Indholdsfortegnelse for January/February 2022 i Popular Woodworking

Waterborne polyurethane finishes often make wood look parched (top right). Because they don’t change the wood’s color the way oil-based finished do, the wood still looks raw. Tinting waterborne poly with amber-colored dye adds the warm color that’s missing (bottom right). It’s easy. You can use either water-or alcohol-based dye. The dye is available as a dry powder or premixed. If you choose the powder, mix it with water or alcohol following the instructions on the package. Add a teaspoon of the mixture to a quart of finish. Never add dry powder directly to the polyurethane. If you use a premixed liquid concentrate, add about five drops to a quart of poly. Experiment on scrap to get the right color intensity. Just remember—you will want to apply three or four…

In a small shop, especially one in the basement like mine is, hanging an air cleaner becomes a bigger deal than a “buckle up, grunt, and lift.” It can easily become a headache if the ceiling is low, and the cleaner hangs down where you can run into it. When General announced a new free standing air cleaner that, I was intrigued. The air cleaner, not much larger than a small waste basket, is a convenient size. While not heavy, it has a pair of wheels that allow it to be moved around and positioned near where the dust is being created. And, it moves a lot of air—up to 1550CFM on the highest speed. But, one of the better features, in my opinion, is the infrared sensor that General…

Char Miller-King Tech Room: Glow Forge – pg. 18 Char Miller-King is a self-taught woodworker and maker from Georgia. Her building stemmed from necessity — when she couldn’t afford something, she made it. Shortly after the completion of her first project, a platform bed, she had a realization: she loved power tools. Now, almost two decades later, Char spends much of her free time teaching woodshop classes to young makers, particularly to young girls and women interested in making. You can see more of Char’s work on her website, thewoodenmaven.com or on Instagram @ woodenmaven. Collin Knoff Mid Century Nightstands – pg. 58 Collin has been fascinated with building things as long as he can remember — from LEGO sets to taking apart things around the house just so he…

To steam small parts of wood, I made a plywood cover for my electric kettle with a 2½" hole drilled in the center. A piece of perforated rubber shelf liner over the hole creates a gasket around the PVC pipe, keeps the parts from falling through, and allows steam to flow into the pipe. Tie a length of string to the end of the parts you’re steaming so you don’t burn your fingers trying to get it out of the pipe. Also, be careful not to let the water level get too low or you’ll ruin the kettle’s heating element.…

If your chisel gets a serious nick or ding, you’ll have to grind away a lot of metal to renew the edge. The best strategy for doing this is to adjust your grinder’s tool rest to 90° and blunt your tool like a screwdriver. Once you’ve ground past the damage, reset the tool rest at the appropriate grinding angle and have at it. Consider this as an insurance policy. You’re much less likely to overheat and draw the temper out of a blunt edge than an acute edge. Overheating an edge is all too easy to do when you’re removing a lot of material. It’s not pretty. The steel turns blue—a definite sign of trouble. The blued portion is softened, and will no longer hold an edge. You have to…

I always like to support businesses owned by fellow woodworkers for various reasons. One of which is that they just tend to be good people. Second is that they know what we (other woodworkers) want. When Scott Grove was telling me about his new venture, Easy Inlay, I was intrigued. Scott, a master at pretty much anything woodworking, has launched a line of inlay materials, like you see below. The various materials can be used for an assortment of projects, such as inlay work, epoxy filling, jewelry work, turning, you name it. The materials are available in a few different colors, types, and formats. The strips and sheets are adhesive backed for ease of application, and there’s also small containers of crushed material in different sizes. Among the containers, you’ll…

For many years, woodworkers marveled at personalization of handcrafted goods available from large companies. In the past decade, the consumer laser has exploded on the scene, allowing access to this technology at an affordable cost. Consumer lasers are perfect for wood projects. A few of the prominent brands available are Epilog, Orion, and Glowforge. The laser is the perfect machine to compliment the hobbyist's arsenal. So, I bought the Glowforge Plus, a mid-tier machine that I initially decided on while making wood veneer business cards for my maker friends. Laser cutters are measured by watts: the amount of power they can provide to cut through material. The higher the wattage, the less shadowing (burned area around the cut) you get. The Glowforge Plus is a 40 watt laser, which will…

