MBW's very own guest expert Hendrik Varju is back once again and today we're answering some of your questions that you sent.  Today's episode is Part 1 of a 2 part series.  The second episode will of course be released on Monday.

To start the show off we find out what Hendrik thought of the recent IWF in Atlanta and then jump right into Shannon's email on compound joinery.  Then we move on to Sal's question on marking and measuring.

The article recommended by Hendrik for dealing with compound joinery is in the October 2002 #158 issue of Fine Woodworking Magazine, p.96 in the Masterclass section.

Also as a special announcement, exclusively here at MBW, Hendrik has just released his latest DVD "Revelations on Table Saw Set-up & Safety".  Now available for purchase at his website.

 

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.

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Day 2 is done and I'm still amazed at how much I've learned.  The highlight for today was an amazing seminar put on by Frank Klausz, Roy Underhill and Mike Dunbar on Mortising by hand.  I'll never look at a mortise the same way again!

Again, here's my impression of how the day went and a little about the classes I've attended...More will be coming soon...stay tuned for videos and hopefully interviews later.

Click on the image to see Lee Valley's New Dovetail Saw!

Don't just take my word for it, checkout these blogs too! Village Carpenter, The Folding Rule.  Also checkout Philly Planes at Philsville.

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I went to see Shiori Taguchi's metal workshop during summer holiday. It was an open day of her workshop, and she was running a copper pan forging class. She gave a brief instruction on how to forge the copper sheet to a teenager student, then left him and observed his work from a distance. "I tend to leave the students do", she said.

A few days later I had a chat with senior woodworkers on 'how to teach'. "I stopped giving too much instruction to the students, even when they are about to make a mistake. I rather tell them afterwards why it happened." said a man who runs a private furniture making school.

Those words made me think about our education at the college.
Are we giving too much to the students, hoping them to absorb as much as possible while they are at school?
Are we taking away their opportunity of trial and error, worring an error could be a serious injury?
Are we putting too much stuff into their schedule and they end up with even no time for a mistake and remake?
What we think "not enough" might be "just enough" for students.

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It's the middle of July and while technically...I'm still on vacation, it's time to give away some great schwag to some even greater listeners!!

This week we have a set of 2-1/2" Whiteside Brass Height Gages for one lucky winner and a great title from Sterling Publishing for another lucky listener.  That's right, two lucky winners this week!

Oh and by the way, checkout the video for today's show...I have a little surprise for everyone.  Warning though!! The sound is left channel only...a new bug popped up and I'm working on it.

If you're interested in getting a set of your own gauges from Woodcraft click here, Whiteside Brass Height Gauges.

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.

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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When I packed my shop to move from Columbus, Ohio to Des Moines, I just wrapped all my table saw blades in newspaper and stacked them in a box.  I didn’t take time to sort out the ones that needed sharpened and the ones that probably should have been discarded (I hate throwing out saw blades).

So when I finally set up shop in my two-car garage, I was using the same saw blade in my table saw that I was using in Ohio. It was a Signature Series blade made by Oldham. I’ve been very happy with it. But lately, I’ve noticed it was pretty dull.  So rather than send it out for sharpening just yet, I thought maybe it was time to step up to a premium blade.  Of course, the Forrest Woodworker II has ruled the roost in saw blades for many years.  I’m just old enough to hate having to spend $120 on a saw blade.  I’m used to the good old days when you could get a decent blade for less than $40.  But I’ve also been reading a lot of good things about the Freud Premier Fusion blade.  Now, it’s not inexpensive either (around $100), but I needed (er…wanted) a new blade. 

So I went to the Woodsmith Store to buy one.  I met up with Dave Larson, the store manager.  He proceeded to tell me an interesting story about the Freud Premier Fusion blade.  He said that blade has been around for about ten years and was just called the “F410″ and was a nominal seller.  Then one of the woodworking magazines did a review of it a few years ago.  Sales started to climb.  Freud realized they had a winner on their hands, put into motion a massive marketing campaign, and named the blade the “Premier Fusion.”  Their web site now lists it as the P410 (for the 10″ blade).

