deflection. Easy to tear. Comes off without any residue issue. etc etc. So at this time, i would not recommend the xfasten tape, instead, consider buying this (affiliate link): amzn.to/3S5OxjJ
I LOVE your videos! Dispelling rumors and wives tales via facts and data. It's refreshing. Please keep them coming!
How do you not have 1million subs? This combines two of my all time favorite things, science and woodworking.
Fantastic videos! As a scientist and engineer, I found your content incredibly insightful. Your videos have answered many questions I've had in the past while working with wood. While I'm not a professional woodworker, I enjoy creating sawdust from time to time. The episode on glue strength was particularly enlightening-truly invaluable information! Thank you for putting in the scientific research to help us all. Keep up the great work!
Suman, your analysis and testing methods are fantastic to watch. I appreciate all the hard work you do.
Card-carrying scientist here, just wanting to say I appreciate the lengths to which you go and communication of your experiments. Kudos.
Very interesting to see you "mythbust" tricks that I guess most of us have heard time and time again. I really enjoy your videos! Thank you!
Saw dust is great for soaking up spilled liquids like oil. Then keep the very lightly oil coated saw dust to use to put on the floor to pick up really fine dust and dirt. Broom motion getting the dust airborne an thus not cleaning the floor without the saw dust. Mix dry saw dust with wet oil coated saw dust and mix to get lightly coated saw dust. My dad showed me this hack.
This is great, Suman. Thank you for investing the time and energy and money to share!
For sure. Glad you liked it! Thank you for watching!
Nice video. I switched to double side tape because its easier and avoids the glue mess. Never found the salt method to be useful for woodworking but it will keep a beer glass from sticking to a coaster. Cool bonus tip.
Excellent and thought provoking videos.
I agree with using dowels etc for alignment on wood for furniture. Where I use salt is when making templates especially using MDF and I do not want the different surfaces to move before clamping pressure is applied. In cases like this I do not care about the visible glue line only the accuracy of the joint. I made myself a salt shaker out of a small plastic bottle with a few small holes (much smaller than house hold salt shaker. Added a few grains of rice to keep the salt dry.
I’ve been calling out the glue and saw dust trick for ever when I see videos advertising it. Finally someone makes a video proving it’s trash.
Suman, another AWESOME video! Your channel is the most underrated woodworking resource on You Tube. I love your research methods and the tremendous data and results you share with us. Your stuff is A+ all the way. Thank you, sir! 🫡
I appreciate your continued support and engagement with my content more than you can imagine. Thank you! Happy holidays!
i dont care what it's about, analitic, data based testing is always extremely satisfying
Love your work. Yes, I also had suspected that a lot of tips were really recycled myths there were never verified.
Interesting. I’ve been using A FEW grains of salt when face gluing boards to increase thickness for longer than you have been alive. Never had a failure or could tell the difference in the final result. That said, a FEW GRAINS is all that is necessary. The amount of salt that you used, even on the smallest sample would be enough for many glue ups. I think I’ve had the same 4oz shaker in my shop for 20 years. The technique works great when laminating panels, especially when you need good alignment as to not have to trim too much waste afterwards.
He used waaaay to much salt…
If you were super concerned about it, you could probably fill your salt shaker with sand for the same effect without any chemical reaction.
@@ReallyBadJuJu this is the real point with the salt trick. It's not the sodium chloride crystals that do the job it's a fine grain of anything that provides a secondary gripping surface that also digs slightly into the wood.
Salt good because salt make cube with pointy corners
You can just use saw dust @@ReallyBadJuJu
Great testing methodology. I laminate thin wood a lot and the best way I found to prevent slippage is to secure the pieces together with small nails, but that requires extra material where it can be nailed and then sawed off. When laminating several thin layers the slippage can really be a pain.
Thanks Suman for debunking these common “magic” hacks, and especially for offering alternatives. I also appreciate your efforts to be consistent when testing. Yes, we all make mistakes. The trick is to cover them up as best we can. Developing this skill is part of our craft. We tend to believe that others will zero in on goof ups, when, in fact, they’re often not noticeable unless & until we point them out.
Thank you Suman, for making this video. Keep 'em coming!
You always have the best quality videos. Here's to more in 2024, and maybe a Silver (and Gold!) UA-cam plaque to come with it :)
Seriously though, the lighting and quality of the video is better than a lot of popular photo/video youtubers
Thank you so much! It means a lot. If you look closely, the lower section of the screen still has lighter tones of grey. It was painted moments before filming because it used to be white and the lights just were not bouncing how I wanted them to. Did I shoot the whole talking head with the white background and then re-shoot it again? maybe. haha
Great content. I was surprised you did not try saw dust instead of salt for preventing peices from sliding.
