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 Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Steel City Granite Machines — an Interactive Review
About a year ago, Senior Editor Glen D. Huey wandered over to my desk and asked me if I thought he was being made the victim of a practical joke. In a phone conversation he had been told that Steel City Toolworks was planning on using granite instead of cast iron in some of its machines. At first, I thought that Glen's leg was being pulled, but I had to think about the advantages of granite. The pluses started to add up (dead flat, won't rust, heavy enough to absorb a lot of vibration) until it seemed like a good idea.
Fast forward a couple months and there we were in Las Vegas, looking at prototypes of a table saw, band saw and jointer. A few weeks ago, production models arrived in our shop, and last week we found the time to take off the crates and put them to work. During the next few weeks, I'll be using them to build my new workbench and we'll have a full review in an upcoming issue.
For today, I'm going to give some first impressions, and invite you to add a comment or send me an e-mail with any specific questions. The idea is, if I miss anything, or if there is a part of any of the machines you want a closer look at, I can run out to the shop and come up with a picture and an answer. The two pictures above are of the 14" band saw. As you can see, the top is flat and smooth and the rest of the saw is nicely made. The cast iron parts are nice and beefy and where stone meets iron, the connection is made with a threaded insert glued in a hole in the granite. We haven't used it much, but so far we like what we see.
The beds of the 6" jointer are cast iron, and the fence is granite. This is a perfect application for the dead-flat granite. Most jointers made in the last 20 or 30 years have terrible fences, twisted and warped and impossible to make square to the bed for the entire length of the fence. We've become used to that and set the fence square near the knives and compromise our technique to achieve square edges. This fence is dead on all the way and makes edge jointing easier and more reliable.
On paper, the 10" table saw is the same as the one we tested in November 2006. The motor horsepower and cutting capacity have stayed the same, but the addition of the granite top and a riving knife have resulted in substantial changes to the trunnion assembly. If anything, it is heavier and smoother operating than the previous version.
This view from above shows the riving knife in place. The top is incredibly flat, and one of the nice surprises about putting this saw together was putting on the left-hand wing. Despite being much heavier than cast iron, it was much easier. The granite extension mounts to the saw with rails that ride in grooves milled in the bottom surface.
It was much simpler to slide the granite onto the rails as opposed to holding a cast iron wing in place while threading in the mounting bolts. Leveling the two surfaces was also far simpler on this saw than on a standard one, in large part because both pieces were really and truly flat.
One of the questions I hear most often asked is about the miter gauge. Actually, there are two common questions. The first is, "Will after-market miter gauge accessories fit?" The answer is yes; the slot in the top is the industry standard 3/4" wide by 3/8" deep. On the miter gauge supplied with the saw, the standard washer that rides in the T-slot has been replaced with a flat bar that's about 2" long. This is to spread out the force when the miter gauge is all the way back. If you were to push down on the miter gauge from this position, there is a chance that a standard washer could create a chip in the edge of the granite. If it were me, I'd leave the washer off an accessory miter gauge.
The second question regards mounting other accessories, such as magnetic featherboards. Of course, magnets won't stick to stone, so these devices won't work.
All in all, this is a nice little saw, and so far I think the granite top is worth the small upcharge. I like working on a flat surface, the top is smooth and offers little resistance, and it does absorb most of the vibration from the motor. And I know that if I set my coffee cup down on it, there won't be a rust spot to deal with.
I'll have more to say over the next few weeks, and please send me your questions about these machines.
— Bob Lang
5/27/2008 2:24:26 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00) 
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Impatience and Frustration – Bad Bedfellows Indeed
"How poor are they that have not patience!
What wound did ever heal but by degrees?
Thou know'st we work by wit, and not by witchcraft;
And wit depends on dilatory time." (Othello, 2.2.376-79)
Over this holiday weekend, I planned to do nothing but sit on my couch and read for my upcoming exams – and do as little physical labor as possible. Unfortunately, whilst sitting on my couch, I had an almost head-on view of the small hallway in which I've been meaning to install a built-in cupboard. In my line-of-sight were a box of cat litter and two bags of cat food that would be hidden behind the doors of said cupboard. Needless to say, this distracted me mightily from my Shakespeare.
