The Pinewood Derby

Called one of the celebrated rites of spring by Reader’s Digest, the Pinewood Derby has been an annual tradition for the Boy Scouts of America since 1953.

With just a block of pine and four plastic wheels, scouts are encouraged to let their imaginations run wild. Carving, cutting and shaping the plain wooden block, each scout’s creation is a unique reflection of their creativity.

Of course, these cars aren’t just for show. By building their cars with care and precision, each scout improves his chance of rolling faster that the opposition. Of course, the idea is to have fun!

If you are interested in trying your hand at building one – even if you aren’t a scout – many sites offer the official kit for you to purchase and try your hand at building a racer of your own.

Woodshop Demos

Earlier this week, I reported on the passing of woodworking jig genius Niki Avrahami. Since then, I have heard of the passing of another woodworking great – John Lucas.

John was an internet woodworking pioneer who established Woodshop Demos, a site rich with woodworking how-tos, tool reviews and wisdom.  John’s site stretches to nearly 4,000 pages, each loaded with at least one valuable nugget of information readers can apply in their shops immediately.

Fortunately, John left a legacy of his woodworking knowledge for others to benefit from. Take some time and review his site – you will be pleasantly surprised by the depth of knowledge and his home-spun charm.

The Chainsaw Chick

When my thoughts turn to carving, I think about the sound of a draw knife being pulled through wood and the tap of a mallet on  a carving gouge.

And then there are woodworkers like Cherie Currie, the Chainsaw Chick. With a screaming chainsaw, Cherie turns logs into works of art.  With chips flying – AND proper safety gear on – Cherie creates wood carvings of tremendous scope with exceptionally fine detail.

Chainsaw carving isn’t the only thing Cherie is good at. She was the former lead singer with the band The Runaways, featuring Joan Jett, Lita Ford, Sandy West and Jackie Fox, and she acted in several movies and is a noted author.

Woodworker’s Workshop Heart-Shaped Keepsake Box

Uhh, guys and gals, you might want to check the calendar.  Go ahead.  Take a look.

Sunday is February 14th. You know… THE February 14th… Valentine’s day.

If you haven’t gotten anything for your honey yet, there’s time to head to the shop to build a little something-something for that someone special.  This plan for a heart-shaped keepsake box is a great way to build a sweet project while using up some of those pretty scrap pieces you are hoarding.

If you show up on Sunday bearing one of these babies, you will go from zero to hero in a heartbeat!

Voigt’s Classic Radio Build

Antique radios were lacking in the electronics department… but they were beautiful  pieces of furniture.  Today’s modern audio systems are powerful and extremely capable… but, plastic isn’t something you want to feature in your living room.

If you want the best of both worlds, you could do a whole lot worse than user Voigt at the Extreme Systems audio forum.  Starting in May of 2009, he started to build a wooden enclosure styled after a classic 1934-36 Zenith model 5-S-29 radio.  Inside, the system is all state of the art, with digital amplifiers and MP3 inputs.

Follow along through the process from Sketchup and component selection to the final product. There’s plenty for everyone in this thread – electronics, woodwork, metal and acrylic fabrication… it’s in there!

The Spoken Wood Podcast

Matt Vanderlist, the woodworking Podfather, has recently launched a new and very interesting feature on his website called the Spoken Wood Podcast.

Part storytelling, all woodworking, these podcasts are stories read by bloggers who wrote them.  Some of the featured voices in the program include Kari Hultman of the Village Carpenter, Ron Hock of Hock Tools, Chris Schwarz of Popular Woodworking and yours truly.

Not only can you hear the podcasts at Matt’s site, but  you can also subscribe for free at iTunes and get them delivered to your iPod so you can listen on the go.

WoodworkersWorkshop.com’s Free Puzzle Page

Looking for a small woodworking plan that rates big in excitement an intrigue?  How about a woodworking puzzle?

WoodworkersWorkshop.com has compiled an index of free plans to build a number of mind-boggling wooden puzzles.  From the classic four-dovetail block to the more challenging wooden logic models, there’s something for every skill level – of puzzle builder and solver!