I have an idea for them: they could integrate some threshold into their gear that automatically pauses the music or what you are listening to, to make you be careful when working with a loud (and supposedly dangerous) machine. Of course you should be able to switch that of when you're working in a constantly loud environment (air filter or so).
not a bad idea, but remember: every saw has a little wobble in the blade, so I find it unlikely it would be exact ENOUGH to make this work. Good test to run I suppose
And to think it took over forty years for someone to show me an easier way, and it's so simple. Have I been living in a closet my whole life? Thanks James.
I just figured this out myself 2 days ago when I cut a bunch of dados for a multi-shelf metal stock holding rack! It took me a while to figure out but it is pretty much genius! Next time please come out with your video 2 days earlier! Thank you! :)
Great title - I do a lot of wood work and get really tired of the “negative presumption” concept that is some guy telling me what “everyone gets wrong” or “what I don’t know” when in reality many very much know and it’s a click bait tactic. Your title and overall presentation is an honest and pragmatic effective strategy for joints that anyone can do. Bravo
I LOVE half lap joints, they're my favorite. Perfect for a guy like me who's lazy AND wants a strong glued up joint! 🤣 Thanks for the great tips, yours are some of the most straight forward and easy to understand of any I've seen.
Great tips thanks. The method I use for setting blade height is to simply use a piece of wood that’s the same thickness as your project wood (think cutoff) and cut a 45 on one end flip it face down and cut the 45 again. The tip of the angle (
Another technique I've used is to use an offcut of the piece you plan to join. Rip it and then glue it back together. The rip takes out one kerf width, and the little bit of glue adds just the right amount of extra space.
I'm so glad you made this video. I have never understood why the kerf jigs were so popular on other videos when they are harder to set up. I actually just use setup blocks as my spacer to match my blade kerf. They are a great gift idea for woodworkers and I find all sorts of uses for them on my projects. Another alternative is to use a drill bit.
You keep doing it,my friend. Inspiring me, that is. I’ve shied away from lap joints before, but you have made me want to go downstairs and try one. But it’s 1:01 a.m., so I’ll have to wait. But I’m going to do it. The first thing, of course, is the thin spline. Thank you again, James.
Your videos are helping me a lot. I recently watched your sanding video using poly while sanding to fill wood grain. It saved my project. Making an end table with red oak. That grain was giving me trouble. Fixed now.
Oh god thank you. I knew there was a way to do that correctly without any mesure. I tried to figure it out myself to be able to do that but I could not. Now I know. And that's the perfect timing as I was going to need to do something like that probably the next weekend.
Awesome video as always. To find the halfway point even faster, Microjig has the Fitfinder 1/2 gauge that does this in seconds without removing any stock. It is $35 though, but performs as promised.
Wish I saw this 2 weeks ago when building a cabinet/base for a work table. The half laps would make assembly much simpler with accurate alignment than dowels and pocket holes. Thanks again James, another efficient technique teaching lesson.
Another brilliant shop aid from James! And, unlike ewjorgy, I didn't figure it out myself. Thank you for all the tips, tricks, tool tips, and all the other content you have shared over the years.
I made some half lap jpints for cabinet door frames with glass within. They were white oak with a clear finish. I glued the laps with titebond and then put several 5/8"brads in the back side of the lap at angles to resist pulloout . I tried to pull apart a test piece and was amazed at how strong the joints were!
You made it look so easy and it really works so simple, make some and practice some to see how simple it can be for you. Thanks for sharing James, Stay safe and keep up the great videos. Fred.
Out of all your videos, this will be one that I will put on my save list. Easy to understand and something I needed. They got to change your name, though to Harvey stumpy.
Great video. I use my tablesaw for the first reference ce as you do. However I then also set up my bandsaw and remove the wast for 1/2 lap and mostly for tenons. Thank you👍
For setting the blade height, instead of iterative passes, I just count how many crank turns (including the fractional turn at the end) it takes to raise the blade from zero (raising the blade until it barely grazes a flat scrap of wood) to the thickness of the material (teeth barely grazing the same scrap overhanging from the top surface of the workpiece). Then I lower the blade by exactly half what I have counted. To cleanup any issues with slack, I end with a half turn of the crank down and then up again.
