Wood Talk Online #53
If you have any comments, or questions about something you hear today or something you haven’t heard, you can get a hold of us by either dropping us an email at woodtalkonline@gmail.com or you can pick up the phone and leave us a message on our voice mail at 623-242-2450.
Our Anniversary Show! 2 years! Time to take the show in a slightly different direction. We’ve been sponsored by one of the most popular knitting podcasts out there, Nuttin’ Wrong with Knittin’!
Toms Tip: Keeping splinters out of your yarn.
What’s on the Bench?
Marc is still plugging away on the Hall Frame, trying to balance building, filming, and photographing all at the same time! Matt is excited about a couple new tools he picked up from his Grandfather.
Around the Web:
ToolCritic.com Tools are classified by type and manufacturer, and for each category, 7 1/4 inch circular saws, for instance, there is a little mini article that tells you all about the saws. The user-generated reviews give honest assessments. Some tools get high praise, while others are flamed. And if you post five reviews, you get a free t-shirt.
10 free wooden bike plans from the folks at ToolCrib.com
What Marc got in the Mail:
A new buffing wheel for the 8″ grinder, a plastic drafting triangle, and a square template.
Voicemails:
Frank- Essential Hand Tools? And what grade of tools?
Roberto – Making a bed. Sheet goods that won’t break under lots of stress.
Dean – Recommendation for big router in his new router table and a laminate trimmer.
David – Using plywood, how much sanding do you do?
Toms Tip:
Keeping your jigs straight by writing info on the jig itself.
Editor’s Tip:
Learning about wood for free. Check out The Wood Handbook and
http://hobbithouseinc.com
Interview With Jim Tolpin:
After more than thirty years of working at woodworking for a living…and after having written a dozen books on the subject that have sold more than three-quarters of a million copies…Jim Tolpin is now teaching woodworking for a living at the Port Townsend School of Woodworking. Check out Jim’s website!
Gadget Station/Desk – Project of the Week
This week’s project is submitted by Chris. Let’s check it out and see what he has to say:
“I’ve been watching your videos for the last few months, and find them very enjoyable. I watched Part 1 of the gadget station last night, and what you’re working on is very much like a project I built for myself earlier in the spring.”
“Back in the old days, Stickley built a desk called the #706. It’s a small secretary-type desk, and the top of it is basically a gadget station with a drop down door for a laptop (like your first station, but this one has a better way for supporting the door). For somebody who wants a gadget station but also needs a small desk for a laptop, it’s perfect. That’s what I use mine for.”
“The desk itself was built entirely with hand tools…vintage panel and back saws, hand planes (most vintage, but a few new Lie-Nielsen and Veritas planes), and chisels (short chisels are Ashley Isles, long chisels are mostly vintage). The top and bottom shelf are attached to the sides using hand cut wedged through-mortises. The back is ship lapped pine boards. The door utilized haunched mortise-and-tenon joinery with floating solid panels. I will admit to using a random orbit sander to get the inside of the door perfectly level though, but I did get it pretty close with just hand planes. :) I finished the desk with shellac….something like 18 coats padded on.”
“It’s built with clear pine…I’m a total hand tool person so quartersawn oak was not going to happen (original Stickleys in QS oak looks AMAZING though). One pic is when it was brand new and one is with the adjustable shelving system I built for it. Devices that need charging sit in the middle (iPod, cellphone, etc.), and the side shelving is wide enough to accommodate CD/DVD storage. When not in use, the laptop stands on edge and leans back against the shelves….it tilts backwards slightly so it won’t fall out.”
“You’ll see that the door’s pivot location is about 1/4 from the bottom, so the shelf in the desk actually supports the door when it’s open (better than using mechanical supports). Overall, I’m really happy with it….maybe somebody else watching the videos might find the design to their liking as well, or maybe this will give you a little inspiration or something.”
This Old Shop ~ Circa 1962 – Shop Tour
This week’s shop comes from Robert in Boise. Let’s check out what he has to say:
“With all the “new” shops that we have seen, I thought some of you might be interested in a wood shop that was built by my father in the basement of our Long Island, New York home around 1962. I still remember, as a young boy, holding a star drill as my dad manually pounded holes in the concrete basement floor to set the footers for framing the shop walls. I don’t know if I was really “helping” but my dad let me think I was!”
