Wasn’t the original Star Trek show just too darned cool?

I mean, they had the tricorders that could tell them what was in the air on the planets they visited.  They had transporters to go from place to place quickly.  Dr. McCoy had that little salt-shaker looking thingamabob that he waved over patients and told him everything he needed to know about their condition.

And, the uniforms on the female crew members were something to look at.  Of course, that was 1960’s TV for you.

The one thing I thought was really interesting was how they stayed warm in cold locations.  Basically, someone would unholster their phaser, point it at a rock, squeeze the trigger and then huddle around the warm goodness until the Klingons were vanquished, Captain James T. Kirk came to grips with his split personality or some other plot issue was resolved.

Given the recent cold snap in Florida, I wish I could have just used a phaser on a rock to raise the temperature in my shop.  But, I’m afraid that technology is a few centuries away.  So, I’m stuck with what’s out there on the market to heat things up on those chilly winter days.

Yes, this is heater advice from a guy who lives in Florida.  Pay attention…

A quick word about heat.  If you remember high school science, heat is basically just a form of energy.  The transfer of heat always goes from high temperature (energy) to low temperature (the lack of energy).  That’s why you have to power a heating device to keep your shop toasty and why your air conditioner has to work so hard to move heat out of your shop during the summer. In effect it’s actually trying to warm up the outdoors by using the heat in your home or shop.

There are also three methods of heat transmission that we commonly see.  The first is conduction, which really won’t come into the discussion here unless you wear some kind of heated shop apron on chilly days.  Conduction actually moves heat through physical contact between items.  That’s why my hands were going numb when I held a cold hand plane last weekend… the heat was being conducted along its merry way.

Next, there’s convection.  Warm air is lighter in density than cold air.  That’s why hot air balloons fly.  A heater relying on convection will heat up the air, send it upward and draw in cold air from the room to fill the void.  This is a great way to evenly heat an entire room.

The final way is through radiation.  No, not the ionizing radiation you expect to see Engineer Montgomery Scott handling in the engine pods, but a little something like it.  The heat is actually directly transferred through waves through space from the heat source to your body.  This makes it great for spot heating, something like you do in a workshop you don’t want to heat entirely.

Many methods of heating employ both convection and radiation.  For example, if you light a fireplace, the fire (if you use glass doors or a fireplace insert and don’t let all the warm air rush up the chimney) will heat the air in the room through convection.  If you walk over to the fireplace and point your hands at the fire to warm them up, the heat you feel is arriving via radiation.

Now, when it comes to shop heaters, I’ve learned that there are many choices, and each does its own thing exceptionally well.

First, there are whole-shop heaters.  If you live where there’s plenty of ice and snow and you want to work during the winter, you’ll have to spring for one of these.  They are usually permanently mounted into place and have larger BTU heat outputs and a correspondingly larger fuel consumption.

Since my shop just gets chilly from time to time, I’m going to be selecting from column two – the space heaters.  These are smaller, portable units that can warm up a specific area.  The beauty about them is I can stash one up in the attic all summer long and just drag it down when I need it for the brief cool season in my shop.  They could also provide some supplemental heat for a fully heated shop to lessen the effects of a cold spot.

Next, I have to choose the method that powers the space heater.  There are ones that burn some type of fuel like kerosene, propane or natural gas.  These offer a good deal of heat for their weight and don’t rely on the power to be on to do their thing.  That makes them ideal in the event of a blackout.  The down side is that they produce a deadly gas called carbon monoxide (CO).  Let’s just say that this stuff is lethal, and it’s a great idea to buy a CO detector when you pick up your heater.  Sure, it may add to your cost, but it probably will cost significantly less than hospital bills or a funeral. Seriously.

The other option is an electric heater.  They take power off the grid to do their work, eliminating the threat of CO in the shop.  They come in several different sizes, and in three main designs.

The first ones are primarily convection heaters. They have a fan which draws cold air over a heating element, blowing the warm stuff back into the room. These give a nice, even heating to the room, but, in a larger shop without insulation – like my shop here in Florida – it may take a while feel any warmth.  Like the arrival of spring kind of while. For smaller, insulated shops, though, not a bad idea.

