Dear Woodworker,

In these tough economic times, we at Highland Woodworking would like to do our part to make shopping with us more economical and convenient for our customers. Currently we are providing FREE GROUND SHIPPING on most orders over $100* delivered within the 48 contiguous United States.

As always, with our product offering and staff expertise, our goal is to guide you in making sure that your tool and supply purchases from us meet your expectations and support the success of all your woodworking endeavors.

As Highland Woodworking enters its fourth decade of serving woodworkers across the country, our aim is to provide you with the same personalized service and support as we have been doing since we first entered the woodworking tool business back in 1978.

*FREE GROUND SHIPPING TERMS: Merchandise total must be greater than $100 prior to the addition of any shipping charges for free shipping offer to apply. Free shipping offer excludes items listed in our catalog or on our website with flat rate shipping adders, freight collect shipments, expedited shipments, and special order items. Actual shipping and handling costs are charged for shipments outside the 48 contiguous United States. For orders under $100, please refer to our standard shipping rate table.

I enjoy looking at shop spaces and projects. Here are a few recent photos from my shop:

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The back side of my old Delta drill press has become an impromptu shrine to the kids: An origami whatsit from my eldest, and a note from the youngest. If you can't quite read the note, it says:

"Dear Daddy, I really love you and I really want to say I love you as much as Echo, because I love Echo a lot. To Daddy, from Marian"

Echo is the cat.

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Above is a planing stop I built with nothing but saw dust. Oh, and glue and wire brads. Yes, the scrap MDF from the radial saw top and testing boards (I must post about this sometime soon?I have the pictures) has come in useful. This stop allows me to set the board unclamped on the bench and quickly plane both sides. It lets me plane down to 1/4" in width.

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SWMBO recently started upgrading the kitchen. This involved some screw-together furniture, and a wish for one more shelf. The clear pine was almost too good for the project, but it was the perfect width with only one glue joint.


I don't know why the notches on the underside were so satisfying to make, but they were. These notches seat themselves on pegs, two of which I manufactured from the shanks of two wood screws (there were only two extra with the kit, and I just could not see paying Lee Valley $11 to ship me 50 more).

While making the shelf pegs I discovered that I no longer had a hacksaw (though I did have a hacksaw blade). Have you ever tried hacksawing by holding a loose blade in your hand? It makes the hand cramp up, so after a while I got smart and clamped it in a machinist's clamp. That was slightly better, but you can bet I bought a hacksaw frame when I went to the hardware store earlier this week.

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This 12" wide, 10' long cherry board cries out to be used for something good, preferably before Christmas. Wish me luck with fitting this project in with everything else.

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Two new additions to the shop, courtesy of Patrick Leach. I've wished for a grooving plane on many occasions, and now I have one. Will I ever do more axe hewing? I hope so. I just have to tighten the handle up in its socket and I'm all set.

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I started the storm window stock preparation. Above was a rough rip and chop.

Then the pieces were jointed and planed to width at a friend's shop. I'm letting it aclimatize to the shop while I figure out when I'll have time to work further on it (maybe tomorrow after helping my brother-in-law lay subflooring in his new "man cave".

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The pictures above almost speak for themselves. I cut a hole in the wall of the basement stairwell. Someday soon the plumbers will come and fix our plumbing, and I'm ready for them. For this project I pulled out the keyhole saw that had languished since I impulse purchased it from my friend Trevor.

Nothing beats the satisfaction of having the tool you need on hand, especially when you've never needed it for all the years you've had it.

Some people are luckier than the rest of us. When it comes to winning contests, Patricia and Mike Mortimer fall into the lucky category. Patricia entered Highland Woodworking's Win a Festool Package Sweepstakes and was the lucky winner out of thousands of entrants. She's shown here being congratulated by Chris Bagby, Highland Woodworking's owner and co-founder. It wasn't just the first contest Patricia has won. Among other things that she's won are a flat screen television and an all-expense paid trip to Bejing, China to attend the 2008 Olympics. We asked her how she did playing the lottery and she replied "I don't play the lottery. You have to pay to do that!"

The Mortimer's new power tool package includes Festool's Kapex KS120 Sliding Compound Miter Saw, the first miter saw with variable speed, which enables the user to match the speed of the blade with the requirements of the material. The Kapex Sliding Compound Miter Saw combines a large cutting capacity with a compact lightweight design. Of course the perfect mate to their new Kapex Sliding Compound Miter Saw is the Kapex MFT3 Multifunction Table which is designed specifically for use with the Kapex Sliding Compound Miter Saw. It features additional holes in the perforated top plate for positioning the feet of the Kapex and for mounting with clamps. Also included as part of their Kapex prize package is the Festool CT22E Mobile Dust Extractorwhich comes with HEPA filters that remove dust particles down to .3 microns. A tool-triggered switch with smooth start-up and shut-off delay, and adjustable electronic suction control make this the ultimate vac to connect to any hand power tool.