So, I took some measurements, drew up a rough sketch (not my forte as you can see above) hopped in my car and drove to the home center where I picked up some 2x12 Southern yellow pine from the "Construction Lumber" section. I planned to paint the piece (and I'm cheap), so SYP was a perfect choice...except that I'd have to mill off a lot of waste to get to my desired 3/4" thickness. But no problem – after all, we have the technology.
I got to the shop, plugged in my iPod (the first step in any project), and rough cut my pieces to length at the miter saw. Then I powered up the dust collection, adjusted the jointer fence and went to work on the milling. I moved to the planer, ran a couple pieces through...and was hit in the face with a HUGE cloud of dust.
It seems our dust collector hadn't been emptied since Hector was a pup. Not only was the waste container full, the dust was backed up into the overhead pipes and jammed at the intake for the planer. So after a moment (or 10) of fishwife-worthy curses, I emptied out the container then spent a half hour getting the pipes unjammed, then swept up enough dust to fill another two containers. ARGHHH!!!!!
By this time, I was quite frustrated (yes, I should have checked the collector before I started; I was mostly angry with myself). I finished milling the lumber, stacked it on my bench, and decided the construction could wait. I'd had enough for one day, and I _really_ needed to get back to my books. So I left.
You'll recall that I used Southern yellow pine. From the home center. From the Construction Lumber department. Rule #1 when buying cheap wood: Let it dry. Or if you're impatient, mill it and IMMEDIATELY construct your project, clamping the ever-loving you-know-what out of it so it doesn't warp/twist/cup/etc as it dries. OK. really, you should let it dry.
What you should never do is stack it, unstickered, on your bench.
Two days later, I'm hoping that, having stickered it, the top piece will flatten out as the moisture loss from the now-exposed side catches up. If it doesn't (and I know it won't, but a girl's gotta have hope), it's another trip to the home center...for a BIG box of screws. And stock for a beefier face frame to hide those screws. I'll head for the hardwood. It's usually dry.
— Megan Fitzpatrick
Read other entries by Megan Fitzpatrick
5/27/2008 12:27:14 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Tuesday, May 20, 2008
We Want to Feature Your Work
Sharing knowledge and inspiration is an integral part of woodworking. On most forums, you’ll find a wealth of knowledge on tools, techniques and projects.
And, if you’re looking for inspiration, to me there’s no better source than viewing pieces by other woodworkers (Rob Millard's Shelf Clock, featured in "Federal Furniture" in our August 2008 issue (on newsstands July 1, is an excellent case in point). We all enjoy seeing other’s completed projects, how the maker has tweaked a design to best fit his or her needs, and the great craftsmanship that’s out there in the woodworking world.
 So, we're going to share at least one project from you, our readers, each month on the blog. You send in your submissions, and we'll select an entry for online publication. Any design is welcomed, from period reproductions to studio furniture designs, from country to Arts & Crafts, to Greene & Greene – and anything in between. The woodworker whose project is selected receives either a 12-month subscription to Popular Woodworking magazine or an extension on a current subscription – so, please include your contact information. If you have a project you would like to submit, send me ( glen.huey@fwpubs.com) one or two photos (no more than 3 megabytes in size, please) of your completed project along with a brief description (250 words or fewer) including woods used, design ideas and techniques you’ve used while building the piece. If you keep track of the time spent building your project, include that as well. But we want to do more than just show you pictures. One of my favorite woodworking books is Albert Sack’s “Fine Points Of Furniture: Early American” (Crown Publisher’s Inc.). It's often referred to as the “Good, Better, Best” book, because inside, Sack describes why one piece of a same or similar design is better than others. Or, why a certain piece is considered a “Masterpiece.” This information helped shape my woodworking knowledge and ultimately improved my eye for design.  We plan to borrow Sack’s model. We’ll add a short critique about the project, listing the positives and a few negatives (if they exist). Then, as you read the critique, you’ll gain insight as to how we editors view furniture. As readers, you can agree or disagree with our findings by posting comments about the projects. Our hope is to build informative discussions about what makes furniture work or not work. We’re aiming to start this in June – so submit your work right away. – Glen D. Huey
Read other entries by Glen D. Huey
5/20/2008 12:39:25 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Tuesday, May 13, 2008
High Heels and Pounce Bags
Last Sunday, in The New York Times Magazine cover story, Michael Sokolove reported that in the world of sports, “Girls are more likely suffer chronic knee pain as well as shinsplints and stress fractures.” And, according to some research, ankle sprains, hip and back pain are more prevalent among women athletes, as are concussions in sports that both sexes play.
