Search
Navigation
Blogroll
Archive
|
 Saturday, August 16, 2008
For This I Get Paid? Part 5
Friday, my fellow students and I got into a very sticky
situation. That hide glue that Phil Lowe had us start cooking on Monday
finally came into play. But first, we were directed to glue up our
tabletops with a spring joint. I was elated – I actually knew how to do
this (the first thing about which I felt truly confident all week). But
after the glue set, Phil told us to flatten the top. With a smooth
plane. My kingdom for a No. 5. 
He then proceeded to use an 1-1/4” chisel to very quickly cut a deep
chamfer on the underside of his top, then cleaned it up with a
spokeshave in just a few minutes. Very impressive. My top isn’t ready
for a chamfer. It isn’t yet flat (but it sure is thinner). I’ll have to
go in before class on Saturday to finish planing and scraping, before I
can band saw the edge, clean it up and cut the chamfer. Our final task
before packing up will be to attach the top with buttons, and I want to
get that accomplished – in large part so the top of my wonky bridle
joints are covered up, and the guys won’t have an immediate and obvious
target for mirth. 
So I set my top aside as we moved onto veneer. This was a lot of fun –
and a hot sticky mess. After cutting the veneer pieces a little
oversized, I opened the glue pot and swatted at the dozens of flies
that immediately converged on my bench, glue pot, arms and substrate.
Then I painted a layer of glue onto the bricked poplar substrate, laid
down the veneer strip, added another layer of glue, then squeegeed it
off the top and out from the bottom with a veneer hammer (a heavy hunk
of metal with a 3” - 4” rolled edge and a handle – it has nothing to do
with hammering). The glue tacks very quickly – to everything. While
squeegee-ing in the demo, Phil scooped and scraped the excess neatly
into his palm and calmly and cleanly returned it to the glue pot.
While we were all squeegee-ing, we scooped and scraped the excess into
and onto everything around us (my marking knife was at one point firmly
attached to my forearm). But hide glue is easy to clean up – just a
little hot water and my tools (and my forearm) were clean.
On Saturday, we’ll add the banding, and hopefully get through assembly.
I’ll post of picture of my finished project on Monday – or at least a
picture of however finished it may be. But I guarantee those bridle
joints won’t be visible.
– Megan Fitzpatrick Read Part 1 of this series here. And Part 2 is here. Part 3 is here. Part 4 is here.
Read other entries by Megan Fitzpatrick
Saturday, August 16, 2008 8:48:11 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00) 
|
|
Friday, August 15, 2008
For This I Get Paid? Part 4
Today, Phil Lowe set up a jig to waste out the front
side of the bridle joint that the leg sleeves over in our demilune tables, and a
niggling thought crept in to my head. Did I really keep the screws out
of the leg locations when bricking the rim? I think I did, but… The
last thing I wanted to do was hit a screw and set off the Saw Stop. For
one thing, the Marc Adams School of Woodworking has only the one dado
stack at the moment, and I didn’t want to keep anyone else in the class
from getting their work accomplished. And it would be really
embarrassing.
Just in case, I moved to the end of the line. I figured if I did set it
off, I could handle the embarrassment – as long as I didn’t hold anyone
else up. But as I waited, I decided I’d best chop out the waste by
hand. The longer I stood there, the more I convinced myself that I’d
misplaced a screw. But my handsaw skills are, shall we say, in the
developmental stage. So at Phil’s suggestion, I clamped a guide block
along my scribed line, and kept the saw blade pressed flat to that
"training wheel" as I cut down to the shoulders at each location. Then I
chiseled out the waste and flattened the bottom with a shoulder plane.
Of course, there was nary a screw in sight.
This was the first time I’d used a chisel for precision work other than
dovetails. Dovetails are small. This joint is not. I’ve struggled with
getting things flat and even, and squaring the shoulders (among other
things). Phil makes it look so easy.
I knew coming into this class that I was jumping into the deep end. In
theory, I know why the blade is cambered in a smooth plane, and how to
use that plane. I’ve read reams on how to hold and use a handsaw. I’ve
watched editor Christopher Schwarz demonstrate plane us, and the three
classes of saw cuts – more than once. (Chris makes it look easy, too).
Heck – Chris has even stuck a plane in my hand and given me a lesson on
its use. But I didn’t pick up the plane again until this class. Using
these tools with purpose is very different than reading about it,
watching someone do it, or taking a few desultory swipes at a board –
no matter how good the instructor. Use it or lose it.