Great idea! And I think a lot of people take half laps for granted. But, despite their relative simplicity they are a strong and pretty cool looking joint.
If only Isotunes were as comfortable as the 3M's. I bought the Isotunes a couple of years ago, at your recommendation, wore them a lot and thought nothing of it until I tried on the 3M Bluetooth Earmuffs. Oh my god what a difference in comfort. The Isotunes are hard and horrible by comparison AND I had to dismantle them after less than 12 months of weekend use and locate and fix an open circuit that was caused by the bending of the wire when folding them down after every use for storage. The real kicker is the 3M's are cheaper....
Great tip that I will definitely put to use. However, I'm really curious about those badass lumber racks in your shop. Is there a vid about them? If not, could you tell us about them?
Great tip, thanks as always. One gripe I have about isotunes is the descriptions on their website. It’s really tough to differentiate between all the over the ear bud style options they offer. Not much can be learned from the product comparison feature.
Thank you for that. I have seen some expensive jigs for sale that use the same principle (not sure about center half laps), have been looking for a cheap solution
I'm not sure if you've covered this before or if it was somebody else, I've seen it and thanks for reminding me of it. I have a project to do that this tip will come in handy. Thanks Jim!
There are more and more methods and jigs (like some finger joint jigs) that needs a kerf thick shim. It would be great if blade companies would sell exact width metal shims for these
Have you got a video on making a finger joint jig? Had a relative call to see if I have one, which I just haven't gotten around to making one, so after 3-4 tries, he went to the woodworking store to buy one. I may have to save this video, as the last time I made lap joints, I did not have a reason to call my friends and say come look at my wood joint.
The best shims/spacers I use in a pinch is drillbits. They double as setup blocks if its not worth making a spacer. Most people have a set of 20 or 30 in increments of 1/16 and they're precise. Single blade is usually just a 1/8 bit and you can go from there...
Many saw blades, including "full kerf" blades, are not exactly 1/8". But if you have a large set that includes 1/32 or 1/64 increments, you might find one that works.
I use isotunes 8 hours a day in a large guitar woodshop. The orange ones have too short a battery life. After one and a half days use they are empty. My previous 3M ones I would only charge once a week. Also, the comfort isn’t there with the orange ones for longtime use. Sore ears at the end of the day. When these give it up, I’m switching back to 3M
I think you can eliminate the need for the wood shim if you reference the left side of the blade when setting your stop block instead of the right side. You would need to place a straightedge or piece of wood on the left side of the blade, then place your stock that you're referencing against that, then clamp your stop block. Just a thought.
I was reading through all these comments to see if anyone else thought the same thing I did. That's the way I do it, and not sure why you'd mess with a shim...? Works great for me. I just thought maybe I was missing something since no one else had mentioned it before your comment!
The star of the show, the shim, has no info on how to make it and get it right. Also, the shim is loose so likely will go flying and get wrecked or lost quickly. Maybe nail to stop block to allow it to swing up while stop is put in place then swing down after.
This is nice and helps simplify tasks that I for sure was previously over complicating, but it would have been nice if you went a bit more into detail regarding the angled cuts. You mentioned it, the angle and such, but kind of just glossed over it. Given the video's purpose it's fine, just wish it was explained as that is newer information I would have liked to learn more sufficiently.
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Code does not work in the EU :(
I have used this same half lap technique from the beginning :). Great idea :) and easy to do :)
Doesn't work on the UK store which is a shame, I'd love to get some IsoTunes finally :(.
I have an idea for them: they could integrate some threshold into their gear that automatically pauses the music or what you are listening to, to make you be careful when working with a loud (and supposedly dangerous) machine. Of course you should be able to switch that of when you're working in a constantly loud environment (air filter or so).
@@DamianDArienzo @TacticalBrick87 seems like us Europeans are not entitled to get discounts
Won’t ship to Aus. Blerg.
Saw blades should include plastic shims of the same kerf.
not a bad idea, but remember: every saw has a little wobble in the blade, so I find it unlikely it would be exact ENOUGH to make this work. Good test to run I suppose
What blades are you buying that have the gauge???
👍
@@gyixtaoThan you can add some tape to the shim to get the desired thickness but it would be an easier start.
