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Episode 95 - Bombe Secretary - Scallop Cut & Gluing Doors
00/00/0000, 00:00 | T Chisel - The Rough Cut Show!Bedroom Window Treatments
04/28/2008, 04:44 | Wood ShuttersHow do you know which window treatment is right in your bedroom?
There are 3 basic types of window treatments that can be used alone or in combinations. Here?s some tips on these basic types and what style of room you might choose them for.
Curtains and Drapes
Curtains and drapes are a style of window treatment that most of us can recognize but there?s many variations on this old standby. If your bedroom design is simple, you might choose just plain sheers as these will go well with many themes including a romantic theme, a modern theme and anything in between.
Valances can be used to soften the top of the window. They are great if you don?t want to cover up a great view but also don?t want the window to look too bare. Typically valances are made from fabric but you can build them form wood and decorate them with an aged or stencilled paint to go with your Tuscan or French country design. Fabric valances can go with almost any bedroom decorating theme depending on the fabric you choose and can be used in conjunction with sheers to give you a bit of privacy.
Drapes are an elegant bedroom window treatment. If you have a romantic, French or Victorian theme some heavy drapes in rich fabrics can transform your bedroom into one fit for a queen. Heavy drapes look best on tall windows, but if you short squatty windows like most homes built in the 60's - 80's don?t let that deter you from using great drapes. You can always just keep them closed to hide the window behind and no one will ever know the difference!
Wooden Shutters and Blinds
Indoor wooden window blinds are a great way to add privacy to your bedroom and can be used alone or with curtains, drapes or valances.
There are 2 styles of shutters - plantation shutters and café shutters.
Plantation shutters cover the whole window and have louvers which can be opened and closed to let light in or provide privacy. These shutters go great with a plantation style look, a country look or a coastal cottage look.
The café shutters are the kind that cover only the bottom half of the window and swing open to let light in. These also look nice in a country or beach style bedroom and are perfect for a Paris apartment style as well.
Fabric Blinds
Fabric blinds add a nice touch to any bedroom and can be decorated and embellished with whatever you want. Fringe, pom-poms and ribbon are just a few of the great ways to make these bedroom window treatments stand out.
Roman blinds work well for childrens rooms and informal styles such as cottage or beach style decor. These shades fold up to expose the window during the day and roll down at night.
Festoon blinds are puffy with lots of fabric. They are quite ornate and work best in a romantic style bedroom such as a Victorian, French or Italian motif. Festoon blinds look best on wide windows and might not be good for small rooms as they can tend to be a bit overwhelming.
Lee Dobbins writes for http://www.bedroom-designs-and-decorations.com where you can learn more about popular bedroom decorating styles.
My Take On Dovetail Angles
04/15/2008, 20:09 | Popular Woodworking
My take on dovetail angles might appear to be strange, but I have solid reasons for my choice ? if I do say so myself. Here goes.
Dovetail angles are most notably described in degrees, but is often stated as a ratio, either 1:8 or 1:6. These ratios translate into a 7ş or a 9ş angle. These are the established angles; the angles we?re suppose to bow to upon pulling our marking gauges from the bench drawer as we prepare to cut the parts of the joint. One angle is suggested (a better word might be mandated) for softwoods (9ş) and the other for hardwoods.
So, do you need two sets of marking or layout tools? One set for working dovetails in softwood and one for hardwoods? Why would you want to purchase tools that do the exact same task, only at a different angle? And, where is the dovetail joint used for the most part? That?s right, in drawer construction. Many woodworkers use a combination of hardwood drawer fronts with either hardwood sides (poplar) or softwood sides (pine). Yes there are other combinations, but I venture to say these are the most common in American antiques throughout the major furniture periods of Queen Anne, Chippendale and Federal.
I use Newport, R.I., as a demarcation line for typical woods used to build drawers and if you?re building reproduction furniture from Newport south (not Southern designs that use yellow pine as a secondary wood), you are probably using two hardwoods for your drawer parts; poplar as the sides, backs and bottoms with another primary hardwood as your drawer fronts. The two hardwoods traditionally dictate using a 7ş slope.
