Norm Abram: Woodworking’s Best Friend
August 31, 2007
Make all the fun you want to about all his “routahs,” but you have to admit that Norm Abram has done more to foster a worldwide interest in woodworking than anyone else. While I don’t always agree with his choice of construction techniques and joinery, he has made woodworking approachable and less intimidating for millions of people. I had the chance to meet him (actually, just a handshake) at a Delta/Porter-Cable gathering at the AWFS show in Las Vegas in July. He seems like...
Windsor Chair Class–sack back
August 30, 2007
How to make a Sackback Windsor Chair This is the windsor chair done complete!No power tools! No nails or screws! No sandpaper! Read More →
Episode 21 - Bombe Series - Measure Once Cut Twice
August 30, 2007
Kleenex box alert! Even an ace make mistakes, and for Tommy, a slight miscalculation early on means a heavy load of heartache today. The hours spent hand carving the doubler are down the tubes as Tommy takes a router to his mis-sized masterpiece. Could he have fudged it a little and made it fit? Sure, but that's is simply not the way he works. So Tommy sucks it up, rips it out and starts all over again. Didn't a famous home improvement guy once say, measure twice, cut once? He hopes he won't make...
Tool Talk Podcast #22
August 28, 2007
This week we talk woodworking, delving into a low-cost bookcase Sean is building. For far under $200, he’s put together a nice plan that’s easy to build without mounted power tools. And, as always, we run down the week’s top five posts as selected by Toolmonger readers, taking some time at the end to call out a few posts we thought deserved attention. Highlights: we talk about all the tools required to build the bookcase, discuss easy hand-wipe oil stains, relate seat-belt-cutting...
Tool-Related Historical Artifacts
August 28, 2007
I like old tools. It can be a 100-year old hand plane or a 50-year old table saw. I enjoy the history and reading about old tool companies. For power tool history, the Old Woodworking Machines (OWWM) web site is a great resource. There you can find photos, instruction manuals, and catalogs that tool collectors have uploaded to share with everyone. I’ve used OWWM frequently when I needed a manual for an old tool that somehow managed to find its way into my garage shop. And if your a fan of...
Podcast #25: Using Hand Planes & Scrapers for a Smooth Finish
August 27, 2007
This week, Dennis Perkins, assistant editor for Woodsmith and ShopNotes, is going to give us some pointers on using hand planes and scrapers for a smooth finish. He’ll also spend some time showing us how he likes to sharpen his scrapers during this week’s Woodsmith Woodworking Seminar Podcast. As usual, all of the links to articles, seminar guides, and products that you’ll see being used during the seminar podcast can be found at the Woodsmith Podcast Store. Read More →
John Niero - ICFF
August 27, 2007
Here's an excellent interview with a young furniture designer showing at the 2007 International Contemporary Furniture Fair.The interview presents a very creative designer who plans on using the process of Rotational molding, which exposes us to a second manufacturing process available to furniture designers.Our Contemporary Lingerie Cabinet is complete and you'll get your first look at here. The build had an excellent end result and needs its own post.I'm back from vacation, a nice bareboat cruise...
Tools and Rust — Bad Bedfellows
August 27, 2007
In ShopNotes 95, I wrote an article about some quick (and some unusual ways) you can keep rust at bay on your hand and power tools. For those of us with basement or garage shops, rust is an issue we have to deal with. I remember moving into our second home of our marriage and almost losing every tool I owned because I kept them in the basement. Actually, the basement was more like a root cellar and whenever it rained, water poured through the walls. It wasn’t until years later that I was...
Episode 20 - Bombe Series - Gluing the Doubler
August 24, 2007
The doubler's been cut and shaped...now, with Al on pins and needles, it's time to glue it up. Tommy starts by applying a coating of prophylactic paraffin to the doubler's finely worked front edge. Next he pours and then rolls glue on the top side of the writing surface - careful to stay within the guideline he had drawn to delineate the placement of the doubler's forwardmost edge. Next up, it's more glue on the doubler's underside with particular attention paid to the "squeeze-O factor" along...
Eagle Jigs Solve Shop Problems
August 23, 2007
The editors here at Woodsmith and ShopNotes magazines see a lot of new products come across our desks. Some we have to laugh at, and others are really good ideas. Eagle Jigs is a small company out of Kansas City, Missouri that seem to come up with some good ideas. They’ve got several products that you might want to consider for your shop. They seem to have a knack for developing products that solve real problems in the woodworking shop. Maybe that’s because they’re woodworkers...