I had made several shims using 3d printer.
And to think it took over forty years for someone to show me an easier way, and it's so simple. Have I been living in a closet my whole life? Thanks James.
Every day's a school day!
Tip: Most blades are usually 3mm or 3/32 or 1/8 thickness, so you probably already have a drill bit of a matching thickness to use as a shim.
I use the same way. Just make a test cut and look for a drill that fits perfectly. In my case metric size.
Now there's a real tip!
Thanks for this, my brain was trying to figure out the best way to cut the shim.
Wow thx for the tip 👍
Who would’ve thought a drill bit
I just figured this out myself 2 days ago when I cut a bunch of dados for a multi-shelf metal stock holding rack! It took me a while to figure out but it is pretty much genius! Next time please come out with your video 2 days earlier! Thank you! :)
Great title - I do a lot of wood work and get really tired of the “negative presumption” concept that is some guy telling me what “everyone gets wrong” or “what I don’t know” when in reality many very much know and it’s a click bait tactic. Your title and overall presentation is an honest and pragmatic effective strategy for joints that anyone can do. Bravo
I LOVE half lap joints, they're my favorite. Perfect for a guy like me who's lazy AND wants a strong glued up joint! 🤣 Thanks for the great tips, yours are some of the most straight forward and easy to understand of any I've seen.
I was taught that 35 years ago in high school.
However I forgot all about the technique until watching this video.
Thank you for the refresher.
Great tips thanks. The method I use for setting blade height is to simply use a piece of wood that’s the same thickness as your project wood (think cutoff) and cut a 45 on one end flip it face down and cut the 45 again. The tip of the angle (
Another technique I've used is to use an offcut of the piece you plan to join. Rip it and then glue it back together. The rip takes out one kerf width, and the little bit of glue adds just the right amount of extra space.
That’s very clever. Thanks for the tip.
I'm so glad you made this video. I have never understood why the kerf jigs were so popular on other videos when they are harder to set up. I actually just use setup blocks as my spacer to match my blade kerf. They are a great gift idea for woodworkers and I find all sorts of uses for them on my projects. Another alternative is to use a drill bit.
It's been awhile because of health reasons but always you give inspiration to get back and build something and I do have a list.
Get back on it! Doing good stuff helps you heal. Make you feel good about yourself at the very least. Good luck! Chronic health issues are the worst.
You have a great talent in keeping these very informative videos short and to the point. Great work.
I don’t know how you do it as often as you do, but hey man, you make my life so much better thank you.
You keep doing it,my friend. Inspiring me, that is. I’ve shied away from lap joints before, but you have made me want to go downstairs and try one. But it’s 1:01 a.m., so I’ll have to wait. But I’m going to do it. The first thing, of course, is the thin spline. Thank you again, James.
Your videos are helping me a lot. I recently watched your sanding video using poly while sanding to fill wood grain. It saved my project. Making an end table with red oak. That grain was giving me trouble. Fixed now.
Oh god thank you. I knew there was a way to do that correctly without any mesure. I tried to figure it out myself to be able to do that but I could not. Now I know. And that's the perfect timing as I was going to need to do something like that probably the next weekend.
The most useful channel on youtube!
Awesome video as always. To find the halfway point even faster, Microjig has the Fitfinder 1/2 gauge that does this in seconds without removing any stock. It is $35 though, but performs as promised.
thank you much for the 30%...my son is taking construction classes at school and this will make a great Christmas gift and I can get mine back😅
This is brilliant in its simplicity. Thank you for sharing this.
I don’t save many videos but I did save this one for future reference. Thanks James! 😎
I actually bookmarked this video. Will need to go to this in a few weeks for a project and this was the clearest on this issue seen to date. Thanks!
Wish I saw this 2 weeks ago when building a cabinet/base for a work table. The half laps would make assembly much simpler with accurate alignment than dowels and pocket holes. Thanks again James, another efficient technique teaching lesson.
Another brilliant shop aid from James! And, unlike ewjorgy, I didn't figure it out myself. Thank you for all the tips, tricks, tool tips, and all the other content you have shared over the years.
I love these simple setups that give great results. Thank you James!
