Lisa Hess was an amazing individual filled with kindness and gentleness. She was a gifted gardener and her landscapes were always filled with immense beauty. She will indeed be greatly missed.

Lisa, while you’re tending to gardens much more beautiful than we could imagine, we promise to try and keep Joel out of mischief.

But fortunately, woodworking is one of those hobbies that can help keep us — more specifically, our brains — younger. I ran across this article this morning in the Imperial Valley News out of San Diego.

To quote the article:

“A hobby like woodworking, which stimulates the mind through complex measurements, visualization and creative problem solving, can have significant positive effects on the aging brain.”

To me, it’s just another reason to head out to the shop.

Last week, he called me and told me he just “acquired” an old Craftsman planer (model 103.1801 made by King-Seeley).  He wanted me to research it and find out what I could about it.  Naturally, the first place I look for old manuals and history of old tools is www.owwm.com.  They’ve become the online library for photos, tool manuals, and company history for old tools.  You can submit photos of your old tools and scanned manuals and parts lists for the rest of the world to share.

As I was trying to research the history of dad’s planer and find a manual for it, I discovered that the OWWM web site was down “due to technical difficulty.”  I was heartbroken and afraid that something terrible had happened.  I thought perhaps all the data that had been accumulated over the years would be lost.  So I emailed the webmaster to get the scoop.  Here was his reply as of 10:00pm CST on Thursday, the 13th of March 2008:

We had some issue with our former host and changes that they made to their server that “broke” the code that runs our site. To resolve this problem, we decided that the best course of action was to invest in a new server, which we will own and control. This has turned into a longer process than we first anticipated. We first had to raise around $2,500 for the hardware and software to run our site. We fortunately were able to get the majority of this donated through our many members. Next, we had to order a server, which took several weeks to get built and delivered. The new server arrived at our new host late last Friday and they have been working hard this week getting it set up to run. We are very close to launching the new site – maybe by the end of this week but in reality, probably the first of next week. No data was lost, it is just taking us longer than we like to get everything up and running on the new server.

Keith Rucker
Tifton, GA 

Hopefully, they’ll be back up and running soon. 

Do you want to know how OWWM got started?  Well, you’ll have to wait until the web site is back up and running, but when it is, visit this page for a complete history of what got Keith started down this road.  It’s an interesting read.

Oh…by the way, Keith puts a lot of time and effort (and dollars) into this web site.  If you use and enjoy the content of www.owwm.com, why don’t you donate a few bucks to help him out? You’ll find donation links on the web site.

To quote Wood Werks Supply:

“This won’t be just any saw. We start with the award winning Powermatic PM2000 10″ table Saw. We’ll Blanchard Grind the top, add the reliablility of an American Made Baldor® motor, then install your favorite accessories. You’ll decide exactly what color it will be, and we’ll finish it off by prominently displaying your name on the front of your perfect saw.”

Create and order your customized Powermatic PM2000 here. I created the one you see in the photo here with just a few clicks. It’s got a 3hp, single-phase motor; paint colors to honor the OSU Buckeyes; and a cast iron extension wing with cast iron legs.

If you’d like to find out more and join in on the long-running discussion over on WoodNet, click here.

You can find out all about the recall here on the CPSC web site. You can take your drill to your nearest service center for a free inspection and free repair, if needed. Click here for instructions on DeWalt’s web site.

When I first brought it home, I fired it up and ran a few boards through it. It seemed to work great, but I didn’t need it right away, so I stored it under the bench. Let me say right here that when Sears calls this a “benchtop” planer, that’s an outright lie. This monster is heavy. I’ve got to build a stand for it one of these days. But I’m getting sidetracked.

While I was in the process of building the project mentioned in this previous post (where I injured my thumb on the table saw), I needed to plane some 3/4″ curly maple boards down to 1/2″ thickness. (Yes, it broke my heart to see 1/4″ of those boards go to waste as chips.) As I was planing, I noticed that there was a wide, shallow groove along one edge of the boards along the entire length. Since the two boards I was planing were cut from longer stock, I thought that the boards were rough-planed that way and that’s how I brought them home. A couple of shallow passes later it dawned on me that the groove wasn’t going away. “Great,” I thought. I was going to have to tear down this planer to see what was going on.

Fortunately, this planer is designed to make it fairly easy to get to the cutterhead. A few screws remove the dust shroud to gain access to the knives. As I rotated the cutterhead around, I couldn’t believe what I saw. The gib holding the knife in place was bent outwards and the remaining cavity between it and the knife was crammed full of chips. You can see what I mean in the drawing at right. (I tried to hightlight the area in red.) The item labeled ’65′ is the gib. Item ’64′ is the knife. (Item ’60′ is the cutterhead.) Now, what to do?

Figuring that the worst-case scenario was ordering a new gib, I attempted to straighten it. I clamped the bent area in heavy-duty vise and torqued it as far as I could go. That took care of the majority of the bend. Then some carefully placed taps on the leading edge of the gib with a wood block and hammer took care of the rest. Some minor filing was all it took to get a smooth, straight edge. I re-installed the blade and gib and ran a few boards through it. No sign of a “groove.” I was relieved and glad that I was able to repair it.

But the question remains…what caused the gib to bend in the first place? It’s possible that it was like that when I first bought it. But the mystery remains. When I talk to the other guys in our shop, no one can come up with a plausible explanation. Very strange. If you’ve got any thoughts, leave a comment here.

Then I saw it. The workpiece was not the only thing I was cutting. The end of my right thumb had somehow come down directly on the spinning blade. I hadn’t even felt it.  Yet. My wife saw the whole thing happen.

The end result after some microsurgery is a shorter thumb without a thumbnail. I’ll spare you all the gory details. The prognosis for a full recovery is good after some physical therapy.

But what I have left to deal with now are all the questions. And anger and blaming myself for letting it happen. I haven’t been back to the “scene of the crime” since it happened. I suppose I’ll have to face up to it here in the next day or so.

I lay awake at night second-guessing myself. Not believing that I’ve been woodworking for over 30 years without serious injury.  The full range of emotions and “what-if” scenarios.

I’ve already wrestled with the 100 different ways I could have accomplished my goal that night. And what I should have done differently. The constant blame game you play in your mind.

But that’s behind me and life must go on. My point of telling my story is that you should always listen to that voice in your head that says, “Perhaps I should do this another way.” For that’s exactly what I was thinking precisely one-half second before I permanently injured my thumb.

If you’re a subscriber to Woodsmith or ShopNotes magazine, or live in the state of Iowa, you probably already know that we’ve been busy around here. We’ve been working hard on a new TV show that has been airing on public television (PBS) stations in Iowa and will soon be available nationally in December.

The Woodsmith Shop is unlike any other woodworking show you’ve seen. It’s the first one to be filmed and produced (by Iowa Public Television) in High Definition. That means the picture quality is unsurpassed. You’ll see all the details of the tips and techniques we talk about on the show.

Second, The Woodsmith Shop isn’t a project-based show. What I mean is we’ll spend an entire episode talking about a particular woodworking joint, tool, or technique instead of building a project. That means you’ll get more detail about woodworking than you’ll find on any other show. And you’ll have the opportunity to download project plans and articles from our web site that are related to the show’s content.

We’ve been getting a lot of positive feedback so far from those that have seen the show. And a lot of folks nationwide are anxious to take a look. Now is the time to take a minute to email or call your local public television station and tell them you heard about The Woodsmith Shop and want to see it in your area. This link will take you to the show’s web site where you can find out if the show is airing in your area. You’ll also get a list of PBS stations in your area and a contact link for each station.

Let us know what you think of the show.

Here’s the hazard they’re reporting:

“The saw handle’s switch can fail, causing the saw to smoke, spark, and trip circuit breakers, and disable the safety brake. The saw also can keep operating unless the unit is unplugged, posing a laceration hazard to consumers.”  

Yikes.  You can contact WMH Tool Group for a new saw or a full refund if your saw is included in the recall.

For additional information, contact WMH at (800) 689-9928 between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.wmhtoolgroup.com.

You can read the entire text of the recall notice here.

Now, my cheapness may come back to haunt me. The Consumer Product Safety Commission has sent out notification of a product recall for shop lights made by Cooper Lighting. You can read all about the recall here. To see the announcement on the CPSC web site, click here.

Well, since my shop lights look suspiciously like the ones that are being recalled, looks like I’ll have to climb a ladder and check them out. And if yours look like the one shown in the photo here, you should do the same.

She wanted a white board put up in the kitchen so she’d have a place to write her grocery list, notes, and whatever else came to mind. Our 1960′s-vintage kitchen still has the original cabinets with the rabbeted plywood doors. But the way the cabinets were built, there’s a bumpout in one corner that is essentially the back side of a closet. Strange floor plan, I know, but this whole house is strange. Anyway, where the wall cabinets meet this bumpout, there’s an adjacent empty space on the wall that had been framed in 1×2′s. The area is about 28″ high by 14″ wide. A perfect size and location for a whiteboard, my wife so strongly hints.

So here’s the challenge:  Can I get a ¼” whiteboard panel to fit inside this framed area without having to add trim to hide any gaps? I brought in my framing square and was pleasantly surprised to find out that one corner was only out of square by about 1/8″ over the 28″ length. “Hmmm. Not bad,” I thought.  “This will be easier than I thought.”  (Usually, this thought gets me into serious trouble…but not this time.)

I cut the panel just about 1/16″ oversized on my table saw and kept trimming a little off until the panel just started to slide into the “narrow” end of the frame. Knowing that I had to take about another 1/16″ off the other end of the panel, I went back to my table saw, folded up an old business card to four thickness, and put it between my panel and the rip fence at one end. That effectively “tapered” the cut. I checked the fit of the panel and it was real close to fitting. So I brought my small block plane into the kitchen and kept shaving the edges here and there until the panel could be held in place with friction only. Of course, my ten-year old walks in while I was planing and says, “Dad, why are you doing that in the kitchen?”

After a few rounds of planing and test-fitting, I ended up not needing any glue or screws to hold the panel in place. And there was barely any noticable gap around the panel. Nothing beats a block plane for final trimming and fitting.

I was happy to get another project checked off my list and my lovely bride was happy to have a place to make a list.

In ShopNotes No. 96, we had an article about Choosing and Using Bit and Blade Cleaners, including home-made cleaners.  A number of folks wrote in to tell us that some of our ideas were crazy or that their solution worked better.  We’ve had suggestions from oven cleaner to Formula 409. I say, use whatever works for you.  For me, I tend toward the commercial cleaners.  Our guys here in the shop seem to like CMT’s Formula 2050 Blade and Bit Cleaner.

Whatever chemical you use, chance are you’re going to need to use a little elbow grease, too.  As a matter of fact, it took a couple of applications of cleaner while I was busy scrubbing the residue off of the teeth.  I had the blade on several thicknesses of old newspaper and sprayed on the cleaner.  After scrubbing one side clean, I flipped the blade over and worked on it.  That left all the crud in between the teeth and on the face of each tooth.  Here, I stood the blade up, sprayed on some more cleaner, and worked my way around the blade with the toothbrush.  A little wiping with a rag removed the last of the residue and cleaner.

You’ll be amazed at how your blades look after a good cleaning. I inspected mine closely and couldn’t find any chipped or dull teeth. But it’s hard to make that judgement on looks alone.  I’m anxious to make a few test cuts and see if I need to take the next step and actually have them sharpened.

