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The challenge is this — build an elegant accent table with curved stretchers. Would you use bent laminations to make the stretchers? Or is steam bending the answer? Chris Fitch will demonstrate both during this week’s Woodsmith Seminar Podcast.

During the seminar, Chris talks about a couple of projects that feature curved pieces made from bent laminations. Both of the projects were taken from recent issues of Woodsmith magazine. If you’d like to subscribe to Woodsmith, or simply purchase plans for these projects, click here: Woodsmith Podcast Store. You’ll also find a link to the seminar guide provided during the seminar and a great article on choosing the right glue for your projects.

 

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It was a warm day last Sunday. An almost perfect day, really, after the winter we’ve had. And since my shop is in my garage, I didn’t hesitate to open the 16-ft. door to let in some sunshine and fresh air. I was standing at my bench using a coping saw to shape a piece of thin birch plywood for a project. The neighbor drives down the street and stops in front of my house. “Hey, Randy! I’ve got a question for you…” 

So I put down my tools and walk out to meet Mike. He proceeds to tell me that he just returned from his storage unit where he keeps his boat and other household items. He points to the back of his truck and asks if I have any use for that old scroll saw. “A friend gave that to me years ago but I don’t do any woodworking. It’s got a little rust on it but runs just fine.”  I take a look and it’s an old Craftsman model 103.20720 (made by King-Seeley) from the 1940′s, I’m guessing.

(You can find out more about this and other old tools at “Old Wood-Working Machines.”)

We unload the saw from the back of the truck and my son and I start cleaning it up. All we needed to do was take off some of the old grime and oil with some mineral spirits. I took the cast iron table off and went after it with some 80-grit sandpaper on a wood block, finishing up with 120-grit. A spritz of Boeshield T-9 will keep the top in good shape.

I stuck a blade in it and fired it up.  It ran as smooth as silk.

Now, about this time my wife walks out and inquires about my new acquisition. But being the learned scholar and astute observer she is, she says, “Don’t you already have one of those?” The quickest response I could come up with was, “Yeah…but this one didn’t cost me anything.  As a matter of fact, the other one didn’t cost me anything, either.”  The “other one” is an even older Craftsman “Companion”, also made by King-Seeley (model 103.0402) that my dad gave me many years ago.

I accused my wife of not understanding about guys and tools…especially ones that don’t cost anything (the tools, I mean).  But she didn’t get it.  She mumbled something about me being “Sanford” and went back in the house.  Oh well.

In an effort to improve the podcasts, we’d like to get some feedback from you. To do this, we’ve put together a short survey. If you’re interested in taking the survey, your name will be entered in drawing for a FREE one-year subscription to Woodsmith magazine. We’ll also have a few other prizes to give away, like Woodsmith Store caps and coffee mugs.

To take the survey, watch the short video below. There’s a clickable link in the video that will open up your browser to the survey. Or, you can click here: Podcast Survey

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Woodworkers, as a rule, are a humble bunch of folks. What I mean is, when asked to show their work, you generally only have to ask them twice before they whip out the photos or point to that fine piece sitting in their living room. And in a gathering of woodworkers, you won’t hear anyone making fun of another’s work or talents or skill level.

Recently on WoodNet, the simple challenge was put forth: 

“So if someone asked you what was the best piece you have ever made what picture would you show them?”

And the response was amazing.  From childrens toys and furniture to an entire wet bar, the talent shown is nothing short of spectacular. Click here to view the entire thread on WoodNet.

Lesson learned:  No matter what our opinion is of ourselves and our work, we woodworkers have a gift that is appreciated by those around us. The hours spent in the shop are our time to give the world something that it didn’t have before. A gift from our minds, hands, and heart.

Isn’t it amazing what can come out of all the sawdust?

I watched a couple of videos last night that have changed my perspective on hand-cut dovetails:

• Hand-Cut Dovetails
• Advanced Hand-Cut Dovetails

Both are by Rob Cosman, a Canadian who calls himself, “Your Hand Tool Coach.” As I watched these videos, I can see why.

