Innehållsförteckning för April 2019 från Woodworker's Journal

Heads up, woodturners! We have something new to share that we think you’re going to like. We partnered with the American Association of Woodturners (AAW) to launch a new email newsletter called Woodturning Monthly. You can guess what it’s about. We include woodturning in every issue of Woodworker’s Journal, but based on your feedback, it just wasn’t enough. Woodturning Monthly gives you more. It will feature articles and videos from the AAW, the foremost advocates of woodturning in the world. You can’t find a better source for woodturning. You can check out the latest issue and subscribe (it’s free!) at www.woodworkersjournal.com/woodturning-monthly.…

When Greg Lenshek of Coon Rapids, Minnesota, wrote to us asking for an identification of his mystery tool pictured in the December 2018 issue, he noted that, “So far, nobody I’ve talked to has good use for these.” Seems like Greg was talking to the wrong people. His items are, according to Rodney Pritchett of Marietta, Georgia, “a pair of bellows springs used in the bellows of old pneumatic player pianos.” Keith Byrkit of David City, Nebraska, added that, “They were also used in pump organs built in the 1800s and early 20th century.” “These are outward pressure, and they also made inward pressure with eyelets on the springs,” said Allen Velthoen of Modesto, California. Anita Stull of Beaver Dams, New York, explained that the springs “push against reed organ…

This classic outdoor chair is easy to build from any suitable 3/4" and 1 1⁄2" exterior project wood. I made mine from some beautiful mahogany sourced from Steve Wall Lumber (walllumber.com). But, what sets mine apart from countless other Adirondack chair designs is that, by loosening four knobs, you can fold it flat for transport or convenient off-season storage! When I originally designed a working prototype for this chair — a must in order to figure out the many details that make it both comfortable and articulating correctly — I had the benefit of being able to simply trace the shaped parts from the prototype onto my final workpieces. Rockler is working on a complete plan that provides cardboard templates for the shaped parts — you can pre-order it starting…

Many newer corded power tools have soft start features to eliminate “jackrabbit” starts that can jerk the tool in hand, dim the lights and even trip a breaker at start-up. But if you use power tools without the updated soft start electronics, there hasn’t been a solution to these problems. That is, until now. A new plug-and-play device called Soft Starter is designed to help tame your more “spirited” power tools at start-up. It’s a finned aluminum cylinder with a length of power cord on either end that plugs into the wall and your tool’s cord. Will Hansen, inventor of Soft Starter and founder of Raymond Innovations, feels he’s found a practical, affordable and noninvasive solution to what he calls the “obnoxious attribute” of universal motor start-ups. In layperson terms,…

As the name implies, a combination plane combines the functions of many other types of planes into one tool. They were first manufactured in the 1870s; the newest offering, the Veritas® Combination Plane from the Canadian manufacturer, is designed to address some of the shortcomings of even the most popular previous versions, including the most successful combination plane, the Stanley 45, manufactured from 1884 to 1963. The Veritas Combination Plane is designed in two parts, with a main body and a separate sliding section, which accommodates a variety of blades for cuts ranging from 1/8" grooves and dadoes to 1"-wide rabbets. When used for cutting dadoes, adjustable scoring spurs (sometimes called “nickers”) on both the main body and sliding section cut across the grain ahead of the blade to prevent…

Adirondack … Again! THE AGONY AND THE ECSTASY… As you will have already noted from the photo on the cover, we have reprised the venerable Adirondack chair once again. Please allow me to say that I know that there is no middle ground in what I’ll call the “Great Adirondack Debate” that makes up the warp and weft of the woodworking community. For many woodworkers, another version of the classic American chair, especially one with the folding ability of the model on the cover, is news that sweetens their lives. Clouds part, sunshine is plentiful, and all is well with their world. Then there are the remaining cohort of woodworkers. I can feel their ire even as I write these words. Of all the sophisticated and elegant woodworking projects that…

Woodworking can be characterized in one sense as making littler things out of big ones, and then making bigger things out of the little ones. That last part, joinery, usually involves glue or an adhesive of some sort. The ability to bond wood together is a science-based process (combining the forces of adhesion and cohesion) … but to some of us, it still seems a bit like magic. Here is a quick look at five common products used to make smaller pieces of wood into bigger ones. 1. Is white glue made from milk? Not much anymore. Today’s white glue is made from polyvinyl acetate; applying it creates a chemical process that results in a remarkably durable wood-to-wood bond (stronger than the wood fibers around the joint). Casein, a milk…

Driving the North Shore of Lake Superior provides a feast for the senses. You smell the Superior National Forest. You see epic views of the lake, cascading waterfalls, countless trees and little houses hugging the shoreline. You can taste the fresh air and fish when you stop at one of the restaurants along the way. The soothing sound of the water and the wind in the trees can bring on a calm only found in nature. And, if you’re lucky, you’ll be making this drive when the North Shore’s midsummer temperatures feel just great — as I did on my way to North House Folk School in Grand Marais, Minnesota (northhouse.org). The most perfect feeling, though, came when I had the chance to make ribbons of wood with a wooden…

