tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21518130902509100222024-02-06T18:18:31.876-08:00Pragmatic WoodworkerThe blog side of Great Lakes Wood Shop. Unlike most woodworking blogs, this one is primarily meant to show my foibles and successes as I continue to develop fine woodworking skills. Suggestions are welcome.S. Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157071694662201118noreply@blogger.comBlogger97125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2151813090250910022.post-5275662606528440312020-10-22T06:43:00.000-07:002020-10-22T06:43:24.230-07:00Happy Jacob Arend day, 2020!<p>The year of 2020 is definitely a memorable one. Plagues, economic ruin, riots encouraged by government officials, and other interesting (in the Chinese proverb sense) events. If we can't find solace, we can attempt to make it.</p><p>If Hallmark can create holidays, then so can other people. You can read about Jacob Arend day here: https://blog.lostartpress.com/2016/10/22/raise-your-glass-its-jacob-arend-day/</p><p>Have a good read, then join me in raising a glass to toast the past and present unsung tradespeople who built civilization. Salute!</p><p>Even though people may work to bring down civilized society, the unsung tradespeople will still be the ones who continue to build.</p><p><br /></p>S. Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157071694662201118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2151813090250910022.post-24402595249378508072019-01-10T10:57:00.002-08:002022-04-01T06:12:04.810-07:002018. A Year.The blog does not reflect it, but I did manage some shop time through the year. The title is a comment on the bland blurry year in the shop I've had.<br />
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The bulk of my free time has been spent on getting the house up to snuff for future listing. The world is full of enough folks posting badly done landscaping and crap carpentry hidden by drywall so I didn't feel the need to add to the noise on the blog. I'm sure I'll post when the sign finally hits the front yard in the mercenary desire for a buyer.<br />
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I wanted to continue the tradition of posting my annual places of woodworking purchases. I never try to do an exhaustive list of everything bought. Sometimes notes are added when something particularly interesting stands out. The list is as bland as the title. Maybe something more interesting will happen in 2019.<br />
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First, the big names:<br />
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Highland Woodworking<br />
Woodcraft<br />
Rockler<br />
Amazon<br />
Home Depot<br />
Menards<br />
Lowes<br />
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Then, the not so common:<br />
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CU woodshop in Champaign, IL<br />
Owl Hardwood Lumber, Chicago, IL<br />
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Other online sources for the year<br />
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Peach Tree<br />
Penn State Industries.<br />
toolbarn.com<br />
acmetools.com<br />
McMaster-Carr<br />
Brusso Hardware<br />
Lost Art Press<br />
Mortise and Tenon Magazine<br />
Rude Mechanicals Press<br />
Abe Books<br />
VXB Bearing<br />
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There are two notable absences: Lie-Nielsen and Lee Valley. I even surprised myself when I went back through the files. I guess this means I have all the tools. :)<br />
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<br />S. Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157071694662201118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2151813090250910022.post-11944538334319966582017-12-30T16:36:00.000-08:002017-12-30T16:36:18.115-08:002017 A Tale Of Two Cities, And All The Stuff I Bought In BetweenIt has been my custom since starting this blog to list every (most?) vendor that sucked the yearly woodworking budget. Even though I have not posted since February 2017, a lot has actually happened.<br />
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Let us digress for a moment. Why haven't I been posting? Two excuses come to mind. First, it is time consuming and I seem to have less time for spend. Second, the world has gone to video. Everyone expects a Youtube channel and/or hours of live streaming every week. Woodworking is an enjoyable hobby for me. I want to keep it that way. Also, I have the perfect face for radio and the perfect voice for print. This blog about me growing in woodworking (and my other hobbies). I do not believe I have anything interesting to actually <u>teach</u> people if I go to video. Most of the footage would be of me sitting on a saw bench figuring the next problem.<br />
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Let us regress? Ingress? Ungress? Mow grass? Whatever.<br />
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Back on topic; where my money went in 2017.<br />
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By far, most of my money went to attending <a href="https://www.benchcrafted.com/handworks.co/" target="_blank">Handworks in Amana Iowa</a>, and the <a href="https://www.lie-nielsen.com/hand-tool-events/USA/197" target="_blank">Lie-Nielsen open house</a> in Warren, Maine. Warning to anyone from a big city: All roads not an Interstate in Maine are two lanes (or less). The residents all ride burros and Volvos--slowly--along those pathways. That is a humorous way to say that it is a different pace of life in Maine. <br />
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We made a vacation of the trip to Maine, stopping at Niagara Falls on the way. I Thoroughly enjoyed myself.<br />
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Here is the list of vendors that caught the remaining pennies. As usual, no attempt is made to quantify everything spent, but I often add tidbits I thinks might be interesting.<br />
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The big five:<br />
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<a href="https://www.highlandwoodworking.com/index.aspx" target="_blank">Highlandwoodworking</a><br />
<a href="https://www.lie-nielsen.com/" target="_blank">Lie-Nielsen</a> Picked up the honing guide, and a big arse pair of scissors as an impulse buy.<br />
<a href="http://www.leevalley.com/us/" target="_blank">Lee Valley</a><br />
<a href="https://www.woodcraft.com/" target="_blank">Woodcraft</a><br />
<a href="http://www.rockler.com/" target="_blank">Rockler</a><br />
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Below outfits are probably familiar to most woodworkers:<br />
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Amazon.com<br />
<a href="https://360woodworking.com/" target="_blank">360 woodworking</a><br />
<a href="https://www.mlcswoodworking.com/" target="_blank">MLCS</a><br />
<a href="https://lostartpress.com/" target="_blank">Lost Art Press</a><br />
<a href="https://www.klockit.com/" target="_blank">Klockit</a><a href="https://www.mortiseandtenonmag.com/" target="_blank">Mortise and Tenon Magazine</a><br />
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<br /></div>
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Off the beaten path:</div>
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<a href="http://cuwoodshop.com/home.php" target="_blank">CU Woodshop</a><br />
<a href="https://www.hovartercustomvise.com/" target="_blank">Hovarter</a> vx20 Bought a second one. Will detail in a future post.<br />
<a href="https://www.petergalbert.com/tools-for-measuring-and-sharpening/" target="_blank">Peter Galbert spindle caliper</a> Used it for the first time before writing this with great success.<br />
<a href="http://www.acmetools.com/" target="_blank">Acme tools</a><br />
<a href="https://www.albanycountyfasteners.com/" target="_blank">Albany County Fasteners</a> Great price on some solid brass fasteners!<br />
<a href="https://www.8020.net/" target="_blank">80/20</a> Inc.<br />
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The Garage Sale of the decade. HUH? Of course this begs an explanation. A man died this year. He was not known to me. He lived a dozen miles up the road. None of this is remarkable. What is remarkable is that the man lived into his nineties, and was a life long woodworker. Over 70 years he plied our hobby. <br />
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I dearly wish I could have known this man when he was alive. What a glorious opportunity it would have been to stand at his side and soak up whatever he cared to share.<br />
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I found out about him when the town had a garage sale weekend event. My phone slowly blew up as word spread about the woodworker whose shop was being liquidated for crazy prices. The man's retired daughter was trying to clean out the house and garage. Things were going for a song--and she knew it. But she wanted the stuff gone so she didn't have to deal with it.<br />
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All the really good stuff was gone by the time I arrived, but I managed to score some small finds. An Atkins saw sharper than the day it was made, a full set of drill bits taped together in a coffee can and some other oddments. I spent a lot of time walking around his shop, trying to get an idea how he worked. All the big stuff was still there, bright SOLD tags on all of it. I talked to his daughter to get some story. Eventually I offered to help her heft and tote whatever was left; she turned me down as a plethora of neighbors had already stepped up to help.<br />
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A great summary of the year 2017 is experience. The experiences in woodworking I've had this fine year are my valuable treasure.</div>
S. Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157071694662201118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2151813090250910022.post-73284228381500796382017-02-08T21:21:00.000-08:002017-02-08T21:21:08.372-08:00It Still Counts As Woodworking, Dammit<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDNUVggB7QvSD9e6WLf1FiRisoXXbrBRI-aNBFAQdMuqOroybi4pZfAi740Mufjb87LKtiv2uAjGuPDTyvsaZ_1h5bYZhUT6U6erzsRz_TYlIj0iSKDTvzaBPdYGsjZyjJIkyfZ73tpVQ7/s1600/L-train1-S.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDNUVggB7QvSD9e6WLf1FiRisoXXbrBRI-aNBFAQdMuqOroybi4pZfAi740Mufjb87LKtiv2uAjGuPDTyvsaZ_1h5bYZhUT6U6erzsRz_TYlIj0iSKDTvzaBPdYGsjZyjJIkyfZ73tpVQ7/s320/L-train1-S.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I'm part of Rustoleums <a href="https://creatorsstudio.chaordix.com/dashboard" target="_blank">Creator's Studio</a>. A recent challenge consisted of volunteering to test some Testor's products in a Valentine's Day themed craft. Above is my humble submission: The Love Train wine holder.<br />
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The assembly was done out of the scrap bin using pocket screws and dowels. I won't go into more detail as the picture should answer most questions.<br />