Mike works professionally doing commercial repair and finish restoration on furniture, cabinets and interiors. He is actually known for being quite the "magician" when it comes to recreating grain patterns and surfaces that have been damaged or distressed. When asked, both admitted that they were not really sure what projects they would attempt first with their new woodworking equipment. One thing for certain is that they'll definitely have room for it, as they have a 2400 square foot shop! After mentioning projects like chairs and end tables, they both joked that given the space they have, perhaps they would make a gazebo for inside the shop.

Since Highland Woodworking is well known for its Education Program, which includes a wide variety of classes for both beginners as well as advanced woodworkers, hopefully we will see both of them soon in some of our
upcoming classes for a chance to study woodworking with our knowledgeable instructors.

Visit Wood News, our monthly online woodworking magazine

Our big new Fall 2008 woodworking tool catalog is at the printer and will be mailing out in just a few days. It's loaded with a huge selection of woodworking tools and supplies, and also contains a listing of the dozens of upcoming woodworking classes and workshops held at our retail store in Atlanta, Georgia. We invite you take an online look at our woodworking class schedule.

As autumn leaves brighten in color, woodworkers are inevitably making their way back to the woodworking shop in their basement, garage or outbuilding to resume the work they love: making practical and beautiful things out of wood.

In these troubled economic times more than ever, possessing woodworking skills and the tools necessary to exercise them can help enrich and enliven a woodworker's life. Besides the joy and satisfaction that comes from creating something by hand, the opportunity exists to supplement your income by concentrating on practical projects that your local marketplace needs. Tables, chairs, shelving units and cabinets never go out of style and everyone needs them. Woodturning projects make excellent gifts, and everyone will be looking for unique gifts to give this holiday season. Woodcarving is great for this too.

We welcome your suggestions for specific project ideas that your fellow woodworkers around the country might use to generate income locally or save money on gifts that would otherwise need to be purchased. If you have some project ideas to share, please describe it by posting a reply to this blog entry.

The latest issue of Wood News Online, our monthly woodworking magazine, features an excellent article by Doug Bittinger that kicks off a series on taking the plunge into full-time professional woodworking. Whether woodworking is a hobby, a part-time moneymaker, or full-time occupation for you, Doug has some thoughtful ideas that are worth considering.

Here is a link to the full October issue of Wood News Online. An excerpt from Doug's article follows below:

Taking the Plunge into Professional Woodworking
by Douglas Bittinger

I cannot say that I know anyone who was going through life with no woodworking experience and simply said to themselves "I think I'll become a professional woodworker," signed up for some courses to learn what they needed to know, and then went looking for a job as a woodworker. Not to say it doesn't happen. I just don't know any.

All of the professional woodworkers I know discovered a talent and desire for woodworking and nurtured it. Some discovered it while young, some not so young, but they found it. Some got into it out of necessity: they wanted things they couldn't afford to buy and decided to make them. For others it started as a relaxing hobby. At some point they said, "You know, it would be great if I could make my living doing this instead of [whatever]."

If this thought has breached in your brain, let me issue a caution: When you take a hobby and turn it into your occupation, is ceases to be a hobby. Along with this change come responsibilities that weren't there before. Your hobby becomes your JOB.

If you possess certain capabilities and resources, it can indeed be a rewarding and fulfilling job, leading to a more pleasant life style. If not, it can turn into a stress filled nightmare. What are these capabilities?

Robert from Oneida Air Systems walks Tommy and Al through the installation process before they get to work. When completed, the system will remove the wood dust from the air in Tommy's shop.

It?s safety week at Popular Woodworking. Reading their blog this week took me back to my start in woodworking.

When my wife and I bought our house, we decided that we wanted a tile-top kitchen table. I opted to try making the table after we failed to find what we had in mind. I enjoyed that experience so much that I thought I?d get more involved in woodworking.

I started slowly. No multi-thousand-dollar trips to the woodworking stores, I got some handheld tools and went about reading everything I could find. Before long it became clear that a table saw would be a useful tool. I shopped around for a used contractor?s saw and found a Delta at a reasonable price (though I had to drive to Pittsburgh to get it). ?Now,? I thought, ?I?m a real woodworker.?