So when I finally set up shop in my two-car garage, I was using the same saw blade in my table saw that I was using in Ohio. It was a Signature Series blade made by Oldham. I’ve been very happy with it. But lately, I’ve noticed it was pretty dull.  So rather than send it out for sharpening just yet, I thought maybe it was time to step up to a premium blade.  Of course, the Forrest Woodworker II has ruled the roost in saw blades for many years.  I’m just old enough to hate having to spend $120 on a saw blade.  I’m used to the good old days when you could get a decent blade for less than $40.  But I’ve also been reading a lot of good things about the Freud Premier Fusion blade.  Now, it’s not inexpensive either (around $100), but I needed (er…wanted) a new blade. 

So I went to the Woodsmith Store to buy one.  I met up with Dave Larson, the store manager.  He proceeded to tell me an interesting story about the Freud Premier Fusion blade.  He said that blade has been around for about ten years and was just called the “F410″ and was a nominal seller.  Then one of the woodworking magazines did a review of it a few years ago.  Sales started to climb.  Freud realized they had a winner on their hands, put into motion a massive marketing campaign, and named the blade the “Premier Fusion.”  Their web site now lists it as the P410 (for the 10″ blade).

So I bought the Freud Premier Fusion and brought it home.  I put it on my 10-year old Craftsman table saw.  I was favorably impressed.  Crosscutting red oak left an extremely smooth surface.  I grabbed a piece of melamine particleboard for the ultimate test.  Again, the cut was nice and smooth and the top edge of the cut line was nice and crisp with no chipout.  There was just the smallest amount of chipout on the bottom edge, but hardly noticable.  But I did notice something curious.  I compared the tooth geometry on the Freud Premier Fusion with the Oldham Signature Series blade.  They looked strikingly similar.

Well, I’m in the middle of trying to clean up and reorganize my shop.  So I grabbed the stack of saw blades I had moved from Ohio.  In it, I found a barely used Freud Diablo blade with the gold coating.  Still sharp.  And I found a CMT fine cut-off blade.  Hmm…I forgot about that one.  But it needs sharpened.  So I’ve got the two blades that need sharpened plus the one that’s like new.  I guess I really didn’t need to buy that Freud Premier Fusion.  But I’m not going to return it, either.

My first decent pocket knife I purchased for myself was a small, two-bladed Buck knife. It had stainless steel blades and real wood scales.  I bought it on my honeymoon and carried it with me every day for about 15 years. Imagine how heartbroken I was when I emptied my pockets one evening and it wasn’t there. I looked all over, but couldn’t find it. A few weeks later, I resigned myself to the fact that it was long gone. Soon after, I replaced it with a Case knife. It, too, had stainless steel blades.  Some months later, I pulled into our gravel driveway, and as I was getting out of the car, I saw what remained of my original Buck knife.  Actually, it was pretty intact, but the combination of gravel and cars running over it removed one of the wood scales.

When I carried a pocket knife, I used it mostly for opening packages, cutting cardboard, and tightening the occasional screw.  (I know…don’t tell my dad.)  Every so often, I’d take it out to the shop and sharpen it. But it seemed like it never held an edge for very long (even when I didn’t use it as a screwdriver). I’m no metallurgist and certainly don’t understand the finer points of blade steel, but I wondered if the stainless steel blades were the problem.

It occurred to me that the reason my dad’s knife is always sharp might not be just that he sharpens it often, but perhaps his has a high-carbon steel blade. (I’ll have to ask next time I see him.) I think carbon steel can be sharpened to a finer edge and holds its edge better than stainless steel. All I want is a knife you can almost shave with. I could never get that with my stainless steel knives.

I’ve been intrigued by these little Opinel knives from Lee Valley. The smallest one is small enough to carry in a pocket. And the blades are made from high-carbon steel. The price is right at just under $11US each for the two smaller ones. I’ve been carrying one around in my pocket for a few weeks, so maybe I’ll get a feel for how well the blade holds up to packing tape and cardboard and maybe the occasional whittling (but no tightening of screws). When I got it, it just took a little honing to get it impressively sharp.  A lot sharper than my Buck or Case stainless steel knives, anyway.  So far, for being an inexpensive knife, I’ve been impressed.

But there’s a problem I’ve always had with steel rules. I have a hard time seeing the graduations. At least in my shop, I have to angle the rule just right in the light to be able to see what I’m doing. That’s true even for the better-quality rules that are etched (instead of stamped) and have a matte chrome finish.

I finally found something better, at least for my poor eyes. Enco sells a line of EZ-View® Rules that I really like. What’s different about them is that they have a matte black finish and filled white etchings for the numbers and graduations. You can see them on this catalog page. I have the 6″ pocket rule and the 12″ and 18″ steel rules. All of the ones I have are type “4R” (8th’s and 16th’s on one side, 32nd’s and 64th’s on the other). The ones I have are rigid, but they’re available in flexible versions, too.

Bench Dog Inc., 3310 NE. 5th St., Minneapolis; filed July 27, 07-42546; Chap. 11; … 

I’ve always liked Bench Dog’s products.  Though their products aimed for the “higher end” of the market, I think their designs are innovative and well thought out.

So, what’s the future of Bench Dog and their products? When I contacted Bench Dog, here is the response from Cliff Smith, former CEO:

“As you may know, on July 27, Bench Dog, Inc. filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection. On, Monday, October 1st the company emerged from bankruptcy as Bench Dog Tools, Inc. Rockler Companies is financing the reorganization and providing product development support to further the Bench Dog Brand. Bench Dog Tools will operate as a standalone entity with independent staff at the existing facility. The relationship with Rockler Companies will be transparent to our customers and consumers.

“The company will continue to design, develop, and distribute premium specialty tools and power tool accessories for the woodworking and home improvement markets. We have and will continue to fulfill orders to Lowe’s in a timely fashion.

“As you may know, I served as the CEO of Bench Dog, Inc until September 2006. Bench Dog Tools retained me to enhance customer relations, expand the Bench Dog brand and ensure consistent order fulfillment. I am once again committed to getting Bench Dog Tools on a fast track to success. Brian Kramer will continue to provide customer service support to our retailers and consumers.”

Let’s hope they can get back on their feet and carry on the tradition of great woodworking products.

Dave called to tell me that he made a Shop-Built Mallet we featured in ShopNotes 95. He said he really enjoyed the article and was especially tickled and surprised when I told him I wrote it. He said he had a little trouble planing the resawn stock to thickness. Here’s what Dave said about the project:

“The mallet was fun to make and was a challenging project. One problem that I encountered was that the double faced tape did not work out very well because it continually got saw dust in it. So, what I did was put a ¾” board on the planer table and ran the thin pieces through on top of this board. That seemed to work out well.”

Dave also commented that he really thought the simple resaw pivot block for the band saw was a great idea. He built one and used it for this project.

Thanks for sharing, Dave.

Inniswood Metro Gardens

As noted on his web site, David sculpted these creatures using various combinations of whole trees found standing or fallen dead, cut green saplings selectively harvested from the willow family, dry branches, and other forest materials. The different shapes, colors and textures of these materials provide these sculptures with character, definition, and a sense of motion.

If you get a chance to see this exhibit in your area, it’s worth taking the whole family. Just keep your kids away from the jaws of the beetle.

I grew up in the AutoCAD world (since version 2.52 for those of you keeping notes). So I’m familiar with high-priced CAD packages. And I’ve gotta’ say that SketchUp can’t be beat for the price. AutoCAD started back in the 1980′s as a two-dimensional drawing program and as such, has never quite been able to shake off that legacy. It’s become a powerful drawing program, but it doesn’t hold a candle to some of the newer 3-D packages. While SketchUp isn’t meant for creating detailed CAD drawings, it’s ideal for conceptual 3-D design.

A lot of woodworkers have discovered the ease of use in designing projects using SketchUp. And the challenge has been made over on WoodNet to show off your SketchUp models. Some folks have even placed their models up on Google’s 3D Warehouse so you can download them into SketchUp and modify them.

SketchUp’s online help and resources are second to none and worth checking out if you want to get the most out of SketchUp. And there’s an independent online community you can join at www.Sketchucation.com.

So don’t be shy! Head on over to WoodNet and post your best SketchUp models.

‘Twas only a kit of carpenter’s tools
We were chancing off that night.

The man who owned the tools was there
A carpenter whose hair was white.
To draw the stubs until the winning share
Would place the tools within another’s care.

Aye! Only a kit of tools you say
Objects of metal hard and bright.
No! We chanced off something else that day
Something that didn’t seem just right.

All the labor of yesteryear.
Homes that they built for those in the past
Of service come to an end at last.
Leaving his heart, his head, his hand

In a chest of tools, this white-haired man.
To end his days in a home for them
Whose years of service were at an end.
The sad look on that aged face

As each number shortened the space.
Of time when he must bid farewell for good
To old friends of his, of metal and wood.
He had used them for years, they were always there.

‘Twas awfully sad, the whole affair.
Like playing pitch with an old man’s soul.
Pushing him on to the final goal.

Into the sidelines and out of the race
While a younger man takes up his place.

The tools of his trade, the hammer and saw
It struck me with wonder and something of awe.
As we laughingly shout and loudly cry
To see who the winning share did buy.

How stupid of us, we were such fools
To think we were chancing off
Only CARPENTER’S TOOLS

      —Julius Frerich

_________________________________
Originally appeared in Carpenter Magazine many years ago. It’s a monthly publication published by the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America. It contains articles on labor issues, lessons on how to build things, and “human interest items” submitted by the local union secretaries.

Bob Smalser kindly posted this over on WoodNet and I thought it was good enough to share.

In Design News, there’s a great article about how Norm got started and how he managed to make it into his 20th season this year on New Yankee Workshop. Did you know that Norm attended college with the intent of getting an engineering degree?  Here’s an intersesting quote from the article:

“I hated sitting in a class of 600 in a thermodynamics class, but I loved being in the lab working with metals. I hung in there for a couple of years and said this isn’t for me. You can learn a lot from school and books, but you really learn from experience,” he says. Going with a gut feeling, he switched to production management in business school, sensing he wanted to be a building contractor. He came close but never earned a degree because midstream in college he “felt it was time to go to work.”  

And the rest is history, as they say.

And if your a fan of old catalogs, photos, and other paper items related to old manufacturers of hand tools, check out Gary Robert’s Toolemera web site. Gary collects, studies, and enjoys old tools and related books and ephemera. There you’ll find old bills of sale, postcards, letterhead, books, pamphlets, and assorted other items from Gary’s collection. I’ve got one of his old photos as wallpaper on my computer screen. It’s fun just browsing through Gary’s site.

Some months ago, I ran across this web page by Bob Neidorff. He does a great job of explaining what rust is, how to remove it, and how to prevent it. He also lists several resources for products and suppliers, including web links. Check it out.

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 themselves.

One such product is the Versa-Block. It’s one of those things that looks so simple, but the more you use it, the more uses you’ll find for it. It’s an octagon-shaped piece of solid alumimum. Each face has another octagon shape milled onto the surface. Each edge of the smaller octagon is offset from the corresponding edge of the main body. It’s easier to understand once you see the photos and hold it in your hand. On one side, the offsets are in 1/16″ increments. On the other side, the offsets are in 1/8″ increments.

