Featured Content

My wife and I have just completed the necessary arrangements for us leaving the this world. This included purchasing a cemetery plot(in a 18th century graveyard), a grey granite headstone, and cremation. I'm building our boxes to hold our ashes using simplicity as my guide. I'm using some very local walnut, that I've had air drying for 25+ years in my loft. The box is getting dovetailed, with a sliding lid, and closed with a rosehead nail through the lid. Our goal was to decrease the burden, of our passing, to our two children!

Hi, I suck at telling a story, but I promise I'll try to get better. Instead I thought I'd just post a few gratuitous pictures of some recent work/progress on an instrument build. Specifically, carving the back braces. Instrument is Cedar top over spalted maple.      

Gang, I am officially out of room in my shop so I need to get creative.  My pipe clamp storage consists of a peg board with the pipe clamps hanging on hooks.  I have about 25 1/2” and 3/4” clamps of varying lengths (2 feet to 6 feet) hanging and I need ideas to consolidate them.  So, whatcha got folks?

I've mentioned that I could use a router plane. Funds ain't gonna allow the purchase of one, so guess what that leaves? I'm makin this up as I go along; might be ugly, but if it works I do not care. I have some Black Walnut from an old barn. Not really enough to build much of anything, but I think it'll be enough for this. But it needs paint removal and flattening, etc. So after clamping a makeshift stop, I get busy. Snow is going away, and I could not be happier to watch it leave.     Dealing with some cup and bow.     Making progress.      

Hey all.   I've always been curious when I've heard anything about the Carpenter's Shop that's long existed in the basement of The White House — but never manage to find any details about it. I randomly did find this one photo recently — and of all things, I spot a handsome long-arm DeWalt radial arm saw in the background (a tool I have some affection for) —   Photographed December 3, 1947 — "Photo of carpenter's shop, from an album of photographs by Abbie Rowe of the White House prior to the 1949 renovation."   I did some quick work to upscale and colorize the original (low resolution, black & white) photo —   Here's the original as I found it —   Found here: https://www.trumanlibrary.gov/photograph-records/82-54-108   I also found one more photo, at a different angle. I'm not certain if it's one taken around the same time, or years later — something about his shoes doesn't feel quite "1947" to me, but maybe I'm wrong about that. Again, I've tried to upscale it from the absolutely abysmal low-res original I found —     Original version:   For anyone curious, here's a large archive of photos from 1940-1969 by White House photographer Abbie Rowe (who covered 5 administrations from 1941 up until 1967, the year he died). This archive includes plenty of fascinating photographs he took during the Truman Reconstruction — a period of The White House's reconstruction from 1949 to 1952.   From Wikipedia —   The White House Reconstruction, also known as the Truman Reconstruction, was a comprehensive dismantling and rebuilding of the interior of the White House from 1949 to 1952. A century and a half of wartime destruction and rebuilding, hurried renovations, additions of new services, technologies, the added third floor and inadequate foundations brought the Executive Residence portion of the White House Complex to near-imminent collapse.   In 1948, architectural and engineering investigations deemed it unsafe for occupancy. President Harry S. Truman, his family, and the entire residence staff were relocated across the street to Blair House. For over three years, the White House was gutted, expanded, and rebuilt.   There's also this large collection of Rowe's photographs on Wikipedia Commons.   Here's a shot of Abbie Rowe amidst some interior renovation (taken March 3rd, 1950) —     I'm actually unclear about when the White House carpenter's shop came to exist — as the photo I found was taken in 1947, but the carpentry shop is also mentioned as being an addition during the reconstruction — which began in 1949. So that's a bit confusing.   From Wikipedia (White House Reconstruction > Changes in design) —   Additions to the ground floor included additional service elevators to service the upper floors, a bowling alley, expanded kitchen, broadcast studio, barber shop, medical and dental clinics, carpentry and upholstery shops, and large service and equipment spaces.     As for more photos or details on this (presumably very intriguing) carpenter's shop — I haven't come across much beyond these. But maybe more exists somewhere — if anyone discovers or knows more, I'd certainly like to know about it.   — David

What does this mean?   Does this mean you create from scratch something from nothing?    Does this mean you copy other creations?   In my opinion… It’s creating and building it in dreams or thoughts. I often build tables from what I think and apply it to wood. Sometimes it’s too hard and II eliminate it from from thought. Sometimes I lose interest and walk away.    Sometimes I’ve built to pay bills and sometimes I build to challenge my dreams. I spend many of hours tossing in bed over ideas.

Another pattern by Steve Good.  This one is cut from 1/4 Baltic Birch with a stained maple background.  I think it turned out pretty good.  The small letters made for quite a challenge.

Another pattern by Steve Good.  This one is cut from 1/4 Baltic Birch with a stained maple background.  I think it turned out pretty good.  The small letters made for quite a challenge.   obtw - if you cut it, be aware that the "Great Seal" is backwards in the original pattern.  The arrows are always on the right side with the olive branches on the left.   

