Popular Woodworking Editors' Blog

You’d think I’d know better. But being in desperate need of one place where I could store and easily access all my music CDs, I was seduced by the clearance price and vintage look of a CD cabinet in an on-line catalog. I grabbed my credit card, punched the keys and my order was quickly on its way. It was after I placed my order that I saw the phrase “some assembly required” in the product description.

A week later, a soft, flat cardboard box arrived with both ends barely held together with packing tape. Apparently there was going to be more than “some” assembly necessary for this cabinet. But I pushed the dining room table and chairs to the wall and in a storm of Styrofoam, pulled out all the pieces. Both doors were damaged. The instructions said that the company would be happy to send replacements, so a week later I received another set of doors — in oak. My cabinet was cherry (well, cherry-colored). So one more week later another set of doors arrived, and I excitedly began assembly. With the cabinet standing, and only the doors laid out on the dining room rug, I was mentally envisioning my CDs standing smartly on shelves behind glass-paneled doors in a matter of minutes. And my dining room would once more become a place to enjoy dinner. I carefully placed the glass panes behind the lattice on the doors. They were too long by an eighth of an inch.

OK, I thought. A lunch-hour trip to the hardware store to have the glass cut down will take care of this. But the glass cutter was unsure if it was tempered glass, and he wasn’t willing to do the job. I had to find someone who was familiar with working with tempered glass. Another lunch-hour trip the next day led me to Andrew at Oakley Paint & Glass, who miraculously made my glass panels the right size in short order.

That evening, it all came together at last. I gathered all my CDs and organized them neatly on the shelves (by category and alphabetically, of course). I sighed happily as I closed the doors — and they wouldn’t quite close all the way. Arrrrrgggggghhhh! What could be wrong now? A couple of the little plastic thingies that held the glass in the door were positioned in just the right place for the screws to dig into the shelf behind them.

Those two thingies are now gone, the doors are completely closed and my CD collection is together once more. The cabinet serves its purpose and fits nicely into my almost 80-year-old home. But I’ve learned my lesson. Note to self: Read product description carefully before hitting the “send” button, and don’t believe everything you read. They weren’t exactly untruthful. The lattice was already stapled into the doors.

Maybe I need to take a lesson from Megan and get serious about learning the craft of woodworking.

— Linda Watts, art director

Wednesday, July 01, 2009 1:49:30 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)    Comments [1] 

Those of you who follow Editor Christopher Schwarz's writing on the Woodworking Magazine blog may recall the sad, sad day that Chris was forced to kill off his companion of more than a decade. His beloved lubricant-soaked Woobie was traded in for a younger and cleaner model, with no implants...of sawdust and swarf (you can read the post here).

I rescued Woobie from the trash bin. And today we were looking for amusing ways in which to avoid work (a rarity, of course). So we pulled out a grotty photograhy sweep, shot a few representative photos, and wrote an item description. Yes – Woobie is for sale on eBay. I just hope we get back the 95 cents it cost me to post it.

— Megan Fitzpatrick

Tuesday, June 30, 2009 3:55:54 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)    Comments [16] 

If you have come to this post looking for an easy, no-hard-work method to scale furniture, I’m afraid you’re going to be disappointed. There is no magic bullet. No simple number that can be used as a multiplier to arrive at the final sizes needed to enlarge or scale down a plan. However, there are a couple ways that work if you put in the time and effort.

The easiest, most simplistic method to scale furniture is to take a scaled drawing to your local copy shop and have them enlarge the piece to the size you are after. The drawings on the blanket chest in our August 2009 issue are to scale, so you would need to take the drawings to your copy shop and have them enlarge the plans by a certain percentage. To adjust the plan from a box size of 32” to the larger box size of 42”, you should ask that the plan be enlarged by 31.25 percent (32” x 1.3125 percent = 42”). In turn, the other measurements would also adjust accordingly. The overall height adjusts from 20” to 26-1/4” and the feet go to 5” from 3-3/4”.

While this option allows you to work from a drawing, I find it much more helpful to learn how to scale from photos – photos that are shown with full, mostly front-on views and not necessarily shown from angles. To do this, I use ratios of measurements taken off the photo.

