How To Make A Wooden Christmas Tree Step by Step on the Tablesaw

[@hardshellwoodworks]

Hey everyone. I have been asked quite a bit about the sled I built for this project so, I wanted to leave a link to the build here to make it a little easier to find for anyone interested. Thank you so much for all the support and I hope it helps. If you have any questions about the tree or jig, feel free to ask. I'll do my best to help in any way I can from here. I add a lot of posts inside my "Community Tab" as well with diagrams and measurements so, don't forget to subscribe. That way you won't miss out on the free blueprints. kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y2Ovi4afjauje68

[@jamesbarlowjr.3762]

Love It. That’s A Way To Do It! 🤝. Nice Job Bud!

[@hardshellwoodworks]

@@jamesbarlowjr.3762 I appreciate that. Thank you.

[@MrBigMalT]

Some clever ideas! Here’s a thought… I always think a sled is safest when you hold the timber against the fence… guarantees a 90 degree cut too. Maybe mark 2 could have all the pieces cut by holding them against the fence, but with a sliding stop block that could be moved to each position, with those positions clearly marked on the sled base 😊

[@hardshellwoodworks]

@@MrBigMalT that’s a really good idea! And it would make the sled quite a bit safer while using it! Thanks.

[@4xpoppop]

Very clever jig. Thanks for sharing the sizes and method. Excellent

[@hardshellwoodworks]

Thank you! I appreciate that! The jig makes everything so “streamlined”. Especially if someone wanted to make these to sell or just batch out a bunch for gifts! Thanks for commenting too and watching the video. I’m glad you found it useful. Happy holidays!

[@mikereed6271]

Best video on these trees ive seen. everything u need to make one. great job

[@hardshellwoodworks]

@@mikereed6271 Hey Mike. I’m glad it was helpful and had all the information there enough to build it without missing any steps. Thank you. I appreciate it! Let us know how it turns out if you take a crack at it.

[@pop-popmoose5359]

Great Video! Louisiana Hobby Guy recommended your channel and I'm glad I came over!

[@hardshellwoodworks]

Hey pop-pop! Glad to see you over here. I definitely appreciate you stopping by and checking out the channel! And, definitely appreciate @TheLouisianaHobbyGuy for recommending it. If it wasn't for all his helpful videos and forum, I'd still be taking an hour to "weld" basic shapes in something other than LightBurn😂

[@EMWoodworking]

I like how you have everything laid out on the sled. Well done. And the music is awesome.

[@hardshellwoodworks]

I appreciate that and I’m glad you liked the video! Thank you for watching it and letting me know what you thought! I hope it’s enough to get you building some trees! The sled makes it really fast to duplicate.

[@EMWoodworking]

@@hardshellwoodworks I’ve made a few. However your set up makes a lot more sense

[@hardshellwoodworks]

@@EMWoodworking I’m definitely glad it helped!

[@vincemoser4636]

Probably the best tree video I've seen , theres alot out there that don't give all the info yours does in such a short straight to the point project. Thank You

[@hardshellwoodworks]

Hey Vince. Thank you for your comment and for letting me know what you thought! I really appreciate you letting me know you got some good use out of it. Did you build the tree? I do have another video (Short) that has many different trees. If there is a specific one you would like to build, I'd be happy to try and put together a video on it.

[@vincemoser4636]

@@hardshellwoodworks I did build a tree like this, I've built a tree each year for the past 8 yrs for my wife, last year was a tipsy tree ornament holder tree

[@hardshellwoodworks]

@@vincemoser4636 That is really cool that you have done that for your wife over the last 8 years! I’m thinking about creating some type of “Best of Subscriber Builds”. Like a compilation of the things my subscribers have built related to trees. I’m not sure how it would work just yet as I am new to KZbin and video editing but I thought it might be a cool way to show my appreciation to my subscribers to have a compilation video of all their cool Christmas tree builds. If I can get 10 subscribers who send me a tree picture of their own, I can do it.

[@krawec1958]

@@hardshellwoodworks On the trapezoid pieces is the measurements on the inside or the outside ??