For a little project a set of wood balls were ordered from the jungle store.   A week later and they still hadn't been shipped.  Cancelled that order and set about seeing if I could make my own.    Step 1.  Find a scrap of wood at least 1.5" x 1.5" x 10" or so.   Got close.  Had a scrap of hard maple salvaged from a retired computer desk project.  Larger in cross section than I needed so I trimmed it down to 1.5 x 1.5 with two passes through my table saw.   Mounted it on my radial axis.  Screwed one end into a hex block I made many years back to hold it in the 3-jaw chuck.  Moulding toolpath created in Aspire.  First finish pass left flat spots on the spheres.   Reset Z atop a flat spot and ran that finish pass again.  Next step required 3/8" diameter holes on each ball.  Made an X/Y/Z toolpath, using the vectors created for cutting the row of balls to verify spacing down the row.    Next the balls were cut apart using my bandsaw. The nubs left needed to be removed.   Sticking an aluminum rod into the holes made let me chuck them up one-at-a-time in the radial axis. Used the hex nut between ball and tailstock point to help hold the ball secure. Made up a toolpath I hoped would just cut the nubs off.   Ran it once and found it cut a bit more of the sphere surface than I expected.  Then realized I had a variable speed mini-lathe in my garage shop.  Clean it off, remounted the tailstock and tool rest.  Found a reasonably sharp skew chisel to use. Trimmed off the nubs.  Sanded through 120, 180, 240, 320 to smooth the surface of each one.  20 minutes later I had 4 wood ball feet for my project.  Less expensive than buying them.  Scrap was free.  My investment in the time require well worth it as a mental exercise to figure out steps needed to produce them. 4D

Working on restoring my family’s old dining room table. It's the closest thing I have to a family heirloom, my dad got it out of someone’s back yard when my folks first got married. It was pretty beat up, he sanded most of the marks out of the top, varnished it and put it to use. I got it from them last year, all the glue joints were coming loose and a piece or two missing. Cool old table, solid oak double drop leaf, made probably early 50’s by a company called A. Brandt. It was a line they produced called “Ranch Oak”. It was made to look like the pieces were rough cut out with a chisel. 

Started making a pack of inlay band Sunday.  Never made it before, but it came out alright I think, B+ anyway.  Using scraps of beech and walnut because I had it.  Going to do a few more of the same until I get it down and can switch to expensive stuff.   About half of it I planed the edge, then ripped a thin strip on the bandsaw, then planed the edge again.  The second half I just ripped so both sides are rough.  Figure it gets planed or scraped down to the host surface anyway.   Even though I was expecting it, I was really struck by how cool the shavings are:  

As Jesse will attest, the scroll saw is a versatile tool. While my attempts are nowhere near his artistry, they are a bit unusual as these pics will hopefully show.
 

As Jesse will attest, the scroll saw is a versatile tool. While my attempts are nowhere near his artistry, they are a bit unusual as these pics will hopefully show.       Here's the pattern for the next one.  

Bob Flexner was instrumental in informing and education many woodworkers about finishing.   Reading his book and articles was an awakening in my finishing knowledge.  I was also privileged to meet him a few years ago.  RIP Bob   Obituary For Bob Flexner    

Simmons & Company Auctioneers, Inc. is excited to announce that the THCKK (The Hardware Companies Kollectors Kulb) annual auction is coming up on March 14th and 15th, 2025! This highly anticipated event will showcase over 1300 lots of rare and collectible items from some of the most prestigious names in the antique tool world, including:

Like many of us, I have a problem throwing wood away and I am always looking for ways to make interesting things out of it.
Enter a decorative way to use up small scraps of wood.  This pattern was done in poplar (with a lot of color variation).

I received my forge a couple days ago and I spent the morning putting it together. I was going to build one but I really want to get started so I did some research and found this Whitlox Homesteader forge, it's perfect for me, I love it!

Did you know that certain hardwoods fluoresce under a blacklight? You can read all about it on the Wood Database site: FLUORESCENCE: A SECRET WEAPON IN WOOD IDENTIFICATION

Project Details
The information provided hereon is all the information that is provided, no further information on this item will be added.
Text on it says “AM PUB SUPPLY.” The 3/8″ thick blade is held in place with a screw cam. 
 

 

Cherry burl platter turned with Easy Wood Tools

Cherry burl platter

Cherry burl platter

I have been sharpening my chisels & plane blades with a homemade guide, assorted papers spray glued to a piece plate glass for some time now and decided to move up to something less bulky. 
Found the FASTTRACK on Woodcrafts web site that linked me to https://www.m-powertools.com/.  Signed up for the news letter & received 20% off my purchase.

Ok ladies and gentlemen, we now have our "What's it" live and ready!
The image(s) below is a MWTCA "What's It" image for you to research, and tell us all here in this topic post, just what the heck is it!
 
Project Details
The information provided hereon is all the information that is provided, no further information on this item will be added.
 

 

Hopefully this is the right forum.  I surf the topics a lot but rarely post.  Just finished out another walking stick.  Stick is a limb off a wild cherry tree that grows in NW Ark and on my lot.  Ball is from a scrap piece of cherry that I have had for a while.  I harvest various types of limbs from my lot or others being cleared for homes in the area.  Dry them for a year and then strip bark, knock down the knots with a rasp, scrap out the rasp marks, sand and then ID a rough design that seems to change as I go.  On this stick the cherry ball was not in the initial design, just seemed like it would fit.  I use stains that I have on hand, but the black cherry left the white wood more purple than cherry so I used a mix of walnut and the BC on the stick, no stain on the ball.  Ball is secured with epoxy before staining.  Pattern is supposed to represent snake skin and is cut in with a dremel tool.  Design is not planned, just what seems to fit that day.  I have made and given away approx 12 since I started last year and have 5 completed on hand and 7 more limbs drying.