Issue 323
Issue 323
What Old Saw (Or Other Tool) Have You Kept Going?
One of the woodworkers in our Q&A department is rehabbing an old saw (the kind you find in your woodshop; not the kind of pithy saying your grandmother used to spout at the dinner table). And, while I might quibble at his definition of “old” (It’s from the 1980s! It’s hardly as old as some of my children!), I admire him for trying to keep a good tool going in the service of our craft.
Some tools — as another reader states in the Feedback section, remembering another old tool that he restored just because he wanted that specific tool — are tools that we woodworkers want to last for the ages. And if your father, or grandfather, or some other relative, was the original owner of the tool that’s still going strong in your shop, so much the better.
Which makes me curious…What’s the oldest (working) tool you have in your shop?
Rob Johnstone, Woodworker’s Journal
What's In Store
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Wood Pallet Projects
The book Wood Pallet Projects by Chris Gleason includes plans for several projects to make from wood pallets.
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Hitachi Magnetic Driver Bits
Hitachi has launched a new line of magnetic driver bits.
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HandyBand
The HandyBand is a magnetic wristband, adjustable to fit wrists of any size, that can hold nuts, bolts, screws, nails or even small tools like wrenches and screwdrivers.
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Amana No-mar Ball-bearing Countersinks
Amana Tool now offers four sizes of countersinks that feature a ball-bearing depth stop.
Tricks of the Trade
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Sanding Disk Alignment
I thought of this easy way to align my sanding disk’s holes with the sander.
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Easy Paint Roller Cleanup
Paint roller trays are messy to clean up. This has worked well for either latex or oil based paint.
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Accurate Drilling
No matter what type of drill bit used, you will be dead on every time.
Today's Woodworker
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Ramon Gibbs: Band Sawing “Beyond the Limit”
Ramon Gibbs traces some of the inspiration for his start in his woodworking to watching houses being developed in his small Ohio hometown community as a child.
Q & A
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How to Make the Most of My Old B&D Table Saw?
Would the blade thickness make a difference on the table saw? What can I do to extend the cutting area?
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Can I Make a Stain Conditioner for My Shelf Project?
Can I make a conditioner to minimize blotching by mixing the mineral spirits and the stain together, apply that first, and then follow up with just the stain?
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Best Way to Restore Hand Saws?
I have a couple of somewhat rusty hand saws from my dad, and I’d like to use them. How do I clean and sharpen them?
Industry Interviews
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Extech: Many Testing Instruments for Shop and Home
If you’ve read our overview of “Moisture Meters in the Home Shop,” you know that it’s a good idea to keep tabs on the moisture content of your lumber.
Feedback
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April Fools Feedback; Urn-Sealing Options; Why to Restore an Old Tool
“I do not know where you come up with so much really good April Fools stuff year after year.” ( Editor’s Note: It leaves us shaking our heads as well.)
Reader's Project Gallery
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Toy Chests
The toy boxes are made from reclaimed pine. The closets, for the American Dolls, are from some trees that were cut down and mill out at a friends place.
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Log Cabin Storage Shed
This is a “Little Log Cabin” that I just finished. I’m using it to store my lumber for my projects. I made my drawings on AutoCad.
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Telephone Stand and Window Cornice
Oak and Walnut telephone stand: This was my first project to use either pocket-holes or tapered legs.
