Category Archives: Experiences

Experiences, Shop Talk

A turn of the screw

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Wood ScrewsScrews play such a vital role in woodworking, it’s only fitting that they get some discussion.  I mean, think about all of the different uses there are for screws in your shop.  You might find that my experience alone might be typical…

I use screws to hold plywood projects together.  Sure, I could cut dovetails or other joints in the plywood, but I’d be hard pressed to find another cabinetry joint that works as well or is as easy to cut as a dado or rabbet reinforced with glue and screws.

Pocket hole joinery has made it easier to assemble cabinets and other projects without visible fasteners – if you plan and drill your holes properly.

And, the aren’t only for plywood projects.  I screwed together several solid wood projects when I first started, and used wood plugs to hide the evidence.  The result was very neat and tidy with tight joints all around.  Even masters such as Sam Maloof will use screws to reinforce the joint between the back posts of his chairs and the seat.

What about hinges?  Even the European cup hinges rely on screws to make a permanent connection to the project. Unless you build your own drawer runners out of wood, you will probably use metal ones joined with – yup- screws to the drawer and the cabinet.

Some of the things I have learned about screws over the past decade of woodworking include:

Combo Countersink Drivers* Always predrill your holes. Sure, you can muscle your screws in with your drill, but you run the chance of splitting the pieces you are driving into.  A combination drill/countersink and driver is an inexpensive way to handle the predrilling and countersinking in one step, and then driving the screw by simply flipping the tip of the tool around.  These are sold at just about every home improvement or hardware store, and I have yet to see one cost more than $10.

Screw Guide for your drill* Stop the wobble. Driving long screws with a power driver can really be frustrating.  Watching the screw gyrate during driving while holding the drill with one hand and the work with the other is entertaining for observers, but can lead to some very choice words by the woodworker.  I have found that inexpensive screw guides, which fit into your drill’s chuck and feature magnetic tips and a sleeve that helps hold the screw straight – are worth their weight in gold.

* Drywall screws are for drywall. Sure, every woodworker starts off with a box of black drywall screws to start.  And, they tend to drive in pretty well in pine projects.  If you give some premium screws a chance, you might be surprised with the difference.  I have purchased screws from McFeely’s in the past, and these babies can bring you to tears.  They never snap and drive like a dream.

Pocket Hole Screws* Watch for bridging. Screws threaded along their entire shanks (from tip to head) have a nasty habit of forcing the two workpieces apart as they are driven home.  That’s called bridging, and it can be a big issue.  Three ways to counter this include tightly clamping the pieces you are screwing together, drilling a larger countersink hole in the top board so the threads won’t bite into the  wood or using screws that aren’t threaded all the way to the head.  This is a common feature found on premium wood screws.

* Let it slide. Sometimes, especially on longer screws, the amount of friction you build in the driving process can stop the screw dead in its tracks.  A little candle wax or the goop found in a toilet wax ring (please use a fresh clean one) can lube the screws and make them drive easier.  I’ve been told to avoid soap, because soap does attract moisture from the atmosphere, potentially leading to rust issues.

Screwdrivers* Watch your material. Screws are made out of several different metals.  While steel screws are definitely the easiest to find, brass and bronze screws are also available, and these more delicate materials need extra care while driving. I have had a great deal of success with driving brass screws if I drive an identically sized steel screw into the hole first to cut the threads.  After removing the steel screw, the brass screw goes in with little hassle.

* Use the clutch. There’s a reason why your cordless drill has a clutch setting.  It senses when the torque rises to a high level and then allows the drive to slip, preventing overdriving of the screws, stripped heads and broken shanks.  Learn how to use the clutch and you’ll be a happy camper.

Are screws appropriate for every project?  Heck no.  Sometimes, there’s nothing quite like that wood-to-wood connection.  The feel of tight joinery and the pride of saying, “Hey, look what I built.”

However, it’s difficut to argue with the speed, strength and convenicence of screws in the shop.  They will always have a place.

