Issue 229
Issue 229
Hot Stuff
We have had a very cool and pleasant summer here in the North Country, until now. While I know that the corn farmers have been praying for hot weather, we woodworkers like it cool, thank you very much. That is why I was very disappointed when, just as I was loading a big pile of lumber and sheet stock into my shop, the temperature nudged over 90˚ F … and then just kept going up.
And not just the heat: the dew point – a term that should be changed to the “this is why you feel like fainting index” – continued to rise until the weatherman said that if it went any higher we would all drown. This summer swelter all kicked into full swing just as I began to build some modular bookshelves for the print magazine.
Full disclosure does require me to say that I have an air conditioner in my shop. But it is a puny little window unit that is there more for moral support than temperature control. Ah well, I guess that some one who will be fanny-deep in snow just a few months from now should not regret sweating away a few summer evenings. And after all, drops of sweat will raise the grain for a final sanding as well as water – won’t they?
Rob Johnstone, Woodworker’s Journal
P.S: For those of you who like downloadable woodworking plans, we have a large supply of them over at our WWJ Store. They are not free, like the ones here in the eZine, but there is a wide variety to choose from. Check them out; there might be one you can’t live without.
What's In Store
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SawGear
SawGear is a miter saw attachment: you enter your desired dimension into the keypad, put your material against the stop, and cut, with no further adjustment needed.
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C.H. Hanson Precision Ball Level
C.H. Hanson’s Precision Ball Level replaces a traditional bubble level with an aviation style ball level.
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Amana Miniature Bearing Router Bits
Amana Tool’s series of Miniature Bearing Router Bits include a 3/16-inch diameter ball bearing guide.
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Anvil Motion: Automated Kitchen Cabinetry
Anvil Motion’s methods are certainly futuristic: wave your hands, graze your fingers, and the drawers and cabinets open.
Tricks of the Trade
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Sandpaper Roll Storage
I often buy end-rolls of sandpaper, either locally or from a catalog supplier.
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Gluing Perfect Miters
I make a lot of trays, boxes and frames, and gluing them up can be tricky.
Today's Woodworker
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Woodworking Students Showcase Projects in AWFS Fresh Wood Competition
Now in its third biennial year with AWFS, this competition highlights outstanding construction and design achievements by students in high school and post-secondary woodworking programs in North America.
Q & A
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Finish for Soup Bowls
What finish will work if we wanted to use the bowls I turn for hot soup?
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Control Splitting While Seasoning
I want to know how to control splitting of wood in the seasoning process.
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Clean Fir Prep for Water-based Paint
My son accidentally spilled melted butter on an unfinished countertop of bare fir plywood.
Industry Interviews
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Workbenchdesign.net: The Ultimate Workbench Resource
For many of us, our workbench is more than just a piece of shop furniture.
Feedback
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AWFS, Plywood, Vision, RAS
When a reader asked which plywood should be used on our free projects, we confessed that sometimes the best choice is what you can afford. Apparently, this woodworker is on the same page.
Reader's Project Gallery
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Wine Cabinet
This is a cabinet that I made because I needed more space for storing wine glasses. I had the scroll…
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Lemonade Stand
I started woodworking about 12 years ago after taking classes at our local Vo-Tech and it has now become my…
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Potting Bench
This the potting bench I have promised my wife I would build for the last 20 years. It has running…