I got the saw setup in short order. While I had read about table saw use, I don?t believe that I had ever before used one. I set the rip fence, fired it up and began pushing a piece of oak through. After a couple of seconds the oak was on the other side of the room, striking the water heater with a very loud noise. Unhurt but a little shaken, I shut off the saw and went upstairs. My first (and only experience with kickback).

I don?t remember what I thought about -- if I considered selling the saw and taking up golf -- but after a while I ventured back down to the shop. The water heater sported a nice new dent, a convenient reminder that I could have been sporting a nice new dent. Luckily something made me decide to give it another try, to climb back on the horse.

Woodworking has been an important part of my life since. An inauspicious start notwithstanding. It?s good to think about such things once in a while, to remind ourselves that our hobby (or profession) involves inherent risks. Fortunately, the risks are balanced by great rewards.

I?m still in a mode with very little time for woodworking. That?s not a complaint since the project keeping me out of the shop is a great opportunity and incredible fun. But there is some news from the shop.

About a year ago I made a new arts & crafts kitchen table with a tile inlay top. I wrote about the process for Woodwork magazine. The article is in the June issue, available now.

Soon I?ll be able to post about the current project. I hope you?ll agree that it?s worth the wait.

The thing about being a hobbyist woodworker is that shop time is not automatic. Sometimes kids, work, kids, other projects, etc demand attention. Did I mention kids? (The empty-nesters among you can stop snickering now.) That?s just the way it goes.

Progress on the Shaker desk for my mother-in-law is slow. My wife is on a business trip to Japan so I?m looking after the kids. I have another project going on that is consuming most of my free time (watch this space for updates on this -- it?s exciting). And at work, it?s just about time for final exams.

However, there is an upside to being a hobbyist woodworker. No client has ever called demanding to know why I?m behind schedule. If I don?t feel inspired I don?t have to go into the shop. And I?ve never had to wonder where the next job is going to come from. I sometimes comfort myself with those thoughts when I wish I could just chuck it all and hang out a sign. And soon life will calm down and I?ll be back in the shop working on that desk.

A popular theory holds that woodworkers belong to one of two categories: Normites, those who use power tools and only power tools; and Galoots, those who would rather take a hammer blow to the forehead than use a corded tool. It?s a religious thing, no one can be both. Like the Jets and the Sharks (when you?re a Galoot, you?re a Galoot all the way). When a Normite and a Galoot approach each other on the street everyone else crosses to the other side. There?s little common ground.

I?ve been a woodworker for ten years, more or less. Like many, I began with a table saw. My first project was a router table. I added other tools (planer, jointer, drill press, band saw) as needed but in rather quick succession. I had a well outfitted shop and all was right with the world. I was a Normite. Oh sure, I?d occasionally use chisels or even a block plane (oh, the horror) but I never strayed enough to put my American Federation of Normites membership in jeopardy. I made a number of pieces of furniture this way. Life was good.

That was the status quo for quite a while ? the electric meter was an indicator of my time in the shop. Until last year. That?s when some evil people made me think about hand tools in a serious way. There was no single event but a series of several involving talented, passionate, inspirational woodworkers. My world had been a settled, comfortable place. Until those evil people got me thinking. They motivated me to learn about the wide variety of tools and their capabilities (though there is still far to travel on this long, steep learning curve). They made me realize that some operations can be performed more accurately with hand tools. They made me spend a lot of money.

This was my introduction to Galoots. Like billionaires, I had known of their existence but I didn?t know any personally. And just as billionaires are shrouded with mystery, Galoots were an unknown quantity. I expected a bunch of throwbacks, guys stuck living in the good-old-days, possessed of a stubborn refusal to acknowledge progress. I believed that woodworkers of the past would have welcomed the opportunity to trade their planes for electric routers. Now I know better.

When I started acquiring hand tools I bought those that I thought would be useful based on what the (no longer so) evil people had demonstrated. So what did I hope to accomplish? What problems was I trying to solve? (Beyond the obvious of relieving my checking account of excess funds.) I had three goals: to improve accuracy and my ability make fine adjustments; to reduce the amount of sanding required; to wear ear plugs less often.

Several months later, I?m well on the way to accomplishing these goals. On my most recent project I used hand tools when possible. I cut finger joints largely with a hand saw and chisels. I used a block plane to round edges and trim the end grain of stiles. Tenons and panel tongues were fitted with a shoulder plane. I haunched tenons with a hand saw. The list goes on. Most importantly, the joinery turned out very well, I didn?t have to sand as much as in the past and there were entire days with no ear plugs. Along the way, I accomplished an unanticipated fourth goal: I had a great time. I?m not sure when I?ve had as much fun in the shop.

