Shop-made Jigs
“I liked your article on the jig using bronze bushings. However, our local hardware store didn’t have anything like what you suggested, so I decided to go to our local woodworking specialty store. They also didn’t have them. Where do you think a good place would be to get these bushings and is there a more specific name for them?” – Gig Lewis
They are called drill bushings, and you can find them at most any machinist supply company, including online discount suppliers such as Enco, Travers Tool, and MSDS. – Editor
“We old-timers have been doing that for years. Any woodworker who can’t make his or her own jigs and fixtures is not much of a woodworker. We don’t need fancy storebought stuff; our jigs work better.” – Scott Booth
We agree that homemade jigs are both handy and essential, but even we have to admit there are some slickly designed storebought jigs that are the cat’s meow, and at times better than what we can make ourselves. This next letter provides an interesting opinion on that. – Editor
“Dowels may have been a good option, but now there is Domino, from Festool. Sure beats the dowel, the biscuit and pocket joinery.” – R L Hoyle
Speaking for ourselves, we’re delighted that we have all options open to us, from shop-made jig joinery to the cutting edge tooling our suppliers offer us. It’s a good time to be a woodworker. – Editor
More Shows!
“We used to have woodworking shows in Arizona but have not seen any for some time. I would really like to see a show in the Phoenix area.” – Don Avis
Woodworking shows, like so much in this economy, are shrinking a bit, but they’re still out there. Hopefully you’ll get one in your area soon. Speaking of shows in hot places, when we complained about the heat this year, we got this comment from a reader. – Editor
“You should be in Las Vegas, Nevada. A cool day in the summer is 105.” – Carlos J. Dominguez
Help!
After much talk about radial arm saws, a reader offered this lead. – Editor
“With reference to a reader’s request for help on the use of a radial arm saw, I can definitely recommend the book The Magic of Your Radial Arm Saw by R.J. De Cristoforo. The publisher is Scharff Associates, Ltd., RD1 Box 276, New Ringgold, PA 17960.” – Freek van Niekerk
Typo Corner
One mistyped letter can make the difference, in this case, between a board and a body part. – Editor
“My choice of lumbar is a different story.
We’ll have to get “back” to you on that one. – Editor
