Shellac.net

It’s one of the oldest wood finishes in existence, is safe for kids and food contact and is surprisingly easy to apply.

Shellac is a very versatile finish that has a place in today’s modern shop.  Whether you simply  use it as a seal coat under another finish or you get involved in a full on French polish, shellac is easy to use, easy to apply and easy to fix if something goes wrong.

Shellac.net is a great resource for purchasing shellac flakes and finding the know-how to dissolve, apply and finish this venerable finishing material.

Den’s Model Ships

Back in the days of wooden ships and iron sailors, the shipwrights who built these craft were masters. Every single piece of wood was cut, shaped and joined by hand to create a ship that could sail the oceans blue.

Today, there are still craftsmen who build ships piece by piece, but, in the case of a woodworker named Den, the ships are at a much smaller – but no less impressive –  scale.

The work is stunning.  Recreations of historic ships such as British Men-of-War, the U.S.S. Constellation and other ships are done in painstaking detail. Every wooden piece is hand made to be as accurate as possible, as are the rigging, sails and other features.

Definitely worth a look. If you want to buy, just remember that each ship takes hundreds of hours of labor, and the prices  certainly reflect the hard work and dedication.

The Insurance Information Institute

Have I ever mentioned that my ‘day job’ is educating people about the hurricane risk?  No?  You must be pulling my leg.

Since I do spend a lot of time telling folks about disaster preparedness, I answer a lot of questions.  How do I protect my home?  When should I evacuate?  And, how do I make sure I have enough insurance for my home and its contents?

The Insurance Information Institute is a rich source of information about the insurance process, how claims are handled, how to prepare for disasters and many other topics.  There’s even a link to an online home inventory program.  Valuable for people at risk from hurricanes and any other potential disasters.

Web MD’s Understanding Tetanus page

When I went to the immediate care clinic last Saturday, a lot of  things happened in very short order.  My finger was cleaned.  The doctor numbed the finger with a local anesthetic.  He stitched up the finger and applied a pressure bandage.  He even wrote a prescription for an antibiotic.

But, the most important thing he did was give me a tetanus booster shot.  And I’m very happy he did.

Tetanus is a very insidious disease.  The bacteria that causes it can be found just about anywhere, and if it gets implanted deeply into a wound, things can go badly in a hurry. Within eight days the bacteria has grown enough to start emitting a powerful neurotoxin which short circuits signals in the nervous system.  Spasms and muscle rigidity are very common, giving rise to the more common name of lockjaw. Eventually, even the diaphragm can be affected, disrupting breathing.

In fact, 30% of tetanus cases prove fatal – even in a hospital setting.

The best defense against tetanus is a good offense.  Every ten years, it’s a good idea to get a tetanus booster.

The Web MD site has all of the background information for your reading pleasure.

How to work a pneumatic brad nailer

Pneumatic nailers – whether for framing, driving brads or pinning delicate molding, have been a real time saver in the modern shop.  They cut a tremendous amount of time from the process of tap-tap-tapping finish nails in with a hammer.

To do their best work – without unnecessary risk – woodworkers need to know how to load, use and care for these powerful tools. This eHow page gives instructions on how get the best out of your nailer… without getting the worst out of it.

Don’t believe me?  Well, since the Wood Whisperer has declared this to be the last day of non-safety week (the full week before woodworker’s safety week), here’s an example of what can happen to you if you aren’t careful with your brad nailer.  Those with weak constitutions – or extra sensitive funny bones – may want to look away…

ProjectGuitar.com

Since I picked up the bass, I have been looking for plans on how to build my own guitar..

Ya know, just in case I want to do it myself.

ProjectGuitar.com is a great site offering links to resources necessary to build your own guitar, plans and a project gallery that will get the creative juices flowing.  A great link for the budding luthier.