Indholdsfortegnelse for December 2015 i Woodworker's Journal

I have exciting news! As a subscriber to Woodworker’s Journal, in addition to the magazine, you’ll soon have free access to every past issue of the magazine. It’s true! As a special new benefit for you and your fellow subscribers, we’re giving you exclusive access to every plan and article printed from 1977 up to the most recent — plus new subscriber-only videos, articles and plans! It will all be available to you on www.woodworkersjournal.com! Starting in January, all you’ll have to do to open your exclusive premium content is identify yourself as a current Woodworker’s Journal subscriber. The easiest way to do that will be with your account number. You can find your account number just above your address on the mailing label that’s stuck to the cover of…

New technology has been entering the woodshop since the first chisel was put into a chunk of wood to form a hand plane. In fact, it’s pretty great to live in the 21st century: The high-speed steel table saw blades of my youth can’t hold a candle to the amazing carbide-tipped wonders I use today. Flesh-detecting technology is making woodshops safer using electrons as our friends. And I have used the CNC Shark from Next Wave Automation a good bit in my own shop. Of course, you can still make the finest furniture, from rough stock to final finish, using classic hand tools — and many folks love doing just that. But most of us use some combination of modern power tools and oldschool standbys. CNC Routers: Old-school? CNC (computer…

We are giving you all the stories! Perhaps you’ve heard of this amazing new thing ... it’s called the Internet. And, while I am not an expert, I have it on good authority that it is pretty cool and it’s here to stay. All kidding aside, the Woodworker’s Journal has been an industry leader on the Internet for many years now with our award-winning eZine and our newly revamped and mobile-responsive website. But one thing I can tell you about the web is that it is always changing, and to stay relevant you need to embrace that change and move forward with the times. With that as our motivation, I am happy to announce a new benefit just for our print magazine subscribers. Starting in January 2016, print subscribers will…

What’s This? Henry Dechief of Chilliwack, British Columbia, bought this mystery at a garage sale. Do you know what it is? Send your answer to stumpers@woodworkersjournal.com or write to “Stumpers,” Woodworker’s Journal, 4365 Willow Drive, Medina, MN 55340 for a chance to win a prize! Some thought the August mystery tool submitted by Mark Patrick of Ionia, Michigan, sparked memories, like this from Geno Beniek of Rice, Minnesota: “I recognize the gear configuration from the hours I spent as a kid turning the crank on a sausage stuffer.” Or, from Louis C. Luersen of Granbury, Texas: “My grandmother used hers to knead bread.” Some had other ideas. “I believe the item is for making rope,” said Tim Bowen of Oberlin, Kansas. Frank Puia of Ashland, Massachusetts, thought it was “an…

The Stickleys strived for function over flair in their designs, but that early 20th century sensibility makes some of their furniture seem imposing and “heavy” by today’s standards, particularly with a dark finish. So, we’re giving the conventional Arts & Crafts plant stand a bit of a facelift here. Instead of straight, wide and thicker crosspieces, gentle curves and a taller stance make our updated version appear lighter on its feet. And to me, those delicate top rails look like velvet cordons showcasing a favorite plant. While you can certainly stain this project any “Mission brown” color you like, its compact size makes this project a manageable candidate for traditional ammonia fuming. If you’ve never tried it, there’s no better way to finally know what a fumed finish looks like…

My favorite ride at an old-fashioned amusement park or carnival midway is the carousel. Riding a rollicking steed as it goes up, down and around is sure to get your blood pumping. So I decided to create a miniature wood carousel that captures some of the colorful fun of the real thing. The finished product features a segmented conical tent top, decorative crown ring, festooned columns and three horses which go up and down as the carousel rotates via a simple hand-cranked friction drive mechanism hidden inside a box-like base. There’s even a bell that dings at each rotation! The finished carousel is guaranteed to bring smiles and delight to all who see it. With that said, this presentation piece is not intended to be used by children, both due…

Michael Dresdner is a nationally known finishing expert. He shares his expertise on the DVD The Way to Woodwork: Step-by-Step to a Perfect Finish, available through the store at woodworkersjournal.com. Whether you prefer clear or colored coatings, you’ll want a finish that is safe, simple, and swift for the variety of ornaments and gifts you make in the fall. After all, the holidays always seem to creep up faster than they should, and there’s barely time to finish the project, much less apply a finish. Here are some options that should make the season’s work go more smoothly. But first, a word about safety. Safe Finishes Although most finishes contain toxic solvents while liquid, the ones I’m suggesting here are safe after they dry. That goes for food contact items…

Foam Backer Rod Keeps Holes Finish-free Often it makes sense to prefinish parts before assembly, but how do you keep wet finish out of dowel or shelf-pin holes? Here’s what I do. I cut short pieces of foam backer rod that’s sold at hardware stores for filling gaps behind caulk. Its form-filling resiliency plugs the holes nicely. Use a rod diameter slightly larger than the holes you’re covering. Apply finish, then remove the plugs before it dries. John Cusimano Lansdale, Pennsylvania Quick Shop Vac Switch If you get tired of walking back and forth between your saw or other stationary tools to turn the shop vac on and off for dust collection, try this: clamp a power strip within easy reach of the tool you’re using. Then plug your shop…

Adventures in Wood at Indianapolis Rockler Store The crowd at this year’s Adventures in Wood Contest at the Rockler Woodworking and Hardware store in Indianapolis, Indiana, was pretty typical of woodworking folks! I say this as a very good thing. Everyone was friendly, interested in what other people made and a little competitive, too. The projects ranged in style, as did the competitive categories. There were 30 participants (up from 19 from last year) competing for seven awards. The projects were divided into three categories: furniture, turning/miscellaneous and boxes. For each of those categories one could win 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place. Plus, one lucky winner was awarded Best of Show. First place winner of each category took home $200 of Rockler store credit, and Best of Show was awarded…

This little mitered jewelry box’s details will have you hustling for a long weekend, but the payoff is sweet. When you’re done, you’ll have a beautiful gift ready for wrapping up this holiday season. I made mine from some nice figured maple, and its dyed finish really makes that grain shimmer! So grab a couple boards of special wood you’ve had set aside, plus a little 1/4" and 1/8" plywood, and let’s get to work. Building the Case If you’re starting with 3/4" solid stock, crosscut a 12"-long piece that’s at least 5" wide and with particularly nice figure. Set it aside for a lid panel. Then, rip a 4-ft. length of your stock to 47⁄8" wide, and plane that down to 1/2". Square up one end, and crosscut a…

Contact Information Apollo Sprayers 888-900-4857 Calculated Industries 800-854-8075 DeWALT 800-433-9258 Dremel 800-437-3635 Milwaukee Tool 800-729-3878 Rockler 800-279-4441 RIDGID 800-474-3443 Schiffer Publishing 610-593-1777 WORX 866-354-9679 The Rockler Clamp-It® Corner Clamping Jig can hold panels upright at a precise right angle for fastening, acting as an extra set of “hands.” The Clamp-It Corner Clamping Jig (item 58918) is used in conjunction with the Rockler Clamp-It (item 29190) and can be used in sets of four. The jig holds panels up to 1" thick exactly 3/4" off the work surface so you can use scrap boards to support other corners if you’re only using one jig at a time. Soft pads on the Corner Clamping Jig prevent marring of your workpiece, while mounting holes allow you to attach the jig to your work surface.…