Q & A: Clean Up Squeeze Out
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Q: I saw one of those woodworking wizards on television the other day. As I watched the guy build a three-day project in 30 minutes, I noticed he washed off glue squeeze out with a wet cloth immediately after clamping. Wont the water weaken the glue joint? A: We went right to the folks who manufacture Tite-Bond glue to help us answer your question. Heres what we found out: Dont […]The post Q & A: Clean Up Squeeze Out appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.
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posted at: 12:00am on 26-Nov-2014
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Who Do You Most Want to See at WIA?
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While I already have a couple of (virtual) handshake agreements with presenters for WIA 2015 (and a long list of potential presenters), next week (after the February 2015 issue is to the printer), I’ll be diving deep into the programming for next year’s conference (which is Sept. 25-27 in Kansas City, Mo.). And you can help. What one presenter would you most like to see? What one topic […]The post Who Do You Most Want to See at WIA? appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.
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posted at: 12:00am on 25-Nov-2014
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An Intro to New Features of SketchUp 2015 for Woodworkers
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On November 3, 2014 Trimble Navigation LTD released SketchUp Make 2015 and SketchUp Pro 2015. This was an exciting announcement for all SketchUp users, as there was something new for everyone; and rest assured the woodworker was not forgotten. The improvements in SketchUp 2015 are mostly performance related; so let me start with the most important changes. Polygon Modifier Key Added A modifier key (Ctrl in Microsoft Windows or Option […]The post An Intro to New Features of SketchUp 2015 for Woodworkers appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.
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posted at: 12:00am on 25-Nov-2014
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Woodworking Apprenticeships, A Family History
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Utter the word "Apprentice" and perhaps for many it conjures up wistful emotions of times past, a master passing on knowledge and values consigned to history. However that most traditional sounding method of training still exists today and it's doing rather well. I have personal experience of completing an apprenticeship and from my familys perspective, we have throughout the last 105 years experienced the changing face of training the trades...
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posted at: 12:01am on 24-Nov-2014
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Black Friday and Cyber Monday Backlist Suggestions
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Sure, we have several excellent new woodworking books and videos in the works and Im sure I should be writing about those. But with Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales coming up (and me hopefully off work most of next week to clean, cook and eat, then eat some more), I thought Id take a few minutes while Im still in the office to list what I consider must haves...
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posted at: 12:01am on 22-Nov-2014
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2 Ways to Warm up For Dovetails (Without Cutting One)
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My dovetails are always at their best if I warm up before sawing. But I'll be honest, when I am pressed for time I have no patience to cut an entire joint, much less prep the wood for a practice set. So here are two things I do to get my sawing on track that don't require extra material or significant time. Crosscut Your Rough Stock by Hand Even...
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posted at: 12:00am on 21-Nov-2014
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A New Issue (& An Expanding Wish List)
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I have to admit it I’m having a rough time in this relatively new job. Not my actual work duties, but figuring out what new technique or project I want to try next. I’m a beginner/intermediate woodworker in that I’ve learned enough to get myself in trouble, but I also have learned enough to know how much I don’t know. So coming to work every day and looking over […]The post A New Issue (& An Expanding Wish List) appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.
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posted at: 12:00am on 21-Nov-2014
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2 Ways to Warm up For Dovetails (Without Cutting One)
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My dovetails are always at their best if I warm up before sawing. But Ill be honest when I am pressed for time I have no patience to cut an entire joint, much less prep the wood for a practice set. So here are two things I do to get my sawing on track that dont require extra material or significant time. Crosscut Your Rough Stock by Hand Even […]The post 2 Ways to Warm up For Dovetails (Without Cutting One) appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.
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posted at: 12:00am on 21-Nov-2014
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Keep Simple; Keep Sharp
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While putting a new tool through its paces for a future review, I was reminded just how important the basics are and what a fine job a regular bench plane will do when sharp. I was delighted with the new tool I was using but I was equally delighted with my normal “go to” planes. I’m very pleased to see the options we have now regarding specialist planes for shooting […]The post Keep Simple; Keep Sharp appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.