I wanted to see that as well. I've heard that it works just as well as salt, plus you've got plenty of sawdust nearby anyway.
Hopefully we can get a follow up where he tries the amount of salt people actually use and sawdust
7:41 I would like to see the variance in clamp pressure as well. I'm curious if higher clamp pressure with salt (and saw dust) would provide an equivalent joint strength than without.
Interesting! Try fine grain sand instead of salt - less hygroscopic. Sawdust behaves like "end-grain" when finished - always looks darker just like end grain. Keep it up! Subbed.
The glue and sawdust tip is really best for painting, where you are filling the surface in prep for applying the paint.
Or for filling gaps around joints, like a slight miscut on a dovetail or a through tenon.
Wouldn’t it be easier to just use putty then?
I have tried to fill the gaps of a tenon with sawdust and glue. The resulting joint is weak and I easily break it. I’d rather use epoxy resin glue which is good at filling any void.
Excellent video! Great job on the experimental setup. I really enjoy this type of video where we see quantitative results vs qualitative (ie, feelings). The salt results are very interesting! The use of vinegar + water to clean dry glue off of clamp bars looks very useful. The last look at the actual end result of saw dust + glue to fix mistakes was very useful! A video exploring various methods to fix dents, surface oopsies and their effectiveness would be very interesting. Keep up the great work!
Your service to the community is much appreciated! Perfect use of a chisel too 😂
Everyone has that one friend who always shows up for them, no matter how messy things get. That chisel is the embodiment of that friend in my shop 😂
@@WoodcraftBySuman 😂
love your content! Thank you for doing all this work to test things out!
Another fantastic video. testing methods are very sound and delivery is right to the point. I've been subscribed for a while and frankly, I'm still amazed your channel doesn't have more subscribers. Keep up the great work, If you build it they will come!
If you start getting lots of views on anything youtube doesn’t like you get cut off and the views stop even though the video is still there
I appreciate your sawdust and glue tip.
In the past I’ve mixed fine sawdust, glue, and Zar’s wood filler with decent results, but I like the glue-alone-then-sanding “slurry” tip.
Thank you.
I’ve never seen your channel before, and you have earned a new subscriber. Too many folks seem to only recycle talking points to make content!
Excellent work 👍🏻
Thank you for your videos, I know testing, recording and editing takes time, but these analytical videos are my favorite.
Thanks dude! So glad you like these videos! Thanks for watching.
Thank you! Very informative. I noticed about a year ago that most woodworking channels have become nothing by product promotions when everyone jumped on the waxy oil finish bandwagon. That stuff will never touch anything I do. All the channels seemed to jump on the same bandwagons.
I am always looking forward to your next video. Accurate, informative, and helpful.
Hoping that you will look at saw blade flutter sometime. What makes it happen? Asymetric pressure on the blade? Start up? Entering the wood too fast? What are the principle causes that make zero clearance kerfs get wider?
All the best!
Thanks Paul! For sure. I may or may not be working on gathering proper equipment to see how viable that test would be. It may or may not involve an ultra high speed cameras..... you know, hypothetically speaking.
Good double-sided tape vs blue tape comparison!
Guaranteed that content creators hop on trends to create content (because creating original content is not easy) - the same way that NEWS reports on hot topics rather than finding actual new content (because investigative journalism is not easy). I appreciate your efforts Suman.
More please, I enjoyed your approach to the testing. Very meticulous 👍
Your best video yet! Great job, Suman.
I watched (and enjoyed) the whole thing because I was waiting for the sawdust tips.
I regularly make mistakes in my wooden sculptures, and I regularly try to erase those mistakes with glue and sawdust.
But right now I have the exact problem you mentioned - the hole is in bright wood and the method makes it indeed too dark in the end.
Thanks for helping me accepting my mistakes :D I'll try a completely different method now
I've never tried the salt trick as I've been skeptical about what it'll do to the wood and the glue, now I'll definitely never try it!
Btw, Dashner Design and Restoration on UA-cam is excellent at hiding imperfections in furniture! All the way into the weeds of painting in wood grain to blend in veneer repairs. Really shows the effort needed to get it perfect!
Excellent work. I respect actually testing yielding data so much more than mere opinions, and it is obvious that you put a lot of work into getting real answers.
this guy is grate he gives a lot of information with out belittling anybody and he is fun to watch
Well done! Watched a few of your videos & you now have a new sub! Happy Holidays! 👍👍🌲🌲
good stuff really like your attention to details and attempting to remove as many variables as possible when doing testing.