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I'm now going to chew down a large tree with my teeth and then change the oil outside in the snow wearing only swimming trunks.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp-NH8b7esaBXMkidu3T3NasqrIaDXI8FtbBRjIZT70RbvpgTrVgHXsfbrVrYI0itmbbnhqjI6CoaujtnJxOeNjzbLxlY4L5Lax7Qy6tOjx6orPLbUPW6r7wZZuQljIPc1qocaQSFsYejG/s1600/L-train2-S.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp-NH8b7esaBXMkidu3T3NasqrIaDXI8FtbBRjIZT70RbvpgTrVgHXsfbrVrYI0itmbbnhqjI6CoaujtnJxOeNjzbLxlY4L5Lax7Qy6tOjx6orPLbUPW6r7wZZuQljIPc1qocaQSFsYejG/s320/L-train2-S.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />S. Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157071694662201118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2151813090250910022.post-16598976279994788092017-01-03T19:14:00.000-08:002017-01-03T19:14:00.490-08:00Nearly a Year in the Making<a href="http://blog.greatlakeswoodshop.com/2016/04/on-vast-silent-majority.html" target="_blank">Last Spring</a> I did a post about how the blog was not all I naively hoped it would be. I have done a lot of woodworking and other stuff since then, even though the blog does not reflect it.<br />
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About the time of the above referenced blog entry, I started painting miniatures for gaming. I was quite the gamer as a kid, but funds, and life got in the way of it for a couple decades.<br />
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I thought I would post a picture of a creature I finished painting a couple nights ago.<br />
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The woodworking isn't going anywhere, but as I said nearly a year ago, I'm going to include other maker type stuff I work on. I can't wait to start my Steampunk rifle this Spring.<br />
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Without adieu, here is Spike, a troll:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB1w71WPpHqmDKizoz35s2VdR7535wgMAtg3-MD9RyztwiwQJhNsAMvdEmn9_TsP96HpwUjd8ZHJ3kU3PWK8vRUvmZLMLyRt66vatmmoHXEH5ODvj1tPhKodjIEr_SkvYF3cqHrtOjvGE1/s1600/troll-front-without-flash-S.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB1w71WPpHqmDKizoz35s2VdR7535wgMAtg3-MD9RyztwiwQJhNsAMvdEmn9_TsP96HpwUjd8ZHJ3kU3PWK8vRUvmZLMLyRt66vatmmoHXEH5ODvj1tPhKodjIEr_SkvYF3cqHrtOjvGE1/s400/troll-front-without-flash-S.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spike Saying Hello.</td></tr>
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Here are a couple pictures with the flash engaged to really feature color and texture:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh733MH699IksptxCBIchyphenhyphenDJW-k6X7dG2eg7fQybfo04xyaXwLjvdV0cVv7_ri8CT7h6YusYvc9K85PD6O4CgVxw5G5aOE-UWJ0s-Xm8-J4swliMkfLsY_JPGWel_HXor4eHTNHJWb7IIKQ/s1600/troll-fron-with-flash-S.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh733MH699IksptxCBIchyphenhyphenDJW-k6X7dG2eg7fQybfo04xyaXwLjvdV0cVv7_ri8CT7h6YusYvc9K85PD6O4CgVxw5G5aOE-UWJ0s-Xm8-J4swliMkfLsY_JPGWel_HXor4eHTNHJWb7IIKQ/s320/troll-fron-with-flash-S.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRu49x6jUfspXRjU4ExDgf4p5pRKaIYDuxvkHAgSsRts2AmTNY9kArWsnjlUfs7h2my_gsww6zfXtruCSDA05UcooLeoL92hTCLDfEHTzGVMKPsI-rN0VaPS3YQCwoS1GTlWRsBC4WFsCf/s1600/troll-profile-with-flash-S.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRu49x6jUfspXRjU4ExDgf4p5pRKaIYDuxvkHAgSsRts2AmTNY9kArWsnjlUfs7h2my_gsww6zfXtruCSDA05UcooLeoL92hTCLDfEHTzGVMKPsI-rN0VaPS3YQCwoS1GTlWRsBC4WFsCf/s320/troll-profile-with-flash-S.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />S. Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157071694662201118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2151813090250910022.post-11716453231743855362017-01-03T18:57:00.001-08:002022-04-01T06:12:32.073-07:00Start Before Stop Against Stop Before Start: A Blind Cohort Study of Woodworking ProjectsFirst, I must apologize for the title. It will (somewhat) make sense by the end of this post. The purpose was to confuse Google to see if I'll ever be indexed in a scholarly article search. Call it my intellectual rage against the machine for 2016.<br />
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The question posed is valid: why do we, as hobbyist woodworkers, often start the next project before the current project is done? To make matters worse, there are often several starts, before the first stop!<br />
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In a production environment it only makes sense to have all assets utilized to their fullest potential. The constant flow of projects requires constant management to get all the square pegs confused with round holes (dark, cylindrical, 1 ech.) on the widget line. Let's call that sentence my second intellectual rage against the bureaucratic machine for 2016. Moving along. The hobbyist is supposed to enjoy the process, not the product, or so the conventional wisdom says.<br />
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Too often I find myself getting into ultra efficient production mode (that's what it looks like in my head--the shop, not so much) when planning shop projects. I recently had another one of those moments causing me to be more reflective on the approach I take toward this 'hobby'.<br />
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My main project is currently a Jefferson book stand, like the one appearing in the <a href="http://www.thirteen.org/programs/the-woodwrights-shop/thomas-jeffersons-bookstand/" target="_blank">Woodwright's</a> Shop. The project has about eleventy-gazillion mortise and tenon joints; I'm closing in on about half of them. So, to celebrate that milestone, I went and purchased more material: Ambrosia Maple to do a modern version of the book stand, MDF to do a giant shoe box to store shoes (duh!), Cherry to do a high smallish side table, and some regular maple to do a large bookcase.<br />
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I had to save a draft of this post for 'later'. In the interim I also bought some Poplar to make another six board chest because there is enough Ambrosia Maple left to make a cool lid for a chest. As of right now the first Jefferson book stand is where I left it, but in the interim I did make the giant shoe box, the six board chest (sans lid, because, you know, the 'real' project with the Ambrosia Maple is not done yet), a glockenspiel, and several other little things.<br />
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Back to the original point of stopping, read finishing, projects before starting other projects. I have to wonder if I'm alone in this, or is this behavior germane to the subspecies of human known as woodworker?<br />
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I have re-re-re-resolved to finish projects for which the material is on hand before starting other projects. Right now that includes two Jefferson book stands, a large bookcase, the lid for a six board chest, step stool, a high smallish side table in Cherry, and containers to transport and store miniature figures.<br />
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If you stumble on this blog post in your net quest for better woodworking, please drop an opinion on the best way to handle projects in hobby woodworking. Maybe someday we'll accumulate enough anecdotes to qualify as data, and thus a real study.S. Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157071694662201118noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2151813090250910022.post-76180601232243947132017-01-03T18:37:00.000-08:002017-01-03T18:37:01.082-08:002016 Damage ControlEvery year I make a post about where I spent my woodworking money for the year. This is just a list, sometimes with comments; it is not meant to be a budget report, or purchase advice. Simply stated, this is a yearly look at where my hobby money went.<div>
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The top of list this year is <a href="http://www.acmetools.com/" target="_blank">Acme Tool</a>. I purchased a drill press from them. That is all I will say for now.</div>
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The rest of the list:</div>
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<a href="http://amazon.com/">Amazon.com</a>. This year I purchased a lot of accessories from them.</div>
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<a href="https://www.lie-nielsen.com/" target="_blank">Lie-Nielsen Toolworks</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.leevalley.com/" target="_blank">Lee Valley</a>. I purchased more times from them this year than any other vendor, though all the purchases were in the 40-80 dollar range. This is odd mainly because Highland Woodworking fills this niche for me. I just needed more hardware this year and Highland is light on that.</div>
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<a href="http://cuwoodshop.com/home.php" target="_blank">Champaign/Urbana Woodshop</a>. They go by CU woodshop; neat double entendre.</div>
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<a href="https://crucibletool.com/" target="_blank">Crucible Tool</a>. I purchased the dividers and have been using them quite a bit.</div>
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<a href="http://www.woodcraft.com/" target="_blank">Woodcraft</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.rockler.com/" target="_blank">Rockler</a></div>
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Both Rockler and Woodcraft were off the list last year. However, Rockler opened a new store (Bolingbrook, IL) near my local Woodcraft (50 plus miles away) giving me incentive to hit both when I'm in the neighborhood. I actually purchased sizable quantities of wood from both this year.</div>
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<a href="http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/" target="_blank">Highland Woodworking</a>. A perennial favorite. Any Lie-Nielsen purchase not at a Lie-Nielsen tool event is made through Highland.</div>
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<a href="https://www.pennstateind.com/" target="_blank">Penn State Industries</a>. A new entrant on the list. <a href="http://blog.greatlakeswoodshop.com/2015/12/2015-hobo-hobby.html" target="_blank">Last year, from Acme Tools</a>, I picked up a lathe. Now I'm actually buying stuff to use with it.</div>
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<a href="http://www.knewconcepts.com/" target="_blank">Knew Concepts</a>. I know I have been remiss is keeping the blog updated. I just don't feel the imperative to write often when there isn't much of an audience. I got the 5" fret saw, I believe they call it. I'm not exaggerating in the least to say this little tool has been a game changer for me. I never knew coping could be so good. I intended to write extensively about the saw but never got around to it.</div>
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<a href="http://www.supertool.com/" target="_blank">Patrick Leach</a>. Pat is a bit of a victim of his own success. He now does so much volume that the quality of every item cannot be vouched for. My advice is to look carefully at the merch if you are buying at a show. By all accounts I've heard, contacting him directly on his site is the same quality it always has been.</div>
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<a href="https://www.storesupply.com/" target="_blank">Store Supply Warehouse</a>. Long story involving a lot of hats and a need to store them.</div>
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<a href="https://www.fastenal.com/" target="_blank">Fastenal</a>. Another new entrant to the list. I needed special metric parts for my band saw. Fastenal and McMaster-Carr were the only places that carried what I needed, and Fastenal had them in stock.</div>
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And now a mention for the places where I get most of my 'instruction' in woodworking:</div>
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<a href="http://www.thriftbooks.com/" target="_blank">thriftbooks</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.abebooks.com/" target="_blank">abebooks</a></div>