Experiences, Projects

Stuff I’ve Built: The low Craftsman-style entertainment credenza

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December, 2004

    The low entertainment credenzaThis is the project that made me a ‘made man,’ according to some folks over at the Woodworkers’ Website Association. This was my first big commission, and it fell into my lap.  Looking back, however, I can see so many better ways I could have built it.  Different construction methods.  Different materials. Ultimately, the customer was happy, and that’s all that mattered!

    It all started when I was shopping for a desk for my oldest son, who was in first grade at the time.  My wife and I went to the nearest unfinished furniture store to look for something, and boy, was I dismayed.  Everything was made out of pine, and the joinery methods left something to be desired.  Of course, I exclaimed several times, “I could build something better than this for less money!”

    After my third pronouncement, a gentleman tapped me on the shoulder.  At first, I thought I was busted by the store staff for scaring off customers, but it was another customer who asked if I was a woodworker.  After telling him yes, he asked me to look at something for him.  He wanted a low oak credenza-style entertainment center for his big screen TV, and all the store had was a short pine unit.  “Can you build something like this?” he asked as he pulled out a drawing of a Craftsman style unit.

    Sure I could.

    Before we agreed on a price, we exchanged info and I said I would draw up a plan.  Once I e-mailed a drawing and told him of the construction details, he gave me the go ahead, and I agreed to build the piece for a $1,000 commission.  I asked for half the funds up front to buy materials, and was off to the races.

    Now, I have to confess, at this time, I had never built anything like this. There were many firsts for me.  My first glass doors.  My first inset doors.  My first big casework.

    The cabinet is built frame and stile with 1/4″ oak plywood panels.  The door on the left had shelves for storage, and the door on the right had two pull-out trays for DVD storage and the like.  The center doors had shelves for electronic components.

    I went to a local stained glass shop and had the owner inset the glass for the two doors.  It was an antique-style seedy glass, which lent some character to the piece.  The wooden grille on the front was made of half-lapped oak pieces glued together and inserted as a tight friction fit with clear silicone adhesive caulk on the back to help stick it in place.

    The top is a solid piece of 6/4 oak I sanded the heck out of.  Sure, I didn’t have to build it like that, but I didn’t know any better.

    I finished the piece with Watco dark walnut danish oil to give the darker Mission-style finish to the piece, and topcoated the top with two coats of wipe-on poly to give it more durability.  The hardware was from the Craftsman collection over at Lee Valley.

    When it was ready, I gave the gentleman a call and asked him to bring a truck and three of his biggest friends – once the piece was assembled on my bench, I wasn’t about to move it.

    The reaction when he saw it was priceless.  I opened the garage door, and he and his three buddies said, “Woah.”  They rubbed their hands over it like the monkeys did to the monolith in 2001:  A Space Odyssey.

    The owner took a shot of it with his cell phone and sent it to his wife.  Within a minute, she called back and said, “I love it!  Tell Joe to ride in the back of the truck with it and make sure NOTHING happens to it!”

    With a little grunting and groaning, the four gents were able to hoist the piece into the back of the truck, and the guy’s poor friend Joe had to ride in the bed of the truck on a chilly night with the piece until it was delivered.

    Every so often, I think back to building that piece and wonder how I managed to build it.  However, it was an experience I will never trade.  My first real commission!

    Experiences

    Woodworking to the extreme

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    It has happened again… and I couldn’t be happier!

    A cribbage board built at the Palmer Base wood shopLee Valley tools has published another one of my articles.  This time, I interviewed Frank Howell with the Raytheon Polar Services Company (and a talented hobby woodworker) who told me about the exciting woodworking taking place in Antarcica.

    Believe it or not, woodworking thrives on the desolate frozen continent.  It turns out that all three of the American Antarctic bases has a woodworking shop, and the hobby woodworkers who are stationed there have the opportunity to use the tools to keep themselves busy during their down time.

    Click here if you want to read Lee Valley’s current newsletter or subscribe to receive a copy by e-mail.

    If you would like to read some of my older published woodworking articles, visit my Woodworking Chops page.

    Experiences

    I just gotta know…

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    NORAD Tracks Santa

    For many of my formative years, I had trouble with bedtime on Christmas Eve.  I mean, the big guy with the beard and the sleigh was coming to my house.  How on Earth was I going to sleep?