As an example, the blanket chest photo I’m using measures 6-3/4” wide and in the description of the chest the actual width is 53”. To find other measurements along the width of the chest such as the width of one drawer, I’ll set up a ratio of 6.75/53. I can use this ratio to find the width of any other part of the chest so long as I take all my measurements from the same photo.

If the width of one of the long drawers in my photo equals 2-1/4”, then I would set up the following where X is the actual width of the drawer front:

Tuesday, June 30, 2009 12:06:20 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)    Comments [6] 

Look around your neighborhood. The next time you see a truck belonging to a contractor or cabinetmaker, there’s a good chance that the company uses a handplane in its logo.

Though the image of a plane is the mark of the craftsman, there are few craftsmen who really know how to use the tool. Has this knowledge been lost? Are the tools simply obsolete?

The truth is that neither statement is true. The handplane is the most advanced and cunning wood-cutting tool ever invented, and it has yet to be surpassed by anything with a power cord. After World War II, handplanes began to disappear from shops because we traded speed for skill and expediency for quality.

But now the pendulum is swinging the other way. Modern toolmakers have revived the planemaking industry and are turning out quality tools the like of which haven’t been sold for 100 years. Woodworkers are discovering that these tools are fast, satisfying to use and produce remarkably crisp work.

"Handplane Essentials" aims to get you started. Inside these pages is the knowledge you need to choose the right handplanes for your shop, set them up correctly and put them to use building furniture for a lifetime. “Handplane Essentials” contains everything you need to choose the right tool for your budget and project, take it out of the box, sharpen it and use it successfully. The chapters in this book have been compiled from more than 10 years of my writings on the subject of handplanes in magazines, trade journals and blogs.

And it's a sizable book – 312 pages – and printed on high-quality paper. The hundreds of photos in the book have been sepia-toned, just like the photos in Woodworking Magazine (our sister publication). The book is hardbound, covered in black cloth with a copper embossing and a heavy full-color dust jacket. And – best of all – the book is produced and printed entirely in the United States. Here's what you'll find inside:

Basics
Learn what the different handplanes are used for. Decode their crazy numbering system so you can focus instead on what each tool does. And figure out what specific planes you need in your shop.

Sharpening
Learning to hone your cutters to a keen edge is the secret to getting your planes to work. “Handplane Essentials” shows you how to get this done no matter what sort of sharpening system you use now.

Techniques
Learn how to flatten individual boards, panels and even enormous tabletops with just a few bench planes. Learn to use specialty planes to cut grooves, rabbets and other joints.

History & Philosophy
If you understand historical practice, you’ll be a better handplane user – even if you choose to reject the traditional methods. Learn to pick a well-made old tool based on how it is made.

Reviews
Find out who makes the best high-quality tool, whether it’s a $50 plane from India or a $5,000 plane custom-made by a machinist in Scotland. I've tried them all.

The book is at the printer now and will be in stock during the first week of August. If you order before July 31, you'll receive a discount of 20 percent off the regular price of $34.99. That means the book will be $27.99 – plus free shipping.

After July 31, the book will be $34.99 (though shipping will still be free).

To read more or place your order, click here. To download an excerpt of the book in pdf format, the link below.

2-CoarseMediumFine.pdf (3.16 MB)

— Christopher Schwarz

Monday, June 29, 2009 2:04:01 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)    Comments [1] 

Even if you're experienced with using a computer, learning a new software program presents two problems. The first is learning how to get around the program; the second is learning how to make the program do what you want it to do. We're excited about what SketchUp can do to make woodworking easier and better, and I've been working on developing methods to help folks learn it. I've come to realize that instead of starting at the beginning by making simple models, you can dramatically shorten the learning curve by starting at the end.

Monday, June 29, 2009 1:11:24 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)    Comments [2] 

SawStop has done it again. First, the company developed and integrated a safety system to keep woodworkers from being maimed by a spinning saw blade. Now the group at SawStop has tackled the second most crucial safety issue of table saws – sawdust.

