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 Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Challenges & Dovetails: Closet-Cleaning Day
Design a Bookcase Challenge
 The LumberJocks and Popular Woodworking partnership to design, build and publish a winning bookcase has come to a close, and a winning entry has been selected. I must say this turned into a difficult task for the magazine editors. We didn’t come to fist-to-cuffs. It wasn’t a knockdown, drag-out, office-clearing brawl. But, each editor brought to the table their favorites to have them applauded or shot down, one by one.
Slowly we weeded through the entries and narrowed the field to three. Those three are:
Ryan Shervill’s "Shoji Screen Inspired Bookcase", Daniel’s (Blackdog Workshop) "A&C Bookcase with Magazine Drawers" and Charlie’s (Wheresmytools) "Sliding Dovetails Bookcase".
After kicking around what we would do with the designs if we were to build them, we reached a consensus with Shervill’s design. I look forward to seeing the process of bringing this design to the pages of Popular Woodworking magazine. I think we’ll see many bookcases built from this design. (Click here to read the LumberJocks announcement.)
Antique Dovetails
On April 15th I posted an entry titled, "My Take On Dovetail Angles." (Interestingly, I wrote about a taxing subject for many woodworkers on Tax Day.) In the entry I state, “Don’t accept the traditional ratios. I’ll bet a study of furniture and drawer construction from the 1700s through today would turn up many different dovetail angles.”
This past week, while traveling to Frank’s Cabinet Shop – where Frank Klausz does his woodworking – I took a side trip to C. L. Prickett’s antique shop. The folks at Prickett’s shop graciously granted me permission to photograph many of the drawer dovetails on pieces in their inventory.
I hope, as you look at the photos, two revelations come to mind. The first is that the angles are not strictly set at a traditional slope, so feel free to angle those pins and tails as you see fit. And second, notice the quality of craftsmanship – it’s not that great.
It’s easy to notice a good set of fine dovetails. Look at what you consider the best drawer joint, then look at the worst joint. There is much variation. But take heart, none of the dovetails were on pieces with price tags of less than $80,000.
The lesson is always the same. A finely fitted dovetail joint on a shabbily built, poor design doesn’t make the piece better. I would rather see average dovetails on a great design, built with better craftsmanship.
As far as the trip to see Mr. Klausz, we’re going to give you a look inside his shop and we’ve got video showing him in action as he demonstrates a few techniques for an upcoming article. Hang tight, I'll let you know when it's available.
– Glen D. Huey
Read other entries by Glen D. Huey
4/30/2008 11:52:55 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00) 
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Monday, April 28, 2008
First Look: Woodworking in America
This fall, our magazine is sponsoring the first-ever weekend conference devoted to hand tools and learning to use them.
We're calling it the Woodworking in America conference, and we'll be bringing together the country's best hand-tool woodworkers and manufacturers for a symposium in Berea, Ky., on Nov. 14-16.
There will be more than 40 short classes on tools and techniques during the long weekend, plus a marketplace where toolmakers can display (and sell) their wares, social events with the demonstrators and toolmakers and more.
So who is going to be there? Here's the list of people who have agreed to teach seminars during Woodworking in America as of this date (with more to come):
Roy Underhill: Known as "St. Roy" to the legion of fans who watch "The Woodwright's Shop" on PBS, Roy worked at Colonial Williamsburg and then launched his show about traditional hand tools.
Frank Klausz: One of the country's consummate craftsmen, Frank is a professional New Jersey cabinetmaker who trained in Hungary and has a lifetime of experience with the full range of handwork.
Michael Dunbar: Founder of The Windsor Institute, Michael has single handedly revived the craft of building Windsor chairs, has trained thousands of woodworkers and is a passionate student of the art and history of handcraft.
Adam Cherubini: The author of Popular Woodworking's popular "Arts & Mysteries" column, Adam is a devoted 18th-century woodworker who builds period pieces using period tools.