You can use the Versa-Block for a number of things. The most obvious is setting bit heights on your router and blade heights on your table saw. But you can also mark offsets from the edge of a workpiece up to one inch. And you can use the Versa-Block as a square during glue-ups. Like their web site says, “This is an accessory that the more you use, the more uses you will find to use it.”

Another handy item they’ve come up with is the Laser-Cut Triangle. They come in 3″ and 6″ sizes. The triangles are similar to the aluminum Swanson Speed Square you’d use for framing a house. But these are plastic and laser-etched for accuracy. One side of the triangle has small holes — like the Incra Marking Rules — for the tip of your pencil for drawing and marking lines parallel to an edge. The base of the triangle is etched in 1/16″ increments. The “hypotenuse” of the triangle has angular markings etched so that you can use it as a protractor. The prices are reasonable enough that you can afford to have a few in the shop.

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 projects that make use of threaded inserts. Their web site contains PDF documents that contain detailed dimemensioned drawings and complete charts listing dimensions and recommended hole sizes for their inserts. (They caution you to try out the insert on a scrap piece to get the exact hole size.)

Click here for a chart of their inserts for hardwood.

Click here for a listing of the knife-thread inserts for softwood.

I like to use press-in “Finserts” whenever I can (see photo at left). I don’t have to thread them and risk not getting them in straight. You can simply press or tap them in place. Click here for more information on finserts.

If you scroll to the bottom of these pages, you’ll see links for PDF documents of drawings and charts.

E-Z Lok’s products are sold through a variety of distributors like McMaster-Carr, Reid Tool, and MSC.

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 surface configuration and abrasive technology.

Designed to be used with random orbital sanders, Clean Sanding Discs offer improved dust extraction when used with a vacuum system. Less dust contributes to improved cutting action when sanding. The unique, patented hole pattern on the discs’ surface helps to effectively remove dust from the work area, which prevents disc loading and provides a fast, consistent and efficient cut rate. I watched them in action during the show and was impressed with the fact that they didn’t load up like traditional discs. And the best thing is, they’ll work with any hole pattern and you don’t have to worry about aligning the holes.

Clean Sanding Discs are available in 5″ and 6″ diameters in grades P80 to P1000 and feature the secure Hookit attachment system from 3M.

You can find out more about them by clicking here.  As for availability, Clean Sanding Discs are sold through distributors for the industrial market. But 3M reps tell me that they expect them to be available from their online eStore sometime soon. Let’s hope they make their way into woodworking catalogs and home centers, too.

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 says. But get this — If you dampen the surface of the material to be bonded first, Rhino Ultra Glue sets up in half that time. That means that you only need to clamp it for 20 minutes.

There’s another difference. It’s higher-viscosity (thicker) formulation means it won’t run as easily as some other polyurethane glues. That’s real handy on complicated glue-ups where traditional glues run away from your joints before you can get things clamped together.

But what I like most about this product is the bottle. That’s right. The bottle has a flat side so you can store it on it’s side. That means that the glue will last longer because air can’t get to it. When the folks from Liquid Nails showed us this, we all said, “It’s about time.”

And there’s the long nozzle that helps get the glue where you need it. You can read all about the unique bottle features here.

Click here for more information about Rhino Ultra Glue.

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 motor for cutting in all varieties of materials. The electronic variable speed control maintains consistent speed throughout the cut for superior results.

Makita also engineered comfort and control features into the new jig saws. An L.E.D. light illuminates the line of cut, while a built-in dust blower clears the line of cut for greater visibility. The ergonomically designed rubberized grip on both the top handle and barrel grip models provides greater comfort and control. The 4351FCT model features a rubberized barrel grip design to provide a closer grip to the work surface during cutting.

The patented tool-less blade change system provides fast and easy installation and removal of tang-shank blades. The die-cast aluminum base adjusts up to 45 degrees right or left with a positive stop at 90 degrees for solid cutting performance. An on-board hex wrench is included for fast, accurate bevel adjustments. Both models are ideal for professional woodworkers, cabinetry makers, and specialized residential construction workers. They include a blade set, anti-splintering device, cover plate, and tool case. 

I ordered inexpensive beakers, disposable pipettes (“eye droppers”), aluminum weighing dishes, wash bottles, and all sorts of other “lab supplies.” Now if you don’t know what any of these things are, you’re not alone. But as a woodworker, I’ve realized that a lot of these items can be real handy in the shop. Beakers can be used for measuring and mixing stains and finishes. The pipettes are great for squeezing glue into tight areas for repairs. Disposable aluminum weighing dishes make great mixing containers for epoxy or for holding small amounts of glue during assembly. Wash bottles are a lot more convenient for storing and dispensing solvents like paint thinner than those square metal cans.

My two favorite sources for lab supplies are U. S. Plastic Corporation and Lab Safety Supply. Take a browse through their web site or order a catalog. You’ll be surprised at what you’ll find that’ll be handy to have in the shop.

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 of Product: Skil® brand Circular Saws

Units: About 811,000

Manufacturer: Robert Bosch Tool Corp., of Mount Prospect, Ill.

Hazard: The trigger switch on the circular saw can be locked on or the switch can be turned on without the use of the safety lock-out. This can cause unexpected operation of the saw, posing a risk of laceration.

Incidents/Injuries: The firm has received five reports of the saw staying on after the user released the trigger. No injuries have been reported.

Description: The recall involves Skil(r) brand circular saws with model numbers 5650, 5700, 5750 and 5755. The model number and date code are printed on the nameplate located on the front of the saw. The recall includes the following date codes:

28101 – 29231
38101 – 39231
48101 – 49231
58101 – 59231
68101 – 69231

No other models or date codes are included in this recall.

Sold at: Home centers and independent hardware retailers nationwide from January 2002 through December 2006 for between $70 and $80.

Manufactured in: United States

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled saws and contact the firm for instructions on obtaining a free repair.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact the Robert Bosch Tool Corp. toll-free at (866) 761-5572 between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. CT Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at http://www.skiltools.com/en/CustomerService/SafetyInfoRecalls/

To see this recall on CPSC’s web site, including pictures of the recalled product, please go to: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml07/07275.html

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 was skeptical that this ball-and-socket couldn’t be locked too securely. But once you tighten the blue ring, it’s there to stay. The clamp itself as a 7½” capacity. And it has removable “soft jaws” for clamping delicate or irregularly-shaped objects. I was impressed.  Really.

Now, as a woodworker, the first question I had was if the clamp was available in longer lengths. The Dremel reps said that they honestly hadn’t considered it but really appreciated the comments. I suggested that they offer “accessory kits” with longer clamps for us woodworkers. The reason is that the clamps are great by themselves. They’ve got large “feet” that sit on your benchtop and won’t topple over as you clamp down. The only problem I had with the clamp was that the screw was rather stiff and took some effort to turn. But I suppose it would loosen up over time without compromising it’s clamping ability.

Oh…I almost forgot. It comes with an adapter and wrench so you can fasten your Dremel rotary tool to the vise. It’s great for grinding or sanding operations.

I’ve got to get one of these for my own shop.

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 the details of how his wife progressed from start to finish.

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 Sharp, so I resorted to honing the chisels by hand using wet/dry sandpaper.  A few weeks later, I asked Steve Johnson, our shop craftsman, about the Work Sharp’s missing parts. He said that they weren’t missing and walked me around the corner of his work area and showed me the box that contained the “missing” parts. Turns out he had the Work Sharp squirreled away to keep it from disappearing.  He says he uses it all the time for touching up his chisels. For example, when he’s chopping mortises or cleaning up mortises, all he needs to do is walk over to the Work Sharp, and in just a few seconds he’s got a sharp edge.  He thinks it’s a great addition to his shop for keeping an edge on his tools.

Work Sharp has come out with a homeowner/DIY version of their system called the WS2000.  It uses the same motor as the WS3000 but doesn’t have the built-in speed reduction and doesn’t come with the finer grits of abrasive that you’d use for honing.  It’s meant for grinding a quick edge or, as one homeowner did, ground a sharp edge on his garden shovel.

You can read more about the Work Sharp systems here.

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 on a granite tile and work through the grits until the back is polished. Then I’ll work on the bevel to get a sharp edge. After that, the only time I work on the back is to remove any burr after I’ve honed the edge. I’ve had good success with that method and my chisels seem to be plenty sharp. The same holds true with my plane irons.

With western chisels, I only worry about polishing the last ½” or so of the back. Japanese chisels are hollowed out on the back side, making them easier to flatten.

Head over to WoodNet and leave your 2¢ worth.

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, you can click here. Between these two web pages, you’ll find a complete list of all our past eTips.

Remember to sign up here for free eTips if you don’t already receive them.

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. And it should have. Chris won three awards with his project: First Place in the Reproduction category, the People’s Choice award, and Best of Show.

He’s 32 years old originally from the Circleville, Ohio area. He says he’s happily married and has a 3 year old daughter. When not making furniture and spending time with his family, Chris enjoys trap shooting and golfing. Chris says, “Although my wife and I lived in Athens, Ohio for 12 years before relocating to Knoxville, Tennessee. I earned a Masters from Ohio University (I taught sociology for four years after graduating) and then spent two years at University of Rio Grande in the Fine Woodworking program.”

When I asked him how he got started in woodworking, here’s what he said: “I really had no experience with woodworking as a child, other than nailing end grain to make ‘bookshelves’ for my dad. Most of the training I have before starting Rio’s program was theoretical — meaning I read as many books as I could. Although I could take apart a table saw in my head, I didn’t actually touch one until I started at Rio.”

As for the secretary Chris built, as a second year student he was encouraged to build something that was both technically and academically challenging. Having seen a number of similiar secretaries in the DuPont collection at Winterthur, Chris was highly intriqued by their swiss army knife-like nature and thought that building the secretary would truly challenge his acquired skills. “While plans were provided, I felt it would be to my benefit to stray as far from those plans as possible in an effort to distinguish myself from the rest of the pack,” Chris said. 

All in all, the research and production process took nine months, including the creation of scale drawings from photographs, designing the upper case, getting materials, then building the project. Chris used curly quartersawn cherry (from Irion Lumber Company) as the primary wood and madrone burl for the veneer from Certainly Wood. All secondary wood is poplar.

All wood was dimensioned to within 1/32″ of the final dimension with power tools and finished up with hand tools. As for joinery, all dovetails were cut by hand. Mortise and tenons and sliding dovetails were cut using power tools. While most of the work was done at school, a lot of the hand work was done at home, including dovetails, carvings, and turnings. “At the time that I built the desk, all I had at home was a lathe and a bunch of handtools,” Chris stated.

I think Chris has an excellent future as a woodworker based on what I saw. His craftsmanship is excellent and his attention to detail is impeccable.

I remember about a year or so ago, Tony Schrank called me. His uncle had patented a new type of clamping system called the VersaClamp™. Tony and his brother designed it for manufacturing. I had him send me one to take a look at. I recall at the time that it was unique in its ability to transform from a clamp to a vise with the addition of a couple of brackets you can mount to your bench. 

Since that time, Tony has licensed the VersaClamp to PennTek Tools for manufacturing. (I wrote about PennTek Tools in this post.) 

