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DVD Review of David Charlesworth's Hand Tool Techniques Pt. 1
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Matt's Basement Workshop PodcastFor anyone interested in learning the right way to prep and sharpen their hand plane blades this DVD from Lie-Nielsen is a great tutorial. David Charlesworth is already known for being a great woodworking instructor and "Hand Tool Techniques Part 1" just reinforces it even more so.
Covering topics from truing and prepping waterstones for sharpening to accurately setting up a honing guide repeatedly. Other topics inside include flattening waterstones, understanding which ones to use and also setting up chipbreakers for your blade assemblies.
The demonstrations in this DVD will have you sharpening your plane's blade in no time and getting scary sharp results right away.
To order your own copy from Woodcraft just click on the DVD cover below:
Or head over to Lie-Nielsen to order directly.
Don't forget coming up in April, Hendrik is back and answering our questions about dealing with cup, bow, twist or other lumber imperfections. So get your questions in soon. Send them to mattsbasementworkshop@gmail.com, that's also where you can submit your name for free schwag, questions for the show or feedback.
And don't forget to head over to Chris Schwarz's blog to learn more about his classes, Lost Art Press.
Listen to today's show by clicking on the player below
Des Moines Woodworkers Pitch In
00/00/0000, 00:00 | WoodworkingONLINE.comThe Des Moines Woodworkers Association makes it clear that their mission is to dedicate their time and effort (and a considerable amount of expertise) “…to education, community service, and sharing of knowledge for those of all ages and skill levels…” who are interested in woodworking.
For example, a few months after 9/11, I became involved with a project sponsored by the club and Woodworkers United for America to build Memorial Flag Boxes for the families of victims of the terrorist attacks. It was a gratifying experience and I ended up building a few extras for my family members.
Then, just the other day I heard a member of the club on a local public radio station talking about their latest community project — building special caskets for preemie babies. The Infant Casket Program is an off-shoot of the Precious Angels Organization. Their goal is to help families who have lost children and may not be able for whatever reason to afford a quality casket or other services. You can find out more about this organization here.
Des Moines Woodworkers club members can build caskets from plans provided on their website. The club also provides wood to any member who requests it to build caskets. They announced the plans to help out at their last meeting and the hope is that members will bring their projects to the September meeting where they’ll be presented to Vicki Dischner, the young lady who runs the program for SpecialAngelsIA.org. The Des Moines Woodworkers have also contacted clubs in Omaha, NE., and Ames, Cedar Falls, and Cedar Rapids in Iowa to become involved in this worthy project.
Contact Russ Wilson, the community service director for the club, if you’d like to be involved.
My First Woodworking Class - The Art of Handsawing
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Matt's Basement Workshop PodcastOn March 16th I attended my first woodworking class. I know it's hard to believe that it's taken me so long to get my feet wet, but I've taken the plunge and I couldn't be happier.
Chris Schwarz's "The Forgotten Art of Handsawing" was just the kind of class I've been waiting to take for quite awhile. As a huge admirer of Chris and a self proclaimed hand tool lover this was a golden opportunity to mix the two.
Not to mention that this was also a great opportunity to meet and make a number of new friends. So thanks to all of you! Here are some links to pics of the class, these were sent to me by listeners who happened to come across this at two different forums Pics from Woodcentral.com and Pics from Penturners.org.
For more information on what's new with Chris Schwarz and to find out where his next class is being held check out his blog at Lost Art Press.
If you're interested in checking out upcoming classes being offered at this Woodcraft location click on this link Classes at Sterling Heights Woodcraft
Don't forget to get your questions, comments and schwag entries in. Drop me a line at mattsbasementworkshop@gmail.com.
Listen to today's show by clicking on the player below
One file to rule them all - and in the Ebony dust bind them.
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Sauer & Steiner
Over the last 8 days, I have fit the front buns and rear infills of 7 coffin smoothers. Two XSNo.4ss's, three No.4ss's and two A5ss's. Six of these planes have Ebony infills. Needless to say - my hands are disturbingly filthy. The fitting process goes something like this;
1). Waste out the bulk of the infill using saws (thanks again Mike!).
