Our Picks

I would normally install this topic in our "Woodworking Book Reviews" section of this forum, but since it's also a website I thought I'd share it here.

20 some years ago, when I went out on my own as on-site service repair on furniture, I needed a tool kit for the van.
First try: I got a tool box with a lidded top, a couple of drawers and a tilt-out bin.  I estimated what tools I'd need for the job described, pull them out and carry them in.  I found in 5 minutes, I was back for something else, then another 5 minutes, for yet another tool.  Not very efficient.

Been trying to get some inventory built to go to a Thanksgiving weekend show. Initially started for last year's show but stuff kept getting in the way.
 
After spending most of the last two months commuting back and forth to Lost Wages to deal with parent health issues, I got these completed. Still need a bunch more but at least it's a start.
 

Marine Captain Joe Reney contacted us and asked us if we could build some challenge coin displays for his men, we obliged, and Patriot Woodworker Leo Pedersen donated two boxes of his displays for the cause.

USMC Joshua B. Kerns, a Wounded Warrior with our display, wounded by an IED attack, and lost his arm and both legs. Joshua was being treated at Bethesda Naval Hospital when he received one our displays.

Did a few of these a while back but it's been a while. This is soft maple, turned to about 2.5mm or 3/32" and just over 12" diameter. It will get my version of a basket weave illusion done with piercing and pyrography.

So the good thing that came out of my trip to Ohio was getting to poke around and find a few antique Disston saws.
Started working on the oldest of them today.  This is a 26”, 7 TPI Curved-Back saw.  The curve is similar to a D-8 but the blade isn’t as tall.
Saw is cleaned, straightened, and tensioned.  Waiting on files and a set tool to finish this up and put it back into use.
 
 

It has been a while since I last posted the progress on my Mission style nightstand.  It was designed to allow the side subs, bottom shelf, drawer rail sub, and upper rail sub to be finished prior to assembly.

A selection of recent projects to keep me busy.

Cherry Rocker Rear

So as I move a bit more down the handtool woodworking path, there are a number of things that I am going to need to make.
Today’s entry into this category is winding sticks.
Made a set for me and a set for my father in law out in Ohio (because the bench took too long to build and I couldn’t get to his mallets in time)
 
These are beech because I seem to have quite a bit of that left over, and it is nice to work with.
Dimensioning, milling, and everything but sanding was done with hand tools on the new bench and I am pretty happy with the results.

The half-moon style of these seem to work better for me than the inlay style but I will probably make a set of inlay style ones eventually as well.
 

 
 

Projects from the near and distant past

A collection of wood-centric images for use as lock & home screen wallpaper on our cellphones. All images ©ThePatriotWoodworker

Projects and musings from a Furniture Design Educator.
4D

I hope it’s ok to ask a couple dumb questions.  
 
1.  (dont laugh) do the teeth face up or down on the scroll saw?  I think it’s down, but not sure.
2.  How do I know if I am doing the tension correctly?  I got a Wen 21 inch scroll saw and it has a tension knob with numbers from 1 through 5, but the manual doesn’t help me.
3.  Finally the correct speed for the tension/wood type..?
Thanks for any help

Been working on a wedding cross for our oldest daughter @Cynthia Morris and her fiancé Nathan. What an honor to be a part of this preparation and to have this task assigned to me, so I set to doing a little research and found the appropriate dimensions and acquired some Black Walnut and here we go

I set it to an inch deep and drilled multiple holes in poplar, nice and clean, and the same depth, it just takes a little practice to see when it hits, because you really can't feel it hit.

On February 16, 23-year-old U.S. Army Lieutenant Cameron Kerr of Stow, Ohio ran to help an Afghan National Army soldier who had just stepped on a small IED (improvised explosive device). On his way, he trod on a larger IED, which exploded on impact.
The Afghan soldier sustained a broken foot, but Kerr was more severely wounded, resulting in amputation of his left foot and lower leg, and severe lacerations and burns to his left arm. Four days later, he was recovering at the U.S. Army's Walter Reed Medical Center near Washington, D.C.
Seen here Lt. Kerr is holding a Patriot Woodworker challenge coin display.

I personally love Anne of All Trades and what she does on her homestead and how she blogs about it all. Such a positive young lady, humble and full of energy and joy to share what she knows as she learns it.
 
 

Over the past several weeks I have been slowly working on a new workbench for hand tool woodworking. 

I thought I would share a few progress pics.   Just need to add glue and a few more hundred items to complete.  Thanks for looking.  Danl

Ol knuckle head sanding on a New Lebanon Shaker Rocking Chair. I built this chair from Curly Maple, it turned out very nice.

My thoughts,
Our beautiful country, as we come up to the 244th anniversary of our Independence, I am bursting with pride at how far our young country has come in such a short period of time.
I am thankful for living here, I thank God every day for allowing me and my family to be a part of the American experience. I love our American people, with all our faults, and with all our unique traits and culture that has formed since the day William Bradford set foot on Plymouth Rock.

Working on a vase for my wife. I started with a piece of cherry 6” by 6” by 12” long. I think I will need to build a steady rest to hollow it.

I know I haven't been around much lately.  Family matters and a few shows have realaly kept me busy.  Yes, Pop's Shop is still around and kicking.
That being said, I just wanted to share with y'all my labor of love for my wife to celebrate our 58 years together.