I've filled in minor imperfections/gaps with the sawdust and glue
trick, but those were getting painted a color not stained. it works
perfect for painted but not at all for stained, the minimum amount
of glue with some sawdust sprinkled on and pressed a little (not
rubbed in.) and wait a while for it to set & sand.
Really great info on getting glue off of K-Body clamps. Mine need some love for sure.
You are doing great. I am a big fan already watching your second video. The only missing thing for me (as a former researcher) is a factor of repetition on your experiments. I know it adds to the work but I think it would just make it much more strong of an argument if you can do few more samples. But even without that I respect your work a lot. Thank you.
Loved it Suman!!! Always pumped when you release a video!
Keep these videos coming! You are one of my favorites!👍🏻✅👏
Very much appreciated all your hard work and sharing the results with us. Excellent video and have forwarded to many wood working friends. Thank you again.
You made some good points, and used logic and demonstration to make your case each time.
Subscription added.
I thoroughly enjoyed it brother! I'm definitely going to be using the clamp cleaning trick! That's legit!
Thanks bud!
@@WoodcraftBySuman yessir!
Love your content! I just used sawdust and pva to fill in some gaps in my hand cut dovetail bench. Worked like a charm but I think it’s only because there was end grain involved and after finish the fill was invisible
Great video! Not only are you analyzing methods that might be questionable, you're also handing out tips that would offer a better solution and problems that might appear.
The new lighting setup looks great!
Your channel is incredible! Thank you for putting in all this work to get good information out to us 😊
Worth watching just for the Bessey clamp cleaning tricks. While I eventually would have thought of the idea of using something like PVC to soak them, you saved me the hassle of thinking too hard 😄
Note, the PVC was the container, the working solution was vinegar and water which i’ve decided is the most useful cleaner of all kinds.
This video was very insightful and I love how you do all these different tests and discuss the data.
This looks like a tonne of work though. So, thanks heaps for this.
Hopefully you can one day publish these data in a reputable journal 😉
So much work. This video had the most jig setup and variety so far. I'm going to do a simple one for the next video to take a breather. haha. I'd love to be published in SALT Journal of Scientific Research In Healthcare and talk about a wood salt diet and adverse health outcomes.
@@WoodcraftBySuman "the effects of salted glue joints on adolescent neurological development and how it later affects their UA-cam channel."
I actually keep sawdust for a totally different reason. I use it for blending edges or contrasting. I recommend ca glue and dust rather than wood glue, and some wood glue can turn black when you mix it with dust for some reason. A lot of times if I want a seam between a light wood and a dark wood I'll use medium tone sawdust between them to blend the tiny gaps and it usually works perfect, and on occasion I'll bevel my edges the same before gluing and then intentionally fill a seam line with darker wood glue to make a contrast stripe, rather than inlay, especially on a weird curved joint that inlay would be a pain with. You can use the same thing on darker woods with CA glue and baking soda and it kinda looks like pearl or white resin or marble. Purely decorative. Sawdust and CA glue is also good for adding reinforced bevels inside of projects with a very thin edge. like if you have to glue a right angle butt joint with 8th inch flatstock, you cant really dowel or dovetail 8th inch and it can be flimsy, but you can sprinkle a line of wood dust in the 90 degree inside and use CA glue to make a little fillet weld and brace it stronger. I've done that. it doesnt look pretty but for inside work you don't see it’s shockingly stronger. You could even do a video on that for content to see exactly how much stronger.
Do more! I really appreciate your videos.
Instead of PVA glue, use CA glue with the sawdust that you have made from the wood that you work with. It works miraculously :)
First fill the hole with CA glue and then put some sawdust onto it. Depending on the size of the hole, after a while sand or chisel it, and there you have a perfect look after the finish is applied. If the hole is deep, you may need to apply CA glue-sawdust few more times. You can also sand it after few seconds or wait few minutes to complete dry. But after complete dry, you can not sand it anymore as it hardens a lot. You might need to chisel it first, then sand it a bit.
(I never knew why I have never tried the salt trick. It didn't sound right. Now I know thanks to your video 👍
must be nice to be rich enough to afford all that scrap cherry! great work suman! love these test videos! 😀
Pre-pandemic entry into the cherry haul saved me millions! 😂
One of my favorite childhood shows was Bill Nye the Science Guy, now it's Suman the Science Craftsman! Somebody call PBS and get my guy a TV show!
Great video! You can see how much effort you put in, thanks!