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<a href="https://lostartpress.com/" target="_blank">Lost Art Press</a></div>
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<a href="http://mortise-tenon-magazine.myshopify.com/" target="_blank">Mortise & Tenon Magazine</a>. I took one for the team when I bought issue one. Who'd a thunk I actually would love this yearly rag? Well, I do, and already ordered issue 2.</div>
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Though I have not listed it before, I again renewed my subscription to Popular Woodworking. </div>
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I'm sure I have forgotten a person or two.</div>
S. Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157071694662201118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2151813090250910022.post-76580802803737559502016-09-27T12:39:00.002-07:002016-09-29T14:03:41.799-07:00A Night Playing Free MasonThe following is basically a reply made to a post entitled Crucible Dividers on the Lost Art Press forums. Why waste a good bit of writing? EDIT: <i>Lost Art Press discontinued their forums the day after this post. As far as I can tell the referenced thread was deleted before they archived the forum <a href="https://muut.com/lostartpress" target="_blank">here</a></i>.<br />
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<a href="http://blog.greatlakeswoodshop.com/2016/09/wia-2016-short-course.html" target="_blank">Start here</a> to read about the acquisition of the <a href="https://crucibletool.com/collections/tools/products/crucible-improved-pattern-dividers" target="_blank">Crucible dividers</a>.<br />
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I used my Crucible dividers last night in my design book to draft plans for an outdoor announcement board. I normally use a set of miniature dividers in my design book because the scale is tiny compared to real furniture.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn9oJW82gBz_q_wTIizmqyPaQuT0fcUOke_acFCqlef7Z7XnKNbmpIf2ANayl3oJkWeu1vi-KlZpP1swH9cDD2VdfzjCeWmaw8tT30nZK0pVXftGB6RvwTLdnJJmiuXEAkUmLPShFYQGev/s1600/dividers-S.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn9oJW82gBz_q_wTIizmqyPaQuT0fcUOke_acFCqlef7Z7XnKNbmpIf2ANayl3oJkWeu1vi-KlZpP1swH9cDD2VdfzjCeWmaw8tT30nZK0pVXftGB6RvwTLdnJJmiuXEAkUmLPShFYQGev/s400/dividers-S.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crucible divider on top, my tiny drawing divider on bottom</td></tr>
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What follows is my initial impression after the <u>first</u> real use of the Crucible dividers.<br />
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First off, when you close the legs together completely, they are closed tight. I guess this is a feature after reading a comment on the Lost Art Press forums. The only downside to the positive lock feature is that opening the dividers one handed from 'home position' is difficult. I never carry dividers around in a pocket, so they are rarely closed all the way in my practice.<br />
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Once open, and the tension adjusted to <u>your</u> preference, the dividers are a joy to use. Trite, but true. For me, a 'joyful' use of something means it works without having to think too much about it.<br />
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The heft of the Crucible divider is just right for my grip. Not too flimsy, nor too weighty; you will know reflexively when the weight is in your hand, or on the work.<br />
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Using the dividers is free from obstruction or distraction. This deserves some explanation. <br />
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I have a few dividers with the wing swinging off to one side. Flipping a wing divider to step out some measurement requires some fairly dexterous hand movements to account for the wing. In short, you have to think about moving them. <br />
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[Note to self, edit this post to include pics of the other divider styles.]<br />
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I have another style of divider with the stem on top, like the grade school pencil compass. They have a lighter mass than the wing compass, and the stem is handy to hold on to when you flip them. However, the lower mass and round stem means that this style is almost always over rotated to the next step. At least for me. I'm sure stem compass experts will call me a dumbass and move on.<br />
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The Crucible divider does not have a stem, nor a wing. The top of the compass is almost too easy to flip end for end and land on a straight line. I had to teach myself to under think it. A simple flip with three fingers is all that is needed for precise placement of the compass; two fingers in a pinch (pun so intended). I believe with more practice only two fingers will be needed to effectively use this tool without thinking about it.<br />
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So, now you know why I say the tool is easy to use without obstruction, or distraction.<br />
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Now, for the downside. Precise setting of these dividers is a tad more difficult than I'm used to. I should note that I have the tension set fairly high on the tool because it is more important to me to <i>keep</i> the setting once arrived at than getting there to begin with.<br />
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I inevitably need micro adjustments when dialing in on half of something. A wing compass with the micro adjust knob does a great job of this. I'm sure I'll figure out a process with the Crucible dividers before too long. Remember, this was written after one evening's use and I do not have any dividers of this style already.<br />
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Compared to mega-store stamped steel crap, and the flush used market, the Crucible dividers are a pill to swallow at $120.00. For a high milling tolerance American made cottage tool, the price is a reasonable balance between Crucible keeping the lights on, and reaching as much of the wood working market as possible. In fact I'll buy another one if the tool works out as well as expected.S. Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157071694662201118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2151813090250910022.post-90401185915353951242016-09-21T20:00:00.001-07:002016-09-21T20:00:39.134-07:00WIA 2016 Short CourseI spent a brief time at Woodworking in America last week. I plan my attendance like anyone else: location, presenters, and budget. This year the location was close enough (Cincinatti-ish). However, the presenters were not intriguing enough to fork over the full conference fee.<br />
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So, I settled for show floor attendance and an overnight trip to the area. With a bonus. <a href="https://lostartpress.com/" target="_blank">Lost Art Press</a> founders John Hoffman and Chris Schwarz teamed up with Raney Nelson to create <a href="https://crucibletool.com/" target="_blank">Crucible tools</a>. They had a coming out party the Thursday night before WIA. I was opportunistic enough to get one of the free tickets to attend at the Lost Art Press storefront headquarters in Covington Kentucky.<br />
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The soiree was a veritable who's who of the woodworking world. I snapped a few photos and was going to talk about my experiences. After a bit of reflection, I decided that the people who were there are public enough without some schmuck like me posting their every move on the intratubes.<br />
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Crucible had a fair number of their monster sized holdfasts for sale. I'm building two benches in the coming months and seriously considered buying a couple. However, I'm already invested in the <a href="https://www.toolsforworkingwood.com/store/item/MS-HOLDFAST.XX/Holdfasts_by_Gramercy_Tools" target="_blank">Gramercy holdfasts</a>, which I love and have had zero problems using them.<br />
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Crucible had a second 'secret' tool they kept to themselves until the launch party. The second tool is (are?) <a href="https://crucibletool.com/collections/tools/products/crucible-improved-pattern-dividers" target="_blank">dividers</a>. As it happens, dividers were on my list of things to buy while in the market place. They only had a few of those to sell, so I decided to take the plunge and purchase one.<br />
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Why dividers? I have a fair number of them already, but I found that I still didn't have enough. I have an outside shop in the garage, an inside shop in the basement, and a desk area in the living room where I type these, and otherwise doodle around with my project design book. After just completing a bookcase based completely on proportions, the first take away from the experience is that I need appropriate dividers in all three areas. I found the same thing a long time ago with <a href="http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/procarpenter16leftandrightreadingtape.aspx" target="_blank">tape measures</a> and bought a half dozen from Highland to remedy the situation.<br />
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I'm reserving judgment on the Crucible dividers until I use them for a while. The tension is adjustable with a spanner bit, which is a good thing. But the fact you need to keep track of a small component is a bad thing. I already have an idea for a bit holder that fits on the top in rough footprint of a yo-yo.<br />
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I got a second divider from <a href="http://www.supertool.com/" target="_blank">Patrick Leach</a> for 25 bucks; the original intention was to get everything from Patrick. A couple booths down from Patrick was a tool collectors association--I don't remember the name. The tool collector's had a bin of random user tools for 5 bucks each; I scored a Buck Brothers chisel with a custom long handle. I'm sure Patrick didn't appreciate the garage sale merch so close to his stuff. Snicker.<br />
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Here is a pic of my scant haul:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx28P3zR9FNdfraqd3ZkVk2CFTccecgdDDcuQaaKS3hd-XC_JLdvDpoT1J6KSJ39iKGsPq5o_mTUUDia1cTHEII69_6wgGDwGLzN5MVGuQzJTIVhAN4qFsesMeP5o64Xz_au917r4pcshm/s1600/WIA2016haul-S.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx28P3zR9FNdfraqd3ZkVk2CFTccecgdDDcuQaaKS3hd-XC_JLdvDpoT1J6KSJ39iKGsPq5o_mTUUDia1cTHEII69_6wgGDwGLzN5MVGuQzJTIVhAN4qFsesMeP5o64Xz_au917r4pcshm/s320/WIA2016haul-S.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
The marketplace was smaller than in past years. That is good because you get more quality time with the vendors. A small marketplace is bad in general for the vendors. Hopefully future incarnations will be more...populated.<br />
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I'm not sure if I'll attend WIA next year either as I've decided to save up to take a woodworking class in 2017. I'll end this post here as it is already too long. Maybe I'll write something about my quest for the perfect woodworking class.S. Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157071694662201118noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2151813090250910022.post-16313616377791666452016-08-13T19:27:00.001-07:002016-08-13T19:33:20.068-07:00First Time For EverythingI have blogged for years without posting any pictures of myself. I always figured that there was enough narcissism in the mere presence of the blog. Pictures of myself would only be grandstanding on top of the other content.<br />