I made some half lap jpints for cabinet door frames with glass within. They were white oak with a clear finish. I glued the laps with titebond and then put several 5/8"brads in the back side of the lap at angles to resist pulloout . I tried to pull apart a test piece and was amazed at how strong the joints were!
This is thee best woodworking channel, so informative and great tool and skill tips
You made it look so easy and it really works so simple, make some and practice some to see how simple it can be for you. Thanks for sharing James, Stay safe and keep up the great videos. Fred.
Out of all your videos, this will be one that I will put on my save list. Easy to understand and something I needed. They got to change your name, though to Harvey stumpy.
Great video. I use my tablesaw for the first reference ce as you do. However I then also set up my bandsaw and remove the wast for 1/2 lap and mostly for tenons. Thank you👍
Thank you for sharing, wonderful tip. Everyone stay safe, warm, happy and healthy. From Henrico County Virginia
That's all very....think you should do a video to make shims which is the same thickness as the blade
I've been needing some earmuffs and due to this, I have them! Thnx. Now I i just need a table saw for rip cuts.
For setting the blade height, instead of iterative passes, I just count how many crank turns (including the fractional turn at the end) it takes to raise the blade from zero (raising the blade until it barely grazes a flat scrap of wood) to the thickness of the material (teeth barely grazing the same scrap overhanging from the top surface of the workpiece). Then I lower the blade by exactly half what I have counted.
To cleanup any issues with slack, I end with a half turn of the crank down and then up again.
Great idea. Thanks
Thanks a bunch for the tutorial, James! 😊
Stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊
Thanks! Right on time. I am hoping to work with lap joints this coming weekend.
I enjoy all of your videos and as one who pays monthly for no ads on TH-cam I tremendously appreciate you putithem at the end. I wish everyone did.
Thank you!! Ordered a pair of earmuffs, and greatly apprec iate the half lap technique!
Thank you so much for the excellent tip! I can't wait to try it. 😃😃😃❤❤❤
Great technique and video of how it is done. Thank you.
Great idea! And I think a lot of people take half laps for granted. But, despite their relative simplicity they are a strong and pretty cool looking joint.
Great info, James. Thanks for all you do to make things easier.
Another great video by Pavel Evmenov: A table made of logs. Oak 133 years old.
I pause to look around your workshop, it's perfection !
Brilliant! If you had only posted this about a week ago... still great for future projects!
Great video brother!😉👍🏾
Your teaching ability is fantastic.
Such an amazing tip James Thank you so much for sharing this. Definitely going to save this video.
I've got cabinets in my home built with this method that are 42 years old and they're as solid today as the day they were built. Dated but solid.
Great stuff as usual. Helpful tip, do not use your hands to hammer (5:36), use a mallet. You're not going to be a young buck your whole life.
Really good tips. Could you come out with another video going into a little more detail about cross block?
4:42 "... and the fit will be so satisfying
that you'll be calling your friends to come and see what a master you are."
What a great line!!😊
If only Isotunes were as comfortable as the 3M's. I bought the Isotunes a couple of years ago, at your recommendation, wore them a lot and thought nothing of it until I tried on the 3M Bluetooth Earmuffs. Oh my god what a difference in comfort. The Isotunes are hard and horrible by comparison AND I had to dismantle them after less than 12 months of weekend use and locate and fix an open circuit that was caused by the bending of the wire when folding them down after every use for storage.
The real kicker is the 3M's are cheaper....
Great tip that I will definitely put to use. However, I'm really curious about those badass lumber racks in your shop. Is there a vid about them? If not, could you tell us about them?
Blade shim works great, every time I do them takes a little time to get my shim and remember how but it is simple 👍
This is Awesome! I wish I knew this before I cut the 26 half laps I currently have in my garage staining.
You can also use a deck of cards with the same thickness as your blade as your shim.
Thanks James, love your videos and to help repay you for all the great content over the years I ordered some isotunes. 👍
Great tip, thanks as always.
One gripe I have about isotunes is the descriptions on their website. It’s really tough to differentiate between all the over the ear bud style options they offer. Not much can be learned from the product comparison feature.
Thank you for that.
I have seen some expensive jigs for sale that use the same principle (not sure about center half laps), have been looking for a cheap solution
I'm not sure if you've covered this before or if it was somebody else, I've seen it and thanks for reminding me of it. I have a project to do that this tip will come in handy. Thanks Jim!
