Issue 179
Issue 179
We’ve Got No Promises
“Hey dad, don’t worry, I’m safe,” were the words that my son Brandon spoke to me on the phone last Wednesday, August 1st.
“Safe from what?” I asked.
“The 35W bridge just collapsed. I would have been on it, but today it’s my day off.”
“Are there people hurt?” I asked, relieved and upset at the same time.
“People are dead,” He responded quietly.
By now, most of the nation has heard about the tragedy in my hometown of Minneapolis. As horrible as it was, it is a small mercy that as few folks perished as did, considering the scope of how bad it could have been. But it did give me pause and caused a time of introspection. The truth is, life is but a vapor — and none of us have any promise of tomorrow. My point being: regardless of what it is you value – don’t put it off. Tough times tend to bring focus and a clarity to the question of what is important in your life. And, while there are many more important things than woodworking, for many of us who practice the craft, we use it as a means to do for others. So if that is true of you, get out there and get started. What are you waiting for? After all, we’ve got no promises.
Rob Johnstone, Woodworker’s Journal
What's In Store
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Rockler Sure-Hook
Rockler Woodworking and Hardware’s Sure-Hook toolless cabinet door hanger simplifies spray finishing.
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Bridge City Tool Works HP-7 Shoulder Plane
Bridge City Tool Works’ HP-7 Shoulder Plane works just as well, whether it’s upright or on either side.
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DeWalt DC022 Worklight
DeWalt’s DC022 is the first Cordless/Corded Fluorescent Worklight/Charger.
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CMT Tenon Router Bit
CMT’s new Tenon Cutting Router Bit cuts tenons up to 1″ long and from 3/16″ to 3/8″ thick on your router table.
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Bosch Impactor Driver
Bosch’s Impactor PS40-2 Fastening Driver may be only 6″ tall by 6-1/2″ long while weighing just 2.2 pounds.
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Milwaukee BodyGrip Router Kit
Milwaukee’s popular BodyGrip router is now available in a 2-1/4 HP Fixed- and Plunge-base Router Kit.
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Makita 5377MG Magnesium Hypoid Saw
Makita’s new 7-1/4″ Model 5377MG Magnesium Hypoid Saw has maintenance-free gears sealed in an oil bath that never needs changing.
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The Planer We Saw
RIDGID’s new version of a 13″ thickness planer, the R4330, is hitting stores as we speak.
Today's Woodworker
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Connie Slagle: Need a House? Get a Shovel
Most woodworkers start small, perhaps building a jewelry box, and in a sense Connie Slagle started that way, too.
Q & A
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Shop Heater Safety
Do electric or propane radiant heaters in the shop pose a safety hazard considering all of the dust in the air?
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Router Table Material
What is the best wood or material to use for the top of a router table?
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Drill Press Measurements
The advertisements for drill presses say 10-inch,12-inch, 15-inch and so on. To what does that measurement refer?
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Bathroom Counter Protection
I want to install a wash bowl on a maple antique dresser to use in the bathroom. What can I use to protect the top?
Industry Interviews
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Mocap: Clamps? We Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Clamps!
They say necessity is the mother of invention, and never was that statement more true than with the story of the amazingly handy instant clamping elastic called the Quick Clamp Wrap.
Feedback
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Sticks, Stones and More
In the Tool Preview in our last issue, we mentioned that Steel City showed a new, granite-topped table saw at AWFS, which inspired this anonymous question.
