Nor does it have the beautiful veneers and screw holding capacity of cabinet grade plywood.

It doesn’t even have the smooth, fine texture of MDF that makes painting easy.

Instead, it forms the basis of all uber-cheap, mass produced big box discount store ready to assemble furniture.  It’s frequently covered in a pseudo-wood-looking plastic contact paper like substance and is assembled with cams, dowels and other bizarre hardware that requires an allen wrench.

Attempting to lift a sheet of it by yourself can cause you to make an appointment with your chiropractor.  Shelves made of it bow with the lightest of weight and sides exposed to the smallest quantity of water swell like a sponge.

Yes, it’s particle board, and it’s the most beautiful substance you can have in your shop.

Born of the refuse of lumber mills, the lowly particle board (or chip board) consists of fairly rough sawdust treated with a resins, waxes and other goodies and heat pressed into standard sized sheet goods.

During the construction of this large cabinet project, I have come to appreciate some of the finer qualities of this oft maligned material. No, the boxes themselves are being made out of some high quality 3/4″ plywood – either prefinished birch or A-faced cherry.  The cabinet shelves will be made of the same materials as well. The base the cases are standing on is made from 2×4 fir lumber.

So, where’s the particleboard?

Glad you asked.  A while ago, I had bought a sheet of particleboard to create a bending form for my Mars and Venus Rising table.  I was going to stack and cut pieces and use them to clamp the thinly sliced ash and walnut leg pieces around while the hide glue dried.  However, I was having trouble getting the pieces to work on the press and opted for a different method of bending.

So, I took the sheets of particleboard and hid them behind my clamp rack.  I probably figured I would find them three or four years later and just throw them out.

The fates were on my side when the project started.  Those ugly, edge-abused sheets hidden behind the clamp rack called to me. With my old big ugly bench, I would have just cut the sheets up on the bench top, figuring that any grooves that formed on the bench would have added character.  But, with my current bench, that was out of the question.  No way was I going to slice  up my new bench’s top.

That’s when I fished those sheets of particleboard from behind the clamp rack and set them down on the bench as a sacrificial top. My friend Paul was a little caught off guard by my wanton disregard for the particle board’s safety, but I forged on. In fact, after the cutting, it also served well as a sacrificial base when I predrilled the screw holes to reinforce the dadoes and rabbets, saving my bench tremendous abuse.

Today, the cabinet pieces are cut, the particle board pieces are showing the wear and my bench top has never looked so good.

So, today, I ask, dear friends, that each of you reconsider your opinion of the lowly particle board sheet. Truly, it’s not the material of fine woodworking, but I boldly contend that it is one of the substances that makes fine woodworking possible.

Navigating my desk at work is an adventure.  I’m getting better, but I routinely  find some important note from a few months ago  – say – about a task I had to do back in March.  Not a good thing, especially when my boss was really counting on that task being accomplished by – say – the second week of July.

The shop?  It’s not much better.  I am really having trouble finding a good home for everything I have amassed over the past dozen years.

At least in my shop I have one area that stays pretty well organized – my rolling tool chest.  I picked it up during a sweet holiday deal at Lowe’s and call it black beauty. Actually, it’s two stackable units – a four drawer base and a three drawer mid section – topped by my old tool box.

I know what you are thinking… and, yes, you are right.  A glossy black surface in a wood shop?  You betcha. My wife and I used to wipe it down every so often when the dust would accumulate, but now, we just let it get covered and clean it when the layer of sawdust is thick enough to support agriculture.

This rolling chest has been a godsend when it comes to holding on to easy to misplace items.  The top two drawers hold all of my fine measuring tools.  Squares, striking knives, calipers… the works.  It’s nice to know that when I have to measure something precisely, I just have to look into two drawers instead of through boxes of other items to find what I need.

The bottom drawer of the mid section holds my scraping and shaping supplies.  Rasps, files, scrapers and all of the items that go along with them are stored here in one place.  So, when my scrapers no longer do what they are supposed to do, all of the items I need to sharpen are in one place.

Below that in the top of the base cabinet are my chisels.  Yes, I have recently become a collector of chisels.  I have to admit it as part of my 12-step program.  From the Marples Blue Chips I started with to the set of WoodRiver beauties I traded a drill press mortiser for to the ultra sweet Japanese chisels used by my neighbor’s father, they’re in there.  Keeping them in the drawer protects the tips and makes a handy place to find them.