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posted at: 12:01am on 20-Nov-2014
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So You Want to Be a Video Star?
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Ah, the glamour of being on camera. The trailer with your name on the doorM&Ms separated by color to meet your needspeople hustling around to keep you happy and hydrated. Fans swarming you at openings and asking for your autograph. Relaxing at the pool and waiting for the reviews to come in.Right! Tell it to Alf Sharp. Alf spent a week with us shooting Create a Newport Tea Table and […]The post So You Want to Be a Video Star? appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.
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posted at: 12:02am on 19-Nov-2014
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How to Impress the General Public with Your Woodworking
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The following blog entry might seem snarky. I assure you it is not. Im interested in what impresses people when they view a piece of furniture. In fact, when a fellow woodworker shows off a piece of furniture, I observe the other people in the room as much as I observe the piece itself. So here is a short list of things that seem to really impress. Big Furniture To […]The post How to Impress the General Public with Your Woodworking appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.
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posted at: 12:02am on 19-Nov-2014
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A Look into the Future
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I had the pleasure of chatting with Daniel Carter and Lance Granum a few weeks ago for a This Old Workshop podcast; it seems I talk too much, because they’ve broken the conversation into two sections, and they’re now live on the site. Click on the link above to hear about some upcoming articles in the magazine, what we look for in queries, favorite tools (both mine and the guys’) […]The post A Look into the Future appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.
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posted at: 12:01am on 18-Nov-2014
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Is It Genuine?
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One of the things I enjoy in life is the experience of the under promise and the over delivery. I bought, Is It Genuine? (1971), while searching for good information about 18th-century furniture. I don't worship what the 18th century has to offer but at its core it represents what I feel is the pinnacle of hand-powered woodworking. It's a unique period of the pre-Industrial Revolution world that relied on [
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posted at: 12:00am on 17-Nov-2014
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Spring Cleaning (6 Months Late)
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The shop at Popular Woodworking has been a bit of an embarrassment for the, oh, last year or so. Weve made a desultory effort now and again to whip things into shape, but ever since our garage door was moved to the far end of the shop (as far away from as possible and around two corners and a fence from the dumpster and recycling bin*), weve been less apt...
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posted at: 12:00am on 16-Nov-2014
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How I Read & Write Tool Reviews, Part 4
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If you haven't figured it out, I'm wary of tool reviews in magazines or online. With rare exception they are uninformed or (worse) misguided. And believe me: I am the first to admit that I was uninformed and misguided when I started writing and editing these reviews in the 1990s. In my experience, Milquetoast reviews are not the result of malice. They are the result of several things...
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posted at: 12:02am on 15-Nov-2014
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I Need a Lathe
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I found myself reviewing future projects that I want to do and on so many Ive found some woodturning is. Thats an issue for me, I dont own a lathe and Ive never turned a thing. The most sensible thing to do would be make the project anyway and ask a local tuner to help me when required. Thats what we do at work and its always worked well. However...
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posted at: 12:01am on 11-Nov-2014
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A Basque Planing Support
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There are lots of ways to get around not having a sliding deadman, sometimes called a "board jack", on your workbench. For the last 15 months I have been working on a bench without a deadman or a tail vise, so I am always looking out for novel solutions. This weekend a woodworker named Adrian from Toronto sent me some photos of a clever bench accessory he spotted...
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posted at: 12:06am on 10-Nov-2014
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Elipse P100 Respirator: First Impressions
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Ive been in the shop for about two hours this morning and the first task I faced was clearing out a jammed dust-collection pipe above the jointer. A dirty, dusty job, but it had to be done. So it was a good test of the Elipse P100 Respirator I recently bought from Highland Woodworking ($30 plus shipping). Then, I had some 3/4″ plywood to cut up for one last kitchen...
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posted at: 12:01am on 09-Nov-2014
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Kansas City, Here We Come
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As many of you correctly guessed, Woodworking in America 2015 will be in downtown Kansas City, Mo., Sept 25-27. The main venue is the Crown Center. Stay tuned for more! Megan Fitzpatrick...