The next ones are primarily radiation heaters. No, they don’t need dilithium crystals, but they do use quartz or metallic heating elements and a reflector.  Just like a spotlight, if you are in the path of the beam from this heater, you’ll warm up.  These might be a great solution if you spend a lot of time in one area (your workbench) and want to direct your heat that way.

The one I am leaning toward purchasing is sort of a combination radiator/convection heater.  These models look like the good old steam radiators found in older buildings.  Instead of channeling scalding hot steam, these models are filled with an oil that is warmed by the electric heater.  The best thing about these heaters is there are no exposed heating elements. The element is immersed in the oil in the unit and the heat is conducted (Actually convected through the fluid medium) to the outer fins by the oil.  This way, there’s nothing directly exposed to sawdust in the air. I have used these way back when I lived in Maryland, and found them to give off a nice, even heat to the room while still allowing you to warm your hands – or posterior – by holding them near the unit.

Whatever method or fuel you choose to heat your home, just keep this in mind – The National Fire Protection Administration reports that heating equipment is the leading cause of home fires during the months of December, January and February, and trails only cooking as a cause for home fires year-round.  Some other sobering facts include:

• In 2006, heating equipment was involved in an estimated 64,100 reported U.S. home structure fires, with associated losses of 540 civilian deaths, 1,400 civilian injuries, and $943 million in direct property damage.
• In 2006 heating equipment fires accounted for 16% of all reported home fires (second behind cooking) and 21% of home fire deaths.
• Space heaters, whether portable or stationary, accounted for one-third (30%) of the home heating fires and three-fourths (73%) of home heating fire deaths in 2006.
• In 2003-2006, the leading factor contributing to home heating fires (28%) and deaths (46%) was heating equipment too close to things that can burn, such as upholstered furniture, clothing, mattresses or bedding. These statistics exclude fires that were confined to a chimney, flue, fuel burner or boiler.

Some safety tips from the NFPA are:

• Maintain a 3 feet (or 1 meter) separation between things that can burn and heating equipment.
• When buying a new space heater, make sure it carries the mark of an independent testing laboratory.
• Plug your electric-powered space heater into an outlet with sufficient capacity and never into an extension cord.
• Use the proper grade of the proper fuel for your liquid-fueled space heater, and never use gasoline in any heater not approved for gasoline use. Refuel only in a well-ventilated area and when the equipment is cool.

Oh, and if you do want to heat that rock with your phaser, be sure no one is standing in the line of fire.

I’ll have to set my new heater to ’stun’ once I turn it on…

One of the most popular ‘family’ of shows on TV is the CSI franchise.  For some reason, people love to watch police crime scene investigators show up at some location, sift through the evidence and arrive at a conclusion of what happened.

There is no doubt in my mind that if they came to my house and investigated my choice of hand saws over the years, they would wonder what I was up to.  It’s a baffling collection of tools, but – I fear – it’s how many woodworkers have evolved their collection over years.

Let’s check the evidence we have on hand, shall we?

Here are the ‘fine cutting’ hand saws I have, in order of when I purchased them, with a brief analysis  about them.  Those with weak constitutions may want to turn away.

My uber cheap plastic Big Box back saw.  I would ask for a Mulligan on this one, except for the fact that the $12 I spent on it 13 years ago makes it not worth the effort.  This ’saw’ came with a plastic miter box that cut ‘45 degree’ angles and ’square’ cuts on the end of boards.  I did use it for several years, but soon discovered that no, this was just not going to work.  I keep it with my fine cutting saws, but I’m not sure why.

My plastic big box ryoba.  This saw proved to be a step in the right direction, showing that at least my mind was moving up from where I had started.  Rip saw on one side and crosscut on the other, the blade is not supported by a back spine.  This means that technique is essential in order to get an accurate cut.  The only problem is that I’m really not set up in a traditional Japanese style shop where the proper technique is easy to learn and apply.  It gives me better cuts, and I will use it to roughly crosscut boards.  Interestingly enough, I had a saw similar to this one before I bought my table saw, and I used to do most of my rip cuts with it.  Fascinating….

