Thursday, March 6, 2014

Big and small projects

I always love it when people send pictures of projects they have made based on my designs. Last week, over on Google Plus, I enjoyed watching Bill Akins progress as he built the advent calendar. Its really fun when you can involve the family in woodworking. So really, credit goes to the entire Akins family on this one.






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Remember my candle holder a couple weeks ago? It seemed to me it needed something else in its design. Rob Daniel decided to angle the edges toward the bottom.



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And heres Scott Ritts version. I absolutely love the curved ends. Thats the look I think I wanted!



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Now, Raymond Levesque seems to go BIG with his Christmas. He made Santas sleigh as a float for the Moose Lodges Christmas parade. No plans, just winged it. My kind of woodworking!


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Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Make a Heart in a heart picture frame Aww

Seems as though I have been on a picture frame and bandsaw kick lately. Well, heres a frame design Ive been fooling around with for a while. I finally settled on something that will work and is easy to make. So once again, here is another super easy woodworking project that can be made in a couple of hours.

It would make a nice gift for that special lady in your life. Or even your wife!

If you would like to make your own, here is my design template of the Heart-in-a-heart picture frame.

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Using A Wood Router

Using a wood router to shape an edge, plow a dado, or perform some other cutting task is an important requirement of many woodworking projects that youll come across. Even a project as simple as the toy blocks can be greatly enhanced by employing a wood router to soften the edges with a roundover bit.


If youre completely new to woodworking, or even just new to wood routers, this series of videos should prove to be very useful to you. Woodworking routers are dangerous tools, and operating them with good results can be a mysterious endeavor.


Although there are numerous online videos that demonstrate great tips on using wood routers, most of them are targeted more towards people who already have a basic knowledge of router operation.


This series of videos takes a slightly different approach. The videos teach the very basics of operating a router, including a strong emphasis on safety. Theyre produced by an industrial arts instructor so its just like being in shop class!



Return from Using A Wood Router
to Woodworking Videos


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Sorry Shannon

Sorry Shannon, I just posted my blog entry without looking at the blog first. I was planning to wind down the tool segments, but I guess Ill end them now.
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Fine Woodworking near you Come out and see us


Find out where Fine Woodworking contributors (like Steve Latta seen here) are teaching or attending events
Photo: Steve Scott
Take a class or attend an event with one of Fine Woodworkings contributors.
Christian Becksvoort
June 11, 2011: Dovetail Workshop
Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village - Maine
June 18, 2011: Drawer Workshop
Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village - Maine
June 20-24, 2011: Shaker Furniture
The Carpenters Boat Shop - Maine
July 9-10, 2011: Hand Tool Skills
Lie-Nielsen - Maine
July 23, 2011: Build a Shaker Bench
Sabbathday Lake Shaker village - Maine
July 29-31, 2011: Craft Show
Mount Deset Island 36th Annual Directions Show - Maine
Oct 7-10, 2011: Scrapwood into Stars
Haystack Mountain School of Crafts - Maine

Michael Fortune
May 31-June 10, 2011: Apprenticeship
Marc Adams School of Woodworking - Indiana
June 5, 2011: Getting the Most From Your Bandsaw
Marc Adams School of Woodworking - Indiana
June 24 - 28, 2011: Working With Curves
Peters Valley Craft Center - New Jersey
Aug 8-12, 2011: Chair Design
The Northwest Woodworking Studio - Oregon
Aug 20-21, 2011: Doing Curved Joinery
Marc Adams School of Woodworking - Indiana
Aug 22-26, 2011: Table of Contents
Marc Adams School of Woodworking - Indiana
Sept 19-23, 2011: Designing Chairs
Marc Adams School of Woodworking - Indiana
Sept 24-25, 2011: Embellish Your Work
Marc Adams School of Woodworking - Indiana
Oct 15, 2011: Making a Living as an Artist, Designer, & Furnituremaker
Marc Adams School of Woodworking - Indiana
Oct 16, 2011: Drawing in Perspective
Marc Adams School of Woodworking - Indiana
Oct 17-21, 2011: Making a Bow-Front Chest
Marc Adams School of Woodworking - Indiana
Oct 22-23, 2011: Making the Ultimate Gift
Marc Adams School of Woodworking - Indiana