E-Z Lok Threaded Inserts
August 22, 2007
If you’ve read Woodsmith and ShopNotes magazines for any length of time, you know that we’re a fan of threaded inserts. They make it easy to build jigs and fixtures and knock-down furniture or projects. They’re a great way to add machine threads for attaching screws and bolts. E-Z Lok is a manufacturer of threaded inserts for a variety of industries and applications. And I’ve recently discovered that their web site is a valuable resource of information you can use when building...
Episode 19 - Bombe Series - Carving the Doubler
August 22, 2007
In this podcast Tommy curves it up! The Bombe Secretary's writing surface should have crisp corners at the end of each elegant radius. To achieve this, Tommy curves the transition points on the rounded edges, taking a machined edge and working it into to a truly hand crafted piece of art. Read More →
Cleaner Sanding with 3M’s ‘Clean Sanding Discs’
August 21, 2007
While I was browsing the AWFS show in Las Vegas last July, I spent quite a bit of time at the 3M booth. Most of the products they were showing off are geared toward the production shop, but they did have one item that I think will make it’s way into the home workshop. 3M is taking sanding to a whole new level with the introduction of its unique Clean Sanding Discs for woodworking. The new, innovative discs can deliver longer life than standard high-performance discs, thanks to their breakthrough...
Tool Talk Podcast #21
August 20, 2007
We’re joined by John Piccone, inventor of the AutoWrench, who shares the story behind of how this popular tool started life and eventually made its way to Black & Decker — and under Christmas trees everywhere. As always, we run down the week’s top five posts as selected by Toolmonger readers, and call out a few posts we thought deserved attention. Highlights: we discuss welded vs. braised saw teeth, talk about DeWalt’s new not-Oxford Oxford work boots, and thank...
Yet Another Polyurethane Glue — With a Difference
August 20, 2007
There’s the old standby: Gorilla Glue. And there’s Elmer’s Ultimate Glue. And Bolder Bond. Now there’s another polyurethane glue on the market: Rhino Ultra Glue made by the folks at Liquid Nails. Rhino Ultra Glue shares some of the same characteristics as other polyurethane glues: it’ll bond just about anything. But there is one important difference. This stuff sets up fast. After 40 minutes, you can “plane it, sand it, and stain it” as their bottle...
More Jig Saws from Makita
August 18, 2007
In a previous post, I talked about the new professional jig saw by Makita. Well, they’ve got two more they’re introducing to the market. Both jig saws feature anti-vibration technology for over 40% reduced vibration and noise than competitive models. The Makita 4350FCT (shown at left) and 4351FCT (shown on the right) combine power and superior feel, with less vibration and noise. Both jig saws include three orbital settings plus a straight-cut setting, and are powered by a 6.3 AMP...
iWood For Your iPhone
August 17, 2007
A European company called Miniot is selling a nice wooden case for iPhones. They offer a little bit of protection for your phone and it looks cool. It’s carved from a single piece of wood and available in oak, paduak, cherry, mahogany, or walnut. The price is around $80. If your cell phone is dinged up half as much as mine is, this might be a good investment! Oh by the way, if you don’t have an iPhone yet, they also make a case for iPods! Read More →
Unusual Shop Supplies from Unlikely Sources
August 17, 2007
My first real, full-time job with benefits out of high school was working for a coatings (”paint”) manufacturer. I worked for about twelve years in the research and development lab. Years later, as part of an unrelated job, I helped set up quality assurance labs inside of manufacturing facilities. Needless to say, I’m pretty familiar with the supplies that are used on a day-to-day basis in the lab. So you should have seen the looks on everyone’s face in the office when...
Episode 18 - Bombe Series - Shaping the Pigeonhole Doubler
August 17, 2007
Tommy's next step on the Bombe Secretary project is creating the profile on the front edge of the writing surface doubler. He has already cut the Bombe Secretary writing surface doubler out on the bandsaw, run a flush cut router bit, and lastly cleaned it up with hand tools. In this podcast we see Tommy complete the shaping of the doubler's front profile. Read More →
Skil Circular Saws Recalled
August 15, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 15, 2007 Release #07-275 Firm’s Recall Hotline: (866) 761-5572 CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772 CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908 Robert Bosch Tool Corp. Recalls Skil® Circular Saws Due to Laceration Hazard WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. Name...