So I bought the Freud Premier Fusion and brought it home.  I put it on my 10-year old Craftsman table saw.  I was favorably impressed.  Crosscutting red oak left an extremely smooth surface.  I grabbed a piece of melamine particleboard for the ultimate test.  Again, the cut was nice and smooth and the top edge of the cut line was nice and crisp with no chipout.  There was just the smallest amount of chipout on the bottom edge, but hardly noticable.  But I did notice something curious.  I compared the tooth geometry on the Freud Premier Fusion with the Oldham Signature Series blade.  They looked strikingly similar.

Well, I’m in the middle of trying to clean up and reorganize my shop.  So I grabbed the stack of saw blades I had moved from Ohio.  In it, I found a barely used Freud Diablo blade with the gold coating.  Still sharp.  And I found a CMT fine cut-off blade.  Hmm…I forgot about that one.  But it needs sharpened.  So I’ve got the two blades that need sharpened plus the one that’s like new.  I guess I really didn’t need to buy that Freud Premier Fusion.  But I’m not going to return it, either.

If I had the time, I’d build every project with hand-cut mortise and tenon or dovetail joinery. But that’s not a very realistic goal, nor is it necessary. There are plenty of joinery methods out there that can be made both quickly and easily. During the seminar podcast, I’ll talk about three of my favorite “quick and easy” joinery methods.

One of the most “traditional� methods is the lap joint. It’s easy to cut with just one setup on the table saw. And it provides plenty of face grain gluing surface as well as a good amount of mechanical strength.

For a couple of “modern� joinery techniques that are especially quick and easy, you’ll have to purchase specialized machinery to produce them. I’m talking about biscuit joints and pocket hole joinery. Both of these methods get their mechanical strength from distinctive fastener’s — biscuits or pocket screws. But the best part is that each can be setup and cut in seconds.

Be sure to check out the Woodsmith Podcast Store for links to a few products that I used during this seminar.

ShopNotes magazine has finally given its readers a practical reason to download Google’s design and drawing software — SketchUp. In Issue No. 102, the magazine features a great plan for a Cabinetmaker’s Workbench. And for the first time, they’re providing an Online Extra feature that I think is really cool — a SketchUp model of the workbench in 3-D.

If you’re familiar with the program, you know how powerful a tool it is. And if you’re new to it, Google has provided dozens of video tutorials, an extensive Help Center and even live training classes that make it easy to start modeling your own projects right away.

ShopNotes associate editor Randy Maxey came up with the idea to add the model to the magazines’ website. He thought it would be fun to provide readers with a professionally-designed project that they can actually take apart to really get a feel for the way it goes together before deciding to build it. And best of all, if you want to modify the workbench — make it taller, longer, or even change it to feature an edge-grain top — you can take the model and make any changes you want to reflect your particular needs

Other free downloads at the website include plans for the drawers, a short video animation of the workbench’s best features, and a fraction-to-decimal conversion chart.

When it comes to finding a tool(s) that can speed up your set up of router bits or blades I've been very skeptical. 

But I've been won over by the brass height gauges from Whiteside.  These little pieces of brass allow me to accurately set up bits so quickly I'm still convinced I'm doing something wrong, but the fact is these accurate results are repeatable over and over...

If you're interested in learning more about these gauges click here Whiteside Brass Height Gauges.

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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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

Our very own guest expert Hendrik Varju has returned for another visit here at Matt's Basement Workshop, and this month we're mixing things up a little bit.  Rather than our usual question and answer show, we're talking a little more philosophical and asking the question "Why do we woodwork?"

This is the wrap-up to our discussion and once again after you listen to it I'm willing to bet that many of you feel the same way about why it is we woodwork as we did. 

You're welcome to send in your own comments to the discussion or even pose a few more questions too.  Just contact us either by email at mattsbasementworkshop@gmail.com, leave a comment at the website, or call and leave a voicemail at 231 354-2338.

If you'd like to get more information about Hendrik checkout his website at www.passionforwood.com.

If you have the time, please take the new listener survey.

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Art is Individualism, and Individualism is a disturbing and disintegrating force. Therein lies its immense value. For what it seeks to disturb is monotony of type, slavery of custom, tyranny of habit, and the reduction of man to the level of a machine.
Oscar Wilde
The Soul of Man Under Socialism


There’s no better snack than nibbling on the hand of one’s feeder.
Jeff Skiver


Last week I emailed Popular Woodworking’s Managing Editor Megan Fitzpatrick a couple more Out of the Woodwork Features for calendar year 2009. She responded by saying she would pull one of them ahead to December 2008.

