Monkey Tails

The tailless one prepares…

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Hey, everyone, Iggy here. It is the day before I travel to Cincinnati for Woodworking in America, and I have to tell you just how angry I am at Tom. I mean, here I am, the brains of this operation, and that buffoon is running around the house like he is the guy everyone is waiting to see.

Laugh it up, goofball
Laugh it up, goofball

Here’s is just how ridiculous this guy’s thought process is. On Friday afternoon, there’s going to be this really awesome roundtable discussion about online woodworking. There are going to be people who actually mean something in the online woodworking world – Marc Spagnuolo, Dyami Plotke, Matt Vanderlist, Chris Adkins, Shannon Rogers … people who are making a difference. So, Tom somehow gets this idea in his mind that he’s going to be up there to offer his musings…

Hey, Tom, can’t you tell the audience will get much more out of the event if they ask me up to the stage?  They want to hear about stuff like how I can cut a clean set of dovetails using nothing more than a common frozen household herring, not your smelly gym shorts…

Really, Tom?

And, then there’s your proven lack of ability when it comes to the Hand Tool Olympics, which is legendary. I’m convinced that you will be the first – and only – person to hurt yourself at these events.  That’s why they want to see me and my legendary hand tool skills…

The primate of the hour

While I’m sure that your feelings might be hurt – and that means fewer bananas for me – you aren’t totally good for nothing. One thing that a big woodworking event needs is some comic relief, and you offer that in spades.

Prost!
Prost!

Oh, and you totally rock at jumping up on tables… and dancing. Looking forward to some of that action…

Shop Talk

Pack it up

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During the last Modern Woodworkers Association podcast, Roy Underhill engaged us in an interesting discussion about hand tools.  No, it had nothing to do about them being superior to power tools, although he did allude to that later on.

Roy in a box

No, this part of the conversation was about their portability.

Think about one of the most commonly heard complaints by woodworkers.  No, it’s not the ‘I don’t have enough clamps,’ one… Instead, it’s usually about the quest for more shop space, especially as it pertains to stationary power tools.

Add a table saw? You need more space. Adding a jointer? More space. Bandsaw? You betcha…

A classic old tool chestThis can be avoided if you worked primarily with portable power tools, such as track saws, jigsaws and routers. Yes, you need some type of solid work surface – such as a workbench – to work safely and accurately, but you can limit how much the shop grows.

Hand tools – their very nature – don’t require much more than you would need to use for portable power tools. A solid work surface or two. Add enough space to place a chest of hand tools, and you are in business. Some of these hand tool chests, when well built and organized, could (and have) hold all of the tools that a skilled cabinetmaker would need in his or her lifetime.

A well-loved tool chestOf course, when you throw in items such as pole or treadle lathes, the space requirement does grow, but it’s incredible still to think that woodworking can happen even in some of the most modestly sized places.

Hand tools in a drawerThis week, at Woodworking in America, I hope to pick the brains of a few skilled hand tool woodworkers to see how they stock their tool chests. I’d love to see how they make their magic – and keep the tools to make it in a smallish tool chest…

 

Quick Polls

Quick Poll

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While you may not think it’s true, just about everyone is an avid reader.  Sure, maybe you aren’t leafing through Faulkner, Shakespeare or Poe… but woodworkers have collections of woodworking magazines and books, wannabe chefs have their cookbooks, gear heads have their auto repair manuals…

So, needless to day, one of the most important pieces of furniture in any house is a bookcase – somewhere to stash all those books!  Book cases can run the gamut from fancy to plain, difficult to build or easy afternoon projects… take your pick.

At least one of these shelves – the bottom one – is typically fixed in place. After all, a bookcase is typically a large box that needs all four sides and a back.  The other shelves are usually adjustable to allow different sizes of books – tall photo albums vs. paperback novels.

This week’s question – when you build a bookcase, what kind of system do you use for making the adjustable support system for these movable shelves?


