All posts by Tom

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Safety

The distraction factor

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It’s good to be popular.

I mean, who doesn’t love being invited to parties, being picked for the adult kickball league or wowing the crowd at karaoke?

The best kind of popularity is when your family loves you. My wife and sons love to have me around. No matter how overworked or grumpy I get, they always welcome me home with big hugs and invitations to play video games, watch a TV show or take on all comers in a tough game of Monopoly.

CAUTION!The fact that I practice my hobby at home means I can put a project down, take a few hours to have some fun and then return when I get the inspiration. I know I couldn’t do that if I was out on the water fishing or on the links playing golf.

Unfortunately, some of the attention can get dangerous. Specifically when it comes to all of that attention when the power tools are running. I’ve had one of my sons walk up behind me and hug my legs while ripping on the table saw. My wife came out to talk about dinner plans while I was working with the bandsaw. And, one of my son’s friends came out to the shop to ask if he could go home while I was shaping a piece on the router table.

At first, I was upset after each of these incidents. One split second of distraction could mean the loss of a finger or a some other gruesome injury. I started lecturing each offender, spelling out in gory detail just how badly I could be hurt.

Tom at the saw - Do not disturb!After sitting and thinking for a while about this danger, I decided that my method of addressing the problem was all wrong. I found myself waiting for something bad to happen before I addressed the issue. I can always control my actions in the shop, but I had to find a way to address the issues that are out of my hands.

That day, I started involving my family in the discussion about shop safety. After letting my family know about the potential danger, everyone understood why I am so concerned about this.

And then, something unexpected started to happen. My two sons started offering up suggestions on how I could stay safer in the shop. While some of their ideas were a little more fantasy (“Why not use bullet proof gloves?”), others were pretty sound ideas:

  • “Put up a sign on the door warning us not to bother you when the tools are running.”
  • “We could talk to our friends and let them know what the rules are.”
  • “Maybe you could put a latch on the door from the shop side and lock it when you are working with the tools.”
  • “We could put a flashing light or a doorbell that we could turn on if we need to tell you something.”

I was very pleasantly surprised by these suggestions, and I plan on putting a few into action very soon. When I asked my oldest son why he was being so prolific with the ideas, he told me, “I don’t want to see you hurt, dad. Who would play chess with me?”

Like I said, it’s good to be popular.

Link of the week

Link of the week

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Understanding Wood Glue

Glue, Glue and more glueYellow glue.  White glue.  Hide glue.  There are so many different choices out there when it comes time to stick two boards together.  What are the strengths and weaknesses of each type?

Popular Mechanics gives an excellent primer on each of the more common types of glue that are typically found in woodworking shops.

This article goes into more than just a laundry list of glues to choose from.  Since proper technique is as important as glue choice, there are some tips on how to properly apply these adhesives to get the best results.

Although most of this information can be redundant, STICK with it, and you might learn a thing or two!

Experiences

Woodworking saves lives?

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Just where the heck have I been?

For months, I’ve been writing like crazy, putting post after woodworking post on this site. But, recently, things have slowed down. Is it because I don’t want to punish you anymore with my warped sense of humor or lousy writing?

Nah, I’m not that nice.

HurricanesActually, it has to do with my day – and more and more and more frequently night – job. I am a hurricane preparedness specialist with Pinellas County government here on the west coast of Florida. Hurricane season has begun for the tropical Atlantic basin, and we’re in harm’s way.

So, for the past few months, I’ve been out talking to homeowner groups, businesses, schools, city meetings and anyone else who will listen about the importance of being prepared. Some folks get it, planning to evacuate from vulnerable areas and shuttering their windows. Other people aren’t convinced there is at threat.

Now, that’s scary.

What does this have to do with woodworking? Well, maybe it’s not fine furniture, but it’s woodworking nonetheless. A few years ago, I was out speaking to a group of homeowners, and someone said, “You tell us to put up this plywood, but we don’t know how to begin.”

Cutting plywoodThe idea struck me. Since I hadn’t shuttered my windows, it was time that I started to practice what I preached. I quickly scratched out a plan to cover my windows with plywood and show all the steps – from selecting the materials to cutting to fastening them to protect my windows.

Later that week, we were on our way to the local Home Depot to begin shooting. Stupid me couldn’t have had this idea earlier in the year, when it wasn’t so blazing hot during June afternoons in Florida. Sweat stained and all, I demonstrated the necessary steps to show people how to get ready. And, yes, you get to see some of my tools in my shop!

How successful was it? Well, today, whenever I am out shopping or at a restaurant, someone always calls me out as the Plywood Guy. I have also had dozens of offers from homeowners to come to their homes to shutter their windows. Hey, I’m a full service guy, but that’s a little too much for me!

If you want to watch this video – or any of the other hurricane safety videos I star in – visit our county’s hurricane video page.

And, if you live anywhere near the coast, it doesn’t hurt to take the advice I give to our residents – you have got to have a plan when it comes to hurricanes. You can review our county’s hurricane guide as a .PDF here.

Remember, the Atlantic Hurricane Season runs from June 1 through November 30.

That’s why I’m always so happy to see the first week of December.

Link of the week

Link of the week

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The Five Cut Method

Table Saw cuttingSo, you want to make sure your table saw is accurately set, but not sure how to test it? Here’s a method that will give you a great way to check just how squarely you have set your rip fence to the blade.

Basically, this method relies on producing a cumulative error on the cuts that magnifies just how far off the fence is. This makes it considerably easier to measure how much you have to adjust the rip fence in order to bring the alignment into square to give you more accurate cuts.

Once you use this method, you’ll find it to be pretty clever, and you’ll use it frequently to make sure your saw has held its setting.

Reviews

Book Review: Cabinet Doors and Drawers

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Danny Proulx's Cabinet Doors and DrawersSo, you are building a set of cabinets or a piece of furniture and it needs doors and drawers. However, you haven’t ever built any. You could go out and buy what you need, but if you want to use some special wood or build a fancy design, you might be out of luck. Where should you look for some easy to follow plans and valuable techniques to get you started?

Danny Proulx’s book – Cabinet Doors and Drawers – is a perfect starting place.

Say you want to build some doors. This well-written guide goes into great detail about design and construction of a multitude of door designs. Simple slabs, mitered rail, groove and stub tenon or cope and stick, Danny shows the steps in great detail with step-by-step pictures.

But, it’s more than just how the doors are built. Danny shares some simple jigs that can make building the doors a snap. You will also find methods that describe how to cut arched and cathedral rails to add more interest to your project.

If you want to build raised panels for your doors, there are several options available to you. Danny covers the basics about using panel-raising router bits, and offers another technique for using a table saw to achieve the look you want.

And, when it comes to drawers, the section is quite comprehensive. Screwed butt joints, biscuits, box joints, hand-cut dovetails, pocket screws, locking rabbet joints… Danny covers the bases from the most basic to the most highly skilled. Tips on how to properly size drawers for a cabinet, what materials to use and how to attach drawer fronts and bottoms round out a very thorough chapter.

Since there is so much work with the router, Danny offers plans on how to build an effective router fence to make your work safer and easier.

Unlike his other books, you won’t find project plans in this one, but you will reach for it more often than you think as you put your projects together.