I guess I’m lucky. I played soccer for three decades and while my knees do hurt on occasion, I never tore an anterior cruciate ligament (aka ACL). After a mild sprain or two, my right ankle isn’t quite as strong as it once was, but I’ve never been on crutches for more than a week. And no concussions (at least none I remember). What finally ended the game for me was a snapped wrist during a stint as keeper. I was in a cast for four months, and my right wrist is now chronically weak – and I’m chronically afraid of breaking it again. (But for the record, I blocked that shot.)
The difference between men and women, according to experts Sokolove interviewed, is biometrics. Quite simply, men and women are built differently, and after puberty, men tend to add muscle whereas women tend to add fat, so women don’t have the same intrinsic strength to support muscle and ligament movements. And, because of women’s hip shapes, we tend to run differently. According to some experts, the female body can be trained to address these differences, which may reduce injuries.
I find a similar issue in woodworking from time to time. At 5'5", I’m of average height for a woman. But the benches in our shop were built by men, and my bench used to belong to Editor Christopher Schwarz, who is just shy of a foot taller than am I. So, properly using a hand plane at that bench is for me impossible, as my elbows are always bent far more than they ought to be. This is an easy fix — either build my own bench…or wear high heels. (Thus far, I’ve opted for the heels.)
 
On the left, I'm wearing 4" heels; on the right, I'm in flats. Sawing is also a challenge, at least for some women. In “How to Saw” in the Spring 2008 Woodworking Magazine, Chris illustrates proper sawing stance, with his legs and body positioned straight on to the cut, and the elbow of his sawing arm swinging freely past his torso. Let’s just say that if I line my body up in the same way, my sawing arm cannot swing straight back unimpeded. In this situation, I opt to stand a bit left of center…or wear a sports bra. Again, it boils down to a fashion choice.
It took me a long time to get comfortable with our Powermatic table saw, too. Pushing a board through the cut is quite scary for me. Compared to the guys, my torso is a lot lower and closer to the blade when I lean forward, and my arms are a lot a shorter. So, my hand, arms and chest are always closer to the blade. Thus, I have to more often give up some workpiece control by using a push stick when one of the guys might not choose to use one.
And then there’s gloves (no, I don’t wear them at the jointer). One size does not fit all. It doesn’t even come close. Forget the home center or hardware store. When I need nitrile or vinyl gloves for messy finishing jobs, I have to drive miles to a medical supply store. And even then, I’m not always able to find women’s smalls.
Hand-held tools can also be a challenge. We have some drills in our shop that I simply cannot pick up and use with one hand, due to their weight. And on others, the grip is far too large to be comfortable. I realize these tools are designed for the “average” user – but I do wish more manufacturers paid attention to the fact that far more women are now buying and using tools. I don’t think our relatively smaller frames and hand sizes are usually factored into that “average.” (Of course, my chronically weak right wrist doesn’t help matters. Darn – guess I can’t use that Firestorm pictured above.)
