Features
On this episode of Shop Time, Tom Iovino, of Tom’s Workbench, Modern Woodworkers Association, contributer to Wood Talk Online Radio Podcast, contributer to Wood Magazine and many, many, many other things and I have a talk about Woodworking tips, Keeping the Craft Alive, the Online Woodworking community, and woodworking in general …
On this episode of Shop Talk, Shannon Rogers, of The Renaissance Woodworker, The Hand Tool School and one of the hosts of Wood Talk Online Radio Podcast and I have a talk about Blended Woodworking, Podcasting, and woodworking in general …
On this episode of Shop Talk, Chris Wong, of Flair Woodworks and Time Warp Tool Works and I talk about Blended Woodworking …
On this episode of the podcast I start a new segment I am calling “Shop Talk”
On this episode of Shop Talk, Matt Vanderlist, host and creator of Matt’s Basement Workshop podcast and The Spoken Wood podcast and I talk about Blended Woodworking …
Tom Iovino came up with the idea for “Get Woodworking Week”. As I thought about it, it got me pondering the idea I had a few weeks ago. At that time I started and need to continue to follow my plan.
Everyone’s schedule is busy these days. Myself, I work full time, I am going back to school, I help coach my daughters basketball team, I help with my wife’s business when she needs it, I am a board member and webmaster for NE Wisconsin Woodworkers Guild, trying to do the blogging / podcasting thing, and there’s a ton of other stuff that I’m not thinking of right now too. Finding time to get in the shop is not always an easy task.
For a long time I would work my butt off all week with the hope I would get “ahead” on stuff enough to get a whole day in the shop on the weekend. But, somehow, even if I got ahead enough to get that days of worth of time (which rarely happened anyway) it was never used for woodworking. The weekends always fill up if there is time open. Either something comes up or a relative or friends finds out I have time and fill it for me.
So, last week I started just walking down stairs to the shop whenever there was time. There are times I would have no more than 5 minutes and times I got a couple hours in the shop. In the course of 5 days I finished up my mini router table base, designed and built a saw till (still working on the drawer), sharpened my chisels, practiced my dovetails, cleaned up and organized the shop, turned two pens, installed a bork splitter in my table saw, and finished up a few projects that have been waiting way too long. Instead of waiting until I had “all the time I need in the shop” just taking the time I can get I did more in one week than I could do in a couple of weekends in a row. Even if I did get the illusive full days in the shop.
During one week of committing myself to just get my “arsch” in the shop and do anything I have time for, I feel better and more confident in the shop when I go down there. There is no substitute for using the tools to get better at the skills we use as woodworkers. Even though I have made an uncountable number of cuts with my tablesaw using it almost every day makes things go much smoother. And having limited time gets me to use it safer and more efficiently. Cutting a board to a line with a hand saw or planning an edge at 90 takes practice. The more often I do these tasks the more confident I am that the results will be dead on. Because of my time to unwind in the shop and do the woodworking I enjoy, I feel better and more relaxed too. I am defiantly going to keep up my new shop time no schedule, schedule.
So, if you have 5 minutes, 5 hours, or 5 days, take the time and sharpen, cut, plane, sand, carve, turn, and finish as much and as often as you can. You will be happier in your shop and no matter if you just started woodworking or have been making sawdust for a life time, you will increase and improve you skills.
It boils down to exactly what Tom stated with this week … GET WOODWORKING !!!
The idea here is to go through the stacks of magazines I get every month and comment on the articles I see that relate to the theme for the month. Allot of woodworking magazines don’t put out an issue every month, so, these are the latest issues I have received … There are a lot of projects in almost every magazine this month … the ones on this list are the articles I found featured routers …
Wood Magazine Issue 207 October 2011:
7 Tips to Avoid Burn Marks: The Router Refinements segment of this article goes through router speeds, feed rates, and several techniques to get rid of those nasty burn marks when routing. It also has a tip about lubricating your bits and tables to help too.
Popular Woodowrking October 2011 #192:
Diamond Banding: This article covers using a common router bit and a jig to create some very nice diamond edge banding. The jig details and other knowledge needed to make the banding are covered very well. There are several other tools and techniques you need as well. They also go over a few variations for inspiration.