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posted at: 12:03am on 08-Nov-2014
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How to Read & Write Tool Reviews, Part 3
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For experienced woodworkers, it's easy to ignore tool reviews and say: I just buy the brands that have served me well. But what if you know little about the different brands? When I was growing up, Skil made fantastic circular saws. Black & Decker made good drills. Craftsman put its name on some good machinery. Delta was unassailable on the quality of its table saws and band saws. Are those...
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posted at: 12:03am on 08-Nov-2014
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In the Shop with Roy (And a Close Look at Some Cool Stuff)
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Weve just put together a 10-hour collection of 17 of Roy Underhill's shop projects from The Woodwright's Shop. (In the Shop with Roy: Workbenches, Tools, Storage & More is available now to order on DVD; the download option will be up shortly). With this collection, youll get the following episodes: #402 A Spring Pole Lathe; #604 A Folding Lathe; #1402 The Carpenter's Tool Box; #1412 The Williamsburg Blacksmiths; #1501 Sharpening...
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posted at: 12:02am on 06-Nov-2014
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How I Read Tool Reviews (And Write Them), Part 2
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Most tool reviews aren't really reviews. They're press releases dressed up with a lab coat and a clipboard to look respectable. For experienced woodworkers, these faux-reviews are easy to spot and ignore. What are the signs? They're missing key information about the tool's place in the market compared to its competitors. Even more telling, the writer wields statistics to discuss the tool (14.4-volt batteries with an intelligent trickle-charger) but omits...
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posted at: 12:03am on 05-Nov-2014
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When the Box is the Gift
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If you think about it, most woodworking is just building boxes. Chests, cabinets, drawers, all boxes. It's one of the first things we build when we start woodworking, and a task in which we build our skills. One of my very first things I made when I started woodworking was a simple box, about the size of the classic El Producto cigar box. I had some 1/4″ x 3′...
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posted at: 12:03am on 05-Nov-2014
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How to Read a Tool Review (And How I Write Them), Part 1
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If I never write another tool review, I'll be happy. But due to changes at Popular Woodworking Magazine, I've agreed to write a few for upcoming issues. Because I like nothing better than to pull down my pants and walk around in public, here is a guide to reading (and writing) tool reviews. Before I start, let's dispel some myths about tool reviews. Only Consumer Reports does it the right...
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posted at: 12:00am on 04-Nov-2014
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Lessons From Roubo
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Saturday mornings are among the best hours I get all week. My wife and daughters all like to sleep in late, but I get up early, make coffee, and use that quiet time to read, draw or write. It was a Saturday morning when I turned to Plate 280 of the new translation of "To Make As Perfectly As Possible: Roubo On Marquetry" (Lost Art Press) and found a representation...
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posted at: 12:00am on 04-Nov-2014
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Making Linseed Oil Paint
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When I made my tool chest I opted for an-off-the-shelf powdered milk paint that you mix yourself. I was pleased with the finish once it was sealed with a couple coats of linseed oil. However one thing nagged at me. Due to the nature of powdered milk paint, it was not good fun trying to cut in and get a crisp edge. I reflected also that perhaps it was a...
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posted at: 12:00am on 03-Nov-2014
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Why You Should Work with a Blacksmith
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Up until 1999, I didn't think it was even possible to get blacksmith-made hardware for my furniture pieces. Today I rarely build a piece that doesn't have some part that was made by a blacksmith or whitesmith. In 1999 my then-boss Steve Shanesy took me to a blacksmith in Cold Spring, Ky., named Marsha Nelson. I spent an afternoon photographing her work and was amazed at how quickly she could []
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posted at: 12:01am on 02-Nov-2014
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Edge & Surface Treatments and Tips and Tricks
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From Popular Woodworkings The Ultimate Router Guide... Routers were developed to cut moulded shapes in wood. Although their workshop role has expanded (greatly) during the last century to include joinery and other operations, moulding is still what they do best. They remain the chief woodworking tools for edge and surface treatment, cutting decorative shapes. Two Sides of Grooves Make Pretty Decorative Panels Cut a set of grooves in []
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posted at: 12:08am on 01-Nov-2014
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