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.

And still, I’ve experienced situations that could have resulted in bodily injury.

Once I was knocked on my keester when a workpiece I was ripping pinched the blade and got kicked back into my stomach. (I broke two cardinal woodworking safety rules during that particular procedure.) I don’t remember now what caused the kickback. But I’ll never forget how lucky I was not to have been injured more seriously. (Or the pain to my gut!) But none of us are perfect. Accidents happen and all you can do is hope they don’t happen to you. Right?

That’s why I was surprised while watching a recent segment of TOH, as a trim carpenter made a free-hand cut on the table saw. Frankly, I watched in disbelief as he made the cut and thought to myself, “Man, that just looks dangerous!” Norm Abram was standing there watching and I thought maybe he would say something, but he didn’t. I figured there would be a lot of people commenting about the segment on our woodworking forums. And there is a debate raging over at WoodNet. But, you may be surprised to learn that there are a lot of people defending the practice.

Several people have commented that the practice of pushing a piece freehand past a spinning table saw blade is an acceptable practice by professional trim carpenters. It may be. And the guy managed to make the cut during the show without any problem. But I can tell you one thing….I’m never going to try it.

What’s your response?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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

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.

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.

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.

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…

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.

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.

The truth is, I’ve just finished watching a demonstration of the new Work Sharp™ sharpening system. This innovative new product combines all of the best features of sandpaper sharpening with the quality, ease, and repeatability of a top-of-the-line slow-speed wet grind sharpening system. And for about $100 less.

Work Sharp uses an air-cooled, dry sharpening set up (featuring air flow portals and a series of heat sinks) to keep your cutting tools cool without the mess of a wet system. Its 1/5 hp motor turns a horizontal wheel at 580 rpm, but unlike conventional horizontal wheel grinding systems, where you grind from above, Work Sharp is unique in that you set your chisel flat on a platen below the cutting wheel and use a simple “plunge- pull” technique.

Another unique feature is a slotted, see-through wheel that replaces the tempered glass wheel and allows you to see the cutting edge when sharpening carving and lathe tools. It looks like a great new system and I’m looking forward to putting it to use soon myself. Check out the video on Work Sharp’s website for a demonstration.

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.”

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…

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.

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?

The Mobile Planer Stand is just the ticket for giving your portable planer a permanent home. It provides plenty of extra storage space and its outfeed support makes working with long stock a breeze.  And while we’re at it, we’ll give you a step-by-step approach for tuning up your planer to create perfect boards in a short time.

And speaking of storage, you won’t believe how much this lightweight Tab-and-Slot Tool Tote can hold! Made from ¼” Baltic birch plywood, it’s easy to build for toting tools or craft supplies.

When it comes to tools you use on almost every project in the shop, you can’t beat a reliable square.  We’ll show you how to build your own Aluminum Square out of common bar stock you can get at the hardware store.  And to top it off, this square is adjustable…meaning that you can be sure that it stays a perfect 90° for a lifetime of use. We’ll also show you how to work with aluminum in your shop with just a few simple tools and supplies. 

And there’s more!  We’ll give you some tried-and-true tips for getting top-notch results from your profile router bits.  Plus we’ll tell you what you need to know when choosing and using metal drawer slides, how to “turn down the noise” in your shop, cut perfect dadoes on your table saw, and how a Yankee-style screwdriver deserves a spot in your toolbox.

A Visit to Paul Hamler’s Shop

Looking for a circular saw? Acccording to some WoodNetters, the Makita Hypoid circ saw is hard to beat:

Makita Hypoid Saw

I’m not sure which is funnier – the Craig’s List item for sale – or the forum thread itself:

Craigs List – Chuckle

Even considering repeat posters, over 1000 people took advantage of this “Day After Thanksgiving” Sale:

Official HDT Black Friday List

I’m getting in on the ground floor.

Pre-Owned Woodworking is a brand new woodworking auction site. How new is it? Well, my classified ad is the first. Plus, there’s a single auction that’s been up for about a week. That’s it.

I’m not holding out much hope!