In my soccer “career,” until college I was usually the only girl on the team. I wasn’t the best player, but I could hold my own. By age 16, most of the guys were faster, stronger and a whole lot bigger than was I. So I compensated by improving my blocking, tackling and passing. I’ve had to learn some similar “fixes” in woodworking. And of course, it affords me the opportunity to match my pounce bag to my shoes.
 — Megan Fitzpatrick
Read other entries by Megan Fitzpatrick
5/13/2008 2:28:02 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Monday, May 12, 2008
Glen-Drake Tools Visits Popular Woodworking
Last Thursday we held our first reader event of the year here at our offices and shop. This is one of the best parts of working here. We invite readers to come in for a free meal and an opportunity to take an up-close, hands-on look at tools and meet the makers. In the past, we've welcomed Bridge City Toolworks, Leigh Dovetail jigs and Bosch. This time we welcomed Kevin Drake, owner and founder of Glen-Drake Toolworks.  That's Kevin on the right, preparing to turn a tool handle for us. He'll be writing an article in an upcoming issue of Popular Woodworking on turning for "flat" woodworkers. Our ace photographer, Al Parrish, is getting set to take the opening shot for the article, and Senior Editor Glen D. Huey is taking video. When we were done, it was time to clean up the shop and get ready for company.  After a fine meal, more than 50 readers settled in to watch a demonstration of the tools made by Glen-Drake, and to listen to Kevin talk about his philosophy of woodworking and toolmaking. One of our all-time favorite tools is the Glen-Drake Tite-Mark cutting gauge, and Kevin is one of our favorite people. Not many people have the ability to improve on tools that have been around for hundreds of years, and he has done just that with his marking gauge, hammers, and his latest creation, the Wild West Joinery Saw seen in the photo above.  Kevin has developed a method for cutting dovetails that makes the process predictable and precise. Using the Kerf-Starter and Offset Gauge shown above, the fit can be fine-tuned before cutting. This is a great example of questioning processes most of us take for granted, and developing new solutions. After listening to Kevin and seeing the details on a video screen, it was time to head out to the shop.  There's nothing like taking a tool in your hands and giving it a try, and it's even better when you can get a lesson from the guy who dreamed it up. Here a few readers are getting a good look at the technique for the joinery saw before taking it for a test drive. If you'd like more information on Glen-Drake tools, there is a DVD available that explains the theories behind them, and how to use them. You can get a copy for free by calling 800-961-1569. Kevin will be appearing with us at Woodworking in America next November in Berea, Ky. Editor Christopher Schwarz will have some posts over at the Woodworking Magazine blog, and we'll have video of Kevin's visit up on the Popular Woodworking video page in the near future. – Bob Lang
5/12/2008 11:34:06 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Friday, May 09, 2008
SKIL Benchtop Tools and NASCAR
 Last Thursday evening after a regular workday, I jumped on a plane to Charlotte, N.C., to attend a SKIL Tools media event. The event centered on a new line of SKIL benchtop tools. Lowe’s and SKIL have partnered to produce and distribute a new line of tools for the up-and-coming woodworker. All the tools are entry-level tools – although I could see a couple of these tools hanging around a shop as experience grows.
So what are the tools? Here you go. New to the market and expected to be in stores by September ’08 are a 10" table saw (3305-01), a 10" benchtop drill press (3320-01), a 10" compound miter saw (3315-01) and a 9" band saw (3385-01) that has a 2.5-amp motor with two speed settings and a fully adjustable, tilting table (there’s also a work light that didn’t quite reach around to the front of the blade – where you need it – and a laser that I find all-but-useless on a band saw). There’s a universal miter saw stand (3300MS) that accommodates most compound saws up to 12" and most sliding compound miter saws up to 10" (quick-fit mounting brackets make it a snap to install your miter saw on the stand, or lift the saw off for easy movement), a combination belt and disc sander (3375-01) that uses a 4" x 36" belt and 6" disc and has an easy-to-move table for making use of either setup, a 10" scroll saw (3335-01) with a 16" deep throat and electronic variable speed control and finally as well as a 6" bench grinder (3380-01) with two wheels – coarse and medium – and eye shields with built-in LED lighting. Each of these tools are expected to be priced at $99 while the grinder is slated at $40.
