2006 Podcast Accomplishments!!

December 30, 2006 | Filed Under Blog | 5 Comments 

As you all know, The Wood Whisper has only been around for a couple months. To say I am surprised at the response so far would be a massive understatement. I never thought so many people would be interested in watching a goofy woodworker with a camera, but hey, Im not complaining. Your feedback and emails are the fuel that keeps this podcast going. But sometimes, recognition feels pretty darn good too. So I thought I would share a few cool tidbits with you.

Believe it or not, The Wood Whisperer is #1 in the Hobbies category of Itunes!! I don’t know how long we’ll stay there, but that’s pretty darn cool if you ask me. So……hooray!

Secondly, ITunes recently put out its 2006 Podcasting Best Of list.

And I was ecstatic to see that The Wood Whisperer made the Staff Favorites List!

So we are off to a great start, and I have you all to thank for it. So by all means, keep spreading the word and watching the podcasts. If the past few months are any indication, 2007 should be a very interesting year!! Speaking of 2007, HAPPY NEW YEAR!! Thanks everyone!!

Marc

Updated Gallery

December 28, 2006 | Filed Under Blog | 5 Comments 

Hey everyone. Its been a real busy week: relatives, holidays, podcasts, etc….. The biggest project lately was the overhaul of our other website, Marc’s Wood Creations. One of the big improvements was the addition of a functional gallery of my work. I have placed a permanent link to the gallery in the middle column of The Wood Whisperer website.

Thought some of you might like to check it out. Thanks!

Marc

Episode 7- A Cut Above (Pt. 1)

December 22, 2006 | Filed Under Blog, Projects, Video | 16 Comments 

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One of my favorite woodworking projects is a butcher block end-grain cutting board. Im not sure if its the “back to basics” simplicity or just the fact that it is one of the most useful projects a woodworker can make, but something keeps bringing me back for more. A custom cutting board makes a great gift and many woodworkers make them in batches every Holiday Season. And if you are relatively new to woodworking, this is a great project to hone your milling, glue-up and tablesaw skills. In Part 1 of this two part series, we cover the preparation and construction of the board itself. I hope you enjoy this project as much as I do.

***New Plan!!*** We finally have a plan available for the cutting board. The plan was made by my good friend (and a heck of a woodworker), Ron Jones. You can download the plan as a pdf from Ron’s site, AWLFreePlans.com, or click here.



LumberJocks.com Interview

December 20, 2006 | Filed Under Blog | 3 Comments 

Hey guys. I am currently filming the latest podcast and will hopefully have it up by Christmas……..hopefully.

Until then, here is a little fun reading. I recently had the honor of being interviewed by LumberJocks.com. So if you want to learn a little more about me, feel free to check it out here.
Thanks everyone.

Marc

Repairing Minor Chipout- Question of the Week

December 19, 2006 | Filed Under Blog, Question of the Week | 3 Comments 

This week’s question comes from Anonymous, who writes:

“New to woodworking. I am using oak plywood and red oak trim for a TV stand. What can I use to fill in small gaps and chips prior to staining?”
And here was my reply:

“First, there are several methods that I like to use for filling chipout and gaps. One solution

is CA glue. This stuff is fast-drying, hard, and sandable. Only drawbacks are that the solution is clear and it doesn’t accept a stain once cured. You can deal with the color issue simply by adding some wood dust and making a paste. You can then pack this paste into the cracks and holes for a reasonable fix. It won’t look perfect, but it will definitely look much better. And another easy way to fix small holes and gaps is to simply place some CA glue on the offending area followed by a quick sanding with some old sandpaper. The sawdust you create will mix with the CA glue and make a nice paste right there on the spot. Of course this also destroys the piece of sandpaper.

Another option is to use a commercially-available filler. You can use something simple like Durhams Water Putty (available at most hardware stores), which is water-based and comes in a light cream color You will need to dye it to match the color of your oak. I have had mixed results as far as this material’s ability to absorb stain. Be sure to experiment on scrap first.

Another great filler is a product called Famowood. This stuff is actually lacquer based and comes in different wood colors that are a really close match to the natural color of the wood. They also take a stain fairly well.

One last filler you can use is epoxy. Epoxy will be similar to CA glue in that it is clear and will not accept stain. So coloring or the addition of wood dust will be necessary in order to get the right look.

Now the last method I use is usually the best in terms of color matching. No matter what filler you use, things will change once you coat the piece with stain. Its going to be very difficult to predict what the change will be so you will almost never get a perfect match by filling first and staining second. So one idea would be to stain the piece first. Once dry, you now have a very specific color that you need to match. You can use any one of the above filling methods, along with some dye and/or sawdust to fill your gaps and chip outs. Just keep in mind you should try to experiment on scrap until you get your home-made filler just right. I find this to be the best way to get a proper filler match, although it is clearly the most time-consuming.

And one last thing to keep in mind, especially when repairing oak. If the fix is fairly large, the repair will almost always be visible unless you simulate the dark grain lines that are the hallmark of oak lumber. You can do this using a soft colored pencil. You will be amazed at how much of a difference this can make in disguising your repair. Good luck!!”