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Today I was in Covington Kentucky at the new Lost Art Press <a href="https://blog.lostartpress.com/2016/07/20/come-help-make-roubo-as-perfect-as-possible/" target="_blank">storefront</a> to help edit the next Roubo volume. During the process I discovered a couple original Roubo errors. Chris had to break out the source books that started it all to verify a mistake. John Hoffman (the silent partner in Lost Art Press) snapped a photo of me holding all three of the source volumes. My comment: they are remarkably heavy.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFNspY15xys4SE6iHAtAzY7lfe5XsEuVsWhXQP5-wfX2N_ymnZ4Y9BpB5GUgTc-ADZI-TtWEGu0PpZBu29AcoiHDdfmiOiMdvx6x4eB7WJasLW_mvlIzO7EBUyL9AAyIpNpuUH2doYn1Ny/s1600/HoldingRoubo-S.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFNspY15xys4SE6iHAtAzY7lfe5XsEuVsWhXQP5-wfX2N_ymnZ4Y9BpB5GUgTc-ADZI-TtWEGu0PpZBu29AcoiHDdfmiOiMdvx6x4eB7WJasLW_mvlIzO7EBUyL9AAyIpNpuUH2doYn1Ny/s320/HoldingRoubo-S.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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I ended the day with some apple ale, pizza, and some LAP product. Since I broke ground with a personal picture, I might as well go whole hog down the narcissism hole. I spent about half my time editing sitting on the recently completed Roman 8-legged workbench:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZgYAnI0KVB5oGeUUwgAUnMz-Xtk_IKm4GmkMF_of2cPFIGgwuGwAEet8gygjI3WppxiiOvbuQv9oqwIvcYn0KWjinMU-yJjuOh6kNZjbSwTJmg50set12sZSDjOze4HOHl-5YPd2c3Gd9/s1600/RomanBench-S.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZgYAnI0KVB5oGeUUwgAUnMz-Xtk_IKm4GmkMF_of2cPFIGgwuGwAEet8gygjI3WppxiiOvbuQv9oqwIvcYn0KWjinMU-yJjuOh6kNZjbSwTJmg50set12sZSDjOze4HOHl-5YPd2c3Gd9/s320/RomanBench-S.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Note, the red Solo cup is NOT mine. The height is extremely close to the height of my own two saw benches; I was quite comfortable sitting on the Roman bench. Obviously, it is solid enough for 4 of me to dance on it. Now there's a visual on which to end this note.S. Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157071694662201118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2151813090250910022.post-5280743352601415512016-04-26T08:27:00.000-07:002016-04-26T08:27:32.973-07:00On The (Vast) Silent MajorityI have been on the Internet since the early days. By luck of birth and predilection, I get to say, "I was there when..." The woodworking thing came many years later.<br />
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This post is on the differences in online verbosity between the general woodworker and the general technical professional.<br />
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I peruse a number of woodworking and technical sites on a weekly basis. Frequent thoughtful (and not so much so) posting on tech sites is the norm. In stark contrast are the woodworking sites. My experience is that 20 responses to some posted content is a banner event.<br />
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There are, of course, exceptions. The forums at <a href="http://lumberjocks.com/">Lumberjocks.com</a> must be mentioned as one such exception. <br />
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When I started blogging, I naturally assumed that like minded folks would stumble upon the blog and offer comments. A very naive assumption. There are many reasons for the differences in loquaciousness between techies and woodworkers, but I believe the biggest issue is community size. There are simply a lot more techies than woodworkers and techies by their nature are online all the time. <br />
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Enough sociological rambling. The point I'm getting at is what for me is a natural medium of communication--online exchange--is not for most other folks, woodworkers included. <br />
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My naive desire for an interactive woodworking blogging venture has necessarily changed to become more of a public diary to myself. The focus always has been on learning woodworking, featuring the mistakes made on the way and that is not going to change. I am, however, going to branch out into other areas of Making. Did I just turn a verb into a noun? One more try: I am, however, going to expand blog coverage into other areas of craft and making. I may not be very talented, but I do try a lot of different things.<br />
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Woodworking is not going away, in fact, I just pulled a splinter from the side of my thumb that must have got there last night. In addition to woodworking, I'll post other projects that are worked on. Party on, Garth!S. Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157071694662201118noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2151813090250910022.post-88936231164168649582016-04-26T08:00:00.001-07:002016-04-26T08:00:41.478-07:00Heavy SighSometimes I wonder why I stick with this woodworking thing. I'm working on a very large crosscut sled for the table saw. This beast is nothing fancy, just 24"X40" of sliding plywood and two fences.<br />
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Unfortunately, the critical rear fence has eluded me. Here is the second attempt:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX-GoCoptvrbw8FF1bfhSDXkbkI9luUXwujCq3AzWHuUuwpqbPJdBd4Xq3nNlzurDw-Cgz7e_CQ0E-xji8QZTVskrZGk5Ja2WX3s2_oR2QnHGHeqXuWePPDEQ7X8aLGcH0Y9qYp_ThZt59/s1600/FailedFence-S.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX-GoCoptvrbw8FF1bfhSDXkbkI9luUXwujCq3AzWHuUuwpqbPJdBd4Xq3nNlzurDw-Cgz7e_CQ0E-xji8QZTVskrZGk5Ja2WX3s2_oR2QnHGHeqXuWePPDEQ7X8aLGcH0Y9qYp_ThZt59/s400/FailedFence-S.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
The plywood was not straight after gluing the halves together, but I didn't expect it to be so. I originally purchased an aluminum angle to serve as a stiffener/straightener. The plywood had other plans as the aluminum angle was deformed to conform to the fence shape. <br />
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The next step was to buy a piece of steel to serve in place of the aluminum. The plywood won again as you can see. What you can't see are the six screws trying to hold it in place.<br />
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At this point I'm looking for other options. Maybe I'll hit Google/youtube to see what others are doing. This afternoon project has turned into a multi-day fiasco. So, I'll close as I began. Heavy sigh.S. Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157071694662201118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2151813090250910022.post-25152127861600251172016-03-27T19:09:00.001-07:002016-03-27T19:09:33.531-07:00Sharp Shop ApplianceI attended the <a href="https://www.lie-nielsen.com/hand-tool-events/USA/108" target="_blank">Lie-Nielsen event in Chicago</a> recently. I have not decided if I'm going to write up my experience yet. However, I am going to talk about the single item I purchased at the show: The new Lie-Nielsen <a href="https://www.lie-nielsen.com/product/honing-guide-bladesstandard" target="_blank">honing guide</a>. There are ample (and better) pictures in the link, so I won't bore you here with more. However, what LN does not show is the jig you can create with the instructions included with the honing guide. Here is the jig I created:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixKgiEbnyz3bbR9slxpigbIKzFeRQAbcnVvG7NM2NY_xrAO2K7sg-CDwL2vrXmJ6PPbqZzYI6m0XUGiflxl_ehvoeRqEWZcJOM6ACIjNd66k7vdU99iY3A8uiiDKx0Xu0Cd3dxYxyWf9KP/s1600/LN-HoningBlock-S.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixKgiEbnyz3bbR9slxpigbIKzFeRQAbcnVvG7NM2NY_xrAO2K7sg-CDwL2vrXmJ6PPbqZzYI6m0XUGiflxl_ehvoeRqEWZcJOM6ACIjNd66k7vdU99iY3A8uiiDKx0Xu0Cd3dxYxyWf9KP/s400/LN-HoningBlock-S.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The space behind the instruction booklet is going to be a small strop. Use will determine if the strop is a stupid idea.<br />
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I actually put some thought into the blocks. The most used angles by far are 30, and 25 degrees. I have yet to use 50, 35, or 40 degree angles.<br />
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I placed 25, and 30 degree blocks in the middle so that they would be the most protected from mishap and so I would have holding area to either side for use with the honing guide.<br />
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I have a similar jig for use with the cheesy $15 side clamping guide available all over the place. That experience went into making version 2.0 here. Even though I have the new precision guide, and associated jig 2.0, I have no plans to get rid of the old system. It is always good to have a backup.<br />
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This sort of project is ready made for a CNC carver, or 3D printer. Unfortunately, I do not own either device, so I'm stuck with plywood and Kreg screws.S. Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157071694662201118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2151813090250910022.post-30159145439917774712016-03-20T19:47:00.000-07:002016-03-21T08:12:21.356-07:00Book Review: Mortise & Tenon Magazine, Issue 1<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-65KSLEstjyAch7UBKer0PbTF_jSp0ZgmthluNwsXGdOPIGuX3bYuou0hkIKUBFFUnirVTMVNXj2uG_uew8hz4z7f_LMyeuFagdo7l_sHOgPS-BijRwnvSyLEYYWg-E4K_1V68UBppyqR/s1600/M%2526TCover-cropped-S.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-65KSLEstjyAch7UBKer0PbTF_jSp0ZgmthluNwsXGdOPIGuX3bYuou0hkIKUBFFUnirVTMVNXj2uG_uew8hz4z7f_LMyeuFagdo7l_sHOgPS-BijRwnvSyLEYYWg-E4K_1V68UBppyqR/s320/M%2526TCover-cropped-S.jpg" width="250" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cover</td></tr>
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The much anticipated new addition to the print woodworking community has finally shipped. It is the brain child of Joshua A. Klein and <a href="http://mortiseandtenonmag.com/" target="_blank">Mortise & Tenon Magazine</a> is his labor of love. My first impression of the packaging and presentation is classy all the way.<br />
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Under the mundane plastic mailer is a kraft paper wrapped present and a few real plane shavings. An introductory note and wax seal are your first clue that Mortise & Tenon is not the usual fare.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEXEbGh92zQ8f9O4ypyg00SaTPrB20ZMxpJIL_bNi4kd41iqTZhwbHUrExTPPfS2aHYU_vMwYbs06PYyKEfCBRq5jXsxCAAf4U6dDe9sTrZw_pmsU3q0IO_lpNXt_IwIyVgxvtA6s-bULY/s1600/M%2526TMag1-S.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEXEbGh92zQ8f9O4ypyg00SaTPrB20ZMxpJIL_bNi4kd41iqTZhwbHUrExTPPfS2aHYU_vMwYbs06PYyKEfCBRq5jXsxCAAf4U6dDe9sTrZw_pmsU3q0IO_lpNXt_IwIyVgxvtA6s-bULY/s320/M%2526TMag1-S.jpg" width="178" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Out Of the Plastic Bag</td></tr>