That confused me because just over a year ago I wrote a very special Christmas story specifically for Popular Woodworking, and it has been my assumption that they were saving it for the December 2008 issue.

So I asked Megan why she needed to run one of the new ones in December when we had the special Christmas story. Hesitantly, Megan confessed that the magazine's editing staff had decided to not publish my Christmas story in Popular Woodworking.

Therefore, I want all of my faithful blog readers to realize that the legacy of Jeff Skiver has now grown to include a Christmas story that is apparently too controversial for Popular Woodworking. In reality, as a professional (and a Capitalist) I am not too concerned because they paid me for it a long time ago. (Actually they purchased the First Rights to Publish, but I was paid whether they ever run it or not.) However, the strange thing is that I didn’t even think of this story as edgy when I wrote it.

This one page feature is just the normal Skiver attitude applied to a Woodworking Christmas theme.

So even though it doesn’t bother me that they are running a different Skiver piece in the December issue, I am still going to try to milk this out for all it’s worth and try to make the “Missing� Back Page Feature the stuff of legend.

If I have my way, the Canceled Skiver Christmas Feature will someday be as highly regarded by collectors of literary antiquities as the Dead Sea Scrolls. (I have a pretty high opinion of my work, don’t I?)

Despite my chosen title for this blog post, I am not going to do a Censorship Soap Box Rant. Popular Woodworking choosing to not run that feature isn't nearly as bad as when I was still writing for Highlights and suffered the ongoing torment of having Management cancel my best ideas for the monthly Goofus and Gallant cartoons.

In fact, as a way of finally achieving some healing for the Censorship I faced from Highlights, I now provide you (my faithful blog readers) with my top 5 Rejected Goofus and Gallant ideas:


1) Gallant always treats his dates with respect.

Goofus understands that “NO!!!!� means she is just being playful.


2) Goofus shoots up with anything he can find.

Gallant would rather forego a hit than use a dirty spike.


3) Gallant maintains a career so he can finance his own addition.

Goofus knows that his mom wouldn’t leave her purse out if she didn’t want him to borrow from her.


4) Gallant adorns his car with a bumper sticker that says, “COEXIST.�

Goofus’ car sports the old classic, “Ass, Gas, or Grass…nobody rides for free.�


5) Gallant includes Broadband Internet access in his monthly budget.

Goofus just downloads tons of illegal porn and copyrighted material over his neighbor’s unsecured WiFi. (As Goofus always says, “Do the models have to be 18 if you are downloading through someone else’s IP Address?�)

We talk a lot around here about the Woodsmith Store. For a little over fifteen years, it was a small, out-of-the-way haven for woodworkers tucked into the Beaverdale neighborhood of Des Moines. Then in 2003 everything changed.

That was when the old Payless Cashways building in Clive was remodeled and Des Moines became home to one of the largest independently-owned woodworking stores in the country. It is truly a regional destination store for woodworkers from all over the Midwest. The store, now over 20,000 square feet in size, is filled with woodworking supplies, tools, machinery and hardwoods. Think Cabella’s, Bass Pro Shops, or L.L. Bean.

This coming weekend, Friday, Saturday and Sunday (September 21st, 22nd and 23rd), the Woodsmith Store will celebrate its 20th Anniversary with a Fall Fair event. There will be a lot going on, not only in the woodworking departments, but in the painting and gardening departments as well. I just thought it deserved a shameless plug here. Hope you can stop by.

Hey everyone here's the promised video on "how to shoot with a shooting board".  Highlights include why doesn't the plane damage the reference edge and of course what's the best technique.

If you're curious about my other resource checkout White Mountain Design they have a great tutorial on shooting boards including an excellent photo answer to the #1 question.

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 the website www.mattsbasementworkshop.com or leave a voicemail at 231 354-2338.

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I recently traveled back to my hometown in central Ohio to see family and our new granddaughter. While I was there, my wife discovered the Big Bugs exhibit by David Rogers at Inniswood Metro Gardens in Westerville, Ohio.  As you can see in the photo at left, a beetle is about to amputate my son’s leg. The most impressive bug we saw was the praying mantis, shown on the right.