The folding dozuki.  This saw is considerably better than the big box ones I have purchased over the years.  I bought it from Lee Valley tools and it does cut rapidly and accurately.  The steel spine runs along 3/4 of the back of the blade, giving me straighter cuts.  It’s not quite dovetail cutting quality, but I have cut some tenon cheeks and shoulders with it.  All in all, a great saw to put in the tool box, but not for precise joinery.

My ‘professional’ dozuki.  After wasting a ton of money on some older, nasty fine cutting hand saws, I finally wised up and dropped some ’serious’ money ($75) on a high-quality dozuki.  Everyone I had asked about the saw raved about its accuracy and ability to make fine cuts.  And, this one FINALLY got me into the category of real fine cutting saws.  It cuts beautifully, but the problem I have is that with the ’stick’ handle, I must not be gripping the saw the same way for every cut.  The blade will often wander, and I’m left shaking my head in frustration.  Practice does make perfect, and I really do need a ton more.

My Veritas dovetail saw.  Now, we’re talking.  I picked this baby up earlier this year, and wow.  It’s a western-style push saw AND it has a handle that pretty much guarantees I’ll be gripping it the right way every time.  I love the cuts it makes and the accuracy.  The only knock on it is that the blade depth is just too small for all of the cuts I want to make with it.  I’m hoping the folks at Veritas will make a larger tenon saw in this pattern for folks who need a little more depth of cut.

What does the future hold?  Well, I do like these saws, and I wouldn’t mind getting my hands on a premium tenon saw.  Right now, however, these guys are the ones I turn to in order to get the job done right.

Case closed.

Not all wood projects need to be square and flat.  In fact, curving edges and surfaces of a project adds drama, movement and a certain artistic flair that helps bring a project from ho-hum to WOW!

While many woodworkers may think first of routers and band saws when they consider adding curves to their projects, but unless you are very careful and use jigs or other hold down devices, your project can go from whoa to D’oh! in the blink of an eye.

That’s why when I need to add delicate curves to a project, I will reach for some pretty scary looking tools.  Meet the shaping team.

From left to right, I have:

A Shinto rasp.  This is one of the newest tools to my collection, and I am growing to love it more every time I use it.  Basically, it is a series of what appears to be hacksaw blades bolted together to form a boat-like shape.  It has a coarse side and a fine side, and a comfortable handle that allows for a firm two-handed grip on the tool.  This sucker can remove waste wood like nobody’s business, yet allow for extremely fine passes and great control.  I like that I can also shape up to the edge of a leg or other obstacle on a  project because the sides of the tool are smooth.

A Microplane interchangeable rasp kit.  Now, we are talking.  This baby gets the most work in my shop.  Basically a plastic frame with three different interchangeable inserts, the Microplane tools shave the wood rather than tear it.  I can get a very heavy cut with firm pressure, yet get an exceptionally smooth cut with much more care.  The interchangeable inserts allow me to work on  a variety of different shapes with ease.

My rasps and files come next.  From left to right, I have a second cut cabinet rasp, a Nicholson rasp/file combo with an integral handle, a flat bastard cut file that is primarily for metal work, but can also do very fine work on wood and a round rat tail file.  Great for working on tight radii.  Of course, I also need my file card, the brush like device all the way to the right, to get the sawdust out of the teeth of these tools as I work.  I find I have incredible control with these tools, but they can be a little rough when shaping across the grain.  That’s why I find myself using the Microplane tools more.

At the top is my draw knife.  A pain in the butt to sharpen (I’m getting better at it) but a real joy to use.  The draw knife can take off mighty chunks of wood in certain circumstances, yet, when wielded with care and finesse can take off shavings as thin as you can with a smoothing plane.  Right now, I hold the work I’m working on in my bench vise when using this tool, but one day I will have to build a shave horse – or at least a little shave pony – for my shop to use this tool to its fullest potential.

