What hasn’t been revolutionized since the creation of the Internet?  Need a recipe?  Go out and search for it.  Wanna buy a new car?  Search for the best deal.  Is your love life in the toilet?  There are sites that can connect you with your future spouse.

One area that has really benefited from the Internet is purchasing lumber. Now, no matter where you call home, finding exotic lumber or common hardwoods from anywhere across the country is just a mouse click away.

I recently had an opportunity to interview Eric Poirier of Bell Forest Products, who shared some interesting observations about how the Internet has affected the company’s business.   “We are located in the city of Ishpeming, Michigan with a population of only 6000-7000 people, so, as you can imagine, we are very grateful for the Internet.  The business was formed by Dennis Bell and his son Boone, who are both woodworkers.  Dennis was tired of not having a local hardwood supplier, so he decided to do something about it.  In 2002 he purchased a portable Woodmizer sawmill and built a dry kiln on his property.  He and Boone began purchasing Birdseye/Curly maple logs from local loggers and producing lumber.”

From those humble beginnings, Bell Forest Products has grown to a 37,000 square foot warehouse and full production sawmill.  While the majority of the wood they sell is locally grown bird’s eye and tiger maple boards, they have branched out to carry a tremendous variety of exotics.  At any one time, they have about 50-60,000 board feet in inventory.   They buy logs and saw them at the mill then closely supervise the kiln drying of the stock to ensure the highest quality possible.

And, it’s not just project boards that Bell deals in.  The site has offered turning stock for years, and recently started offering blanks for pool cue builders.

While all of this sounds impressive, convincing woodworkers that they can trust the online wood buying experience was one of the most difficult issues that Bell Forest Products had to overcome.  “Oh, buying wood online can be a huge leap for some woodworkers.  A drawback to buying wood online is that they can’t fulfill that desire to pick up a piece of wood, to smell it, drool on it, taste it… you know.  Some folks just need that close connection with the wood before they decide to buy it.”

While Bell Forest Products – or any other online hardwood merchant – can’t let you taste the wood before you buy, there are certain things you do get instead.  First, Bell Forest Products has a neat feature where you can actually look – board by board – at the stock if you need a particular piece to make your next project shine.  “By finding the choice high-quality boards, we can make selecting the wood a much more pleasant process than digging through piles at some lumberyard.”

Another thing that Bell Forest Products prides itself on is how carefully the boards are packaged before shipping.  “We wrap each piece in cardboard to offer the best protection possible during shipping.  And, since hardwood is pretty hard stuff, and we have protected it very well, there’s a good chance that the board will damage OTHER items in the tractor trailer before it would even see a ding or a scratch.”

One other concern that shoppers might have is the cost of shipping. With the cost of diesel fuel, shipping has become a concern.  “First of all, we don’t charge a handling fee – we just add the shipping cost we are quoted to the order.  We recently added a shipping cost estimator to the site so shoppers can see what shipping will probably cost before even placing the order.  And, finally, we are always offering specials in our electronic newsletter that will certainly help defray the shipping costs.”

Having ordered two tiger maple boards from them recently, the quality of the woods Bell sells is very high.  Both pieces were wrapped securely and were better than advertised.  Those boards will make some interesting boxes when I get around to building with them.

While you might believe that running an online business might feel cold and distant, Eric was very excited when it came to describing his favorite part of working there.  “I really enjoy finding that perfect piece of wood for a customer.  When someone calls or emails and tells me they have this special project – I can ask them a few questions and usually find the perfect board.”  While helping the customer is fun, Eric added, “it is even more gratifying to get a photograph of the final project!”

For all you children of the 1990′s – STOP!  It’s hammer time!

Hammer veneering is actually not all that tough.  This was my first time trying it, and I was pretty impressed with the results.  In fact, for an initial investment in a veneer hammer and some hide glue, I feel I am well on your way to making some pretty sweet veneer layups!

