Next Wave Automation’s founder and CEO, Tim Owens, wanted to do something extra special for his cousin Angel, a young girl suffering from leukemia, this past holiday season. For those who might not know already, his Ohio-based company manufactures affordable CNC routing equipment, such as the CNC Shark, and other automated machinery for woodworkers of all skill levels.

Not only were the holidays fast approaching, but so was Angel’s 12th birthday. Being an inventor and entrepreneur, Owens put his talent and his company’s resources to work to create a custom tabletop, Raspberry Pi-based arcade and cabinet. Because Angel is often hospitalized in isolation due to her leukemia-compromised immunity, boredom is frequently as hard for her to deal with as the medical treatments. Tim wanted to change that, so he went to work and created “Fight Like an Angel Arcade.”

“I thought it would be fun for Angel to have something a little different to play on rather than her phone,” says Owens. “And, at the same time, I thought that it would be a great way for us to bring awareness to the GoFundMe campaign set up by Angel’s grandparents, who are raising her, to help with medical expenses.”

As part of his willingness to help Angel — and others who find that building or making something not only helps the intended recipient but they themselves — Owens has made the plans and building process for the arcade available at no charge. You can download plans, more details and complete instructions for the “Fight Like an Angel Arcade” by clicking here.

“Seeing anyone you love struggle with a serious, life-threatening illness is tremendously difficult,’ says Owens. “By creating and building the ‘Fight Like an Angel Arcade,’ I was able to actually do something tangible for Angel.”

Learn more about Next Wave Automation and its products by clicking here.

The post Owens Shares Holiday Joy appeared first on Woodworking | Blog | Videos | Plans | How To.

The post VIDEO: Spindle Turning a Kitchen Canister with Lid appeared first on Woodworking | Blog | Videos | Plans | How To.

KliKlamps open to 8 in. wide, with a throat depth of 3 in. The lower jaw’s foot swivels, helping KliKlamp conform to more shapes. Its protective clamping pad is removable, which exposes V-grooves for holding curved or oddly shaped workpieces.

Rockler offers Bessey 8-in. Light-duty KliKlamps in pairs (item 59507) for $24.99.

The post Bessey 8-in. KliKlamps^® appeared first on Woodworking | Blog | Videos | Plans | How To.

This 1.3-lb. driver features three handle positions — inline, 30-degree and pistol grip — that can be switched by pressing the tool’s pivot point button. It has a no-load speed of 0 to 1,800 rpm and delivers up to 3,000 impacts per minute at 225 in.-lbs. of torque to drive and remove screws and bolts. An internal 8-volt lithium-ion battery offers sufficient power to sink 85 deck screws (1-1/4-in.) into pressure treated pine on a single charge. A plug-in AC power cord replenishes the battery to full charge in five hours.

Forcedriver’s 1/4-in. hex chuck accepts all common hex-shank bits, including slotted, Phillips, square recess, Torx and nut drivers. A #2 Phillips bit is included and stows on the tool.

The impact driver has a rocker-style trigger that engages both forward and reverse driving modes. Squeezing the trigger also activates a built-in LED light to help illuminate dark work areas. An overmolded grip provides added comfort for tough or extended driving tasks.

WORX’s Forcedriver 8V Impact Driver (model WX270L) is available now and sells for $39.99.

The post WORX^® 8V Forcedriver appeared first on Woodworking | Blog | Videos | Plans | How To.

Tim Inman: Quite simply put, your wood is changing due to the conditions around it, and the wood fibers are reacting and popping up. It could be caused by sunshine, but most likely the culprit is humidity changes. Any finish you might put on the wood will slow the exchange of moisture. It will not stop it, nor will it return the wood to its former smoothness. So to get the wood smooth again, you will need to do some abrasive work. This could be sandpaper, of course, but it could also be steel wool or, better yet, nylon abrasive pads like Scotch-Brite®. I would avoid varnishes because they will eventually fail and chip away. Correcting that problem is then a huge undertaking. Alternately, I would get the wood smooth again if you feel that is important, then apply a drying oil or an oil/wax combination. This will return the wood to a nice bright look and give it new “life.” Remember, though, that the wood is dead, and you are not actually giving it life — just the look of a lively piece of wood.

Chris Marshall: The carver might have used an oil finish on your carving when the piece was first made. Possibly, it was an oil that never really “dried” on the surface but rather slowly evaporated or rubbed off (mineral oil comes to mind), and now the wood feels rough. While an oil finish isn’t very durable, no matter what oil is used, it’s easy to understand why they’re used — especially on intricate and uneven surfaces like small carvings. All you do is flood the oil onto the wood, allow it to soak in for a few minutes and then wipe the excess off with a rag. It’s a simple approach (and a smart one for a carver trying to earn some money from those carvings), but unfortunately, not lasting.

In addition to the options Tim suggests, you might consider one of the easy “wipe-on” finishes (often they’re oil and varnish blended together), such as Danish oil. Or, Zinsser® SealCoat comes to mind — it’s clear, dewaxed shellac that will make the wood surface look a bit darker and shinier than it does now. SealCoat will also form a thin film on the wood, for a longer-lasting solution that won’t end up looking dry again. And, it’s compatible with whatever was used as the original finish, so it won’t peel off or feel sticky. Just brush or wipe it onto the wood and let it dry. Shellac dries very quickly. But whatever finish you try, be sure to experiment first — maybe on the bottom of one of the bear’s feet — to see if you like the end result.

The post Best Finish for a Bear Carving? appeared first on Woodworking | Blog | Videos | Plans | How To.

-Thomas Lynott

The post Nature Carvings appeared first on Woodworking | Blog | Videos | Plans | How To.