But, what about us poor souls building drawers based on New England designs? Designs built north of Newport, R.I., where drawers use hardwood for the fronts and softwood, namely pine, as other drawer parts. What angle should we choose for our dovetails: 7ş that matches the use of hardwood, or 9ş used for softwoods? What a conundrum.
Additionally, we have the development of the dovetail jigs that suggest (there?s that word again) we use a 14ş-dovetail router bit to make the tails and a straight bit to cut the pins. I can say I like the slope of these dovetails much better. Aesthetically, these are more pleasing to my eye. And that?s what I think should drive your dovetail angles ? aesthetics.
Don?t accept the traditional ratios. I?ll bet a study of furniture and drawer construction from the 1700s through today would turn up many different dovetail angles. Of course, I?ve used the 7ş, 9ş and 14ş angles during the period I used dovetail jigs to cut my joints. I?ll bet when I switched over to hand-cutting dovetails I used a few angles in between as well ? as a beginner, it?s nearly impossible to stay on the layout lines. I know of no joint failures and not once have I seen the angles break or shear along the slope of the tail (something preached if the slope grows well beyond the traditional ratios).
The Angle I Use
So, where am I today with this dovetail angle question? I use a 12ş angle. Why 12ş, you may ask? Here?s my reasoning. I certainly wasn?t going to switch angles depending on the application (too much wasted time) and I wanted an angle that fit somewhere in the middle of the established slopes. And how many places does the number 12 show up in our world? We have 12 months in a year. Two sets of 12 hours in a day. Most people know that a dozen of anything is 12. And to bring it in line with woodworking, if you?re fitting a raised panel into a 1/4" groove and the panel needs to be the full width of the groove as it rests tight to the bottom of the groove (a snug fit so the panels don?t rattle), you need to set a 12ş-angle cut for the panels.
And most important, I like the angle when I look at it.
Is it just me? Am I crazy? (That?s a question I?m sure I?ll get a few comments on. Remember the glove incident?) What degree slope do you use for your dovetails and why?
Abs of destruction - Part II
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Sauer & Steiner
As soon as both sides were done, I took a break and finished the chamfering on the heel and toe of the plane. It was a perfect distraction from lapping. Here is a shot of the setup. Unfortunately - it went pretty quick so I had to return to lapping sooner than I would have liked. All in all the lapping went better than I expected. I used 32 sheets of 80 grit A275 paper. That does not sound like much except when you consider a smoother uses 4.

Lucas was on hand to help me unwrap the plane once the lapping was done.

And was quite excited to try the handle. I think the plane is as heavy as he is:)

So without further delay - here are a few shots of the lapped plane. If you click on them - a larger version will open.






Dan - this last shot is for you.
I am stopping at this stage - it will be coming to Boston as is. The sole is not "finished" in that I need to lap it again with a finer paper between the stages of filing the mouth open.
Designer Wine Rack/Side Table with Wood Top in Scroll Style Structure
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Furniture Craft
- Designer Wine Rack w/Wood Top in Scroll Style Structure
- Dining and Kitchen
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Black and White and Red All Over
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Skiving OffI have been very busy lately. My father called me Sunday, and wanted to make sure I was alive. When I asked why, he said, “Well, you haven’t called in at least a week, and you haven’t updated your blog either.”
It was good to learn that I have a dedicated reader, even if it’s “just family.”
So tonight I thought I would try to get something done on my workbench. I am almost ready to assemble the four legs and four stretchers of the base, and I need 16 pieces of 3/8” diameter pegs to use for drawboring the Mortise and Tenon stretcher/leg joints.
