Issue 253
Issue 253
Keep on Making Sawdust
Recently, I went into my shop with the intention of turning a bowl. Now, I don’t want you to get the wrong idea about how messy my shop is, but for some reason I could not find the 2-3/4″ diameter Forstner bit that I use to bore a mounting hole for my scroll chuck. Even after a significant amount of cleaning, with a good deal of muttering under my breath, I could not find the bit. Rats!
I almost let this obstacle drive me back into my house to watch TV (I was certain that I could find a dandy Brady Bunch rerun …), but then I rebelled. I grabbed a turning blank, stepped to my table saw and raised a stub tenon on one face. Moving to the lathe, I snugged the tenon into my scroll chuck and proceeded to turn one of my best-looking bowls ever. (You can see a picture of it on the Woodworker’s Journal Facebook page.)
So, what I took away from that little event is this (no, it has nothing to do with a cleaning schedule for my shop!): skin your woodworking cat however it is presented to you. The most important thing is to keep on making sawdust.
Rob Johnstone, Woodworker’s Journal
Feedback
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Readers Have Their Say: On Mimosa, Sayings and More
Our eZine staff fielded a question about mimosa wood in last issue’s Questions and Answers section – but it seems as though, while we can identify a mimosa during cocktail hour, we were barking up the wrong tree when we thought of the wood source.
Industry Interviews
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Nine Things You Probably Don’t Know About Craftsman
Building tools is serious business, and you don’t become one of America’s most trusted brands by taking the job lightly.
What's In Store
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Wood-Mizer Small Log Processing Line
Sawmill company Wood-Mizer Products, Inc. has a new series of products, the Small Log Processing Line, that work together either in-line or modularly to maximize sawing capabilities for small logs.
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Selex Radiata Pine Plywood
Selex Radiata Pine Plywood is manufactured from radiata pine grown on managed plantations that are third party certified for sustainability to the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification standard.
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Sansin 2-Coat DEC™ Stain
Sansin’s 2-Coat DEC is a wood stain with modified natural oils and a waterborne formulation that uses water, not oil, to deliver stain color deep into deck wood.
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Craftsman Universal Ratcheting Wrench Sets
Woodworking may involve the use of many bits and blades, but often a good set of wrenches come in handy, too.
Tricks of the Trade
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Soft-touch Finishing Board
Here’s a good way to elevate small panels or projects while applying finish.
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Quick Curves with Sockets
Sockets not only keep your machine bolts tight, they also make handy templates for drawing small arcs and circles.
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Oblique Drawings in a Flash
I’m not a whiz at the drafting table, but here’s my secret for making oblique perspective drawings without a T-square and triangles.
Today's Woodworker
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Stanley Saperstein: Walking Sticks with an Historic Bent
“This is like my little retirement hobby,” says Stan Saperstein of his carved walking sticks and canes.
Q & A
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Stopping a Wandering Band Saw Blade
How can I make a band saw blade cut in a straight line? Regardless of what size blade I use or the thickness of the material I’m cutting, the blade wanders off course.
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Melamine on Sheet Goods: Poisonous?
Is this the same melamine we see used as a finish on particleboard in this country? If so, are we putting ourselves in danger of kidney failure by working with this material?
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Distance Between Blade and Miter Slot
On a table saw, is the distance between the center of the blade and the center of the miter slot standard on all or most saws?
Reader's Project Gallery
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Curio Cabinet
I was given some walnut that had been stored in a friend’s home attic for 35 years to dry. Once planed and cut for straight edges I was able to see the beauty of the wood’s gain.
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Blanket Chest
The piece is made from Cyprus, Cherry Planking and is lined with Cedar. The Cherry Planking was reclaimed from a barn in upstate NY.
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Adapted Horse Rocker
A friend of mine has a 2-year-old grandson who was born with spina bifida, robbing him of the use of his legs. So I made him a rocking horse, adapting it to have a strapped seat to hold him on.
