Issue 536
Issue 536
Running with the Bull
Woodworking myths abound, as is true with nearly any craft or occupation. Two of my favorites, and by that I mean common misbeliefs that I try to correct, have to do with gluing up panels of solid wood.
The first is that adding biscuits adds to the strength of a well-made butt joint. It is simply not true. I do use biscuits to help align long butt joints (longer than, say, 30 inches) — which reduces frustration and improves my efficiency — but the joint is no stronger.
Second, when butt gluing flatsawn boards, there is no true advantage to alternating the growth ring orientation of the end grain … the “smile, frown, smile frown” orientation often suggested in woodworking magazines. If you like the grain pattern it provides as you compose the panel, great. But, with kiln-dried lumber, I have never personally seen the panel distortion that supposedly occurs if all the boards are aligned alike.
So there are a couple of myths busted … at least in my mind.
I am on something of a mission here: in an upcoming Woodworker’s Journal print magazine I instruct my recalcitrant staff in the proper way to make pilot holes. Now there is a slugfest you will not want to miss!
Rob Johnstone, Woodworker’s Journal
Today's Woodworker
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Steve Gabriel: Woods, Farms and Mutual Benefits
Agroforestry expert Steve Gabriel thinks woodworkers and farmers can all benefit as agriculture and forestry combine.
What's In Store
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Bosch 12V Max Palm Edge Router
Lightweight, compact cordless palm router offers ergonomic handling, constant speed circuitry and several helpful safety features.
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DeWALT ToughSystem® Cooler
Twenty-seven quart cooler offers five-day ice retention, an IP65 rating and integrates with DeWALT’s other ToughSystem modules.
Q & A
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Faster Box Joints Tip
Unlike every other method I’ve seen for making box joints on the table saw, I double up the workpieces instead of cutting them one at a time.
Reader's Project Gallery
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Ponderosa Pine Chairs
This reader got ahold of a 143-year-old Ponderosa pine and turned his unexpected windfall into a set of great chairs.
Feedback
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A Reader’s Power Carved Projects
In reaction to Rob’s comments, a reader shares what he has been able to create with power carving tools.
Woodturning
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Options for Drying Green Bowl Blanks
Our woodturning expert presents three methods that can speed up or improve the drying of green wood blanks.