I’m going to come clean on this to the whole world (in advance). I don’t really know if I know what I am doing… I may be a victim of the right side of my brain. You see, I’m a little bit artsy. It’s okay. In the modern world a guy can be the proud owner of a bag full of smelly stuff bearing the names Bauer,
I have decided to accent my massive hard maple Holtzapffel bench with Ebony. I am using Gabon Ebony pegs for the drawboring, and I am looking forward to the contrast of the black circles on the white maple. However, I don’t know if ebony pegs will work. I think it will be okay because as I drive the pegs through my Lie-Nielsen Doweling Plate…(another shameless plug, Tom…come on…let me be a hand model in next year’s Lie-Nielsen Calendar) Sorry, I was saying, as I drive the pegs through the steel doweling plate they seem to have adequate toughness. They tear/shred as opposed to split. So I think they will be great for drawboring, but I won’t know for sure until I start driving them in.
Let me tell you the other ebony ledge I am venturing out onto…(this one might get bad): I am making Ebony Handles to go in the massive maple screws that Stephen Fee made me for the front vise. Wow, turning
Tonight I spent some time making more pegs for drawboring, and look what happened. How did I cut that finger, you ask? I picked up my drawknife. That’s it. I just picked it up. I didn’t juggle it. I didn’t swing it like a cleaver and try to catch it with my left hand. I just reached down with both hands and picked it up off the bench and apparently my left hand was a little too high on the handle and managed to get hold of some of the blade. That is almost as dumb as the fact that I cut my pegs into ½ x ½ x 3 inch rectangular blocks BEFORE I started any rounding. I now realize it would have been better to keep them as long as possible and spindle turn them down closer to 3/8” before driving them through the doweling plate. But no; I created way oversized rectangles that are too short to grab hold of, and I have to shave them down to a cross-sectional area just under 50% of their 0.25 square inches. Look at all of those shavings. I have little Ebony curls EVERYWHERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Right now in Holland, Michigan there is a moron standing in a mountain of Ebony curls who cannot lift a tiny little drawknife off of his bench without cutting his finger, thinks he can flawlessly tap Gabon Ebony, and believes he is the next great Lie-Nielsen Hand Model. Stay tuned to see how this turns out.
Episode 30 - Bombe Series - Drawer Shaping
00/00/0000, 00:00 | T Chisel - The Rough Cut Show!Quick Victory Celebration: Using Follow Me
12/15/2007, 03:57 | A Woodworking Odyssey"The Natural of Lovebirds" (Wood Wedding Band Set)
03/14/2006, 14:21 | Wood Rings by Simply Wood RingsAny one that has seen two lovebirds perched together understands that love is a natural animal instinct that you can also be seen when you look into someone's eyes, and see everything you need.
The Box is made of Maple wood and Purple heart wood.
Visit Me At http://www.simplywoodrings.com for you Wooden Wedding Band Set.
Magic drawer No.13
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Sauer & Steiner
An hour ago, the 16th and final drawer was installed. What a feeling. I have been working on the last 4 drawers for a week or so. One of them was a monster at almost 12" deep. Drawer number 13 was pretty significant - it was the first one where all the dovetails fit right off the saw. Drawer No.14 had one corner that needed a bit of paring, but 15 and 16 (the monster drawer) were also off the saw. I took a pile of photos of drawer No.16 being built - it will be the subject of “Some thoughts on dovetails - part II”. The “Red-Robbie” pulls are just temporary until the African Blackwood pulls are done.
Here are a few pics of the three banks of drawers in the kitchen.


I think I can hear Jill blissfully filing Tupperware. Next up on the home reno front - back to the sunroom...