[@vincemoser4636]

@@krawec1958 all measurements are on the long points of the pieces

[@tro8191]

Great jig! Smart for mass production!!

[@hardshellwoodworks]

Thanks! Glad you liked it! With the sled and a jig that holds the shape of the tree while you nail it, you can do a lot of them fast!

[@pirakoXX]

Sub no 169 from Denmark says: Thank you!!! As a new woodworker, this is exactly the kind of YT videos I like to watch and get Inspiration from! We can copy or change bits and pieces, and make things we never had thought of! All the best /Pia

[@hardshellwoodworks]

Hey! Thank you so much for your words! I’m glad you liked the video and found it helpful! I’m glad that my video is the type that can help! And you are right, you can absolutely change things around and make new things all the time! (tak skal du have!)

[@rebeccacamacho-sobczak4282]

This was so well-designed! Totally a visual learner. What a treat!!!!

[@hardshellwoodworks]

Thank you for your comment! I'm glad it was helpful and that you enjoyed the video. I am working on the whole build with the sled, block placement, and a Christmas tree build so everyone can see it from start to finish. Thanks again!

[@UndercoverWoodcraft]

Very cleanly done!

[@hardshellwoodworks]

Hey there! I truly do appreciate you commenting and letting me know what you thought! I made so many of these with and without shelves so quickly vs trying to use the compound saw. It is definitely a "timesaver" to use the jig as everything is so repetitive once you have a good rhythm. I hope you have a great holiday season! Best wishes!

[@olwe1000]

Thank you for this video. Great job. Gives me idea's. Merry Christmas. Dec 24th 2022.

[@hardshellwoodworks]

You're very welcome and I'm glad it gave some new ideas! Merry Christmas to you as well and I hope you have a great one!

[@billparrish4385]

Cool idea, to have 'pre-sets' attached to the sled. Haven't seen that one before. I think for safety, I'd put the stop used to cut the most pieces nearest the fence. However, I'd prefer clamping one stop to the fence at a pre-measured location, then clamp a series of pre-cut spacer blocks between that stop and the end of the board being cut, writing on each spacer the number of pieces needed of that size, draw a picture of which way the angles would go, and the measured position of the clamped stop.

[@hardshellwoodworks]

That’s a good idea! I think I’d prefer clamps too when I look at it like that. And yes, it would be a lot safer to have had support blocks behind each piece. I should have done that. I mention the importance of safety in the description but honestly, i make so many things in the winter and work with the same tools all year on job sites that i often forget safety should be top priority. Definitely something i need to be more mindful of and practice. Especially when it comes to a tutorial video. Glad you liked it.

[@billparrish4385]

@@hardshellwoodworks Yes, I really did. Anything that gets the wheels turning is, IMO, a good video! And after a cutting jig, just need an assembly jig and you're all set to batch them out! I'll look forward to that video soon. 😎

[@danalaniz7314]

Nice job! Thanks for sharing.

[@hardshellwoodworks]

I really appreciate your comment! Thank you for saying that and, you're most welcome. I'm glad you enjoyed it. Happy Holidays.

[@mrmyblessednest1722]

Great video!! I would love to see a video on a build with more branches and shelves too! Have a great weekend!

[@hardshellwoodworks]

Hey there! Thank you for checking out my Christmas tree build! I'd be happy to create a video for you on another Christmas tree and have the chance to build a different style! How many "branches" are you thinking you'd like to have on the tree? And, would you want to see a shelf across every branch? Let me know what you are thinking and I'll try my best to get a video put together for you! (*Note) I have 2 subs who had asked me to do a different build yesterday so, it won't be the next couple of videos. But, I will definitely make it for you after I get the next few done! 🤝🏽

[@mrmyblessednest1722]

@@hardshellwoodworks I as thinking maybe 5 branches with the fifth set coming to the point and a shelf at branches 2 and 4. Thanks a bunch! Subscribed too!

[@hardshellwoodworks]

@@mrmyblessednest1722 oh yeah! That could be cool! I like it! I will definitely make that for you and hopefully get it right. It will be a little wider at the base to account for extra “branches”. But, I’ll do my best to come up with something that’s clean and not to “overcrowded” in the shelf space! Thanks for subscribing. I appreciate ya! Have a great day!

