Kudos
“I would like to thank all of you for the great information from your magazine articles. I learned so much, and your reader response is impressive.” – Rocky Mezzone
“Once again I am pleased by what you deliver in this small format. The tool maker column is particularly interesting to me and, I believe, very relevant for most woodworkers. Thanks!” – Vane Hugo /p>
Correction
“After reading the article “The Dust-Gate by JDS” in Issue 140’s Tool Preview section, I visited the manufacturer’s web site to learn more, as I was surprised to find that something so inexpensive could automatically open and close the blast gates on top of turning on the dust collector. I found that the system does not automatically open and close the blast gates but rather uses the blast gates as remote switches for turning the dust collector on and off. It also does not close the blast gates that are not in use as was suggested in the review.” – John Sasinowski
You’re quite right, John. Thanks for catching that error. Incidentally, if you are interested in a system that automatically opens and closes blast gates while simultaneously regulating the dust collector to coordinate with the number of open gates, check out the offerings at www.ecogate.com. – Editor
More on Roy Underhill
“Absolutely facinating! Thanks for the history.” – Gary Janes
“Great Job! Keep up the good work.” – Rev. Joseph L. Baldwin
“Your article about Roy Underhill brought back the memory of watching this talented man for many seasons. I had thought that his show had been cancelled. It was well written and most informative concerning the accuracy of how things were done in the past without power tools. The power was in the hands and minds of those wielding the tools. I was always drawn back to watch more because his presentation was magnifying. I guess a desire to do things with wood also had something to do with it. It all seemed so natural. I thank you for presenting this article on one of the most accomplished men of our time, even though the subject is not of our time.” – Bill Bidel
“I love the article on Roy Underhill and I read where he was starting or has a woodworking radio show. Do you know if a Chicago station picks it up and if so do you know the radio number? I would like to hear it.” Nancy Neff
Roy wrote a novel in which the hero has a woodworking radio program, a bit of absurdity that would be rather hard to pull off. However, that is strictly the stuff of fiction. – Editor
“I really enjoyed your super article on Roy Underhill. This guy has been a hero of mine for many years. I have his books, and have been a faithful fan of his show. I watch Norm also, but Roy is the guy that I try most to emulate. I had never heard of how he got started in his profession. It was all very interesting stuff. Thanks for the article.” – Charles Hess
“I truly did enjoy the article you did on Roy. I liked his show and his books well enough to have built a model of Roy’s shop and entered it in the Iowa State Fair this past summer.” – Roy Moore
Q&A
“I do like the page for questions; goodness knows how many times I wonder about a process or how to do or use something. Keep it going. And thank you for having the page!” – Harold J. Besch
Foggy Glasses
“In regard to the issue of keeping fog off of safety glasses, there is a company called Titmus making something called Fog Eliminator Cloth. You can find them at www.titmus.com. I use them all the time here at work and love this stuff.” – Ernie Polmateer
Rob Millard
“Thanks to Michael Dresdner for the great article on Rob Millard, a person who persevered where many throw in the towel. Rob certainly has a lot of reasons to be proud of himself and his work. I got my first taste of real woodworking from a supportive shop teacher in grade 7, and got C- on a plywood desk I built in high school shop. It is so sad that school districts throughout the nation have dumped woodworking shops from the curriculum in middle school and high school.” – Bob Gilda
Not all our readers got such an early start in woodworking, though. – Editor
“When I saw (no pun intended) the standard of Rob’s work, I could have wept. My own creations, mostly garden furniture, look very poor in comparison but then, I only started the hobby when I was 81. I am now 84, and hope to live to be 100; then maybe my work will grace your pages.” – Norm Spencer
It’s very possible. – Editor
“I’d put Rob Millard in the top 10!” – Joe Scharle
“Great article about Rob Millard. Are his finishes discussed in Michael Dresdner’s books?” – Tony Parisi
Millard says he learned a lot about finishing from Dresdner’s books. – Editor
“In the article, Millard talked about ‘rubbing the finish.’ What does that mean?” – Victor A. Lomoriello
It’s a bit long to explain here, but Michael Dresdner covered the process in his “Finishing Thoughts” column that appeared in the April 2002 issue of the print version of Woodworker’s Journal. – Editor
Dubby
It’s obvious that Jerry Cole of In-Line Industries has some very appreciative customers. – Editor
“In 2001, I wanted a top of the line cabinet table saw. I had enough of my contractor saw but didn’t have the money to replace it. Vibration, noise and continuous trunnion adjustments took all the enjoyment out of woodworking. I had the good fortune to meet Jerry Cole of In-Line Industries at a woodworking show. He demonstrated his products on a table saw not very much different than my own. I bought the ‘Dubby,’ the pulleys, the link belt and the ‘PALS’ alignment kit. The next day I had a new saw. The blade on that old Craftsman saw no longer bounced, it was quiet, and over the years, no matter how many times I’ve checked alignment, it has been and still is dead-on. With a couple of hundred dollars’ investment woodworking is exciting again. It’s coming up on five years now, and I’ve never had any more thoughts of replacing that old Craftsman table saw. Everything Mr. Cole said I should expect out his products was realized. You can’t beat results. Thanks for sharing this Michael Dresdner ‘Tool Maker Insider’ column. My hope is that many more woodworkers frustrated with their equipment might discover the In-Line Industries products and once again find true satisfaction in woodworking without mortgaging the house.” – Charles Puleo
“Nice article on Jerry and the Dubby. I bought one three years ago at a woodworking show after watching his demonstration. Making picture frames and boxes are a breeze since you are pretty much guaranteed that your sides are going to be parallel. I barely even use my miter saw now. I went back the next year and bought the belt and pulleys and saw alignment kit and can’t believe how well my old saw performs.” – Craig Vanderland
“I just finished reading the article about In-Line. I have a Craftsman contractor’s saw and, for years, I have made accurate cuts by using ‘Kentucky windage.’ As the article said, adjusting the trunnions to get the blade parallel to the miter slot is darned near impossible. I can hardly wait for the PALS kit to arrive. Thank you!” – Frank Miller
“What a nice review about a man who has a simple and brilliant product. The Dubby is great, and I am waiting for the UK market to pick up on the American miter slot size. It is starting to happen, and maybe then I can sell a bunch of Jerry’s product. Keep up the good work of promoting small American companies. I look to you as a starting point for new products to sell in the UK as Wood Workers Workshop specialises in selling American tools, not the Chinese stuff.” – Roger H Phebey
Before the typo police jump in, that is the correct spelling of ‘specializes’ in England. – Editor
Typo Corner
And speaking of typos, here’s the entry for this issue. – Editor
“How can I make a 180 degree bend in a redwood 2×2 for shelfing?”
This one had even us baffled. We can understand how shelving could become shelfing, but isn’t a ‘180 degree bend’ simply a straight line? – Editor