    My parents would say they knew where Santa was, and that he would be at my house ‘soon’, so I had better get to bed.  But, come on, they couldn’t really know EXACTLY where Jolly Old St. Nick was at any given time.  So, they were reduced to an educated guess when they told me it was time to hit the hay.

    My kids have it so much better now.  They can turn to the North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD) for up-to-the-second satellite and radar fixes.

    Just why did this military agency directed to give maximum warning for nuclear attack start tracking Father Christmas?  Well, it all started in 1955, when a Sears store in Colorado misprinted a phone number in a holiday ad, which led to people calling NORAD’s predecessor organization the Aerospace Defense Command (CONAD).  Since then, hey, who ELSE has the technology to track Santa on his annual present delivery circuit?

    Last year, my two sons and I called the operations center at (877) HI-SANTA (try it, seriously) and we were able to speak to a technician who gave us the latest location update and Santa’s ETA for our home.  Overseas callers should call the United States at (719) 556-5211, although costs may be incurred.

    It’s not just for kids.  After all, I’m still a kid at heart, but my toys are now replaced with a wish list of tools!

    Experiences, Spotlight

    Remembering those far from home

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    Lawrence and his sonsTake a look at this guy.  Who is he?

    Well, he’s someone I know from the States who is now deployed *somewhere* in southwest Asia. His name is TSgt. Lawrence Richards  with the United States Air Force. This year, he’s not going to be home with his wife and two kids. Daddy won’t be there when his boys open their presents.

    Why bring this guy up in the first place?  Well, I know him.  No, I’ve never met him, but he’s a regular poster with me over at the Woodworker’s Website Association (WWA).  He’s a pretty darned skilled hobby woodworker and has well developed sense of humor.  All in all, a very funny guy to get to know. We’ve become fast friends – even though we’ve never met.

    When he was deployed a few months ago, he let us know over at the WWA that he was going overseas, but that he’d have the opportunity to keep up with happenings on the board. He also asked – rather hesitantly – for a few things to make life a little more comfortable for he and his buddies.  Some hooks to help keep their shower towels off the ground.  Letters and cards of encouragement.  Some decorations to bring the spirit of Christmas to their camp.

    And a block of basswood for him to practice wood carving.  Something woodworking related he can do away from his shop.

    If you think about it, this isn’t just a story about one  Airman deployed overseas.  There are hundreds of thousands of others out there – from nations outside of America, too.  There are British soldiers keeping the peace in Kosovo.  Canadians in Haiti attempting to bring relief to this impoverished nation.  Australians and New Zealanders in Timor Leste to restore order in the midst of chaos.  And there are dozens of other nations who have service men and women who have answered the call and are now thousands of miles from where they would most love to be. There are soldiers, airmen and women and Marines stationed at bases around the world.  Sailors and Coast Guardsmen and women stationed on ships at sea.

    And, in many cases, the presence of these young men and women in these countries is all that stands between a relatively peaceful existence and deprivation, chaos and fear for the local citizens.

    In their homes, there will be also that empty seat at the table and the people they love hoping and praying for a speedy and safe return.  For some of these families, this is a familiar situation due to previous deployments, and they each turn to their own way of coping.  For others, it’s the painful realization that their son, daughter, brother or sister has gown up and is now away from home for the first time – ever – in his or her life.

    And, some of them are woodworkers that you or I might know.

    This holiday season, while we’re all wrapped up in building holiday projects, finishing shopping and wondering how we are going to deal with our in-laws… take some time to think of the folks like my pal Lawrence and their families who will be missing them during this season of joy.

    For me, I was able to box up some candies and a host of old woodworking magazines that were crowding my shelves.  Maybe it wasn’t a lot.  But, if I could bring just a moment of rest from the monotony of the daily grind, the terror of the potential of attack and the longing for home and family, maybe I might have done something worthwhile.

    Here in the United States, the United Service Organization (USO) is just one organization that does tremendous work in helping our service men and women deal with the separation from home and the reunions with their loved ones.  I’m sure many other countries have similar organizations.  If you can, please remember to do something those who have answered the call of service.

