First of all - Happy New Year to all you Folks out there reading this! Its amazing how quickly time flies by, so.....

First up - Operation Norris. Remember the rusty old Norris I was going to restore? Well, to kickstart the year I have made some progress. Sadly, the rosewood I put aside for the infills was half an inch too short for the tote. After much head scratching I had to use something else - so Bubinga it is. I have made the replacement tote and two side sections and I'm shaping the front bun at the moment. Once the woodwork is done I can concentrate on the metalwork side of things. The adjuster mechanism will be a challenge, but hey, its a new year!

I am finally going to start building the new porch for the house, too. I had a new path and step built to the front of the house and the bad weather has put me behind with construction. I have loads of gorgeous European Oak sat in the workshop ready to be broken down. Stay tuned.

I've also had some great plane ideas over the holidays and shall be turning them into reality in the coming weeks. Can't beat Xmas t.v. to get the old brain daydreaming....... ;)

Cheers
Philly

Saturday Mornings at Highland complement our woodworking class & seminar offerings. Join us at our store in Virginia-Highlands on Saturday mornings at 10am EST for FREE, live demonstrations featuring a wide variety of woodworking skills, tools & techniques. These 1 to 1-1/2 hour-long demonstrations feature our knowledgeable staff and instructors, local clubs & guilds, guest authors, and others. Upcoming events include woodturning, woodcarving, care & use of hand tools, joinery, book signings, an introduction to woodworking design software, and much, much more.

Saturday, June 14, at 10:00am—Most believe that the finest example of tradition in the world of fly-fishing is a finely crafted bamboo fly rod. It combines craft, time and tradition into something that you can literally hold in your hand. Doug Hall has been making bamboo rods as a passion for over a dozen years and also teaches rod making. He will demonstrate how raw Tonkin cane is split, planed and ultimately transformed into a stream ready bamboo fly rod. Through examples he will introduce you to the principles of handcrafting split-cane rods.

All demonstrations take place in Highland Woodworking's retail store in Atlanta, Georgia and begin at 10:00am EST.

If you?ve checked out a copy of Woodsmith or ShopNotes in the last couple of years, you may have noticed that articles about hand planes and their use have been showing up a little more often. That?s mostly because we have an editor who takes an active interest in promoting their usage ? Randy Maxey.

Randy will spend an hour during this Woodsmith Woodworking Seminar Podcast to give us his tips for tuning up a hand plane, a very important procedure if you?ve ever tried to use one. As you may know, an out-of-tune plane, with a dull or nicked iron, can be a real pain to use. This seminar is for “users,” not “collectors.”

Be sure to check out the Woodsmith Podcast Store for links to a few products that Randy used during this seminar. There are also links to Seminar Guide at PlansNow.com

The Maple Tree has long been associated with The independence of mind, extra ordinary person, full of imagination and originality. The lighter base wood is Birch and Birch symbolizes birth and new beginnings and is feminine in nature.

The dark wood is dyed to achieve the color much like dyed wool.

I handcraft every ring to bring out the warmth and honesty of the wood. Each ring is hand formed from thin layers of wood chosen for its grain and durability.

I will make custom sizes upon request.
All you need do is visit me at: http://www.simplywoodrings.com

Welcome to the A1 Wood Flooring Blog! Here you'll find flooring information and updates on our main site - A1 Wood Flooring.

HI Folks
Went to the Ally Pally Woodworking show yesterday (with Waka as my trusty sidekick!) It's the fourth year in a row I've attended - we had a good time but there's no avoiding the horrible truth. It's getting smaller every year :( I don't know if there is a single reason for the decline in the size of woodworking shows but I do hope they don't die out completely - it is a great day out and a chance to see tools in the flesh, watch skills demonstrated and meet other woodies in person. Support your local woodwork show while its still there!!!
Met up with a few of the chaps from UK Workshop (Hi Paul, Dave!!) as well as Andy King, Phil Davy and Bruce Manning from Good Woodworking magazine. Andy was filing away at hand saws most of the day - hope your eyesight returns, Andy ;) Also had a good chat (and a coffee!) with Ben Plewes, the new editor of The Woodworker magazine. Sounds like he has some exciting new ideas for the mag!

Managed to grab an hour in the workshop today, when the Wife wasn't looking. And finally did something I've been meaning to do for a while - make veneer. I am planning another Krenov style cabinet so thought the best place to start would be the timber. My last cabinet was built from solid timber and, although I have had no problems with the doors warping (thanks to well seasoned quartered stock) I would like to veneer this cabinet with "home grown" veneer. A big plank of spalted beech has been drying away for a few years in the workshop and it was time to see what it held. I cut off a piece 9 1/2 inches wide by 24 inches long, 3 inches thick. And I ripped it down on the bandsaw (with a fresh blade installed) giving 2mm thick slices. It turned out really well and I didn't lose a slice, which was lucky. A fresh blade makes all the difference!
So I need to sit down with the various book matches and see where inspiration takes me.

