Issue 104
Issue 104
A Glance at Woodworking Futures
I know that many of you see your woodworking hobby – and, by extension, the eZine – as a welcome relief and escape from the world at large and the pressures of your workaday life. Believe me, I understand completely … I wasn’t always so lucky as to be able to combine my job and my hobby, you know!
This time around, I encourage you to take a look at our Toolmaker Insider and Tool Preview sections — both of which have a strong focus on the woodworking industry and what the future may hold.
What does it mean to the industry that supports your hobby that schools are closing down their woodworking classes? Check out Rockler Woodworking and Hardware President Dave LaPorte’s perspective in Toolmaker Insider. And what does it mean to you that Black and Decker has just made a major purchase that brings seven major tool brands under one roof? See Tool Preview for some insight.
Read, think … email me … then go back to your shop, turn on your band saw and tune out the world again.
Sincerely,
— Rob Johnstone, Woodworker’s Journal
What's In Store
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Black and Decker: Consolidation in the Tool Industry
Tool company buffs who were paying close attention last week may have caught a glimpse — a preview, if you will — of the future of the industry.
Today's Woodworker
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The Wooden Psalmodikon: Enjoying a 21st Century Comeback
If you hear about an obscure single-stringed, 19th Century instrument called a psalmodikon & unseen outside of museums and rarely if ever heard – what would be your reaction?
Industry Interviews
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Rockler Woodworking and Hardware: Thirty-Four Stores…But Not Holding
Now offering its namesake woodworking and hardware supplies through retail and Internet avenues, as well as the continuing catalog, the company recently took advantage of an opportunity that was too good to pass up.
Q & A
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A Carpenter is Ready for the Next Step
I have tried getting into cabinet shops, but nobody seems to want to hire me (yet), although I still would much rather go to school for a fine furniture and design course or something. Do you have any suggestions?
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Does Age Make Wood Harder?
I have been given some oak wood that is very dense and almost as hard to saw as steel. It wears out saws, saw blades, and router bits as if they were wood and the material was steel – not vice versa.
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Jointing with a Router Table
To use a router table as a jointer, do you recommend using a spiral bit or a straight bit for the edges? Or is there is a better way?
Feedback
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PVC Dust Collection Systems
After reading our experts’ opinions on Metal vs. PVC in DC Systems, readers felt comfortable about making up their own minds on the relative safety of the two systems.