[@mrmyblessednest1722]

@@hardshellwoodworks thank you!

[@hardshellwoodworks]

I just posted a picture in the "Community Tab" of the tree we were talking about. If you have a chance, you'll have to let me know if I was able to get your idea right and what you think! Thanks and hope I got it right for ya!

[@veteranveteran9915]

Just subscribed it's nice to see a video with is not crazy weird jumping around making fun and games wearing a clown costume playing crazy weird Chinese hip hop music or anything just a nice woodworking video clean and precise awesome job brother thank you 💞

[@hardshellwoodworks]

I really appreciate you taking the time to watch it, subscribe and let me know you liked the video. I’m glad you enjoyed it! Currently working on another one a subscriber had the idea for! Hopefully that one will make the cut too! Thanks again for you words! Happy holidays!

[@veteranveteran9915]

💞

[@veteranveteran9915]

💞

[@janbaker9418]

More helpful video for new people

[@hardshellwoodworks]

Hey Jan! Glad you liked the video! If you have any ideas for a project, feel free to let me know. Always happy to build something new if it helps!

[@loganc4233]

Sweet!

[@hardshellwoodworks]

Hey there! Thank you for commenting and letting me know you liked it! I appreciate it!

[@noracalvert9786]

Thanks! This made learning how to, very easy. Much appreciated. I was so impressed I'm now a subscriber, looking forward to more. 🇨🇦

[@hardshellwoodworks]

I’m so glad that it helped and made it easy! I appreciate you supporting the channel by subscribing and I hope that I can get some more helpful videos out soon. Thank you!

[@pirakoXX]

PS: Remember nature's finest is nothing but: Perfect imperfect! Embrace the your works imperfection and go for the perfect imperfect or "the personal touch" or "unica" (one of a kind)!

[@edsecorr7812]

Very nice thank you

[@hardshellwoodworks]

Hey there! Thank you for watching my video and letting me know you liked it. I appreciate it very much. Have a good evening.

[@MegaSilva53]

è bellissimo, grazie❤

[@hardshellwoodworks]

Grazie mille! Sono felice che ti sia piaciuto. Se lo costruisci, facci sapere come viene! Buona fortuna!

[@cardinalwoodworks]

Great video, I need to make one of these. Just subscribed!

[@hardshellwoodworks]

Hey @cardinalwoodworks! Thank you for your comment and letting me know what you thought! I’m sure you can make it no problem! They are really simple and quick! (Especially if you’re not building it upside down like I did🤣) If you build it, let me know how it turned out! If you have any questions, feel free to ask and I will do my best to help in anyway I can! Also, I’m going to add more information into the description of this video tonight. I’d like to see if I can’t get 10 subscribers to send me a picture of the trees they’ve made so I can make a compilation video of their trees just to try and show my appreciation to them for watching and commenting on my video!

[@Wolfe_Metals_Stacking]

Nice video. Thanks for putting the info in the description, makes it easier for me to follow what's going on. My only suggestion, I don't know if you have to do it or if youtube automatically does it, captions would be a great help. Like another commenter, I wonder about the trapezoid cuts, are the measurements the shorter side or longer side? Will build some of these this week using your video. Subscribed.

[@hardshellwoodworks]

Hey Dante. Thanks for checking out my video! I appreciate it and hope the trees you make this week turn out great for you! The measurements are all at the "long points". There's another video on my channel. Technically it's the same video. But, at the beginning of it when the tree is laying on the table saw I added the measurements to the tree itself. I also added a few more measurements throughout the video as well that I thought maybe important. I will leave the link. Maybe it might help to see the measurements on the tree itself. kzbin.info/www/bejne/op2YeIeVqLJrnLM If you have any questions, feel free to ask and I will do my best to help if I can.