And for you guitar fans - I'm still tweaking the Tele scratch plate. Pics tomorrow, promise ;)

Cheers
Philly

On a field trip away from the sawdust of his studio, Tommy visits his old "vocal" coach, Jackson, to get some tips to audition for "American Idol." Tommy's voice is in rare form when he sings a duet with Jackson. Check it out.

With the banding now cut, it's time to put on the cuff. Tommy outlines how to construct the table foot and cuff then reviews some user submissions.

Tommy and Al provide a sneak peek at the progress of the Bombe Secretary --memorializing the moment with a little song and dance. Enjoy!

Download Episode

Topics: April is turning out to be a very busy month with lots of travel. Marc recently attended the Festool Grand Opening event. Matt went to a Lie-Nielsen tool seminar/demo last weekend. Improper safety techniques in a woodworking class. The announcement of the first annual Woodworker’s Safety Week (May 5th - May 9th). We get Rick Rolled. Hollow chisel mortisers. Tom’s Tip. And if you had $2500 to set up a shop, what would you buy? Leave us a voicemail and let us know!

If you want to leave us a voicemail: 623-242-2450

Tommy and Al talk workshop safety and make a table saw push stick to ensure all your digits stay intact.

Mahogany Wood Ring

See more here.

Tommy and Al dedicate this podcast to answering the question of the week: What is the best way to attach legs to a column? With explicit instructions, they demonstrate how to use dovetails to get the legs and columns to fit together "nice and tight."

Cen-Tech Digital Angle Gauge
From Harbor Freight. Regular price $29.99, at the time of this writing it is on sale for $24.95!

I know, Wixey has the name for these little digital angle gauges. But the HF version works just fine.

It ships with the angle finder and an instruction sheet (I hesitate to call it a pamphlet) in a small white paper box.

It's pretty straightforward to use. Set it on your horizontal surface and turn it on. Give it a few seconds to settle on an angle then push the "Calibrate" button. The trick here is not to move the device while pushing the button. If you move it too much it will either be inaccurate or you'll get an "Err" on the display. Once you've calibrated it and it reads zero, put it on your blade or fence (my Rockwell 4" Jointer is in the photo). Give it a few seconds to settle then adjust your device a bit at a time. You have to let it catch up to your adjustments, so adjust slowly. Once you think you are set, wait a few more seconds to let the reading settle down. You may have to make another tiny adjustment at this point to nail your desired angle.

Once you're done, or you've got an "Err" on the display, press and hold the "On/Off" button for 5 seconds to turn the device off.

Not having owned a Wixey or other Digital Angle Gauge, I can't do a direct comparison. But the HF one is very accurate. It is sensitive to being picked up or moved too suddenly while it is turned on, resulting in the "Err" display, but rebooting the device takes care of the error.

It was definitely worth the $$.

Heeding the advice of a viewer, Tommy starts wearing a dust mask when milling wood and hopes the damage he's already done to his lungs is not permanent. Tommy cuts the upper pediment box with a band saw and router and mounts it to the top of the desk. Then, he shows how he attached the front, back and upper boards to the box frame.

HI Folks
A quick heads-up! Bill Carter, UK planemaker , now has a website. Well worth checking out, Bill makes some beautiful (and very individual!) planes. He uses tenon saw brass backs for some - see his site for details!
Cheers
Philly

There is one variation of usage which has struck me forcibly after many years of reading American magazines and Reviews.

Larry Williams' wooden moulding ...

Lets start right at the beginning:

Step ladders: Make sure you have a steady pair of steps not to short so you over reach. Your arms will drop of before you have taken your first lesson in how to hang curtains. Not to tall that you cannot reach the window comfortably without leaning out to the side to hang curtains throwing you off balance.

Curtain hooks for standard pencil pleat curtain tape

Curtain hooks Again make sure before you start that you have enough of the right kind of curtain hooks.Light curtains will be fine with standard plastic hooks.

Medium weight curtains use nylon hooks, stronger than plastic. They will flex without breaking.

Heavy curtains use metal nickel hooks, they are bit fiddly to handle they all stick together the box. Just like the Chinese puzzles I had as a child.

Curtain hooks for bucram headed curtains

You will need what are called "pin hooks" simply because they have a sharp pin which pierces through the fabric and bucram (not sure checkout my site) on the back of the curtain header. This kind of heading makes for the best looking curtains. As always the best all ways costs that bit more.

An extra pair of hands

When you are learning how to hang curtains large or heavy it is very useful to have someone standing at ground level holding the curtain taking the weight. This enables you to hang the curtain onto your track or rod with ease.

How many hooks will you need ?

Well for curtains with standard pencil pleat tape you will need a hook every 4th pocket.

For bucram headed curtains you will need 1 for every pleat or goblet and one for each end.

Preparing your bucram headed curtains prior to hanging.

The good news other than putting in the pin hooks setting them down 1/2 inch from the top of your curtain. there is no more prepping to do. You just have to learn how to hang curtains and dress them properly.

prepping your pencil pleat curtains prior to hanging:

Standard pencil pleat curtains to start you will need to gather the tape on the top of your curtains. You do this by pulling out the 3 cords in the back of the curtain tape. To start pull the cords out of both ends of the curtain tape and tie them together in a firm knot.