He explains when and why you’d want to use hand-cut dovetails vs. those cut using a router. He shows some cool tricks for laying out the dovetails that only involve a couple of dividers and no measuring tools. Then he shows how to mark layout lines to help you guide your saw.

Rob cuts the tails first and uses the tail board to mark the pins. (He shows a couple of tricks for doing that, too.) And when he’s all done, he applies glue to the long-grain edges of the tails and pins and knocks the joint together. No test-fitting, no paring of the pins or tails with a chisel…just a perfect fit the first time. He says (and I agree) that once you test-fit, the joint will never look right the second time you put it together.

The trick is in making clearly-defined layout lines and “cutting to the line” with the saw. Rob used a Lie-Nielsen back saw, but the principles apply if you’re using a Japanese-style saw.

The videos are available from Rob’s web site (where you can view previews) and also from Lie-Nielsen.  They’re worth a look.

My grandpa used to carve whistles from willow branches whenever the fishing was slow. He would have been amazed by these “Pencil Carvings” produced by Mizuta Tasogare and Kato Jado of Japan.

Pencil Carving Home Page

If there is one thing that really sets apart a beautiful set of cabinets or a fine piece of furniture from work that’s just plain Jane — it’s the panels. We’ve all seen the inexpensive cabinets at the big box stores. Yuck! The door panels usually have one board with wild grain going every which way right next to a board with grain straight as an arrow! It just doesn’t look right.

That’s why Craig Ruegsegger has gone to a lot of trouble to show us how to make eye-catching panels during this week’s Woodsmith Woodworking Seminar podcast. His seminar takes into account arranging boards for grain pattern, preparing the boards so they’re flat, straight and square, plus glue-up and clamping techniques.

A 15-page seminar guide, just like the one used during the seminar podcast is available for immediate download at PlansNow. It’s priced at $4.95 and includes several great acticles on making panels.

Seminar Guide: Secrets to Making Perfect Panels

 

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Garrett French is at it again over at the ToolCrib.com blog. He’s compiled a list of the “5 Most Influential Woodworkers” based on input from folks at a couple of forums, including the WoodNet forum. Like any list, it may be more interesting for who was left off, than who was included. I’d like to mention a couple of people who weren’t on the list, but in my opinion, should be placed right near the top.

Don Peschke and Paul Roman.

If those two names aren’t so familiar to you, it’s because they’ve both worked more behind the scenes as the pioneering editors and publishers of Woodsmith and Fine Woodworking magazines, respectively. Each has probably influenced more people to get into the shop and actually build something than just about anyone else on Garrett’s list.

Neither Don nor Paul’s name is as familiar perhaps as Norm Abram, but to me their magazines were groundbreaking. Woodsmith, published by August Home Publishing (they also put out ShopNotes, Workbench, Garden Gate, and Cuisine at home), is unique in that it doesn’t just show you a pretty project, it helps you build the project with detailed step-by-step instructions and clear, concise drawings and photos. I remember the first time I picked up Woodsmith magazine, my very first thought was “I can do that!”

(As you may know, Don owns the company I work for, so this is not a completely unbiased post! But the fact is, I’ve been an editor for Woodsmith for 7 years, but I’ve been reading the magazine for over twenty-five years.)

Paul Roman, and his wife Jan, started Fine Woodworking in 1975 and it eventually expanded into a publishing empire that includes magazines for woodworking, home building, cooking, and gardening. Paul’s goal was to have a woodworking magazine that not only informed, but also inspired its readers. There’s no arguing with that, it’s an awesome magazine.

I suppose we’ll always be more influenced by TV personalities. And this is not a knock on Norm, but I’d rather read about woodworking and then go do it myself, than watch it being done on TV anyday.

If you’d like to subscribe to Woodsmith to find out exactly what I mean, click here.