Woodworking Made Simple for Woodworkers

The circumference of a 12” bowl (2πr) is about 38”. Multiply that to a lathe’s speed and you’ll realize that wood turners are making almost a mile of shavings a minute. I think it’s fair to say that turners sharpen more than any other woodworkers. Like other areas of the craft, religious sects have developed around sharpening in the turning world. Yet few fanatics outside of skew maniacs ever discuss honing. Five years ago I borrowed a diamond slipstone (Diamond Hone by Alan Lacer – http://stores.alanswoodturningstore.com/ – $88) and fell in love. I haven’t used a sharpening tool that works so easily and quickly in the turning world. And it’s sharpening agnostic. It wasn’t until this stone that I realized how sharp turning tools could get and how spoiled sharp tools make you. I bought my own as soon as I saved up because after using this stone, results from grinding alone is disappointing. This #...

I have fond memories of playing the Aggravation board game with my grandma when I was a kid. It’s very similar to Parcheesi, a much older game, and it’s a little like Sorry. If you aren’t familiar with the rules, here is a short video with a concise explanation. Wood versions of Aggravation typically have shallow dimples or divots that the marbles sit in. To make this kind of a board, you will need a plunge router or a drill press to get consistent depths. I decided to make my version just using a hand held drill, which worked out okay, but had some issues. Mostly, drilling a lot of holes in the thin plywood is tricky because the outer plies tend to chip and split as the drill bit bores through. My solution isn’t perfect, but it’s doable. Makers Care 2017 This is my Makers Care project for 2017! The theme this year is Make Time 4 Play . I hope you get involved by making any project you like that expresses the theme! We have prizes this year from Micro...

Push sticks? Yes, that is the topic of today’s blog, and it’s also the answer – Yes! Every woodworker has had a close call (or worse) or knows someone who has. Table saws are dangerous and even the experienced get hurt. But before this devolves into a diatribe about table saw injuries, let’s just agree that it’s better and safer to use push sticks when using a table saw. Two tricks to using push sticks: Have one that you like and have it handy. With these two things in place, you can easily make using a push stick second nature and it’ll feel weird if you don’t use one. Good thing! You’ll need to work out the “keeping it handy” part, but we’ve got a video today to help you look at just a small smattering of the possible push sticks from which to choose. Doug Dale (instructor at Marc Adams School of Woodworking) shows us a selection of what he considers to be the best of the lot (and he has some warnings on som...

Marc In exchange for the pizza peel project, a recipe, from across the river from where you grew up, from a famous pizza “joint”. Pizza Dough .1/4 cup light red or white wine, Fiano di Avellino recommended 3/4 cup warm water 11/2 ounces fresh yeast 1 tablespoon honey 1 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 tablespoon olive oil for bowl 3 1/2 cups flour Place wine, water and yeast in a large bowl and stir until dissolved. Add the honey, salt and 1 tablespoon olive oil and mix well to combine. Add 1 cup of the flour and mix with a wooden spoon until it becomes a loose batter. Add 2 more cups of the flour and stir for 2 to 3 minutes, incorporating as much flour as you can with the wooden spoon. Bring the dough together by hand and turn out onto a floured board or marble surface. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes, until dough is smooth and firm. Place in a clean, lightly-oiled bowl, using remaining tablespoon of oil and cover with a towel. Let rise in the warmest part of the kit...

Sophisticated. The tripod riving brake shown here is the sophisticated version of a contraption to help hold logs and billets as they’re split with a froe. Get some splitting leverage with this simple contraption. by Peter Follansbee R each for a froe, and you should immediately think, “Give me a brake.” The brake can be a constructed workholding device, or just a couple of logs. Its function is to trap your workpiece in such a way that you can exert leverage on a section of a log as it’s splitting. The froe – used to split a piece when it’s in a brake – is a tool that requires some nuance to really get the most from it; the brake helps make that happen. There are many kinds and configurations of brakes. The first one I learned is just a forked section of a tree, propped up with crossed timbers underneath. Forked. Here, a student is using a forked-tree brake as he rives oak with a froe. Jam your billet into the fork with its other e...

Video - September 2, 2013 Small tables are great skill-building projects. You can pack a lot of joinery and techniques into a very confined space while using a small amount of material. The Tilt-Top Table is a great example of this as it contains a turned post, sliding dovetails, curved and tapered legs, an elliptical top, and a classic shop-made tilt mechanism. While this video summarizes the entire build, I have a lot more footage available for folks who actually want to build the project. In the Guild, this project is represented by 12 videos with over 4 hours of HD video footage. Of course we also have a detailed project plan and SketchUp diagrams for you as well. Get access to the full project series here. Tools & Materials – Pre-milled wood kits will be made available! – Jointer, Planer, Tablesaw, Bandsaw – Miter Saw, Drill, Router – Lathe (for a turned post) – Die Grinder and Ras...

Recently, Nicole requested an outdoor dining table. To be honest, she doesn’t ask for much so when she makes a request I like to act quickly. Not to mention, the “outdoor season” in Arizona is just beginning so the timing is perfect. For everyone outside of Arizona, you might find this project helpful next Spring. Ha! I gave it some thought and came up with a simple design for table and two benches. The set has a bit of stylistic flair that isn’t overpowering, but I do have trouble calling this a truly “rustic” project, hence the title of the video. Keep in mind that details like the curves and the breadboard ends are completely optional and you can leave those out if you prefer something more vanilla. The Wood I chose Western Red Cedar for this project. I intentionally purchased the knottiest boards I could find. I want the table to look rustic but I’m not about to begin distressing the wood. I take out my frustrat...