A complete Java traditional house will have a pendopo in the front yard. Pendopo is an open large house or hall without any wall or door that usually placed in the front of the main building.

The opening building of pendopo reflected characters like wideopen, friendly and generously character, which always welcome to the guess everytime.

Pendopo has four directions of carved pillars (soko guru) with 12 (twelve) second pillars (soko penanggap) on the right and left side and 20 (twenty) third pillars (soko penitih) on its sorrounding.

Therefore, even the building looks not so high, but give the impression of "momot" which means capable to path everything, because of its wide roof also there is nothing inside the building hence represent the basic of opening.

It match with the function of pendopo that always located in front yard as a place to held official meeting, art show, or traditional ceremony, also to accept honourable guess and official guess in the huge amount.

It made pendopo fabulous and great. Beside that, pendopo can be used as a place to give courses of karawitan and dance.

Now that we’re publishing Woodworking Magazine four times a year (you can always subscribe via this link), we have an even greater demand for quotations related to woodworking, craft or (on occasion) even artistic expression.

We ran a contest last year to solicit quotations (with great success), and I’d like to run it again to deepen our well of material in reserve. If your quote is picked as the best of all the entries by our editorial staff, we’ll send you a miter plane from Philly Planes. (You can read a review of the plane here, but trust me, it’s an awesome piece of kit).

All the runners-up in this contest (meaning that we publish your quote in the magazine) will receive the hardbound edition of Issues 8 through 12, which will be released at the end of 2008.

Here are the rules:

1. Contest ends on midnight on Friday, May 16, 2008.
2. One entry and one quotation per person.
3. Your entry must be submitted via e-mail to chris.schwarz@fwpubs.com, along with your full name, street address, phone number and valid e-mail.
4. The quotation can be from any source (even yourself). However, it needs to be attributed – where you found it and who said it. Here’s an example: "It's not just about making beautiful furniture, but how do you get rid of it?" — Tage Frid, quoted in an article by Jonathan Binzen in Fine Woodworking.

Here are some tips: Short quotes are better than long quotes. Original or unusual quotes are better than common ones (“Measure twice, cut once.”). Quotes that are funny, make you think or challenge conventional wisdom are always appreciated.

Good luck, and thanks in advance for entering.

— Christopher Schwarz

Last week I bought a toothing plane from a Midwestern tool collector. I've always wanted one of these tools, and this one is particularly nice.

Toothing planes are lot like scraping planes: The iron is vertical. What's different is that toothing plane has a serrated cutting edge – instead of a smooth edge with a tiny hook, like on a scraper plane.

Toothing planes can be used in a couple different ways. Some people use them to flatten a board's surface. The vertical pitch of the iron prevents tearing in gnarly woods, and the serrated teeth allow you to take a fairly big bite.

Other craftsmen use a toothing plane for traditional veneering jobs with hide glue. The toothing plane would prepare the substrate – flattening it and giving it some "tooth" – before you apply the adhesive and the veneer.

I'll probably use this tool for both of these sorts of jobs – they're handy and simple tools. This one was probably made by the craftsman, and the maker was likely German. The "horn" at the toe is a feature of many European planes.

Oh, there's one other feature of the plane I like:

I wish I had a good story about the origin of this tool, but I don't. The tool collector who bought it acquired it during a tool swap meet. So there's no cool history to share – just the mystery of me wondering what sort of work the other "C SCHWARZ" did.

— Christopher Schwarz

On Monday I shared with you some great follow-up questions from some listeners of the show. 

Well there were a couple more that I thought were important to share with all of you and the best way to do these was to explain them in a video.

Thanks to Donna and Shawn for submitting them!!

WIN AN iPOD TOUCH!!  If you have the time, please take the new listener survey, and when you do you'll be entered to win an iPod Touch.

Hendrik is back in September so get your questions in as soon as possible.  This time around, it's an open question and answer session so send them in!!  And if you're visiting the IWF in Atlanta, Hendrik will be there too, so say HI if you see him.

If you'd like to enter for free schwag or just have a comment, question or suggestion drop me a line at mattsbasementworkshop@gmail.com or  head over to my website at www.mattsbasementworkshop.com or call our Skype Voicemail at 231 354-2338.

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I 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.

You 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:

When gluing and clamping small parts together, it’s always a challenge to align large clamps to hold them in place as the glue dries. To make this job easier, I built the small parts clamp you see in the photo above.

The base is two pieces of ¾″ plywood glued together and trimmed to size. Two grooves in the base hold a pair of T-tracks, as shown in the drawing below.