There?s no turning back now, though I won?t eliminate power tools from my shop. Frankly, the thought of dimensioning rough lumber using only hand planes is entirely unappealing. So I guess there are more than two categories for woodworkers (galootified-Normite?). So much for popular theories.

Shop classes are fast becoming an endangered species in the United States. I suppose that the beginning of the end was when the name changed from ?shop class? to ?industrial arts.? When I was in 7th & 8th grades, all boys had to take wood shop, plastics shop and drafting class. All girls had to take home economics but the sexism inherent in our educational system is a different article.

In the 7th grade I didn?t care much about shop class. It just didn?t interest me. I did the work I had to do to make the little treasure chest project we were assigned but there was no joy in it for me. Surprising only because of my current love for working wood. More surprising however, is a dark secret I?ve hidden for nearly 35 years. My wife doesn?t know. I don?t think my parents know. In fact, I don?t think I?ve ever told anybody. You?re the first. Here it is: I was kicked out of wood shop.

Since most of you don?t know me very well that statement might not surprise you. So let me tell you, I wasn?t the kind of kid who got kicked out of classes. That was the one and only time in my scholastic career. I wouldn?t go so far as to say that I was scarred by the event but here I sit more than 30 years later writing about it. So what happened you may ask?

The shop teacher at our school was a man named Delbert Lumbert. I couldn?t make that up. No, really. Knock it off, I?m serious. OK. Mr. Lumbert seemed somewhat less interested in teaching the class than I was in taking it. I certainly don?t envy someone the task of shepherding 30 mostly uninterested kids through a minefield of sharp, spinning steel. All the same, he didn?t seem to be enjoying his chosen career. Maybe the years had gotten to him. Maybe he could see the coming extinction of his kind. Maybe he just needed a hug. But I don?t think I ever saw the man smile.

So one day I?m waiting to use the band saw. Another student is cutting something. When the offcut is free of his work piece, I reach over and remove it from the table for him. I wasn?t trying to challenge authority, I was just trying to be helpful. Of course, I recognize now that it was dangerous. Mr. Lumbert recognized it then and, as luck would have it, he saw me do it.

I can?t know the underlying cause of Mr. Lumbert?s reaction. We didn?t discuss his feelings. We didn?t discuss anything. He yelled. Loudly. I cowered. He told me to get out. I did. I don?t remember where I went but I?ll never forget walking out that door. I wish I could say that after he cooled off he reviewed shop safety with me (or the entire class). Or that he called my parents to make sure that they were aware and could remind me to be careful. But that didn?t happen. We never spoke of it again.

I have no idea what became of Mr. Lumbert. I?m sure he?s long since retired. Our brief, unhappy encounter caused no lasting damage. Who knows, maybe it was even positive. It?s not how I would want to handle such a situation but it?s hard to argue with results. After all, the lesson was well learned. Later (much later) I became an enthusiastic hobbyist woodworker. And so far, I can still count to ten without removing a shoe.

 

Welcome to The Wood Shop? This entry was posted on 9/21/2006 3:11 PM and is filed under Welcome. Picture Saloondoors2 Courtesy of Warsaw WoodWorks Welcome to The Wood Shop !  Let me first start by Introducing myself to you and let you know what we're all about . My name is Dan Rose . I am the head broom and dust-pan guy around here , so let's help keep it clean. I'd like to discuss Mesquite HardWood and other things wood as well.  Some basic rules : Feel free to post here and visit often. A reminder this is a public forum , your postings here are NOT a private matter. Please no foul language , no links to pornography ,  no extreme political , race , or religious views need to be posted here. Difference of opinion or approaches to a problem are OK , but personal attacks and name calling will not be tollerated. Please let this be a retreat from those things and a place to come and discuss the beauty and warmth that is offered by our common passion , wood. I'll be writing some articles that cover basic properties of Mesquite , Industry News and specific things we are doing here at Arizona Desert Mesquite to improve our service and support of the Mesquite HardWood market in the USA. We'll showcase some of our dealers and end use customers and their pictures and experiences they have had with Mesquite. Most of all I hope this can become a place to learn new things , to share information and knowledge . Everyone that will be featured here can teach us all with something new and exciting to be shared with others . Again as a reminder , this is a public forum. ADM does not take responsibility for content here posted by others. As time permits , I WILL edit any comments that in MY opinion do not meet our standards. So pull up a Log and Set a spell. The Root Beer is cold and there's a gentle breeze a blowin' from the SouthWest. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2/2/'07 - Check out the New photos Submitted by Murdock Floors on the HardWood Flooring Page ... Awesome ! Reminder : to see full page content click on  the    MORE>> marker wayyyy over to the right under the opening page.