James Blauvelt: A Connecticut cabinetmaker, joiner and carpenter, James owns Bluefield Joiners and is a student and teacher of Japanese tools and traditions.
Robin Lee: The president of Lee Valley Tools in Ottawa, Ontario, Robin has been a driving force behind the expansion of the Veritas line of premium handplanes and a caretaker of the company's immense tool collection.
Thomas Lie-Nielsen: The founder of Lie-Nielsen Toolworks in Warren, Me., Thomas has been making and selling premium traditional hand tools for 27 years. Thomas's company was the trailblazer in reviving many traditional forms of tools that had been lost.
Larry Williams and Don McConnell: Two of the principals behind Clark & Williams in Eureka Springs, Ark., Larry and Don are bottomless wells of information about traditional tools and their workings. Both are accomplished woodworkers, planemakers and tool historians.
John Economaki: The founder of Bridge City Tool Works in Portland, Ore., John has long been a pioneer in developing new (and very beautiful) forms of hand tools for woodworkers.
Konrad Sauer: The owner of Sauer & Steiner Toolworks in Ontario, Konrad is one of the leading makers of custom infill handplanes.
Wayne Anderson: Wayne specializes in designing and building custom infill handplanes that are deeply rooted in the past but are each a completely original work of art.
Ron Hock: One of the earliest and most important players in the revival of handtools, Ron makes high-quality replacement plane irons, chipbreakers and marking knives in Ft. Bragg, Calif.
Mike Wenzloff: The founder of Wenzloff & Sons sawmakers in Forest Grove, Ore., Mike is a long-time woodworker and expert in saws and saw sharpening. His premium saw business has exploded in the last two years. Joel Moskowitz: The founder of Tools for Working Wood and an expert on woodworking history, Joel has recently been making many traditional hand tools, as well as selling them through his catalog and web site. Clarence Blanchard: The publisher of "The Fine Tool Journal" and the president of Brown Auction Services, Clarence sees more old tools in a week than most of us see in a lifetime. Kevin Drake: After studying under James Krenov at the College of the Redwoods, Kevin founded Glen-Drake Toolworks, where he combines woodworking, toolmaking and education. His innovative tools have received numerous awards; we named his Tite-Mark one of the "Best 12 Tools Ever."
If you are interested in attending, please visit the web site that is dedicated to this conference at WoodworkinginAmerica.com and sign up for the conference's newsletter (the sign-up box is on the top right of the page). You'll then be the first to be notified of when registration will open (it will be before July 1) and the pricing for this event.
Attendance will be limited to a few hundred people (we want to keep the event intimate and manageable), so be sure to register as soon as slots become available. We are expecting the conference to sell out.
There are more announcements and surprises ahead that I cannot share with you right now, so please stay tuned to the blog and the conference's newsletter.
— Christopher Schwarz
Read other entries by Christopher Schwarz
4/28/2008 1:33:31 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Lines and Miters and Errors Oh My
In our June issue, our I Can Do That feature is a mitered CD/DVD rack. Our goal for these columns is to show that attractive, well made projects can be made with a minimal amount of tools and time. Most people want something to show for their effort while they are learning and you won't need to apologize for any of these projects. If you want to go further in your developing skills you'll have a good start as well as evidence that you can make some nice stuff. The idea for this column is to minimize the frustration level and hit the ground running. Miters can be especially frustrating, so we focused the technique in the article on gluing them together without having them slide out of place. That is miter frustration number 1.
One of my earliest projects was a clock face in a mitered frame. I was about 16 at the time and it was my dad's idea to make this clock as a present for his aunt. Dad was an engineer, not a woodworker and the two of us really struggled to get the corners to close and look good. One of our problems was we didn't know when to be really, really fussy and when we could say "close enough". With the miters on the book rack above, you can ignore slight errors in the angles or in the length and concentrate on assembling the joints. If you make a four-sided frame however, you need to be a perfectionist. 