Peter Gedrys
Chris Gochnour
June 13-17, 2011: Making a Curved Front Night Stand
Marc Adams School of Woodworking - Indiana
Garrett Hack
July 15-16, 2011: 30th Anniversary Open House
Lie-Nielsen - Maine
Aug 1-5, 2011: Precision with Hand Tools
Center for Furniture Craftsmanship - Maine
Aug 6-7, 2011: Furniture Details: Decorative Edges and Faces
Lie-Nielsen - Maine
Sept 12-16: Build a Side Table
Port Townsend School of Woodworking - Washington
Sept 19-21, 2011: Precison with Hand Tools
Port Townsend School of Woodworking - Washington
Oct 3-9, 2011: Make an Occasional Table with Exquisite Details
West Dean College - West Sussex, England

Roland Johnson

Sept 19-23, 2011: Finishes & Finishing
The Northwest Woodworking Studio - Oregon

Matt Kenney
July 29-Aug 2, 2011: Make a Box with  Hand Tools
Peters Valley Craft Center - New Jersey

Tim Killen
July 23, 2011: SketchUP
AWFS - Nevada

Steve Latta

July 18-24, 2011: Making a Spice Box
Marc Adams School of Woodworking - Indiana
July 16-17, 2011: Pattern Inlay and Decorative Borders
Marc Adams School of Woodworking - Indiana
Aug 27-28, 2011: Build a Federal Sideboard, part I
Olde Mill Cabinet Shoppe - Pennsylvania
Oct 8-9, 2011: Build a Federal Sideboard, part II
Olde Mill Cabinet Shoppe - Pennsylvania
Dec 17-19, 2011: Build a Federal Sideboard, part III
Olde Mill Cabinet Shoppe - Pennsylvania

Philip Lowe
Ongoing Classes
Furniture Institutue of Massachusetts
June 18-19, 2011: Hand Cut Dovetails
Lie-Nielsen - Maine
July 25-29, 2011: Sheraton Tilt Top Table
The Northwest Woodworking Studio - Oregon

Teri Masaschi
Aug 29-Sept 9, 2011: Finishing From A to Z
Center for Furniture Craftsmanship - Maine
Sept 12-16, 2011: Hand Applied Finishes
Center for Furniture Craftsmanshop - Maine
Oct 3-7, 2011: Basic Finishing
Kelly Mehlers School of Woodworking - Kentucky

Jeff Miller
Ongoing Classes
J. Miller Handcraftred Furniture - Illinois
July 20-21, 2011: Chairs: Curves and Joinery by Hand
AWFS - Nevada
July 30-31, 2011: Mortise and Tenons: Hand Cut Joinery Made Easy
Lie-Nielsen - Maine

Gregory Paolini 
Ongoing Classes
Gregory Paolini Design - North Carolina
June 4, 2011: Hands on Finishing
The Woodworking Source - North Carolina

Michael Pekovich

July 20-23, 2011: Photographing Your Work
AWFS Fair 2011 - Nevada
Aug 19-23, 2011: Dovetails: Intro to Working with Hand Tools
Peters Valley Craft Center - New Jersey

Doug Stowe
June 15-19, 2011: Box Making
Kansas City Woodworkers Guild - Missouri
July 25-29, 2011: Creative Box Making
Eureka Springs School of the Arts - Arkansas
Aug 8-13, 2011: Simply Beautiful Boxes
Marc Admas School of Woodworking - Indiana
Aug 13, 2011: Interior Architecture for Boxes
Marc Adams School of Woodworking - Indiana
Oct 29-30, 2011: Box Making
Sawdust & Woodchips Woodworking Association - New York