Woodsmith Vol. 33/No. 196:
Questions & Answers: The Right way to Rout. The question asked is if you always rout a certain direction? And it is, in my opinion, they answers it very well. The rule of thumb, inside and outside routing, dados, and grooves … It covers the questions in a way that simply clears it up.
Shop Notes Vol. 20/No. 119:
Router Dust Collection: Every one that has used a router knows how much of a large “mess” it can create. They cover a few after-market accessories to help with extracting the chips right from the router.
Sorry this is so late in the month. The idea is to go through the stacks of magazines I get and mention the articles and things that I see that relate to the theme for the month.
Allot of woodworking magazines don’t put out an issue every month so some of the mags this month are the same as last month and some are new. I am looking through the latest issues I have when they are referred to here … These are a few things I found of interest related to outdoor projects …
Wood Magazine Issue 204 May 2011:
Planter Box & Trellis: This is one of the “Basic-Built” projects the WOOD has been doing for awhile now. It lists a simple selection of tools, Materials & supplies lists, Cutting diagram, and full step by step instructions. The projects says total cost of materials is around $170.
Sorting out the Cedars: This article covers the many type and uses of all the cedars I have worked with. It goes through each type Western Red, Northern, Aromatic, Yellow, and Spanish the common uses, ups and downs, and the average price.
Wood Magazine Issue 205 July 2011:
More tips for building better birdhouses: This short blurb in sounding board section covers some very good pointers on things to consider when building, placing, and maintaining birdhouses.
Easy, Breezy, Glider: The step by step instructions include all the same things that “Planter Box & Trellis” article along with some advanced tips and more advanced layout and design. I like the contour seat and some of the layout tips.
Woodturning Design Issue 32 August 2011:
Ant Barrier: Green turning with recycled Plastics – Goes through a plan to make a humming bird feeder with turned top that is supposed to avoid the normal ant problem that most of them have.
Woodworkers Journal August 2011:
Westport Chair: It is called the “big brother of the Adirondack chair” in the article. Although there are some “funky” angles and a little tricky joints I think this one might be a little easier than an Adirondack chair. Some large glue ups or wide boards are needed though.
The Achilles’ Heel of Outdoor Furniture Projects: The feet of outdoor furniture are almost always exposed to so much more moisture. This “Finish Thoughts” sections covers an approach that uses epoxy to avoid soaking up the problem.
American Woodworker #154 June/July 2011:
Patio Bar: The instruction on the fold out design using woven bamboo plywood is a nice idea for a patio or deck. I am pretty sure I would have to order the bamboo plywood. I am also not sure the look that bamboo gives to the project would fit in with the rest of our décor. But, with a little modification it would be a nice addition to our patio. The article includes allot of detail and description. Materials, hardware, sources, cut lists, and finishing are all covered to one extent or another.
Crisscross Picnic Table: The sturdy and spacious design of this round picnic table seats up to eight people and allows for an umbrella in the center. Looking at the base it should be one solid table. Trammel and Template router techniques are used for round top the softer lines on the seats.
Thermally Modified Wood: This on eis really worth a read. It goes over a new technique created in Finland. The result is a fungus and mold resistant wood that is chemical free. There are good and bad to every new process but, I think this one we might see more of.
Planter Bench: Simple and useful. Solid design, I can see making one of these next summer. I like it, not much else to say on this one.
Creative Woodworks & Crafts May 2011:
Miniature Birdhouses: Patterns and step by step instructions are included to make the attractive “little” decorative birdhouses. The look like fun scroll saw projects and could be changed to a turning project. Not much wood is needed to produce these fun little projects.
Creative Woodworks & Crafts August 2011:
Summer Lilly Welcome Plaque: You will need a scroll saw, sanders, and a good amount of patients. My mom would like this on the front of their house. Patterns, color charts, and a pretty complete supplies lists accompany a detailed step by step article. It uses segmentation similar to intarsia, over lay and interior cutouts to make this plaque.
Mushroom Fairy Door: These cute little doors could be a fun addition to a yard or garden.
This is something I am going to try and see how it goes. The idea is to go through the stacks of magazines I get and mention the articles and things that I see that relate to the theme for the month. If it takes off I think I will go to an audio version some day.