Here are some of the key features of the VersaClamp:

• Cam Locking Feature is easily activated with the Easy-Grip Handle and locks the work piece in place with up to 400 pounds of force
• Power of the clamp is not limited by the hand strength of the user
• Handle has multiple positions and pivots out of the way as needed
• When mounted as a vise, jaws turn to work at any angle 
• Soft, non-marring jaws firmly hold the work piece
• Available in 12”, 20”, 36 and 48” openings – comes with mounting brackets and hardware
• Patented Cam Locking System
• Made in the USA
• Limited Lifetime Warranty

You can order the VersaClamp from Garrett Wade, Woodcraft, or directly from the VersaClamp web site.

Makita has recently announced some new tools, and you’ll be reading more about them here. The first one on the list is their new variable speed, orbital jig saw. The 4329K jig saw features a compact design, three orbital settings plus straight cutting, with a powerful 3.9 AMP motor for use in a variety of materials. The new jig saw features an ergonomically designed rubberized grip to provide more comfort and control, while the variable speed dial control (500 – 3,100 SPM) delivers optimal cutting performance in a variety of materials. The die-cast aluminum base bevel cuts 45 degrees right or left with a positive stop at 90 degrees for solid cutting performance. A through-the-body dust port provides optimal dust management with use of clear dust cover and vacuum.

The saw is ideal for professional woodworkers, cabinetry makers, and specialized residential construction workers who require a best-in-class engineered jig saw in a compact size. The saw uses Tang shank blades only, plus has an on-board hex wrench for easy blade changes. The saw includes a blade and tool case.

Read more about Makita tools here.

The flood is starting already. In addition to launching a new web site (www.deltaportercable.com), Porter-Cable today announced the availability of a new plunge base for their 890-series routers. From their press release:  

The plunge base is offered as part of multi-base kits, models 893PK, 894PK and 895PK, as well as an accessory, model 8931. With machined brass brushings and steel guide rods, the upgraded base offers an extremely smooth and durable plunge stroke for greater user control and accuracy. In addition, a through-the-column dust collection system supports efficient dust removal, and yields improved bit and cut-line visibility when used with a durable, clear Lexan® sub-base and dust shroud, which come as standard.

To further enhance precision and ease of operation, the base features a six-position adjustable turret stop for stepped plunge cuts; a single, flat side on the base that allows routing to be done in tighter spaces while also providing a straight reference point; a lever release for quick motor transitions between bases; and rubber overmolded handles for a comfortable grip.

The versatile plunge base, which accommodates the existing 890 series motor, is ideal for a variety of woodworking applications, including general purpose cutting, dado stops, fluting, rabbetting stops, and hinge cutting. The plunge base, model 8931, and multi-base kits, models 893PK, 894PK and 895PK, will be available for purchase in July 2007 for $115, $269, $289 and $289, respectively.

They announced a “re-branding” of sorts where you will see the Delta/Porter-Cable names together more and more as time goes on. Their design center will remain in Tennessee and they are sourcing major components from U.S. suppliers and not necessarily from Asian suppliers.

Company executives admitted that there have been some bumpy roads for the two brands since their purchase by Black and Decker three years ago. They expect that the dollars and man-hours that have gone into re-engineering their product lines will have benefits for the woodworker and their bottom line with improved sales. They may be facing an uphill battle, but hopefully we’ll see some new, quality innovation in tools. Both brands have a century of reputation in quality and hopefully, they’ll be able to regain that respect.

P.S. — I would have posted photos of some of the tools, but company execs prohibited cameras. Some of the products shown are prototypes and all features shown may not necessarily make it into production models. I can understand and respect that. So stay tuned. As we hear more, we’ll post it here.

UPDATE: See the Press Release from Delta/Porter-Cable here: REVOLUTION Press Release

Makita is coming out with some exciting new “black and white’ cordless tools that will appeal to the home woodworker and do-it-yourselfer. They’re 18v tools with 1.5 amp-hour batteries that will recharge in 15 minutes, according to Wayne Hart, Communications Manager for Makita. To me, these tools look the same as their traditional teal-colored tools. The only difference is the smaller battery size to make them lighter in weight. The larger, higher-capacity 3 amp-hour batteries can also be used on these “black and white” tools. One thing about Makita tools that becomes apparent when you pick them up is their quality. The operation of the cordless drills and impact drivers is smooth. The trigger action is effortless. The combo kit you see pictured here retails for around $329. That’s a bargain, considering the drill alone retails for around $200. This kit includes a flashlight, drill, impact driver, radio, and an “intelligent” battery charger (each battery has a built-in CPU to monitor voltage and prevent over-charging).

Of course, the big buzz on the show floor concerns the “stone-faced” tools from Steel City Tool Works. I spoke at length with Mark Strahler, President of Steel City about his new line of tools with granite tables. The table saw with granite table is based on their hybrid saw. This gets around the problem of mounting the trunnion assembly to the table top as with most contractor saws. The granite tops are really flat…dead flat. So flat in fact, that one of Steel City’s customers requested that Steel City supply them with some granite surfaces to use as reference tables in their machine shop. The other advantage is that they will never rust.

Granite will be available for only a small upgrade charge on their table saws, band saws, and jointers (for the fences). Steel City will guarantee the granite for ten years. It’s an interesting concept that proves that Steel City is thinking “outside the box” when it comes to the design of their tools.

Speaking of thinking outside the box, Mark showed me a pre-production sample of the new Steel City “Dust Collector in a Box.” It is literally small enough to fit inside a small shopping bag. It’s designed for benchtop planers in shops that don’t have a traditional dust collector. It’s a small blower motor and housing that attaches with a flexible rubber connector to your planer. The dust chute exits into a large bag off to the side. The expected retail price will be around $99. Pretty cool.

Perhaps the most interesting thing I’ve seen today is made by Penn United Technologies, manufacturer of Penntek tools. These are the guys that originally produced the Robo-Grip pliers which have been redesigned into the newer MagnumGrip pliers. They also licensed the Versa-Clamp and are producing it. But the most unusual thing they had was a new hammer call the PowerPull. The first thought I had was, “How can you improve on the traditional hammer?” They took a traditional framing hammer and added a pop-up “foot” that provides extra leverage when pulling nails. When retracted, it looks just like a “button” on top of the hammer head. When extended, it gives you several addtional pounds of leverage to pull that stubborn nail. It gets around the problem of having to use a scrap piece of wood for extra leverage. Very unique.

Tonight, I’ve been invited to a “press party” by Porter-Cable. As I said yesterday, they’re going to be announcing some new products. More on that tomorrow.

Porter-Cable is set to announce a whole lineup of new tools tomorrow night at a press briefing. I’m going to see if I can sneak in the back door and let you know what I find out.

I got to spend some time at the Rikon Power Tools booth. I met and spoke for a few moments with Erin Riley, president. She said that the company is relatively new (around seven years old) and that Rikon tools have only been around for a little over four years. Steve Mangano, vice president, took some time to show me some of their products. They’ve got some innovative features on their band saws, and I was impressed with their table saw with sliding table. At just under $2,000, I think it’s a bargain with all the features and capabilities. They even have in their product line a couple of radial drill presses. I have an old Rockwell radial drill press that my dad gave me. I think every woodworker should own one. You can read all about their products on the Rikon Power Tools web site.

And Bessey Tools has got a new clamp that’s got my attention. It was originally introduced a few years ago but went away for a redesign and was re-introduced a few months ago. Look for the new DuoKlamp at your Bessey retailer. The product is so new, I couldn’t find it on their web site, but be on the lookout for it.

A chat with John McInerney, VP Sales/Marketing at Amana Tool was worth the time. He say’s they’re redirecting some of their sales efforts to broaden the product line for the home woodworker. Some products that are more used in a production shop have just as much appeal to a hobbyist woodworker. For example, a number of their router bits will be available with replaceable carbide inserts. This has a lot of advantages, according to John. For one, they can use a harder, finer grade of carbide since it wouldn’t be subjected to the heat of brazing it to a steel body. That means a sharper, longer-lasting edge — two other advantages for woodworkers. The initial investment might be a little more, but the costs of replacing the inserts will be considerably less than the cost of a new, traditional-style bit.

Well, I’m off now to see what’s up with the Kreg Tool Company.

Stay tuned for further developments.

As we stood there chatting, he was using his Pfeil carving tools to smooth out the body shape of a horse figure.  You could tell his tools were very sharp.  He was effortlessly taking thin chips out of the basswood figure.  I asked him how he keeps his tools so sharp.  He uses a buffing wheel to hone the edge as needed.

One of my boys asked him how many times he’s cut himself.  He smiled and pointed to his tool roll you see here on the left.  He includes bandages as part of his tool kit.

As time went on, he commented to passers-by that they’ve got seven full-time carvers on staff at the shop.  He said that the figure he was carving on that day is going to be a training aid for his carvers.  As we were talking, he flipped the figure over to show how he had carved the musculature and rib cage of the horse on one side.  His point is that unless a carver knows the anatomy of a horse, he’s going to have a difficult time carving one.  The detail was fascinating and realistic.

The discussion turned to painting.  He says they use three coats of primer, sanding between coats.  Then the colors are brushed on.  Finally, five coats of clearcoat are applied for durability.

Besides building new carousels using wood figures, The Carousel Works also does restoration of old carousels.  To me, it was refreshing to see that there are still companies out there working hard to keep craftsmanship alive.

Over on WoodNet, Bob Strawn (aka “CedarSlayer”) is showing off his portable “roll-up” tool tote.  He even went so far as to use a home-brew finish on it. 

Here’s what Bob said about the construction of the tote:

All the details are there, and it is a good first work. It gives you a place for tools and most of the materials are inexpensive. The leather strap can be a bit more expensive. I made mine out of pine, brass screws, brass tacks, epoxy, screw posts and horse butt. The horse butt was the most expensive, but then I can strop with the straps. I would advise going to a saddle shop and getting vegetable tan leather for the inner fittings, so that you don’t have too many salts in the leather eating your tools. Getting straps from them or using belts from a resale shop would do well.

As far as the one I made goes, The Hex end on mine has 4″ long sides. The boards are 24″ long and 1/2 thick. The end peices are a touch thicker. The inside straps are 1″ wide, the outside straps are 2″ To avoid near impossible clamping issues, I taped the whole thing together and marked boards and ends. I predrilled the three fixed boards, screw holes, to the end pieces. I used masking tape to avoid a mess with the epoxy, and used a slower set epoxy and brass screws to hold the sides together during gluing.

I wanted a rougher finish than the mirror smooth one that came out of my thickness planer, so I sanded at an angle across the grain with 80 grit, to give the look and feel I wanted. Sort of an old sawmill look. This way dings and scratches add character instead of ruining the appearance.

Click here to read more and see more photos of this handy tool tote.

Discovery News is citing some info from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) about the hazards of heavy metals in antiques.  Old mirrors may have been backed with mercury and tin. And clock pendulums or lamp bases may contain mercury. You know…it’s the stuff you used to play with when you were a kid. It’s since been found to be a health hazard.

I remember a few years ago, my wife and I found an old bottle of mercury that had belonged to my mother-in-law, a nurse.  Being the responsible citizen, I took it to our local township volunteer fire department/police station.  I was essentially told to “get it out of here…we’re not responsible if something happens…you’re on your own.”  Wow!  I explained that I had several children in the home and I didn’t want it in my house.  It didn’t matter.  They insisted I remove it from their premises immediately.  So, I took it home.  I ended up having to call the county hazardous materials department.  They sent a guy out.  Turns out he was an old classmate of mine in high school.  He laughed when I told him what my local fire department told me, but he donned heavy rubber gloves, removed the bottle from the house, wrapped it very carefully, and stored it in a well-insulated, shock-protected styrofoam cooler.