Below that is where I store my fine cutting saws.  One day, I’ll build a proper saw till to display these babies and keep them closer to the bench, but, for now, they are protected from bumps and broken teeth in this drawer.  It does take a little digging around here to find them when I do need them, but I’m good with that.  For now.

One level down, and we’re in the realm of the table saw.  No, this storage drawer is nowhere near the saw itself, but I have discovered that table saws require more accessories than my children did when they were very young and it took us half an hour to collect everything for a trip to the supermarket.  Dado blades, push sticks, featherboards … again, this is a great place to stash the stuff when I don’t need it.

And, finally, there’s the – uhhh – miscellaneous drawer.  My hammers and mallets are there along with my laser level, cold chisel, pry bar… well, everything I chuck in there.  OK, it’s not so organized.  There, I can’t give up all of my bad habits.

Some folks have told me that by storing my tools in enclosed drawers is a waste of time.  That perhaps I would be better off keeping them out where I can see them and find them easier would be a better idea.

Uhhh, no.  This way, at least, I keep my searching down to a minimum – for me.  That allows me more time to do what I really enjoy… building.

From there, you had the whole shelter/tool/roasting stick/furniture evolution where woodworking came into its own.  And, all along its development, and number of innovations have taken place.  The development of the mortise and tenon. The development of the dovetail. The discovery that the gooey mess that lac bugs secreted would make a nice furniture finish.

Since there has been so much development throughout the centuries, you might think that it would be difficult to see true innovation in woodworking.

That would be the case if you never opened your eyes. There are many companies out there developing new products or processes that make woodworking a more enjoyable pastime.

One of the companies consistently out in front is Kreg Tools.  From the development of the first practical pocket hole jig to the precision after-market fences and other cabinet-making tools, the engineers at Kreg have truly pushed the envelope.

“We’re always amazed at just how clever the folks are at Kreg,” said Tim Walter of Eagle America.  “I mean, the beaded face frame set up they produced last year was a real stroke of genius, cutting a tremendous amount of time necessary to perform that task.”

Eagle America is a proud retailer of Kreg tools, offering a wide variety of products. “If you are starting your shop from scratch, you can pick up a sweet router table, pocket hole jig – even a whole pocket hole system. And, if you are just looking to upgrade, you can add a precision fence to your band saw or a new miter gauge for your table saw.”  Tim even pointed out that if you are simply restocking pocket screws after building a previous project, you can do that at Eagle as well.

“The Kreg tools can also break you free from your shop. Many are portable, allowing you to work right on site.  The new deck jig concealed fastening system can get you out on a sunny weekend to help you build that deck you have been putting off for a while.”

To sweeten the deal, Eagle America is also offering a $20 gift card for all Kreg purchases over $149.  “In this economy, every little bit helps.  We’re glad we can do something to help make your woodworking easier and more enjoyable.”

Does this picture tell you how happy I was to get back into it?

After weeks of yard work, stitches, hurricane conferences and all sorts of other ‘issues’, I finally got some shop time yesterday.  First, I had to  get to the bench to clean it up.  Things such as string trimmer spools, extension cords, hedge trimmer manuals (the one that instructed me NOT to put my fingers near the moving blades was fun to read) have this nasty habit of piling up on the bench if I don’t take care of them.  Heck, I even had a plastic tub full of Easter decorations that still had to get put back in the attic.

While cleaning wasn’t what I had in mind, it did get me into the shop and back into the woodworking mindset. As the stuff was put away, more space became available for woodworking.  Which is exactly what I need.

Soon after, I had found the things I was looking for.  The four sides of the box I was working on.  The veneered elm panel. The measurements I had jotted down for the box.  It was almost like I had never left the shop.

I cut the veneered panels to fit the top and bottom and rabbeted the panel edges to fit the grooves I had machined back in April. The fit beautifully… better than I had imagined.  And, it glued up nice and tight.

Now, I still have some more work to do on the box.. cutting some dovetail splines for the corners, cutting the lid free, sanding and finishing.. but, for now, it’s good to be back!