 

"Two peas in a pod"




For that couple that have that unique bond of having so much in common. I have made this set "Two peas in a pod".

The Box is made of White Oak wood and Red Oak wood.

The rings shown are single wood Walnut (men's) and Mahogany (women's)

Click Here To See The Listing.

Wood Ring Custom Order

You can order your custom wooden wedding ring set at simplywoodrings.com. If you have a special wood that you have a deep connection with or just the love of nature and a desire to live in harmony with the earth, in an eco-frendly way. I will be glad to put something to gather for you. Visitme at http://www.simplywoodrings.com

The wood for this ring is from a tree which is commonly known as the “Tree of Heaven”. It is the tree that has taken on the symbolism for what it is to be an immigrant in America in the book “A tree grows in Brooklyn” by Betty Smith. Anyone who has ever come in contact with this tree will remember it. The journey to learn more about this tree has led me to learn more about myself. It was the long forgotten memories and dreams of a little boy that this piece has allowed me to rediscover.



The base wood is walnut which represents passion and intellect. The crème colored wood ailanthus (Tree of heaven) celebrates the spirit to overcome all life throws at you.
http://www.simplywoodrings.com

A very popular design with nautical people for many years. I have used teak and birch to add to the nautical idea of the ring.

Teak Wood Ring Teak Wood is hard strong durable yellowish-brown used in shipbuilding. The Teak is incorruptible. It holds its own against all that life throws at it. The silver is sterling silver.

www.simplywoodrings.com

Hey everyone Marc and I are back after an extended summer break.  And we just finished the latest episode of WTO.  Lot's to talk about...

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

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Status Report:

Where have we been for nearly 2 months?!?!?! Marc gives a Gadget Station update and talks about the âproject humpâ. Matt announces that his next project will be a bedside table for Madison.

Around the Web:

Working Wood by Tom Fidgen
Luthiercast
Upholstered Chair Project Video

News:
Final Cut sawblades.
Amanaâs In-Tech router bits with replaceable cutterheads.

Steel City introduces spiral head lunchbox planer.
Auriou rasps back in business!

Hot Deals:
50% OFF ROUTER TABLE STARTER PACKAGE
Regular Catalog Price $239.97 E-Direct Special Offer $119.99

Bessey Tradesman Bar Clamps Buy 2 - Get the 3rd FREE!

Topics:
IWF Review- DeWalt TrackSaw, Delta Unisaw, General Internationalâs adjustable height bandsaw.
Intro to Spokeshaves - low-angle vs. standard - flat vs. round bottom

Tomâs Tip: Keeping the shop clean.

My account is now active at www.adroll.com. You can now buy space through them on my site or among the groups of sites I participate in at AdRoll including "Traditional Woodworking" and Design/DIY/Crafty sites.  read more »

Every so often it just happens, I get a little burnt out or just overwhelmed...even with woodworking!

I know it's shocking and unheard of, but there are times when shop time is available but getting in there is a whole other issue.  Here are a few things I do for motivation or just to do something different but still woodworking.

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

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

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To download directly to your computer Right Click on direct download, choose "Save Target as"

In talking with some of my woodworking friends on this subject, I learned that most were not comfortable with kids being in their shops because of safety concerns. Granted, there are extra precautions that must be taken when kids are present, but don't let this keep you from introducing woodworking to your kids, grandchildren, or even the kids up the street. And if you're a parent or grandparent who doesn't have a lot of knowledge around woodworking, but your kids have an interest, don't let fear of them getting hurt keep you from teaching them.

It is up to us as adult woodworkers to pass our knowledge down to those that show interest. If we don't, who will? Our schools? Doubtful. Find a child to nurture and teach what you know. Don't be afraid to let them in because they "might" get hurt. How did you learn?

Here are somethings to keep in mind when working with kids in your shop:

• Make sure all your power tools are unplugged. That way you don't have to worry about it.
• Make sure that all the blades on your power tools are covered or lowered so they're not exposed to little fingers.
• Stick to hand tools in the beginning no matter how old the kids are. They need this foundation anyway.
• Don't leave your kids unsupervised in the shop no matter how comfortable you are with their knowledge, maturity level, or skill. Accidents can and will happen.
• Using hand tools like hand saws can wear kids out quickly. Watch for this, step-in and help out during these times. When kids (and adults) get tired, mistakes are more likely to occur.
• With that last point being said, however; don't do all the work for kids just because YOU CAN! Let them do the work they can, and be willing to let them make mistakes on their own. This one is tough for us parents, trust me, I know.
• First and foremost, make it fun for them! Let them have some say into what they build. There are only so many bird houses a kid can make.