As noted on his web site, David sculpted these creatures using various combinations of whole trees found standing or fallen dead, cut green saplings selectively harvested from the willow family, dry branches, and other forest materials. The different shapes, colors and textures of these materials provide these sculptures with character, definition, and a sense of motion.

If you get a chance to see this exhibit in your area, it’s worth taking the whole family. Just keep your kids away from the jaws of the beetle.

Trend doesn't seem to sell this any more. It's the "RoutaSketch" and I picked one up on clearance at Rockler for $25.

It was when they had the coupons 50% off any clearance item. They had two of these RoutaSketches, original price $99, clearance price $50, with my coupon $25.

I figured for $25 it was worth checking out. I was intrigued by the concept, that's for sure.

Inboxed, it's clear the thing was made as cheaply as possible. All plastic except for a pair of brass thread inserts in the base and the steel bars to hold up the template and the tracing stylus.

I assembled according to the directions. The steel bars were a REALLY tight fit in the plastic bases. Tight enough I feared I'd break the plastic before even getting to try it. But they survived. The plastic may be tougher than I initially thought!

After assembling the stands I looked at the instructions to determine which holes in the base to use for my Porter Cable router. But, alas, there were no PCs listed in the table!

No Porter Cable support? How can this be?!?!?!

I suspect that maybe PC isn't as big in Europe as it is here in the US. Trend seems to be based in the UK. That might explain it.

I tried to line up the holes in my PC with the myriad holes in the base of the Routa Sketch. No luck. None at all. Bleh.

I decided to grab the Harbor Freight plunge router that's been pretty much setting on the shelf. Sure enough, the template holder screws were a match. In fact, Trend was nice enough to include long screws that fit! A good thing since the ones that came with the router were far too short to mount the RoutaSketch base with.

After some dry runs making sure I had the motions down and was comfortable controlling the router with this big thing attached (really it isn't that bad, things moved quite smoothly) I picked one of the designs that came with the RoutaSketch.

The RoutaSketch comes with a good assortment of line art to use. Oddly enough (or maybe not), at least a few of those are public domain line art. My wife saw one of them at the local library for the kiddies to color!

With the paper on the tracing platform, my plunge router dialed in to make a very light cut, and my daughter and I wearing goggles, I started cutting.

The reason I wanted to use the PC router is I hate plunge routers. I understand the need for them, which is why I own one, but I prefer a straightforward simple router without the plunge feature. During this trial, the biggest reason I hate plunge routers showed itself. If I concentrate on the work, I'll relax my arms, causing the router to "de-plunge". The router keeps making the right motions, but the bit is no longer cutting. Grr...

Another thing that was irritating me was the stylus would grab the paper causing the paper to move. Well this screws up the pattern being cut into the wood. It turns out that the package came with a sheet of acetate to lay over the paper so the stylus moves more smoothly.

Whoops!

Even so, I thought it came out pretty decent!

I just carved into the mini-bench top. Don't worry, I'm not damaging my work surface. I had enough damage to it already that I need to resurface it with my jack plane.

I didn't carve any of the details. This was more a test of the tool. It's not a project. The outline looks good, but you can see where the aper shifted. it shoved the sea horse's forehead into it's ears. The acetate should prevent that from happening next time.

Yes. There is going to be a next time...

Hey everyone if you haven't heard already, Marc and I are trying another great experiment.  We're taking Wood Talk Online to a live format tonight at 8:00PM EST!!

Of course for those of you who can't make it, the show is being recorded as usual.  But if you have the time and just want to see what it's like when we're recording an episode of WTO stop on by to watch.

This can all be seen at www.thewoodwhisperer.com just click on the blog link and you'll have a front row seat to the show.  Also, there's probably going to be a little Q&A for anyone signed into the chat room.

So get there early to see all the fun...afterall nothing is funnier than watching me try not to hurt my brain on a hard question (OK easy questions too!!)

It's the beginning of a brand new month and I'm fully back from the "vacation".  So let's get everything started the right way by beginning with Router Bit of the Month!!!

And this month we have something a little extra special.  Whiteside's 1/2" Straight Cutting Bit is what I consider to be an essential router bit profile, this is one that should be in everyone's collection no matter what kind of woodworking you do.

And considering that I happen to already own one of these, because like I said...this is an essential profile...rather than keeping another one for myself why not share it with a second lucky winner??