Dremel’s New Multi-Vise
August 15, 2007
When the Dremel folks stopped by our office a couple of weeks ago, one of the products they were showing us is the new MultiVise. I’ll admit that my first thought was, “This can’t be a serious tool — it looks like it’s made out of plastic.” But I was soon to be impressed. The way this thing can twist and contort to clamp almost anything is amazing. It clamps to your workbench or table. A ball-and-socket joint can rotate the clamp 360° and tilt up to 50°. I...
An Homage to Thomas Moser: Building a Bed
August 14, 2007
Kenneth Owen of Tulsa, Oklahoma is proud of his wife. And he has every right to be. They were looking to outfit a new bedroom and fell in love with a Moser-style bed. So she decided to build one. That’s right — she did the milling and gluing and bending and clamping. Everything. And the results are outstanding. Ken posted photos of the process of building this bed. You can read all about it over on WoodNet. It’s an amazing story of how the project was completed and Ken gives all...
Episode 16 - Bombe Series - Pigeonhole Assembly Planning
August 14, 2007
Before Tommy can get started cutting and shaping the pigeonhole assembly he needs to select the style and get a 1:1 scale plan together. Tommy walks us through his thought process on selecting the style and how he preps to cut. Read More →
Episode 17 - Bombe Series - Teaser Video
August 14, 2007
Tommy and Al provide a sneak peek at the progress of the Bombe Secretary --memorializing the moment with a little song and dance. Enjoy! Read More →
Tool Talk Podcast #20
August 13, 2007
This week Sean and I rant about about tool-guy tall-tales, plus we run down the week’s top five posts as selected by Toolmonger readers. As always we also call out a few posts we thought deserved attention. Highlights: we discuss woodworking sans-table saw, talk welding sans-TIG, get the low-down on the high limb tree saw, wish we lived closer to RI’s Steel Yard or the Bay Area’s Crucible, and lament the smell of a big-ass pile of cedar. Remember, if you’ve got a question...
Work Sharp Hones Tools Quickly and Easily
August 13, 2007
Back in March, the folks from ProTool (the folks that make the Drill Doctor) came into our offices to show us their new Work Sharp system for sharpening woodworking tools. You’ll be hearing it advertised on the Paul Harvey show. They left their WS3000 for us to play with in our shop. One day not too long ago, I went to use the Work Sharp to hone some chisels for our new public television show, The Woodsmith Shop (more on that later). Well, I couldn’t find all the parts to the Work...
Do You Flatten the Backs of Your Chisels?
August 11, 2007
One of the fundamental definitions of a sharp edge is the intersection of two flat surfaces that meet at some angle. Whether it’s a chisel or plane iron, if one of the surfaces isn’t flat, you can’t expect to get a sharp edge. There’s a running discussion over on WoodNet about if, when, and how you flatten the backs of your chisels. Then there’s the question of what “flat” really means. Personally, when I buy a new chisel, I’ll use wet/dry sandpaper...
Links for Past Woodworking eTips
August 10, 2007
Some folks aren’t aware that they can get a free woodworking tip in their email inbox every week. It’s something we’ve been doing for years and has proven to be very popular. A lot of woodworkers have been printing their favorite tips and storing them in a 3-ring binder. If you’ve wondered what tips you’ve missed, we’ve got some handy links for you look up any of our past eTips. For our older eTips (prior to August 2003), click here. For more recent tips,...
Chris Hedges, Furnituremaker
August 8, 2007
At the AWFS Fair in July, I had the wonderful opportunity to get a close look at some extraordinary woodworking exhibits by some very talented students. AWFS sponsors the “Fresh Wood” competition that spotlights outstanding student works being produced at some of the best high school and post-secondary woodworking programs in North America. I had a chance to chat with one of the exhibitors, Chris Hedges. His furniture project (a high-boy/secretary) was getting a lot of attention....
Podcast #24: Troubleshooting: Answers to Your Home Repair Questions
August 7, 2007
Erich Lage has been a senior illustrator (and editor) for Workbench Magazine for 12 years now. Before that he owned his own remodeling-design business. In 1977 he started his journey in residential construction as a concrete finisher and ultimately worked as a trim carpenter and service manager in the Home Building Industry in the Midwest. During this month’s Woodsmith Woodworking Seminar Podcast, Erich will provide you with suggestions on how to troubleshoot all your home repair questions....