A mantel clock is a fun thing to build because it’s small in scale and won’t exhaust your lumber supply. In a long weekend, you can transform a few pieces of lumber into something special that can be displayed on a mantel or shelf for years to come. This version features walnut bars set into notches in the legs, for a unique appearance that invites a second look. I built this clock with a Leigh Frame Mortise and Tenon Jig, but the plan could easily be used for loose tenon joinery or traditional tenons at the table saw. Start by cutting all parts to size, except the two back panels. We’ll wait to size those panels until the clock is assembled. Now set out to build the frame of the…

This was a real project of growth for me. I’ve written before about my woodworking journey being defined by life functionality over my desire to create interesting things. Even my first project for the magazine, the Sliding Door Stereo Cabinet from June of 2020, was driven by the need to have a better place to put my TV. I was actually working on a design for a work desk when I stumbled upon a piece by Silvio Cavatorta, a prominent Italian designer in during the 1960s who has since seemingly vanished from the public consciousness. I quickly dismissed the design for a work desk, but used the idea of Cavtorta’s suspended case furniture as a jumping-off point to design a pair of nightstands. I was originally going to build the…

If I think about some of my fondest memories with friends, it’s the “guys weekends” away in the North-woods of Minnesota. Canoe-in camping, fishing, and hanging out around the campfire. Inevitably, someone always brings a small travel humidor full of cigars. I’ve always enjoyed those guys weekends, but I’ve also started to enjoy the occasional stogie while sitting on my deck overlooking the timber. Yes, it’s an unhealthy practice. But life’s too short, you know? After so many of these trips, I’ve started to build my own collection of cigars at home. Rocky Patels, Ashtons, and Olivas… just to name a few. So I figured it was about time to build a half-way decent humidor. Humidor Basics If you are a cigar aficionado, or if you have ever looked into…

When I heard that a handful of former YETI guys had created a new dust collection system, I was intrigued. I’ve gone through several iterations of dust collection in my shop. I started with a hand-me-down 70 gallon dust collector before realizing it was far too large. Then, for a while I would just attach my wet/dry vac directly to whatever tool I was using. Finally, I switched to a Dust Right Separator that has served me well the past few years. Still, it was a bit cumbersome to roll it out and get it hooked up to my vacuum, and often I would just go without. What makes the Mullet M5 different than those aforementioned options is that it features a nearly-seamless design and has a rigid connection to…

Interested in building a reproduction of a wall cabinet that you can customize to your liking, practice case construction, and develop your eye for design? James Krenov’s pipe cabinet is a great option. His first iteration was made in 1968 and was constructed from oak, had adjustable shelves, and a unique door that allowed for air to circulate. In this article, I’ll walk you through designing this cabinet to your liking and give you tips on how to build the iconic parts of this piece. Just remember, this cabinet is small in stature so making mistakes and changing your mind won’t cost a fortune so you can adjust this piece to your heart’s content. Planning Lumber Layout The look you want to give your cabinet starts at the lumber store.…

Originally published in Issue #37. Written and illustrated by Curt Mobley Charlie Cheapwood refuses to buy the proper woodworking equipment. He claims he can’t afford it. Charlie was last seen trying to rip a piece of 2" oak with a hack saw. Delbert E. Goggle claims to be the nation’s safest woodworker. He is prepared to do some hand sanding. Delbert pays a retired OSHA official big bucks to inspect his shop twice daily. I. M. Smartwood, super-genius know-it-all, and self-professed expert on carbide-tipped screwdrivers and faceplate turning balsa wood. Claims he would have finished his solid oak china cabinet in one day but ran out of nails. Dennis DoLittle has been working on the same cabinet for the last 18 years. Says he’s almost done but the he keeps…