Now, I’ve used all the old auction sites in the past. eBay, Craig’s List and WoodNet Tools Swap n’ Sell are a few that I use the most. I don’t have any idea how many eyes will see my new ad at Pre-Owned Woodworking, but I’ve always rooted for the little guy.

And darn it, Cary Waddell (president of Pre-Owned Woodworking) has moxey. And I like guy’s with moxey. He contacted us a couple of week’s ago, wanting to sponsor our podcasts. After seeing his website start up, our first response here was to wait and see.

But, it’s like my grandpa always used to say, “You’ve got to start somewhere.” So let’s see what happens.

Do you need an old ShopSmith?

Now, Sears is making available the Craftsman CompuCarve Compact Woodworking Machine.  It’s a computer-controlled machine that’ll carve in 3-D on workpieces up to 14-1/2″ wide by 5″ high and almost unlimited length.  And it’s priced at around $1,900.  It requires a PC hookup.  Think of it as sort of like a 3-D printer for your computer.  Except you’re carving wood.

The CompuCarve is made by LHR Technologies who makes the CarveWright machine.  It was developed by a couple of NASA robotics engineers (wouldn’t you know it) who happen to love woodworking.

I can already think of uses for it like sign-making and carving panels for cabinet doors.

The Sears product page says it’s temporarily out of stock.  But there’s a link where you can have them email you when the product is available.

While Hartville will stock some planes, you can still order planes from Knight Toolworks. 

Here’s a little of Steve’s philosophy on hand planes from his web site:

“The hand plane is an ancient tool, and its design has changed little over time. I do not see myself changing it. I do, however, borrow ideas from different cultures and traditions, combining the best of them into a new and better plane. I use Western, Japanese, and Chinese traditions. By taking the best of all worlds, I can combine features into a single tool that can be used, enjoyed, and cherished indefinitely.

“Most importantly, all of my products are backed by a 100% satisfaction guarantee. I will do whatever it takes to make you happy with your Knight-Toolworks product. It’s my personal promise!”

We’d stand in line and usually strike up a conversation with the other early birds.  It always amazed me how us woodworkers are generally a friendly bunch.  When the doors opened, we’d spend hours just walking around looking at products and listening to the sales pitches from vendors touting their new gadgets.  We’d walk out with our sack of goodies and armload of literature and call it a day.

Have you been to one of The Woodworking Shows recently?  If so, tell us about your experience.  Did you see any new products that you hadn’t seen before?  Did you take advantage of any special deals from any of the vendors?  Did you attend any of the classes?  What was your favorite part of the show?

If you haven’t been to a show yet, check out The Woodworking Shows web site for a calendar.

If you live in the Des Moines, Iowa area, the show is coming October 13-15 at the Iowa State Fairgrounds.

I’m talking about the “Hoverpad,” which will be available soon from General. The Hoverpad is General’s solution to the problems faced by those of us who need to maximize our shop space by moving tools around from time to time. Since I do my woodworking at home in a 380 sq. ft. shop, this little dandy may just be the answer to my prayers.

The Hoverpad moves your heaviest tools around on a cushion of compressed air. It’s made out of a durable plastic with a rubber base that is only about an inch thick. You’ll need a compressor with a capacity of about 100/in. at 5CFM. The inventor, Arra David, came up with the idea and patented it when he realized that he had something good for industry and home shop users alike.

If you’re interested in learning more about the Hoverpad, be sure to check out the video at the Brentwood Machinery & Tools website.

The folks at General couldn’t tell me when the Hoverpad will be available. It will come in two sizes, priced at around $170 and $250. But, the Hoverpad is now available through Brentwood Machinery in Brentwood, New Hamphire. Supplies are limited though. I’ll let you know as soon as I know if the Woodsmith Store will be selling this product.

Note: Sizes and pricing at Brentwood may be different than those quoted by General.

Well, after watching him at the Porter-Cable shop (a part of the huge P-C booth at IWF 2006), even I was surprised by the excitement he showed while demonstrating the new Compact Belt Sander (shown at left) from Porter-Cable.

This belt sander has a lot of neat features including removable dust port and auxiliary handle. The small belt size (2-1/2″x14″) and a flush-side sanding feature allow you to do some aggressive sanding in places that it used to be impossible to reach with a standard belt sander.