I played around with SketchUp to demonstrate what can happen if you're close, but not quite there. These four pieces are 3/4" x 3/4", and the angles on the ends are only off by one-half of a degree, a tolerance many people would consider "good enough". As you can see, each of these small errors joins the others, and the final corner has a gap that is huge. You can try to close it up with various clamps and fasteners, but the chances of success are slim. So what if you get closer? What if you can come within 1/10 of a degree? 
Here the gap is much smaller, but still significant. The other bad thing that can happen here is if the pieces aren't perfectly straight, or all the same length. A bow in the length will change the effective angle and the joints won't close. A variation in the length will cause similar problems. A lot of joints that seem more complicated than miters are actually less risky to make because there are ways to make small adjustments during fitting and assembly. Miters appear simple and easy. And they are, with one big "IF". If the pieces are straight, the same length and the correct angle they go right together. So make sure your saw or shooting board or whatever you use is dead on accurate. Get a reliable machinist's square (I recommend a Starrett) to check your work. Stick the pointy end of the miter between the blade and stock of the square and hold it up to a source of light. If you can see any gaps your angle is off. Resist the temptation to say "close enough" and take the time to make it right. When you think you're right, put two pieces together, and use the other end of the square to make sure the joint is really and truly at 90 degrees. Then you have defeated miter frustration number 2.
--Bob Lang
Read other entries by Robert W. Lang
4/28/2008 10:46:56 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Tuesday, April 22, 2008
"Flexner on Finishing" Live
When the topic is finishing, Popular Woodworking magazine turns to Bob Flexner for answers. We believe he is the foremost expert when it comes to anything from alkyd-based varnish to using Xylene as a solvent and thinner. We might be biased because he writes our "Flexner on Finishing" columns found in nearly every issue for the past decade, but the fact that Bob writes for many other publications reaffirms our belief.
Bob also teaches classes throughout the country. A few weeks back he was at the Marc Adams School of Woodworking to teach a two-day seminar on finishing. Then, while so close to Cincinnati, Bob accepted an invitation to present a similar class to the Cincinnati Woodworking Club and that seminar was hosted at the Popular Woodworking office and shop. Luckily, I was on hand for the Sunday session and I quickly decided that I wish I'd been available for Saturday’s portion as well.
If I had attended both days, I expect I would have had the same look that many of the participants had when they left late in the afternoon on the second day. Due to his vast knowledge on finishing and his willingness to pass information on to others, he shares so much in his seminars that there's a lot of stuff to digest.
Facts such as how to properly clean a brush. Simple right? I thought I knew what to do, too. But, Bob quickly had me understanding I didn't know the secret. He had a few brushes that he passed around that, after many cleanings, were as soft and usable as they were when purchased quite a few years back. The secret, according to Bob, is to complete the cleanup with soap and water and repeat until you get a good suds. That’s the final step no matter what finish was applied with your brush. I have to admit, I’ve never washed my brush with soap and water. And, I cannot tell you the times I’ve returned to a brush weeks later and had to bend and twist the bristles to be able to use the brush a second time.
Another tidbit I scooped up about brush cleaning dealt with shellac. As you may know, I’m a fan of shellac. I like the quick drying time of shellac as well as the replication of what I consider a period-type finish. And while I spray most of my finishes, I do occasionally dip some bristles into shellac. For me, cleaning shellac from my brush was a matter of dredging the brush through a number of cups of fresh alcohol until I felt the shellac was removed. If you think about that process, I was (as Bob pointed out) simply thinning the shellac with each rinsing, hopefully reaching a point when the shellac was gone. I wouldn’t know if I needed to twist the bristles or not until the brush dried.
Bob’s solution is to wash the shellac brush with a 50/50 mixture of household ammonia and water. Ammonia breaks down the shellac. Then finish with soap and water (look for suds). There’s an idea I had never heard before, but I will undoubtedly try the next time I need to clean shellac from my brush.
These are but a few of the tips picked up during the seminar. Bob also spent time explaining French polish. I filmed a majority of his presentation on French polish and I hope to add that to our video pages in the next few weeks. If you have any interest in French polish, don’t miss it.
