Issue 211
Issue 211
Jim Forrest Sr.
I have been actively involved in woodworking for more than 30 years. For that entire time, Forrest table saw blades have been a premier product, and Jim Forrest Sr. was willing to tell you exactly why that was true. To say that he has been a fixture in our small world of woodworking would be like saying that Gibraltar is “a nice bit of rock”.
I remember talking to one of my ad salesmen shortly after he had been to the Forrest factory (to sell Jim some ad pages in the magazine) — all he could talk about was: “Rob, you’ve got to get a couple of these saw blades – they are the best in the business!” And while that may have been true, it was clear to me that Jim had “sold” my sales guy, not the other way around. How did that happen? It was because Jim was one of those rare businessmen, a manufacturer who built the best product he possibly could, and believed in its value to the last fiber of his being.
Sadly, Jim passed away on November 5th at 80 years of age. He will be missed by all of us in the woodworking community. Those of us here at the Journal offer our condolences to his sons James Jr. and Jay, and to their extended family.
While we are convinced that Forrest Manufacturing is in good hands, we miss Jim Sr. and mourn the loss of an industry icon and a true friend of woodworkers everywhere.
Rob Johnstone, Woodworker’s Journal
Today's Woodworker
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Barry Semegran: Apiary to Furniture, or How I ‘Bee-came’ a Woodworker
For Barry Semegran, it all started with bees; at least, after college.
Q & A
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Stopping Purpleheart from Changing Color
What kind of finish will stop the color change that happens to purpleheart?
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Sheet Goods for Exterior Columns
What type of sheet goods should I use to build square exterior front porch columns?
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Avoiding Tearout with Grain Changes
I’d like to rout an edge on a solid wood round table top. What direction do I travel to avoid…
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What Size Dust Collector Should I Buy?
I am in the market for a dust collection system. How do I know what is the right size for my needs?
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Best Methods for Dust Collection
What is the best method of collecting dust from a table saw?
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Using Metal or PVC Pipes for Dust Collection?
Can someone put this issue to rest by providing a definitive answer to the metal vs. PVC question?
Industry Interviews
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Vintage Delta Parts: Buddy, Can You Spare a Part?
John Weber has a website called Weber Woodworking, but if you go there expecting to see his woodworking prowess, you are going to be disappointed.
Feedback
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Commentary and Errata
Thank you for the article on GI Woodshop. As a retired AF member, I greatly appreciated your mention of the site and the work.
What's In Store
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Stub Spindle and Cope Cutter System from Amana
Amana’s Stub Spindle and Cope Cutter System is a router bit set consisting of a stub spindle and a counterbored cope cutter for making extended-length tenons for mortise and tenon joinery in cope and stick style doors.
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Power Monitor from Black & Decker
The two-part Power Monitor from Black & Decker consists of a wireless transmitter that attaches to your electric meter and a handheld device used to determine power usage of various machine.
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3-in-1 Tripod LED Flashlight from Stanley
Stanley’s 3-in-1 Tripod LED Flashlight contains three 20-lumens flashlights, each adjustable to five positions, which can work separately or together on a base.
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Carter Products MagFence™: An Easy Add-on
Sometimes, you just want a little something extra, some “oomph” — whether it’s a new paint job for your house, or a new rip fence for your saw.
Reader's Project Gallery
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Kitchen Island
Here is a kitchen island I made. – W. Hill
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Wine Cabinet
This is a greene and greene style wine cabinet I built for my son- in-law last year for his graduation…