The video that we shot on shop safety for kids is not all encompassing, not even close. But, it will give you some good points to help you get started. My hope for this video is take it will make you more comfortable with having kids in your shop and for your kids to have a good and safe time with you.

If you have any questions or comments about the video after you've viewed it, just send us an email at:

contactus@woodworkersresource.com

And for more information on woodworking whether you're 7 or 70, go to our website at:

www.WoodworkersResource.com

Enjoy!

Craig Stevens

Tapering, pattern cutting, coves, kerf bending, and raised panels. Those are just 5 of the things you may not have realized you could do with your table saw. During the Woodsmith Woodworking Seminar podcast, Ted Raife, associate editor for Woodsmith and ShopNotes, gives us safe, fast, and efficient tips on completing all five techniques.

Be sure to check out the Woodsmith Podcast Store. If you’re interested in picking up a downloadable copy of the seminar guide, so you can follow along during the podcast, you’ll find it there. Plus, there’s a link to a good deal on the Forrest Woodworker II Premium table saw blade that Ted used during the seminar.

It's finally here!  Pt 2 of building the chisel plane will cover the construction of the chisel plane.  Now that we have the jig that'll hold the blank in place, it's time to do something with that blank.

Many of you sent me the plans to the FWW article featuring the chisel plane construction in issue #148.  Here's a link to it Wooden Chisel Plane.

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

To download directly to your computer Right Click on direct download, choose "Save Target as"

It can be hard to figure out what will keep someone with Alzheimer's occupied - and one that will keep them happy...  The activity has to be something the person is interested in, and it's better if it has some long-time personal connection.  It was difficult to find such things for dad to do - about the only two things he was interested in were gardening and woodworking, and gardening was out in the winter - so woodworking was called upon as an activity we could both do while in the shop.  I tried having him help make saws, but the tasks required were all beyond his capabilities in his diminished state.  I also tried to get him to make wooden mallets and other basic tools for me, but he lost interest quickly.

 One successful activity we had with him was having him make reproductions of a lap desk my great grandfather owned.  It's an interesting piece, one I thought would be fun to examine for this blog.  It's an interesting study - showing some signs of both elegant and of crude construction techniques.  It lends itself well to study of early furniture and casework, as not all that was done as high-end furniture.  Most stuff that survives today wasn't the run of the mill stuff, anymore than you would expect today's run-of-the-mill furniture to be around in 150 years.  What does survive is often the high end stuff that is heirloom quality, which I think often distorts people's views of craftsmanship during these earlier periods.  To that, I offer this piece, which has more sentimental value than anything, as one example of construction techniques used in early work:

 

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The speed of construction slowed dramatically after I had to go back to a full time position with a local firm. My shop hours were reduced to just a couple of hours of productive work a week, and since winter was on, it was also quite cold and daylight was limited to weekends... The exterior was buttoned up enough to get by until spring, and I still wanted to get the permit signed off on before I had to spend the money to extend it... As it is, I'm getting very close to having these updates be live... I think that there's only 2 or 3 more entries before it is.

Before I do get there, this is a good opportunity to go over some miscellaneous "stuff" - things that I haven't gone over directly but should be... I'll use this opportunity to touch on a few different subjects I hadn't gotten to earlier, or that don't fit well into the narrative.

My main goal after getting the roofing on the building was to get the inspector to sign off on the building. To get him to, there's a few things I needed to do. Before, I concentrated more on getting the shell up - now was time to add a few structural items to stiffen the frame.

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The weather warmed, and the shop was ready for some finishing touches on the exterior. I had thought over and over about what the exterior finish was going to be. The original idea - way back when - was to use a board and batten, of cedar. The method of construction didn't lend itself well to a vertical siding, however - and cedar was much too far outside of my budget. Next I thought maybe I could do a cheat of a board and batten - basically use a plywood and nail battens on top of it. This was most tempting, but truthfully it didn't match the neighborhood, nor did it match the house, which is currently T1-11 Besides that, the plywood used today simply doesn't have the quality of the plywood used just 20 years ago unless you buy the highest priced stuff out there - which kind of defeats the purpose of using the stuff to my mind... . So - for those same reasons I considered T1-11 and just as soon abandoned it. Another choice could have been steel or vinyl lap siding - but that just doesn't turn my crank at all. I hate the monotonous fields of vinyl lap siding cropping up in cramped subdivisions, so I wrote those off of my list.