Ask and You Shall Receive

December 14, 2006 | Filed Under Blog | 4 Comments 

I have had a number of requests lately for links to a picture gallery of my work. I have a small gallery on my businesses website, Marc’s Wood Creations. But since that site is in a state of change and isn’t totally compatible with all browsers, I have held off bringing much attention to it. But there are definitely some pictures of my work there for you all to check out. Just click here and look for the Gallery and also the In The Shop link.

Some day I will set up a proper gallery here on The Wood Whisperer. Thanks to everyone who requested the gallery.

Marc

The Holiday Delay

December 14, 2006 | Filed Under Blog | 2 Comments 

Well as you all know, the holidays are upon us. That means an empty wallet and a few extra pounds. Gotta love it! Anyway, Ive been doing my best to keep the podcasts rolling out every 7-10 days. Obviously during the holidays, I may not be able to hit those numbers. Between project deadlines, classes, and a quick holiday vacation, Decemeber is proving to be a very busy month. But I will certainly do my best to get the podcasts out as frequently as possible.

Its hard to believe that this podcast, which is now such an integral part of my daily activities, is only two months old!! I really never expected this much of a response. The feedback has been excellent and I am learning more and more about this process every day.

I was just thinking about my plans going into the new year, and one of my most important goals is to find a way to make the podcast profitable enough that I can place it higher on my list of priorities. At this point, if I have to choose between building an entertainment center or making a podcast, I have no choice but to work on the entertainment center. You gotta put food on the table, right? But if things keep going as well as they have been, with The Wood Whisperer Store and other paid ads, my goal may become a reality sooner than later. We are also getting to the point that our viewership statistics may allow us to pursue sponsorship. So there are great things on the horizon.

Stay tuned, spread the word, and thanks again for all of your support! Have a very safe and happy holiday folks.

Marc

Natural Looking Bartop Finish? - Question of the Week

December 12, 2006 | Filed Under Blog, Question of the Week | 5 Comments 

This week’s question comes from Doug. He writes:

“I am building a bar top from 8/4 Walnut for my son’s new home, and he wants to have a very natural finish on it - no film finish allowed. My first thought was to use BLO, but some research has led me to think that Pure Tung Oil might provide better protection. Is Pure Tung Oil a better option than BLO for an open grained wood like Walnut?”

And here was my reply:

“Hello Doug Sounds like one beautiful bartop!! When it comes to protection, BLO and pure tung oil are pretty similar. One thing they have in common is that neither one offers a great deal of protection. If you had to choose, I would say to go for the BLO, since the pure tung oil will take longer to cure. BLO does have a tendency to “yellow” a wood over time, but that is a non-issue with walnut.

Now obviously your son is the boss here. But indulge me while I make a small suggestion. I can totally understand why he doesn’t want a film finish. I can’t stand the way they layer those thick finishes on bar tops. They should have just used something made of plastic, instead of wood. But there is a compromise between the plastic look, and the natural (unprotected) look. Just to clarify, BLO will certainly be better than nothing at all. But for a bartop, your son might regret this decision after the first few spills.

So my suggestion would be to try to achieve the best of both worlds. Give the bar top a very natural-looking finish, while imparting a great deal more protection than an oil alone. There are a few products on the market today that contain oil and varnish together. These are products like Watco Danish Oil and Waterlox. Because there is so much oil in the mix, you would have to put on about 5 or 6 coats before you really notice a finish “building”. But applying 2-3 coats will give you a really nice and natural look, while protecting the surface with varnish at the same time. And if you go with matte or satin formulas, I think your son will be even happier with the results. The great part about it is, you can look at the surface after each coat and determine whether or not you want to add another coat. Dilute the mix with mineral spirits if you want even more control. And also keep in mind you can simply make your own mixture by mixing 1/3 mineral spirits, 1/3 BLO, and 1/3 polyurethane. Maybe go a little heavy on the oil just to be on the safe side.

Either way, make sure you sand lightly between coats to keep the finish nice and smooth. After the final coat, either sand with 1200 grit paper or buff with 0000 steel wool. The wood will not only look natural, but will easily repel the occasional spill.”

Episode 6 - The Jointers Jumpin

December 10, 2006 | Filed Under Blog, Video | 8 Comments 

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In this episode, I review one of the most critical and fundamental aspects of woodworking: milling lumber. I review my 4-step milling process, which requires some big tools. And since I know many folks don’t have a fully outfitted shop, I also present numerous alternative methods for jointing edges and flattening faces. The jointer’s jumpin’!!!

Relevant Links:
Flattening a Board Without a Jointer
Flattening a Wide Board with a Router

2007 LumberJocks.com Woodworking Awards

December 7, 2006 | Filed Under Blog | Leave a Comment 

Hello friends. I just received word that LumberJocks.com is having a woodworking competition for Winter 2007. All you have to do to enter is send in a few pictures of your best work. There are two categories: Best Creativity and Best Craftsmanship.

So worldwide recognition and internet infamy aren’t enough for you and you need something more?!?!?! Well how about some gift certificates (up to $150) for Amazon.com. It can’t hurt to enter and it really can’t get any easier. So go ahead and give it a shot.

For those of you who don’t know, LumberJocks.com is a really cool website dedicated to bringing woodworkers together with conversation and pictures. You can even create your own blog, visit the forum, or just look around at all the great woodwork on display.For more information about the contest including rules and deadlines, click the image below.

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