Although I’m seeing the belt sander in advertisements, the web page says the sander won’t be available until October 2006. This should allow Scott a little time to calm down!

Two of the first tools to come to my mind are the drill press and a contractor’s-style table saw. Most drill presses are made for the metalworker first and foremost. Features that a woodworker would find beneficial are an after-thought, if they’re thought of at all. And the contractor’s table saw, with its motor sticking out the back, is the price you paid for an affordable saw that supposedly is light enough to lug around to the job site.

But, a few manufacturer’s are starting to come around to offer tools with wood shop features. I’m talking in particular about the Powermatic® 2800 VS Drill Press, and the Jet® Pro-Shop line of contractor style table saws. I got a quick look at both of these new tools at IWF — 2006 in Atlanta last week, and are they impressive.

The Powermatic 2800 VS Drill Press has so many features that are great for woodworkers it’s hard to list them all. But I’ll try!

* Single handle variable speed adjustment (with a digital readout)
* A 5/8″ keyless chuck
* Twin LED lights
* And, a new dual laser guide system.

These are all welcome features that provide ease of use and accuracy that is rare on a standard drill press.Best of all is the extra-large table (it has dual extension wings to provide additional support for long work pieces). The table also tilts 90° and has a positive stop at 0°. Its large adjustment handle makes lowering and raising the table quick and easy.But that isn’t all, twin T-slot grooves for a miter gauge, hold-downs or shop-made jigs are milled right into the table top and an adjustable split fence with dust collection port is included.Finally, it doesn’t matter if you’re right or left-handed, because the feed handles can be mounted on either side of the drill press. Whew, that’s a lot of great features!

One of the more impressive new tools I saw at IWF is the Jet Pro-Shop Contractor Style Table Saw.

This table saw has a couple of features more commonly found on cabinet (or hybrid) style table saws. First, is the enclosed cabinet with a 4″ dust port for improved dust collection. The stand makes assembly of this saw significantly easier than a regular contractor’s-style table saw.The Pro-Shop saw has a new Pro-Shop fence with extruded aluminum side boards with T-slots and either 30″ or 50″ rails. The saw below is shown with steel wings, but cast iron wings are also available. A large paddle-style switch is also a nice safety feature on this saw. Once again, you can turn to Workbench Magazine for reviews and much more on these new tools and lots of others in future issues.

I got on the elevator after leaving the IWF show at the Georgia Congress Center last week and overheard this comment: “If I had a hundred thousand dollars, I could build a heckuva woodworking shop.”

Earlier in the day, I overheard a product rep explain to a young lady who was interviewing him for a promo video, “All you need is a table saw and a Kreg jig and you can build any piece of furniture.”

Which explains the two extremes I experienced at this huge woodworking show — you can spend $150 on a pocket hole jig, or you can spend literally thousands on industrial machines and each will bring you to the same destination.

After walking what seemed like a couple of hundred miles, I found that woodworking is alive and well in Atlanta. Many of the industrial machines being shown at this convention would require a small flatbed semi-trailer truck and an army of workers to set up for the show. It’s hard to imagine the cost of one of these machines, but I’m sure they’re worth every penny to the cabinetmakers who use them.

Also attending the show were the consumer manufacturers that we’re all a little more familiar with here. Jet and Powermatic both had very impressive booths. Delta Machinery, Porter-Cable, and DeWalt were also there in force. As you may have noticed already, I’ve posted some links to Steel City Tools, Delta, Porter-Cable, and Bosch in earlier reports from Atlanta.

The more I see of Festool and Fein, two European manufacturers, the more I’m impressed. Rikon and Grizzly are two companies that put out some impressive product. Some of the smaller manufacturers with product that caught my eye were R&R Clamp, Elvex (I really liked their line of Laser safety glasses), Free Hand Design Systems (a really cool method for designing the old fashioned way — on paper!), and Happy Feet (a manufacturer of Therapeutic insoles for those of us who need help standing on our feet all day).

So there is a lot to sort through. Some of the product was so new that there wasn’t even photos available. I hope to have more for you soon about some neat stuff from both Powermatic and Jet as soon as I get a chance to go through all the info that I brought back with me.