New shroud designs under the table and above the table (the blade guard) have improved dust collection on the yet-to-be-released SawStop Professional Cabinet Saw. According to the company, dust collection on the newest member of the SawStop fleet is 99 percent. And to accomplish that you need only a 120CFM dust collector.

How did they do it? In laymen’s terms, engineers found a way to transform the normally turbulent air surrounding the saw blade into laminar air that travels like a jet stream. In other words, SawStop molded the blade guard and manipulated the lower dust shroud to move the air – and the corresponding wood dust – directly toward and into a hose connection in rear of the blade guard (shown above).

Information is just beginning to trickle out about the blade guard design and the fact that it increases the overall dust collection on the saw by four additional percentage points. (As this entry posted, SawStop had yet to update it's website with the new information.) You can bet everyone will be all over SawStop’s new Professional Cabinet Saw and the new dust-collection designs in Las Vegas at the AWFS (Association of Woodworking and Furnishings Suppliers) show come mid-July.

Thursday, June 18, 2009 1:20:51 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)    Comments [0] 

Announcing the 'Hand Tool Olympics' at Woodworking in America

In sports, you need to compete against a superior player to improve your own game.
 
So to make you a more skilled tool user, we're holding a "Hand Tool Olympics" at our Woodworking in America conference in St. Charles, Ill., this August. During these friendly competitions, you'll get to show off your skills in a variety of hand-tool basics. And you could win prizes just for competing.

(Need a coach? Competition staff will be on hand to provide training, tips and strategies.)

Here are the details:

The Olympics will be held on Friday, Aug. 14 and Saturday, Aug. 15 (with recreational and fun events on Sunday, Aug. 16) in the Society of American Period Furniture Makers (SAPFM) booth. Three events will be held each day with the winners announced and awards bestowed during the Saturday dinner. The Grand-prize winner will receive Free Admission to a Future Woodworking in America Conference.  The "medalists" in each event will win one of the tools used for that event. Plus, randomly selected participants will also be awarded prizes. (Prizes are limited to one per attendee.)

Plus we'll be giving away DVDs, CDs, books and magazines to participants throughout the two days of competition.

The Minnesota chapter of SAPFM, headed by Mike Siemsen, will conduct the Olympics. Plus, SAPFM will hold workshops and provide tutorials for those who would like to participate but need a little last-minute coaching on proper use of a given hand tool. (And who knows – a prodigy might be discovered!) Participants must use the tools provided (don’t worry – we’ll have the necessary tools – and they’re good ones!).

The events are as follows:

1. One Meter Dash – Step away from your table saw and venture back into the 1800s. Each contestant is required to accurately rip a 36" piece of 2 x 12 stock using a handsaw.  We hope you practiced the pointers doled out in Popular Woodworking magazine’s "Arts & Mysteries" column. This event is judged mainly on time, with points deducted for going way off the line. (A kinked saw will result in immediate disqualification.)

2. Shooting Sports – Use a jointer plane to straighten and square the edge created during the One Meter Dash. That’s right – you have to do it completely by hand. Crazy. Judging, with a test bar of aluminum, a feeler gauge and an engineer’s square is for straightness and accuracy.

3. Crosscut Extravaganza – Hold your finger straight to sight down the saw (or simply channel your inner square) to accurately crosscut a piece of 2 x 12 lumber. This event is judged mainly for time with points deducted for going way off the line. (A kinked saw will result in immediate disqualification.)

4. Brace Yourself For a Hole in One – Before the advent of electric and battery-powered drill/drivers, carpenters and woodworkers used a brace and auger bits to bore holes. The challenge: Bore a 3/4" hole in a plank, straight and square to surface of plank (no squares or other aids allowed). It’s not as boring as you might think! Judged for speed. Points off for major blowouts on the backside and any degrees out of square.

5. Pins First or Tails First – You make the call on which method you prefer; we’ll track the numbers to see which is more popular. Either way, you have to complete a well-fit three-pin dovetail joint on a 1x4, using hand tools. Goodbye jig. Judging is subjective – but we know it when we see it. If the competition gets close, we may call in a jury.