The above shoulder cut that defines the overstuffing still feels “dangerous” - even after 100+ times.
2). With the bulk removed - I turn to files, rasps and chisels to further refine the shape.
3). Once the footprint is close - I add in my 1/2" wide, by 3-3/4" long shoulder rebate plane to get the fit of the shoulder to mate perfectly with the sidewall. There is still some refining of the footprint involved - but at this stage it is a bit of a dance between fitting the footprint and the height of the shoulders of the overstuffing.
The above photo is one of many tests of the fit between the overstuffing and the sidewalls. The thing that makes coffin shaped planes a bit tricky is there is very little wiggle room with regards to the fit. On a parallel sided plane, the infill can be slid in from either end. With a coffin plane on the other hand - it needs to drop down from the top.
Take an A5. The handle is already shaped, the bed angle is established, the slot for the adjuster is cut and the section of wood that connects the top of the handle to the bed is already defined. There is really not much of an allowance to move the infill forward or back before any of these aspects will be fatally compromised. Anyway - it requires all of my wits being present to do this task.
Back on topic. Until now - the rasp and file stage took the longest. I was typically using about 6 different files and rasps for this stage, but it was never quite perfect. One of the issues was finding a tool that would remove material quickly, but do so in a very clean manner. Generally - this is not done with rasps. I love rasps - but the cutting action leaves deep V shaped grooves as opposed to a file which leaves a more level surface. Rasps are great for stock removal - but it is sometimes difficult to accurately gauge the depth of the bottom of the V shaped cut. When fitting infills +/- .003" can be the difference between the perfect fit and disaster. So I turned to files because the surface was more level. The trouble with files - they are much slower and tend to clog up much more quickly - especially when used on exotic woods.
Enter this file made by Toshio Fukazawa.
This was unlike anything I had seen before. The teeth one side were completely unfamiliar. They were not like a rasp or a file... but rather a bit of a blend of the two. They had peaks on them that was rasp like - but they were still flat-ish like a file.
The other side was a little more familiar - like a fairly aggressive single cut file. Another nice feature was both edges were safe - and very well done.
I have had this file for several months now, and when I got it home (it was a gift from a very good friend), there was a rear infill and front bun for a No.4 to fit. I decided to quickly try the unhandled file - just to see what it would do. I was blown away. The toothed side removed wood so fast - I could hardly believe it - but what really got me, was how smooth the surface was. I tried another pass - just to make sure. Same thing - rapid stock removal with a super clean surface. I could hardly contain my excitement. I took of my jacket and kept going. What would have taken 6 rasps and files I was doing with a single tool at twice the speed. Once it was shaped, I flipped over the file and tried the other side. This side was very different. It too cut very quickly, but left an almost polished surface. There was absolutely no clean up after this side. I had both infills fit in record time.
Back to these 7 coffin smoothers. All 7 of them were fit using this single file in conjunction with my Wenzloff saw and small shoulder plane. This process has become much quicker, more accurate and consistent - thanks to this last missing tool being added. The only thing left is to find out where to get a few more of them.
Curved Blade Jig fits Tormek
00/00/0000, 00:00 | David's blogMollino, Wendell Castle and the Rough Cut Forum
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Furnitology ProductionsWhen you are a builder, in our case in wood, each endeavor, demands laser beam focus. A bit of self evaluation has me noticing that I post more when my work is completed and I’m transitioning, a very good trait for a building woodworker. I get notes from the guys over in T-Mac’s Forum telling me to get “chop, chop’in” on Carlo.
Well yesterday, I put Carlo back in focus, along with a Wendell Castle inspired piece. The 2 pieces are in good phase right now, gluing-up on one and sculpting on the other is a nice mix. We’ll see alot of Carlo and peak-in on the Castle piece.
I’ve also taken on the nighttime challenge of being a part in the first that I know of, Furniture: Internet Classroom Blog Build.
Tommy MacDonald (AKA: Chizz, T-Chisel, T-Mac, Big-T) of Rough Cut Fame, with Al and a North Bennett Street School student, Eli Cleveland, have produced an internet woodworking podcast curriculum taking those interested through the building elements of the Federal Period. Yesterday we got our first look at the project, the forum, gives T-Mac a good chiseling and calls it the Crazy Leg table, but I see it as a great marketing tool. Which leg do you prefer?? Would you like satin wood or lace wood in the drawer front??? The bellflowers are an expensive option; would you like to include those????