My table might approach mediocrity. My cuts aren’t great, my tenons are
loose, and I got so excited about my plane shavings that I was
overzealous – the ankles on my tapered table legs are very delicate
indeed. But it will be the best darn demilune table I’ve ever built.
The next one will be even better – and will use no screws at all.
— Megan Fitzpatrick Read Part 1 of this series here. And Part 2 is here. Part 3 is here.
Read other entries by Megan Fitzpatrick
Friday, August 15, 2008 8:47:57 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
|
|
Thursday, August 14, 2008
For This I Get Paid? Part 3
As I mentioned in my entry from yesterday, my first order of business this morning (after stirring in the skin at the top of the glue pot -- blech) was to band saw away the waste on the inside of my bricked rim. I wanted to go early and get that out of the way, but at Marc Adams' school, power machinery can be used only between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Those are the hours when a staff member is on hand to supervise.
Marc has been running his school since 1994, and in that time, there's been not one major accident on any machinery. That's because safety is of paramount importance to Marc and his staff. Exposure to blades is limited as much as possible by featherboards, hold-downs, shields, fences, sleds and more. As you can see in the picture at the top, in order to cut our table rim's tenon cheeks on the table saw, we had to keep our hands well above the blade in order to secure the workpiece against the jig attached to the miter gauge.
If there's a way to make the operation safe, Marc and his staff have found it, and they're adamant that while at the school, students and instructors follow their proven safety procedures. And they watch like hawks to ensure that happens. This can be frustrating at times -- but it also means that students go home not only with a great woodworking experience, but with all the digits with which they arrived.
On Wednesday, for example, we were crosscutting legs to length at the table saw. Two stops were set up to the left and right of the blade, attached to a sled. Plus a Lexan shield covered the blade. In order to get our leg stock into position, the sled had to be pulled far enough back to allow access to the table under the shield. And though we had a number of small offcuts, the shield prevented anyone from reaching too close (3" minimum) to the spinning blade. It seemed tedious to maneuver the pieces under the angled shield, but it caused the operation to be performed slowly and meticulously. As one of our class assistants, Doug Dale, said, "Often, the safest way is also the most accurate."
It's a great lesson, one I'll keep in mind when I get back to our shop. Now if only there were a Lexan shield to keep me from cutting into my tenons with a handsaw.
— Megan Fitzpatrick
Read Part 1 of this series here. And Part 2 is here.
Read other entries by Megan Fitzpatrick
Thursday, August 14, 2008 7:19:53 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
|
|
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
For This I Get Paid? Part 2
To start off the second day in Phil Lowe's "Building a Demilune Table" class, we rub jointed 34 pieces with 15° angles on each end into chevrons (shown above). I thought I knew how to smear on glue and rub two pieces of wood together, but Phil showed us how to first size the end grain with a very thin layer of glue rubbed in to fill in the xylem and phloem. That, Phil says, keeps the glue used in the rub joint from being sucked up into the end grain and makes the resulting joint stronger. 
After our 17 chevrons were made, we screwed and glued six of them around the edge of the pattern we routed yesterday (being careful to keep screws out of the leg-joint areas). Then, we cut close to the pattern edge on the band saw, and touched up any wonky spots with a spokeshave. Let's just say I got some spokeshave practice. The final step for each layer was to pattern shape it on the router table. The rim was built up with three more bricked layers of chevrons and half pieces, sawing (spokeshaving) and routing each layer as we went.
The most exciting moment of the day for me (and no doubt for many of the class members), was unscrewing the rim from the pattern and seeing the shape emerge. That poplar sure is pretty – but I suspect I'll like the bird's-eye maple veneer even more. We scribed lines back from the front edge, and some people have already cut away the waste from the back. I was at the end of the line at the band saw and there's no power-tool use after 6 p.m. at the Marc Adams School of Woodworking (more on that tomorrow). So my first task on Wednesday (after plugging in the glue pot for delightful olfactory ambiance), will be to remove that waste. Then it's on to planing the tapers on the legs. Read Part 1 of this series here.