Next, two pieces of hardwood serve as the stop block and clamping block. They are drilled to hold flange bolts and two sections of threaded rod, as the illustration shows below.

Place a T-nut in each hole at the back edge of the stop block, slide a threaded rod through the holes in both of the blocks, and then screw them into the T-nuts, like you see in the side view below right. A little epoxy at the end of the rod will keep it from turning. Next, slide the four flange bolts in the T-track, slip the blocks over the bolts and add the washers and wing nuts. Finally, add the washers and thread the knobs on the rod.

To use the clamp, loosen the wing nuts and place the parts to be clamped between the blocks. Position the front of the clamping block to extend slightly beyond the edge of the base so you can turn the knobs and secure the stop block in place. Finally, snug up the star knobs and tighten the wing nuts to lock the clamping block in place.

Good Woodworking,

Phil Huber

Online Editor, ShopNotes

Send for a preview issue of ShopNotes magazine

The flood is starting already. In addition to launching a new web site (www.deltaportercable.com), Porter-Cable today announced the availability of a new plunge base for their 890-series routers. From their press release:  

The plunge base is offered as part of multi-base kits, models 893PK, 894PK and 895PK, as well as an accessory, model 8931. With machined brass brushings and steel guide rods, the upgraded base offers an extremely smooth and durable plunge stroke for greater user control and accuracy. In addition, a through-the-column dust collection system supports efficient dust removal, and yields improved bit and cut-line visibility when used with a durable, clear Lexan® sub-base and dust shroud, which come as standard.

To further enhance precision and ease of operation, the base features a six-position adjustable turret stop for stepped plunge cuts; a single, flat side on the base that allows routing to be done in tighter spaces while also providing a straight reference point; a lever release for quick motor transitions between bases; and rubber overmolded handles for a comfortable grip.

The versatile plunge base, which accommodates the existing 890 series motor, is ideal for a variety of woodworking applications, including general purpose cutting, dado stops, fluting, rabbetting stops, and hinge cutting. The plunge base, model 8931, and multi-base kits, models 893PK, 894PK and 895PK, will be available for purchase in July 2007 for $115, $269, $289 and $289, respectively.

After three more hours of CAD work last night, I finished up the preliminary drawings for the next cover project for Woodworking Magazine. We're calling this project "An American Wall Cabinet." But right now a more apt name would be "An R-5 Wall Cabinet."

This morning I spent about 45 minutes building the face frame, tombstone door and drawer front of the cabinet using the pink ½"-thick Foamular insulation board. I taped up the joints with packing tape. Then I printed out the hardware from the Horton Brasses web site, cut it out (Horton scaled it full-size!) and taped it in place.

If you ever wonder how woodworking magazines get away with coverlines like "Build a Bench in a Weekend," this is it. It's our trade secret. We just build it out of Foamular.

After a dry-fit of all the parts (no tape), I determined that the mediary rail in the door was too wide. So I shaved off ½" with a ruler and a knife and it looked much better. Then Senior Editor Glen Huey and I placed the rattail hinges on the stiles so they would work well and look good.

This short exercise also drove me to plan on adding some stopped chamfers on the stiles of the face frame when I build it out of walnut. So all in all, it was worth the $10.

If you've never worked with Foamular, it's a cinch to cut with a knife and a ruler. I used my Tite-Mark gauge to first score the foam's plastic film. Then I followed up with the knife. To make the curve in the tombstone door, I drew it with a compass. The pencil lead didn't cut the foam; it made a furrow in the film. Then my knife could easily follow that furrow to complete the cut.

And what are we going to do with the leftover foam? Easy. I use it for slicing up plywood with a circular saw. I lay the foam down on the driveway, put the plywood on top, and set the sawblade to cut through the plywood and slightly into the foam (and not the concrete). Works every time.

— Christopher Schwarz

One of the fundamental definitions of a sharp edge is the intersection of two flat surfaces that meet at some angle. Whether it’s a chisel or plane iron, if one of the surfaces isn’t flat, you can’t expect to get a sharp edge.

There’s a running discussion over on WoodNet about if, when, and how you flatten the backs of your chisels. Then there’s the question of what “flat” really means.

Personally, when I buy a new chisel, I’ll use wet/dry sandpaper on a granite tile and work through the grits until the back is polished. Then I’ll work on the bevel to get a sharp edge. After that, the only time I work on the back is to remove any burr after I’ve honed the edge. I’ve had good success with that method and my chisels seem to be plenty sharp. The same holds true with my plane irons.

With western chisels, I only worry about polishing the last ½” or so of the back. Japanese chisels are hollowed out on the back side, making them easier to flatten.