Now I enjoy working with my hand tools but I’m not shy about using a power tool when I need to. But I’ve found that there are a lot of power tool users that have never experienced or don’t understand how hand tools can make their woodworking better. Hand tools (especially planes) can add a level of craftsmanship you often can’t get from power tools alone.

So, I started a couple of threads on WoodNet. One is for the power tool user. The other is for mostly hand tool users.  I want to know your thoughts for a seminar I’m giving in October. The title is, “Why You Need Hand Planes in Your Workshop.”  Click here for details on the seminar titles and calendar.

Please chime in with your thoughts. If you’re mostly a power tool user, chime in here on the Power Tools forum.

Hand tool user?  Chime in with your opinions here on the Hand Tools forum.

I would appreciate your thoughts so that I can make the seminar fun and educational.

The Porter-Cable 342 1/4 Sheet Palm Grip Finishing Sander has improved ergonomics and a new rubber palm grip that reduces vibration. Dual dust ports allow you to hook up either a 1″ or 1-1/2″ dust hose. Or leave the dust canister in place. The canister is more durable than the old cloth dust bag.

Also from Porter-Cable is the 343 Random Orbit Sander. It has many of the same features as the Finishing Sander, including a new top cap design that allows you to get inside to clean and service the unit without having to totally dissasemble it.

Then there is the Delta 17-950L 16-1/2″ Drill Press. The “L” stands for….laser. This drill press was actually introduced in January, but I got my first look at it this week. It’s bright laser crosshairs highlight the drill point. And the table is one of the first that is actually designed for woodworkers. It includes T-slots, a removable insert and it tilts from 0° to 45° forward and 0° to 90° left and right with positive stops at 0°, 45°, and 90°.

Finally, I haven’t had a chance to stop at the Bosch booth yet, but I’m looking forward to seeing Bosch’s Litheon® tools — a new line of lithium ion powered cordless hand tools. These tools are great for the woodworker, homeowner and professional thanks to a complete line of 10.8-volt and 36-volt tools that Bosch claims is the most advanced lithium-ion battery technology available. The Bosch PS20-2 is a 10.8v drill/driver that offers 80 inch/lbs of torque in an extremely small package.

The IWF trade show includes exhibitors from the furniture manufacturing, architectural woodwork, custom and general woodworking industries. It’s a great opportunity for me to meet the manufacturers and their representatives. I hope to get information that I can pass on to you about all the exciting new woodworking products that will be introduced in the next year. I also expect to watch my fair share of live demonstrations and attend a few technique seminars. I’m really looking forward to it.

Some of the exhibitors that I expect to talk to include: Bessey, Jessem, Delta Machinery, Porter-Cable, and DeWalt, among others.

RIPPING THE LEG STRIPS

With the bending jig all done, I actually started making the legs. The first step was to rip a number of thin strips from 6/4 (1-5/16” thick) cherry. After some experimenting, I discovered that I could bend an 1/8”-thick strip around the arc of the jig. Any thicker than that and it wouldn’t bend around the jig without breaking. Since the finished legs were to be 1” thick, that meant I needed 8 strips per leg, or 32 strips for all four legs.

My first thought was to rip the strips on the table saw or band saw a little too thick and then send them through the thickness planer to get them smooth and consistent. That didn’t work so well as the pieces were so thin, they started chipping out and shattering as they went through the planer. I tried the technique of fastening them down to a carrier board with double-sided tape. Even that didn’t work so well.

So I tried using one of Freud’s new “Glue Line Rip Blades” on my table saw. Then I just cut the strips to exactly 1/8” thick, see Fig. 11. The little green plastic piece behind the blade is a MJ Splitter from Micro Jig. It holds the kerf open after the cut. This technique worked great. The cut was so smooth that I could hardly see any saw marks on the wood and the pieces were a very consistent 1/8” thick.

Fig. 11

I also used a push block from ShopNotes No. 1 that pushes the thin strips safely past the blade, see Fig. 12.

Fig. 12

Note: There are a number of other ways and jigs to safely rip thin strips. See Ripping Thin Strips from ShopNotes No. 34.