To give you an idea of what can be done with these tools, here is a pagoda style box with a gently sculpted lid.  While the original plans to built the lid involved a delicate balancing act on a band saw and drum sander, I found the task easy and immensely rewarding with just a rasp and a little bit of layout work.  The process is an enjoyable, quiet and much safer way to spend an hour or so.

What kind of care do these tools need?  They are pretty rugged, but will serve you a whole lot longer if you store them so they won’t bump up against each other.  Of course, I am always looking to upgrade my collection with some premium rasps and maybe a few exotic tools, but I have this feeling I have yet to truly tap the potential of the tools I already have in my collection.

But, hey, who wouldn’t like new tools?

I have this friend on the Woodworker’s Website Association named Jim.  He’s a now-retired grizzled veteran of the competitive northeast construction and cabinet trades.  He’s seen it all, heard it all, tried it all and shoots straight from the hip. Ask a question, you get an honest answer with Jim. He’s that kinda guy.

But, that’s not who this article is about.  It’s actually about something he dropped off for me this past March when he was down for a visit.

Now that Jim is retired, he has time on his hands to travel and to tinker.  Before his trip this spring, he called me and asked if I was interested in looking at something he had built.  One Saturday morning, I drove to the travel trailer park Jim was staying at, and after our greetings and some shop talk, he showed me something that looked like Rube Goldberg himself had created. Old plumbing fittings, waferboard, 2 x 4’s and weatherstripping had been cobbled together.  It looked as if it had been picked over in a rubble heap.  MacGyver would be proud of this…

While it did look nasty at first, it may prove to be something that will change how I work in my shop.

Jim had created a modified cyclonic dust collector. He started with the plans drafted by Phil Thien.  Phil’s plans show how to create an inexpensive dust collector which fits onto the top of a metal garbage can.  A shop vac and an intake hose to suck up the dust is everything needed to create your own dust collection system.

Jim’s improvements include extending the cyclone separator in a compartment above the trash can, which Jim says improves the airflow by removing any potential debris interference.

Since it was nearing the start of hurricane season, I had left the collector in the corner of my shop to – err – collect dust.  Finally, this past weekend, I was able to run to Home Depot and pick up an old-fashioned metal trash can to affix the collector to.

Jim had routed a groove to fit over the rim of the can and had sealed the bottom of it to get an airtight fit.  I hooked it up as described, and I was initially thoroughly unimpressed.  The collector didn’t seem to generate enough suction to lift even the finest of dust.  I fiddled with the collector for a while, and then I discovered my problem.  I hadn’t fit the lid deep enough into the groove.

A quick shove down on the offending side,  I got that sealed up and WOW…

The suction generated by my standard issue shop vac was impressive. Planer shavings, sawdust, small animals – what couldn’t this thing pick up?  Jim had also warned me that if I drew a vacuum by sealing off the intake hose, the trash can could collapse due to the air pressure.  Well… sure enough, the silly thing’s sides did buckle when I put my hand over the intake hose!  I’ll also have to follow his advice and cut a brace for the inside of the can to give it extra support.

To put this unit to the test, I set up a field experiment.  I had been planing strips of ash and walnut for a project, and I had a good pile of shavings there ready to be cleaned up.  The shop was a mess.

I took my shop vac outside and emptied it.  I banged out the filter – the works.  It was as squeaky clean as I dared make it.  I stacked the empty shop vac on top of the unit and hooked up the hoses.  That’s when I went to work, sucking up everything.

The suction worked as I had expected it to for a dust collector.  There was a large rush of air headed into the hose, and everything was sucked through into the can.  I love clear hoses on my collector…

After working the hose for a while, cleaning up the mess of a long day in the shop, I stopped the shop vac and took a peek inside.  There was some fine dust in the vacuum’s tank, but that was it.  None of the larger shavings made it to the vacuum.

A peek into the trash can showed me why… there’s where I found all of the planer shavings, silently resting in the can.  A quick trip outside, and the can was clean once again.