And if you have an opportunity to catch one of Bob's seminars, I highly suggest you do so. Go prepared to process a huge amount of finishing information, take great notes and stay sharp because I know you’ll gather in some tidbit that improves your finishing abilities. I sure did.
And if you cannot locate his seminar somewhere close to you, his book, "Understanding Wood Finishing" (Peachtree Woodworking) covers many of the topics and is invaluable as you begin finishing pieces with something more than wipe-on oil.
Got any tips to share or questions about finishing, post you comments or concerns and we’ll see if others can benefit from your shared knowledge or help get you answers. Or, I’ll thumb through Bob’s book – I’ll bet he has the topic covered within the pages. –Glen D. Huey
p.s. We also have a lot of Bob's Popular Woodworking articles available for free on our site's Finishing Page.
Read other entries by Glen D. Huey
4/22/2008 3:34:01 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Popular Woodworking Welcomes 'The Wood Whisperer'
Managing Editor Megan Fitzpatrick grabbed our magazine's digital camera and told Marc "The Wood Whisperer" Spagnuolo to hold still for a photograph.
"I need to take a headshot," she announced.
"So do I," replied Marc, as he lifted up his video camera and pointed it at Megan.
For a few short moments they stood there with their cameras pointed at one another. Then I told them to "take this outside." They did.
On Monday morning, Marc and his wife/business partner/camera operator, Nicole, visited the Popular Woodworking's editorial offices to shoot video footage of us working in the shop and plowing through more than a dozen doughnuts, which Senior Editor Glen Huey brought in.
Marc is the host of the very popular web site thewoodwhisperer.com, which offers scads of free instructional woodworking videos, shop tours, audio programs about woodworking and links to other like-minded woodworking sites.
He's also our newest contributor. Starting in the August 2008 issue, Marc will be writing a column in every issue on a woodworking technique, which we have cleverly titled "The Wood Whisperer." In addition to the written column, Marc will be posting a video on our site at popularwoodworking.com/video that will show that technique in action. 
During Marc and Nicole's visit, we forced them to sit through our Monday morning staff meeting (which is really a doughnut-eating contest in disguise), then we headed into the shop to shoot video. After a quick tour of the shop, they interviewed Bob about the project he's working on for the August issue, and they chatted with Glen about his woodworking. Both video pieces should appear on his site in the future (assuming they can get some of the profanity bleeped out).
Glen also shot some video of Marc and Nicole, then we went to my house and shop, where I gave them a tour of some of my personal work and my small workshop.
Most of all, the day was a great excuse to get to know more about Marc and Nicole, who represent the vanguard of where woodworking instruction is headed this century.
Marc, 31, is from Trenton, N.J., and studied biotech in college. After graduation, he headed out to San Diego for work and met Nicole when she answered an advertisement for a roommate to share an apartment. They've been together ever since.
When they moved out to Temecula, Calif., they bought their first house and it needed some work. One table saw and a flooring project later, Marc become hooked on the craft. Well, obsessed might be a better word – that's the word he uses.
His interest in the craft deepened when he encountered David Mark's cable program "Wood Works." Marc eventually studied with Marks in his Santa Rosa, Calif., studio and then opened his own custom woodworking shop in Phoenix, Ariz.
From there, it was short hop to take everything Marc learned – and his enthusiasm for teaching it – to the Internet, where he launched thewoodwhisperer.com.
If you don't know Marc yet, I encourage you to scoot over to his site and take a look at some of the excellent content there. Watch a few videos (they are well done and Marc's a funny guy) and listen to one of his broadcasts of Wood Talk Online with buddy Matt Vanderlist. Or just browse through his blog.
And watch this space for more on The Wood Whisperer. Once we get some of our video edited, we'll post that on our video player.