Setting the rip fence to cut exactly 1/8”-thick strips took quite a bit of experimenting, but once I had it right on, I used my dial calipers to show that 8 of the strips put together would equal exactly 1” thick, see Fig. 13.

Fig. 13

You will also notice in Fig. 13 above that I numbered each of the strips as they were cut. This helps keep the grain lines and color “close” when I glued them up. I say “close” here since I lost 1/8” of wood (the kerf cut) between each of the strips. Actually, that’s one thing that was hard for me to get used to. Since half of the wood ended up as sawdust (the kerf cut), I needed twice as much wood to make these legs as were actually in the legs! I couldn’t believe how much cherry I went through just to get these four little legs.

Also, while I had the saw set up, I cut four or five extra strips. I know from past experience, that having extras can really save you when one of your “good” pieces splits, chips, or there’s a knot or blemish.

Something needs to be said here also about the length of the leg strips. I measured the outside arc in the bending jig and added about 6” extra to that to be on the safe side. Then I wouldn’t have to align the pieces perfectly in the jig.

Before actually gluing up the pieces, I did a “test run” by trying to load them all in the jig and clamping it up dry. The first thing I discovered was that it would take some brute strength, dexterity, and about four hands to bend all 8 strips around the inner form and get them clamped in place. So I drilled a couple of holes in the base of the jig where I could temporarily insert some dowels that would hold the pieces roughly in position while clamping (you will see these dowels in an upcoming photo).

GLUING UP THE LEGS

Okay, here’s where things start getting really messy. To give me some extra assembly time, I used Franklin Titebond’s Extend Wood Glue. I laid out my pieces in order on the bench and applied glue on one side of each piece, see Fig. 14.

Fig. 14

Then I grabbed all of the pieces up in their final position and stuck one end between the temporary dowel and the inner form, see Fig. 15. Next, I pulled the other end around the inner form and stuck another temporary dowel into the other end of the jig to hold the pieces roughly in position, see Fig. 16.

Fig. 15

Fig. 16

Then I took a deep breath (and washed all the glue from my hands!).

Next, I started adding the clamps, working from the center out to the ends. The glue on the pieces wanted to make them slip up and down a bit, but I tried to keep them down tight against the base of the jig using a mallet and block of wood, see Fig 17. I didn’t worry too much that they be were all at exactly the same height, as I knew I was going to do some planing later to produce the final width of the legs.

Fig. 17

It really took a lot of pressure on the clamps to squeeze the two parts of the jig tightly together. More than my old, arthritic hands could muster. So I used a tip that I picked up quite awhile ago. I drilled a hole through the wooden handle in my clamps. Then I used an awl in the hole to get some extra leverage, see. Fig. 18. That was just about enough to squeeze the clamps tight and close up most of the gaps between the thin strips.

Fig. 18

CLEANING UP THE LEGS

With all that glue, it takes quite a while for it to dry. So I waited 24 hours before removing each leg from the jig. (And, that meant it took four days to make all four leg blanks.)

Before I removed each blank from the jig, I labeled the “TOP” and “BOTTOM” of each leg as they started looking alike, see Fig. 19.

Fig. 19

Next, I scraped the big globs of glue off each blank with a scraper, see Fig. 20.

Fig. 20

I considered hand planing the legs, but that seemed like a lot of work and chipout was likely. Since the bottom of each blank was fairly flat, I glanced over at my thickness planer and wondered if somehow or another I could just send each blank through there? Sure enough, I fed it through sort of wiggling it around the corner as it went, see Figs. 21 and 22. It was surprisingly easy and the surface was perfectly smooth. Then I flipped it over and took a pass on the other side.

Fig. 21

Fig. 22

Side Note: You might have noticed my 10” Ryobi Surface Planer. Yep, that’s one of the original models (vintage 1986?) that kind of changed the whole woodworking field when it brought the prices of planers down to something home hobbyists could handle. I bought this from Woodsmith when they were upgrading many years ago, and I’m still very happy with the quality of cut.

With all four leg blanks planed to final width, I sanded the inside and outside faces. Then I rounded over all four edges with an 1/8” roundover bit on my router table, see Fig. 23.

Fig. 23