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The above photo is exactly as I removed the contents from the mailer. I have no idea if the plan is go to this level of customization for future mailings, but I found it a great touch for the inaugural issue. Here is a picture of note:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimH7DOWtSdWmK1uWbw3Z29_HV4BrAkJwPfYCz2Z7EWvZKpZm6UEKPBXZAMGHLk1FSYjT5BuMwr1xqxwNllyBXh7B2w6IyE_0q7dBFkGsHkptBfRNTIApYiRah9hdja2IlGtpq3B0QuHFts/s1600/M%2526TMag2-S.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimH7DOWtSdWmK1uWbw3Z29_HV4BrAkJwPfYCz2Z7EWvZKpZm6UEKPBXZAMGHLk1FSYjT5BuMwr1xqxwNllyBXh7B2w6IyE_0q7dBFkGsHkptBfRNTIApYiRah9hdja2IlGtpq3B0QuHFts/s1600/M%2526TMag2-S.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marquis Notice</td></tr>
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No detail was overlooked. The red splotch on the bottom right is an actual wax seal. Look carefully inside the seal:</div>
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The first impression after reading the magazine through once is that this is a content steak with a loaded content baked potato side, some content carrots, and content apple sauce for a sweet after taste.</div>
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There are no ads in the magazine main body. For 139 pages you will find nothing but articles. There is a sponsor directory at the end, but even here it is tastefully done and separate from the content.</div>
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Defining M&T is best done with the publisher's (and layout editor, and content editor, and janitor) own words: "<i>The Emphasis of M&T is an unabashed celebration of pre-industrial woodworking</i>". The emphasis is on the research, not the nuts and bolts (screws and dowels?). There are no cut lists, or measured drawings typical of a contemporary woodworking magazine. Joshua does not preclude such things in the future, but in the context of research to revive the past, not to get click-thrus, or newsstand eyeballs.</div>
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After a couple of interviews is a technical article titled "<i>Analysis of a Federal Boston Secretary</i>". It is not a 'how to build' piece, however with the provided dimensions and a set of dividers, enough information is present for you to recreate this piece. </div>
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My favorite article is from one of my favorite authors, George Walker. He talks of the mighty string and it's less agile cousins; I'll leave it at that, enigmatic on purpose. </div>
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If you are reading this, then you have seen that I'm the Pragmatic Woodworker. My general emphasis is on building what I want/need when I want/need it. I will never be any kind of wood scholar, I'm not even sure I'll ever learn enough to confidently pass on to another. That said, I really did enjoy the first issue of Mortise & Tenon magazine. Of course, not every article struck a chord with me, but enough did to convince me to be a regular subscriber.</div>
S. Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157071694662201118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2151813090250910022.post-61003080818592854682016-03-20T15:23:00.000-07:002016-03-20T15:23:39.610-07:00Prayer For The ShopNow I leave the shop to sleep<br />
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I pray the Lord my tools to keep<br />
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If they should rust before I wake<br />
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I pray the Lord the oxide to take<br />
<br />S. Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157071694662201118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2151813090250910022.post-44533886156874759362016-02-07T15:52:00.000-08:002016-02-07T15:52:07.813-08:00Free Rein!Not long ago the folks over at Lost Art Press offered up a graphic with limited permission for personal use. The graphic is a French marriage mark that graces the cover of the <i><a href="http://lostartpress.com/collections/books/products/the-anarchists-design-book" target="_blank">Anarchist Design Book</a></i>. The files can be found on the LAP blog <a href="http://blog.lostartpress.com/2016/01/24/never-mind-the-bollocks-heres-the-source-files/#comments" target="_blank">here</a>.<div>
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A marriage mark is simply something you draw on mating pieces of wood to make sure you can line them up reliably any time you need to. I use a series of straight lines or a simple exaggerated 'greater than' symbol: >. I guess my penmanship is as bad as my woodworking. Sigh.</div>
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Back to the purpose of this post. I took the granted liberty of the graphic and went a little bit further with it.</div>
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Without further preamble, here is my ode to the (so far) two volumes of the Anarchist series:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgslujaMyjYWwwwV4E6xTDJagoedOztgnOpMk8EzYN76ORD8NaQPGjusrNRXyF7aQWcskTSVZbrfJtf8V-AA7ALYs2P_cFZ8mDlx8M5JKyKGUarT029iuha1zREr0S1s3cPJufVbEVyNzc7/s1600/LAPgreenshirt-S.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgslujaMyjYWwwwV4E6xTDJagoedOztgnOpMk8EzYN76ORD8NaQPGjusrNRXyF7aQWcskTSVZbrfJtf8V-AA7ALYs2P_cFZ8mDlx8M5JKyKGUarT029iuha1zREr0S1s3cPJufVbEVyNzc7/s1600/LAPgreenshirt-S.jpg" /></a></div>
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I had a second one made in black. I like the green better.</div>
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It should be pretty obvious, but I like a shirt in a size that LAP does not offer.</div>
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Finally, even though it is very obvious, I'm stating directly that this shirt is NOT a Lost Art Press product. This shirt is NOT for sale by me. </div>
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I have not yet purchased the Anarchist Design Book; the $47 price tag is a tad high while I'm saving for the first two <a href="http://lostartpress.com/collections/books/products/the-woodworker-the-charles-hayward-years" target="_blank">Hayward volumes</a>. I really can't wait to get the Hayward volumes to the point where I'm literally saving lunch money. :) In addition to the Hayward books, I'm eagerly awaiting the second LAP Roubo book. I'll content myself with the shirts until the ADB is in my grubby mitts. </div>
S. Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157071694662201118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2151813090250910022.post-13032659686802735702015-12-22T17:53:00.001-08:002015-12-22T18:01:12.341-08:002015 Hobo HobbyEvery year I publish a list of where all my woodworking hobby money was spent. This year saw purchases from three continents as well as the more mundane domestic suppliers. Through Etsy I sourced some hardware and other supplies from folks in England, USA, and Indonesia.<br />
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I don't list everything purchased, but may add commentary including product, or experiences.<br />
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<a href="http://www.acmetools.com/" target="_blank">Acme tools</a> Picked up a Nova midi lathe; no idea what to do with it. Amazon and the like may have instant ecommerce down to a science, but at Acme tools you can still talk to a real person, real quick.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/" target="_blank">Amazon</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.czeckedge.com/" target="_blank">Czeck</a> edge Love my carbide marking knife in olive wood.<br />
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<a href="http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/" target="_blank">Highland Woodworking</a> You may notice that neither Rockler, or Woodcraft are on the list this year. Highland has taken the place of both in my purchasing habits. <br />
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<a href="http://www.homedepot.com/" target="_blank">Home Depot</a> Both my Porter Cable drill and driver quit within two weeks of each other after only 5 years of service. I've decided to go with the Ridgid tool line due to their lifetime warranty. Registering for the extended warranty is a mildly painful process; time will tell if it is worth it.<br />
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<a href="http://www.shopwoodworking.com/" target="_blank">Shop woodworking</a> An unfortunate name, but they have a lot of great stuff for woodworkers.<br />
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<a href="http://www.mcmaster.com/" target="_blank">McMaster-Carr</a> I seem to be getting more hardware from them every year.<br />
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<a href="http://www.horton-brasses.com/" target="_blank">Horton Brasses</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.houseofantiquehardware.com/" target="_blank">House of Antique Hardware</a><br />
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/" target="_blank">Etsy</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.theoldhardwarestore.com/" target="_blank">The Old Hardware Store</a> Picked up a pair of authentic Elizebethan pulls for a Steampunk bookcase that I'm building. This is the most expensive piece I've ever built solely due to all the hardware that goes into it. The wood itself was only like 40 bucks.<br />
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<a href="http://cuwoodshop.com/home.php" target="_blank">CU Woodshop</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.blacksmithbolt.com/" target="_blank">Blacksmith Bolt</a> I've known about them for a couple years, but my first order was only a month or so ago. <br />
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<a href="http://www.mlcswoodworking.com/" target="_blank">MLCS</a><br />
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<a href="http://lostartpress.com/" target="_blank">Lost Art Press</a> I just finished the Virtuoso Studley book; look for a review soon<br />
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<a href="https://www.lie-nielsen.com/" target="_blank">Lie-Nielsen</a><br />
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<a href="https://mhcrafters.com/" target="_blank">MH Crafters</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.leevalley.com/us/home.aspx?c=2" target="_blank">Lee Valley</a><br />
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<a href="https://www.toolsforworkingwood.com/" target="_blank">Tools for Working wood</a> Picked up another set of holdfasts for a bench I'm building.<br />
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<a href="http://www.ptreeusa.com/" target="_blank">Peachtree woodworking</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.bridgecitytools.com/" target="_blank">Bridge City Tool Works</a> Bridge city is not really a business in the traditional sense, but it works for them and I love my square.<br />
<br />S. Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157071694662201118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2151813090250910022.post-50466857195550867432015-11-19T20:01:00.002-08:002015-11-19T20:01:50.915-08:00Dutch Goes DigitalA <a href="http://blog.greatlakeswoodshop.com/2014/01/2013-dutch-tool-chest-completed.html" target="_blank">while ago</a>, I built my first Dutch Tool Chest. I have been working out of that chest ever since. That may sound impressive, but two successive shoulder surgeries have REALLY curtailed my productivity over the past two years. <br />