Butcher Block Cabinet - Project of the Week
04/19/2008, 17:04 | The Wood WhispererThis week’s project comes from Tim. Here’s his story:
Well, I have finally grown a skin thick enough to submit 3 project pictures of an end grain butcher block cabinet that I made for my parents recently. It just got shipped out to Singapore; cost me $800 for the freight!! I got the inspiration by watching you build your cutting boards, and have made up to about 20 so far. It’s a great way to use up scrap wood!!! Saw David Marks’ version on his woodworks show that day and thought that it would be an interesting challenge to build one. The top is larger than David’s design; it’s about 3 feet wide by 2 feet deep - a nice size for a single person to work at, and just enough counter space. You are probably wondering why I would put a semi-gloss finish on the top? Well, my parents want it as a piece for a corner in the house, so I thought I would spend a little time practicing my varnishing skills for a semi-gloss look.
I used 7 types of wood on it - purpleheart, black walnut, yellowheart, ash, mahoganey, jatoba, maple and cherry. Flattening the top was a major pain!! I have a 22-44 performax drum sander, but still had to use router rails to slowly but surely flatten one side before drum sanding the other. Touched it up with a Lie-Nielsen 7 1/2 bevel up jointer plane. The face frame is made of purpleheart (a major pain to plane, I might add), and the drawer fronts are made of ambrosia maple. Made a little effort to match the grain on the drawers + doors as well. The cabinet is finished with shellac (3 coats) via my Apollo HVLP spray unit, and rubbed out to a satin sheen with Howard’s feed n wax.
And yes, I did use casters - double locking ones - they put a strong brake on the wheel plus a lock on the swivel. They actually cost about $20 a piece from Linco Casters at Clairemont Mesa Blvd (next to the San Diego Rockler); They really do look a little utilitarian, but those were the best I could find in terms of durability and stability. Those red shop-grade ones at woodcraft were too tacky for my taste. All in all, it was tiring; but I have to give you the credit for the original inspiration via the cutting board! THANKS

Nothing Magic About My Rag
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Woodworking blog Woodworking Magazine
Sometime back in 1996 I took a piece of cloth that was cast off from my wardrobe.
I cannot remember what the garment was. A sweatshirt perhaps? Long underwear? It’s
a bit stretchy. And I soaked the sucker in WD-40.
Since that day, I have soaked that rag with every kind of oily substance you can imagine.
Here’s the short lubricant list: Camellia,
3-in-1, Jojoba, mineral spirits,
thread-cutting oil, spray-on “dry” shop lubricant and oil from various recesses of
my personhood (yes, it’s true, and historically correct. Ask me over a beer sometime).
I use this rag to wipe down every tool after I use it. I lubricate my plane soles
with it while working. I use it to wipe off the sharpening slurry from my tools after
honing them.
And what I’m about to say will upset people who know anything about chemistry: I have
never suffered any ill effects from this nefarious mixture when finishing my projects
using any of the known finishing compounds: shellac, lacquer, oil, varnish, wax and
all of their wacky combinations. No fish-eye has ever appeared in my finish. No orange
peel. No silicone contamination.
So what gives? How have I cheated the finishing gods for 12 full years?
Probably because of the cutting action of all tools. When I wipe down a tool – a sawblade
or a handplane – I leave the thinnest coat possible behind. This thin film is all
I need to protect the tool from rusting. Then, when I apply the tool to the work,
there is little doubt that some of this lubricant winds up on my work.
This first cut removes the lubricant from the tool. Then my next pass with the tool
removes the wood that has the lubricant on it. Problem solved.
In addition to my magic rag (Lucy, my wife, calls it my “woobie”), I also am very
fond of the Sandflex blocks from Klingspor to
remove rare and errant spots of rust or staining that show up on my tools. These spongy
“rust erasers” are like rubber that has been impregnated by a mild abrasive. The blocks
will abrade your tools, but only slightly – in most cases less than steel wool. One
block (I like the “medium” and “fine”) will last for decades of normal use.
As a result, I have had few problems with rust on my tools, despite the fact that
I live outside a humid river city (Cincinnati) and my home shop is in a basement.
The bottom line is that diligence is far more important than the brand of lubricant.
— Christopher Schwarz
P.S. Below is my latest project with a shellac and lacquer finish with no finishing problems. Maybe next project....
sweet rebates!