So that's what we're doing, now there's double your chances to win this month.  If you weren't one of our two lucky winners this week that doesn't mean you can't take advantage of the great discounted price at Woodcraft all month long, just click here to buy yours...Whiteside 1/2" Diameter Straight Cutting Bit.

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.

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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Narex Chisels have just arrived—in stock now! Fine Woodworking Magazine selected Narex Czech Republic Chisels from 23 top brands as Author's Choice for "Best Value" western style bench chisel.

Don't pay too much for Narex chisels! Our customers tell us that some retailers have raised Narex Chisel prices because of increased demand. Don't be fooled—Narex Chisels are a great value here at Highland Woodworking!

Visit Highland Woodworking for more information on this and all of our fine woodworking products.

When I wrote my first published column for Popular Woodworking, “The Boys in the Guild,� the character Video Bob was autobiographical. It sometimes seems I own nearly every woodworking video ever made. Before I started attending classes at Marc Adams School of Woodworking, my instruction came from David Marks on Woodworks and a massive stack of woodworking videos.

Today is one of those rare days around here when I offer you a posting that relates to woodworking. This entry is about SmartFlix dot com.

SmartFlix can most easily be described as the online video rental source for How-To videos. (Imagine if Netflix only carried instructional and how-to videos…. and then only charged you for the movies you wanted to rent as opposed to a monthly fee.)

The founder of SmartFlix (Travis Corcoran) is one of our regular Skiving Off readers, and his company has an amazing collection of videos available for rental. Their catalog has everything from Airbrushing to gunsmithing. SmartFlix has videos on rebuilding a Ford 9� to overhauling a C4 Tranny. Videos from all areas of woodworking are available. They have everything from Snowboard Instruction to Disaster Preparation. Their collection of approximately 6000 videos covers an amazing array of topics. (Please note, about the only obscure videos I was unable to find were the Zapruder home movies. Most of us have seen Abraham Zapruder’s Presidential snuff film, but very few people realize that he could shoot a kid’s birthday party like Fellini.)

So if you ever desire to spend a week learning the intricacies of intarsia or tie flying, but don’t want to drop a ton of coin to buy a video you’ll likely only watch one time… consider renting it from SmartFlix.

Finally, SmartFlix has a woodworking contest currently going on that is scheduled to end this week. If you have a few moments of web surfing time available, I encourage you to see what it is all about…you might still have time to win a prize.

Double glazed windows are definitely a great way to save money on your heating and energy bill, there is no question about that. However, there is a lot that needs to be done when upgrading to double glazed windows, and although the installation and upgrade process is not too complex, there is a lot of research that needs to be done to insure that you get the best deal and the highest quality of work.

Double glazed windows are very expensive and that is the primary reason that it is important that you do your research. It is recommended that you spend some time online doing searches on various companies and finding all the info available. Then compare all companies and ask at least four or five for a custom quote and a few references to contact about the company and the quality of work. Doing this almost assures that you will hire someone reputable who will be able to give you everything you want at a fair price. Like with anything else in life, just remember that you get what you pay for. There are also a few questions that you should ask each company you seek a quote from. You should find out if the windows have a BSI number or some other standard, if installers are covered in the code of practice, if there is an official trade organization that can recommend companies, and of course if there are any discounts.

The second major aspect about double glazed windows is a contract and you need to make sure that you get one. The contract should include all details about the job including rates and any additional fees or charges that may be implied, plus the number of people that will work on the job and the estimated time required to complete it. Also, the contract should contain the materials that will be needed and any insurance programs, and finally, if you agreed on anything else not in the standard contract, be sure to get it in writing and signed.

Payments are also a big issue and you should be sure to get all payment details in writing. Most companies should require a deposit of somewhere between 20-30% of the total offer. If they are charging substantially more that that, you may want to look into the company further and find a possible explanation. The rest will be paid on completion. When it comes to payment, just make sure that both of you agree on all the details and be sure to get everything in writing.

Finally, the last aspect of this process is the legal part of ordering this service. According to the Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982, consumers of home improvement and service goods have special rights and you need to be well aware of these rights. For example, if the installation is not completed to the quality that it should be and you have to pay another company to fix this problem, you can pass this bill to the original company. There are a number of benefits that this Act provides so be sure to read it thoroughly. There are also a number of things that could go wrong so getting some insurance may be very helpful.

