Where? What? Huh?

Where? What? Huh?

On Turning 50

“I can appreciate what you say, but former President Jimmy Carter on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart yesterday said that he has built every piece of furniture in his house. He’s over 50, so there is hope for us all.” – Bob Clark

“Over 50” is quite an understatement. In fact, James Earl Carter, Jr. (that’s our former President’s rarely used full name) turned 81 on October 1. He is, incidentally, a very accomplished woodworker. In fact, you can read more about President Carter and his woodworking connections in the January/February 2006 print edition of Woodworker’s Journal, available on newsstands very soon. Look for President Carter on the cover. – Editor

More Metric Mayhem

“I am in England where everything is ‘to cock.’ We have 8 x 4 sheets of plywood, but buy metric wallboard. We buy hardwood by the cubic foot, but softwood by the meter.” – Tony Barker

“Our sheets of plywood have width and lengths in imperial measure, but the thickness is in metric measure.” – Harvey L. McRae, Canada

Go Figure! – Editor

“As one gets older, it is not only lugging around 4×8 sheets that gets more difficult, so I use this web site (http://www.onlineconversion.com/) for conversions I previously did in my head.” – Jim O’Dea

Biscuit Warning

“Using biscuits to help align boards for gluing up tabletops could cause a problem. The slot where the biscuit is located swells up with the water in the glue and takes several weeks to dry and shrink. If the top is flattened too soon after glue-up, small depressions will show up at each biscuit joint in a few weeks.” – Ken Rowe

Thanks for providing yet another proof that patience is a virtue. – Editor

Moldex

“I own a box of Moldex masks, and they are the best I’ve found. I do have to breathe harder at first, but then I forget about it and enjoy dustless air. I still have a problem with the fitting of the nose near the glasses.” – Gary Janes

One reader offered this suggestion for the problem of safety glasses that fog when a respirator is donned. – Editor

“To keep glasses from fogging, rub lenses with thick soap suds from a bar of soap. Let dry and buff with a soft cloth or tissue until clear.” – Bob Tassinari

This reader had a few words to say about fit testing, something Moldex suggests everyone do. – Editor

“I wish to comment on respirator fit testing. OSHA requires companies that use or have a respiratory protection program to follow specific standards. The same should hold true for hobby woodworkers. A great disservice is being done to the general population by various companies putting respirators on the shelves and letting the public purchase what they feel is the correct respirator. Anyone selling respirators should provide a fit test as a minimum.” – Dennis Beach

Sand Shading

In a message board thread on sand shading, someone wrote that he eschews cheap sand because there is a carcinogen warning due to the silica content. Here’s what one reader had to say about that. – Editor

“This is a red herring. The warning with sand sold for sandblasting refers to the hazards of inhaling fine sand dust created when sandblasting occurs. If fine sand gets into the lungs, silicosis and cancer can result over long periods of exposure. Regular sand, as long as it isn’t dusty, does not pose a respiratory hazard. Therefore, the carcinogen warning on sandblasting sand can be ignored for this application.” – Craig Erickson

“What is ‘sand shading’ and how do you do it?” – John Cusimano

Mentioned in the Web Surfer’s Review, it is a method of adding shading to marquetry veneers to create a more three-dimensional appearance. The edge of a veneer is partially submerged into heated sand, which slightly chars the wood. Done adroitly, it creates darker areas that look like shadows. – Editor

Judy Caldwell

“Does Judy Caldwell have a web site?” – Barbara Summers

Nope, though we did suggest to her that anyone as talented as she ought to share her carvings online. She was flattered, but unconvinced. – Editor

Unaxol

Several people wrote to ask where they could find out about Unaxol coatings. Below is the web site URL. – Editor

http://www.taobangkok.co.th/2014/unaxol/index.html

Typo Corner

Clearly, we hold the record on typos. Once again, our own typo makes the cut. This time it came from one of the answers in the Q&A section. – Editor

“There are 2.54 cm. to an inch, not 25.4 as stated by Richard Jones.” – anonymous.

You’re right. That should have read mm (millimeters) not cm (centimeters) as there are 25.4 millimeters in an inch, but only 2.54 centimeters. – Editor

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