Then there was the local elementary school that had to shut down for a day when a child dropped a mercury thermometer on the front steps while returning from an outdoor science class.  You would have thought there had been a bomb blast with all the emergency vehicles and personnel.

So, the next time you need to move Aunt Sue’s antique clock, exercise caution.

They have a subsidiary company that specializes in supplying laboratories — Lab Safety Supply (they have some cool stuff you can use in the shop, too).  I used to order a lot of lab supplies from them.

Turns out that Lab Safety Supply is broadening their market.  They recently acquired McFeely’s.  You know McFeely’s from their cartoonish catalog covers of Jim Ray, the owner.  They rose to fame in woodworking circles by supplying square-drive screws.  I love to use square-drive screws in my shop.  And if you use pocket hole joinery, you already know the benefits of square drive screws.  McFeely’s has an interesting history that you can read about here.

According to this press release:

“McFeely’s will be marketed as an independent brand by LSS, the leading direct marketer of targeted, specialty business products in the safety, industrial, environmental and homeland security markets. Through a similar direct marketing model, McFeely’s serves over 70,000 active customers including serious woodworkers, handymen, home improvement professionals, construction companies and cabinet makers.”

But not only have tools changed over the years, our attitudes and methods have changed, too.  To get an idea of what I mean, look in on this discussion on WoodNet.  Add your 2¢ on how woodworking has changed in your lifetime.

To find out when Craft in America airs in your local area, click here.

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 impossible, to steal the guns. 

The cabinets are made using traditional woodworking tools, but with a unique power source.  The Amish don’t use electricity. So there’s a complete cottage industry in the Amish communities that converts power tools to alternative forms of power.

You can get the whole story here.  It’s worth the read.

“…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 that we’ve known and loved since the mid-70′s.  Has the competition for lower-priced standalone woodworking machinery pushed the Shopsmith out of the market? Sadly, I think it’s just a matter of time before Shopsmith goes the way of other woodworking machine manufacturers. Soon, the only place you’ll be able to read about them will be on the Old Woodworking Machines web site.

“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 place to restore these vehicles to their former glory. Check out some of the restoration work at the museum’s web site.

Here are just a few of the things you can do with the Super Jigs:

• Variably Spaced Half-blind Dovetails
• Variably Spaced Through Dovetails
• Sliding Dovetails
• 5/16” and 5/8” Box Joints….that fit!
• Single Pass Half-blind dovetails – multiple sizes  

You won’t see the new Super Jigs on their web site just yet.  They don’t expect to start shipping them until mid-July. And the one you see here is shown with the optional $69 VRS vacuum attachment (available now). By the way, you’ll want to purchase the VRS — it’s available for ALL of Leigh’s jigs (even their original and older models). And it’s so practical for eliminating dust and chips. It’s amazing how it works. And the great thing is, it also provides a resting platform for your router.

There will be a 12″ ($199), 18″ ($259), and 24″ ($329) version of the Super Jig.  Street prices are expected to be lower. 

TRIVIA:  Do you know where the name “Leigh” comes from?  The founder of Leigh Industries, Ken Grisley, was born in “Leigh-on-Sea” in England.  Now you know.

Happy Birthday, Leonard.  Here’s one woodworker that’s grateful for your contributions to the world.

Well, as proof that what goes around comes around and that history repeats itself, HomerWood® Hardwood Flooring (a subsidiary of Armstrong World Industries, the vinyl flooring manufacturer) has come out with a line of “hand-scraped” hardwood flooring. Yep.  Hand-scraped. By humans.  The Amish, as a matter of fact. They’re calling this new line of flooring the Amish Hand-Scraped™ Collection. Now, I don’t know what HomerWood is charging for this flooring, but I bet it isn’t inexpensive. And apparently there’s a segment of our population that is willing to spend the money for a “hand-tooled” finish.

Personally, I think they misnamed it.  Why?  Because in the photo on this page, the Amish man is using a hand plane (looks like a No. 4). And in the photo on this page, another Amish man is using a drawknife.  A drawknife?! Neither of which can be called a “scraper.” When I think of a scraper, I think of a Stanley 112 or at least a No. 74.  Or the modern Lie-Nielsen Large Scraping Plane or the Veritas® Scraping Plane.

In any case, I think “Hand-Tooled” might have been a better name. Maybe we ought to offer to go teach the marketing folks at HomerWood a little about hand tools.

The two big manufacturers in furniture kits have been O’Sullivan Industries and Sauder Woodworking. During the last few years, O’Sullivan has apparently had some financial trouble. On Monday, it was announced on crescent-news.com that Sauder will purchase key assets, or parts, of O’Sullivan Industries.

I find it interesting that Kevin Sauder, president and CEO of Sauder Woodworking wasn’t interested in O’Sullivan’s manufacturing facilities. “I was interested in the customer base,” which includes companies such as Lowe’s, Staples, Big Lots and Wal-Mart.

Enough said.

The suspect was a tankless water heater. As water poured out, it flooded the third floor and cascaded like a waterfall along walls and stairwells to the lower floors.

Needless to say, it was a tragedy, but all affected employees have been temporarily relocated and it’s “business as usual.” (None of the editorial staff for the magazines was affected.) In the meantime, construction crews are already at work removing damaged items, drying out the facility, and rebuilding the interior. It’s amazing how much damage water can do.

Just like a brick-and-mortar museum, you can browse the works of craftsmen from all over the world. But unlike a brick-and-mortar museum, you can view these works from the comfort of your own home and at your own leisure. For example, you can look at the wood reproductions of heavy equipment by Chuck Hoggarth. You can see one of his projects in the photo on the left.

And speaking of craftsmanship, Bill Gould wrote a great article on our society’s perception of craftsmanship. Does our culture shun true craftsmanship? Why bother to strive for perfection in our craft? He defines craftsmen as “those who make things by hand, in a manner that exhibits mastery of their craft, whether as an avocation or profession.” Bill sums up the article with some things you and I can do to share our passion and value of true craftsmanship.

I hope that as you spend time in your shop, you give some thought to the projects you’re working on and apply your skills as a craftsman. Strive for perfection. Be patient in your work. Take your time to plan every move and every cut with a tool. Your work will show the difference. And even if nobody else appreciates your craftsmanship, you can take pride in the work of your hands, mind, and heart.

I’ve used the “3-4-5″ method which takes advantage of the Pythagorean Theorem. You remember what that is, right? It’s what we learned in geometry or trigonometry class.

The sum of the squares of the sides of a right triangle equals the square of the hypotenuse.

or

a² + b² = c²

So, with the “3-4-5″ method of laying out square lines, you substitute like this:

3² + 4² = 5²

or

9 + 16 = 25

So you can measure 3-feet along one edge of your panel, and 4-feet at a right angles to that (I use my framing square as a guide). The distance between those two points should be exactly 5-feet if your first two lines are at a right angle (90°).

James D. Thompson has written a handy set of articles on Layout Basics. In this article, he shows you how to use a compass to mark out a square reference line. It doesn’t require any math and works every time.

We’ve fixed the broken links and all should be well now. If you still have difficulty viewing Chris’s great podcast, please let us know.

Thanks for viewing our podcasts and making them so popular!

Best-Built Jigs and Fixtures: Dovetail Jig Workcenter
This workcenter is a handy addition to any shop. It’s loaded with features that make using your dovetail jig more enjoyable. There’s plenty of storage inside for your dovetail jig and accessories. And we’ve built in some features to make routing dovetails more accurate.

Weekend Workshop: Table Saw Outfeed Support
Ripping long pieces on the table saw can be a struggle. This easy-to-build outfeed support gives you an extra hand when you need it — and stores easily when you don’t.

Storage Solutions: 5 Plywood Shop Projects
It won’t take a lot of time, effort, or material to improve your shop with these handy plywood projects. Each one can be built from a single sheet of inexpensive plywood.

Plus, in Router Workshop, we’ll show you our Top 10 Hand-Held Router Accessories that will help you get more out of your hand-held router.

And, as always, you’ll find lots of other informative pages inside this issue of ShopNotes. Look for it on the newsstands or in your mailbox.

Enter the Veritas® Honing Guide Mk.XXXXII. It’s a new design that every shop needs for sharpening tools. I had Lee Valley send one of these to me for evaluation. I have to tell you that I’ve not been this excited about a new tool for a long time. I was able to have a complete set of chisels sharpened within ten minutes! And I could sharpen the irons in my No. 3, No. 4, No. 4½, No. 5, and No. 6 planes all at the same time!  What a time-saver!

My only complaint with the unit is the weight. It requires two steady hands to move back and forth across your sharpening media of choice.  But at around $140, I think the trade off is worth it!

_______________________________

Oh…by the way…Happy April Fool’s Day!  

One of our readers made his version of the Tall Kitchen Table and Stools seen here on the right. I think the embellishment he did to the legs adds some interest. He used the Legacy Ornamental Mill to shape the legs. And for the joinery, he used the Leigh FMT Mortise and Tenon Jig. You can read more about how he built this project over on WoodNet and see his progress photos here.

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.

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?

• 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.

I like the recent thread on WoodNet where it talked about reversing the blade to make it a scraper plane. I never would have thought of that, but it’s an excellent idea and works great! I was able to get transparent shavings off of maple.

I found blade adjustment very easy using a plane hammer. A light tap on the front or rear of the plane advances or retracts the blade just enough to get perfect shavings.

I agree with some users who say that the longer blade would dig into your hand. But once you learn how to hold it, it’s not that troublesome.

I thought the blade adjustment screw was a little flimsy for my liking. I would have liked to have seen a little larger screw boss in the casting with a little larger diameter screw. It’s a perception thing. I had no trouble with it during use, though.

Read all the comments about this new little plane on WoodNet.

This plane is going to stay in my shop apron. 

Well, apparently they’ve come to terms. And here’s a classic quote from the president of the association:

“We were never going to take away his woodworking thing,” which she called “a dear little hobby.”  

“His woodworking thing?”

A “dear little hobby?”

As Paul’s wife said, “Our ‘dear little hobby’ has sure raised a ruckus.”

It’s no wonder that homeowner associations have been getting a lot of bad press in the last few years.

I ran across this column by Burt Prelutsky on Townhall.com. In it, he gives a rather humorous account of his fear of changing tires, heights, and “tools with moving parts.” He recalls:

“In the seventh grade, I was required to take woodshop at John Burroughs Junior High. In order to make a bookend, it was necessary to employ a band saw. This, in case your life has been one long strawberry festival and you’ve been spared being introduced to this Satanic device, is an electric blade around which you manipulate the piece of wood you’re sawing. In case you still don’t get the picture, your hands are in extremely close proximity to this totally malevolent moving blade.

“If you’re still wondering why I have this terrible dread of electrical tools, it’s probably because I neglected to mention that our instructor, Mr. Bailey, was nicknamed ‘Fingers Bailey,’ and it wasn’t because he had more digits than your average Homo sapien, but because, all told, he only had four, maybe four-and-a-half of them left.”

He goes on to talk about how he has learned to avoid his fears and the fact that he hasn’t touched a band saw in fifty years. 

