Issue 257
Issue 257
Autumn’s Woodworking Ramp-up
While I do make a significant amount of sawdust in every season of the year, there is something about the arrival of fall that increases my time in the workshop. Perhaps, as with bears and hibernation, my body responds to fewer hours of sunlight with a biologically driven need to cut, glue and finish. It seems to affect other aspects of my life as well … this weekend, I stopped by a garage sale and could not resist buying a Stanley #78 rabbet plane and a Miller’s Falls bench plane (got ’em both for 40 bucks!). And, on top of that, as I drive by large beautiful trees, now losing their leaves up in this neck of the woods, I find myself wondering how many board feet of wood they might make if I were to harvest them. Weird.
So what about you? Is fall your go-to time for woodworking, or are you a year-round woodworker? Do you sail the cool winds of autumn to a safe harbor in your woodshop?
I hope that is the case. (I don’t want to be all alone in this effort.)
Rob Johnstone, Woodworker’s Journal
What's In Store
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Kreg Deck Jig™
When you’re prepping your deck, the Kreg Deck Jig has an easy-grip handle and a hardened steel drill guides to give you precise angles, secure hold and control over each joint.
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Forrest Square-Top Woodworker II Blades
Forrest Manufacturing’s Square-Top Woodworker II saw blades create a 90 degree square bottom groove with no scratches or score marks.
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Bessey EZS One Hand Clamp
BESSEY Tools’ new EZS One Hand Clamp comes in sizes of 6 inches to 36 inches, with jaws that can be repositioned for either clamping or spreading.
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Delta’s New Full-Kerf Melamine Blades
Delta believes it has solved the problem of ragged cuts with its new line of full-kerf blades that are designed specifically for cutting delicate melamine.
Tricks of the Trade
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Square Setup Fence
Recently I needed to drill centered holes through some wood blocks, and my Rockler Clamp-It Assembly Square found new purpose as a handy drill press fence.
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Hot Cure for Swollen Biscuits
Regardless of how I’ve tried to keep them dry, they still seem to absorb moisture in my damp shop until they don’t fit in biscuit slots.
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Crisscross Corner Joints
When I build children’s furniture, I like to use the modified mortise-and-tenon joint you see here to connect legs and aprons.
Today's Woodworker
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Joel Cole: Finding His Place in Woodworking
Joel Cole’s woodworking is strongly tied to place: where he is now, where he’s been, and where he hopes to go.
Q & A
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Preventing Tearout
Is there a trick to prevent the tearout from the spiral router blade on the plywood?
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Formula for Plywood Thickness?
I’m building some furniture for my son. Is there a formula for determining what thickness of plywood I should use?
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Causes for Floppy Biscuits
Are there consistency standards in the biscuit manufacturing industry, or are the machines that cut the slots using different size cutters?
Industry Interviews
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Weinstein, General Tools Keeping Jigs Simple and Affordable
Two weeks ago, while visiting the General Tools & Instruments booth at the International Woodworking Fair (IWF), I had the pleasure of meeting Burt Weinstein.
Feedback
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Lamp Drilling Solutions, Band Saw Stopped Wandering and More
A few of our readers sent us quick notes in response to Rob’s editorial last time out mentioning that he was heading to Atlanta for the biennial International Woodworking Fair.
Reader's Project Gallery
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Busker Crank Organ
The attachment show a Busker Crank Organ I recently completed. The organ was designed by John Smith of the UK.
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Folding Adirondack Chairs
These are folding Adirondack Chairs that are made of Cedar and finished with a Behr Cedar Natural Tone 501 product.
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Fishing Net
This is a steelhead fishing net I made for a coworker’s husband who fishes from a drift boat. Overall length was about 48″.
