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!

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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.

So, you want to put a bevel on the edge of a panel? Well, you could use a special router bit. Or, you could rig up a high fence that works on your table saw. But, what if you don’t have the bit or feel uncomfortable with a large panel on edge?

Have you tried hand planes?

It’s not as tough as you think. In fact, with just a few tools, this is a fast method that will work quickly on any size panel.

First of all, you have got to have at least one tool, and the other one makes the job a whole lot easier. The tools I used are an old Stanley Bailey No. 5 Jack plane (essential) and a wheel marking gauge. The gauge is going to mark out what needs to be removed, and the plane’s gonna do the removing.

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The next step is pretty essential, I’d say. You have to carefully mark the depth and width of the area you want to bevel. This way, you know exactly what you need to remove, and you’ll be able to keep a consistent bevel. For this exercise, I used one inch wide and one quarter inch deep.

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Now, with the panel securely clamped to your work bench, you can use your plane to remove the material to form the bevel. I start with the end grain, planing slightly ‘down’ and ‘out’ with the plane to prevent tear out. Once that’s done, then I move to the edge grain to remove any tear out – just as when you use a router.

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Finally, what you are left with is a crisp bevel that just needs a little sanding – especially on the end grain bevel. The beauty about this method is that you can use it to create any number of different bevel geometries. And, if you want to bevel a door panel, table top or any other piece of furniture, well, this method doesn’t require complicated jigs or expensive router bits.

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When you want to buy hardwood for your woodworking project, there are a few different routes you can go. There are Internet dealers, home improvement centers and – if you are lucky – you know a buddy with a portable sawmill and access to a lot of trees in your area.

While these are all good options, if you want the greatest selection and the ability to load and go, look for a decent hardwood supplier in your area. How do you find one? Look in your local yellow pages under hardwood supply, visit Wood Finders and start your search for suppliers near your zip code, or look for local cabinetmakers. No doubt, they deal with at least one reputable supplier, and might be convinced to give you their information.

I recently paid a visit to Weiss Hardwoods in Largo, Florida to see what happens in a well-stocked, full service hardwood supplier’s warehouse. There, I met owner Jeff Weiss in his well-appointed customer idea center. “Here, we show off some of the interesting things people can build – or have built – from our supply.” A sapele bar trimmed topped with a specially-treated leather top gleamed among the floor samples, fireplace mantles and stairway components. It’s not difficult to get more than a few decent ideas there.

Through a very plain looking door to the right of the service counter is where the fun really begins. The warehouse is abuzz with contractors and employees getting the supplies they need for upcoming projects.

Dozens of tall racks hold common molding profiles in maple, cherry, mahogany, oak and poplar. Some pieces of molding are greater than 20′ long and all clear. Other racks toward the back of the warehouse contain planed dimensional lumber in the same common species. The middle of the massive warehouse holds racks full of premilled staircase supplies and cabinet grade plywood of different species. “We serve a lot of different people here – contractors, homeowners working as their own contractor, hobby woodworkers… the list goes on and on. We try to have enough variety on hand to suit everyone’s needs.”

Through two massive garage doors, there is an outside covered lot where the rough timbers are stored. Some planks up to 8/4 and 16′ long are stacked by species. Besides oak, maple and poplar, customers can choose soft maple, hickory, walnut and several other species that you can’t find in your local home center. If you have the tools and like to mill your own, this is the place to look.

And, if you are looking for something a little more exotic for a project, you can get your hands on zebrawood, cocobolo, bubinga, rosewood, ebony and others. These can really give your project the character it deserves.

Way in the back of the warehouse is the milling operation. I had a chance to watch Earl Ogden, one of the millwrights, plane some boards down to a customer’s specs. Earl has even skip-planed a few boards to give his customers a chance to see what the final wood grain will look like. “We’re kind of like Burger King here – you can have it your way. We’ll mill exactly to a customer’s specs because that’s the kind of service they want.”

Since these hardwood suppliers do a lot of milling for the trades, you might want to ask to see their shorts – also known as offcuts. These shorter boards can be purchased at a lower cost and are perfect for smaller scale projects like boxes and clocks.

From rough boards to fully milled pieces, a full-service hardwood supplier can meet just about all of your woodworking needs.