Binary Marble Adding Machine
June 27, 2007
Sometimes there’s nothing better than tinkering in the shop and making something just for the sake of doing it. For me, it’s often making my own wood hinges. For Canadian engineer/woodworker Matthias Wandel, it’s wooden gears, geodesic spheres, and other fanciful, if not always practical contraptions. His most recent creation is a Binary Marble Adding Machine, the latest in a series of “rolling ball sculptures.” Why build a marble machine? Well, according to Matthias,...
Art Festivals as Inspiration
June 27, 2007
(Photo courtesy of DesMoinesArtsFestival.org) The Des Moines Arts Festival, rated among the Top 5 in the U.S., celebrates it 10th year in 2007. Featured will be over 150 premier juried artists and 24 “emerging” artists from the state of Iowa. Artists will exhibit in 14 categories, including wood, metalworks, and sculpture. I think this is the second year that the festival will be located in Des Moines’ new Gateway Park, just down the street from the August Home Publishing offices....
Tool Talk Podcast #15
June 26, 2007
Sean and I offer a follow up on this week’s stereo installation tips, discuss this week’s very heated Hot or Not regarding short-bed trucks, dish on the best deals to be found at Home Depot, and, of course, run down this week’s top five tools as selected by Toolmonger readers. Remember, if you’ve got a question or comment you can call us at 866-718-9403. (Podcast Download) Read More →
Book 3 Review
June 26, 2007
Chris Schwarz has posted a wonderful review of my third book on his blog.He must be a mindreader, as he points out that ... Read More →
Episode 8 - Bombe Series - Tommy Planes a Plane
June 22, 2007
Tommy builds a custom scrub plane to work the side shapes of the bombe lower cabinet. He transposes the curve to the bottom edge of the plane and the blade and then shapes the tool. Once the plane is shaped, he shows off the new plane working the sides. PLANE, PLANE, PLANE...Nothing like making a tool before you start the job. Read More →
Karn, Me and D.J. DePree
June 21, 2007
As most follow and look to Sam Maloof, James Krenov, or Nakashima for their readings and inspiration, I look to the ground breaking furniture manufacturer, DJ DePree who lives on through the firm he created; Herman Miller.I'm very excited to present this interview with Karn Adams a Retail Development Specialist at Herman Miller and hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I did.D.J. DePree is our greatest furniture manufacturer.Enjoy the history and answers that Karn so wonderfully...
Hi-Yo Quicksilver!
June 21, 2007
It seems like part of being a woodworker is repairing old furniture, whether it’s your own or someone else’s. You’re probably already aware that working on old pieces like that can present some health concerns (lead paint exposure, for example). As it turns out, there are some other things you should be concerned about when repairing or even moving some antiques. Discovery News is citing some info from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) about the hazards of heavy metals...
Woodworkers or tool addicts?
June 20, 2007
I was recently in a chat room at The Wood Whisperer website and the conversation triggered me into thinking that there are two main groups of woodworkers: the ones that got into woodworking because they wanted to work with wood and make something beautiful with it, and the ones that are into tools and eventually use them to build something following a plan.Don't get me wrong here, I enjoy using my tools, specially my planes, chisels and my new Japanese saw. I find it very relaxing to work with hand...
Japanese saws
June 15, 2007
I've been meaning to try a few Japanese tools for quite some time but only recently I decided to buy one. I chose to go with one of the most popular types of Japanese saws, the ryoba, which has teeth on both sides of the blade, one filed for crosscut and the other to rip along the grain (see photo above).The other very popular Japanese saw is the dozuki, similar to the western backsaw, and is mostly used to cut fine joinery like dovetails. This is the saw to use when you want the finest cut.But why...
Episode 7 - Bombe Series - Shaping the Lower Cabinet Sides - Part 1
June 15, 2007
Tommy surfs the long board in the shop and then tackles the first cuts of the bombe secretary cabinet sides. This is a critical part of the secretary since it determines the real look and feel of the piece of furniture. Read More →
Episode 6 - Tommy Demos Saw Stop
June 14, 2007
Watch Al, Bobby, and Tommy discuss (with big words) some table saw safety tips and demo the Saw Stop table saw. Tommy breaks down the process of setting the saw up, engaging the safety systems, firing the blade break and resetting the saw. Read More →
ICFF - Aimee Less Interview02
June 12, 2007
Aimee less is a designer living in California. Her interview provides nuggets of information on design thought specific to her shell chair...The Derby.Enjoy this interview on seating from the International Contemporary Furniture Fair. Formats available: Quicktime (.mov), Flash Video (.flv) Read More →
Chisel Use DVD
June 12, 2007
I am excited about the latest DVD as it concentrates on techniques for chisel use.Chopping and paring ... Read More →
Podcast #22: Buying & Getting the Most Out of Your Band Saw
June 8, 2007
Some woodworkers consider a band saw the most useful tool in a woodworking shop. You’ll learn why Doug Hicks feels this way during this week’s Woodsmith Woodworking Seminar Podcast. During this podcast, you’ll get some tips for buying a band saw and blades. Plus, you’ll learn how to properly set up a band saw and a few techniques you can perform with this versatile machine. If you’re interested in picking up a downloadable copy of the seminar guide (in case you want to...
LumberJocks - Thorsen Challenge Entry
June 7, 2007
Here's our entry in LumberJocks Thorsen Side table Challenge.I know we were going to build it together but my time and the challenge deadline forced me to just go for it.The objective of selecting this challenge at the Lumberjocks forum however, still remains the same..... to see other woodworkers work!!! You will witness that as I expected, excellent CREATIVITY occurred.So now is the time to wonder over to Lumberjocks and have a look at the craftsmanship of fellow on-line woodworkers.GO TO: LumberJocks Read More →
Grainger Subsidiary Acquires McFeely’s
June 7, 2007
In a former life, I worked in an industrial laboratory and later, in many manufacturing facilities setting up labs. We ordered a lot of supplies from Grainger. You’ve no doubt heard of Grainger. We source them a lot in Woodsmith and ShopNotes magazines for some hardware items you might not be able to find at your local home center. They established their roots as an industrial/commercial supplier. They have a subsidiary company that specializes in supplying laboratories — Lab...
Return from USA
June 6, 2007
It was a very productive, successful and enjoyable trip.The prospect of travel reduces me to a nervous ... Read More →
How has Woodworking Changed?
June 5, 2007
I remember watching my Dad work around the house and in his basement shop when I was a young boy. Most all of the tools he had back in the 60’s and into the 70’s were Sears Craftsman. At some point in time he managed to get a Porter-Cable circular saw and the occasional Skil tool. But really, there wasn’t a whole lot of choice in readily available tools for woodworking. Nowadays, you can go online or pick up the phone and order almost any tool from anywhere and have it...
ICFF - L. Mackler Interview01
June 5, 2007
This is the first interview from the 2007 International Contemporary Furniture Fair held in NYC.The interview begins with a short introduction and feel for the ICFF, how and why I selected Laurence Mackler, the interview, followed by a short encapsulation.Enjoy!!!!!!!!!!!  Formats available: Quicktime (.mov), Flash Video (.flv) Read More →