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I even built a second Dutch chest since the first--look for a full write up some time in the future. One thing I did not do was put the lid on the first Dutch chest. I've had a panel glued up and painted since the the first chest was finished, but I never applied the hardware and hinges. I couldn't stand putting a board on top of the otherwise completed chest any longer, so tonight I put the hardware on the darn thing--with a twist:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPOwxVZeL-ttUTSgTbz5a30cHWqPBTqUfz266tS8XGgkUoXeLpmSem6ZbXIiSEpTfVGMKFSsVbccPf3_IbDInkrJqGG296hKuS4UwfiVzJ_vkNry0U_qzvh9w_buB3duGR97iE8Vnyf-Wo/s1600/TopClosed-S.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPOwxVZeL-ttUTSgTbz5a30cHWqPBTqUfz266tS8XGgkUoXeLpmSem6ZbXIiSEpTfVGMKFSsVbccPf3_IbDInkrJqGG296hKuS4UwfiVzJ_vkNry0U_qzvh9w_buB3duGR97iE8Vnyf-Wo/s320/TopClosed-S.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
The rails to the left and right are battens. I was going to put the battens in the usual place on the bottom, but at the very edge of the lid so they would act as a dust shield of sorts. Unfortunately, I didn't leave enough room for comfort for the battens to do their job. Putting the battens further inboard on the bottom would also impinge on my plan for that tool space. So, I figured to dress them up and put them on top. <br />
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While working on the more eye friendly battens, an idea occurred to me to use the rest of the space for more than decoration. Above you see the fruition of my idea. I placed a ledge on the lid to hold books, papers, or my tablet.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgba23FdkPI7GLMZNVQBEJ0UkIN-m6kvcnW5L-Vd7iOm_1U-gI9qWf_pkV4pLbyFIVdcqjHcX9jc4swDcQjKyYTenUxBTwzArhBXMjPAfkuvUysPUbO5Fj6mnwFFKByIMZYp-CpfDqwRnzX/s1600/TopClosed2-S.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgba23FdkPI7GLMZNVQBEJ0UkIN-m6kvcnW5L-Vd7iOm_1U-gI9qWf_pkV4pLbyFIVdcqjHcX9jc4swDcQjKyYTenUxBTwzArhBXMjPAfkuvUysPUbO5Fj6mnwFFKByIMZYp-CpfDqwRnzX/s320/TopClosed2-S.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I will put one on my second tool chest as well, I believe.<br />
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Here is a shot of the open lid:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu7SGxNQbHwpF1F8QjQvQv2xwFBlwozaj6FBoCjiv6BzTSFluw7q2hwaWANl53RlEIyTfj0HBZzBxjPp-ZdD6UqoahPcRcCbS0It4Ia12po5gtHHZgLdzl160fqdaLjoIfcOXAdyYAwyJs/s1600/TopOpen-S.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu7SGxNQbHwpF1F8QjQvQv2xwFBlwozaj6FBoCjiv6BzTSFluw7q2hwaWANl53RlEIyTfj0HBZzBxjPp-ZdD6UqoahPcRcCbS0It4Ia12po5gtHHZgLdzl160fqdaLjoIfcOXAdyYAwyJs/s320/TopOpen-S.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I think the next big tool storage project will a <a href="http://lostartpress.com/products/the-anarchists-tool-chest" target="_blank">Schwarz</a> style Anarchist Tool Chest, but I'm in no hurry to build it.S. Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157071694662201118noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2151813090250910022.post-66347290957145953682015-07-15T17:02:00.000-07:002015-07-30T17:25:31.399-07:00Handworks 2015: Where Rhetoric Fails...pictures must tell the tale.<br />
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One of the highlights of my year was attending Handworks 2015 in Amana, Iowa. I'm late to the party as far as writing about Handworks is concerned. If you have followed any other bloggers, then you know that they have all been unfailingly positive, even giddy, in their coverage of the event. Well, I'm here to add, unnecessarily, that they are all correct in their praise.<br />
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The physical environment of the main exhibition venue is a real barn, replete with straw bales and, of course, no air conditioning. The Barn combined with an excited press of humanity at every booth is a recipe for an electric atmosphere. I tried to get pictures without the crowd in them, which in hindsight was silly, I guess, because the number and quality of pictures are low.<br />
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Again I will complain about my lack of a real camera and apologize for the quality of the photos. There are a lot more pictures that didn't even make the cut of even my low standards for this post.<br />
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My first stop was to see <a href="https://www.vespertools.com.au/" target="_blank">Chris Vesper</a>. I've been teasing him via email for several months to make an infill aluminum square--he has no intentions as of Handworks 2015 of indulging my request. I say 'tease', but I really do want one and would buy an aluminum infill square in a heartbeat.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7TgLjpwKe1y61aPS8-8yzrwI-E5Ix_8C0Bx6yen-Yf1r_onGwV7M7hnGFq-wcDcQ5GnrXUgpMM1p6S3LtVu7AcL6wYNIDPSsbSNuwk3N7_Lu9un6JEr5WUV7j_33AOJsPcgUx9QMeKp2W/s1600/Vesper1-S.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7TgLjpwKe1y61aPS8-8yzrwI-E5Ix_8C0Bx6yen-Yf1r_onGwV7M7hnGFq-wcDcQ5GnrXUgpMM1p6S3LtVu7AcL6wYNIDPSsbSNuwk3N7_Lu9un6JEr5WUV7j_33AOJsPcgUx9QMeKp2W/s320/Vesper1-S.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFPx7oZoHU2NfW9jkNriSbEyWZvFF5xHUWqencva8hWOw8B6isIw-R75YjrW7nrnbNSA8a5dRCx-NeCpMidTpAmdtEQZ_v0bPJaFxZ-KM72_CVlm__tx01ycBWOKimtNelMKc3FSe17F8L/s1600/Vesper2-S.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFPx7oZoHU2NfW9jkNriSbEyWZvFF5xHUWqencva8hWOw8B6isIw-R75YjrW7nrnbNSA8a5dRCx-NeCpMidTpAmdtEQZ_v0bPJaFxZ-KM72_CVlm__tx01ycBWOKimtNelMKc3FSe17F8L/s320/Vesper2-S.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I spent some time with <a href="http://www.furnituremaking.com/" target="_blank">Jeff Miller</a> both days of the event. Jeff really likes sharing what he knows. He has a lot of insight into all major aspects of woodworking: power tools, hand tools, and the all important business side. If you are not acquainted with Jeff, I highly encourage you to look into what he has to offer.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPrUkipeVPo2MasiYOzEarcjlylpvvDKeMi8syjWH8_97LDB8___YmoJ3lb6ShOFRmKOuvnNR5OKZ5HN5YBjK59EyT6eFDWLRLhfNBLKWtXaRwIBtyRidC1lsuZHpdcuz1n4P5HHomkfny/s1600/JeffMiller1-S.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPrUkipeVPo2MasiYOzEarcjlylpvvDKeMi8syjWH8_97LDB8___YmoJ3lb6ShOFRmKOuvnNR5OKZ5HN5YBjK59EyT6eFDWLRLhfNBLKWtXaRwIBtyRidC1lsuZHpdcuz1n4P5HHomkfny/s320/JeffMiller1-S.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL5I3CmOWTyYSlJIN438E8VKSvcP8fOVCLFGMFazjGzfqTohTqvrr-wY6Dd-IapV6ztztLWAm4gPoMX6x_aaQm5f7OncBgz_U12UFhSKe_8awXXU_Co-SYEEyOBib5nIGgTAoKan9E_z3M/s1600/JeffMiller2-S.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL5I3CmOWTyYSlJIN438E8VKSvcP8fOVCLFGMFazjGzfqTohTqvrr-wY6Dd-IapV6ztztLWAm4gPoMX6x_aaQm5f7OncBgz_U12UFhSKe_8awXXU_Co-SYEEyOBib5nIGgTAoKan9E_z3M/s320/JeffMiller2-S.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Next to the little guy from down under (Chris Vesper) was Blue Spruce Toolworks. They really have a lot of nice looking stuff. By all accounts I've heard/read, it is very high quality, too. I only own one of their tools so I can't really comment from a personal perspective.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGN0uLUdLmLwT8_bJM-sVoaYg-QXzHWDH910b_1VeHJy8T19kdkzW-ppmb93yRoHwxj3-G9msA4WoYQ5oQjvDisAfkXmW_au911qOjzXaJefh9fNA1DSZ47-yzoAvu1J4zZXQlbYJc8IRJ/s1600/BlueSpruce2-S.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGN0uLUdLmLwT8_bJM-sVoaYg-QXzHWDH910b_1VeHJy8T19kdkzW-ppmb93yRoHwxj3-G9msA4WoYQ5oQjvDisAfkXmW_au911qOjzXaJefh9fNA1DSZ47-yzoAvu1J4zZXQlbYJc8IRJ/s320/BlueSpruce2-S.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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In a different exhibit hall--the name escapes me--was <a href="https://www.marymaycarving.com/carvingschool/" target="_blank">Mary May</a>, renowned wood carver, and Mike Siemsen's School of Woodworking. I've <a href="http://blog.greatlakeswoodshop.com/2014/12/the-ultimate-leather-tool-roll-that.html" target="_blank">gushed</a> about Mary May before, so I won't repeat myself here.<br />
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Mike Siemsen's <a href="http://www.schoolofwood.com/" target="_blank">school</a> is about 8 hours away by car from me so theoretically, I can take a class there some day. They have a lot to offer, but so far the funding has not been present to take formal woodworking classes. Sigh. They were doing a 'live' build of a Nicholson workbench over the two days. I took a bunch of pictures of it, but for some reason they all were washed out. Here are the three photos that came out well:<br />
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I missed an opportunity when I stopped by the <a href="http://www.phillyplanes.co.uk/" target="_blank">Philly Planes</a> booth. <a href="http://thekiltedwoodworker.com/" target="_blank">The Kilted Woodworker</a>, Ethan Sincox, was staffing the table at the time. I only recently made the connection when I read his account of Handworks. I've been toiling away at woodworking alone for years now. It is about time I reach out to other woodworkers to expand my horizons. A cold call email is a tough way to break the ice. Oh well, there will be other opportunities to end the isolation, I'm sure.<br />
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I will be doing dedicated posts to other aspects of Handworks. I'll have a lot of time on my hands starting in August after I go under the knife for my shoulder again. My hope is that I'll be able to catch up on all the draft blog posts in the queue.<br />
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S. Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157071694662201118noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2151813090250910022.post-5932439384456535522015-04-06T14:16:00.000-07:002015-04-06T14:16:01.505-07:00First Visit to The Wood Working ShowsIn January I attended my first ever <a href="http://www.thewoodworkingshows.com/" target="_blank">The Wood Working Shows</a> in Indianapolis, Indiana (USA). Before now my woodworking show experience has been confined to <a href="http://www.woodworkinginamerica.com/" target="_blank">Woodworking in America</a> (WIA). Even though every WIA I have attended has been great, I made a conscious effort to evaluate the Indianapolis show on it's own merits.<br />
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My first impression of the show was "interesting". I was not delighted, nor disappointed, but I was interested. Exhibitors of The Wood Working Shows run the gamut from shysters, to preeminent names in woodworking. I'm not going to name examples; if you have been there, you know what I'm talking about, if you are a future attendee, it is a sure thing that you can figure it out.<br />
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However, there were several stand out experiences to share. The first is from the gang at the new mixed media periodical <a href="http://360woodworking.com/" target="_blank">360 Woodworking</a>. Bob Lang has since moved on from 360 Woodworking, but he was still on board back in January. So, Bob Lang, Chuck Bender, and Glen Huey put on several demonstrations during the day. Basically, they were getting their name and product out there and giving away some woodworking arcana in exchange for eyeballs. Chuck and Glen showed how to taper a leg and then shape a tenon for that leg. The mortise was already present for brevity sake. I'm not going to repeat how to do that here; much better craftsmen than I have littered the Internet with the various methods of tenoning. What I wish I could post here is the hilarious repartee between all three of them during the presentations.<br />