[@richardlabek4221]

Great looking tree. Could you please explain to me on how to make the jig? Thanks Rich

[@hardshellwoodworks]

Hey Richard! I’ve actually had a few other people message me on the sled I used, as well as, the placement of the stops. I am going to make a new video that explains how to build the table-saw sled and the block stops too! Is there a specific question you have I could try to help explain before I make the video? Is it the sled itself or the stops you’re wondering about? I’ll do my best to explain anything I can to help out before the video. Thank you for watching and your question.

[@gadgetfitter]

@@hardshellwoodworks that sled is a work of genius! I'd definitely like to learn more about how you did it! From how you thought of it to how you made it

[@hardshellwoodworks]

@@gadgetfitter I really appreciate your comment. The jig itself was just 3/4 mdf as that’s what I had on hand in the shop. I have a video making the jig itself if you’d like to check it out. The process for making the stops was relatively easy once I knew the measurements of the parts. I’ll leave a link to the video when I’m back at the laptop. Thanks again and I appreciate your kind words. Thank you!

[@hardshellwoodworks]

I made it back to the laptop!😆 Here is the link to the video where I make the sled and set up the jig. The "stop placements" are a little different than the original video as I did it on the "fly". But, if you would like to put the "stops" in the same place, you'll just have to switch a couple of them around. kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y2Ovi4afjauje68 (Making the Sled) I hope that helps you. If you have any questions at all though, feel free to message me and I'll do my best to help you out in any way I can. Thanks again.

[@woodworksbygrampies1284]

👍

[@janbaker9418]

I new at these angles could you help me get thru it thank you

[@hardshellwoodworks]

Hey Jan! I’d be happy to help you if I can. What are you having problems with? I do have a complete layout and graphic on my “community” page that shows everything in detail.

[@JeffMurdock-f2p]

I cut all pieces to the exact lengths and had the overlap as 1 5/8'. However it didn't come out right. Had all the angles cut in the right direction too. The 6" and 7" pieces ended up way too short. Is the angle 30 degrees? At the beginning of the video something was in the text about 60 degrees but my table saw only goes to 45 degrees.

[@hardshellwoodworks]

Hey! Sorry to hear it didn’t come out right. However, i think it might be a simple fix…. Does the top of the tree look like it’s “leaning” to the right or left? If that’s the case, try to flip your the top pieces at the “butt-joint”. It’s a little hard to explain through the comments but, if your tree looks like it’s leaning at the top, it might be off the thickness of the board. 3/4” of an inch because the top pieces have to go a certain way. I hope that helps. Let me know if that corrects the issue. If not, I’ll try and help you figure out the issue

[@JeffMurdock-f2p]

@@hardshellwoodworks I assembled it just like you did....attached the lower four branches to the base. I set that aside and attached the top two pieces together. When I tried to attach the top two pieces to the tree I turned all parts every which way but they were way off. The ends of the top two branches were barely touching the rest of the tree. And I am using 3/4" thick 1x4. Thanks for any help!!

[@hardshellwoodworks]

@@JeffMurdock-f2p Hey Jeff. I’m not sure what the issue could be at the moment. Once I get back to the house, I’ll look it over and see if I can’t figure out what could be the problem and get you up and running. I used 1” x 4” as well so you’re right, it’s 3/4”. Are you able to view the (community) section of the channel? If so, I do have all the dimensions, as well as, the angles laid out to each version of the tree I made. I know that some viewers can’t see the (community) section depending on the device their using. But, if you can, maybe cross reference it and see if the diagram doesn’t show anything that might help until I get back and can get it figured out for you. I definitely want to help you figure out a solution. Send a picture of it to my email. It’s in the description and the “about” section. Maybe I can see the issue and help that way.

[@MrTrecutter1]

I've made several KZbin projects and the first ones never come out properly. Always some type of miner adjustments need to be done but I always seem to find my mistakes. Best of luck! After getting it right the second go round I also up scalded and down scalded so they could fit inside one another. Thanks for a great video

[@hardshellwoodworks]

@@MrTrecutter1 Hey! I agree. Many of tbe things I’ve done from KZbin always take minor adjustments but once we get them figured out, it’s smooth sailing! Thank you for the comment and you’re welcome! I’m glad you liked the video!