6. Greco-Roman Tenons – Produce a 3"-long, 3/4"-thick tenon on the end of a piece of 2x4 stock. Your attempt has to fit into a provided test mortise. This event is judged for time and quality – with some latitude allowed if the tenon is a bit tight, as most are hand planed to final fit.

Prize Tools

* Rip Saws –Donated by Mike Siemsen’s School of Woodworking (vintage saws sharpened by Mark Harrell at Technoprimitives.com).
*Crosscut Saws – Donated by Mike Siemsen’s School of Woodworking (vintage saws sharpened by Mark Harrell).
*Back Saws – Donated by Bad Axe Tool Works – Mark Harrell
*Jointer Planes – Donated by Lee Valley & Veritas
*Dovetail Mallets – Donated by Blue Spruce Toolworks
*Brace and Bit – Donated by Popular Woodworking and Woodworking Magazine

— Glen D. Huey

Tuesday, June 16, 2009 2:24:06 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)    Comments [0] 

Milwaukee Tools invited magazine and newspaper editors to its headquarters in Brookfield, Wis., on June 10 to unveil a number of new tools – 48 during the next 18 months – and a complete new line for the company. The buzzwords around Milwaukee Tools are "Disruptive Innovation." The company is not looking to embellish a product with a unique switch or a larger over-molded grip; it’s looking to introduce products with such new innovation that we re-think how we use those tools. And Milwaukee is OK if it cannibalizes it’s own product in the process.

Also, Milwaukee Tools reinforced the company focus. Milwaukee made no bones about where the company plans to focus its attention in the coming years. It plans to return to its core customers – the trades. Electricians, plumbers, HVAC and other similar groups are in the headlights of the 85-year-old company. And the headlights are set to high beam.

A big part of the new focus is a new line of "Test and Measure" equipment. Seven new products from this area are released or about to be released. Most of these tools are for electricians, HVAC and the building trades – clamp meters, open-jaw testers and laser temperature guns – and not so much for woodworkers. Noticeably absent were distance-measuring tools. When asked about those, the response was to be patient; those are in the pipeline.

Of the corded tools introduced at the event, angle grinders stood out the most. Milwaukee is releasing many new grinders. There are large angle grinders (7" and 9" examples), small grinders (4-1/2" to 6" 12-amp tools) and a couple cordless designs, too. And, the company has a cut-off grinder coming out. Again, for woodworking, even though some woodworkers sculpt with grinders, this doesn’t knock our socks off.

With the discussion turning to cordless tools, the event shifted closer to the interest of woodworkers. Milwaukee has three tool platforms – M12, M18 and V28. Tool introductions were made in each platform with the majority of the releases coming in the M12 and M18 platform.

The majority of the new cordless introductions from Milwaukee are hammer and/or impact tools. The largest tool is a 3/4" High-torque Impact Wrench (0764-22) from the V28 lineup and the smallest introduction is a M12 3/8" impact wrench (2451-22). While the range in tool size is huge, the choices are even larger.

Also in the mix of cordless tools is the M12, 3/8" drill/driver. The two-speed 2410-22 drill/driver, according to the company, is the only tool in its class with a metal locking chuck and it can deliver 25 percent more torque and drill 35 percent faster than the competition. For me, it’s small and feels great in the hand. It’s a great choice for all-day-long work or maneuvering in tight spaces. In the hands-on portion of the event, I compared the 3/8" drill/driver to Milwaukee’s 1/4"-Hex Compact Impact Driver (2650-21) while driving a handful of screws into 2" material. Both tools did the job.

Because both small drivers did the job, I wonder if woodworkers need impact tools. More than a few companies have introduced impact drivers – a couple companies are set to introduce a full line of accessories developed just for impact drivers – and I’ve found impact drivers mentioned on a couple woodworking forums. But I want to hear from you. Do woodworkers need this tool?

It’s time for a poll. Please take a minute to register your response, then click comment to see more detailed information.

If you are planning to purchase or if you use an impact driver consistently, please leave a comment explaining how you use the driver.

— Glen D. Huey

Monday, June 15, 2009 12:01:20 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)    Comments [5]