— Christopher Schwarz
Read other entries by Christopher Schwarz
4/22/2008 10:06:00 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Friday, April 18, 2008
Tool Test: Mortise Pal
While surfing around the woodworking sites, I found mention of this jig for cutting mortises. It’s a Mortise Pal (mortisepal.com). If you have a plunge router (weighing less than 12 pounds), a 5/8" outside-diameter bushing and an upcut router bit, you can create mortises for mortise-and-tenon joints and loose-tenon joinery using a Mortise Pal.
To use a Mortise Pal you need a 6" base on your router. If you use a smaller base, due to the jig’s design, the base could slip off one side resulting in a bad mortise (the router rides on top of the side supports). Also, pay attention if your router’s base is something other than round. As for weight, 12 pounds pretty much restricts you to a 2-1/4 hp router or smaller, so don’t try to hoist up that 3+hp hog and cut mortises.
And of course, an upcut router bit is best because it pulls waste from the mortise and the cut will be easier to make, and cleaner when finished.
Any stock in which you want to cut a mortise in the end can be a minimum of 1" in width. Stock thickness can be from 2" to 3/4" (you can mortise thinner stock by arranging shims as shown in the manual, which you can download off the web site or below). The mortise length is determined by the mortising templates (four sizes are included in the kit) and the router bit size (a maximum 1/2" due to what fits through the bushing). Changing the templates is a snap and locking them into position is both secure and reliable with each change.
Layouts for mortises you cut with the Mortise Pal are different from the method most of us are accustomed to using. For this tool, find the center of your desired mortise along both length and width, then use the engraved line and small pointer on the jig to set up the cut. Once you’ve dialed into your lines, lock the brass thumbscrew, twist the lock knob to secure and you’re ready to work. (To watch a Mortise Pal in action, click here.)
I don’t cut mortises with a router most times; I have a mortise machine for that task. But, if you don’t have a dedicated mortise tool, a Mortise Pal is a good choice. (Hand-tool Neanderthals take a breath, please.) One area that always bothered me when building furniture was when I mitered a base frame on a chest of drawers or other case piece. I often chose to use a biscuit joiner for the connection. Because the Mortise Pal fits the workpiece, especially if the piece is mitered, I see using the Mortise Pal there for a simple loose tenon connection, resulting in a strong joint.
Bottom line: the Mortise Pal is well-machined tool that works. I think it’s a bit pricy at $189, but the Mortise Pal has CNC machined anodized aluminum parts along with stainless steel parts, and the templates are polycarbonate. In my opinion, there was no skimping on manufacturing. Also, if you buy a dedicated mortise machine, you’ll spend more and not have the mobility or range of uses you have with this tool. And, you’ll get the job completed quicker than if you hog out material at a drill press, then clean up the mortise with your chisel.
Here’s a tip for routing mortises. Plunge the mortise area first, then slide the router along the cut to clean out and remove any left-behind waste material. I plunge the ends of the mortise then move to the center before clearing the cut. This may be old news for you, but I picked up the process just a little while back – there is always something new to learn while woodworking.
– Glen D. Huey
Mortise Pal Manual.pdf (785.41 KB)
Read other entries by Glen D. Huey | Read other Tool Tests
4/18/2008 1:23:47 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Tuesday, April 15, 2008
My Take On Dovetail Angles
My take on dovetail angles might appear to be strange, but I have solid reasons for my choice – if I do say so myself. Here goes.
Dovetail angles are most notably described in degrees, but is often stated as a ratio, either 1:8 or 1:6. These ratios translate into a 7º or a 9º angle. These are the established angles; the angles we’re suppose to bow to upon pulling our marking gauges from the bench drawer as we prepare to cut the parts of the joint. One angle is suggested (a better word might be mandated) for softwoods (9º) and the other for hardwoods.
So, do you need two sets of marking or layout tools? One set for working dovetails in softwood and one for hardwoods? Why would you want to purchase tools that do the exact same task, only at a different angle? And, where is the dovetail joint used for the most part? That’s right, in drawer construction. Many woodworkers use a combination of hardwood drawer fronts with either hardwood sides (poplar) or softwood sides (pine). Yes there are other combinations, but I venture to say these are the most common in American antiques throughout the major furniture periods of Queen Anne, Chippendale and Federal.