    It just might mean the world to them.

    May each of you have a blessed and joyous holiday season.

    Experiences

    The Halfway Point

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    40th cakeI woke up this morning.  That’s always a good thing.  It means I have another day to enjoy on the green side of the grass and do what I do.

    Yet, I woke up this morning, and things were totally different.

    Today is my 40th birthday.  A big moment in anyone’s life.  After all, with the average life expectancy of a male in the United States pegged just shy of 80, that means that statistically half of my life is now in the book.

    Today, I look back at the accomplishments of my past 40 years, and I have to smile.  Sure, I did some pretty dumb things through the years.  Opportunities lost – or completely missed.  Bad decisions when I should have been making better ones.

    But, all in all, I am where I am by making a lot of the right decisions.  Studying hard in school.  Graduating high school – then college.  Asking my wife to marry me.  Buying our first and only home.  Deciding with my wife to become parents…

    Becoming a woodworker.  It’s amazing to think that I’ve been woodworking for a quarter of my life.  About the same amount of time I have been a parent.  I just can’t imagine life without my kids or my craft.

    The crazy thing is that I feel like I’m not over the hill – but as if I am finally arriving at adulthood.  My thirties were better than my twenties, and I feel as if my forties will be even better.  After all, now I have another decade of knowledge and wisdom that I didn’t have when I entered my thirties.  I am better at my job, I’m a better husband and father and I’m a much better woodworker.

    Now, a lot of those painful learning lessons of just getting here are over and done with. Oh, sure I have a whole bunch more to get through – after all, my sons have yet to reach the terrible teen years.

    However, I also know not to take myself so seriously.  Now, I know that I have established myself at my job and in my craft.  Now, I come armed with the knowledge and experience to accomplish what I want to in my life.

    Now, I don’t feel like it’s all downhill…

    It’s not a midlife crisis – it’s a midlife realization that yes, I did put my mind to what I wanted to do, and I was able to do it.  Besides, if I did have a midlife crisis, I wouldn’t go for the stereotypical red convertible Corvette- I’d spring for a Powermatic 66 or a Delta Unisaw…

    It almost makes me want to go out and build a new project with techniques I have never tried before…

    Thanks for reading.

    Experiences

    Things I’m thankful for…

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    Working hard in the shop* That I started woodworking ten years ago and discovered how much I really enjoy it.

    * For the room in my house where I can set up a dedicated shop.

    * A loving and very understanding wife who lets me spend hours in the shop on a sunny Saturday.

    * Two healthy and curious boys who love to come into the shop and ask, “How can I help you, Daddy?”

    * The loggers who do the tough job of cutting down trees to bring to market.

    * The sawyers who skillfully cut the boards that we work with.

    * The hardwood sellers who go out of their way to make sure I find the right wood for my upcoming project.

    * My local library and the dedicated librarians who will scour the entire state of Florida’s library holdings to find some obscure woodworking book that’s been out of print for about a dozen years.

    * The Internet with its scads of information just a mouse click away.

    * Woodworkers such as John Lucas, Marc Spagnuolo, Doug Stowe and Tom Hintz who take the time to push valuable woodworking reviews and tutorials out to the masses from their websites – for free!

    * Woodworking forums where I can post a heap of stupid questions, and the woodworkers from around the world who patiently answer each of them.

    * Innovative companies – many of which are simple mom-and-pop organizations working out of their basements or garages – that find simple, elegant answers to vexing problems.

    * Established companies such as Lee Valley, Rockler and Eagle America who value customer service above all and work hard to make sure I am a happy customer.

    * eBay where I can find old woodworking tools that have been languishing in some barn in upstate New York for a century so I can get them sharpened and put back to good use.

    * The folks at Google who developed Sketchup and still offer it for free.

    * The woodworkers from around the world who have graciously agreed to be interviewed by me for the Woodworking Spotlights.

    * Each of you for stopping by and reading my blog.

    For those who will be celebrating Thanksgiving tomorrow, have a very happy holiday with your family and friends.  For those around the world who will wake up and go about your business just like any other day, I will raise my glass of wine and toast each of you.