Issue 261
Issue 261
The Call of the Wild
I admit it. I am of two minds – OK, my kids might say that is an understatement — but when it comes to my wood preference, the statement is dead-on. On one hand, straight quartersawn grain is very pleasing to me. I like it in spruce, white oak, red oak, mahogany … you get the drift. I have built tons of projects with quartersawn lumber.
But on the other hand, I really like wild figure in my woodworking projects. That is especially true when I am turning bowls — where the swirling grain adds depth and detail that catches the eye and fires the imagination. But even in cabinetry and other more rectilinear woodworking, bold figure can really bring almost an artistic pop to an otherwise mundane piece of woodworking.
So what about you? Which do you prefer — plain grain or fancy figure, straight or curvy? I know you have an opinion.
So let me know what you think. Whichever you like better, you can give that to me straight. Whether you are of one mind, or many.
Rob Johnstone, Woodworker’s Journal
What's In Store
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Wiha Measure-Up Screwdrivers
“Measure-Up” screwdrivers from Wiha have both inch and metric measuring scales in 1/16-inch or 1 mm increments laser etched into the screwdriver blades.
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Building a Strip Canoe by Gil Gilpatrick
For woodworkers who spend wintry weather dreaming of the warmer seasons, there is them new book from Fox Chapel Publishing, Building a Strip Canoe by Gil Gilpatrick.
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Bosch JS470E Jigsaw
Bosch’s new top-handle JS470E Jigsaw has a newly designed footplate and mount meant to stand up to accidental drops and other tough conditions.
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Woodpeckers to Discontinue Precision Router Lift
Recently we learned that Woodpeckers will soon discontinue production of their original Precision Router Lift model, and remaining inventory of these units isn’t expected to last long.
Tricks of the Trade
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Get a Handle on Stuck Tape
Double-sided tape sticks to everything, and that’s why we woodworkers love the stuff. But it can be hard to remove unless you know my trick.
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Chuck in a Chuck
My wife recently took up scroll sawing, and she needs to drill small starter holes for the blades to make tiny cutouts.
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Chalk Lines Take a Powder
If you snap many chalk lines, you know that the red or blue chalk leaves stains that are hard to get out of the wood.
Today's Woodworker
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Danny Kamerath: Finding Sculpture Again, in Wood
Danny Kamerath is now a professional woodworker whose shop is an attic in his 1926 Tudor house in Dallas, Texas.
Q & A
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Improving Table Saw Dust Ejection
I have tried many things to line it up, but it still sprays sawdust off the back of the blade at me with every cut.
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Glass-smooth Paint Job on Maple?
Could I achieve a smooth coat with clear enamel, and would the underlying brush marks disappear?
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Curved Moldings on Router Table?
Do you know of any books with ideas and techniques for making curved molding on a router table?
Industry Interviews
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Trend: U.K.’s Routing Leader Building Brand in the States
Trend Routing Technology is the dominant brand for router products in the U.K. Soon, this English company hopes to become a household name for woodworking supplies here in the States, too.
Feedback
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Discussing Drawers, Doors and Wheels
Some of our readers responded to the questions appearing in the Q&A section of last issue’s eZine. For instance, we heard from one reader who had also built a Craftsman dresser.
Reader's Project Gallery
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Intarsia Pieces
These were done with only the natural color of the woods showing. There is absolutely NO artificial coloring of any type used.
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Clock and Shop
Please find attached picture of a skeletal clock I made recently for a friend’s wedding. The wood I used is Purpleheart and has been in my workshop for years, so nice to see it finally converted to something nice.
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Katrina Oak Coffee Table
This is a coffee table sculpted with my right angle grinder and fine tuned with my numb sanding fingers.