If you won the lottery tomorrow, I bet you’d much rather spend some of the money on a new table saw or a set of high quality chisels instead of on a dust collector. I think that buying and using good tools is a lot more exciting than getting rid of the sawdust they produce. But investing in a dust collector and creating a good collection system not only keeps your shop cleaner, it helps keep you safer and healthier as well. Why bother using dust collection to gather the sawdust, chips and fine dust generated by practically every step of the woodworking process? There are at least four good reasons: • Sawdust is a nuisance. Shavings and chips tend to accumulate quickly and pile up everywhere. Sawdust on the…

While my wife and I happen to be currently using this piece as a changing table for our son, it’s functionally a dresser and would look awesome in any Mid-Century Modern themed room while providing lots of great storage. I made the panels for the top, bottom and sides out of solid walnut, mostly for a change of pace, since I’d recently been working with a lot of plywood. If you wanted to simplify the process, you could use plywood for your panels, or buy pre-milled lumber, but the process of milling rough lumber is one of the most satisfying parts of a project to me. You never know what is going to be hiding under the rough surface, and it’s always really satisfying seeing the boards come through the…

Check online for more content covering the articles below: Woodturning (page 28): Turning closed form bowls (video) Scroll Sawing (page 32): Downloadable plan for Rose Inspired Scroll Sawn Corner Shelf (PDF) Folding Adirondack Chair (page 34): Project build (video) Wooden Hand Plane (page 42): Forging a plane iron Weathered Wood Shelf (page 46): Finishing process for creating weathered wood look (video) Tool Tutorial (page 54): Basics of how a dust collection system works (video) Tool Preview (page 62): Video series on hand planes, for subscribers (video) A Maker’s Project (page 64): Building the Modern Dresser (video) What’s in Store (page 72): Featured tools in action (video)…

Q I am about to buy a flush-trim router bit. I was checking various websites and noticed that flush-trim bits come in several diameters. As all of them serve basically the same purpose — trimming one wood surface to match another wood or template surface — why do they come in different diameters when they do the same thing? Is there any advantage? Kanade Ulhasvia Internet A A 1/2" flush-trim bit has a 1/4" radius. A 3/8" flush-trim bit has a 3/16" radius, and a 1/4" flush-trim bit has a 1/8" radius. Forgive me for sounding pedantic here, but I’ll bet you’re beginning to see one reason why flushtrim bits come in different diameters: their varying radii can be an advantage. Sometimes you need a tight radius to trim into…

In woodworking, most cuts are functional and their results predictable. This is why even seasoned woodworkers are amazed the first time they see a small block of wood pulled apart to reveal a three-dimensional object created with the technique called compound cutting. The dimensionality is obtained by making cuts on two adjacent sides of a block of wood. It’s a subtractive process: like turning, carving, routing and fretwork, the desired effect is created by systematic, controlled stock removal. Scroll Saw or Band Saw? Compound cuts are usually made with power tools — specifically, a band saw or scroll saw. Because of their greater cutting capacity, band saws are typically used for large-scale, curvaceous items such as cabriole table legs, duck decoys or similar projects that don’t require internal cuts. Scroll…

I highly recommend that you calculate your actual airflow and static pressure needs before deciding on a particular collector unit. These calculations are well beyond the scope of this article; you can do them yourself by following the steps described in my book Woodshop Dust Control (Taunton Press; ISBN 1561584991), or you can consult an air handling specialist. Some dust collector manufacturers may also provide help in assessing your collection needs. There’s good information on dust collection at this website: billpentz.com/woodworking/cyclone/. I also address this in my video on dust collection basics.…

Rockler is now offering a second version of its Pro Lift Router Lift, this one with a larger 9 1⁄4" x 11 3⁄4" plate size, to fit router tables from Kreg®, JessEm, Woodpeckers® and Peachtree. This ProLift (item 55803) accepts router motors with 4.2" diameters, with optional adapters available to mount routers with smaller motors. Two patent-pending features make Rockler’s Pro Lift easy to use: ultra-fast “Quick-Gear” height adjustments and “Snap-Lock” tool-free insert ring changes. One insert ring is included; others are available separately. Two expansion bars beneath the plate are adjustable for leveling with the tabletop. Index marks on the fine adjustment screw enable you to raise the bit by specific increments. The larger Pro Lift (55803) is priced at $369.99. The Festool CT Cyclone (CT-VA-20) is an antistatic pre-separator…

Submit your Trivia to Woodworker’s Journal, Dept. Trivia, 4365 Willow Drive, Medina, MN 55340. Or send us an email: trivia@woodworkersjournal.com Your Trivia Test: Q Who invented modern pivoting scissors? Answer Robert Hinchliffe of Sheffield, England, around 1761. He manufactured them out of steel. Mike Grawvunder of Waupaca, Wisconsin, will receive three DVDs from the Woodworker’s Journal Way to Woodwork series for having a contribution selected for the Trivia page.…