Think about it.  Most people decorate their homes.  They paint walls, buy furniture and hang artwork that helps define the space they live in.  People customize their cars, adding pinstripes, special audio components and custom driving lights.

The same holds true when it comes to hobbies.  Woodworkers are always looking to add some ‘signature’ tools to their collections.  Anglers will custom build a rod and reel to meet their individual tastes.

And people who play pool will often look to eventually have a custom pool cue.

There are some sweet looking pool cues out there that go way beyond the ultra-cheapie starter you may have picked up or the heavily abused house cue at a pool hall. Those custom models feature gorgeous wood inlays, bands and other features that make your cue stand out from the crowd.

Of course, a custom cue carries with it a hefty price.  Most custom models start about $300 and can go into several thousands of dollars based on the features offered and the care of the maker.

But, if you are a woodworker and you want a custom cue, there’s nothing quite like building your own.  “By creating your own masterpiece, you can demonstrate your woodworking skills… even if your pool shooting skills aren’t up to snuff,” said Eric Poirier of Bell Forest Products. “We can certainly help you get off on the right foot when you are ready to build your own.”

For the past year or so, Bell Forest Products has been offering some very cool pool cue blanks for sale that just might inspire you to get into the shop.  They offer a line of full-spliced blanks made by master cuemaker Mark Bear. What makes them so special?  Bear makes his cue blanks with two different species of wood cut carefully to meet up a several ‘points’.  These long splice joints allow the wood to be held together by just glue, not the dowels and other joinery methods used in half-splice models.  The result?  Billiard players consistently rate the full spliced cues as easier to play with a superior feel.

These blanks are also made of some gorgeous combinations of wood. “We routinely carry cues featuring figured maples, bocote, purpleheart, bubinga and other exotic woods we sell.  The beauty of these contrasting and complimentary woods is pretty amazing.”

Since Bell started offering the cue blanks, business has been brisk. “We go to a large cuemaker convention to show off our offerings.  We get a lot of traffic at our booth from people who want to know just how we make such beautiful blanks.”

“Besides,” Eric continued, “many of our customers who build their own cues tell us that when they show up to play, they get plenty of compliments from the people they play against.  Not only does the cue demonstrate their artistic ability, but they say that using what they built gives them more confidence when they play.”

Nice shot!

While thinking back about his birth, I can’t help but wonder if he wasn’t the most documented child on the planet. You see, when he was born, he was my parents’ first grandchild.

When they came to visit those first few months, the shutters were snapping like crazy. My son getting fed. My son getting changed. My son being rocked to sleep. My son getting bathed. It took a few weeks after family visits for my eyesight to return to normal after staring at that darned flash…

Back in those olden days, pictures were taken on this ancient medium called film. And, when you took the pictures, you had to take them to a photo processor to be developed. And, well, for an event like the birth of a child, you had BOXES of photos to sort through. And warehouse.

And display…

Of course, you could go into hock buying dozens of frames to display the choice photos of important moments, but why not add to the presentation by building your own picture frames?

With Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, graduations, wedding season and so many other meaningful events happening in late spring and early summer, there are many opportunities to build custom picture frames to present as gifts to commemorate special moments.

“Picture frames are insanely easy to build,” said Tim Walter of Eagle America. “They involve just a small amount of wood, but showcase your woodworking skills like very few other projects can.”

The material the frames are made out of can alter the look from basic to fancy. “Some interestingly grained wood is eye catching for flat pieces. We also offer a number of router bits that create interesting profiles and shadow lines. Our 5-piece framing router bit set offers you endless profiles when used in combination with one another or when just using a single bit at varying depths in your router table.” Tim also pointed out that these bits, when used on a workpiece glued up of contrasting boards can produce dramatic effects as the different colors and grain patterns are exposed during the routing process.

Once you have created the pieces of the frame, it’s then time to join. At its simplest, a picture frame is four pieces of wood joined to form a square or rectangle. “Just like you used your creativity to create the profile of your frame, you can put it to work here when you put your frame together. There are dozens of ways for you to securely assemble your custom made frames, some of which include biscuits, lap joints and splined miters. Whatever works for you…”

A rabbet on the back side of the frame is also a great way to retain the items that are included in a securely-mounted photograph. “A piece of glass in front protects the image from fingerprints and dust. A mat is optional, but can really jazz up the look. Then, you’ll have the photo and a secure backing to hold it all together. A stepped rabbet bit is an interesting option for you to make these cuts in fewer steps.”