Click Here and Start WoodWorking
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Another plane collection

Cosmin sent over pictures of his favorite tool collection: planes. He writes:

They have not been inherited as I come from a long line of geeks; all I got was a stack of computer punch cards. I have gathered the planes over less than 2 years, which is just about as long as I have been interested in woodworking. I took some photos of the warzone to give some perspective. Then I placed the planes on item #1 from my honey-do list (11/4 thick walnut bench) and took somes shots. For reference, the walnut piece is exactly 12" wide. I promise I did tidy up the place before I took the shots and I chose the best available angle. 
My current interest is building stave shell drums. I am slowly getting there. In the mean time, I am developing a huge interest in hand tools. Next on my list is a Roubo workbench, braces, more drawknives, a beam drill, and a few more drawbore pins.


One car garage shop from several angles





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ECE planes I acquired from a local retired piano builder, and a Knaus plane


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Vintage violin maker planes


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Stanley block planes, first is low angle, second is a 60 1/2, 
last one is a modern day Stanley plane that I use as a counterexample of quality


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Japanese chamfer plane, size 4 Gage plane, coffin plane, Stanley 132 with broken tote top,
Wien brand jointer plane (could not find any info about the brand) 


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Stanley planes: 40, 3, 4, 5 1/4, 5, 5, 6, 8, 8 
(this last #8 is a mongrel plane as I have put it together from parts)




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Patternmaker plane with removable wooden round bottom, and a 
Made in USA Craftsman dado plane (to my surprize, Craftsman was at some point made in USA)



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Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Coping saw jig

Everyone seems to be making Tims three-piece puzzle. Dattatreya Parupudi posted his a few days ago on the Mere Mortals Facebook page. Dattatreya doesnt have a bandsaw or scroll saw, so he cut it using a coping saw and chisels.

He then posed the question: "How can I cut straight lines using a coping saw?"

Well Tim Sluder actually has a coping saw jig! This is pretty cool. If you like, heres a PDF version.


Here are his instructions: 



The jig, works best when clamped in a vice or screwed to awork bench. Coping is a two-handed operation that iswhere this jig helps. You have to keep turning your workback and forth to get a straight line as you saw. Well, asclose as you can get due to the blade flex. Make sure to lubethe saw blades to aid in cutting and preventing brokenblades. This jig can be used with a jeweler saw or files.These jigs are easy to replace as they wear out. I used thistype of jig when I was in high school(1975), we used ajeweler’s saw to make jewelry out of coins. Try cutting outthe face on a dime. Let your imagination be your limit.Enjoy.

Finally, there was a question about a couple dimensions in Tims design. He has updated it. Here is the new plan.

Thanks guys!
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Make a flower press and dried flower arrangement

Heres a project that should inspire your creativity. This is a very old-fashioned way to press flowers and requires the fresh-cut blossoms to be under pressure for at least a couple weeks, so why not decorate the press itself and make it a conversation piece while it is working.

To make the design on the front of the top plate, I cut some foliage and spray-painted over it like a stencil. It worked fairly well, but I think it might work better using just leaves rather than blossoms too.

To press the flowers, I sandwiched them between layers of cardboard (blotting paper would be better) and tightened them down between the two plywood boards using wing nuts.

Once that was set aside, I painted a vague scene on a scrap board using acrylic paints and a sponge. I am not much of a painter, but its easy to dab on a few colors and hint at a landscape. You could get very artistic on this part!

After the flowers spent two weeks in the press, I arranged them on the painting and squashed a piece of plexiglass over them. The only trick here is to hold it tight so that the flowers dont slip when you put it into a picture frame. I held it all firmly in place with brads.

Have fun!

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One more log post

Tim Mautz had these to contribute. Its a great little end table. The grain just glows. I have no doubt something like this would be a hot seller at any craft fair. Rustic is in, man!



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Monday, March 3, 2014

For Next Time

The process is a little different with each iteration of the class. All the handouts I made last year were irrelevant by this time, as we have several new pieces of equipment.