Sliding the glued surfaces against each other 3-5 times will make the glue grab much better
I still remember when I started watching woodworking UA-cam and saw everyone using the blue tape method. I kept looking at it wondering what I was missing. Have these people never heard of two sided tape? The xfasten is the way to go it's solid, holds strongly and is easy to clean up. Thanks for the video!!
The blue tape method is still very effective. I'm not knocking on it per-se. Maybe I am lazy or don't want to inhale the fumes of the accelerator...but count me in under camp double sided tape!
Great video. Really enjoy your work and the thought that goes into them.
As always, Excellent. Thank you!
Very glad you did the salt test. I always thought it would be very useful for chessboards that I make because I've had alignment issues just using cauls but I was never brave enough to try the salt trick because I wasn't sure how it would affect the bond. I could actually live with a 20% loss in joint strength for a chessboard but getting perfectly tights joints is hard enough as it is so adding salt into the mix just isn't worth it.
Love what you do please keep doing it. great great video as always.
I went back to blue tape and CA glue, I have that same double sided tape and found it holds, but has 2 disadvantages! FIRST- it "wiggles" it hold fine from total separation but it allows it to actually move back and forth especially under the forces of the CNC and makes cutting less accurate. TWO, it's WAY harder to clean up after!! leaves way more sticky goop behind! Note- I've leaned to use 3/4 inch tape with CA on it and like 1 to 1-1/2 inch tape with the accelerator on it , plus use WAY less glue, a simple straight line down the middle is enough!
Yup- there is a small amount of wiggle with the xtasten tape. If that is a concern, I think you would like the paper backed tape I mentioned in the video. It’s not ideal in a cold environment but if the shop is moderately temperature controlled, it has all the benefits of blue tape method.
@@WoodcraftBySuman yea, tried it also, and the super thin clear stuff, which has the best hold/wiggle prevention, but still way harder to clean up after. Blue tape works, cleans up stupid easy (as long as you use a thin line of glue down the middle, not big wiggles that spill over the edge) and seems cheaper in the long run. Love your vid's by the way!!! you always go over the top testing!!! :)
I'm not really a woodworker but I've used the masking tape + superglue trick a few times for various things, and I also like it much better than double sided tape. It's very thin, which feels solid, and yep, very easy to clean up. One thing is, I never bothered with the accelerant. I just used regular gel super glue and that was very easy and mess-free. Probably wouldn't be strong enough if you're trusting this thing to not fall apart on the router table, but it worked well enough for what I was doing.
@@WoodcraftBySuman I did a video to show the issues with double sided tape. - This could be an issue with templets as much as the CNC is for me - ua-cam.com/video/lvc7xKZk8UA/v-deo.htmlsi=5-5YjedupHZ7tiko
@@Thomllama hey thanks! Just saw the video and your points are all fair and valid. Appreciate you making the video. I haven’t had that level of deflection for it to be a problem on CNC and template routing but I have been utilizing all it the different tapes in the shop over the last two weeks to get a better comparison feel from day to day use. The xfasten I have seems to still do a pretty good job but I’m falling in love with the paper backed tape even more. I know you’re happy with the blue tape method but if you are inclined, give this tape a try: amzn.to/3tJS6CP
Brilliant content - I love the in-depth testing.
Agreed 100 percent. Been questioning all of these for years and nice to see some testing to back up my feelings. I will say I do use the blue tape on my clamps because like many, I'm lazy.
A nother good video with great tips!!
Thanks, Suman! Great video! I should probably go to the gym as well. Thanks for the reminder.
Definitely enjoyed this!
Enjoy your content mate! Thank you for sharing your knowledge 👌
Great info. Thanks for all your hard work.😊
Love the video! Keep up the good work.
You can use a tiny (tiny) amount of sand to stop slippage and it won’t remove water from the glue.
I use fine saw dust to stop wood from moving during glue ups. I only put a very little at each end of the board and I have not had any problem.
Thank you for your due diligence!
On glue/sawdust fills you are right on the money, and it was interesting to see it with different wood species. One caution you didn't mention is that if glue is pressed into the grain around the area being filled, stain will not absorb into that grain and the result is an ugly spot--especially with open grain woods. So care should be taken to minize the area where glue is used...at least that's a lesson I learned with my early projects.
Great tip for cleaning those parallel clamps!!
Thanks for sharing the clamp cleaning tip! I’ve been trying to figure out how to remove the harden glue for a long while. 👊🏽
Outstanding. Loved that video. So many great tips, each verified!!!!
Great video! I have also heard of using fine sawdust instead of salt but it would likey also keep the joint a little open like the salt did.
Thank you for making these videos. They are very helpful and important in learning. Especially questioning the meta 😁
Thanks for testing the salt and glue hack. I always figured it would not work well and you proved that. I've never done it due to my suspicions.