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Sauer & Steiner
First off - let me apologize for not posting anything for a few weeks. I have been pretty busy in the shop - working on some very cool planes and some “other work”. I will be posting about it in the next few weeks.
I have recently completed a set of 4 rebate planes - 1/2", 3/4", 1" and 1-1/4" widths. The sides and sole are 01 tool steel and the infill is Brazilian Rosewood. It has been a while since I have made a set of these - and I have to say it was a lot of fun.

They are a matching set in that all the Brazilian Rosewood came from the same piece - but I tried to maximize some of the figure by using it where it will be most visible. The 1-1/4" rebate is a good example with that wonderful swirl at the front.



Most of the wedges have either some burl or curl in them.

Quote of the Year Wins You a Miter Plane
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Woodworking blog Woodworking Magazine
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
258 - Book Review of "Choosing and Using Hand Tools" by Andy Rae
04/25/2008, 03:53 | Matt's Basement Workshop PodcastWhen it comes to essential reads in the world of woodworking, I consider "Choosing and Using Hand Tools" by Andy Rae as one of the most important.
Andy does a great job of presenting an amazing amount of information about a large number of tools both traditional and non-traditional to the woodshop.
This book isn't just filled with a few pictures and a couple of little descriptions of each tool, but instead Andy does a great job of making sure the reader has a good understanding of the limitations and capabilities of each tool and to which family they belong.
Copies of "Choosing and Using Hand Tools" can be found at both Sterling Publishing and also at Amazon.com.
Hendrik has agreed to come back in May to talk about starting a woodworking business. So remember to get your questions in as soon as possible.
Also, Hendrik is starting his annual three part finishing seminars:
Part 1 "Preparing the Surface and Staining" - April 26th or 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
Of course you can always drop me a line with your questions, comments, suggestions and schwag entries anytime. Just send them to mattsbasementworkshop@gmail.com.
Listen to today's show by clicking on the player below
To download this show directly to your computer just Right Click and "Save Target as".
The Pecking Order
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Woodworking blog Woodworking Magazine
So today I get a copy of the WoodWorker's
Book Club bulletin and it lists the "Top 50 Member Favorites." I eagerly flipped
through to see if my book on workbenches made the list.
It did. It was No. 30.
I was quite pleased by this bit of news. It was good to be on the same list as Taunton's
"Complete Illustrated Guides" (at No. 1), Kerry Pierce's "Pleasant
Hill Shaker Furniture" (No. 2) and Jim Tolpin's "Measure
Twice, Cut Once" (No. 3, and one of my favorite woodworking books).
But my moment of glee was quickly flung into the dirty litterbox when I saw what aced
me out at No 28: "Black & Decker's 24 Weekend Projects for Pets." Â
That put my tail between my legs. Time to go home and start writing that birdhouse
book I've had on the back burner.
— Christopher Schwarz
Make an Impression with Your Flooring
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Wood Flooring
(ARA) – Most people think the first impression of their home is made by the color on the walls or furniture in a room; but in reality, it’s made by what’s under your feet – the flooring. If the carpet is dirty and worn, tiles are chipped, or the wood floor is warping, it’s time for a change.
So what’s holding you back? A lot of people are hesitant to jump into a home improvement project involving flooring because of all the work involved. First you have to remove and dispose of the old material, then invest the time and effort necessary to get the base surface ready for the new material before finally putting it in.
“Do-it-yourselfers are overwhelmed when they learn how much work is involved in redoing a floor. But it doesn’t have to be that way,” says Scott Day of Forbo Flooring. Forbo recently introduced a new product that’s turning a lot of heads in the remodeling industry.
Marmoleum Click is perhaps the easiest flooring surface there is to install. No adhesives or fasteners are necessary. The panels simply lock into place with a tongue and groove system. “If you have an existing resilient floor, no need to remove it. The planks and squares can be installed right on top of the old surface. If you have carpet or tile, you just need to remove and dispose of the old materials and start clicking the Marmoleum tiles together right over the subfloor,” says Day.