I use Newport, R.I., as a demarcation line for typical woods used to build drawers and if you’re building reproduction furniture from Newport south (not Southern designs that use yellow pine as a secondary wood), you are probably using two hardwoods for your drawer parts; poplar as the sides, backs and bottoms with another primary hardwood as your drawer fronts. The two hardwoods traditionally dictate using a 7º slope.
But, what about us poor souls building drawers based on New England designs? Designs built north of Newport, R.I., where drawers use hardwood for the fronts and softwood, namely pine, as other drawer parts. What angle should we choose for our dovetails: 7º that matches the use of hardwood, or 9º used for softwoods? What a conundrum.
Additionally, we have the development of the dovetail jigs that suggest (there’s that word again) we use a 14º-dovetail router bit to make the tails and a straight bit to cut the pins. I can say I like the slope of these dovetails much better. Aesthetically, these are more pleasing to my eye. And that’s what I think should drive your dovetail angles – aesthetics.
Don’t accept the traditional ratios. I’ll bet a study of furniture and drawer construction from the 1700s through today would turn up many different dovetail angles. Of course, I’ve used the 7º, 9º and 14º angles during the period I used dovetail jigs to cut my joints. I’ll bet when I switched over to hand-cutting dovetails I used a few angles in between as well – as a beginner, it’s nearly impossible to stay on the layout lines. I know of no joint failures and not once have I seen the angles break or shear along the slope of the tail (something preached if the slope grows well beyond the traditional ratios).
The Angle I Use
So, where am I today with this dovetail angle question? I use a 12º angle. Why 12º, you may ask? Here’s my reasoning. I certainly wasn’t going to switch angles depending on the application (too much wasted time) and I wanted an angle that fit somewhere in the middle of the established slopes. And how many places does the number 12 show up in our world? We have 12 months in a year. Two sets of 12 hours in a day. Most people know that a dozen of anything is 12. And to bring it in line with woodworking, if you’re fitting a raised panel into a 1/4" groove and the panel needs to be the full width of the groove as it rests tight to the bottom of the groove (a snug fit so the panels don’t rattle), you need to set a 12º-angle cut for the panels.
And most important, I like the angle when I look at it.
Is it just me? Am I crazy? (That’s a question I’m sure I’ll get a few comments on. Remember the glove incident?) What degree slope do you use for your dovetails and why?
– Glen D. Huey
Read other entries by Glen D. Huey
4/15/2008 2:09:45 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Tool Review: Veritas Dovetail Saw Guide
Lee Valley Tools sent out a new product release for a guide used for cutting dovetails. It’s not really a new guide, but a new angle for the guide. The reconfigured Veritas 14º Dovetail Guide (05T0205) has a 14º-angle cut instead of the 7º or 9º slope that's associated with the oft-quoted dovetail ratios of 1:8 and 1:6. (For more on my thoughts about dovetail angles, click here or at the bottom of this entry.)
I’ve had occasion to use a 1:6 ratio guide, and although it was for a limited amount of time, I was very impressed with the way the guide held the saw in the correct position for woodworkers. So, I was interested in getting the new design into the shop to evaluate after a lengthier period of use.
The guide is made with an anodized aluminum body and has a 3/4" rare earth magnet embedded at both ends of the jig. Those magnets grip your saw and hold it at the correct position, angled at 14º. Each end of the guide is covered with UHMW plastic to protect the jig, and your saw, as you make cuts. The guide and complete instructions come as one package, or you can purchase the guide, instructions and a saw as a second package.
Any saw without a back can be used with the guide and Lee Valley has the saw they recommend (click here to see the guide with that saw), but I had another idea. The Autumn 2007 Woodworking Magazine (issue #8) ran an article discussing flush-cut saws. In that article we listed Lee Valley’s kugihiki (60T06.20) as "highly recommended." I used this flush-cut saw with the guide and found it worked great. I recommend purchasing the kugihiki and making the saw work double duty as both your dovetail guide saw and your flush-cut saw.