Getting things double glazed shouldn't be a difficult process, but if you follow the steps outlined above, chances are, your buying experience will be much more enjoyable.

David A. Howarth has been working in the home restoration and improvement business in the UK for over 20 years now, and enjoys writing about home improvement features such as double glazing and conservatories.

At the AWFS Fair in July, I had the wonderful opportunity to get a close look at some extraordinary woodworking exhibits by some very talented students. AWFS sponsors the “Fresh Wood” competition that spotlights outstanding student works being produced at some of the best high school and post-secondary woodworking programs in North America.

I had a chance to chat with one of the exhibitors, Chris Hedges. His furniture project (a high-boy/secretary) was getting a lot of attention. And it should have. Chris won three awards with his project: First Place in the Reproduction category, the People’s Choice award, and Best of Show.

He’s 32 years old originally from the Circleville, Ohio area. He says he’s happily married and has a 3 year old daughter. When not making furniture and spending time with his family, Chris enjoys trap shooting and golfing. Chris says, “Although my wife and I lived in Athens, Ohio for 12 years before relocating to Knoxville, Tennessee. I earned a Masters from Ohio University (I taught sociology for four years after graduating) and then spent two years at University of Rio Grande in the Fine Woodworking program.”

When I asked him how he got started in woodworking, here’s what he said: “I really had no experience with woodworking as a child, other than nailing end grain to make ‘bookshelves’ for my dad. Most of the training I have before starting Rio’s program was theoretical — meaning I read as many books as I could. Although I could take apart a table saw in my head, I didn’t actually touch one until I started at Rio.”

As for the secretary Chris built, as a second year student he was encouraged to build something that was both technically and academically challenging. Having seen a number of similiar secretaries in the DuPont collection at Winterthur, Chris was highly intriqued by their swiss army knife-like nature and thought that building the secretary would truly challenge his acquired skills. “While plans were provided, I felt it would be to my benefit to stray as far from those plans as possible in an effort to distinguish myself from the rest of the pack,” Chris said. 

All in all, the research and production process took nine months, including the creation of scale drawings from photographs, designing the upper case, getting materials, then building the project. Chris used curly quartersawn cherry (from Irion Lumber Company) as the primary wood and madrone burl for the veneer from Certainly Wood. All secondary wood is poplar.

All wood was dimensioned to within 1/32″ of the final dimension with power tools and finished up with hand tools. As for joinery, all dovetails were cut by hand. Mortise and tenons and sliding dovetails were cut using power tools. While most of the work was done at school, a lot of the hand work was done at home, including dovetails, carvings, and turnings. “At the time that I built the desk, all I had at home was a lathe and a bunch of handtools,” Chris stated.

I think Chris has an excellent future as a woodworker based on what I saw. His craftsmanship is excellent and his attention to detail is impeccable.

"I'm really scared to do this glass block window installation" a customer recently said. "Don't you have a way to make it easier, lighter, and maybe even cut down the mess for my window project?" Fortunately the answer is yes - it's by using vinyl or aluminum framed windows built with acrylic and glass blocks. In this article you'll learn the following:

1. Why framed windows systems can make your project easier
2. What products and sizes are available
3. What rooms a vinyl framed window system will work best in
4. Where to use both glass windows vs. acrylic block windows systems
5. Cool and unique projects ideas.

1) Why framed windows systems can make your life easier

Let's face it mortared block window installations are messy. Getting the right mortar mix is not easy, and there is always the concern of the pre-fabricated window assembly breaking just as you go to set it into the opening. Framed window systems take much of the guess-work, weight, and worries away.

Framed windows are pre-assembled with silicone joints between the blocks (getting rid of the need to mix mortar) and are usually made with 2" thick glass or acrylic units (reducing the weight by as much 1/3 to ½ vs. traditional block units made of 3" and 4" thick block).
With integral nailing fins the windows are installed like standard vinyl windows (they are nailed into the opening for new construction or built without the fins for a replacement window application) without the mess usually associated with a mortared glass window. Since the windows are siliconed together inside a vinyl frame they can be shipped nationwide and have been used in states with varied weather patterns - from Florida to Minnesota to California to Maine.

2) What product and size options are available?