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Here are a series of pictures from the 360 Woodworking demonstration, in no particular order.<br />
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The other stand out exhibitor for me was Veritas/Lee Valley. They had their custom planes on display and ran workshops all day on their use and options. They really have put a lot of thought and engineering into this line of products and are definitely worth taking a look at. Here are a Jack and Smoother plane from the custom line:<br />
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The last picture is a half hearted apology to the Micro Fence guy. While he was setting up for a demonstration, I was manipulating the ellipse jig they sell. I would have asked for help, but like I said, the guy was setting up for the next demonstration. He was quite perturbed to find me helping myself. My first reaction was "then why bring it to the show?", but I should have respected him and his wares more. here is a picture of the display. The abused jig in question is on the far left:<br />
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I was seriously considering buying it, but I inadvertently burned that bridge. Oh well, guess I'll have to learn to make one at some point. The Micro Fence jig really is a sweet piece of engineering.<br />
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<br />S. Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157071694662201118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2151813090250910022.post-87716782849384670362014-12-31T21:01:00.000-08:002014-12-31T21:09:39.018-08:00The Ultimate Leather Tool Roll That Will (Probably) Never Be Used<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I am not a woodworking scholar by any means. I do not have an extensive collection of woodworking tomes. Generally, if I can't find an answer, or a lead, to whatever question is being researched in the first sixty hits on Google, I figure it must be too obscure for regular folks like me.<br />
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Not too long ago I was researching the use of the lowly chisel roll. Often I have read advice that chisel rolls should be used to protect, carry, and store tools. However, I could not find much, or any, real advice on HOW to use a chisel roll. <br />
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Generally the unanswerable questions around tangible things revolve around two concepts. First, is that the use is so blindingly obvious there can be no directions; think clothes pins, or tooth picks. The second concept is that the thing must be so prone to personal interpretation that forcing a way of using it is futile. The organization of a man's wallet illustrates this second point nicely. Personally, I never put actual money in my wallet.<br />
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I assumed that the chisel roll fell into the blindingly obvious camp. However, my research has revealed that chisel rolls actually fall into the personal preference camp.<br />
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The above chisel roll took around ten hours to make. Most of that time was for the hand stitching. The design phase took far longer simply because I wanted to make the roll right the first time.<br />
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The major question is organization of the roll. Are pockets used handle first, or blade first? Do blunt tools go outboard, or do sharp tools? When I first started down this path, I figured it would be a ten minute trip at most. I was wrong.<br />
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As stated above, I couldn't find any authoritative sources in print, or on Google. Most of the conversation around chisel rolls is found on the various woodworking forums. Here is a summary of the positions I found:<br />
<br />
Blade In The Holder<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Steel is less likely to rust -- due to being protected from the air</li>
<li>Cutting edge is completely protected from dings and scratches</li>
<li>The roll is safer for the user while opening and closing</li>
<li>The pockets can be made smaller and will be stretched less during repeated ingress and egress</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
Handle In The Holder<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Steel is less likely to rust -- due to less contact with moisture holding material (leather or canvas)</li>
<li>The cutting profile can be easily seen</li>
<li>Cutting edges are better protected when placed in a crowded toolbox</li>
<li>Steel is easier to oil for fast routine maintenance</li>
<li>Chisels are more secure during transport. Reasoning is that the handles are almost always wider than the steel part of chisel so when wound and tied the roll is thicker at the ends.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
Nobody really opined about blunt vs. sharp tool placement. I guess that question was a red herring I set myself up for.<br />
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I couldn't find any general consensus, so I thought I'd ask woodworking professionals for their thoughts on the matter. After all, they are the definition of modern shop practices, right? I sent queries off to notable folks whose work I admire for whatever reason. To my surprise, I got some responses!<br />
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However, I started, and finished, construction based on what I think a chisel roll should be before hearing from any of the masters I queried. I went with staggered pockets per the norm in tool rolls with the handle in the pocket. It was more important to me to see the blade profile and I figured they would stay put better.<br />
<br />
Glen Huey of <a href="http://360woodworking.com/">360woodworking.com</a> doesn't spend much thought, or time on chisel rolls. Glen says "<i>The only tools I have packed in my rolls are carving chisels, which I store with the handles in so...I can see the chisel design and size</i>". In typical Glen succinct fashion he closed his advice with "<i>Wish I had some earth-shattering spiel to pass along, but ...</i>". I have to respect such a pragmatic approach.<br />
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<a href="http://www.furnituremaking.com/">Jeff Miller</a> pretty much echoed Glen Huey with his views. "<i>I do put my chisels in blade first. I usually pull all of them out when I'm working</i>". However, Jeff only uses tool rolls when on the road; they are racked when in his native shop. Jeff's final words of advice pretty much sum up my trip down the chisel roll rabbit hole: "<i>Don't go too crazy with this! Chisel use is far more important</i>".<br />
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Famous wood carver <a href="https://www.marymaycarving.com/carvingschool/">Mary May</a> also responded to my inquiry. There are four woodworkers who I watch intently whenever I get a chance to see them at a bench: Frank Klausz, Ron Herman, Roy Underhill, and Mary May. The economy of movement, the adroit placement of tools with purpose, and movements so honed into muscle memory that they could never vocalize the skill they display are the chief reasons I observe what they do so intently. Also, I always watch from afar for fear of creeping them out. :) Also, also, no disrespect intended for Jeff, or Glen. I've not had much chance to see Jeff in action, and Glen is so darn fast you feel sure fingers and toes are going to fly off in some random direction.<br />
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Being a woodcarver, I value Mary's opinion above the others simply because chisels are her primary tools. Always. Like Jeff, Mary only uses rolls when traveling--and prefers (Levi's) denim over leather any day. Here is Mary's basic take on the chisel roll: "<i>Tool handle in pocket. They hold tighter and don't fall out. You can view your tools without removing them all. Less likely to cut your tool roll by putting them in blade first. Be careful because this is about the only time I cut myself - putting tools in and out of the tool roll</i>". Mary's parting advice from, I'm sure, extensive experience is also very practical. "<i>Don't store tools in roll for a long time - especially in humid environments</i>".<br />
<br />
At long last we arrive at an awesome tool roll that will probably never get used! I don't travel with my woodworking. I built the tool roll to house tools I don't use often, yet the experts all agree that long term storage--especially in leather--is a bad idea. I wonder if coating the leather surface that might touch metal with mink oil would help? It waterproofs my boots, right?<br />
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This post is already too long, so I will do another detailing the very simple construction of the chisel roll. Best wishes for a prosperous and healthy 2015 to everyone!<br />
<br />S. Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157071694662201118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2151813090250910022.post-4649635019804747312014-12-30T20:26:00.000-08:002015-01-01T20:31:02.687-08:002014 Woodworking TollsAnother year has gone by and that means another list of vendors is in order. All of these folks I have satisfactorily purchased tools, supplies, or other woodworking paraphernalia from in the past year. These annual lists are not meant to be an inventory, so I won't be listing everything purchased. However, I do add notable comments. Feel free to ask if something piques your interest. The list is longer this year because I finally wised up and kept a vendor journal of sorts through the year. Without further pomp and circumstance, here is the list:<br />
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<a href="http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/" target="_blank">Highland Woodworking</a>. The rest of the list is in no particular order. More on Highland below.<br />
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<a href="http://www.jimbodetools.com/" target="_blank">Jim bode tools</a>. You have to dig a bit, but you will find plenty of user tools among their finer stuff.<br />
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/" target="_blank">etsy</a>. As expected, I find the oddest stuff here. Some hardware and leather working rivets are among the finds for this year.<br />
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ebay Do you really need the link?<br />
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<a href="http://www.leevalley.com/US/home/Announcement.aspx" target="_blank">Lee Valley/Veritas</a>. I got to touch their new 'custom' planes at WIA this year, but did not have much time to play with them. I'm anxious to hear other folk's experience with them.<br />
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<a href="https://www.lie-nielsen.com/" target="_blank">Lie-Nielsen Toolworks</a>. A banner year in that I got FOUR (!!!) Lie-Nielsen tools this year. Currently enamored with their beading tool; maybe I'll feel different when the 'new' wears off. Finally, I can't wait for them to start selling their new sharpening jig. Rumor has it they are making small changes to their tools to ensure every blade they have can be sharpened on their jig with optional add-ons.<br />
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<a href="http://www.cuwoodshop.com/" target="_blank">CU woodshop</a>. Most of my wood was purchased from this gem in Champaign, IL.<br />
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<a href="http://www.woodcraft.com/" target="_blank">Woodcraft</a>. A stalwart supplier of tools, wood, and consumables.<br />