[@tedfleck2710]

Your sled is a good idea. Don’t like the idea of not supporting the edge after the first cut. If someone doesn’t align properly it could cause kick back on the cut which could cause the piece of wood flying or hand slipping off of wood. Not to sure about this.

[@hardshellwoodworks]

Hey Ted! You are right about the support piece and the potential for kickback. In hindsight, I should have thought it out a little more. There’s been some great comments throughout the year on how we all could improve the concept.

[@TonyV_in_the_OC]

A stop block would make them square and repeatable without all the guessing if I’m 2* off …….try a miter saw, cheaper and less electric

[@hardshellwoodworks]

That’s a great idea. Thanks for the tip! I’ll have to give the miter saw a try!

[@daddywoofdawg]

you have a cut jig why not a measuring jig? stick the block up and mark.

[@hardshellwoodworks]

Hey! Thank you for the suggestion. That is a great idea. It would especially make everything faster. Thank you for your tip. I appreciate it!

[@terrymaine4121]

How did you make the jig?

[@hardshellwoodworks]

Hey there. I have a video in my “shorts” that will give you a better understanding as to what I did but essentially I just made the cross-cut sled and once I knew the lengths of the branches from the “kerf”, I placed the blocks down and nailed them into place.

[@hardshellwoodworks]

I may have a video inside my channel that explains it better as well. When I get a chance, I'll look through them for you and if I had made a video on the table, I'll link it in the comments for you!

[@jimmyturner5589]

What is the 1 5/8" block used for in the video.

[@hardshellwoodworks]

Hey Jimmy! The 1-5/8” inch was just to show how far down I measured from the “heel” of the cut for the placement of the branch. Each branch was measured and glued at 1-5/8” so everything stayed symmetrical. I hope that helps!

[@jimmyturner5589]

Thanks for the reply and info, I am going to try and get a sled made and then make some trees. Thanks.

[@hardshellwoodworks]

@@jimmyturner5589 You’re welcome! Good luck! I would recommend using a “support” block behind each piece you’re cutting to help reduce any “kickback”. I’ve done it so much that I didn’t think about it during the video but it’s definitely safer to have some support behind any piece you cut that’s not directly on the fence. Let me know how it worked out and if you have any more questions, feel free to ask!

[@terryhartline5600]

How wide is the lumber

[@hardshellwoodworks]

Hey Terry! The wood I used for the tree was a 1” x 4” x 8’ pine board from Home Depot. So, the true measurement is 3/4” x 3-1/2 x 8’

[@gsp911]

What's the point of using 1" brad nails on a 1" board? But anyway, nice video. Thanks for sharing.

[@hardshellwoodworks]

Hey! That's a good question. The boards are 1" inch thick by 4" inches wide on the "shelf" at the stores. They actually measure 3/4" inch thick by 3-1/2" inches wide. Once I place both boards together during the nailing process, I'm actually nailing into 1-1/2" inches worth of material. The 1" inch nail ensures that im securing at least 1/4" inch of the brad nail into the board I'm nailing. Which is closer to 3/8" of an inch after taking into account that the brad is "counter-sunk" from the pressure of the gun. I hope that answers your question and I'm glad you liked the video! Thank you.

[@UFOHUNTERS2]

nice . but i rather use a shop saw

[@hardshellwoodworks]

Hey! I think the chop saw is definitely good a good choice also! I thought about doing the video with the sliding compound first before the table saw. I do need to adjust it again though as we use it on the job sites and it has had a rough life 🤣. To be honest, I think I just wanted a reason to build another jig! Thanks for checking out the video and letting me know what you thought.