The collector was extremely effective.  I have a 1 hp 500 cfm Delta model in my shop, and I rarely use it.  The system gets clogged up frequently and it doesn’t have the ‘oomph’ to get the planer shavings.  Then, there are the bag changings… something I never look forward to.  That metal ‘belt’ I have to snap in place rarely goes on the first – or second – try.

This system exceeded all my expectations. In fact, I will be looking into getting a dedicated shop vac to mount on top of the collector on a semi-permanent basis.

Hey, Jim, I gotta hand it to you.  You are one tough sucker after all!

P.S. – If you are interested in seeing Jim’s plans, I can forward the messages to him

There’s nothing quite like stumbling upon a great old hand plane at a flea market, a garage sale or online.  What’s even better is if that plane can fill a void in your collection.

And, that’s just what I recently found.  While cruising the collectible woodworker’s tools category on eBay, I came across this great little scrub plane.

The description was exactly what I had been seeking to add to my collection:

Fresh from a recent barn sale here on Cape Cod a Stanley scrub #40 plane complete with an about full Sweetheart blade. Good wood no cracks or repairs just minor wear from use. Being sold as pictured & found uncleaned, please note there are a few minor rubs in iron bottom sole that could be buffed out if desired by new owner, not bad & clearly shown but needed to mention.

I put in a bid, and the seller accepted it.  As I always do after buying something on eBay, I restlessly waited for the plane to arrive in my shop, counting the minutes until the UPS delivery guy showed up.

I really do need a hobby…

Wow.  It was in great shape – exactly as described.  What surprised me most once I had removed it from the box was the outstanding condition it was in.  There was some minor rust down on the cap iron, but nothing a little buffing with steel wool couldn’t remove.  The handles were in superb condition, and besides a wipe with some paint thinner to remove the dust, the plane was ready to roll.

It took the iron out and inspected it closely.  Indeed, this was a 1930’s era Stanley Sweetheart plane with its distinctive mark. I was stunned to see the shape of the working end – it was definitely rounded.  This is, of course, to help hogging off the wood in the roughing phase a whole lot easier.

The Japanning on the plane body is in outstanding shape, and the sole was very flat.  Again, for a hard working plane such as a scrub, this one is in outstanding shape.

Once I had touched up the blade a bit (it still needs a more advanced sharpening) I was very surprised by how light and small the plane was.  I had been hogging off waste from boards with a No. 5 jack plane, and this thing was nothing like the jack.  Small, easy to grip, manuverable.

Then it dawned on me – what a clever idea to make it lighter… I was wearing out my shoulders and back hogging off the waste with a much heavier plane.  The scrub  would make quick work of the high spots without wearing me out.  And, in a day when EVERYTHING was hand planed, well, lighter was better!

The cut on the scrub plane is definintely something you have to get used to.  You are certainly not making whisper thin shavings.  This is a rough tool for roughly surfacing a board, and does it ever leave a rough surface.  I ran the scrub over this piece of birch to give you an idea of what the cut looks like.

Of course, you will need to use the heavier follow on planes to perfect the surface.  But, with all of the grunt work done with the scrub plane, that smoothing process will be a lot faster – and a lot more pleasant.

Hand planing has been a zen-type experience for me in the workshop.  Sure, I could have plunked down some dough to buy a powered jointer, but I do enjoy using a sharp jack, smooth or jointer plane to get a board into shape.

The rhythm… the sound… the whole experience takes my mind to a new place, making me appreciate my shop time that much more.

The only problem I was running into was that I was spending quite a bit of time securing boards to the bench top.  I would clamp the  board between a bench dog and a Wunder Pup or a pair of wedges, plane, then have to reposition the piece.  Surely there is an easier way to do this?

Turns out I had the answer back in my shop.  When I was planning for my bench, I had bought two of these planing stops from Lee Valley.  They were cheap, and I had planned on installing them when I completed my bench this past January.

Well, I never got to installing them.  They just sat in a bag on my side workbench, collecting dust.