Marmoleum Click comes in 18 different colors and is available in two different sizes: panels that are 12 inches wide and 36 inches long, and 12-inch by 12-inch squares.
The panels and squares can be mixed and matched to create a wide variety of patterns and color combinations.
“It’s really cool. You can mix and match colors to create a space that is uniquely your own,” says Day.
In addition to being decorative and easy to install, Marmoleum Click is made from natural materials consisting of flaxseed oil, pine rosin, limestone and jute. It also has anti-static and bactericidal properties, meaning it’s easily kept dirt and dust free, and is resistant to such micro-organisms as Staphylococcus. These qualities make it especially popular in bathrooms and kitchens – and in places young children play.
“Marmoleum Click is the ideal do-it-yourselfer’s surface,” says Scott Day of Forbo. “We’ve received a lot of feedback from customers that it’s the easiest material they’ve ever worked with, and they’ve had a lot of fun with it.”
For design ideas, or to find a retailer near you, log on to www.themarmoleumstore.com.
Courtesy of ARA Content
Visit A1 Wood Flooring for more on wood flooring and laminate flooring.
Deluxe Pyrex 10-pc. Storage Set
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Furniture Craft
- Refrigerator, oven and microwave safe10-pc. set
- 10-pc. set
- Vented plastic covers
- BUY NOW
Teak Antique Traditional Kudus House
06/04/2007, 05:46 | Antique Knockdown Carved Wood House The architect mostly achieves the ideal process of culture combination and success to represent a unique colour of
The roof construction of traditional house of Kudus shows the level of wealthy of the owner since cost to make the roof is the highest cost compare with any other parts of the house. The expensive cost was because of the motifs perfection and the carved style also the difficulty on the process to construct it.
The Pencu style roof (the towering roof) used to be made of Rumbia (a particular kind of palm leaves), but now more likely to be made of tiles. Kudus tiles often have special plant motifs, and there are the so-called genteng gajah (with elephant ornamentation) on the wuwungan (the topmost row of tiles), and the genteng raja (king tiles) which are beautifully decorated.
The design interior of the traditional house of Kudus looks simple and divided into Jogo Satru room as a guess room, which in the standard traditional house of Kudus the cover area is around 3 x 10 msq. In this room, the floor is lower around 1 m from the main room (inside room) and is a part of the fourth step or floor.
Then, inside room (jogan lebet) is a fifth step with area around 7 x 10 msq. A chair uses as the connection between the two rooms because of its level differences.and as partition between the two rooms used Gebyok.
Inside the inside room (jogan lebet), there are several rooms such as living room located below the joglo, then bedrooms and gedongan as the place to keep the heilroom and wealthy. Gedongan placed between inside room and pawon (kitchen) that located in the left or right of the house.
This pawon except use for cooking and dinner room, also use for the family activity, such as made of convection products and other home industries. In front of the pawon, precisely in the edge part of the yard placed well complete with the bathroom.
There are several types of doors in the traditional house of Kudus, there is one door, two door and sliding door. One door is usually for the kitchen, two doors in gebyok and the sliding door is in the front.
One thing that necessary to be noted is that traditional house of Kudus always build face to the south that full with the philosophy meaning and based on the natural rule of rational calculation.
And One More...
00/00/0000, 00:00 | Philsville
Had a busy couple of days making "you-know-whats" and one thing that stuck in my mind was how repetition makes you quicker. Repeating the same operations makes things quicker, more accurate and with less chance of making a mistake. Of course, there comes a point where the brain starts drifting off so I try and keep mixing things up to keep the concentration. I find having three jobs on the go at a time works!
Almost completed a smoother in Santos Rosewood. And boy, it really looks GOOD! Going to be hard packing this one off out the door - it looks really handsome. I have a little more finishing to do and I'll post some completed pictures tomorrow.
