Issue 249
Issue 249
(Almost) Summertime, and the Woodworking Is Easy
In these next two weeks, the unofficial kickoff to the summer season occurs. While it’s no comparison to the actual kickoffs from my beloved Minnesota Vikings that will occur in a few months, summer does have its perks – one of them being that it’s possible to be in the outdoors, or at least semi-outdoors, here in the North Country without freezing your tuckus off.
For me, “semi-outdoors” means that I can be out in my shop, with the doors open to the wonders of nature – birdsong, puffy white clouds … skunks for my dog to chase … while participating in my favorite hobby and adding my own contributions to the summer soundtrack. Sounds like the whine of the table saw, the whirr of the sander, the whistles of the woodworker … why, yes, I do live on what some (who hadn’t seen it) might call a “country estate.” It’s the best of both worlds.
Rob Johnstone, Woodworker’s Journal
What's In Store
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SkatePlate
The SkatePlate attachment fits SKIL and Bosch circular saws. Its two polyurethane rollers put your saw on a rolling track for faster, smoother and straighter cutting.
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FrogTape
FrogTape® is a painter’s tape treated with PaintBlock technology, a super-absorbent polymer which reacts with latex paint to form a micro-barrier sealing the edges of the tape.
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EZ Sander
The E-Z Sander™ is a molded, high-impact 2-1/2″ x 6-1/4″ sanding block with side thumb wheels that advance internal plungers to put tension on a 2-1/2″ x 14″ wet/dry sanding belt.
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Dremel 8200 Cordless Rotary Tool
Last month, Dremel unveiled its new 12-volt MAX Lithium-Ion™ 8200 Rotary Tool, which the company says “combines the best of both worlds—the performance of a corded tool and the convenience and flexibility of a cordless tool.”
Tricks of the Trade
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Stronger Threads in MDF with Epoxy
If you work much with MDF, you know that the edges don’t have a great deal of holding power for screws, and it often splits.
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Brush Cleaning Canister
Here’s a very easy way to keep your finishing brush suspended in a cleaning or thinning solution.
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A New Twist on an Old Trick
A thin scrap flexed into a curve is a great way to create templates for drawing arcs.
Today's Woodworker
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Ray Jones: Thinking Inside the Box
Ray Jones’s focus these days is making boxes – over 10,000 in the last 25 years, according to his estimates. And not only does he make wooden boxes, he makes the “hardware” hinges from wood, too.
Q & A
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Which 10″ Combo Blade Is Right for Me?
Considering my uses and misuses, how do I select the combination blade that will work best on my saw?
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Sealer to Stop Log End Splitting
I want to dry my own logs. What can use for end sealer to reduce end splitting?
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Boiled Linseed Oil Toxic?
Could you please tell me if boiled linseed oil applied to finished wood then wiped dry with a cloth has a danger of being toxic?
Industry Interviews
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Dremel to Launch New Tool System with Versatile Trio
When Alfred Dremel designed the first rotary tool 75 years ago, his intention was to make it versatile.
Feedback
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Hardware Heaven Then, and Now
Rob’s editorial last time out brought back memories of old-timey hardware stores for some of our readers, and excitement about new hardware among others.
Reader's Project Gallery
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Doll Shelf
I just got the Kreg Pocket jig for Christmas and built this Doll Shelf for my youngest girl. I used an old CMT jig to router the carvings in the face plate.
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Cherry Rocking Chair
Here is a rocking chair I made for my new granddaughter, Lillian. It’s made of cherry. The hard part was the back leg joints.
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Table Saw Cabinet
In short, I have a space constraint, but I need a table saw like any other woodworker because it make life a lot easier but then where would I store it?