That’s too bad.  What contribution might such a creative talent made to the world of woodworking?  One can only imagine…

So…I’m out in the shop, working on repairing some shelving for my wife. I let my 13-year old use the table saw for the first time. I could tell he was nervous, but he did fine. But the noise bothered him. Same with the router. He just doesn’t like the noise.

Anyway, I move on to cutting and attaching some drawer fronts to my drill press cabinet. He’s bored, so he pulls out some hand planes and works on making a toy dagger out of some scraps. (The kids were so impressed with a toy sword I made — complete with a leather-covered handle — that they’ve been begging for more “weapons.”) He decides to add a “scabbard” crosspiece to the blade. So he carefully marks the joint on both pieces. What he’s really after, but doesn’t know it yet, is his first half-lap joint.

Now, remember, I’m minding my own business and not paying attention to what he’s doing. But I pop my head up from behind the bench and he asks very innocently, “How do I do this without making noise?”  I bust out laughing.

After I caught my breath, I pointed him to my little joinery hand saws and showed him how to use them. So he made several saw kerfs halfway through the thickness of the “scabbard” and “blade” pieces for his dagger. Then I pulled out my Stanley chisels and showed him how to pare away the waste (while keeping the fingers BEHIND the cutting edge). “Wow, this is sharp!,” he said. Finally, he cleaned up the joint with a shoulder plane. He thought that was cool.

Now, for his first hand-cut joint, it didn’t turn out bad at all. It was a little loose, so we made some walnut wedges to fill in the gaps before he glued everything together.

He needs to keep that dagger and always remember the first time he made a hand-cut joint in Dad’s shop. Without noise. And dust. It only gets better from there.

I liked the idea of a Shopsmith, but wondered about having a “do-all” machine in the shop. But in a period of time when there were limited outlets to buy stationary power tools (think “Sears”), it was one of few woodworking machines around.

Woodworking as a hobby in the last 25 years or so has matured when it comes to tools. There are retail woodworking stores where there once were none. And mail-order resources make almost any tool or supply available with a click of the mouse or just a phone call.

So I wasn’t too surprised when I read this story in the Dayton Daily News. Shopsmith is in trouble, financially. They’ve handed over day-to-day responsibilities to a consulting firm that specializes in financially-troubled companies. When asked about their strategy, they said that they need to increase the value of the company by increasing sales. What does that mean? Lower prices? More options? There wasn’t a clear answer.

If I had the opportunity to lay my hands on a used Shopsmith at a reasonable price, I’d probably grab it…and turn it into a monster lathe.

NEWS from CPSC
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Office of Information and Public Affairs
Washington, DC 20207

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 6, 2007
Release #07-120
Firm’s Recall Hotline: (800) 525-2579
CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908
 

One World Technologies Recalls Throat Plates Sold with Ryobi Router Tables 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 of product: Ryobi Router Table Throat Plates.

Units: About 100,000.

Manufacturer: One World Technologies Inc., of Anderson, S.C.

Hazard: The throat plates do not securely snap into the router’s table top bit opening. The throat plate can come loose during operation and be ejected from the table top, posing a laceration hazard to consumers.

Incidents/Injuries: One World Technologies has received three reports of throat plates coming loose during use. Two consumers were struck on the nose by the throat plate and received a minor cut and bruising.

Description: The recall involves Ryobi-brand router tables, with model number RT101, which is written on the table’s data plate, located on its front leg. These tables were sold as part of the Ryobi combo kits with model numbers R161RTA and R162RTA. The combo kit model number is written on the packaging. A router table holds the router underneath the table. Instead of moving the router over the wood, the table allows the user to guide the wood for cutting. The throat plates are components of the table that consist of five yellow plastic rings. They serve as a guide for the router bit and provide a stable surface around the bit.

Sold Exclusively at: Home Depot stores nationwide between May 2004 and January 2007 for about $100 for the combo kits that include the router, router table and throat plates.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should immediately check their router tables to ensure that the throat plates securely snap into the router bit opening. If any throat plates do not securely snap into the table top, consumers should stop using the router table immediately and contact One Word Technologies for a free replacement set of throat plates.

Consumer Contact: For more information, consumers can call One World Technologies Inc. at (800) 525-2579 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or go to the firm’s Web site at http://www.ryobitools.com

To see this recall on CPSC’s web site, including pictures of the recalled product, please go to:
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml07/07120.html

********************************************************

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from more than 15,000 types of consumer products under the agency’s jurisdiction. Deaths, injuries and property damage from consumer product incidents cost the nation more than $700 billion annually. The CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical, or mechanical hazard or can injure children. The CPSC’s work to ensure the safety of consumer products – such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters, and household chemicals – contributed significantly to the 30 percent decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 30 years.

To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury, call CPSC’s hotline at (800) 638-2772 or CPSC’s teletypewriter at (800) 638-8270, or visit CPSC’s web site at www.cpsc.gov/talk.html. To join a CPSC email subscription list, please go to http://www.cpsc.gov/cpsclist.asp. Consumers can obtain this release and recall information at CPSC’s Web site at http://www.cpsc.gov.

—————————–

This message is from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, an independant federal regulatory agency, located at 4330 East West Highway, Bethesda, MD 20814 Toll-free hotline: (800) 638-2772

Thank you.

“I have a few old woodworking tools and there was this box at the end (of the auction) with a lot of old woodworking tools. I bought it sight-unseen for 10 bucks and I picked it up yesterday on the way home from work and started unpacking it and in the bottom of it I found the mortar.

“It was a fairly big box and it was hidden right in the bottom of the box where no-one could see it … and it was a little bit scary to find something like that.

“It was like ‘oh $#!+ {expletive deleted}!’ and it was like ‘oh we’ve got to ring the cops quick’, so all we did was left it where it was and they came around and we were told we should not stay in the house overnight and we went to our in-laws to stay the night.”

You can click here to read the rest of the story. You just never know what goodies you’ll find at an auction.

But I had an experience the other day that made me stop and think. I was finishing up the drawers for the cabinet under my workbench. (Read my original post here.) My three youngest boys had migrated to the shop because it was too cold to play outside. I put my 11-year old to work on installing the Accuride drawer slides. The 10-year old was helping him.

The 7-year old was watching me build the drawer boxes. I could tell he was just waiting for something to do. So I put three sides of the drawer box together, handed him the bottom panel, and his eyes just lit up. He slid the bottom into the groove with a big grin on his face. I finished the box and went to install the drawer slides. I used a centering punch to mark the screw locations, so I let him “tap” it with the hammer. As he watched me drive the screws home he said, “Dad, you know what I wanna’ do when I grow up?”  I stopped and listened. “When I grow up, I wanna’ be just like you.”  I didn’t know what to say. I immediately thought of the hit song “Cat’s in the Cradle.” I don’t want to be the father who never has time for his kid(s).

Needless to say, I was taken aback. I literally stopped what I was doing and thought about the enormity of what my 7-year old was saying and the responsibility that comes with it.

Whether we want to admit it or not, and whether we feel worthy or not, and no matter how much we’ve screwed up, our kids look up to us. Don’t take that responsibility lightly. Enjoy the time you have with your kids…no matter how old they are. Make time for your kids. It’s an investment that yields benefits for generations.

My first router was a Sears Craftsman. Back then, where I grew up, the only place you could buy a router was from Sears. I didn’t know any better. It worked okay. Until the time I was building a stereo cabinet for my brother-in-law out of birch plywood. I was routing ¾”-wide dados across the side panels. As I was halfway across the panel, I noticed the pitch of the motor changed. By the time I realized what was happening, it was too late. The bit had slipped out of the collet and routed clear through my panel!  At that point, I shut the lights out and went to bed. I couldn’t afford to buy new plywood, so I made a plug out of scrap and carefully fit it into place. To this day, you can hardly tell that there was a mistake.

Just remember — being a good woodworker isn’t just one who knows how to put something together. He’s also one that knows how to fix mistakes.

When this news story from the Star-Gazette in New York came across my desk, I couldn’t believe what I was reading. The reporter starts out his story:

“There is relaxation in sanding a piece of wood. With the simplest of tools, grit on paper, you slowly smooth a slice of raw tree to reveal the beauty of the grain.

“The steady rasping sound and back-and-forth rhythm of sanding is hypnotic. The motion becomes automatic. You don’t consciously think about it. You flow into a state of manual meditation.

“That is the Zen of woodworking…”

And it goes on.

The story is about a woodworker who builds small projects in his shop. They equate sanding a piece of wood to meditation. I’m sure not one to make light of making a religious experience out of woodworking, but when I’m forced to do a lot of sanding, I want to do anything but meditate. Maybe it has something to do with the smelly dust mask and the coating of fine dust on my glasses…

Here’s what Kevin said about the construction of the plane:
Software was used to design the lettering and then output to a
Bridgeport CNC Milling machine with an engraving tool. The sides and sole were machined to fit. The brass sides were milled to size and the steel sole is just around .002 larger to allow for a tight pressed fit. The connector bolts have brass spacers inserted to maintain proper thickness. They were simply easier to use than bothering with rivets. The brass wedge was drawn up in AutoCAD and then exported to the CNC Milling maching with an end-mill. After assembly, 320 silicone emery paper gave the shoulder plane
the final “spit and polish.”

I told Kevin that it looked awesome, but how did it work?

Here’s what he had to say: “I broke out the Tormek and sharpened the iron up tonight and got to use the plane. Paper-thin shavings with only a little bit of fussing. This baby is going to get years of love and use!”

You can read more here on the WoodNet Hand Tools forum.

Here’s what Phil Huber, Associate Editor of Woodsmith had to say about Phil’s presentation:

“First, it was amazing just how much he did with just a small assortment of tools — quite the opposite of what you see pitched in catalogs and, unfortunately, in woodworking magazines. When he did the shaping of the (rough cut) legs with just a rasp, file, and card scraper, it was inspiring. The big lesson here is picking the right set of tools for the types of projects you build. After seeing him work, I think a small router plane would come in really handy!

“Another quality of Phil’s work that made an impression was his methodical and efficient working habits. He’s made a well-practiced routine of some basic steps. Applying those skills to a variety of projects saves time and a lot of head scratching. When I spend time in my shop, I’d like to put in some ‘practice time’ with my hand saw, chisels, and smoothing plane and build those basic skills. Besides, building that set of skills is part of what makes woodworking enjoyable to me.

“Along with that, Phil showed a level of confidence that I’d like to have in my woodworking. For example, when the table saw wasn’t cutting up to snuff, he just calmly crosscut a part at the band saw and squared it up with a plane in a short time. The same with making the dovetail sockets for the legs. No one-time-use router jig, just nuts and bolts saw and chisel work. (The photo shows a small joinery saw made by Wenzloff and Sons.)  I spend too much time worrying about getting something perfect or not trying a technique because I’m not sure how it will turn out. The fact is, I just need to do it.”

“I don’t know if I can sum it up in a couple of paragraphs… most of what I gleaned were random tidbits of information. In general, Phil seems like a very knowledgeable, down-to-earth woodworker. He impressed me as a no-nonsense New England Yankee, who approaches every task at hand in a practical and methodical way. I was as impressed with the way he worked as much as the end result of his efforts.

