2008 Recap
Well, 2008 was a heck of a year for the woodworking community. We saw an incredible explosion of new blogs and podcasts and Twitter is now a household word for many woodworkers. We witnessed the birth of a new conference (Woodworking in America), the success of which proves that despite all the technology in our lives, most of us have a desire to rely on the simpler tools in our shops. Irony at its best!
It was also interesting to see, in woodworking, a phenomenon that has been occurring in other areas for some time now. Bloggers and podcasters are putting their best stuff out there for free, simply for the love of the craft and the community. This in turn puts pressure on “old media” to come up with ways of doing the same thing, while still making enough money to justify the time and effort. So “old media” dives head first into “new media”, and we all can benefit from the excellent videos, blogs, and community features provided by our favorite magazines.
We witnessed a few new developments in tools, including a new re-designed Unisaw, a handsaw with an identity crisis, and a $1300 miter saw.
And as always this time of year, I like to ponder the stats and see what our site has accomplished. This year we posted over 50 Wood Whisperer episodes and live demos, 50 of your questions, 60 of your projects, and 31 of your shops. And our videos have received over 3 million downloads to date! Our new forum is creeping up on 11,000 posts by 1,100 members. We now have 12 different woodworkers broadcasting live from their shops on the Wood Whisperer Live Page and Wood Talk Online has even moved to a completely LIVE format. We gave away 10 Festool sanders and numerous other goodies from content producers like Charles Neil, Gary Katz, Hendrik Varju, and Chris Schwarz, just to name a few. And who can forget Woodworker’s Safety Week 2008?! And I should also mention that Jan. 1st marks the launch of the new Wood Whisperer Guild where you can get even more Wood Whisperer content and money-saving discounts on your tool and supply purchases.
So Nicole and I thank you all for being part of this incredible community. Whether you are a hardcore dust-jockey, a collector of fine tools, or even an armchair woodworker, you are all welcome here! I would also like to thank our sponsors, Festool and Powermatic, as well as the sites we’ve collaborated with extensively including Matt’s Basement Workshop, Popular Woodworking, Fine Woodworking, and Lumberjocks.
Is My Urethane Bad? - Question of the Week
This week’s question is from Terri who asks: “I make signs out of wood and last Spring (2008), I purchased a gallon of Helmsman Spar Urethane since I go through quite a bit of it (and absolutely love it). I had used a little more than a 1/4 of the gallon then stored it for the summer in the basement. Its a living basement therefore, the temperature was generally around 65-70 degrees through out the summer. When I opened it this fall to start using again, it had a hard coat over the top and about 4 inches of jell under that. I don’t know if the can wasn’t closed tightly or what happened. I was able to break through the hard coat and tried to mix it all up as best I could but now I have small ‘chunks’ of the jell that gets on my wood work. Is there anything I can do to eliminate this? Should I stir it with a drill attachment paint stirrer or would that cause more problems? I would really hate to have to throw away 3/4 of a gallon so would appreciate any help you could send my way.”
And this was my response: “Hi Terri. Unfortunately my friend, your Urethane is half way into the trash. A skin and chunks are signs that the finish has already started curing in the can. Varnishes cure via oxidation, which means air is your worst enemy. So either the can wasn’t sealed well enough, or the little bit of air that was trapped in the can was enough to keep the curing process going. The key is to put the varnish in a container that has little to no room for air. Or, you can use some Bloxygen. Its an aerosol can full of inert gas that creates an oxygen-free pillow on top of your finish, protecting it from oxidation. Another option is to fill the can with marbles or some other heavy item so the liquid level is raised to the top. But sad to say, this is all for prevention. Once the finish starts curing, as it has in your case, its best to just throw it away. But, if you are feeling especially frugal, feel free to strain out the chunks and test the remaining finish on scrap. If it cures properly and seems to bind strongly to the wood, you can probably get another use out of it. In most cases though, I don’t take any chances once the finish starts curing in the can.”
Thanks to Rhyan in Hawaii
I normally wouldn’t do this, but I can’t think of any other way to get in touch. I received some nice treats from Hawaii and I can’t seem to find Rhyan’s email. So first of all, thank you Rhyan! And second, email me so I can thank you properly. ;)
A Shadow Box and a Shop - Project/Shop of the Week
This week we are featuring our first Project/Shop of the Week dual post. It is submitted by Chad in Maryland. A worthy gift for a decorated soldier. Let’s see what Chad has to say:
“First of all, I want to say I really appreciate what you do for the woodworking world and the time you spend making all the podcasts. I have learned a lot and have gained confidence in the wood shop from your videos. OK……now I can get on to more man-type conversation. This is a shadow box for a friend who retired from the Air Force after nearly 22 years of service! The frame and majority of the box is made of Bloodwood with Tiger Maple inlays for the stripes and star. You’ll notice the Maple strip down each side….I would like to say that was planned, but we’ll just call it decorative compensation. The stack of inlays to make this project is about a foot high–a lot considering each template is made of 1/4″ plywood. I used an inlay kit with my router to get absolutely perfect matches, but as with any detailed inlay, I had to break out the chisels and sandpaper. I would love to go through the list of DOs and DON’Ts of working with Bloodwood, but I’ll save that for anyone that would like to know–it’s a long list! I hope everyone enjoys looking at the box as much as I did building it.”
“One of the photos is of me (on the right) with the man I presented the shadow box to. He absolutely loved it. I guess you see a little different side of me as well. In addition, I thought it would be neat for your viewers to see the wood shop a certain project came out of. I just wanted to let folks see my small shop and what it can produce. When I first started fine woodworking (almost a year ago) I would’ve never guessed something like the shadow box could come out of my little shop. I think this is what you stand for and who you want to reach with your Woodwhisperer webpage… anyone who has a love for woodworking no matter what tools or space they have to work with.”
“As you can see I have very limited space and everything is pretty much mobile. I don’t think anything can be used where it is sitting for anything major at all. The DeWalt planner is probably my most recommended tool; it performs over and over with very little snipe (even on that Bloodwood!). You can see that most of my tools are Craftsman and I’ve had great success with them. Some tools I strayed away due to reviews, but the bottom line is you have to set any tool up properly and maintain them and they usually work as advertised….rocket science I know, but some don’t do it.
So enjoy the pics and don’t stop what you’re doing; I look forward to your website at least every other day!”
Merry Christmas!!
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