T-Mac’s design has those building and those watching; making 4 different style legs’ of the Period, bellflower inlay, sand shading edges, making inlay banding, cockbeading and a top decorated with all kinds of inlay elements of the Federal Period. T-Mac’s thinking is that once the forum is exposed to the Federal Period, a Pembroke table, Demilune table and such, could be the next project. The project presentation will be geared towards evening shop time.
For those of you unaware, the Rough Cut forum is what I term, a “building or working forum”, not many posts show after 8am or before 6pm. That may change as the build gets underway. What I like about the forum is nobody tries to dominate knowing everybody on the forum is very knowledgeable and each woodworker has something to offer. After all the tag line is….. “a podcast for the serious woodworker”.
If you are interested in period furniture, or like me believe there is nothing wrong with “Mona Lisa’s Mustache” after all; I have done a Chippendale top in mica and metal and see value in mixing periods, jump into the Rough Cut Forum build or just watch the podcasts. There’s positive energy to feel and it should be interesting to be a part.
As for our blog…….. expect a lot of Carlo, peaks at my Castle inspired piece, an ICFF interview, and a visit into the shop of David Ebner who is presenting at this years Furniture Society Conference. That video is shot, I’m scheduled to shoot another Furniture Society player April 10th.
“less type-type……more chop-chop”………Neil
GO TO: Rough Cut Forum
Podcast #27: 10 Essential Hand Tools for Your Shop
00/00/0000, 00:00 | WoodworkingONLINE.comI have a half dozen different squares in my shop. My framing square isn’t accurate enough for fine woodworking. A good try square is plenty accurate, but its uses are limited. The combination square, on the other hand, is one of the most versatile layout and measuring tools in my shop. That’s why it tops the list of my “10 Essential Hand Tools for Your Shop.”
If you’re interested in purchasing any of the items I mention in this Woodsmith Woodworking Podcast, be sure to check out the Woodsmith Podcast Store. You’ll find links to many of the items listed there.
My Boss
11/09/2008, 21:00 | A Woodworking Odyssey
When the toolbox came upstairs for repair work last week, the cat appointed herself job-site supervisor. Notice the calm assurance that indicates her complete control of the project.
Welcome to the Wood Shop
02/01/2007, 19:44 | The Wood Shop| |
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Replacing Window Glass
11/06/2008, 02:31 | Wood Shutters
Replacing window glass begins with safety glasses and a good pair of work gloves.
Replacing window glass or a broken window associated with an older window is something a homeowner can do with a few basic tools.
Start by removing the broken glass pane remnants still stuck in the window sash. You may need to use one of your pliers to help pull out any smaller pieces.
Next, remove the old glazing compound with your putty knife. Work your way around the entire window sash, in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction, and scrape the old glazing compound out.
You may want to use a hair dryer to heat the glazing compound up. The heat will soften the old glazing and make it easier to remove. Apply heat to a localized section of the old glass to soften it up, and then scrape it out with your putty knife. Keep stepping around the window sash in this process.
Also, in the process of removing the old glazing, remove any glazing points that may still be attached to the window sash. Use your Needle-nose pliers to remove the points.
After you have removed all of the old compound and glazing points, sand the area down to the bare wood to remove any old glazing or paint. Then apply a sealer to the bare wood to protect it.
Now install your piece of glass and place it into the window sash. Note that the glass should be slightly smaller than the window sash, e.g. 1/8th inch narrower in both length and width.
With the glass in place, install glazing points approximately every 4-6 inches, making sure you have a couple of glazing points near each of the corners of the glass. Be careful not to break the glass when doing this.
With the glazing points installed apply the new glazing to the window sash. It is best to roll out a " string of glazing material, and using your fingers and putty knife push it into place around the window edges.
Once you have pressed in the new glazing material use your finger or a moist rag to smooth out the glazing and to clean the glass.
Let the window dry overnight, and then apply paint to the window sash. When the paint has dried reinstall it into the window frame.