“I found the slide show to be very inspiring, particularly the photos of projects made by his students. It made me realize that even a seemingly intricate and complex piece of furniture is not so difficult if you just break it down into a series of smaller steps. It also made me realize that there is really no substitute to actually doing something. You can read and watch and listen all you want, but you have to actually get some hands-on practice if you want to master a skill. Phil made a comment about learning how to do something. He used carving rosettes as an example. He said that if you carve one rosette, you will prove to yourself how it is done, and that it can be done. But if you carve 10 rosettes, you will start to get good at it and learn how to do it better and faster.

“I was impressed by how Phil synthesized the use of power tools and hand tools in a way that made complete sense and yielded top-notch results in his work. Again, a lot of this had to do with his no-nonsense approach. He seemed to pick the tool that would give him the best results in the quickest amount of time. Since he does this for a living, I imagine time is money for him, and he isn’t about to waste valuable time setting up a jig or power tool when a hand tool can do the job faster. Conversely, if he has a lot of repetitious work to do, he will invest the time to make a jig for a power tool.”

Part of the reason I hadn’t done anything until now was because I wasn’t sure what I wanted. I didn’t know what would be the best use of the space. Would simple shelves suffice?  A combination of drawers and doors? This weekend, I really took some time to look at my tools and how they’re stored (or not stored, as the case may be). I have a lot of measuring tools, a fair number of chisels, old carving tools, and other hand tools. So for me, it seemed that a bunch of shallow drawers would serve me better than deeper ones. Things get tossed around and lost in deep drawers.

Now, I’m one that likes to use material I have on hand, so I found a piece of ½” Baltic birch plywood left over from another project. I ripped it into 2″-wide strips to form the sides of the drawer boxes. Now, what joinery to use? Nobody but me would be likely to see the drawers, and I’m a practical sort of guy, so I opted for pocket hole joinery. No glue. And it’s fast and strong. I drilled two pocket holes at each end of the back and front pieces on the outside face. That way, the front ones will be hidden by a false drawer front I’ll add later. And the back pocket holes will be hidden inside the cabinet. Let me add here that if you’re going to build drawers using pocket hole joinery, Kreg’s right angle clamp is worth every penny. It holds the joint nice and tight while driving screws.

But what to use for the drawer bottoms?  I thought I had some ¼” hardboard lying around, but soon realized I must have used it all up. But I did have some ¼” pegboard…hmmm…   So that’s what I used. I had to laugh at myself for being such a tightwad, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized it was a brilliant idea. You know why? Because I can make little dividers for my drawers with ¼”-dia. pegs in the bottom to fit in the pegboard holes. So that’s what I’m gonna’ do.

Anyhow…when I get all the drawers done, the hope is that I’ll clear up some much-needed bench space and actually have room to work on those furniture projects on my list.

So I’ve been known to cut the larger branches into manageable lengths and store them in my unheated cellar to dry out. Sometimes I’ll paint the ends to help minimize checking and cracking during the drying process.

So what do you do with this free lumber? Well, of course, it depends on the wood. I find that what I end up doing most is turning smaller projects on the lathe. I remember a few years back my kids making fun of me because every time I went to the shop, I came out with a hand full of handles for my tools. (Making handles for your files, for example, is an easy project to do.) Or you could use your free lumber to make accent pieces for your projects: drawer fronts, knobs, pulls, inlays, and so on. I’ve got some larger logs that I’d like to use to try my hand at turning a bowl, like Brian Simmons did in this podcast.

So while you or your neighbors are cleaning up the debris from less fortunate trees, snag onto the larger stuff and make something beautiful out of it!

I’m fortunate to live in central Iowa and have a membership to Living History Farms. It’s recognized as one of the most authentic historical sites in the nation and the world. You can read more about its history here. There’s something there for everyone in the family to see and take part in the activities. Every time I go, I’m automatically drawn to the authentic 1870′s cabinetmaker’s shop. I can spend hours just hanging around watching the cabinetmakers and chatting about woodworking. On Saturday, March 10, they’re having a class on “Woodworking Hand Plane Restoration.” You can go to this page to see a complete list of adult education courses, including blacksmith courses at the blacksmith shop.

So, if your travels ever take you to “Ioway,” be sure to stop by for a visit.

That was about a month ago. We were getting ready for a vacation trip at the time and my time in the shop was pretty limited. I kept putting him off, knowing in my heart of hearts that I’d better work with him on this as soon as possible or it would be another “lost opportunity.”

Last night I was in the shop working on a small project (photo props for an article I’m working on for ShopNotes) when I recalled my son’s request. I spotted a nice poplar board leaning against my drill press cabinet. It was ½” thick. “Perfect,” I thought. So I ripped it into strips about 1½” wide, cut the strips to length, and formed half lap joints on the ends. (Download the article “Cut Perfect Half Lap Joints” here.) I don’t have a good dado stack and I only had eight cuts to make, so I just nibbled the joints away on the table saw. Then I used my shoulder plane to clean up the joints. Actually, my 13-year old was more than happy to help with that.

At this point, I called my 7-year old out to the shop and told him to bring his little wooden stool. So he promptly lugs his stool into the shop and sets it up by my workbench. I told my 13-year old to show Alex how to use the shoulder plane. Their eyes lit up. I called my wife out to the shop so share in this magical father/son moment. She crosses her arms, watches Alex’s little hands as he works the plane back and forth and says something like, “Well, I see you’ve got another one sucked in.” I don’t remember the exact words, but it was something like that. “Yep,” I said.

We stuck a glob of glue on the joints and he used his index finger to spread it around. He thought that was cool. Then we used some spring clamps to hold it together until the glue dries.

Tonight we get to plane the joints smooth, sand it, and paint it. I mean, HE gets to plane…

Restore an Old Grinder. The first thing I did was restore a hand-cranked grinder similar to this one pictured here. It was made in the early 1900′s by Luther Grinder Manufacturing Company out of Milwaukee. It’s a “Best Maide No. 1551″ with a “Dimo-Grit” wheel. (You can view a 1920 catalog here.) I had to disassemble everything, clean off the rust and old paint, repaint each part, reassemble, and add oil to the “crankcase.” I’m not sure if I’ll actually use it to sharpen anything, but it looks great and works like a charm! I was actually quite surprised at how well it worked.

Table Saw Tune-Up. I took some time Saturday evening to work on my table saw. It’s been a couple years since I really took the time to clean out the underside and lubricate all the moving parts. I’m one of those poor souls that has a Sears Craftsman saw. It’s okay, but not the greatest. But since it’s all I’ve got, I have to take care of it. I used some tips from Craig Ruegsegger in his Table Saw Tune-Up seminar. The first thing I did was vacuum out all the dust. I used a small, old brush to help loosen years of accumulation. Then I used Boeshield T-9 to lubricate the drive screws and rack for the blade height adjustment. It was no small task to get a spray can up underneath where I needed to. I ended up tilting my saw forward and resting it on a five-gallon bucket so I could still operate the blade height wheel. Once that was all done, I tighted the handwheels for the height and bevel adjustments. I was pretty happy with the results, but the height adjustment is still not as easy as I’d like.

Drill Press Tune-Up. Finally, I took some time Sunday afternoon to work on my old Rockwell Radial Arm drill press (it’s similar to this one). Let me just say that I would recommend at least considering a radial drill press for woodworking. They’re nice because of the large table area, and I can tilt the head (instead of the table) to drill angled holes. (Mine’s got a large melamine auxiliary table with T-tracks.) And I can move the entire head assembly in and out for greater reach when I need it.

I’ve notice recently that there was a fair amount of vertical “play” in the quill shaft of my drill press. Fortunately, I still have the original owners manual and it gave instructions on how to fix it. All I had to do was find the locking collar at the top of the shaft, loosen it, slide it down to take up the slack, and retighten it. Wouldn’t you know it, mine was rusted to the shaft. I ended up squirting some PB Blaster (good stuff!) on it and let it soak for a few minutes. I found a long bolt that fit the threads where the set screw was located and used it to get some leverage to work the collar loose. It worked!

So, I feel good about having some productive time in the shop. Now, my wife wants me to build some bunk beds for two of my boys. I suppose that means I’ll actually have to build something rather than just “piddle” in the shop.

I’m sure that these experiences have led to the increasingly popular belt sander races. There are tournaments for “stock” belt sanders and souped-up belt sanders. Now, I wouldn’t want to do this with my one and only belt sander I use in my shop, but apparently guys (and gals) spend weeks and months of their time getting ready for these races. 

Here’s a link to several videos of local belt sander races. Come to find out, the New England Belt Sander Racing Association has been racing these power tools for 20 years. There’s an article posted by the Boston Herald that talks about their 2007 Winter Nationals that were held on February 3. 

I think it’s a great idea to have some good, clean fun. Heck, you could even turn it into a fund raiser to support a local charity or other worthwhile cause.

Now, what did I do with that old belt sander Dad gave me…

As an editor, I don’t get as much time in the shop as I’d sometimes like. I was talking with one of our managing editors yesterday about woodworking and shop time and taking on side projects. You know what I mean. Like the neighbor who happens to see a table saw in your garage and says, “Can you build me a set of bookshelves?” Or your mother-in-law who sees that $99 coffee table in the Sunday paper advertisements and says, “Can you build one like that? Only I want one made out of walnut.” That started a whole discussion about how and if we charge for our time. And if we do, what do we really make per hour and is it really worth it.

Here’s my philosophy. I take on those projects from paying customers:

1. When I need the money (or new tools!).
2. When they agree to pay me what my time is worth.
3. It’s clearly defined up front what they want and what their expectations are.
4. I’ve gone over the materials list and estimated labor several times to come up with a fair price.

If the project doesn’t interest me, I don’t do it. That’s the nice part about having a full-time day job. I can take on only those side projects that I really want to do.

What about family and friends? Well…that’s a touchy subject. At the least, I try to get them to pay for materials. Usually they’ll kick in a little extra at the end to help me buy another tool or two. But it’s usually considerable less than you’d expect if you were charging a reasonable hourly rate for your time.

What about those projects your significant other has put on your list? Well…you’re on your own, there, buddy!

Here’s the story of a guy who used to work in the insurance industry. He started taking on woodworking projects on a part-time basis. He eventually quit his job and went to work for himself building reproduction furniture. What he says is true about woodworking:

“You don’t do this for the money. It’s truly a passion…”

We think you’ll be proud to hang this in your shop. And it’s handsome enough to hang in your office or kitchen. So tell all your woodworking buddies about this cool download.

Phil Lowe has been involved with woodworking since 1968 and is the author of many articles in Fine Woodworking Magazine. He is featured in the Time Life series on woodworking and in videos with The Taunton Press on Carve a Ball and Claw Foot, Making a Sheraton Bed and most recently, Measuring Furniture for Reproduction. His teaching experience includes ten years (1975 -1985) as an instructor at Boston’s North Bennett Street School, where he was positioned as department head for the latter five.

Since 1985 Phil has operated a furniture making and restoration shop in Beverly, MA, producing work for the private sector and museums throughout North America. In 1997 Phil started The Furniture Institute of Massachusetts which offers hands-on classes in all facets of traditional furniture making. Phil has been a visiting instructor and demonstrator at various schools and woodworking organizations throughout the United States and Canada.

The presentation on Friday, February 23rd is from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM. Phil will use a slide show to introduce you to his experience and philosophy of building and restoring fine furniture in his Boston workshop. The Friday evening presentation is FREE and open to the public.