Eagle America is also offering a bonus kit of tools that can help make building the frames a little easier. “Clamping those miters could be tricky, so we’re throwing in a Self Squaring Picture Frame Clamp. You have to also hang the frame as well, so we’re also adding a keyhole bit and keyhole template to make that process a little easier. We have some other goodies in the kit as well…”

My son has gotten to the age where his baby pictures are starting to become embarrassing. I think it’s kinda cute now, but I’m sure it will start to wear on me soon. No matter how old he gets, he’ll always be my little boy.

And, I’ll have the photographs to prove it!

Tools would be up there. A place to work would be nice. A way to support and secure your work wouldn’t be bad.  Maybe a few measuring devices…

Oh, and you need wood. Depending on the size of the project, sometimes, lots of it.

Maybe hard, durable woods like maple or hickory.  Maybe woods that work well for carving like mahogany or basswood.  Sometimes, you need inexpensive stuff that works well, like southern yellow pine or red oak.  Veneers. Plywood.

Even the ubiquitous 2×4 whitewood stud to make push sticks and other shop jigs.

Wood is used in a wide variety of applications.  There’s furniture making and construction for sure, but it’s also used in papermaking, chemical products – even food production.  But, for many years around the world, trees were cut down with little thought to the impact on the existing forests.

In many western European countries, going at stands of trees with the axe was vital. Countries such as England plowed through their native forests harvesting timber for ship building, dwellings, bridges and other structures. It became an implied duty for the wealthy landowner to sow a handful of acorns on his property to help ensure there would be enough native wood to keep the Royal Navy afloat.

Then, the colonization of the Americas happened. Settlers were stunned by the incredible number of trees to be found everywhere on the continents. It’s been said that a squirrel could cross from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mississippi River by hopping from tree branch to tree branch, never having to set foot on the ground. Soon, axes were hard at work, harvesting lumber for domestic – and exported – uses.  Millions of acres were also cleared to make room for the farms to feed the burgeoning population.

Click on image to enlarge

Fast forward to the early 20^th century.  Many of those lush forests were now nothing but an empty landscape, devoid of anything but the occasional ragged stump left over from the clear cutting operation.

Fortunately before all of the virgin old-growth forests were lost forever, government and industry sought ways to slow or reverse this alarming trend. “Without wood, there’s no woodworking.  Period,” said Eric Poirier of Bell Forest Products. “That’s why it’s extremely important to everyone involved that responsible forestry practices are followed as we keep moving into the 21^st Century.”

To that end, responsible lumber merchants are active partners in combating the illegal harvesting of domestic and imported hardwoods. “Wood is one of the most important renewable resources, but only if it’s harvested responsibly.”

How do retailers ensure their supply meets stringent responsible standards? “We only deal with lumber wholesalers and log dealers who actively combat illegal logging.” Eric was very candid about the company’s policies. “We make sure our suppliers have policies in place regarding planned felling, minimum tree diameters and felling rotations to ensure regrowth of the affected area.  When we as retailers – and our customers – demand these practices, the wholesalers and loggers listen.”

How can a woodworker know if their lumber retailer works with responsible loggers?  “Ask lots of questions when you go to your supplier. In today’s world of environmental consciousness, many retailers are touting their practices on their websites or at their stores.  If they don’t – ask.”

One area of specific concern for many woodworkers is the questionable logging practices of developing countries. “Some of the world’s most beautiful wood comes from South America and Africa. Unfortunately, some of those species we love so dearly – ebony and rosewood – were logged extensively and today are very rare.”  To help preserve these important trees, organizations such as the Forest Stewardship Council were created.  This international body’s mission is to slow the overharvesting taking place around the world, with a specific focus on tropical woods.  Founded in 1993, the organization has seen some success in trying to slow the overharvesting.  But, much remains to be done in order to preserve these resources.

After all, it’s not just today’s woodworkers who can be impacted by our actions. “I have two young children.  When they get older – and should they want to woodwork – it’s up to all of us to take our responsibility seriously so they can supply us for generations to come.”