About the Author: Over the past 20+ years Mark Donovan has been involved with building homes and additions to homes. His projects have included: building a vacation home, building additions and garages on to existing homes, and finishing unfinished homes. For more information about Home Improvement and Home Additions, and Home Remodeling and Repair visit homeadditionplus.com and homeaddition.blogspot.com
Jamestown and Bideford
00/00/0000, 00:00 | David's blogDrill Press Table Upgrade
00/00/0000, 00:00 | WoodworkingONLINE.comYou can sharpen your woodworking skills with helpful tips and techniques from the editors of Woodsmith and ShopNotes magazines. Get a FREE tip sent to your email address each week! Go to WoodworkingTips.com and sign up today.
Here’s last week’s tip from ShopNotes online editor Phil Huber:
I wanted to add an auxiliary table and fence to my drill press. But I didn’t want to spend a lot of money. So I built the simple drill press table and fence with a replaceable insert you see in the photo above. The fence is adjustable and has a sliding stop.
Table
The table is two layers of ¾″ plywood that are glued together. A dado on the top side at each end holds T-tracks for attaching the fence. Two bottom-mounted T-tracks attach the table to the drill press, as you can see in detail ‘b’ and the photo at right.
Fence
The fence is nothing more than a length of aluminum angle. A slotted hole at each end accepts a flange bolt from the table so you can quickly mount and adjust the fence to meet almost any drilling challenge.
Stop Block
To help position and hold the workpiece, I added a stop block to the fence. It’s simply a block of wood attached to an aluminum bracket. A knob and T-nut, are used for adjusting the block and securing it in position on the fence (detail ‘a’).
Good Woodworking,
Phil Huber
Online Editor, ShopNotes
Greetings from Berea!
00/00/0000, 00:00 | The Village Carpenter
Day number one of the Woodworking in America conference has come to a close and it was filled with informative seminars,
tools that would like to come home with me, and lots of wide-eyed woodworkers. 
Highlights from AWFS, Part 1
00/00/0000, 00:00 | WoodworkingONLINE.comWhen they say it’s hot in Vegas, they aren’t kidding. And even though the show floor is air-conditioned, there are some hot new products heating up the arena.
Porter-Cable is set to announce a whole lineup of new tools tomorrow night at a press briefing. I’m going to see if I can sneak in the back door and let you know what I find out.
I got to spend some time at the Rikon Power Tools booth. I met and spoke for a few moments with Erin Riley, president. She said that the company is relatively new (around seven years old) and that Rikon tools have only been around for a little over four years. Steve Mangano, vice president, took some time to show me some of their products. They’ve got some innovative features on their band saws, and I was impressed with their table saw with sliding table. At just under $2,000, I think it’s a bargain with all the features and capabilities. They even have in their product line a couple of radial drill presses. I have an old Rockwell radial drill press that my dad gave me. I think every woodworker should own one. You can read all about their products on the Rikon Power Tools web site.
And Bessey Tools has got a new clamp that’s got my attention. It was originally introduced a few years ago but went away for a redesign and was re-introduced a few months ago. Look for the new DuoKlamp at your Bessey retailer. The product is so new, I couldn’t find it on their web site, but be on the lookout for it.
A chat with John McInerney, VP Sales/Marketing at Amana Tool was worth the time. He say’s they’re redirecting some of their sales efforts to broaden the product line for the home woodworker. Some products that are more used in a production shop have just as much appeal to a hobbyist woodworker. For example, a number of their router bits will be available with replaceable carbide inserts. This has a lot of advantages, according to John. For one, they can use a harder, finer grade of carbide since it wouldn’t be subjected to the heat of brazing it to a steel body. That means a sharper, longer-lasting edge — two other advantages for woodworkers. The initial investment might be a little more, but the costs of replacing the inserts will be considerably less than the cost of a new, traditional-style bit.
Well, I’m off now to see what’s up with the Kreg Tool Company.
Stay tuned for further developments.
Hexagonal Portable Tool Tote
00/00/0000, 00:00 | WoodworkingONLINE.com 
I don’t know about you, but when I have to do some work around the house or somewhere away from the shop, I usually use a five-gallon bucket with a Bucket Boss to transport my tools. I’ve been using that for years and it has worked fairly well. It’s great for hauling my portable drill, screwdrivers, hammers, chisels, etc.
