As I sit to write today’s poll, Hurricane Irene is raking the east coast. The storm is the first hurricane to make landfall in the continental United States since Ike in 2008, and it appears to be well on its way to causing multiple billions of dollars of property damage through some of the most heavily populated areas of the country.
Tack Irene on to the unrelenting wildfires in the southwest, the terrifying tornado outbreak across the deep south this past spring and the Japanese earthquake and tsunami in March… well, 2011 has been a year that has caused even the most nonchalant among us sit up and take notice.
This week, let us know if you have an inventory of the items in your shop, and just how complete is it? Remember, this initial work may help you get everything back and running should a disaster befall your home.
Whether fashion statements, safety gear or a wearable tool kit, shop aprons can help keep your woodworking clothes free of glue smears, finish spatters and caked-on sawdust. They can also be hot, uncomfortable, awkward and complete pain in the rear.
This week, how do you feel about shop aprons? Something you reach for all of the time or something you avoid like the plague?
Before the finish goes on your project… before the sanding and planing… before the joinery… before the jointing and planing…
There comes the plan.
When it comes to that plan, how do you come up with it? Do you look for a professional plan, or do you carefully draw your own out? Heck, do you even use plans?
Money is always tight. You have to pay the mortgage or rent. You have to put food on the table. Gas in the tank. And, you occasionally like to go on a vacation, right?
That’s why when it’s time to plunk down your hard-earned money for a new tool, you want to made sure that you are getting your money’s worth at a minimum. So, while you are evaluating your purchase, where do you get the best advice on what tools to purchase?
While there are many different adhesives out there, yellow glue seems to be the standard for most woodworkers. It’s strong, durable and easy to use.
And, when it comes to yellow glue glue ups, proper clamp pressure and clamping duration are key to making a great glue joint. So, this week’s question – just how long do you leave your yellow glue glue ups in the clamps?
You just KNOW it had to happen. There I was, gluing up the frames for my current project, and I discovered a set of Shop Fox right angle clamps that were perfect for clamping the angled front support to the top and bottom rails. I hooked one of them to the wood, cranked down the handle and felt the clamp give way. Sure enough, I looked down and saw the clamp broken in two, lying on my bench.
I had a feeling these babies were light duty models, but this was the FIRST time I had ever broken a tool in my shop.
Which got me to thinking… have you ever broken a tool in your shop? Did it break because you were using too much muscle? It was a poorly made tool? Did you drop it to the concrete floor of your shop? It’s OK. We won’t tell…
For better or for worse, it’s widely considered that one of the signs of a talented woodworker is how he or she cuts hand-cut dovetails. It’s easy to understand why… the joint is challenging and requires a tremendous amount of skill and concentration to pull off flawlessly.
This week, tell us just how good your hand cut dovetails are. Are you an expert? Do you need some help? Are they awful?