Regardless of the style of music, there’s one thing that all musicians have in common: They know that their instruments are worthless for making music if they are out of tune. Even if you don’t have a musically-trained ear, when a piano hits a note that’s not quite right, you will notice that something’s out of whack.  Same thing with a guitar, a violin – whatever.

That’s why before a performance you can watch band members spending time in a sound check, tuning up their instruments to give the right sound during the show. Pluck the string, tune the string, pluck it again until it’s just right.

Unless you are woodworking in front of a camera or a group of woodworking students, there’s a very good chance that you will be performing for an audience of just yourself. But, the same principles apply.

Tuning your tools is a critical part of the building process. Not only do well-tuned tools perform better – they are also safer to work with. They give superior results for the project you are working so hard to complete.

But, where to begin? For power tools, the best bet is to crack open the owner’s manual or a book or website dealing with your brand of tool. This will give you the know-how on how to tackle this task.

In many cases – especially for your power tools, just getting all of its internal parts clean and free of sawdust is a critical first step.  All of the sensitive gears, tool blade and bit holders and sensitive electric windings perform much better when not jammed up with crud.

Alignment is another critical part of this tuning up process.  Lining your rip saw parallel with the miter slots and blade on your table saw gives superior results and helps to reduce the likelihood you will see a kickback.  Getting those band saw wheels coplanar will increase the life of your band saw blade and how well it tracks. A few moments doing these tasks can save lots of time and trouble later.

And, when it comes to bits and blades, you can’t beat clean and sharp. Get the gunk off your table saw blades and router bits. Plane irons, chisels and hand saws, properly honed to a razor sharp edge, make hand work a breeze.

Does this take time away from woodworking?  You bet. You won’t be able to jump headlong into building.  But, just as with any musician, if you don’t take the time to tune your instruments, your work could very easily hit a sour note.

Pick out some sweet boards with impressive figure. Mix contrasting wood species. Lay in an awesome piece of veneer. Choose some outstanding hardware. Even a highly-polished finish can make a piece pop.

But, even the most basic woodworking projects made of the most common species of wood can be jazzed up with molded details. You can add a purchased molding to your work, rout a profile on the edge or, if you really want to get fancy, you can do some fluting.

No, I’m not writing about the tall, narrow glass you drink champagne from, nor the side-blown high-pitched instrument frequently used in marching bands and orchestras. Flutes are the shallow grooves that sometimes ornament the faces of columns and flat vertical moldings called pilasters. In stone and woodwork, they are usually in a parallel, evenly-spaced series vertically to a surface.

The flute is actually the groove itself. The area between the flutes is known as the fillet.

The first flutes  ever observed in architecture were carved into stone columns adorning buildings in ancient Greece and served as a visual design element. They can create dramatic shadow lines, and make the vertical elements of a piece seem taller. Surprisingly, Roman columns were typically smooth and polished unlike their Greek predecessors. And, yes, all of those flutes were painstakingly carved into the stone by hand. Hey, neither Rome – nor ancient Greece, it appears – was built in a day.

Today’s woodworker has more than a few options when it comes to adding flutes to pieces. Many lumber yards and hardwood suppliers have a stash of pre-milled fluted material on hand. While this is an easy way to go, it often limits your options. “Many of these pre-milled fluted moldings come in only a few common species, and you are limited on the size, spacing and number of flutes,” said Tim Walter of Eagle America. “You might be stuck with something that looks out of place – either too large, too small, or the wrong grain pattern going the pre-milled route.”

An option that gives the woodworker more flexibility is to mill your own fluted moldings. One way to do this is to set up a router table with a plunge bit (a core box, v-groove, etc) in your router and a router fence. If you route one flute, then flip the board end-for-end, you can route a groove with identical spacing on the opposite side. From there, you can cut the boards to length and apply them to the piece you are building. “That’s one option, but it might look a little choppy,” said Tim. “After all, you are just cutting the flutes at the end. You’ll have to find a way to cap the ends of the molding, and those flutes will end abruptly, leaving an pretty jarring transition.”

A better way to make the fluted profile look neater would be to create stopped flutes. This can be done by lowering a board onto a spinning router bit, running the board the desired length and then pulling the board up from the bit at the end. “That’s one way to do it, but it can be tricky to get all the grooves to start and end the same distance from the end of the board.”