— Megan Fitzpatrick
Read other entries by Megan Fitzpatrick
Wednesday, August 13, 2008 7:45:09 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
|
|
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Greene and Greene from a Woodworker's Perspective
Many talented and able photographers have published photographs of the work of Charles and Henry Greene. I own most of the books and have spent many hours studying these, as well as images online. I usually feel some frustration because what I really want to see is often missed. I'm one of those guys that lags behind on historic home tours, down on my knees or laying on my back to get a close look at how things go together. The docent gets frustrated, the security guard gets ready to move in, but the other woodworkers understand.  The series of articles by David Mathias on Greene and Greene feature photos that are different than any that I have ever seen. The first article, the August 2008 issue of Popular Woodworking presented an overview of the style. The second article, in the October 2008 issue focuses on the furniture and joinery details. The October issue is due from the printer any time now, and will soon be on its way to subscribers. As was the case in August, we had more photos than we had room for in print, so we are putting the extras online in PDF format.  My favorite thing about these photos is the point of view and attention to detail that comes from having a fellow woodworker behind the camera. Several of the photos are of familiar pieces, but you will see construction details you haven't seen before. Many of the photos are of objects that are rarely if ever seen. This is a rare opportunity to get a closer look at an amazing body of work, through the eyes of someone who knows what you want to see. Click the link below to download the PDF slide show of additional photos. 0810GnGSlides.pdf (1.45 MB)The slide show from the August article is available by clicking here
--Bob Lang
Read other entries by Robert W. Lang
Tuesday, August 12, 2008 9:22:28 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
|
|
Monday, August 11, 2008
For This I Get Paid? Part 1
Monday morning, I left my house at 5:30 a.m. to drive to Franklin,
Ind., to the Marc Adams School of Woodworking. I had to be there by 8 a.m., and while it’s only an hour-and-a-half drive or so from Cincinnati (if one drives too fast, as I am wont to), I tend to get lost. And I got lost. Twice. But, I made it by 7:30, and I had my bench set up by the 8 a.m. start.
I’m taking Phil Lowe’s “Building a Demilune Table” class. Not only is
it my first foray into curved work, I’ll also learn to hammer veneer. I’m using mahogany for the legs and top, and bird’s-eye maple veneer will be applied (along with banding of a species yet-to-be-determined)to a substrate of poplar. Monday, each class member cut a series of short pieces of secondary wood, which will be bricked to make the curved substrate for the apron (we’ll pattern rout to an MDF template once the polygon is assembled).
While all of this is new and exciting, what I found most revelatory was the planning process. On a piece of butcher paper, using only a T-square, two triangles, a 6” rule and trammel points, Phil produced beautiful full-size orthographic and isometric drawings of our project in less than two hours – all with seemingly no math. I must learn this.
Not so exciting? Prepping for hammer veneering. While I’m delighted to be learning this traditional skill, Phil prefers his hide glue well done. So although we won’t be dipping into the glue pots for at least another day, the redolent scent of cooking collagen hangs in the air. That ought to go well with breakfast.
— Megan Fitzpatrick Read part 2 by clicking here.
Read other entries by Megan Fitzpatrick
Monday, August 11, 2008 10:20:09 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
|
|
Thursday, August 07, 2008
The Mystery of the Dangerous Flying Bats
Broken baseball bats are becoming so commonplace that Major League Baseball has undertaken a study to determine what’s behind this growing phenomenon. The concern, of course, is the busted barrel-end is hurtling into crowds – not to mention million-dollar players – and posing a serious safety hazard. Baseball czar Bud Selig wants to know what’s going on so he’s collecting every chipped, broken and cracked bat and shipping them off to the University of Wisconsin’s Forest Products Laboratory to have them studied.
Reading news reports on the subject can be entertaining for people who’ve been around and worked wood for a while. For example, I learned the problem is due to the increased use of maple instead of ash. Maple bats break clean in two while ash bats just crack or splinter. OK, I can buy that. We all know ash is a good choice for bending while maple would be avoided. But when players and other clubhouse types weigh in on the “why,” it seems maple has no “grain” while ash does. I thought all wood had grain. Here’s another: switch to beech, which I read is a hybrid between maple and ash that’s imported from Europe. Learn something new every day!
Hitters are notoriously superstitious about their bats as they seek every advantage to improve their stats. The move to maple got serious after Barry Bonds made the change and hit 49 homers in 2000 and 73 in 2001 (and we all thought there were other factors at play!). Today, some 48 percent of MLB bats are maple with a typical bat fetching $58; ash bats are significantly less at $45. That adds up when you figure the team buys 11 to 12 dozen bats for each player each season.