While I was watching your video I noticed the double sided tape had a higher breaking point, but was using a different surface for testing.
If you have the time could you please do a strength test for wood glue vs double sided tape.
Thank you for your content.
I tried salt in 90 degree miters exactly once, and was horrified at the gaps that resulted. careful alignment while gradually increasing clamping pressure turned out to be much more worthwhile.
keep this stuff up! I subscribed from an earlier nerdy dive and will watch any sort of "OK yeah people say it but is it actually true" content.
I'm curious what kind of salt you used. I'm not recommending it or anything, but in the video, he used sea salt, which is a coarser salt. Table salt or even powder salt is much finer which would both mean smaller gaps and better dissolving, which would probably lead to better joints and strength. Again, don't have a horse in this fight, but curious what the results would be with finer salt.
Great video! I actually just came in from the workshop, where I was using the glue and sawdust trick, so your thumbnail triggered me (good job!). Fortunately, I was doing it on rosewood, where it works like a dream.
rosewood flex 💪 🤣
Big thanks for the error ranges on the graphs.
Hey thanks! I know many folks really wanted error bars to see the spread. I’ll be doing them in all data going forward.
On the sawdust and glue hack I was taught that as a 12yr old at school, and we only used it when we were learning to make joints, where there were gaps until you started getting them right. Oh also we were only allowed to use tenon saws for joints, no coping saw to clear out for dovetail joints. Although I didn't take up woodworking for a profession, at nearly 65 I remember everything I was taught.
Well put, I enjoy how you go deep into your tips video, thanks
On unsealed wood you can iron out dings. I mean this literally. If something fell on the wood and made a dent for example, you moisten the wood slightly and go over it with an iron on high heat so the water boils. The dent will either disappear or at least get a lot smaller. If it's not gone, spray the dent again and iron it again. It works really well if the fibers aren't damaged. If the fibers are broken, the wood will look a bit frayed and you need to sand over it a little.
You can iron out dents on oil treated wood (like rifle stocks), but since not much water can enter the wood, it won't be as effective. It will still work on small dents and lessen bigger ones.
I have used this on many occasions and I always find fascinating how well it works.
Most of the glue/sawdust fills are for thin cracks rather than dents, which likely hides better since they appear to run with the grain instead of cross grain. And many suggest doing this with CA glue instead of PVA. Any thoughts about the difference for this purpose?
Than you for these excellent experiments in working wood, Suman!
Great video! I would love to see more of these tests.
Salt is used as an ingredient in hide glues to increase open time (and as a preservative). I believe the salt in the joint tip goes back to before pva glue - but I can't remember where I picked that up.
The damage to the bar is from the vinegar. We metalworkers use it for normalizing stainless, and as a rust remover. I don't recommend it on a non-stainless surface you care about, especially overnight! Vinegar is an acid, and we time it for removing rust in hours, not days. Most woodworker's glues are water soluble, especially if left over night soaking in water. Give plain water a try for that method and skip the vinegar. If I wanted a surfactant to speed up the process, I'd add a couple drops of dish soap. For waterproof glues, give acetone or mineral spirits a try. (Never had this problem yet, so not sure what will dissolve waterproof woodworkers glue).
The waxing is a good tip, I'd recommend extending it to all your unpainted/coated steel tools to help prevent rust. T-9 is even better if you live near the coast or in a humid area. DON'T use WD-40, it doesn't work well for preventing rust, but it's great for it's intended application, driving water away from a metal surface when drying it off. You can make your own rustproofing wax by mixing paraffin and mineral oil 50/50. I get my paraffin by buying the big ugly candles no one wants at the thrift store for pennies on the dollar.
Speaking of rust, if you have some light rust to remove, and don't want or need a strong solution like white vinegar, make a mix with the cheap feed molasses from the feed/farm store. Just add molasses to the water until it looks like coffee, and soak the metal in it overnight. The sugars in the molasses turns to a weak acid when it contacts the rust, turning it into a black sludge. Wash the sludge off, and you'll have clean metal underneath. I've rescued a good number of cast iron skillets from the flea market this way, getting expensive pans for just a couple bucks and making them look like new, ready for seasoning. :)
Thank you for the clamps cleaning tip. I now have my expensive JET clamps back in prime condition.
To avoid parts from moving during glue up I've seen YT videos suggesting rubbing two pieces of sandpaper together (I forget which grit) and letting the residue of doing so fall onto the glue to provide the grit. Maybe try that as well if you repeat the experiment with different materials.
Awesome information. Great insight!