Factory assembled framed block windows systems can be made of with vinyl or aluminum frames using either glass or acrylic blocks inside the windows. Glass block sizes used most often are 8" x 8" x 2" (for the reduced weight), 6" x 6" x 3", and 8" x 8" x 4" in a wide variety of patterns and colors. Acrylic block sizes used most frequently are 8" x 8", 6" x 6" and occasionally 9" x 9" and are usually 1 ½" to 2" thick. Frame colors can vary with white and almond being the most common.

3) What rooms should you use a vinyl framed window system

The main reasons to choose a block window system are where you want privacy, a cool clean look, style, and privacy all wrapped in one window solution. Since these windows meet tempered window standards they are stronger and harder to break than standard glass windows which make them safe to use in bathroom and other higher risk areas of a home or business.

Acrylic or glass block windows are being used in bathrooms as either transom windows above tub surrounds or above soaking and Jacuzzi tubs on the side of the home for privacy. Kitchen and den backsplashes are becoming a more popular application to get natural light underneath cabinetry.
These windows are being used in stairwells in commercial buildings and for churches who want light, security, and color with their windows (a church in New Mexico is looking to put in green, purple, red, and orange colored glass blocks into one framed window assembly). Sidelites around front doors and closets are using block windows to get security and light without compromising privacy.
For most basement windows considering using block windows without frames - it is usually better to mortar these windows into their masonry and poured wall foundations than to have a vinyl frame around the windows.

4) Where to use glass and acrylic framed window systems

There is much debate over whether glass or acrylic is better for your window projects. The simple answer is they both have their place and that is why both materials are successful in the market. Here is a quick look at where it's best to use each product.

Advantages and Where to Use Framed Glass Block Windows

- Where you want the strength & durability of a real glass window for scratch resistance and quality
- If you want to incorporate a wide variety of colors into your windows
- Where you are concerned about what cleaning products may be used on the windows - (acrylic blocks can have problems if abrasive cleaning agents are used on the block's surface)
- If you like a slimmer frame around your window
Advantages and Where to Use Framed Acrylic Block Windows
- If you want a fully operable single hung, casement, awning, or slider window (acrylic windows can be provided with cranks and fully operable window sashes). In addition acrylic windows can be used in arch top, hexagon, octagon, or round top window designs.
- If you need an energy star or Low E rated window.
- If you want a lighter window for ease of installation.
- If you need a custom fit block size for a replacement window application.

5) Cool and Unique Project Ideas

Here are some different ideas to consider with your block windows:

- A step down almond colored vinyl framed glass block window was used above a soaking tub in a home builder's Parade Home in Columbus Ohio.
- A therapist in New Orleans Louisiana is planning to use a slider acrylic block window in a waiting room inside of an existing glass block wall for privacy and to keep the all block look.
- A home being remodeled in Dallas Texas is considering installing a framed window with a block art mural with an ocean scene applied directly on the glass (this decorative art mural uses glass frit which is baked directly into the glass making it a permanent part of the glass).
- A church in Arkansas is looking to put a Ruby Red colored cross inside a framed window.
With framed glass and acrylic block windows and a vast selection of styles, patterns, colors, sizes and designs - projects have never been easier, cooler, and neater to do!

Mike Foti is President of Columbus Glass Block, Cleveland Glass Block, Mid America Glass Block Cincinnati, Dayton, Akron & Eastern Glass Block New York & New Jersey - nationwide suppliers of acrylic block windows and also vinyl framed glass block window manufacturers including patterned and color glass blocks.
For nationwide questions and orders call 877-668-5888

http://www.columbusglassblock.com/ - bathroom glass block windows, acrylic block windows, colored glass block, vinyl framed glass block windows

http://www.columbusglassblock.com/product_new-construction.aspx vinyl framed glass block windows, color glass block, glass block sizes, acrylic block windows, installing glass block windows

Tommy shows how to plane the panels before heading over to the table saw to add a bevel. He then shows how the panels fit into the box.

A short post - just to show some photos of a very recent plane.







A quick kiln update. It is currently running and water is being removed. It is a dehumidification process by way of a household dehumidifier. I will check the moisture content in a few days and report back. There are a few pieces of Ebony in the kiln right now and I am most curious to check the results. If it works - my shop will turn into a flurry of Ebony and stainless steel parts.

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