Spent some "quality" time sharpening a float today - not the most fun thing to do but worth it for the shocking difference a sharp tool makes. And to add insult to injury I needed to re-grind the primary bevel on my Veritas LAJ today - needed a whole lot of grinding. And that's how I noticed the Tormek needed the wheel truing. Sharpening and shop maintenance never goes away........ :)
Cheers
Philly
Episode 19 - Bombe Series - Carving the Doubler
00/00/0000, 00:00 | T Chisel - The Rough Cut Show!Episode 64 - Bombe Secretary - "Mashin' the Wood"
00/00/0000, 00:00 | T Chisel - The Rough Cut Show!Router Bit of the Month - April, 2008 - Whiteside's Cove & Bead Bit the Video
04/04/2008, 19:55 | Matt's Basement Workshop PodcastIt's the beginning of a new month and that means it's time for Router Bit of the Month!! For the entire month of April, 2008 Woodcraft is featuring Whiteside's 1/4" radius Cove and Bead Edge Profiling bit.
This little decorative edge profiling bit is like getting two bits in one. The combination of a 1/4" radius cove profile and a 1/4" radius bead give plain old square and chunky edges a beautiful decorative look that's very pleasing to the eye.
The great thing about Whiteside's cove and bead bit is that when you use it in your router table it's like getting four profiles for the price of one. By running your stock flat against the router table you get an edge with the bead leading the profile, but by standing the stock on edge and running it up against the router table fence you get an decorative edge with the cove leading the profile.
Or, if you're just looking to use the cove or the bead profiles by themselves it's once again a matter of adjusting the height of the bit and moving the fence back and forth. In a matter of minutes you're making separate profiles from this one combo bit.
If you're interested in ordering this month's Router Bit of the Month from Woodcraft.com just click on the picture:
Congrats to Frank Bylo, this month's winner of a Whiteside router bit!! If you haven't entered your name for free schwag or just have a comment, question or feedback, drop me a line at mattsbasementworkshop@gmail.com.
For anyone interested, coming up on April 11 & 12, 2008 there's a great little tool demo and woodworking school openhouse going on at J. Miller Handcrafted Furniture in Chicago. The details can be found at Lie-Nielsen. There will be some great demos by a number of well known woodworkers and I'm planning on checking it out myself.
Don't forget to get your questions in for Hendrik's next visit in April, we're talking lumber defects and how to work around them.
Buying Tools Online - Craigslist, etc.
03/19/2008, 17:50 | Wood Destruction by a WoodscrubI got it home and discovered there was no way the seller could have used the thing. Probably ever. The crimp on the spade connector to the switch wasn't tight, and the grinder would not turn on. No biggie, new connector properly crimped, and it works beautifully.
At the end of this minor adventure, I realized I should document the thought process I went through.
I knew going in that a cheap tool WILL have flaws. Regardless of the story given by the seller. So how to minimize the risk is the real challenge.
For the above mentioned grinder, I decided before going in that the most difficult thing to repair FOR ME would be bearings. Wheels are cheap (and would probably be replaced anyway), electrical is easy to me, even a motor can be replaced if absolutely necessary. But bearings would be the hardest thing to me and absolutely a deal breaker. Grinders are cheap enough new that I wouldn't even take a free one with bad bearings.
So when I got there, and the seller wasn't in a hurry to plug it in and show me that it worked, I just did a wiggle check and spin check on the bearings. They felt good so I paid and left.
When I bought the tablesaw and jointer combo last year, bearings and gears were my main concerns. I knew it was rusty, but surface rust repair was within my reach. The guts were nice, only the bare cast iron surfaces were rusty.
So pick the 'deal breaker' problem(s) and stick to your guns. If you can press bearings all day long, but electrical wiring is a mystery to you, find the stuff with good electrics and bad bearings. If all you are comfortable with is painting, then find the uglies with layers of klown paint and make them purdy.
There are deals out there, but what's a deal to me may not be a deal to you.



