Commentary and Errata

Commentary and Errata

GI Woodshop

“Thank you for the article on GI Woodshop. As a retired AF member, I greatly appreciated your mention of the site and the work. GIs are a great part of the original recycling culture: use it up, wear it out, make it do. I completed many such projects which couldn’t be funded with official or authorized funds but greatly aided the quality of life for me and others. It’s also a great tension reliever for stressed GIs.” – Don Bates

“The recent article concerning providing woodworking tools for our GIs in Iraq and Afghanistan is superb. I hope everyone had a chance to read it. It did, however, contain a typo. The sunshade they built is for their potable water supply, not portable. All of us GIs know that word, having heard it thousands of times during basic training. Great issue! Thanks.” – Bob Garrison

The article was referring to the shades themselves, which are portable. As for the water, it is, ironically, both potable and portable, in that it is in plastic jugs designed to be moved as necessary. – Editor

“Reeko, my hat is off to you! I subscribe to Woodworker’s Journal online and read the piece about your efforts with great interest and nostalgia. Like you, I am former USAF, and I applaud your efforts to help our deployed brothers and sisters in arms get what they need for the many projects that make deployed life a little easier. This was a novel idea born of necessity. I have built picnic tables on three continents. We would scrounge or even sometimes appropriate materials to do what we needed to do to make deployed life a bit easier. You know the routine. I sent many care packages to deployed friends over the years; the best one, I am told, was a box of fall leaves sent to the Saudi desert in the last Iraq war. My friend and his tent mates loved it and spread the leaves under his cot as a piece of home. Reeko, please put my donation to good use!” – Bob Swierzawski, MSgt, USAF (Retired)

We’re sure he will, Bob. – Editor

“As a ‘Nam vet and unit supply person, we had a carpenter’s tool kit in our supply tent. In it were basic hand tools; no power tools, though. We made and built various items of use and need. There’s nothing like the creativity of the American GI in those situations. A salute; my hat’s off to those fellow woodworking GIs. Thanks for your service.” – Paul R. Mark

Festool

“I have just read your comment stating that Festool woodworking tools account for 95 percent of all such tools sold in Europe.” – Keith Brooks

Go back and read it again, Keith. That’s not what they said. Festool said that in Europe, 95 percent of the tools they sell are sold to professionals. That’s not the same thing as saying 95 percent of professionals buy Festool. Similarly, saying, “I see everything I eat” is not the same as saying, “I eat everything I see,” though we have to admit being tempted to do that, especially when in our favorite bakery. – Editor

“You can tell Mark Messer that I’ve been retired for 11 years, and I own several of Festool’s great tools. Every time I need to update, I look to Festool. These are the only tools worth the money any more. Expensive? Yes, but worth every penny.” – R L Hoyle

Chidwick Chairs

“I am disappointed that credit was not given to Hal Taylor in the Today’s Woodworker article on Andy Chidwick. Having made three of Hal’s chairs myself, Andy’s chairs hardly deviate at all from Hal’s designs.” –  Carl Livingston

The article was about Andy and his history as a woodworker, not about the people he learned from or copied, if that is the case. Furthermore, the article did not imply he was the designer of that style of rocking chair, nor did Andy take credit for the design. On the contrary, he specifically stated in the article “I took five days, went to Virginia and learned chair making techniques.” As for the origin of the design, we found it rather similar to a style widely credited to Sam Maloof, but then, who among us has not learned from others? – Editor

What’s in a Name?

“The question that asked, ‘Why would I need a band saw if I have a top of the line saber saw?’ made me think of how the woodworking community has changed the names of tools we grew up with.  Back in 1958 when I was first formally introduced to woodworking tools in the 7th grade, the jigsaw or scroll saw was the saw that stood on the floor and held a blade like a coping saw. The handheld saw with the thick blade that takes short up and down strokes was called a saber saw.  Thank goodness there are still other old fogies who use the older terms for our toys. Thanks for the enjoyment and entertainment you bring me with the eZine, and keep up the super work.” – Charles Buster

To Paint, or Not to Paint

“What Michael Dresdner should have told the writer who wanted to touch up the paint on his saw was to forget about it. Who cares about the paint and finish of a table saw? It’s like the first dent on a new car. It’s only the first of many.” – Rich Meyer

Michael Dresdner responds: “Good analogy, Rich, but I’m afraid it disputes your argument. There’s a very practical reason for replacing missing paint after the first dent on your car or on your tools. If you fail to touch up missing paint on your car, that spot will rust. The same is true of the paint on some tools, so there may be more at play here than mere vanity.”

Coasting Along

“The Coaster Set featured in your eZine issue 210 is very nice. I intend to make some for gifts. My wife was given a similar commercial made set some years ago, but the cork soon went bad.  Wetting and drying over and over caused the cork to draw up and curl. I cleaned out the damaged cork and glued in pieces of outdoor carpet, and they have served us well in regular use for more than 30 years. They still look almost like new. These would go especially well if made from carpet scraps used on one’s porch.” – David Gibbs

We wonder if the problem was not the cork per se, but the adhesive used to affix it to the wood. A waterproof adhesive, such as Titebond III, would definitely hold up to hot and cold water better than hide glue or even normal interior PVA adhesive. – Editor

“I believe there is an error in your plan for a Coaster Set. In the narrative it says that the project is made of quarter inch thick stock except for the back which is of half inch thick stock. The Part List indicates just the opposite. I am sure that the part list is correct. That discrepancy aside, I enjoy your newsletters and appreciate the free plans.” – Stan Zalumskis

“Again, another two nice free plans. I plan on making them in the next few days. There is one small problem with the plan for the Coaster Set and its write-up. The write-up says that the ‘project is entirely made of quarter inch stock and the back of half inch stock.’ These two fractional values are swapped. The sides and top and bottom are half inch and the back is quarter inch plywood. The list of materials has the correct values; it’s just the write-up that is incorrect. Thanks again for  the free plans. Not only the plans are great, but the entire Woodworker’s Journal is looked for with great anticipation.” – Tom W. Reichle

You are both quite correct. Thanks for being sharp enough to catch our error. – Editor

Typo Corner

With some typos, it is not a missed letter but just the way something is worded that makes us chuckle. In this case, the word “about” morphed into the word “for,” which changed the whole meaning of the sentence. – Editor

“I have two questions for my dark cherry wood living room tables.”

How often do your tables answer when you ask them questions? – Editor

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