“The first picture shows my dad’s Craftsman table saw in the center of the shop. The saw had a “big” 7″ blade and “gravity feed” dust collection. (Sawdust just dropped into a big drawer in the cabinet base he constructed for the saw.)”
“As you can see from Pic 2, every tool in the shop had a place and my dad could always tell if a tool was not placed back where it was supposed to be! The chisels consisted of a large array of different sized flat chisels and gouges. Along the top were a number of “braces” for drilling holes as well as some antique specialized molding planes and spoke shaves. The “bits” available for the “braces” were located in drawers as seen in the Pic 3.”
“My father was primarily a “hand tool” guy, but did have a few power tools as seen inthe next Pic. Note how all the tools, with the exception of a router acquired in later years, are all constructed with metal cases—no plastic! Other power tools (Pic 5) consisted of a bench drill press, a grinder, a Unimat metal lathe, and a homemade disc sander.”
“In another corner of the shop (Pic 6) you can see a 1930s version of a multipurpose power tool. This combination tool was given to my father when he was a teenager. You can see the wood lathe and a removable “jigsaw” (now called a scrollsaw). This jigsaw could be removed and replaced with a very small table saw when needed. My father was still using this lathe in the 60s and 70s as you can see by the number of turning tools he acquired and maintained. To the right you can see his set of handsaws and block planes.”
“In the final work area of the shop is what he called his “metalworking” area (Pic 7). This area consisted of a variety of rasps, files, metal cutting tools, pliers, and hammers.”
“Many of my father’s older tools were inherited from his high school wood shop teacher. They formed a strong friendship when my dad was in high school and became lifelong friends. Many of these tools were originally stored in a tool chest (Pic 8) passed down from his family. The outside this tool chest looks pretty old and worn. Once opened you can see the entire inside was beautifully constructed of inlaid diamond shaped pieces of wood with the owner’s name dated 1890. Within the chest are several sliding panels and compartments which held an entire set of “wood” molding planes (not shown). The story is that this chest used to be hauled around New York City by wagon for custom cabinet work by the owner.”
Power Tool Guilt
I was just thinking about something and I know I can’t be the only one. As a self-proclaimed “hybrid woodworker”, I try to balance hand tools and power tools in a way that makes the most sense for the job at hand. This is a method of work that takes a certain amount of time and experience to develop. I am getting there. But one thing I have noticed about myself over the years is that I have a touch of power tool guilt. Sounds silly but its totally true.
Have you ever watched a video about hand tools where the woodworker is showing off his mad skillz?? You know the kind where the guy makes his perfect wispy shavings during a serene and peaceful milling session (I’m talking to YOU Schwarz!).
I did some milling today and you know what I looked like? A soldier about to engage in chemical warfare! Anyway, I usually finish the video, and with my head down and my bottom lip out I say to Nicole, “I’m at one with the wood too……”, almost asking for reassurance. She usually pats me on the head and says, “Of course you are dear!” and then gives me an ice cream.
Looking back over the years, this sense of guilt was what fueled a number of my hand tool purchases. I frequently bought these tools before I even knew how to use them. As a result, they became very cool looking decorations for my shop. While nearly every one of my hand tools is now in use, that wasn’t always the case. And I honestly just felt guilty about it.
But this is where the story takes a positive turn. As the complexity of my projects increased, I soon confronted problems that were not easily solved with power tools. So by necessity, the hand tools were pulled down off the shelf and placed into service. Now I may not use these tools to the extent that a hand tool only woodworker might, but who cares? I am what I am. And what I am is a hybrid woodworker! So as I continue to develop my woodworking identity, my guilt slowly fades away. And I’ve come to realize that it really wasn’t guilt over using power tools, it was the guilt associated with knowing I haven’t yet fully explored the simplest options available to me. And now that I have, I can confidently select the best tool for each job, powered or not.
Fortunately for all of us, woodworking is a process and not a destination. There are all types of tools for all types of woodworkers and there is room in the world for all of us. So my public service message for today is: End the guilt! Have confidence in who you are as a woodworker. And most importantly, do what makes you happy!
By the way, check out the October issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine for an article that covers some of my favorite ways to incorporate hand tools into a power tool workshop.
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