Episode 5 - Completing the BIG dining room table - Part 2
May 30, 2007
After a nightmare of Al, Tommy pulls himself together to finish up the BIG dining room table. Watch as he looks up glib, fixes a mistake on the edge, puts on a killer triple bead, attaches hardware and test for the all important 35lb turkey dinner. Read More →
‘Craft in America’ to air on PBS
May 29, 2007
Here’s something you’ll want to put on your calendar. PBS will be airing a show entitled, “Craft in America: A Journey to the Artists, Origins, and Techniques of American Craft.” It will air in three episodes beginning on May 30. The most notable artist to be featured—as far as woodworkers are concerned—is Sam Maloof. You can see a list of other artists to be featured here. The web site has a cool virtual exhibit that will show you some of the work of the artisans. To...
High-End Gun Cabinets and Traditional Woodworking
May 24, 2007
Gun cabinets seem to be a popular project among woodworkers. Gun owners like to show off their collections. The problem is, most gun cabinets are nothing more than a cabinet with a glass door. That make’s it easy for thieves to “smash and grab” the contents. Nestled in the heart of an Amish community is a small shop that makes high-end gun cabinets. But these aren’t your standard cabinets. They use an exclusive locking mechanism that makes it very difficult, if not...
Wedged tenons - part 1
May 21, 2007
After yesterday's post I thought it would be nice to write a little more about the wedged tenon I'm using to attach the side rails to the posts on my crib project.This wedged tenon is usually called tusk tenon, where a wedge shaped key crosses the through tenon to lock things in place, making the joint sturdy and allowing the piece to be disassembled.Also, the image above is much more clear then yesterday's which was just a close-up of the joinery detail with the x-ray feature in SketchUp turned...
Is Shopsmith Breathing its Final Breath?
May 18, 2007
A while back, in a previous post, I talked about the news that Shopsmith was in financial trouble. The news today confirms it. Robert Folkerth, the president was quoted as saying, “…the company ’significantly reduced’ its reliance on sales representatives who often travel to shows to sell Shopsmith’s tools and accessories.” Wait a minute. Did he say they cut their sales force? What that tells me is that they don’t see much hope for the Shopmith product...
Episode 4 - Tommy builds a BIG dining room table - Part 1
May 16, 2007
Tommy starts a BIG dining room table (approximately 14' long) and walks you through the wood selection, milling, sitckering, and routering out the top. As Tommy goes through this process he explains the science behind the wood. And don't adjust your computer screen, Tommy isn't turning into the hulk, just blowing off some steam. Read More →
Podcast #21: 5 Things You Didn’t Know You Could Do with Your Table Saw
May 14, 2007
Tapering, pattern cutting, coves, kerf bending, and raised panels. Those are just 5 of the things you may not have realized you could do with your table saw. During the Woodsmith Woodworking Seminar podcast, Ted Raife, associate editor for Woodsmith and ShopNotes, gives us safe, fast, and efficient tips on completing all five techniques. Be sure to check out the Woodsmith Podcast Store. If you’re interested in picking up a downloadable copy of the seminar guide, so you can follow along during...
Antique Bus and Trolley Restoration
May 11, 2007
John Singley of Tucson, Arizona sent us a reader’s tip for ShopNotes magazine. In his letter, he mentioned that he volunteers for the Old Pueblo Trolley Museum. John says, “The trolley I am working on is the Lisbon/Aspen P&MU. It was taken down to the frame and we are replacing most of the woodwork. We have been working on it for 2 years and expect to have it complete and in operation in about another year.” Needless to say, there is a lot of woodworking that has to take...
Blum Hand Planes — A Great Design
May 10, 2007
As I was stepping out to do a seminar on hand planes and scrapers at the Woodsmith Store last week, I noticed a couple of new items on Randy’s desk. He had just received two new planes from the Blum Tool Company, a small firm in Walnut, Iowa. The owner, Gary Blum, was kind enough to send Randy a smoother and a jack plane. They were strikingly beautiful with their all wood bodies of maple and cherry. And they had a very unusual blade and adjustment arrangement, But I’ve seen good-looking...
Leigh Industries Announces New Products
May 9, 2007
I attended a “press event” at Leigh Industries near beautiful Vancouver, British Columbia last week. They’re excited about some new products for this year, and I can see why. They are coming out with a new line of Leigh jigs and accessories. The new Super Jigs maintain the high quality that Leigh is known for. But they come in at a lower price point than previous models. They were able to redesign the jigs to lower the cost of production, providing great value in a top-notch product....
Happy Birthday, Leonard Bailey!
May 8, 2007
This is just a quick post in honor of one of the more prolific inventors in the tool world. The life of Leonard Bailey is a storied one, but one full of innovation and contribution to the woodworking world. To get a real understanding of Leonard Bailey, you really need to study the history of the Stanley Toolworks company. Most of Mr. Bailey’s patents were eventually bought out by Stanley. Most of his patents were for features found on hand planes. Many of these features are still found on...
Woodworkers Forums Are a Huge Resource
May 3, 2007
Any day of the week, and at almost any time of the day, you can find a couple of hundred people comparing notes, exchanging ideas, swapping tall-tales and generally sharing their love of woodworking with each other on the WoodNet Forums. Around since 1993, the original WoodNet BBS was a way for Woodsmith magazine to further support their customer base. The BBS evolved into what is now WoodNet.net and it not only includes the forums, but you’ll also find project plans, woodworking tools and...
Episode 1 - The “Beav” cuts dovetails with his teeth
May 2, 2007
Tommy (with Al asking the tough questions) walks you through the process of making simple dovetails and some clasic "George Washington wooden teeth". Read More →
Episode 2 - Shop Safety. Making a Push Stick
May 2, 2007
Tommy and Al talk workshop safety and make a table saw push stick to ensure all your digits stay intact. Read More →
Episode 3 - Bombe Series - Tommy visits RISD Museum
May 2, 2007
Tommy and his furniture team (Steven Brown and Lance Patterson from North Bennet Street School) visit RISD Museum at the Rhode School of Design. Tommy meets with Museum Director, Hope Alswang, and Curatorial Assistant, Melissa Burchanan to discuss a priceless piece of historical furniture. Read More →
