Issue 226
Issue 226
Lumber a Go-Go
There is an entire wall (plus another corner) of my shop that is just covered up with piles of lumber. I moved into this woodshop a year and a half ago, and one of my first thoughts was “I need to build a lumber rack right away…” Did I mention that lumber is still lying all over in my shop?
For that reason, my number one shop priority this summer is to build a lumber storage rack. But those of you who have been readers for some time will know that I believe in the concept that any job worth doing is worth doing in a really complicated and over-the-top fashion. How am I going to stretch a couple of shelves and a place to store sheetstock into an all-summer event? That is where you come in…
To start with, I want the rack to roll around on casters (really cool casters!). Secondly, I have a shop-made panel saw that I use to break down plywood and the like. To make that task easier, I am going to mount the panel saw to the cart (didn’t see that one coming … or did you?). Sadly, at this point I have run out of ideas for embellishment. So I am asking you, the eZine faithful, if you were making an over-the-top lumber storage cart, what would you build into it?
Now don’t go completely silly here (although if you can find a practical reason to include a laser, I will forever be in your debt): your advice must have some practical basis. But don’t hold back either – I am ready to build the Xanadu-dome of lumber racks. Perhaps the seventh wonder of the woodworking world.
I will, of course, share your suggestions in our feedback department of the next eZine – even if I don’t include every one on my project. So put your thinking caps on!
Rob Johnstone, Woodworker’s Journal
Q & A
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Polyethylene for Miter Guides
Can I use UHMW polyethylene stock in the appropriate thickness for miter guides to screw to the bottom of homemade crosscut sleds and the like?
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Extra-long Bits in Small Sizes
Are there extra long bits in small sizes? I need a way to drill tiny holes less than one sixteenth but more than two inches long.
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Bend Oak Without Steaming?
How can I bend 3/8-inch oak with a cutout design, which is for the back of a rocking chair, without steaming it?
Industry Interviews
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Fluted Beams: Knot Your Normal Wood
Imagine taking a piece of wood in your hands, then bending and twisting it into any shape imaginable, from a tight curve to a twisted pretzel knot.
Feedback
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Blind Woodworkers, Puzzling Comments
Back in March, we changed the appearance of the eZine, hoping to make it more pleasant for all to enjoy and navigate. Unfortunately, it made things harder for one group. Below is a short exchange of letters between Matt Becker, our content coordinator, and one of our readers who happens to be a blind woodworker.
What's In Store
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TrimBonder Nail Hole Filler Kit
The TrimBonder Nail Hole Filler Kit from ITW Devcon includes a 50-milliliter applicator, four nozzles and two 50 milliliter cartridges of the Trim Bonder adhesive that is designed to withstand weather and to not require sanding.
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Milwaukee M12 Power Port
Milwaukee’s M12 Cordless Power Port is designed to charge up to five small electronic devices that draw up to 3 amps.
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Makita BTD144 3-Speed Brushless Motor Impact Driver
Makita’s BTD144 3-Speed Brushless Motor Impact Driver is powered with an 18-volt Lithium-Ion battery and has soft-, medium- and hard-impact options
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SketchList 3D: Designing Woodworkers
If you’re a woodworker who has always thought it would be cool to design your own projects – but you’ve never learned CAD – the new program SketchList is for you.
Tricks of the Trade
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Table Saw Hold-down
I like to use a table saw sled when my work requires an accurate, 90° cut.
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Cutting Thin Wood on the Table Saw
I make Shaker oval boxes using thin bands of wood. Cutting these pieces on the table saw without some type of hold-down is dangerous so I came up with this version of my own.
Today's Woodworker
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John Sterling: A Family Business, Shaped by a Family Tragedy
John Sterling started out working in his family’s beer distributorship, and ended up working in a woodworking business that has also become a family endeavor.
Reader's Project Gallery
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Cradle
This is a cradle I made for my first grandchild. It is made of cherry ends from a friend’s cabinet…
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Toybox
A toy box I built for my grand daughter. It measures 2 ft by 4 ft. made from 1/2 in…
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Workbench
My old plywood and 2X4 workbench finally gave out so decided to build a new one. Took several ideas from…