Here’s what I needed to start – A veneer hammer, hide glue and a way to mix it up, some veneer, substrate (which can be MDF, particle board, plywood or the like) and veneer softener.

I picked up my veneer and some Super Soft 2 veneer softener from Joe Gorleski over at Veneer Supplies.  The veneer is some flat sapele pomelle… some cool stuff. Since the veneer is already flat, it’s easy to just spray on the Super Soft, let the surface dry and stack the sheets overnight between some brown building paper under a piece of Corian as a platen.

Meanwhile, I whipped up a batch of hide glue, letting the granules soak in water overnight and later heating them in a hot pot to 145 degrees F.

When I was ready to start the process, I brushed off the piece of 1/4″ plywood to get any dust off of it, and slathered a liberal amount of hide glue on the piece, making sure I got a nice, even coverage on the substrate’s surface. You shouldn’t have to race from here, but hide glue’s legendary quick setting time means now is not the time to make a sandwich, call your bookie or ‘answer the call of nature.’

I retrieved the sheet of veneer and simply laid it down on top of the glued surface.  I tried to keep it roughly centered, but I knew I could still shift it around.

Now comes the fun part – I took the hammer and used the broad ‘blade’ end like a squeegee (Don’t beat on the piece with the ‘hammer’ – that’s not what it’s used for!), pressing the veneer down to the surface.

Sure, there were gushes of glue coming from under the veneer.   Seemed normal. I got some glue on the surface of the veneer.  Not only did it seem normal, but the glue helped the hammer’s blade glide over the surface.  The piece did slide initially.  Again, it seemed totally normal. After a while, I could start to feel the veneer ‘grabbing’ the substrate.

I kept working from the middle to the outside.  Remember, I was pushing air bubbles and extra glue out from under the veneer so the bond would become even stronger.

Here’s a hint – push gently when going across the grain of the veneer.  The piece may split of you push too aggressively.  I saved the final firm pushes for along the grain.

When I was done, I had a gloppy mess and a veneer that had a few ‘bubbles’ under the surface.  Seemed normal to me.  What I did was get a wet cloth and started mopping up the mess, rinsing frequently.  Then, I started wiping off the veneer surface, getting the majority of the glue off.  Sure, it looked like I was making a mess, but that wiping will help make finishing easier and it made the veneer just a little more supple so it wouldn’t split the drying process.

After I cleaned up, I repeated the process and veneered the other side (the piece is going to be a lid and a bottom for a box I’m making – I wanted both sides covered).

After the last clean up, I wrapped the piece in more brown building paper and put it under the platen until it dried.

In the morning, I had a perfectly veneered piece of plywood, ready to be gently sanded, cut to size and put into the project.

Did I make mistakes?  Heck yeah.  I still have a lot to learn.  For a first attempt, it was faster than I expected and the results were pretty cool.  No doubt I’ll have to improve my technique, but I’m liking this new skill a lot.

And, I didn’t have to wear those throwback baggy pants…

By watching paper-thin curls of wood coming out of a plane… OK, I am.  This video is a 2005 Nishiyama Ookananna planing demo that shows just how perfect the curls of wood can be coming out of a Japanese plane…

It’s just poetry in motion…  Something I hope to aspire to accomplish sometime in my woodworking career.

The coolest job in any restaurant belongs to the bartender.  Sure, the chef gets the credit for the outstanding meal, the maître d’ for the ambiance of the place and the wait staff for the overall dining experience.

But, when people want to have fun and strike up a conversation, they turn to the bartender.  Think Isaac on the Love Boat.  Tom Cruise in that stinkin’ movie about being a bartender.

“Yes, Mr. Bond would like his martini shaken, not stirred,  Mr. Sinatra wants a highball, and Evel Knievel wants two fingers of Wild Turkey before he tries to jump the fountain in the parking lot on his Harley.”

While no one may be hanging out in your wood shop, you can be just as cool by mixing your own wiping finish.  Why mix your own?  Instead of just relying on what a manufacturer thinks is the best mix, you can adjust your formula to fit your own needs – faster drying time, more film build, etc.  Also, if you have cans and bottles of the components, you can use them in your finish instead of throwing them out.