Link of the week

Link of the week

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Barb S Woodworks

Up in Washington state, surrounded by some of the most beautiful forests in the world, Barb Siddiqui turns (literally and figuratively) out some beautiful woodworking projects from locally-harvested woods and choice bits of more exotic species from other sources.

A beautiful tea box crafted by Barb

Her work is elegant, carefully using wood color and grain to create visual harmony in her boxes, vases, pens and other items. Spend some time at her site and check out what she has for sale as well.

 

Experiences

It’s a summit

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One week from today, I’ll have my bags packed, and I’ll be watching the time crawl by at work. One week from now, I’ll be trying to remember if I have to head to the red or blue airside at Tampa International Airport. One week from now, I’ll have to make sure I have clean socks and underwear… because, one week from now, I’m going to the summit.

Tenzing Norgay on the summit of Mt. EverestNo, not THAT kind of summit… A summit meeting. Kinda like those big meetings that used to take place between the United States and the old Soviet Union.

Gorbachev and ReaganThat’s more like it, only it’s a summit meeting of woodworkers. That’s right, one week from today, I’ll be getting ready for the big trip up to Covington, Kentucky (just south of the Ohio River from Cincinnati) for the 2013 edition of Woodworking in America.

This annual event is a great opportunity to get together with the woodworkers I know virtually through the online woodworking community. In many cases, I feel as if many of these folks are neighbors living just a few houses down the street from me. In reality, they come from around the country – and from beyond its borders – to get together, take a few classes, drink a few beers and swap some tall woodworking tales.

The Hand Tool OlympicsThere are so many highlights of the weekend. The Hand Tool Olympics – the brain child of Mike Siemsen – test participants for two straight days of challenging woodworking tasks. There’s a lot of bluster (Cutting that tenon will be a piece of cake!), a lot of excuses (I am only used to my saw. This test is unfair!) and a lot of laughs, especially when I show my dovetails…

When Dovetails cry

Who could ever forget that train wreck…

This year will also be a big time for meet ups.  When folks get into town on Thursday night (Oct. 17), me and my fellow members of the Modern Woodworkers Association would be honored if you would join us for a few beers and some great food at the Keystone Bar and Grill in Covington.  This will also be the first time I have met fellow podcaster Chris Adkins… and, I will be able to see Dyami Plotke again, the first time since I deployed to NYC after Hurricane Sandy.  This should be fun.

Woodworking zaniness at the Keystone...

We’ll also be back at the Keystone on Saturday night at 6:30 as Marc Spagnuolo, Matt Vanderlist and Shannon Rogers will be recording an episode of Wood Talk Online Radio for broadcast.  Be sure to come by and say ‘hey’ (or heckle, your choice) while the three amigos make audio magic.

There are so many other things I am looking forward to, but I don’t have the space to list them all. If you are going to be in the area.. please stop by!

 

Last Minute Elf

More Elves are on board

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The best thing about being a woodworker is that we work with some of the most generous folks.  Once I put the notice out last week, we have had a few more folks come to the table to offer awesome prizes.

The Last Minute ElfRight now, the current prize list stands at (With the newest ones on top):

A gorgeous ribbon boxSince we have more prizes, that means there will be more chances to win!  So I have added a few more categories..

  1. Best Turned project
  2. Greenest project (using recycled materials)
  3. Best project that will fit inside a large USPS flat rate shipping box (12 inches x 12 inches x 5 1/2 inches)
  4. Best gift for a younger child (ages to birth 12 years old)
  5. Best gift for a Teenager (ages 13 – 20)
  6. Best gift for an adult (20 or above)

So, get out into those shops and come up with some sweet inspiration to help those who may be waiting until the very last minute.

 

Quick Polls

Quick Poll

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There are so many different kinds of woodworking out there. Cabinetry. Scroll sawing. Furniture making. And turning…

turning on a big proportionTurning… the spinning vortex that sucks woodworkers into it. I have heard many woodworkers say that they may just go out to the shop to futz around for a little while, and seven hours later, their family considers sending out a search-and-rescue team to look for them.

This week, tell us if you have ever turned a project, and what your level of interest is.


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