Over on WoodNet, Bob Strawn (aka “CedarSlayer”) is showing off his portable “roll-up” tool tote. He even went so far as to use a home-brew finish on it. 
Here’s what Bob said about the construction of the tote:
All the details are there, and it is a good first work. It gives you a place for tools and most of the materials are inexpensive. The leather strap can be a bit more expensive. I made mine out of pine, brass screws, brass tacks, epoxy, screw posts and horse butt. The horse butt was the most expensive, but then I can strop with the straps. I would advise going to a saddle shop and getting vegetable tan leather for the inner fittings, so that you don’t have too many salts in the leather eating your tools. Getting straps from them or using belts from a resale shop would do well.
As far as the one I made goes, The Hex end on mine has 4″ long sides. The boards are 24″ long and 1/2 thick. The end peices are a touch thicker. The inside straps are 1″ wide, the outside straps are 2″ To avoid near impossible clamping issues, I taped the whole thing together and marked boards and ends. I predrilled the three fixed boards, screw holes, to the end pieces. I used masking tape to avoid a mess with the epoxy, and used a slower set epoxy and brass screws to hold the sides together during gluing.
I wanted a rougher finish than the mirror smooth one that came out of my thickness planer, so I sanded at an angle across the grain with 80 grit, to give the look and feel I wanted. Sort of an old sawmill look. This way dings and scratches add character instead of ruining the appearance.
Click here to read more and see more photos of this handy tool tote.
A Peek at the Possibilities
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Woodworking DungeonTaking my first step into segementation with smaller pieces, I cut up some maple that I had already planed down to 1/8". I laminated these little pieces with an accent color and turned a sample.
This is what I've got:
This shows me that conceptually I'm on track. Now I need to work on putting together a full sized blank so I can complete a pen and see how it looks.
Each piece of maple is only 1/8" thick. To show the scale, I'm including this picture that has my sample next to a dime. The length of the sample if just over 1 inch. The diameter of the sample is just about 3/8". The final diameter of a slimline pen would be a little bit smaller than this.
Hopefully in the next couple of days I'll have some time to work on putting that full sized blank together.
Cast Iron Router Table
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Woodworkers ResourceI love going to as many woodworking shows as I can throughout the year. You get to see the latest and greatest from the "big names" which is fun, but the booths I like the best are the small one product companies and the local retail stores.
One such retail store that I can almost always count on having a booth at shows, in and around the southeast, is Peachtree Woodworking Supply.
One of the things that I like best about Peachtree Woodworking, is that they carry all the tools and equipment that you would expect, but they carry many items that the "big guys" don't.
We recently did a video review of one of those products. A solid cast iron router table top.
The video goes through my experience of installing the router table top as a side extension to my table saw. The video covers most things, but there were a few things that I omitted to save time. To be able to better cover the review, I wrote an article to go with this video review. You can find the write-up here.
And as always, for more information on woodworking, go to our website:
Craig Stevens
Freehand Chamfers & Roundovers - The Video
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Matt's Basement Workshop PodcastAs promised here is the video for our discussion on freehanding chamfers and roundovers using our block planes. The technique is quick, easy and with a little practice you'll be doing it in no time!
Comments, questions, suggestions and schwag entries? Send them to mattsbasementworkshop@gmail.com. Also in case you missed it, I posted the wrong file for Part 2 of Wood Science 101 with Hendrik. I reposted this file so if you haven't heard it yet, you can find it at the website.
Help Nominate LJ In The 2nd Annual Open Web Awards
00/00/0000, 00:00 | LumberJocks.com :: woodworking showcaseI’ve nominated our website in The 2nd Annual Open Web Awards – Niche and Miscellaneous Social Networks category. The more nominations we get, the better our chance to make it into the voting rounds.
If you’re a fan of LJ.com you can submit your nomination now:
They use e-mail for a vote confirmation and for alerts about the Open Web Awards.
Thanks!