Mixing your own finish is very easy.  There are dozens of formulas out there to suit individual needs, but this is my formula I have used very successfully through the years.

The ingredients can be found in any hardware store and start with boiled linseed oil (BLO).  This natural oil helps the figure in wood ‘pop’ and gives it a rich, deep finish.  The next ingredient is polyurethane or some other type of varnish. It offers a great deal of protection from water, abrasion and other hazards.  Finally, you have to add a thinner to the mix.  I like turpentine, but paint thinner or naptha will work as well.  It makes the finish flow nicely and level without brush marks and runs.

Now, here comes the hard part – mixing it together.  The ‘standard’ mix that a lot of people refer to is 1/3 varnish, 1/3 BLO, 1/3 thinner.  While this does make a nice mix, I have found that I can mix it 1/2 varnish, 1/4 BLO and 1/4 thinner.  It gives me a little faster build on the finish while still making for an easy wipe on.

My scientific method for mixing involves an old pickle jar.  I measured up from the bottom in one inch increments, and poured the ingredients up to the lines.  No, you are not trying to send people to the Moon or split the atom, close enough will work…

After sanding the piece, I again prefer to wipe on a coat of 1# cut dewaxed shellac and sand it down to 400 grit after letting it cure.  Then, I wipe on the finish with a rag.  Don’t be bashful, the wood will soak up a lot of the finish – especially in end grain.   Let it sit for about five minutes, then wipe off any excess with a dry cloth.

I love how easy the mix is to use, and I have yet to be let down.

Now, after all that hard work, I think I’ll take one of those fancy martinis to celebrate.

Wood Magazine’s editor Jeff Mertz is back with an interesting step-by-step procedure to put a razor sharp edge on his chisels. Sit back, relax and see how you can turn your chisels from paint scrapers to precision tools that are a pleasure to use.

Well, it might be hard for me to hide my excitement…

I was published!

Lee Valley Tools has published an article I wrote about two easy ways to draw arcs on projects. Rather than rely on a bent piece of masonite or some other contraption, simple shop algebra or geometry (OK, stop laughing!) can ensure your arc will perfectly fit what you have in mind for your project.

You can click here to read the entire article and maybe learn a thing or two!

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.

I was working in my shop this past weekend using this mortising base kit I picked up at Eagle America to make centered mortises in a project I’m working on. It’s fitted out with two roller bearings that ride along the side of the piece allowing a gliding action over the surface of the wood.

Sure, there are lots of plans out there to build a base like this, but for $19, well, I couldn’t pass that one up!

First, I had to drill the base plate to fit the base of my DeWalt router. Proper alignment is essential so the base is perfectly centered over the collet. Believe me, if you don’t get the base perfectly aligned, it’s not going to work as advertised. You may want to use a centering pin to ensure proper alignment.

The next step is to mark out the limits of the mortise you want to cut. Since the mortise will be centered on the piece, marking the left and right sides of the mortise isn’t critical – the length, however, is.

I put a 3/8″ up-spiral into the collet and set the router up on the workpiece. I set the depth of the bit at 9/16″ – allowing space for a 1/2″ deep mortise with 1/16″ space at the bottom of the joint to serve as a glue reservoir. When I rotated the base on the workpiece, the bearings made contact with the sides of the piece, ensuring the base is aligned with the work and the bit will land dead center.

Next up, I started cutting the mortise. Rather than try making the mortise pass by pass, I started by plunging the bit to its full depth at both ends of the mortise. This established the start and end limits. Then I made a series of full-depth plunges the length of the mortise to remove the majority of the waste.

Finally, I ran the router bit from end to end in the mortise to clean up the areas I had missed during the plunging action. Since there was very little to remove, I could plunge right to full depth and run the length of the mortise to get a clean mortise ready for a tenon.