This guide does not automatically produce a dovetail joint. You need an understanding of dovetails at the outset. You’ll need to know the difference between "tails" and "pins" as well as have a certain understanding of layout and what’s the waste side of your layout lines (information provided in the included instructions). With that information at hand, this guide helps improve the quality and accuracy of your cuts.
I’m a "pins first" dovetailer, so naturally I began cutting the pins. This is the only experience I had with the guide earlier and I knew the jig worked great here. I started with a half pin on both ends of my board, then positioned and cut two full pins in between. Once the guide is clamped at a layout line, the saw snapped to the magnet and was held perfectly vertical as I made the 14º cut. The cut came out perfectly straight. Next, I chopped out the waste to finish my pins and used the pin board as a layout tool for the tails.
A sharp pencil provides tight, accurate lines and that’s exactly what I needed to position the guide. The clamp portion of the guide can be removed and repositioned to cut the tails of the joint, too (see the photo at right). I set the guide so my pencil lines were just covered – that forces you to cut on the waste side of your lines – and made the cuts that define the tails. Clean out the pin waste and the tails portion of the joint is complete. Slide the pins into the tails and the dovetail joint is made. This guide can also be used to cut half-blind dovetails.
To read more about dovetail angles, click here.
– Glen D. Huey
Read other entries by Glen D. Huey | Read other Tool Tests
4/15/2008 1:57:14 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Steel City Contest Winner
The winner of the Steel City Tool Works 10" Granite-topped Table Saw is (drumroll please): Ron Burris, Sr., a retired chief master sergeant with the United States Air Force.  "I can’t tell you enough how thrilled I am to be the lucky one that was chosen as the winner of such a wonderful table saw," wrote Burris. "This saw will help me continue to improve my skill level as a woodworker. When I retired from the Air Force I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with all my spare time. Over the past seven years, I have spent a lot of that time renovating an old house. It’s hard to believe but I really enjoyed learning how to DO-IT-YOURSELF and it really sparked my interest in working with wood. "I have been upgrading some of my power tools over the last year or so with plans for a new table saw and drill press this summer. Thanks to all of you at Popular Woodworking and the folks at Steel City Tool Works, now I can add a dust collection system to my fledgling work shop sooner than planned. This has been incredible, thanks to everyone ." Congratulations to Burris from everyone at Popular Woodworking and Steel City Tool Works. And thanks to all of you who entered the contest (and be on the lookout for a new contest in the very near future!). — Megan Fitzpatrick
4/9/2008 2:57:47 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Tuesday, April 08, 2008
Bookcase Challenge Running Full Force
The LumberJocks/Popular Woodworking Bookcase Challenge is in full force. Since the full-fledged announcement in our March 26th newsletter, entries have been trickling in. We expect a plethora of entries as we approach the deadline due to woodworkers’ procrastination – my style of work – and because most of us want our designs to be a surprise. But whatever your excuse, I hope you’re working on your drawings and designs.  Just to give you a taste of the competition, if you haven’t been following the event at lumberjocks.com, I thought I would show a few of the early entrants. These woodworkers stepped up and delivered their designs right out of the gate. And, these few morsels should help to inspire your designs, but remember your design has to be original. The first entry is from Gwurst (not his real name). Gwurst says he was stymied while trying to make a traditional design stand out. So, he did what any woodworker worth his salt would do, he turned to curves. He also says he couldn’t build this design, but it appears he has an eye for design. Will he get a chance to build his bookcase? How does his piece stack up against the competition?  