たんすの名人/ the master cabinetmaker
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Masashi's woodworking diary
岐阜市内の伝統工芸の工房を訪ね歩いています。
来年度、学生たちを連れて見学に訪れる場所の、いわば下見です。
まずは桐箪笥製造の馬渕弘美さん。
I am visiting various traditional craft workshops in Gifu for research.
Mr. Hiromi Mabuchi produces Japanese traditional Kiri-Dansu, paulownia chest of drawers.
馬渕さんの箪笥は過剰な装飾がなく、凛としています。
Kiri-dansu are often too decorative, but Mr. Mabuchi's isn't.
Stephen Shephard's new site
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Traditional Tools & NewsPodcast #24: Troubleshooting: Answers to Your Home Repair Questions
00/00/0000, 00:00 | WoodworkingONLINE.comErich Lage has been a senior illustrator (and editor) for Workbench Magazine for 12 years now.
Before that he owned his own remodeling-design business. In 1977 he started his journey in residential construction as a concrete finisher and ultimately worked as a trim carpenter and service manager in the Home Building Industry in the Midwest. During this month’s Woodsmith Woodworking Seminar Podcast, Erich will provide you with suggestions on how to troubleshoot all your home repair questions. During the seminar he’ll talk about everything from basement window repair to installing box beams in a family room.
Once again, the seminar guide is available for sale at the Woodsmith Podcast Store.
260 - Follow Up to Tape as a Jig
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Matt's Basement Workshop PodcastThis is the second episode with both video and audio and so far the response has been good. Let me know what you think about it too.
Awhile back I received an email from a listener who's a little skeptical about the use of tape as a clamp. While he's right that a traditional clamp can exert a lot more pressure than tape can. Tape is still a very useful helping hand when it comes to clamping tricky joints and odd shapes.
Drop me a line with your questions, comments and suggestions. And don't forget that Hendrik is back in May and we're talking about starting a small woodworking business, so get your questions in for Hendrik too. Just drop us a line at mattsbasementworkshop@gmail.com.
Also, Hendrik is starting his annual three part finishing seminars:
Part 1 "Preparing the Surface and Staining" - May 3rd.
Part 2 "Hand Finishing and Rubbing Out" - May 10th or 24th.
Part 3"Antique Restoration Techniques" - May 31st or June 7th.
So if you live in the Toronto area or feel like visiting it, and you want more information about Hendrik's finishing seminars, send an email to info@passionforwood.com
Listen to today's show by clicking on the player below
To download directly to your computer just Right Click and Save Target as
Electronic Smart Glass for Conservatories
10/31/2008, 09:05 | Wood Shutters
It's often be written that "people who live in glass houses shouldn't...!" and the traditional solution has been to go indoors to do whatever you want to do, or invest in some window blinds.
But if you really want to impress the neighbors with your technique, perhaps you should invest in smart glass.
Smart glass allows you to control the amount of light and heat, passing through it. At the flick of a switch the glass can change from being transparent to opaque, giving you privacy when you want it, but without the necessity of installing blinds, shutters or curtains.
There are several technologies that enable this to happen, including:
Liquid Crystal Glass uses a liquid film in a sandwich of two plastic interlayers inside two laminated glass panes. In the panes "off" state the glazing is translucent milky white. However, when an electric current is applied to the liquid film it turns slightly hazy clear. The switch between the two states is nearly instantaneous.
Suspended Particle Device - SPD Glass has light absorbing microscopic particles dispersed within a specially formulated emulsion, which like liquid crystal glass, is then sandwiched between two plastic interlayers inside two laminated glass panes.
The particles are activated by applying a low voltage; this forces them to align at various angles and thus various transparencies. This controls not just the light passing through the pane, but the heat as well.
These glass panes can repel up to 95 per cent of solar heat in their opaque state, making the conservatory a much more comfortable place to be on really hot summer days, even though the view is impaired.
This glass isn't a cheap option, it can cost ten or twenty times the price of conventional conservatory glass, but as glass only represents a small percentage of a conservatories total cost you might consider it a worthwhile investment.
Smart glass does of course save you from having to spend money on window blinds or awnings, so is a saving to be taken into consideration, and it comes with a huge show-off factor to impress visitors with, and for many people that is priceless.
