When it comes to woodworking, it seems as if we are always in some part of the project building process. Whether just starting to develop plans and gather materials to buffing out a glowing finish and moving it to it’s place of honor, there are definitely places along the path where we find ourselves.
So, why not share with us what ‘state’ your projects are in? Right now as you sit to read this poll. If you need to, poke your head out into your shop and come back to answer… we’ll be waiting!
So, you would love to get your hands on some old-growth lumber to work with. Ya know, stuff found at the bottom of a lake from an old sawmill operation. That’s cool and all, but what about wood that predates the Roman Empire, ancient Egypt or the cave paintings found in France?
In New Zealand, huge forests of Kauri trees toppled over as water levels rose, softening the earth around the root balls. As these trees fell, they became buried in the bogs, preserving their wood for millennia. Some of the trees fell over as recently as 3,000 years ago, but the ancient ones being recovered toppled over nearly 45,000 years ago.
These trees are dug up and slabbed into some of the most amazing wood you have ever seen. This site is the front door to Ancient Kauri Kingdom, an industry leader in the harvest, processing and handling of this treasure from the past. Yes, you can work with it just like any other wood. There’s plenty of information on the site about how the logs are found, how they are processed and how you can purchase some pieces for a special project of your own.
My woodworking world was rocked when I discovered cope and stick bits for my router. Instead of trying several convoluted methods of cutting and attaching rails and stiles for cabinet doors, I was able to use two matched bits to cut everything. The pieces slid together snugly and the inside bead around the panel was something to behold.
The only problem I began to notice was that while the inside of the doors was pretty, the outside edges were just plain Jane. I noticed the same thing on the tops of the tables I built – there wasn’t much in the way of ornamentation.
“That’s a common design flaw for beginning woodworkers,” said Dan Walter of Eagle America. “It’s so important to tackle the more complex joinery, but easy to forget that there is an outside of the project that people will see as well. It’s a shame, because the additional detail can take a basic project and really make it noticeable.”
So, what’s a woodworker to do? “It’s easy to do something like put a roundover on the edge, but why not try something an little more complex?” Profiles that feature numerous coves, roundovers and steps provide much more visual interest, but do some other things for the project as well.
“They tend to make the doors and table tops a whole lot more durable. Sharp edges on woodworking projects – especially ones that take a lot of abuse like door edges and table tops, can easily be damaged by a sharp blow. By rounding them over, you create an edge that’s less likely to take a sharp knock, and any force that is applied tends to be more of a glancing impact.”
Dan also went on to describe one of the more visible aspects of woodworking – the play of light across the project. “Shadow lines on anything give the piece a more stunning impact. Think of the monuments in Washington, D.C. The fluted columns around the Lincoln Memorial are very intricate, and the way they cast shadow on the while marble casts striped shadows on what would otherwise appear as brilliant white columns. A fillet – or step – on the molded edge of a table top does the same thing, making your project stand out a whole lot more.“
Eagle America has a great deal on one of their most popular four-bit sets for creating table or door edges. “We put together these bits to give woodworkers the opportunity to create some dramatic effects at the edges of their projects. With these bits, you can choose from the simple to the complex, giving you the opportunity to pick the perfect edge to suit your project’s style.”