Dowel Points? We Don’t Need No Stinking Dowel Points!
A thread about using dowel points to mark dowel locations for drilling inspired this writer to tell us of his low tech dowel point method. – Editor
“Wherever I need a dowel, I hammer a small brad part way in, and cut it off to leave a small protrusion. I then press the boards together, release, and remove the now headless nail. Both boards now have a small hole to mark the center on which to drill, and there are no limits to how many dowels I can mark for at once. It is simple and fast.” – Menachem Shiff
Quiz Puzzlement
“I must wholeheartedly disagree with your answer to quiz question number 10. You say rift cut lumber will not present straight grain on any face. I know and use rift cut red oak for pieces where I want to show straight grain. In fact, rift cut lumber presents straight grain on all faces, even the ends, where the lines are at an angle, but essentially straight.” – Charles Wright
You are correct – and, if you took the quiz soon after you received the last eZine you got an unfair “wrong” answer because the question had been set incorrectly. Those who took the quiz later found that, rather than being at odds, our quiz answer agrees with you. The quiz showed that on the question “Rift cut lumber will present a straight grain appearance on:” the correct answer was, in fact: “All faces of the lumber.” – Editor
Speaking of the Quiz, you may notice that it’s currently not available. We’re working on getting it up and running again very soon but currently the eZine Quiz is enjoying a much-needed vacation in a warmer climate.
Pasta-ble Misinterpretation
“On the plan for the Spaghetti Measure this month, I assume that the first two holes are for one and two servings. What is the serving size for the third and fourth holes, 3 and 4 servings or something larger?” – George Summers
They are sequential: one serving, two, three, four. – Editor
Work Like an Egyptian
“I’ve just been looking at the Painter’s Pyramid. Clever. I have made a few four-poster beds over the years and, in the process, I have cut off the corners of square stock to facilitate turning. The resulting triangular section offcuts were, I realized, quite useful as supports for painted items. The Painter’s Pyramid was the next logical step. Well done! On a purely pedantic note, I should point out that the Painter’s Pyramid is not a pyramid – it is a tetrahedron, having four sides, not five, as the pyramid does.” – Peter Leach
Actually, according to the dictionary, a pyramid is a solid having a polygonal base and triangular sides that meet in a point. The base can be triangular, quadrilateral, or any other shape. Thus pyramids can have anywhere from four faces to a whole lot more. Granted, the pyramids in Egypt have quadrilateral bases and thus sport five faces, but not all pyramids do. – Editor
Big Box in the Typo Corner
Issue 216 hit the virtual stands with a typo in the heading of the article about a 53-inch Kobalt Tools chest, calling it 53 feet instead. Naturally, that triggered a swarm of emails about the mistake before we got a chance to fix it. – Editor
“In your Tool Preview you featured a 53 foot tool chest. I’m sure you meant 53 inches, but if not, that must be a heck of a toolbox. I just wish I had a shop big enough to put it in.” – Eva Bailey
Don’t we all. – Editor
“The headline made me curious, so I jumped right to the article. You can imagine my disappointment to discover the size of the chest was not 53 feet, though at that price, maybe it really should be.” – Keith McKinnon
“Imagine my surprise when reading through the Valentine’s week eZine to find a toolbox for giants.” – Algot Runeman
“Given that I’m only five foot seven and my tallest ladder is a mere 25 feet, I may never see the top drawer, let alone get it in the house, but boy do I need that toolchest. Now, where is that 12 foot ruler I was looking for?” – Christian Castagna
Just think; you could store the ruler, and the ladder for that matter, in a toolbox that size. – Editor
“Fifty three feet is bigger than my basement, and at only $1,700, that works out to around $16 per square foot. What a bargain. I wish houses were that cheap. Maybe I should buy the tool chest and live in it.” – Paul A. Howes
Absolutely. It could be your new Howes – er, house. – Editor