Head over to WoodNet and leave your 2¢ worth.

One of the most common errors when planing is to create a gentle banana shape on one face ? where the ends of the board end up thinner than the middle.

The cause of this problem resides both in you and in your tool. First off, divide the sole of your plane into two regions: The infeed side of the sole before the blade (the toe). And the outfeed side of the sole behind the blade (the heel). And remember this: The blade of your plane isn?t co-planar with the outfeed side of your handplane.

This feature makes it different than your power jointer. As a result, a handplane has more of a tendency to make bananas. (By the way, you can make bananas ? and wedges ? with a power jointer as well).

But I think the tool?s role in banana-making is a minor problem. The bigger problem is you and where you are putting pressure on the tool as you plane. Here?s how it?s supposed to work:

At the beginning of the cut, plant the toe of your tool firmly against the work. With the hand on the front knob, put all of your downward pressure right there. Your other hand (on the tote) should only push the tool forward.

As soon as the entire sole is on the work, you should shift your pressure: Use equal and forceful downward pressure with both of your hands.

As soon as the toe runs off the end of the board, release the pressure there but continue to exert downward and forward pressure at the tote.

This work, but it can be a trick to remember for beginning planers. It?s hard to get all your muscles lined up. So I tell them this simple mental trick: Just try your darndest to plane a big old hollow valley in each board by scooping out the middle.

Planing a hollow in this manner is almost impossible to do with a handplane that has a flat sole. So what you wind up with is a board that is fairly consistent in its thickness.

I cannot take credit for this mental trick, but I can?t remember who told it to me years ago. But works like crazy. And with that aspect of planing under control, you can then turn your attention to removing cupping and twisting in your boards.

? Christopher Schwarz

I remember growing up that my dad always had a sharp pocketknife in his pocket. He still carries one with him all the time. He could never stand not having a sharp knife and sharpened it often. So, I guess I picked up the habit of carrying a pocket knife from Dad.

My first decent pocket knife I purchased for myself was a small, two-bladed Buck knife. It had stainless steel blades and real wood scales.  I bought it on my honeymoon and carried it with me every day for about 15 years. Imagine how heartbroken I was when I emptied my pockets one evening and it wasn’t there. I looked all over, but couldn’t find it. A few weeks later, I resigned myself to the fact that it was long gone. Soon after, I replaced it with a Case knife. It, too, had stainless steel blades.  Some months later, I pulled into our gravel driveway, and as I was getting out of the car, I saw what remained of my original Buck knife.  Actually, it was pretty intact, but the combination of gravel and cars running over it removed one of the wood scales.

When I carried a pocket knife, I used it mostly for opening packages, cutting cardboard, and tightening the occasional screw.  (I know…don’t tell my dad.)  Every so often, I’d take it out to the shop and sharpen it. But it seemed like it never held an edge for very long (even when I didn’t use it as a screwdriver). I’m no metallurgist and certainly don’t understand the finer points of blade steel, but I wondered if the stainless steel blades were the problem.

It occurred to me that the reason my dad’s knife is always sharp might not be just that he sharpens it often, but perhaps his has a high-carbon steel blade. (I’ll have to ask next time I see him.) I think carbon steel can be sharpened to a finer edge and holds its edge better than stainless steel. All I want is a knife you can almost shave with. I could never get that with my stainless steel knives.

I’ve been intrigued by these little Opinel knives from Lee Valley. The smallest one is small enough to carry in a pocket. And the blades are made from high-carbon steel. The price is right at just under $11US each for the two smaller ones. I’ve been carrying one around in my pocket for a few weeks, so maybe I’ll get a feel for how well the blade holds up to packing tape and cardboard and maybe the occasional whittling (but no tightening of screws). When I got it, it just took a little honing to get it impressively sharp.  A lot sharper than my Buck or Case stainless steel knives, anyway.  So far, for being an inexpensive knife, I’ve been impressed.

It's a Monday and that means it's time for Magazine Monday!!!

Over the weekend I spent a lot of time at the computer and it got me to yearning for a project in the shop.

So in today's episode I'm sharing a few of those thoughts with you!!

Don't forget!! Hendrik is back in September so get your questions in for our open Q&A session.  If you're planning on being at the IWF in Atlanta, anyone wanting to have a chat with Hendrik can leave a message for him in the Press Lounge.  Or, better yet, he'll be attending The Wood Whisperer's after-show get together Friday evening, August 22nd.

If you'd like to enter for free schwag or just have a comment, question or suggestion drop me a line at mattsbasementworkshop@gmail.com or  head over to my website at 231 354-2338.

Listen to today's show by clicking on the player below

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