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Menards/Home Depot/Lowes For obvious reasons.<br />
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<a href="http://www.vandykes.com/" target="_blank">Van Dyke's Restorers</a> Stuff can get pricey, but they have what we need and higher margins are necessary to provide such a broad range of products. I know, I'm totally trying to justify what I've spent on hardware with them. :)<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.grizzly.com/" target="_blank">Grizzly</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.hovartercustomvise.com/" target="_blank">Hovarter Custom Vise</a>. It's killing me that I have not been able to install their new VX20 yet! I got frozen out of the outside shop too soon.<br />
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<a href="http://www.hobbylobby.com/home.cfm" target="_blank">Hobby Lobby</a>. You'd be surprised how useful this place can be to woodworkers.<br />
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<a href="https://www.tandyleatherfactory.com/en-usd/home/home.aspx" target="_blank">Tandy Leather</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.woodworkingshop.com/" target="_blank">Klingspor's</a> woodworking<br />
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<a href="http://www.czeckedge.com/" target="_blank">Czeck Edge Tools</a>. Picked up one of their new awls at WIA--love it.<br />
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<a href="http://www.ptreeusa.com/" target="_blank">Peachtree</a> woodworking<br />
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<a href="http://www.cmtutensili.com/" target="_blank">CMT tools</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.japanwoodworker.com/" target="_blank">Japan Woodworker</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.farmandfleet.com/" target="_blank">Blaine's Farm & Fleet</a><br />
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For the first time I'm separating the publishing department:<br />
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<a href="http://lostartpress.com/" target="_blank">Lost Art Press</a>. See <a href="http://blog.greatlakeswoodshop.com/2014/12/christmas-present-presentation.html" target="_blank">this</a> blog entry.<br />
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<a href="http://www.abebooks.com/" target="_blank">Abe books</a><br />
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<a href="http://popularwoodworking.com/" target="_blank">Popular Woodworking</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.woodworkersjournal.com/" target="_blank">Woodworker's Journal</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.woodcraftmagazine.com/" target="_blank">Woodcraft Magazine</a><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I am presenting the Pragmatic Woodworker 2014 Woody award to Highland Woodworking. These folks gave me a voice for my writing for which I'm very thankful. I pitched and they agreed that my 'amateur' voice might speak to other woodworkers. I'm still making mistakes, and I'm still writing about them. Hopefully Highland will find more publishable material amongst my shop follies and successes in 2015. :) Furthermore, by far, Highland received the lion's share of my business this year. </div>
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<div>
I've blogged before about my current log jam of projects. I expect my purchases next year to be considerably less as I turn out all the stuff the above list is meant to service.</div>
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Best wishes to all for a healthy and prosperous new year!</div>
S. Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157071694662201118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2151813090250910022.post-64619241909175525702014-12-01T20:57:00.000-08:002014-12-02T20:22:19.296-08:00Christmas Present Presentation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH3p8UthQe7shPi8m_gEKgRQVQAP_Msl_o8gMdRHJ54G8aA-CPZW8R2WPMRds3VaajL_BbQdBFAJSx4z-O24Ewgb2PTAfEKKac3AaoxtMFBADcrb41OBmeBFKR03qiZiap2jHaHwh_iRNM/s1600/PlateBook-S.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH3p8UthQe7shPi8m_gEKgRQVQAP_Msl_o8gMdRHJ54G8aA-CPZW8R2WPMRds3VaajL_BbQdBFAJSx4z-O24Ewgb2PTAfEKKac3AaoxtMFBADcrb41OBmeBFKR03qiZiap2jHaHwh_iRNM/s1600/PlateBook-S.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
I received <a href="http://lostartpress.com/collections/frontpage/products/l-art-du-menuisier-the-book-of-plates" target="_blank">The Book Of Plates</a> today; one of the new titles from <a href="http://lostartpress.com/" target="_blank">Lost Art Press</a>. The word 'plate' in the title refers to the original copper engravings used to create the images some two centuries ago. I believe LAP went retro and included the copper because this thing is HEAVY!<br />
<br />
The Book of Plates is a compilation of all the engraved images from Andre Roubo's master work, <a href="http://lostartpress.com/products/to-make-as-perfectly-as-possible-roubo-on-marquetry" target="_blank">To Make As Perfectly As Possible</a>. The plates are reproduced in this tome at full size. And incredibly high resolution. I have to take it on faith that the graphics are as close to the 250 year old originals as possible, but the leap of faith is not far at all.<br />
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I don't know anything about the nuts and bolts of printing. When Chris Schwarz starts talking about shiny paper weights, I start to hear the grown-ups from Peanuts-- Wah-wah-wah. All the publishing technical information boils down to this book is large, heavy, and the paper is awesome.<br />
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This is the kind of book that as a kid you had to endure the scowls of librarians if you had the temerity to ask for it. The <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/listing/2691836796434?r=1&kpid=2691836796434&cm_mmc=Google%20Product%20Search-_-Q000000633-_-2691836796434PLA-_-Book_45Up-_-Q000000633-_-2691836796434" target="_blank">Audubon book</a> with all the paintings of birds comes to mind as an example from my childhood. I know some librarians, and they make the judgmental scowl an art form. Just kidding. <br />
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This is not any kind of 'review' since in essence this is a picture book for two other reference volumes; one of which is not even published yet (by LAP). This is however, a testament to the worth of this title as a stand alone work. The book is built to be used often in conjunction with the text, as stated in the forward by Christopher Schwarz. I have spent a couple hours staring at plates, even making a few notes to myself. In that two hours I only made it to plate 37. I also have to say that plate 36 is quite simply elegant art.<br />
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Merry Christmas everyone! I'm enjoying my early present.<br />
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P.S. I'm not one to jump on the lovefest bandwagon that woodworking pros seem to ride. If something sucks, I'll let you know. <a href="http://blog.greatlakeswoodshop.com/2013/05/book-review-chisel-mallet-plane-and-saw.html" target="_blank">Here</a> is a review I wrote about Chisel, Mallet, Plane, and Saw which is sold, but not published, by Lost Art Press. I'm told, by one person so far, that it was a very unflattering and negative review. I didn't feel that way writing it, but the reader should make up their own mind. This rambling postscript is really me just trying to say that the above is my honest opinion and in no way did I get a break on the hundred dollar (US) price tag.S. Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157071694662201118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2151813090250910022.post-5359855952381773742014-11-17T19:09:00.000-08:002014-11-17T19:09:41.781-08:00Practice Makes A MessI know the blog has suffered in the posting department lately. The problem is actually one of excess--I have too much stuff to say!<br />
<br />
Highland woodworking has picked up some things I wrote which can be found here: <a href="http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/woodworking-tips-1403mar/scottstahl.html" target="_blank">one</a>, <a href="http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/woodworking-tips-1407jul/Make-Your-Own-Saw-Bench.html" target="_blank">two</a>, and <a href="http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/woodworking-tips-1410oct/the-great-sawbo-part-1.html" target="_blank">three</a>. I'll continue to offer them stuff which they may or may not accept. I spend a lot more time writing when Highland accepts something because this is an informal blog, and they have a real live periodical that deserves professional attention.<br />
<br />
I have a number of projects in the pipeline. I find that every 14-18 months a log jam happens as a bunch of things get started while waiting for parts, tools, or time on other projects. Right now I'm at another one those log jams. <br />
<br />
There are several book reviews partially completed, including one for Christopher Schwarz's <a href="http://lostartpress.com/products/campaign-furniture" target="_blank">Campaign Furniture</a>. There are also furniture projects waiting my attention including a couch table, book case, campaign table, light box movie poster display, another Dutch tool chest, and some smaller things.<br />
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Tonight was a school night as I try to teach myself some basic leather working. Here is my first outing: <br />
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Someday I hope to have a homemade chisel roll. As you can see, I need some more practice cow.S. Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157071694662201118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2151813090250910022.post-68836821032678288892014-10-11T19:21:00.000-07:002014-10-11T19:21:52.571-07:00So That's What Pitch IsI haven't done any serious planing in over a year--since I hurt my shoulder at work. I got the go-ahead last week from the doc to resume normal activity as tolerated. Somehow I figured that meant I could do some planing today. Other than some sore muscles in the back, I did OK body-wise.<br />
<br />
The boards didn't fair as well.<br />
<br />
I'm working with some Northern White Cedar on a project. The wood is reclaimed from a barn that stood for 90 years before coming my way. I think the barn was held together with the pitch in the wood. <br />
<br />
The plane kept getting bogged down with pitch. Sometimes I couldn't even finish a full traversing stroke before the plane was all gummed up.<br />
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Repeatedly removing and replacing the blade got old real quick. I stopped after a while to consult the web for advice on planing pitchy wood. Surprisingly, there was not much to be found. I found a lot of advice about using solvents to get rid of pitch for finishing. After a while I gave up and went back to the workbench.<br />
<br />
I spent about an hour experimenting with the best plane set up for dealing with the pitch. I finally settled on taking whisper thin shavings and cleaning after every stroke. Definitely not the path to high productivity with hand tools.<br />
<br />
The real kicker is that this first 4X8 board was practice for the real stock that needs prepped.S. Stahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14157071694662201118noreply@blogger.com3