Things we need prior to next Woodworking class:
Jointer knives sharpened
Planer knives sharpened
Dedicated rip and crosscut blades for class
New marking gauges
New 3/8" Forstner bits
Make up a big batch of ebonizing solution
Write vocabulary quizzes

Other notes: recommend walnut or cherry over white oak
Make sure students read the PDF posted for the class, entitled "Gluing Up Tabletops".

Table Process
• Joint and plane 8/4 wood for the legs and 4/4 for the aprons and top
• Rip the legs oversize and run through the planer to make them square
• Cut the legs to length with the sliding table and a crosscut blade
• Mark out the mortises (we need new marking gauges)
• Drill the mortises with a sharp Forstner bit,
• Grind and then hone a wide chisel and a narrow (skew the chisel on the Japanese water stone)
• Clean up/ square up the mortises
• Make the crosscuts for the tenon shoulders
• Use the mortising jig to cut the tenons
• Bandsaw the wide ends of the tenons with the rip fence, and fit them to the mortises
• Chisel away any remaining high points
• Glue up the tabletop (need: bucket of water, rags, glue, mallet, paper, pipe clamps.)
• Hand plane while table top is long
• Trim it to size on the sliding table with a sharp crosscut blade
• Taper the legs,
• Make biscuit slots to accommodate the table top mounting hardware,
• Sand all parts with 80 grit, 120, 180 and 220 grit sanding discs and hand sandpaper.
• Give most edges the “Bob Robinson Bevel”
• Glue up the table (need: bucket of water, rags, glue, mallet, paper, pipe clamps or Jorgensen bar clamps. Toothbrush would be helpful for glue removal.)
• Wipe table with damp rag to raise grain and show up glue spots
• Resand everything with 220 grit sandpaper (by hand)
• Apply first coat of finish (I recommend Minwax Wipe-On Poly, satin finish, or Watco Danish oil.) Use plenty of the Wipe-On Poly, and dont "go back in" with the rag after a minute or so, as it will start to get sticky and mess up what you have done.
• The next day, sand entire table VERY LIGHTLY with 220 or 320 sandpaper folded neatly over an MDF sanding block, (do not sand through the first coat!!!) then apply a second coat of Wipe-On Poly.
• Apply the finish even to the undersides of the table legs-- they will take on and lose moisture faster than the rest of the table otherwise.• Install the table-top hardware using ½” #8 screws. Apply masking tape to drill bit to avoid drilling through table top, and screw in screws by hand.
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Elm Corner Cabinet



This cabinet is the result of a collaborative design process between myself two close friends who have been renovating their century old farmhouse just outside Sydney. The lighter wood is Elm from trees that grew along Kings Road in Sydney for about 150 years. The darker wood is also Elm but is coloured with an ebony oil-based stain.

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More workbenches

Ben Johnson

It was one of my first woodworking projects about 10 years ago. It may not be pretty but its heavy and I dont care if it takes a beating. It took me about half a year to build, mostly because I was watching too many Woodrights Shop reruns and thought Id try some joinery that was beyond my skill level. Still no fasteners were used in the making of the bench, only glue.

The bench stands 36-1/2" tall -- the height of my table saw on its
stand. The base is made from doubled 2x6s and 2x4s. The top measures 2
foot by 6 foot and is made from sixteen 2x4s.

For the top, I cut all the rounded edges off all the 2x4s for the top
and cut dadoes every 6" in one of the boards for dog holes. After I
glued the boards together, I flattened the top with a jack plane and a
4 foot straight edge.


Things Id change:
- A recessed tool tray for catching wayward tools would have been nice.
- A better vice.
- I store other bench top tools under the bench, and have found the
stretchers are too high for some of the tools Id like to store.
- Id get the top flattened properly.