Another, easier way would be to rout the grooves from the top of the board with a plunge router. “This way, you can plunge the bit into the board right on a pencil mark and run them the length of the board. You can get much better results because you can see where you are routing.”

The challenge with this method, however, is keeping the router on track as you make the grooves. On long pieces, a groove that jogs or slants one way or the other will stick out like the proverbial sore thumb. To ensure the router stays on track, many woodworkers turn to a dedicated edge guide. While that prevents movement in one lateral direction, there is the chance that just the briefest loss of concentration can allow the woodworker to pull the edge guide away from the board’s edge. “That’s one way to create custom, hand-crafted firewood in a hurry.”

To prevent this, many woodworkers rely on a jig that clamps the board between two fences, preventing any lateral movement across the face of the board. Tim showed me the jig they sell at Eagle America. It consists of a 3/8” polycarbonate base that mounts to your router’s sub base. The two edge guides are mounted to the main base plate with bolts and knobs that ride in two slots. “You can get infinite adjustments between the two edges that way, and you can rout pieces from 1” wide to 12” wide… more than adequate for the vast majority of woodworking operations.”

The added benefit of the jig lies in the shape of the edge guides. Not only can they be used on straight moldings, they can also be reversed and the smaller edge with ball bearings can be used against the work. This way, woodworkers can rout flutes into a curved or arched piece. “Imagine if you had to trim out the top of a Palladian window. This guide can allow you to make accurate flutes that match the curved profile of the molding. The results can be stunning.”

Eagle America is also throwing in a free round nose bit for woodworkers who order the jig. “We want to make sure that anyone who orders this jig will be ready to go as soon as it arrives at their shop. We don’t want them to have to wait longer to pick up the right bit to make it work.”

While flutes in your moldings won’t guarantee your work will be around 2,000 years from now like the stonework from ancient Greece, they can make your work a real piece of art.

The one time we seem to disconnect is when we are buying gifts for each other. I remember the time I bought her utility long underwear tops and bottoms – and gave them to her – on Christmas morning – in front of her parents – while we were just still dating.

I am an extreme dufus.

For many years, we would share the same lament whenever Mother’s Day or Father’s Day, our anniversary, the holidays or our birthdays would roll around. What am I going to get for my loving – and ever patient – spouse?

We got to the point where we now write down our gift ideas and slip them to each other. It’s been a good solution, and I’m currently working my way through her’s this holiday season. So far, so good.

But, it’s almost 2010! Pen and paper? So outdated. Besides, aren’t we all going paperless these days?

That’s why many retailers are getting savvy and putting together entire gift sites on their online stores. Every year, merchants are making it easier for those loved ones in your life to pick the right goodies for you.

“The whole reason we started our gift site,” said Tim Walter of Eagle America, “is that we know woodworkers throw themselves into their gift making this time of the year. We just wanted to make sure that you weren’t forgotten about, either.”

As with many other sites, the folks at Eagle America have combed through their entire catalog of offerings to select those handy, just-can’t-do-without items that woodworkers would love to see under the tree. “We put a focus on both essential items as well as some more fun woodworking accessories. After all, fun on Christmas morning shouldn’t just be for the kids, woodworkers deserve some too!”

The gift offerings are also broken into dollar range categories. “We understand that not everyone can afford to spend a lot this holiday season. That’s why we broke the categories down by amount. For instance, if you have kids and they are pooling their allowance to buy you something for the shop, we want to ensure they can find a high-quality tool well within their price range.”

And, for those who may have been extra-nice this year, “There are lots of fun ‘toys’ in there…you know what I mean, power tools! Who wouldn’t want a brand new Fein Multimaster under the tree?”

Of course, you can recommend your loved ones just browse by category, or you could select a few items and put them on your wish list. “Sometimes, you need a particular tool to help you develop your skills. Planting a few suggestions gives the gift-giver some guidance on what you are looking for and helps prevent them from giving you something that you may already have.”

While it may seem like it’s no longer a gift if you plant a few strong hints, remember, you may be helping your spouse, friends or relatives who might be sweating over choosing a gift for you this time of the year. “Besides,” asked Tim, “how many reindeer sweaters does one person REALLY need?”