Here’s another reason to participate in the contest. Huck and his spouse teamed up for their entry. Huck explains that his wife designed the bookcase and he did the SketchUp work. The original concept was to build the unit from sustainable material. Good idea! Now he is sure that he’ll have to build the bookcase whether it’s the winning design or not. I plan to stay tuned to this entry to see if Huck follows through and completes the bookcase. That’s a very nice “honeydo” for the list. Next up is a look at Joey’s design. Joey decided to bypass Google SketchUp and put pencil to paper. (That’s in keeping with the rules; you don’t have to be a computer whiz or spend time learning a design program – although we think once you get a taste of SketchUp you’ll find many uses for the program while working wood.) Joey's inspiration for design came from a huntboard that captured his eye, so he submitted a bookcase with loads of storage, many curves and smartly used sections of inlay banding. I hope he decides to build this design. I would enjoy seeing this project completed.  There’s more eye candy to see. Take a look at submitted designs ( click here), then add your own. I wouldn’t wait until the last minute if I were you. The challenge ends on April 20th and there’s no sense taking chances. Besides, I think getting the comments from fellow LumberJocks and other woodworkers would be half the fun. What do you think? Do you see a design that has you stepping out to the shop to build? – Glen D. Huey
Read other entries by Glen D. Huey
4/8/2008 8:48:09 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Wednesday, April 02, 2008
Glen-Drake Founder to Visit Popular Woodworking
Kevin Drake, the founder and owner of Glen-Drake Toolworks (glen-drake.com), is visiting the Cincinnati-based Popular Woodworking shop for a free seminar on May 8 from 6-9 p.m.
Kevin will be demonstrating and discussing some of his tools, including the Tite-Mark gauge (the favorite cutting gauge of four out of four Popular Woodworking editors surveyed), the "Wild-West" Joinery Saw (a two-handed dovetail saw), Plane-Adjusting Hammers, Chisel Hammers and more. Plus, all attendees will get a free copy of his "Tools and Techniques" DVD!
We have room for 60 visitors, and dinner is included. Slots are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Please send me e-mail me if you'd like to attend this free event.
— Megan Fitzpatrick
(megan.fitzpatrick@fwpubs.com)
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4/2/2008 2:28:05 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Tuesday, April 01, 2008
The Greatest Woodworking Show on Earth
A few years ago, I attended the Woodworkers Showcase show in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., and I was amazed. It was the most perfect woodworking show I had ever attended. Why? Because of four things.
1. The free classes and seminars were extraordinary. That year I learned more about cold-bending from Jere Osgood and furniture design from Garrett Hack in a single day than I'd learned by reading (too many) books.
2. An amazing display of furniture, turnings and other objects (even a canoe!) that were built by the members of the club who put on the show, the Northeastern Woodworker's Association.
3. Hands-on displays and demonstrations of jigs, fixtures, carving and sash-making that were ongoing the entire weekend.
4. And, of course, booths and booths of vendors selling new equipment and vintage tools.
And amazingly, admission for all this was just $7 for adults.
This year, I was asked to demonstrate at the Woodworkers Showcase – a huge honor – on April 5 and 6. It's this coming weekend at the Saratoga Springs City Center. Click here for information on the event.
I'll be demonstrating the scraper sharpening technique I developed after plumbing the historical record, and I'll be showing off the three kinds of handsaw cuts that I discuss in the newest issue of Woodworking Magazine.
In addition to my demonstrations, you can also catch demos from chip-carver Wayne Barton, box-maker and instructor Doug Stowe (ask him about Sloyd if you see him) and Peter Korn, who runs the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship and is a talented woodworker. Plus, there will be demonstrations from members of the club on every topic imaginable, from marquetry to miniatures to turning to rustic furniture construction.
When I'm not teaching, I'll be in a booth selling a few books, magazines and DVDs. If you're at the show, do stop by and say hello.
If you live anywhere in the northeast, this is a show that shouldn't be missed. People drive from all over the eastern seaboard to attend the Woodworkers Showcase. It's worth it (heck I flew up from Cincinnati when I first attended).
Hope to see you there.
— Christopher Schwarz
Read other entries by Christopher Schwarz
4/1/2008 2:56:11 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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