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Dave Higgins

Heres the work bench I built last winter its built with constuction grade lumber everythig is laminated together nothing bigger than a 2x6 was used. The inlay work is my first attempt, and is made with peruvian walnut.




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Charl Du Plessis

This is my Frankenstein work bench made from wood I salvaged from and old pergola and a deck! It is enormous, 3 meters by 1 meter by 1 meter!! This allows me to have my scrollsaws, bench grinder, and drill press all mounted to it and still have plenty of room on the other side to use as the "bench" part of my workbench without sacrificing alot of the surrounding area in my garage! The side without the tools mounted to it will be getting an MDF top put on it soon to eliminate the gaps between the decking timbers.


It certainly isnt pretty but it definitely serves the purpose. But best of all it cost me a bag of screws!!


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John Short

Here is what I use. Its simply 3 2x12s glued up and sitting on a metal table in the back yard by my shed. dimensions are 3x6. Its all I can do without a real shop.



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Tony ODriscoll

This is my pride and joy. 300 pounds plus of Maple with a laminated MDF top. Front and end vices. I only wish I included a traditional shoulder vice rather than the large end end vice. Im very glad I didnt include a tool well. I dont need it. Its 7 by 36".



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Trevor Scott

Heres my bench. Built from leftover 4x2 from the garage reroof. Woodwork vice at one end, engineers vice at the other. Its 9 long so plenty of space for my drill and scroll saw. Slatted mid section gives me plenty of storage for tools, boxes etc. I need to squeeze a midi lathe in this week but that may have to free stand!



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Mere Minutes:


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How To Make Woodwork Tools Charles H Hayward


Just thought I would share this little gem from circa 1945.

PDF Here







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Sunday, March 2, 2014

The Dining Room Gets A New Table Runner and Sideboard

Hey there!  Hope everyone had a good weekend!  We had a great weekend all around, celebrating my oldest sons 19th birthday and enjoying a garage sale extravaganza in our little town.  We got some great things, one of which was this old sideboard.
I have always wanted a sideboard for our dining room, so, needless to say, I was thrilled, hubby was thrilled!  I actually liked it in this aged condition but decided to give it a fresh coat of white paint, strip the white paint off the drawer pulls and then spray paint them oil rubbed bronze.  And guess how much it cost.........5 bucks!!!!!!  Heres what it looks like in its new home.
Pretty nifty, huh?
This piece, along with the old soda crate hubby found and the linen table runner I made from my tablecloth fiasco, inspired a little mini dining room redo.  So, heres a look at the table runner I sewed.
I used grey linen that I ordered from here.  I originally bought three yards because I had planned to sew a tablecloth instead, but, after I was finished and put it on the table, I didnt like it at all.  I think it was the thought of covering up such a special table, so I cut it down to make this table runner.

After being inspired by the look of these tablecloths, I decided to make a patch from drop cloth and then stencil my favorite number on it with grey craft paint.  Then I sewed it onto the runner and fringed the edges.

To go on top of the runner, I filled the aged soda crate with our pretty white napkins, a variety of vintage mismatched salt and pepper shakers, my mini bread boards - one for each of us, and cute little bowls to sit on top of the bread boards for dipping oil, butter, or whatever we decide to eat with our bread.
And because the vintage ladder was driving us crazy in the master bath (we kept tripping over it cause its a small room), I decided to bring it out to the dining room and hang those gorgeous coffee sacks hubby got me from it.  And since it is no longer in the bathroom, we can enjoy looking at the ladder more often.
Here is a look at the entire room with all its little changes.
I cant wait to have our family dinners in there now!  I am just itchin to get the fall decorations and candles out!  I had so much fun this weekend with hubby, my kiddos and all our fun garage sale finds. We are nearing the end of summer vacation and I dread that.  I enjoy having my kids home with me so much.

Have a great day!

P.S. I will have more bread boards towards the end of the week.  I sell out faster than I can keep up with but I feel so blessed and thankful that everyone is enjoying them so much!  Thank you from the bottom of my heart! :)
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