Although this type of glass wouldn't be suitable for a traditional conservatory, or one with many small panes of glass, I'd certainly recommend you consider installing smart glass if you are having a minimalist conservatory designed...or if you have nosey neighbors.
I'll be adding these details to our Tips and Advice On Choosing Conservatory Glazing at Conservatory Glass in due course.
Ian Dewar, Consultant to Richmond Oak Ltd http://www.oakconservatories.co.uk
Episode 145 - Glue and Let Dry: Part One
10/08/2008, 09:00 | T Chisel - The Rough Cut Show!Mesquite HardWood Flooring
02/01/2007, 15:49 | The Wood ShopA beautiful floor Starts with premium custom-milled Mesquite HardWood flooring from Arizona Desert Mesquite.
Photo Courtesy of Murdock Floors
Mesquite HardWood Flooring is the most stable solid surface you can put under your feet. Custom milled tongue & groove planks made to your order insure the width and length you need. Matching BaseBoards can also be milled to your specifications. A wide plank Custom milled HardWood floor with Matching wide-tall base boards is a truly stunning SouthWest statement about you and your home.
Photo Courtesy of The Nelson Family
Photo courtesy of Wilkinson Flooring
Mesquite HardWood Flooring is an excellent choice for high traffic areas.
Carving a Carousel
00/00/0000, 00:00 | WoodworkingONLINE.com 
I got a treat on Sunday. The Heritage Carousel at Union Park in Des Moines, Iowa was celebrating its tenth anniversary. As part of the celebration, they invited the original builders of the carousel, The Carousel Works, Inc., to attend and 
demonstrate their carving and painting skills. I got to speak with the owner and his wife (Art and Marilyn Ritchie) about their craft. It so happens that they’re from Mansfield, Ohio, close to where I grew up in Ohio. He’s been carving for over thirty years. His wife does some of the painting.
As we stood there chatting, he was using his Pfeil carving tools to smooth out the body shape of a horse figure. You could tell his tools were very sharp. He was effortlessly taking thin chips out of the basswood 
figure. I asked him how he keeps his tools so sharp. He uses a buffing wheel to hone the edge as needed.
One of my boys asked him how many times he’s cut himself. He smiled and pointed to his tool roll you see here on the left. He includes bandages as part of his tool kit.
As time went on, he commented to passers-by that they’ve got seven full-time carvers on staff at the shop. He said that the figure he was carving on that day is going to be a training aid for his carvers. As we were talking, he flipped the figure 
over to show how he had carved the musculature and rib cage of the horse on one side. His point is 
that unless a carver knows the anatomy of a horse, he’s going to have a difficult time carving one. The detail was fascinating and realistic.
The discussion turned to painting. He says they use three coats of primer, sanding between coats. Then the colors are brushed on. Finally, five coats of clearcoat are applied for durability.
Besides building new carousels using wood figures, The Carousel Works also does restoration of old carousels. To me, it was refreshing to see that there are still companies out there working hard to keep craftsmanship alive.
A Glimpse into the Future
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Woodworking DungeonPrior to finishing my last segmented pen, I cut several hundred segments with 22.5 degree angles to create a few more pens with eight segment layers. Having these pieces of Maple, Walnut and Jatoba, I thought it would be a nice way to get a good visual of what some different designs could be. Kind of like a rough sketch in 3-D.
I didn’t want to get into gluing anything and commit myself to a design I didn’t fully like, so I carefully stacked my segments and let gravity hold everything together for me. I figured this method would let me quickly see, physically, what I thought I was seeing in my head. It would also be much less time intensive than gluing a full blank together to flesh out the complete idea. Each design I have put together is the full size of a Jr. Gent II cap.
After stacking a design and taking a couple pictures from different angles I took apart what I had done and designed another. It was after I had six or eight of these designs that I thought I would put together a blog series to show how these segmented pens would look from design to completed pen.
A couple of the designs I’ve come up with include all three species that I had prepped. This design I'm working on now is one I’ve been thinking about for a while. With the light color of the Maple separating the Walnut and Jatoba diamond patterns; it reminds me of an argyle sock.
Currently I have the first of three glue-up phases completed.