The table saw has a cast aluminum tabletop, a 15-amp motor and comes complete with a heavy-duty stand. There’s a self-aligning fence, a lockable on/off switch and all the accessories attach to the base of the saw. I used this saw to rip stock for a project built during the event and it did just fine. No, it’s not a Powermatic 66. It’s not supposed to be. But at this price, you just might want to have a SKIL table saw in your shop for a quick cut or special circumstances.
The benchtop drill press has five speed settings, a keyed 1/2" chuck and a battery-operated, two-beam laser that projects an “X” for accurate drill locations. I don’t know about you, but the drill press is a little-used tool in my shop. I’ve gone years with a radial drill press. I’ve seen no need for a floor-model tool. In my opinion, this drill press could handle most of the tasks I would ask of it.
SKIL’s 10" compound miter saw has a few interesting features. I like the table extensions (shown in the photo). The extensions slide along a rail for multiple positions, then lock with a simple twist knob at the back. The entire rail can be set to either side of the saw depending on your work. In addition, this miter saw has a dual lock-off switch that allows smooth operation whether you’re a righty or a lefty. A 15-amp motor has no trouble spinning an included carbide tooth blade. And, safety is covered with this saw. When fully engaged in a cut, the blade guard never opens past a 5 o’clock position. This greatly reduces your exposure to the blade. This is another tool I expect could be used well into a woodworking career.
Once these tools are released, we’ll get a chance to put them through the tests and see how they stand up to the competition and how they work in the shop. For a quick look at the tools, click the SKIL Tool's link below. And if you’re interested in additional information about the tools, click on the “About the Tools” file below.
How does NASCAR fit into this entry? As a bonus for attending their event, SKIL set up an afternoon at Lowe’s Motor Speedway for a ride-along with the Richard Petty Driving Experience. (Did I tell you how much I like this job?)
Each of us had an opportunity to take a few laps around the track reaching 165 mph. I wasn’t awed by the speed on the straight, but when you dip into the corner you feel the force. And there was no need to worry about sliding around in the car. First of all, those drivers must be a bit smaller around the mid-section than me because I barely squeezed into the seat. Then there are the safety precautions. Attached to me were more belts, clips and buckles than there are at a leather-goods facility.
The time was short, but I had a blast. If you’re in the area and haven’t done a ride-along, or if you’re planning a visit to Charlotte, give it a try. I guarantee you’ll be smiling as you exit the cars – we all did. And they pay me to do this.
About the Tools.pdf (107.98 KB)
Read other entries by Glen D. Huey
5/9/2008 1:49:28 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Sunday, May 04, 2008
Woodworking Safety Week: My Story and Others
Every once and awhile, I scoot this tusk tenon from out of its mortise, pull off my eyeglasses and press the tenon to my skull. It’s a simple but important reminder of where this all began for me.
Hmmm, before I begin there, let me back up even more.
Safety on most jobsites and in most workshops is job No. 4 – somewhere after the importance of the Makita girl calendar and somewhere before the obligation to clean out the Binks spray gun.
When I began working wood at age 8, I never had a safety lecture. Perhaps it wasn’t as necessary. We didn’t have electricity on our farm so the chances of me dismembering myself with our family’s ultra-dull Craftsman handsaw were rather slim. I’m sure my dad didn’t lie awake at night thinking about all the damage I’d do to myself with the crap-tacular coping saw in my tool tote. Safety just wasn’t as big a deal when you have only hand tools at your disposal. Sure, you can hurt yourself, but it takes some doing.
When I started at Popular Woodworking in 1996, however, it was like being let loose in a candy store after closing time. There were all the machines that my father and I had dreamed of on the farm. Table saws, drill presses, mortisers (that’s plural! Meaning more than one mortiser!) and disc sanders galore.