So is the broken bat mystery merely a question of maple vs. ash? As a woodworker, I doubt it. I will concede that the safety question is best answered with the choice of ash over maple because I’d bet the ash will be far less likely to break in two and send a hurtling projectile. More likely, ash will just crack or splinter. 
No, I believe the scientists at the Forest Products Laboratory will conclude the breakage epidemic is due to the shape of bats today and the relationship between its weight and length. Players’ preferences today are bats that are longer and weigh less with a thinner handle and bigger business end. This preference is a result of the widespread use of aluminum bats on the college circuit that have this shape, and lots of MLB players are from the college ranks. Used to be, most bats were made with weight about equal to the length; a 32” bat usually weighed close to 32 ounces. Today’s bats are often longer, 34” inches, and weigh between 30 and 32 ounces. And to make the handles thinner, some players are shaving them. Can’t you imagine the MLB clubhouse equipped with a Brian Boggs shavehorse and set of spokeshaves?
Given these guys probably lack much woodworking know-how, I have this mental image of the rookie hearing about shaving the handle to improve his performance. I see this kid with his bat all lathered up and his razor stropped and ready to shave. That cracks me up!
–Steve Shanesy, publisher & editorial director
photos courtesy of MLB Advanced Media
Thursday, August 07, 2008 3:28:51 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
|
|
Monday, August 04, 2008
Greene and Greene Fans Get Ready
Last October, David Mathias reported from Pasadena's Craftsman Weekend with photos and first hand accounts of the events. The only criticism we received was that these reports were too late for those who wanted to attend. Consider this as a wake up call, this year's events have been announced, and tickets go on sale in a few days. If you're a fan of the work of Greene & Greene, you'll want to be there. This is also the one hundredth anniversary of the Gamble House, and there are a number of special events taking place to commemorate this milestone.
 (photo above by Darrell Peart)We couldn't keep David here in Ohio, and last March he returned to California, camera in hand to take the photos we're featuring in a special three-part series of articles on Greene and Greene. If you've seen the August issue of Popular Woodworking you've seen part one, along with an online slide show of detail photos we couldn't squeeze into the printed magazine. The second article, coming in the October issue will show details of Greene and Greene furniture that have never been published before. The picture above is one example, and once again additional photos will appear online when the article is published.  David also traveled to several museums, tracking down original pieces of Greene and Greene furniture, such as this table from the Blacker House. If you're wondering how the table extension mechanism works, we'll be showing a photo from below. You can always tell the woodworkers when you visit a museum or old house, they are the ones with dust on their knees and backs from crawling on the floor to get a better look. This article is the next best thing to seeing this amazing furniture in person, and you won't have to worry about setting off an alarm, or having a security guard escort you to the nearest exit. If you'd rather see things in person, or want more information on Greene and Greene, David put together a resource list, which you can download by clicking on this link. GNGWWResource.pdf (48.49 KB)That should keep you busy until the October issue arrives. If you're looking for more, try a search on "Greene and Greene" here on the blog, or on the main Popular Woodworking web site. --Bob Lang
Read other entries by Robert W. Lang
Monday, August 04, 2008 1:33:30 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
|
|
A Preview of the October 2008 Issue of Popular Woodworking
The next issue of Popular Woodworking will be heading into mailboxes in the next two weeks, so we thought we'd give you a quick look at what you can expect inside.
21st-Century Workbench: For at least a year, Senior Editor Robert W. Lang has been working diligently on plans for a new kind of workbench that blends the best of modern and ancient designs. He succeeded beyond my expectations. This bench performs all the workholding tasks for power or hand tools. It's simple to build. It knocks down in less than 10 minutes (we timed it). And it looks great. We were so impressed with the design that we've even made a complete hour-long DVD of the construction process. We'll tell you more about the DVD when the issue comes out.
Tool Test: Random-orbit Sanders: If you own only one sander, it should be a random-orbit tool. But which one? Senior Editor Glen D. Huey tested nine popular brands in our shop here and found one tool that we liked better than all the rest. Here's the best thing: It's definitely not the most expensive in the test.
Details & Joinery of Greene & Greene: Trust me on this – the joinery and level of detail found on Greene & Greene-style pieces is far beyond what is typically done in today's shops. We sent woodworker David Mathias to the West Coast to get inside the casework and under the tables to reveal the inspiring level of work found in these masterpieces. Read the first installment in this series here.