[@hardshellwoodworks]

I thought about your comment for a while. I know that the holiday season is over but, I made a video of the Christmas tree on the miter saw. It's a little bit different than all the others out there. I hope you had a good holiday and appreciate your comment! I linked the video in case you wanted to check it out. Thanks again! kzbin.info/www/bejne/fXSzeHt5f8qFrMU

[@jefferyhaws6942]

Some of those cuts were not supported. I hope you didn't get any kickback!😮

[@hardshellwoodworks]

Hey there Jeffery! You’re right. After the initial cut, I did lose support on the following pieces. Fortunately, I did not get any kickbacks but I did make sure to note inside of the description that supports behind each piece would be a huge help when it comes to working safely

[@glencrandall7051]

Count me as a minority of one. Your cutting jig is potentially dangerous. The first cut against the fence is perfectly valid. However the remaining cuts are unsupported and subject to binding on the saw blade and possible kick-back. 👎👎 Additionally I really dislike the music. It's really grating, kind of like the Chinese water torture. The other side of the story. I really like the project. It is very nice and with the right cutting jig would be easy to produce. 😐😐

[@hardshellwoodworks]

Hey there Glen! You are correct! It definitely poses risk for kickback and is dangerous. I did make that clear in the description, as well as, let every one of my viewers know who read the comments that I highly recommend using support books behind each piece being cut. I should have done a better job for those who might see something like this for the first time as safety should always be the first priority. I will do a better job in the future and make sure that when I do something, it is safe as I want people to have the opportunity to see it executed correctly. As far as the music, do you have any suggestions? I’m open to hearing from you. I don’t pay for my music. It’s all free so I do my best to find something instrumental that isn’t to far “one way or the other” as we all have different tastes. If you have a “general” genre you prefer, let me know! I’m happy to help in anyway I can! I do appreciate the comment and you taking your time to watch the video. Have a great day and enjoy the rest of your day!

[@glencrandall8334]

@@hardshellwoodworks It is my belief that few people read the descriptions. But I went back and did read it. No mention of table saw safety there. Lots of other information there but missed by anyone not reading it. Also unless directed to do so they do not turn on closed captions unless they do not understand the narration, which in this case there is none. Also the captions do not stay on screen long enough to be read and understood. So, in my opinion if you want to make something known then write your own captions. But I prefer verbal narration. It's hard for me to read captions and watch the action at the same time. As to the music. I prefer none at all. Almost anything you use will offend someone. But at the very least avoid anything has a strong "beat". I'm not a kid anymore. Use something more soothing if you must have anything. Frankly I prefer listening to the woodworking machinery.

[@hardshellwoodworks]

I double checked the description. You were correct. I updated the description and, included a warning about the sled. If you’d like to check it out, it is now in there. With this being my first video, I did miss some key factors on the “safety” side of things. I’m a rough framer and siding installer by trade and I think a lot of my background rolled over into the video. Including the neglect of certain safety precautions 😅 I was definitely more focused on executing the task at hand efficiently and not the safety side of things. I’ll tell you what, Glen. If you stick around, the videos will get better and I’ll make sure to do everything as safely as I can to ensure those watching can be safe as well if they attempt anything I do. Thanks and I hope you enjoy your week!

[@glencrandall8334]

@@hardshellwoodworks May I suggest an alternative sled setup. Instead of all your fixed blocks away from the fence start with a fixed stop for the longest tree part next to the fence (what you already have now). Now create spacers that will allow you to cut the rest of the parts against the fence. This will allow all parts to be cut with fence support.

[@hardshellwoodworks]

@@glencrandall8334 That’s a great idea! And I will definitely use that in any future video I create with multiple cuts on the same sled! Thank you for your advice and taking the time to help me figure out a solution to the problem! I do appreciate constructive criticism and am always willing to use it to better things in the future for myself and anyone who may want to try something I made. Thank you.

[@DRH265]

Nobody mentions how many inches up to attach the second branch or all the others 👎🏻

[@hardshellwoodworks]

Hey there! Mornin’! I had ran the first set to 1-5/8” for the overlap. I hope that helps. Also, I have a relatively detailed explanation inside of the “description ” inside the video from lumber to nailing. Feel free to read to read through it. All of the information is detailed inside of there! Best of luck and if you have any questions, I’ll do my best to help out if I can!

[@DRH265]

Thank you

[@INNYAFACCE]

maybe if you would have spoken during the video you might have earned my subscription - but, you did not.

[@hardshellwoodworks]

Thank you for your feedback. I will take that into consideration for future videos moving forward. Happy holidays!