It is similar to the dado cutting technique i made a past video about.
A good technique, James. Thank you for sharing.
This is so fine!!! Thank you so very much for the blessings!!
Great tip that I know will come in handy. Thanks
Really wish blade manufacturers would just start including a kerf wedge with the blade.
Thanks, James! I learn so much from this channel!
Wouldn't it be great if saw manufacturers gave you (or had available for sale) a metal shim exactly matching the blade's kerf?
There are more and more methods and jigs (like some finger joint jigs) that needs a kerf thick shim. It would be great if blade companies would sell exact width metal shims for these
Now I need a project for this technique, can't wait!
Have you got a video on making a finger joint jig? Had a relative call to see if I have one, which I just haven't gotten around to making one, so after 3-4 tries, he went to the woodworking store to buy one. I may have to save this video, as the last time I made lap joints, I did not have a reason to call my friends and say come look at my wood joint.
The best shims/spacers I use in a pinch is drillbits. They double as setup blocks if its not worth making a spacer. Most people have a set of 20 or 30 in increments of 1/16 and they're precise. Single blade is usually just a 1/8 bit and you can go from there...
Many saw blades, including "full kerf" blades, are not exactly 1/8". But if you have a large set that includes 1/32 or 1/64 increments, you might find one that works.
you just ended my frustration building these type joints Thanks again
Very practical, useful tips!!! Thanks!
Great info , thank you.
I have owned a table saw for 10 years, but only now have I learnt this method. I just wish we were allowed to have Dado sets on table saws in the UK.
Great video, love this channel, keep up the great work!
You have shown the shim method before. Thanks for Shim 2.0! That table is stunning.
Very clever I love watching you every day I’m your big fan
Thanks James, as always great information.
Thanks, are the table plans available for purchase?
Hi
If you were cutting the lap or dado by hand saw what would be you “tricky” approach?
You make things simple. How exciting!
And to think, Microjig sells a jig for setting your saw blade for half laps, but now I can do it for free in less time. Thanks James!
I just bought a kerfmaker, and this seems like the same thing but easier? Which do you recommend stumpy?
OMG... it's so beautiful mind for me as Woman Wood Working.
Big Thanks Bro ;) very love it.
Great clear instructional video
Great tips! Thanks for sharing 🇬🇧
I use isotunes 8 hours a day in a large guitar woodshop. The orange ones have too short a battery life. After one and a half days use they are empty. My previous 3M ones I would only charge once a week. Also, the comfort isn’t there with the orange ones for longtime use. Sore ears at the end of the day. When these give it up, I’m switching back to 3M
Again, BOOM! learned something new. Thank you!!!!
My second favorite woodworker (I am my first favorite)!
You are a great tutor
Pretty smart! But that is what I have come to expect from you!
It looks like you are using a flat top grind blade, can you recommend one?
I think you can eliminate the need for the wood shim if you reference the left side of the blade when setting your stop block instead of the right side. You would need to place a straightedge or piece of wood on the left side of the blade, then place your stock that you're referencing against that, then clamp your stop block. Just a thought.
I was reading through all these comments to see if anyone else thought the same thing I did. That's the way I do it, and not sure why you'd mess with a shim...? Works great for me.
I just thought maybe I was missing something since no one else had mentioned it before your comment!
Same here. Making the shim would be more time consuming. However it made me think about finding the centre.
I’m curious about the table you are building and if there are plans available
What's the best way to make the shim? Just trial and error?
The star of the show, the shim, has no info on how to make it and get it right. Also, the shim is loose so likely will go flying and get wrecked or lost quickly. Maybe nail to stop block to allow it to swing up while stop is put in place then swing down after.
Very clever,thanks
This is nice and helps simplify tasks that I for sure was previously over complicating, but it would have been nice if you went a bit more into detail regarding the angled cuts. You mentioned it, the angle and such, but kind of just glossed over it. Given the video's purpose it's fine, just wish it was explained as that is newer information I would have liked to learn more sufficiently.
It's the same process, you just angle the miter gauge and cut the stop/shims to the same angle.
Great idea!
Great video clear and concise
you make it look easy.