In the end, it was budget that made the call, I'm sad to say. There were two choices in my price range - fiber cement lap siding (HardiPlank by James Hardie) and composite wood lap siding and trim (LP's "SmartSide"). It was a tough decision to make, believe it or not... Tough because I didn't like either option - but basically needed to put something up, so here's how I decided. Whether it makes any sense is up to you, but it seemed all quite logical. Of course if I had my druthers it would have been something a little more elegant, but then again one has to draw the line somewhere. It's not like I live in a neighborhood of million-dollar homes, nor do I have that sort of income.

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Hey everyone it's the beginning of a brand new month and that means it's time for Router Bit of the Month!!

For the entire month of October Woodcraft is featuring Whiteside's 1/2" diameter Round Nose Core Box Bit.  A great grooving/veining profile for projects such as fluting, sign making, etc.

If you're not today's lucky winner of this great bit you can still take advantage of the sale price and add one to your collection just click here Woodcraft.com.

Also as mentioned in the show, I use the 1/4" version with my SignPro Kit from Milescraft.

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

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

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To download directly to your computer Right Click on direct download, choose "Save Target as"

 

 

One of the "tools" I want to get is a traditional workman's apron. There is a picture over at www.toolemera.com of a traditional woodworker wearing one. You can see it at this page if you scroll down to the picture called "THE WISE CARPENTER AT HIS BENCH."

I really like this apron although it seems that a design that had criss-crossing shoulder straps would be a bit easier on the neck and not as prone to getting the neck strap as sweaty.

If anyone has any suggestions, pictures, patterns or ideas, I would really appreciate them. Basically, I am looking for something somewhat traditional and lightweight. A pocket for a pencil or small square would be fine, but I don't plan on carrying my toolbox in it.  read more »

山中では、足踏みろくろ体験をさせてくれるお店があります。
僕もやってきました。荒挽きされた木地を取り付けて、外側を挽きます。
There is a lacquerware shop in Yamanaka who has a small pedal lathe and offers a short time woodturning experience.

けっこう疲れる！
It's quite tiring!

外側を好みの形に挽き終えて、体験おわり。
あとはプロの木地師さんが内側を挽き、漆を塗って仕上げてくれます。ぜんぶで３０００円。
漆は自分で塗ると言って、半額にまけてもらいました。
Turn the outside surface as you like and leave it at the shop. The professional do the rest, put lacquer coats on and send it to you later. 3,000 yen.

夏休み、石川県の山中温泉に行ってきました。
ここは今も５０人の木地師を擁する、日本一の挽きものの里です。
伝統産業会館には、明治時代に使われていた足踏みろくろが置いてあります。

I visited Yamanaka, Japan's biggest woodturning town this summer. There are fifty woodturners (!) who make their living by turning bowls and plates.
There was a Japanese pedal lathe at the Traditional Industry Museum. Such pedal lathe were used in the late 19th century.





日本の足踏みろくろは、なぜ削る時も、削らない時もペダルを踏まなければならないのか、ずっと不思議でした。写真のように、両足で踏むようになっています。
西洋の足踏みろくろは、削る時（正回転）はペダルを踏み、削らない時（逆回転）はバネの力で引き戻してくれます。片足だけで踏めばいいのです。（お椀づくりの動画参照）
I was wondering why Japanese pedal lathe has two pedals for each foot. You need to tread with one foot when you shave, and tread again with the other foot when you don't shave.
Western pole lathe has only one pedal and you need to tread when you shave the wood. Then the spring of the pole pull it backward.

その疑問が、ろくろ名人・佐竹一夫さんの電動ろくろの仕事を見ていて少し解けたような気がしました。
まず、カンナで削っているところ。ろくろは時計回りに回ります。
A hint to answer this question came to my mind when I saw the master woodturner Mr.Satake's work at his workshop.
He is turning with a gauge on this movie. The lathe is turning clockwise.

つぎに、スクレイパーで削っているところ。ろくろは反時計回りに回ります。
つまり日本のろくろは、回転を正と逆と変えながら、そのどちらでも削るのです。
The next movie shows Mr.Satake using a scraper. The lathe is turning anti-clockwise.
Japanese woodturner changes the direction of rotation frequently while turning.

もし人力の時代にもどちらの回転でも削っていたとすれば、一方の回転にバネを利用するより、両方の足で踏んでやった方が削りやすいと思います。
この推論、正しいかどうか分かりません。でもなんとなく、当たっている気がします。
The twin-pedal lathe makes sense if they were turning like this in the old days. You get enough torque when you need it with two pedals.