The presentation on Saturday, February 24th is from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. Phil will demonstrate how to plan a piece of furniture, design appropriate joinery, and construct the piece using a combination of power and hand tools. Tickets are required in advance for the Saturday presentation. A catered Lunch is included. There is limited ticket availability.

The cost for Saturday’s seminar is $50 for members of the Des Moines Woodworkers Association and $60 for non-members. You can download an application here.

Since we’ve started posting videos of our weekly seminars at the Woodsmith Store, we were shocked and very pleasantly surprised at their popularity. Thousands of folks all over the U.S. and Canada and beyond are downloading and watching our videos. We started doing it on a trial basis and were overwhelmed by their success. So overwhelmed, in fact, that our web group here at August Home Publishing is concerned about the load it places on our web servers when so many folks download our videos. So they’re working on expanding our capacity.

And to make it easier to navigate the blog to get to the videos, we’ll be making some changes to the layout of the blog you’re reading now. In the meantime, you’ll notice in the upper right margin that all the videos are listed under “Featured Articles.” And you can you can see them all listed on one page by following this link:

http://www.woodworkingonline.com/category/podcast

So…stay tuned and check back here often for changes that will make WoodworkingOnline.com your favorite woodworking blog. We’ve even got some freebies we’re working on that you’ll be able to download and use in your shop. But that’s all I’m saying right now. You’ll just have to wait to find out what it is…

I ran across this interesting thread on the Sawmill Creek woodworking forum. Bob raises the question of whether or not the glue joints on your projects are reparable. Up until recently, I would have thought that you wouldn’t ever want your glue joints to come apart. But now I’m beginning to think a little differently. What happens down the road when you need to replace a part on one of your projects? Or a grandchild wants to have that old dresser you made restored? 

I’ve learned that those who restore and preserve furniture professionally say never to use a glue that can’t be reversed. And when you think about it, it kinda’ makes sense. Imagine some veneer on a 200-year old dresser that was delaminating or needed replaced. How could you do it if you couldn’t break the glue bond cleanly and still preserve the integrity and value of the piece?

Just food for thought.

The other day I needed to take the bathroom door out of its opening to move it into the shop for some planing, scraping, fixing and painting.It turned out that my cordless drill had run down its battery (from lack of use – but if you say that to my wife I will deny everything).

I threw my hands up, jammed the battery into the charger, and sat down to watch the Eagles’ B team throw the final switch on Mora’s job at Atlanta.

My wife passed by as I was sitting on the couch and asked what I was doing.

When I explained my predicament she asked me, “What did you do before you had a cordless drill?”

You know, women are sorta like cats – they’re cute when they’re young but spend the rest of their lives making annoying noises and coughing up furballs on the carpet.  OK, the carpet thing was a little over the top.

She was right, though – again.

I went down to the shop and got out my old Yankee 131-A and sucked the screws out of them hinges in about half a heart beat. It gets better.

The other part of the bathroom job was to run a bit of trim and my old Paslode Trimpulse (the original model, unfortunately) had a battery that would not take a charge.

Knowing that my wife would ask me the same question again, I looked into the box and pulled out my slightly rusty Yankee push drill.

This, along with my Plumb 20 oz. curved claw that I drove for thirty years would handle the trim  (I know that you think that a 20 oz. hammer is more meat than a man should use for trim but if you talk to old finish carpenters, of which I am one, they will tell you that 13 oz. trim hammers are for amateurs… – and just plain don’t have enough smack).

Let it suffice to say that I was done my chores in less time than it took for the batteries to charge and I made new friends with old friends.

Regards,

Tom Watson

tjwatson1ATcomcastDOTnet (real email)
http://home.comcast.net/~tjwatson1/

You can read the complete thread with responses to Tom’s original post here.  To read more about Yankee-type screwdrivers, pick up a copy of ShopNotes No. 91.

While I spent over twelve hours in the shop on Saturday, I learned some new things and reconfirmed some things I already knew about myself.

The first thing I realized is that there is a place for both power tools and hand tools in the shop.  Now most of you won’t consider that notion any great revelation.  But since I’ve been idle in my shop over the last year or so, I’ve somehow had this daydream that whenever I got started on actually building something again, it would be with mostly hand tools.  The reality set in quickly when I found the need to rout an edge profile on some boards.  I don’t have a complete set of molding planes at my disposal, so I dug through one of my moving boxes and found the router bits I needed.  My poor old Porter-Cable router hadn’t seen the light of day for probably a couple of years.  It felt good to see the finished product.

Another thing I learned confirmed what I already know — I hate miter joints.  No matter how I cut them or how careful I am, they never turn out right.  But that leads to my third lesson.

A small block plane is indespensable no matter what size the project.  I found myself reaching for a low-angle block plane to “tweak” the fit of the miter joints. (I really like the Veritas® low-angle Apron Plane.)  And when it came time to fit a the edge of a board tight against another, I scribed the joint and fine-tuned the fit with the block plane.  In years past, I’d have tried this with a belt sander or some other uncontrollable electrical device.  But there’s something about taking shavings off in controlled amounts that make woodworking enjoyable.

There’s one other thing I reconfirmed in myself during this project:  I really dislike finishing.  No… I pretty much hate it.  This particular project required the use of a Sherwin-Williams oil-based stain to match existing woodwork.  But I wanted to add some protection with some sort of polyurethane varnish.  Since I’ve never had good results in years past with brush-on polyurethane, I decided to give General Finishes Arm-R-Seal wipe-on polyurethane a try.  Wouldn’t you know it…even after reading and following the instructions on the can, it lifted some of the stain.  Not just on the first coat, either.  Every coat I applied kept pulling up some stain.  Until the fourth coat.  Nevertheless, the wood tone was not as dark as when I started.  Now, I fault the stain more than the varnish.  I’ve heard of many folks being perfectly happy with the results they get using Arm-R-Seal.

Now, all my finishing problems might have something to do with the fact that instead of sanding my project (I despise sanding), I hand planed each board then used a card scraper.  The surface of the red oak was glass-smooth before I applied the stain.  I think that most finish manufacturers count on a sanded surface in their formulations.

In any case, the project is complete and I’m ready to start on the next one.  Now what did I do with that “Honey-Do” list?

Well, this morning, I found out about Google’s new Patent search. It’s in “beta” right now, meaning that they’re still testing it. But I checked it out and it’s pretty cool. You can type in a search term and it’ll pull up all the relevant patents. That means that somewhere in the Google technology, they’ve used character recognition to be able to search older patent documents. (You may also be interested in Google’s Book search, too.)

Just for grins and out of curiosity, I typed in “drill press” and found this patent issued in 1889 to Edward C. Stearns

:

But Bridge City Tool Works and founder John Economaki have built a strong following made up of both users and collectors. You don’t stay in business for over 25 years without a loyal customer base. And as John says, “We make a world-class product …but, there’s more to our tools than just making sawdust. I believe the combination of form and function is inspiring and adds immensely to the physical process of woodworking.”

So when I was asked last week to take a look at the new HP-7 Shoulder Plane, I was eager to get my hands on it. And I have to say, it is an impressive new tool. Its body is made from solid brass. That gives if plenty of heft, which is what you want in a shoulder plane. And the iron is almost a full ¼” thick. That’ll make it easier to hone to a sharp edge.

But what’s really unique about this plane is the mechanism used to secure the iron in place. The ergonomically-designed stainless steel handle on the back of the plane is really a lever that locks a cap iron into place. It works kind of like a toggle clamp. It’s an ingenious design and functions very well. (There’s also a set screw in the cap iron that allows you to adjust the amount of pressure for locking down the iron.)

The shoulder plane also has two adjusting wheels. The one at the front controls an adjustable “shoe” to set the mouth opening. To set the opening, simply loosen the shoe using a finely knurled adjustment wheel. Then you manually position the shoe for the mouth opening you desire and retighten the wheel. It would by nice if there were an adjustment knob of some sort, but it’s not a terrible inconvenience to position it manually. And I like that you can slide the shoe out of the way to remove the iron.

And speaking of the iron, it’s held in place by a pin on the depth adjustment mechanism. The depth adjustment is controlled by a second knurled wheel at the back of the plane. The backlash was minimal at only about ¼ to ½ turn of the wheel.

I took a few swipes on the end grain of some cherry with the prototype we tested and it did a great job of slicing through the wood fibers. And that was right out of the box without honing the iron. I do have one small complaint though. I have smaller hands and the “horn” of the lever mechanism on the prototype stuck up a little too high and curved backward too sharply to fit the web of my hand. Plus, I felt the finger indentations in the brass body were too far away for my stubby fingers to reach. But, when we mentioned this to the folks at Bridge City, we were told that the indents were moved closer to the rear on the production models to address this issue. There was no indication that the design of the lever would be changed, though.

I’m sure a fair amount of John’s tools are purchased by collectors and are never removed from their box. At the same time there are some fine woodworkers who want nothing but the best tools in their shop. The machining, polish, overall appearance and function of the HP-7 Shoulder Plane is impeccable and this new tool is sure to be appreciated by fine tool users and collectors alike. 

I read a story this morning about some Ohio organ makers that comes from the Akron Beacon Journal.  It’s a fascinating story about the Shantz Organ Company.  And if you go to their web site, you can see all sorts of in-process photos of past projects.  You’ll see lots of tools that are familiar to you.

As a postcript to this blog entry, one of the saddest days in my life was when I learned that arsonists had burned my childhood church (Radnor Baptist in Radnor, Ohio) to the ground.  I went to the site the day after the fire.  I stood there just staring at the burning embers, smoke still rising from the ashes.  The old church bell was charred and sitting in the grass.  I’m told that the firemen (some my childhood classmates) did what they could to salvage it.

(The photo on the left is of the Alexandria Baptist Church in Alexandria, Ohio.  It was the twin of the old Radnor Baptist Church.)

As I stood there staring at the ashes, my mind went back to all those Sunday school classes.  And Vacation Bible School in the summer.  Holding hands with my fiancé (now my wife) during Sunday worship.  Then my thoughts turned to anger.  Who could do such a thing?  What was in their hearts and minds as they struck the match?

I’m not sure the arsonists were ever caught.  And Radnor Baptist continued on.  They built a new church on another property, mounting the old bell in their new belfry.  A local town mechanic bought the old church property and converted it into his shop.  My how time changes things.

Once I was on the Colonial Williamsburg web site, I got lost.  There are all sorts of links to information about the tools and trades.  I intend to read them all but, of course, I was most interested in the cabinetmaking trade. 

I hope you get as much enjoyment reading these articles as I do.

If you’ve always wanted to try your hand at bent lamination, but were a little intimidated by all the forms and jigs that seemed to be necessary, here’s a project for you. We show you a great way to build a Curved-Leg End Table with simple forms and techniques. We’ll even show you how to create a decorative epoxy inlay to finish it off.

And this small Desktop Message Center is just the ticket for storing the day’s mail and jotting down reminders with its pop-up note dispenser.

And there’s lots more inside. Like what to look for in Woodworking Chisels and Safety Glasses. There are techniques to show you How to get Perfect Plywood Edges and tips and techniques for Resawing. There’s also a review of the new ProMiter-100 Digital Miter Gauge. And for a unique finish, try wood bleaching.

It’s all there in the current issue of Woodsmith magazine.

For me, using reclaimed wood in my projects means I can give new life to old wood and hopefully it’ll be admired for years to come.  Here’s an article I ran across that talks about the demand for old wood:  Race for Rare, Old Wood