So, here goes.
Like most months there are the normal usages for cutoffs and scraps throughout the magazines. Like clamping cauls, blocking up of projects for finishing, backer boards, and pictures of a quite a few other uses as well … here are a few other things I found of interest …
Wood Magazine Issue 205 July 2011:
Shop tips: Making a Scraper from scrap goes over how to construct a simple scraper from a scrap piece of wood and a utility knife blade.
Weekend Project: The Crisscross Clock could easily be made from cutoffs and scrap wood as a fun little project. Variation on coloring and a few modifications could make it very personal.
Scrollsawn Potpourri Box is another small project that does not require a lot of wood. The fitted lid and design may take a little longer to master but I think my mom might like this one. They also offer a few different patterns for the lid. Be adventurous and try our own.
Wood has been doing a series of toys and this month has a Semi with several different Trailers. If you have a large scrap bin you could probably make these toys from there along with a few add-ons that is.
Scrollsaw Woodworking & Crafts Issue 43 Summer 2011:
Every project in this magazine come along with patterns and nice articles that includes tips on how to succeed.
The Railroad Handcar is a mechanical working handcar made from some smaller pieces of wood. It looks like a fun little toy that could present its own challenges.
There is a Farm in a Barn Puzzle that could be made from just a few pieces of cut offs as a nice present to for a child or a shower. You will need a little artistic ability for this one. I guess I would have to cut things of and have my mom paint them 
The Victorian Fretwork Frame will take some patients and know how when it comes to the scrollsaw, but, it would not take a large piece of wood. Gluing up and milling scraps to make a pattern could also make this an even more interesting project.
Woodturning Design Issue 31 June 2011:
The Wallet-Friendly Ice Cream Scoop article only requires a 2x2x6 piece of wood along with an old ice cream scoop you can usually find at a rummage sale for next to nothing.
The Pillar Clock (first project in this book) could be made from several cutoffs and possibly even enhanced with some different colors.
Popular Woodowrking June 2011 #199:
The Multi-use Bench Hook is something that will not take a lot of wood, but, something I am definatly going to be making, soon.
In the article about making Monticello’s Stacking Bookcases (no I do not think you can make them out of scrap wood) they mention something a lot of people don’t think of for cutoffs … Glue Blocks
The bottom and top would have to be pretty big cutoffs, but, at 2-1/2” tall and some of the over buying I have done on projects, I think it still qualifies.
Woodworkers Journal June 2011:
Turned Multi-bit Screwdrivers – As with many turings projects like this not a lot of wood required. But, with the right piece of wood it can be a beautiful addition to the shop.
American Woodworker #154 Juen/July 2011:
Woodworking tips: The Cheap Panel Clamps tip is a very useful and economical way to clamp up panels if you run short on clamps. No matter what … never too many clamps
Kubb – If you have some construction projects coming up … save those cut offs and you can have a new yard game in a weekend
With some 1/4” MDF, Cutoffs from 2x4s, and some of my left over plywood … I think the Lickety-Split Storage Boxes just may have to make it into my shop.
Woodsmith Vol. 33/No. 195:
Tips & Techniques: The Sharpening a skewed Blade tip is a simple but effective jig to do just what it says. You will need a little bit of acrylic for glides but I can see it being modified and used for a few other blade touchups as well.
The Box Joint jig shown in Perfect-Fitting Box Joints is something I have been meaning to make for a long time now. And with a few pieces from the pile this one is about a simple ad it gets. The article also goes into how to use it and glues up techniques.
There is a simple drilling guide that shows how to center a hole on tapered stock for holding up the upper frame of the Four Poster Bed
Carving Magazine Issue 34 Summer 2011:
This is another magazine that includes patterns for all of its projects
The Dolphin does not take a large piece of wood and can be a nice starter project for a beginner like me. It can be a dolphin of a killer whale too. I think my daughter just might need on of these
Well … that my first go-round at the Monthly Magazine Montage. Let me know if I should keep it up, or what kind of things I should focus on when looking through the pages upon pages I get in the mail every month. And, HEY!!! Go check em out for yourself, and let me know if I missed anything. There are links to most if not all of these magazines on the Links page as well.
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