Finally, this weekend I was starting to do some planing and thought, “Why not just go ahead and do it?” It was settled, I was moving ahead with it…

As I got started, I discovered that a 1 1/2″ chisel was the perfect width to mortise the stop into the benchtop.  I carefully scribed the outline of the stop top and began chiseling out the cavity.  Once I got the face place fully recessed, I marked the other contours of the stop and chiseled and drilled them to the right depth. Finally, the stop secured to the bench with two screws for extra support.

Believe me, it took some guts to take a chisel to the wooden sides of my bench…

The stop is easy to use and works very effectively.  Turning the dial allows the toothed spring loaded top to pivot up, giving solid support to the board being planed.  With a few minute’s practice, I was able to effectively and quickly plane a thick walnut plank smooth on the face side.  It was easy to reposition the board against the stop as necessary to keep the stop in line with the force of the plane.

The new stop did show I had to improve my technique a little.  For instance, I discovered that I tend to drag the plane backward as I do my return stroke. A minor hitch in my technique which was easily overcome.

Was this a good addition to my bench?  You had better believe it!  This will help make my planing faster and more effective… guiding me further down the path of woodworking enlightenment…

I like to post on a few woodworking forums.  They are great places to connect with woodworkers from across the world.  You can ask questions, share your successes and get a few words of encouragement when things go wrong.

Oh, yes, things can go very wrong…

Beyond the terrifying tales of accidents and woeful recollections of projects gone bad, there are always a tremendous number of questions about tools.

Which are the best to buy?  Can I use this tool to complete that task?

And, quite frequently, there are questions about machine set ups and calibration.

Let me start of by saying that questions like these are very valuable.  Woodworkers with years of experience can weigh in with sage words of advice, pitfalls to avoid and shortcuts that can help ensure accuracy.

Unfortunately, what many of the original posters don’t realize is that they have the answers to many of their questions right at their fingertips – their owner manuals.

You remember what those are, right?  The usually black and white booklets proudling featuring a photo of the tool you are working with.  Believe it or not, those babies are a gold mine of information – if you know how to use them.

First of all, all manuals have valuable safety information printed in them.  Yes, do take the time to read through it at least once.  There may be some safety features on the tool you are using that aren’t intuitive and may require special care during set up.

Speaking of set up, the manuals also have step-by-step instructions on how to assemble the tool.  Again, it seems to be a no-brainer, but the instructions also give you important tips on when and how much to tighten screws and bolts.  Overtightening a table saw’s trunnion bolts can crack the cast iron casting… leaving you in the lurch.

Need help dialing in the accuracy?  Owner’s manuals give step-by-step instructions on how to tune your tool.  This way, you don’t have to rely on someone to give you the instructions on – say -  tuning your Jet table saw if he or she owns a Grizzly.

Finally, once you get the tool set up, that’s a great time to sit  down and review the manual one more time.  Believe it  or not, many manufacturers offer tips and tricks on how to make your tool more useful.  The  manual for my Ridgid table saw offers plans for cutting push sticks, feather boards and other useful shop jigs.

If you are the more organized type, it’s a great idea to staple the receipt for the tool and record the tool’s serial number in the manual, and tuck it away someplace safe yet accessible.  This way, you can get to it for warranty work and as evidence for the insurance company should something happen to your shop.

And, yes, I do break out my tool manuals to review them from time to time.  I’ve discovered that in the back of many manuals there is a troubleshooting section with frequently seen problems and ways to correct them.

This is great if you have a brand new tool, or you bought a used tool from someone who kept good records.  But, what if your tool is older, or the previous owner chucked the manual?

You are in luck!  Most manufacturers have their manuals online where you can download them.  To find the manuals for older tools, check  out the Old Woodworking Machines website.  Many of the manuals from older tools have been scanned and uploaded to this site for your review and can provide valuable assistance in restoring and tuning a classic tool.

Will reading the owers manuals for your tools make you a better woodworker?  Nah, only practice can do that.  However, for safer and more accurate tools, it’s hard to beat the manuals as a starting place.