Taming Handplane Tear-out: Battling tear-out is one of the most vexing things about using a handplane. Everyone has an opinion about what reduces it, but not all these strategies work all the time. We investigate.
Layout Tools: Michael Dunbar surveys the 16 tools you need for accurate layout in any shop. With his typical practical approach, Dunbar shows you how you don't have to spend a small fortune to do precision layout work.
Marc Adams on Table Saws: The table saw is the most used (and misused) tool in the American workshop. Marc Adams shows you how to set up and use your machine so you get accurate results without becoming one of the thousands of casualties each year. You can read another installment in Adams's series on safety here.
Arts & Mysteries: Adam Cherubini builds a 17th-century "joynt forme," a type of low seating bench with turned legs. Adam gives you hints on angled mortises and riving your materials using traditional methods.
The Wood Whisperer: Marc Spagnuolo runs a power-tool shop, but he uses hand tools to improve his joinery. He shows you how.
Flexner on Finishing: Bob Flexner takes on the common perception that shellac is best used a sealer when finishing. He shows you how you might be making your finishing harder than it has to be. Read more of Bob's articles here.
— Christopher Schwarz
Read other entries by Christopher Schwarz
Monday, August 04, 2008 11:12:42 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
|
|
Friday, August 01, 2008
New Tools from Porter Cable
Porter-Cable (PC) held a press event in New York on Tuesday. The event was to introduce new tools, both cordless and corded. After the release, we were invited to attend a Yankees baseball game. (I know it’s a dirty job, but I don’t mind taking one for the team.)
Let’s talk tools. PC introduced a line of tools that will be sold at many regular dealers, but the only home center where these tools will be found is Lowe's. The majority of the line, due out in November 2008, focuses on 18V cordless tools in nickel cadmium (Ni-Cad), with one using lithium ion (Li-ion).
In this category the company is bringing out a four pack of tools that includes a drill/driver with a 1/2" chuck, a 6-1/2" circular saw, a reciprocating saw and a flashlight ($150). A second group of tools is a two pack that includes the drill/driver and the circular saw ($110). Each package has a charger and two batteries as well as other miscellaneous parts including a saw blade, bit tips and a soft-sided carrying case. Interestingly, PC decided to stay with Ni-Cad for these tools although they are compatible with the 18V Li-ion batteries too. In addition, Porter-Cable introduced a hammer-drill kit (the tool plus two batteries and a charger) expected to retail for $140.
If lithium power is your choice, PC is bringing out a drill/driver kit. The drill features a 1/2" metal chuck and a 24-position clutch with a two-speed gearbox. The kit also includes two batteries and a charger ($180). The batteries are P1-level batteries with a 1.1 amp hour rating.
The kit prices look pretty good for PC tools and each of these tools will be available individually. I had the tools in my hands at the event, but didn’t have time to get a good look at each. My question is this: Why continue to use Ni-cad technology when most others are using, and consumers are knowledgeable about, Li-ion? My best guess about the battery choice is that the older technology allows the company to hit specific price points that enticed Lowe’s to the table. I can’t think of another reason to stick with Ni-cad when the buying public is changing gears to accept Li-ion-powered tools.
When PC Vice-President Dan Gregory said DeWalt tools were their professional-line tools, I was astounded, as were others. He explained that PC is attempting to position these tools for tradesman – an area of the market that PC feels is full of value-conscientious, value-driven buyers. PC is being sandwiched between Black & Decker (at the low end) and DeWalt (the high end). I’ve always thought my Porter-Cable routers and PC sanders were better than the DeWalt counterparts.
So what’s to happen to the regular Porter-Cable tools that we all know today? As for the existing tools PC has produced for years (the routers and random orbit sanders), I’ve been told the company doesn’t plan to change them at all. I hope we see packaging that differentiates between the new line and the company’s current tools.
In addition to the new tools mentioned above, Porter-Cable introduced a battery-powered, 6-1/2" circular saw with a laser that was pretty cool. It was priced at $60, but you also have to buy a battery and charger. New in corded tools: hammer drills, reciprocating saws, small angle grinders, 1/2"-chuck drill/drivers and laser-equipped circular saws. For the suggested retail price for the kits or for individual tools, open the PDF below.
—Glen D. Huey
PCPrices.pdf (3.46 MB)
Read other entries by Glen D. Huey
Friday, August 01, 2008 1:48:25 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
|
|
|