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Status Report:

Marc has FINALLY finished the gadget station and plans on delivering it next week.  While in the area, he is also going to have a visit with the one and only David Marks.  Matt decided to rearrange his shop tools recently and is apparently going to start writing a new book entitled, "The Feng Shui Workshop".

Around the Web:

Check out Keith Cruickshank's awesome videos at Woodtreks.com Popular Woodworking Magazine and Woodworking Magazine have had a little facelift recently.  FineWoodworking.com also seems to have had a few tweaks.

News:

Don't miss your chance to enter The Wood Talk Online Giveaway.  Lee Valley provided us with two of their new Skew Rabbet Planes and next week we will select two lucky winners.  Enter Here!

Hot Deals:

DeWalt 18V Cordless Drill/Driver Kit Sweepstakes ends October 13th thanks to Tool Snob.  Makita Orbital Finishing Sander only $39.99, save 27% at Highland woodworking while supplies last.  Aluminum Assembly Clamps from Lee Valley set of 4 (2) 18" & (2) 24" $85 regularly $108 fast-acting sliding jaw with a locking handle mechanism (similar to locking pliers).  Makita 14.4 V cordless impact driver at woodcraft $189.99.  Select Norton Combination Waterstones Save 20%! Now Through October 31, 2008!

Voicemail:

David has a good question concerning bandsaw blade width.

Tom's Tip:

Tired of using guesswork every time you set up your dado stack? Tom has some advice.

Hey everyone it's the beginning of a brand new month and that means it's time for Router Bit of the Month!!

For the entire month of October Woodcraft is featuring Whiteside's 1/2" diameter Round Nose Core Box Bit.  A great grooving/veining profile for projects such as fluting, sign making, etc.

If you're not today's lucky winner of this great bit you can still take advantage of the sale price and add one to your collection just click here Woodcraft.com.

Also as mentioned in the show, is the SignPro Kit from Milescraft.

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

To download directly to your computer Right Click on direct download, choose "Save Target as"

Listener Doug wrote in about using Aluminum Oxide sandpaper vs Wet/dry for lapping hand plane soles.  Doug had some concerns about the fact that he couldn't find Wet/dry in coarser grits than 400 and was worried that using an AO with water would ruin the sandpaper.

My answer for Doug was...

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

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

powered by Podbean.com

To download directly to your computer Right Click on direct download, choose "Save Target as"

This week’s shop comes from Hamish. Let’s see what he has to say:
“Thought you might like to see my little sheds that I use here in New Zealand, I have been really interested in seeing so many different styles and designs of peoples workshops. The thing I have noticed is the passion that people have in designing and building their own space.”

“I started my own business in June 2007, just making work benches and now have expanded to garage and wardrobe systems. I have had no training in joinery or woodworking but have studied in Draughting. Watching The Wood Whisperer has been very interesting. If you noticed I took Marc’s design of the assembly bench to the max size. Its been really handy. Cheers. I will continue to expand into wood working over time. Keep up the good work USA.”

Here is a little more info from Hamish:

The saw is SCM SI-16W Rise & Fall Tilt Arbor Sliding Table Panel Saw
3.2m cut capacity, scorer unit, auto brake. 415v/3ph/50hz.
1500mm rip capacity
3200mm crosscut
5.5hp main motor / 1 hp scriber motor
overhead guard which i have taken off for easier cuting of 2.4 x 1.2 panels

The other big machine is a KD 54 Hot melt Edgebander, this will glue on pvc or wood edging to board or timber, trimmes and cuts egding in one go. very handy. The other machine is a Blum Mini Press which can drill hinge holes into the doors and also has removeable head which can be replaced with a 8 drill spindle head allowing you to drill muiltable holes in a work piece.

The jointer is a toolline 6inch buzzer with 1400mm table good for long pieces of timber only single phase but fine for what i use. I have a little thckness under bench 12inch. handy but only entry level. In the other cabinet shed we have a a horizontial drill press for caming and dowling and compressor and hand tools and very important fridge for lunch. Also as for the question on the legs to by benches I flat pack the benches and send around the country this allows for them to be easily removed the bolted back on. I also have a very Loving and Wise Wife who fully supports me in my work and does keep me from getting to carried away in buying to much stuff. Thanks for the questions hope this helps

Related Posts

• October 29, 2008 — Greg’s Woodshop - Shop of the Week
• October 22, 2008 — Keith’s Woodshop - Shop of the Week
• October 15, 2008 — This Old Shop ~ Circa 1962 - Shop of the Week