There are 2 reasons for this 1. It stops you pulling the cords completely out of the tape (not a good start when learning how to hang curtains). 2. It keeps the cords together on the end that you pull the cords out to gather your curtain.

Then continue to pull the cords out. Simple tip on gathering your curtains. Take one set of knotted cords and hook over a door handle or some other fixed object. Then use one hand to hold the curtain tape and with the other hand start to pull the tape away from the door handle. You will see the heading on your curtain start to pleat.

How wide do you curtains need to be ?

Next check what half the width of your track or rod measures. Lets say your track is 100 inches long. You half this to 50 inches, then add on 2 inches to allow your curtains to comfortably meet in the middle when hanging. So the finished width that you want to gather each of your pair of curtains is 52 inches. The more you learn how to hang curtains, the more this becomes second nature.

Before you hang curtains.....stop and check!

Before you start to hang your curtain you need to lay your curtain down on a table or the floor and check the gathered width is about right. Then if to narrow then pull out the tape a little. If to wide then gather in the tape a little more.

what about the surplus cord ?

Finally sorting out all that surplus cord and evening up the pleats in the tape. DO NOT CUT THE CORDS !. The best solution is to bundle the cords up by wrapping them around all your fingers then tie a slip knot around the bundle. This allows you in the future to alter the header tape should you want to.

Once the cords are sorted out turn the curtain over. You need to look at the pleats and try and even them out. Just do it roughly at this time because when you come to hang them the pleats will move a little.

Last job before hanging your curtains

All most there, before you can hang your curtain you have to put the curtain hooks into the pockets on the back of the tape. On most standard pencil pleat tape there are 3 pockets top, middle and bottom.

How to hang curtains from a rod or pole

If hanging under a rod or pole put your curtain hooks in the top pocket. Also note the number of rings on your rod or pole. This determines the number of hooks you put in the curtain tape. As a rule of thumb you use less hooks on a rod or pole than on a curtain track. On a track put a hook ever 4th pocket and on a ror or pole every 6 to 8 pockets.

Hanging from a track ?

If hanging from a curtain track then put your curtain hooks in the center or bottom pocket pocket. this allows the curtain to cover the track when closed. To decide which pocket to use try one and see what your curtain looks like hanging. If your happy then great do the other curtain. If not happy move the curtain hooks up or down to suit.

The 1st step when hanging

A lot of people say you should always start hanging your curtains from the ends of the track or rod and work towards the middle. I Disagree, I say you should always start from the middle and work outwards towards the ends. The reason I advise you do it this way is because if you have

too many gliders on your track or too many rings on your rod you can easily remove them from the ends of your track or rod. Where if you start from the outside in to the middle the surplus gliders or rings are locked in the middle of your track or rod. Meaning you have to unhang your curtains to remove them. Not much more now and you will have the basics on how to hang curtains.

Why do some advise to start from the middle ?

The reason is on some tracks and rods, but mostly the corded kind. They have what are called overlap arms. These are short arms made of metal or platic with holes in for the last couple of curtain hooks on each leading edge of your pair of curtains (edges that meet at center of your window). Theses overlap arms allow one curtain to pass and overlap the other curtain by 2 or 3 inches. Thus giving you total privacy.

So what's the big problem ?

So where's the problem ? the problem is that these arms are not very strong. This means when you start to hang a medium to heavy curtain. Especially without someone carrying the weight they sag and twist or break completely.

Avoiding the problem !

So how do we avoid that when hanging from the center of the track or rod and working outwards. Very simple really, if you need 2 hooks to go in the overlap arm then count in to the 3rd hook and hook this into the first real glider or ring. Leaving the 1st and 2nd curtain hooks to just hang in space. continue hanging your curtain working from the middle outwards. That's how to hang curtains my way (the best way obviously "wink")

Then once you have reached the ends of your track or rod (removing any surplus gliders or rings). You go back to the middle and hook in the last couple of curtain hooks into the overlap arms. So avoiding putting to much weight on them.

Well I hope you have picked up a few "Tips" on how to hang curtains. This is just the first stage. Next is the "Dressing" of your curtains.

Lee Stevens From Window treatments Made easy

http://www.window-treatments-made-easy.com

Luck is where the crossroads of hard work and opportunity cross.

I am excited about the latest DVD as it concentrates on techniques for chisel use.

Chopping and paring ...

It wasn't intentional. I didn't know. It was a mistake. Your money will be refunded as soon as your claim is processed by our customer service department located conveniently (for us) in a country that an English speaking person has never left alive.

Well, it isn't all that bad, but this website let you down. In particular, inadvertent alphabetical discrimination of the worst sort (ok, so you didn't get the pun, yes, it is a bit obscure, think: sort, lists... oh, nevermind) was practiced. It isn't bad enough that you always had to sit at the back of the class just because your name started with "X" or "Z". It isn't enough that we put you at the bottom of the list in the best of times. This time, you were left out completely if your name started with one of the latter letters of the alphabet and you were "listed" on one of our longer directory lists.  read more »