During this initial love affair with the unspeakable beauty of three-phase power, fellow employee David Thiel and I were assigned to build a couple Gustav Stickley-style tabourets for the magazine. The tabourets had legs that tapered in width and tapered from the floor to the top. Plus they were joined to their stretchers with friction-fit tusk tenons.
Each table has eight of these little tusks, and because we were building two little tables for the article, I had 16 little tusks to cut, chamfer and fit into their mortises.
This was a job for the utterly awesome Wilton disc sander we hand at the time.
As you probably know, the disc sander is a fairly safe machine – as long as you work on the side of the disc that is spinning down against the table. The other side of the disc should be avoided – or you could lose control of your work.
I was merrily sanding away my little chamfers on these tusks when I casually slid over into the “no work” zone to touch up the inside tapered face of the tusk shown above. I lost control of the tenon and it flew up at me.
I wasn’t wearing safety goggles or glasses.
Instead of skewering my eyeball like some sort of k-bob, the tenon struck my skull at the top of my left eyebrow and below the eye. The instant it happened, I turned off the machine and went to the bathroom (luckily I hadn’t soiled myself). The tenon left two red welts on my face.
Since that moment, I have always worn safety equipment (glasses and hearing protection), and I have strived to keep the guarding on all my machines. Come visit us sometime, you’ll find we have a basket guard and splitter on our table saw. Today I noted that the splitter was broken, and so in honor to “safety week,” I’m going to get it fixed.
And then there’s that tusk tenon. The little table has never been my favorite, but I can’t get rid of it. It’s a painful reminder of one of the dumbest things I’ve ever done, and how I’ve become much smarter ever since.
Still to this day, that is the closest call I’ve had in 28 years. Not bad.
Below are some of the other bloggers who have posted stories on their sites about this week. Some are funny, some are serious and some are sad. All are important. Check them out. • Jeff Skiver: Safely Dealing With Scared Cats • The Village Carpenter's Top 10 Safety List• Matt's Basement Workshop on workshop dust• The Wood Whisperer and Lumberjock's Safety Challenge (This week was all Marc's idea, by the way. Kudos, sir.) • Stu's Shed's Safety Posts. • Al Navas and the Carnation flower injury (good post). • Keleo's Workshop kicks off the week with a funny (but also disturbing) clip from MadTV. • Fine Woodworking has posted some good safety videos on shop communication rules and router safety. • Craig Stevens posted a video for teaching safety to your children, a good chart on the hazards of wood dust and a third post on cleaning up finishes safely. Check back this week for more stories and important information. — Christopher Schwarz
Read other entries by Christopher Schwarz
5/4/2008 8:59:10 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Friday, May 02, 2008
Update on Woodworking in America
As you may have read in an earlier post, Popular Woodworking and our sister publication, Woodworking Magazine, are sponsoring the first-ever weekend conference devoted to hand tools and learning to use them.
We're calling it Woodworking in America: Hand Tools & Techniques Conference 2008, 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.
On April 28, we announced a long list of distinguished woodworkers and toolmakers who will join us, and now we're delighted to let you know that we've added two more to the list: Brian Boggs (who is renowned for making gorgeous, comfortable chairs) and David Jeske (owner, founder and fine hand-tool maker of Blue Spruce Toolworks). And we're still working on the list.
In addition, journalists from some of the web's top woodworking sites will be on hand to interview attendees, toolmakers and teachers, and share their impressions of the conference online. We're pleased to welcome The Wood Whisperer (aka Marc Spagnuolo), Matt's Basement Workshop (aka Matt Vanderlist), The Village Carpenter (aka Kari Hultman) and Furnitology.com (aka Neil Lamens).
Registration for Woodworking in America will begin in June. Visit the conference site to sign up for the e-newsletter, and you'll be the first to know when the registration "desk" opens.
— Megan Fitzpatrick
Read other entries by Megan Fitzpatrick
5/2/2008 3:13:30 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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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
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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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